SITE N Diary

September 6th

We have not seen 08 for a few days - he was last seen sitting on fence posts in Manton Bay on Wednesday morning, and has not returned to the nest site since then. So presumably he has now set out on migration. After the disappointment of 2008 it is great that he has raised two really healthy chicks this year. Let's hope he returns for another summer at Rutland Water in March next year.

September 3rd

With their mother heading south, it was only a matter of time before the Site N chicks followed, and sure enough, both have now set out on their first migration.

A stiff south-westerly wind kept both youngsters at the nest site on Saturday (29th), but when Sunday dawned fine and calm, both birds were off.

Neither bird returned to the nest site on Sunday evening nor next morning when 08 was sitting close to the nest holding a large trout. If the juveniles had still been present the sight of 08 with a fish would have provoked a spell of loud and incessant food begging. But instead all was quiet. There was now no doubt that both birds had set out on migration.

Who knows how far south the birds will now have flown; will they have reached France or maybe they will have found a good fishing area in the south of England where they can rest up for a few days? With hundreds of Ospreys passing through England each day, now is a great time to look for colour-ringed birds. So if you come across a juvenile Osprey with a blue ring on its right leg, please get in touch!

With his family now heading south, 08 is likely to begin his own journey very soon. Recently though, we have been treated to great views of him fishing directly in front of the Lyndon centre, and also sitting on the fence posts in Manton Bay. So if you are planning a trip to Rutland Water this weekend there is still a chance of one last Osprey sighting this year.

August 26th

In contrast to Site B, things have been settled at Site N. 08 has provided the youngsters with a regular supply of fish and both have been returning there to feed. On Saturday evening passengers on the last Osprey cruise of the summer watched as 08 caught a trout in the South Arm of the reservoir – the area around the Old Hall seems to have been a fairly reliable spot for him in recent weeks. 04 also made another excursion to the reservoir – spending much of Monday afternoon perched on the dead tree near Wadercsrape hide.

Although 5N (right) also made a few forays away last week, she spent the vast majority of her time close to the nest. She was obviously preparing to leave because on Saturday she did just that – taking advantage of clear skies to begin her southward migration. Her departure was two days earlier than the past two years and by now she could be flying south through France, her summer job completed successfully. We wish her well on her journey.

August 13th

Following the fishing exploits of 03 last week, the other Site N chick, 04, has been having adventures of his own. Having been on the wing for more than a fortnight 04 has grown in confidence and is now spending long periods exploring well away from the nest. For instance, this afternoon the young male spent several hours sitting on a dead tree very close to Waderscrape hide on the Lyndon reserve - giving the lucky visitors in the hide spectacular views - particularly when he dropped off the tree and dragged his feet through the water to clean his talons. A truly memorable sight!

Like at Site B the youngsters are still very much dependent on their father for food - frequently returning to the nest to check whether he has brought a fish back.

August 7th

The Site N chicks are growing more adventurous by the day - even 04 is now spending prolonged periods exploring. The youngsters though are still dependent on 08 for food - always returning to the nest when hungry. Well, nearly always as volunteer Doug Henderson's explains...

"My site N rota on Tuesday started at 6.00am with 08, 5N and 04 engaged in their usual domiciliary duties of feeding, preening and flying around the nest site. Clearly 08 had been busy fishing as there were two half eaten fish in the nest allowing 5N and 04 to feed themselves at the same time. However there was no sign of 03. Then at 7.55 he appeared from the direction of Rutland Water carrying what, in the distance, looked like some nesting material. How wrong could I be! He had caught a trout – not a particularly large one I must say, but a trout none the less. He landed on the perch and commenced to indulge himself in a well earned breakfast. Let’s hope his brother gets the message!"

It is unusual for a juvenile to catch a fish prior to migration so this really does demonstrate what an exceptional bird 03 is.  

July 31st

Having fledged well over a week ago, 03 is now beginning to spend long periods away from the nest. This is an important period in the imprinting process - as the young male explores the local area he will be learning about his home range - information that will be vital if he is to return in two or three years' time.

This exploratory behaviour is typical of juveniles who have been flying for a week or more, but younger chicks will usually remain close to the nest for the first few days after fledging. Imagine our concern therefore when 04 disappeared after making his first flight.

After a morning of helicoptering, 04 launched himself off the nest for the first time at 4:30pm on Thursday last week. Worryingly though, he then disappeared from view. For the next 24 hours we searched in vain for the young male. Had he crash landed on the ground? And if so, where?

After an extremely anxious 24 hours we finally relocated him; perched on a telegraph pole almost a mile from the nest. Half an hour later he flew a little closer to the nest – landing on a tree within sight of the nest. It seemed only a matter of time before he returned to the safety of the nest, but by next morning the status quo remained. Even when 08 returned with a large trout at 6:15 the young male remained on the tree.

A further five hours passed before 04 finally plucked up the courage to leave the tree and return to the nest. 08’s fish was so large that there was still a considerable amount of fish remaining in the nest and unsurprisingly 04 devoured it ravenously; it was now a full two days since his last meal.

Having returned to the nest we expected (and hoped) 04 would remain there for the rest of the afternoon. However it seemed that the young male had other ideas. After finishing the fish he headed north, landing in a copse well over half a mile from the nest. Not wanting a repeat of the previous 24 hours, 08 and then 5N followed him; both adult birds perching within sight of their flighty chick. It was apparent that the adult birds were determined that 04 was going to return to the nest and when 04 took off again 08 was quick to shepherd him back to the T-perch and then the nest. This time the young male seemed to get the message; remaining on the nest for the rest of the day.

Since then 04 has grown in confidence and is now making short, but increasingly competent flights - without venturing more than a few hundred metres from the safety of the nest, that is.

Intruders continue to make regular visits to the nest. These intrusions invariably involve the usual suspects – 32, 5R and 09 – but on Friday morning last week John Wright photographed a new female intruding at Site N (right). Well, we thought it was a new female...

However, after looking at his photo more closely John realised that it was the Site B female – obviously searching for more fish. 08 though quickly chased her away - as shown in the photo on the left. To read more about her fishing exploits, check out the Site B diary.

July 21st

Whereas the chicks at Site B fledged within a few hours of each other, it has been a very different story at Site N.

In the past week the older of the two chicks, 03 has proved to be an incredibly advanced bird. If you have been following the story of the two nests on the website this summer you will know that the first of the Site N chicks hatched a day after their counterparts at Site B. We expected therefore that the chicks at the two nests would fledge at roughly the same age – the average age in Scotland being 53 days. 03 though had other ideas. By Thursday morning (51 days after hatching) he was helicoptering high above the nest, and shortly after midday he left the nest for the first time – making a strong minute-long flight. The only point when he got into any kind of difficulty was when he attempted to land next to 08 on the t perch close to the nest. John Wright's drawing below shows the young male virtually knocking his father off the perch as he struggled to land!

Since then he has become incredibly adept on the wing. By Friday he was spending most of his time away from the nest – favouring a nearby Ash tree to perch in - and on Saturday evening he chased a buzzard away from the nest site.

Contrast this behaviour with 04; although he is feeding well and appears to be in good condition he has sill not left the nest. Such a difference is probably due to age. It is possible (if he hatched from the final egg to be laid) that 04 may be as many as four days younger than his brother. And bearing in mind that 03 fledged early, it may be that 04 won’t leave the nest until the end of the week (he is probably 53 days old today). It is also possible that the presence of a second, more advanced chick on the nest, stimulates younger chicks to exercise more. The fact that 03 is now absent for prolonged periods therefore may have slowed 04’s rate of development.

Although 03 spends most of his time away from the nest, any sniff of a fish and he returns to the nest. In fact he has become very aggressive at feeding time. On Sunday afternoon he snatched s small fish from his mother and then prevented 04 from taking more than a few bites. Fortunately 08 then returned with a much larger fish that was shared equally among the family.  

Last year, when 08 and 5N nested in Manton Bay, a pair of Pied Wagtails raised two broods of chicks from a nest low down in the huge osprey nest. This year they have new neighbours; a pair of Tree Sparrows. We think that the sparrows are probably now sitting on a clutch of eggs – so 03 and 04 may not be the only youngsters fledging from the nest this summer! It is not uncommon for Tree (and House) Sparrows to breed in nests in Scotland but it is the first time we have recorded it at Rutland Water. See if you can spot the Tree Sparrow in John' drawing below...

July 14th

The chicks at Site N are now seven weeks old, and like the youngsters at Site B, are nearing fledging.

For much of the past week they have spent long periods flapping their wings with increasing vigour as they prepare to leave the nest for the first time.

As reported in the last update, we initially thought that there was one male and one female chick, but when we took the youngsters out of the nest to ring them last week it was clear that both were males; weighing 1500g and 1550g respectively. Both birds were in excellent condition and were ringed with blue rings 03 and 04.

June 23rd

5N and 08's chicks are thriving. John Wright's fantastic illustration below shows 5N feeding the two youngsters. An obvious size-difference is very apparent, suggesting that there is probably one male and one female (the larger of the two). If this is the case, it is the same as 2007 when 08 and 5N raised two chicks at the Manton Bay nest. As the recent arrival of the unringed female demonstrates, two year-old Ospreys are now starting to return to the UK for the first time - let's hope that one or both of 08 and 5N's offspring from two years ago - male YP(07) or female YK(07) - are among them.

June 11th

08 and 5N's chicks seem to thriving at Site N; they are now over two weeks old and, like the chicks at Site B, are just starting to develop their first feathers. John Wright's drawings below depict some recent scenes at the nest.

May 28th

Earlier in the spring we reported that 08 and 5N, the former residents of Manton Bay, had moved to a new nest site situated some distance from the reservoir on private land. After returning in late March, they settled down to incubation at what we called Site N on 19th April. John Wright's field sketch (right) shows the female sitting low in the nest three days after laying the first egg.

The five weeks of incubation passed with little drama and, like at Site B, the volunteers monitoring the nest were asked to pay close attention to the behaviour of the adult birds as hatching drew near.

In contrast to Site B, little changed on Monday (day 36 of incubation at both sites) and we couldn't help but begin to worry about the prospect of a repeat of the disappointment of 2008.

But, just when we were starting to get nervous, things changed. 08 returned to the nest with a roach on Tuesday evening and, after eating the head, he flew to the nest.

To our delight, and with 08 watching intently, 5N took the fish and delicately offered tiny pieces down into the nest cup, presumably to a newly-hatched chick. The chick must have only been a few hours old, but appeared to accept several of the minute morsels from its mother.

After a few minutes 5N settled back down to brood the chick and incubate the remaining eggs. It was interesting to see that, in contrast to the previous 37 days, she was now noticeably restless and fidgety on the nest. A difficult business this, trying to brood one chick and incubate the remaining eggs!

The chick was obviously well-fed because an hour and a half later 08 returned to the nest, collected the fish, and took it to a nearby tree for a second helping.

Another half an hour passed before 08 flew back to the nest with what was now little more than a fish tail. Like earlier 5N immediately took the fish from 08 and fed the chick. This time the tiny youngster must have been more hungry because 5N continued to feed it for over five minutes.

Eventually though, as the light began to fade, she settled back down to brood again.

Fortunately the heavy rain forecast for next morning did not materialise and 5N again fed her newly-hatched youngster at regular intervals. This pattern has continued today and we are now hoping that Tuesday's chick has been joined by a second. Like at Site B, the chicks are still too small to be seen over the edge of the nest, but within a week to ten days we hope to see very small reptilian-like heads appearing over the edge of the nest.

Watch this space!

Although the location of the nest makes photography very difficult, John Wright has produced some fantastic sketches of the birds at their new home. Here is just a selection - notice in particular how the nest has grown in the last five weeks. The birds may have moved to a new nest site, but it doesn't seem to have dampened 08's enthusiasm for nest-building!

April 21st

For much of last week 08 and 5N made only fleeting visits to the Manton Bay nest and over the weekend it became clear that they had chosen to move to the alternative nest site. Both birds spent prolonged periods adding sticks and nest lining to their new home, and then on Sunday morning, 5N began sitting low in the nest for the first time, indicating that she had laid the first egg. Since then the birds have been sharing incubation duties and all looks very settled.

The new nest site is situated some distance from the reservoir and is situated on private farmland. It is not possible to view the nest from roads or public footpaths, but we will continue to bring you the story of 5N and 08's summer on the website. Whilst it is disappointing that the birds have moved away from the nature reserve, we are delighted that they are now incubating eggs. The primary aim of the project has always been to re-establish Ospreys in central England, and so the fact that 08 and 5N are breeding again, is great news.

April 14th

The only thing predictable about events at the Manton Bay nest in recent days is that they have been entirely unpredictable!

Having spent much of Good Friday afternoon at the nest, 08 and 5N were absent for most of Saturday, although 08 did make occasional visits – perhaps just to make sure that 5R was keeping his distance. A similar pattern emerged on Easter Day – 08 would appear every so often, but without 5N.

Finally, at 5:30pm both birds returned to the bay. 5N landed on the nest and immediately began food-begging. Unlike Good Friday when 08’s response was to go and catch a fine trout, this time he just ignored her.  Initially he preened on the perch adjacent to the nest, apparently oblivious to 5N’s hunger, but as time progressed and 5N’s begging became more and more intense he moved further away – perching on the dead tree immediately in front of Waderscrape hide where evidently the food-begging was not as loud!

More than an hour later at 7:30pm, 5N was still food begging and 08 was, well, still in the tree.

5N was again absent from Manton Bay on Monday morning, but 08 made several visits – perching for 10-15 minutes each time before heading off – seemingly in search of fish. Eventually he was joined at the nest by 5N. 08 brought a stick to the nest and then mated with the female. Then once again he headed off.

Shortly afterwards a second female - almost certainly the metal-ringed female who intruded at Site B last week - appeared overhead; prompting 5N to mantle defensively over the nest. The female circled, attracting the attention of 5R who began displaying high above, and then a second male – 08 interrupting his fishing trip to investigate. The female slowly drifted off south, followed by the two males and then 5N.

An hour or so later, 08 returned to the nest, but this time alone. He remained for half an hour before heading off east – still searching for that elusive meal. By 6:30pm neither bird had returned to the nest and 08 was still fishing – now close to the dam at the eastern end of the reservoir.

April 11th

In recent days 08 has only made sporadic visits to Manton Bay, leading us to suspect that he and 5N may choose to nest at an alternative site this year. However, nothing in the natural world is predictable and yesterday afternoon both birds returned to the bay. 08 was first to appear, chasing two Egyptian Geese off the nest and then spending much of the morning on the t-bar perch close to the nest. In recent days the geese have been showing a good deal of interest in the nest - to such an extent that they have actually laid an egg. However, the Ospreys should have no trouble evicting them, and 08 quickly covered the egg with fresh nest-lining when he returned yesterday.

At 2:30pm 08 was joined by 5N (see photo from webcam). She landed on the nest and 08 immediately copulated with her. 5N was obviously hungry and began food-begging with increasing intensity. Eventually 08 responded, flying east towards the dam. Heavy rain can’t have made fishing that easy, but just 20 minutes later he reappeared with a good-sized trout. Perhaps the falling rain had stirred the fish up? 5N had been sheltering on the fallen polar close to the nest but when she saw 08 returning she headed straight to the nest. 08 took the fish to the poplar, and tucked in. We waited, and so did 5N. Another half an hour passed before 08 finally took the fish to his waiting mate. She eagerly accepted the fish and carried it to the nearby perch. 08 meanwhile returned to the nest. The question is, will they remain there over the weekend?  

April 8th

If you have visited Lyndon in the past few days you will know that things have been a little unsettled at the Manton Bay nest. After returning before her mate on 29th March, 5N has not appeared especially settled at the nest – visiting Site B and also 09(98) at his territory. Matters haven’t been helped by constant hassling by crows and geese and the fact that 08 has struggled to catch fish some days. Perhaps as a result, she spent long periods away from the nest over the weekend, and then continued in the same vein on Monday and Tuesday.

It could be that 5N just needs time to settle into breeding mode, but there is also the possibility that the birds will move to an alternative site this year. Ospreys are generally faithful to the same nest each year, but may move if they fail to breed successfully. Although 5N and 08 raised two chicks in 2007, regular visitors to the website will know that they failed in 2008 after full incubation. Whether this results in them moving to a new nest this year remains to be seen...

In the meantime, there has still been plenty of Osprey activity on the Lyndon reserve. With 08 often absent as he pursues his mate, 5R has been taking advantage. The young male returned to Rutland on Sunday – visiting the Site B nest before returning to the Lyndon reserve where he had established a territory in spring 2008.

With the Manton Bay pair absent from the bay, 5R spent time perched on the fallen poplar close to the nest (see photo on right) and then moved to the artificial nest close to Heron hide. On Tuesday the metal-ringed female who spent two hours intruding at Site B, joined 5R, albeit briefly, on the Manton Bay nest, and then today he spent part of the afternoon on the nest and then the nearby perch. So if 08 and 5N do move to an alternative nest, maybe 5R will take up residence himself?

April 14th

Since returning from migration, 08 has caught one large trout each day, generally early in the afternoon. During the winter 5N would have caught all her own fish, but having returned to Rutland Water she is now back in breeding mode. If a female has a good mate she should not need to catch her own fish from the moment she arrives back from migration, until she heads south again in late August. So far, 08 seems to be keeping pace with the requirements of his mate, but only just. If yesterday is anything to go by, the food-begging call of a female Osprey is likely to become a familiar sound to visitors to Shallow Water hide this year. At about 11am 5N began food-begging; the repetitive notes signalling to 08 that she was hungry. 08 responded, heading east from the bay, evidently in search of fish. By lunchtime, the early morning fog had cleared and Rutland was basking in early spring sunshine - but 08 still had not caught. He returned to the nest empty-handed, but 5N's food-begging only increased in both volume and ferocity. Off 08 went again, but again without success.

Eventually it seemed that 5N grew tired of waiting - she left Manton Bay and an hour or so later, landed on the Site B nest. Obviously if 08 wasn't going to provide fish for her, 03(97) might! Meanwhile, 08 continued to search for fish, without success. Fortunately for 08 though, 03 was having no luck either, and apparently sensing that she was in for an equally long wait at Site B, 5N eventually returned to Manton Bay. 5N landed on the nest, and began food-begging once again. 08 immediately responded, first heading strongly east from the nest, and then returning to look for fish in Manton Bay itself. After more than half an hour 08 suddenly folded his wings and dropped like a stone close to Heron hide. A gaggle of Common Gulls descended upon him, but eventually he pulled an enormous trout out of the water. The fish was so large that 08 had real trouble gaining any height, his cause not helped by a group of Jackdaws and gulls intent on making life as difficult as possible for him. Eventually he was forced to land on the shoreline, where he proceeded to tuck into his well-earned meal. By now 5N's food-begging had reached fever-pitch, but it was still over an hour before 08 brought the fish to the nest. 5N immediately took the trout from her mate, and at last there was silence in the bay!

April 1st

After the excitement of yesterday, things were rather more serene in the bay today. Well, they were until 03 intervened anyway.

08 and 5N remained at the nest all day, both adding clumps of turf to line the huge structure. 08 made several fishing trips without success during the morning before finally returning to the nest with a huge trout at 1:40pm. After eating the head, he flew to the nest with the remainder so that 5N could have her share.

The fish was so large that by 6pm there was enough remaining for 08 to enjoy a second sitting. Then suddenly, the peace was shattered. A third Osprey - a male - appeared from the south. 08 and 5N both flew to the nest and mantled over it - a typical defensive posture. The intruding Osprey folded its wings and dived at the nest with incredible ferocity, actually knocking both 08 and 5N off the nest. The intruder then set its sights on 5N, dive-bombing her repeatedly. After several minutes of aerial battle the intruder drifted off south-west. During the dispute it was possible to see that the intruder had a large gap in the outer secondaries on its left wing - identifying it as 03(97). So with his mate still not back, 03 was obviously venting his frustration on the Manton Bay pair.

By now 08 had returned to the nest side perch, but 5N continued to circle over the bay, obviously wary that 03 may return. Sure enough a few minutes later he was back, again dive-bombing the nest with serious aggression. This time though 5N was ready for him - and wasted no time in chasing 03 away to the north.

Eventually 5N was satisfied that 03 was not going to return and she settled next to 08 on the perch - peace and tranquillity had returned to the bay!

March 31st

When this morning dawned sunny and surprisingly warm, hopes were high. Surely today would be the day when 08 returned to the Manton Bay nest? Well, we weren't to be disappointed...

At 8:55 an Osprey appeared from the east. After circling Manton Bay several times it landed on a fallen poplar tree on the north side of the bay. Telescopes were hurridly trained on the bird. And yes, there was the white ring. 08 was back!

In recent days Canada and Egyptian Geese have been fighting over the nest and when 08 arrived a pair of Canadas were sitting resolutely on the nest, with an Egyptian on the adjacent perch. Not for long we thought. Surprisingly though, 08 made no immediate attempt to dislodge them - perhaps he was tired after the long journey?

At 9:40 a female appeared from the north. 08 left the popular and began displaying with real intent. Suddenly there were four Ospreys over the nest - the female (presumably 5N) trailed by two birds - 03(97) and 09(98). Like yesterday 5N made no attempt to land on the nest - instead she headed powerfully west and the three potential suitors followed.

Fifteen minutes later an Osprey reappeared. Spotted underwing coverts and a heavy breast band identified it as a female, but it wasn't 5N - this bird was unringed. She alighted briefly on the Heron hide artificial nest, but with the three males pursuing a different female, her stay was a brief one. After a couple of minutes she took off again, gained height, and then with barely a flap, drifted off north - she was obviously a migrant bird with her sights set elsewhere.

Another hour passed before 08 returned to Manton Bay. Upon return he immediately staked claim to the nest, dive-bombing the male Egyptian Goose and then its mate.

Then just after 1pm, 08 began displaying again. A female appeared from the south and landed on the nest - and this time it was definitely 5N. 08 landed next to her, and after performing the typical mantling display, he attempted to copulate. Unsurprisingly 5N wasn't exactly receptive, but it was just great to see them back together!

Within a matter of minutes 5N began food-begging and 08 responded immediately - leaving the nest and heading off east, obviously on a fishing trip. We waited and kept our fingers crossed. Eventually though 5N grew tired of waiting - with 08 still not back after more than an hour, she headed off. 08 returned soon afterwards, without a fish, and to an empty nest.

Meanwhile, 5N had flown to the Site B nest - obviously hoping that 03 would provide a fish quicker than 08.

After a brief rest 08 went fishing again, and this time he was more successful - arriving back at the nest with a huge trout within half an hour. Finally, at 6pm, 5N returned to the bay. More waiting ensued as 08 refused to hand over his catch. Eventually though he flew to the nest and passed the fish to 5N. An excellent end to a fascinating day.

March 30th 

We always suspected that today would prove to be unpredictable, and so it turned out. Having arrived to find an empty nest yesterday evening, 5N made only fleeting visits to the nest. Instead she spent much of the day being pursued by 03(97), whose own mate, 05 (5N's mother) is yet to return.

After roosting away from the nest, 5N returned soon after dawn, appearing over Manton Bay at 6:15. At once she was set upon by a gaggle of corvids - Jackdaws and Carrion Crows mobbing her viciferously. With 08 still absent there appeared to be little incentive for her to remain at the nest, and after a few minutes she drifted off west.

There were no further sightings until mid-afternoon when 5N suddenly reappeared over Manton Bay. This time she was being pursued by a male - a missing secondary in the bird's right wing identifying it as 03(97). The two birds flew over the nest and headed north - once again 5N making no attempt to land on the nest.

Three hours passed before the two birds reappeared again, this time flying low over the nest and heading off west. Ten minutes later they were back - following the same east to west flight path across the bay before disappearing from view. All very fleeting,and all very frustrating for the assembled crowd in Shallow Water hide!

By 7pm neither bird had returned to the nest, but it seems likely that 5N will have roosted nearby. Certainly she did not appear to be interested in the advances of 03. But then again, he is her father! Tuesday is sure to be just as interesting - and almost certainly, just as unpredictable!

March 29th 

After a week of cold northerly winds and rain, this morning dawned sunny and calm. Perfect migration conditions. A sense of expectation hung over the Lyndon reserve, and this was heightened when a migrant Osprey passed high over the reservoir at 10:25. There were obviously Ospreys on the move.

By early afternoon Shallow Water hide was buzzing with excitement. Would today be the day that 08 returned to Manton Bay?

As the afternoon progressed numerous Buzzards and then a Red Kite circled over the bay, but still no Osprey appeared.

Then at 4:50pm, just as hope was beginning to fade, something spooked a group of Black-headed Gulls. Suddenly an Osprey appeared from the south, folded its wings and stooped towards the Manton Bay nest. After making a circuit of the bay it alighted on the nest. A quick look through our telescopes revealed a green ring on the bird's right leg. Amazingly it was 5N! She had arrived a day earlier than spring 2008 and had beaten her mate back to the nest.

She looked in immaculate condition and showed little indication of being weary after her long migration. After dive-bombing the pair of Egyptian Geese who had spent much of the day on the nest, she spent less than 10 minutes on the nest, before taking off again - this time in search of fish. After several circuits of Manton Bay she headed off east, flying powerfully towards the dam. Eventually though she returned to the nest empty-handed. The photo on the left shows her hovering over Manton Bay.

It will be really interesting to see what happens tomorrow. Will 09(98) a male who returned to Rutland a week ago, move from his own territory to Manton Bay? If he does, what will happen when, and if, 08 returns? For now though, it is just great to see 5N again.