|
The story of
08(97)...
or...the trials and tribulations of life as a single
osprey
|
On 20 July 1997 Roy Dennis
collected a young osprey from a brood of three in
the Highlands of Scotland. A metal BTO ring (no
1348934) was fitted to its right leg and on its
left he placed a white plastic ring, inscribed with
two black characters: 0 8. The osprey was about six
weeks old and, as 08(97), he was to become a most
well-known and well-loved bird.
Now aged 10, this male Osprey
has returned to Rutland every year
since 1999, attracting a succession of
females for short-term relationships. He became
known as Rutland's most famous eligible,
bachelor ... until 2007 when he began breeding for the first time.
 |
Roy Dennis |
Translocation
The same day that 08 was
taken from the nest, he was driven to Edinburgh by Roy,
along with 07 who had been taken from another nest. From
Edinburgh the two ospreys were driven overnight down the
A1 to Rutland and placed together in a pen alongside the
six young birds that had been brought down 8 days
earlier. 08 was well advanced when he arrived and
immediately became active within the pen, moving from
perch to perch. He was described as "an alert bird, very
aware of the external environment."
He was released at 8:20 on 28 July,
took his first flight an hour and a half later, and
landed in a tree on Lax Hill. In the days after release
he quickly became a strong flier. He fed well, though was
often recorded food-begging. Records indicate that "on 4
August he was seen to be struggling to keep his food and
the following day a fish was stolen from his possession
by another bird."
08 was last recorded on 4 September
at 13:30. It was a bright, sunny day with breezy westerly
winds.
You can read more about the
translocation phase of the project here.
First return
Nearly two years later, on
May 29 1999, John Wright, now one of the project's Field
Officers, and Tim Appleton, the Reserve Manager, saw an
adult Osprey in the South Arm of the reservoir. On closer
examination they were delighted to find that it was
wearing a white ring (number 08) on its left leg. He was
the first of the Rutland Water translocated birds to
return, so this was a significant milestone for the
project, raising hopes that the project's aims to
establish an English breeding population would be
achieved.
08 had not been satellite
tracked, so we assumed
that like most Scottish ospreys he had spent two winters
and a full summer in West Africa. After his first
arrival, 08(97) was seen around the reserve for several
days. He was observed taking fish of various species and
was often seen sitting on the artificial nests and
perches in the Manton Bay area of the reservoir. His
return as a two-year old raised hopes that he might
return in future years to breed on the nature reserve. In
Scotland, male ospreys do not usually breed until they
are at least four years old, but they often establish
territories in their second or third year, and so the
behaviour 08 was exhibiting was certainly
encouraging.
|
2000 and 2001
08 returned to
Rutland Water in spring 2000 and began to show a
more serious interest in breeding. He was
observed carrying nesting material to several
potential nest sites, including one of the
artificial nests in Manton Bay.
Then, rather excitingly he
was joined by a female with a metal ring on her
right leg. The female remained with 08 from 20th
May to 21st August and the pair was observed
copulating on a number of occasions. Although
the female's arrival was too late for breeding
to occur it raised hopes that she may have
returned in 2001 to breed.
Unfortunately this did not
prove to the case and the female has never
returned to Rutland. Perhaps 08's courting
behaviour was just not up to scratch?
|
The
Manton Bay nest: 08 and one of the
females |
Shallow
Water Hide. Over the years thousands of visitors
must have watched 08's exploits from
here
|
Despite this set back, things
seemed to be back on track by late summer in 2001.
After brief appearances by two females in the early
part of the year, an unringed female arrived on
July 14th and remained in the Manton Bay area with
08 until 6th September.
Although she never seemed
overly convinced by 08's advances with regard to
copulation, she readily accepted the fine selection
of Rutland fish that he provided her. In addition
the female was regularly seen defending the nest
from intruders, namely the twelve juvenile ospreys
that had been released on the nature reserve that
year as part of the translocation
project
|
|
2002
Expectations were
high as spring 2002 arrived. But 08 and the
project team were in for more disappointments.
The female who, by the end of 2001 had appeared
so attached to the Manton Bay nest, failed to
return.
Another unringed female
was present in May, but only stayed five
days.
Yet another female to
receive 08's brief attentions was the sub-adult
translocated bird, 05(00). The photo on the
right shows this female with a fish in front of
Heron Hide. The following year she was to become
the successful mate of 03(97). So 08(97) rather
wasted his chances. That's him behind her on the
perch and perhaps the picture tells us something
about his approach to this breeding
business!
However, on June 12th,
once again things began looking up. Another
unringed female, perhaps also a sub-adult,
arrived in Manton Bay, and remained with 08 for
most of the summer. The familiar pattern of
behaviour returned. 08 provided the female with
a regular supply of fish and both birds were
observed adding nesting material to the nest.
Surely this time things
would be different and the female would be back
and ready to breed the following year? We were
ceratinly to see her again, but not in the way
we hoped! |
08(97)
and a very young 05(00) Photo: Ray
Broad. |
2003 - off to a good start
08(97) arrived in March and
soon succeeded in attracting a new, very large female,
(someone dubbed her, Brunnhilda) raising hopes of
successful breeding. The pair favoured an artificial nest
on Lax Hill because 08's nest in Manton Bay had been
taken over by a pair of Canada Geese.
 |
nLaxHill.jpg)
These
pictures show clearly the difference in size
between the male above and the very large
female.
|
However, the relationship was not to last and the large
female disappeared. For several weeks 08(97) was also
absent, perhaps accompanying the female further north and
trying to woo her back.
|
A familiar female, later known as U3
On
6 July, 08(97) - tucks in to a fish, with the
female looking on. He had fed her with a much
smaller fish earlier. |
Then in June, another female
was seen with 08(97) in Manton Bay. He began his
usual behaviour, offering her fish (after he had
eaten the best bits) , bringing sticks and grass to
the artificial nest, and sitting beside her on the
perch for much of the day. A pattern emerged of the
pair leaving Manton Bay during the middle of the
day and returning mid-afternoon. They often gave
superb from the hides on the Lyndon reserve from
where the picture on the left was taken.
John Wright, wildlife artist
and Project Field Officer, was able to compare this
female's facial markings with the sketches he made
of the female that was here in 2002. We were
convinced that it was the same female - there is an
unusual pattern in the eyebrows!
So where had this female been
for the early part of the summer? Perhaps she was
still too young to breed - certainly her late
arrival suggested she was a youngster - but
irrespective of this, it seemed very encouraging
that she was back. She remained with 08 until the
end of July whereupon she disappeared
again.
|
Is 08
losing his grip?
After the departure
of the female with the quirky eyebrows 08 was
seen very little at his nest site in Manton
Bay.
And then, on the first day
of the Bird Fair, volunteer Ray Broad was in the
hide overlooking the nest when what he assumed
was 08(97) flew in with a fish. However, Ray
soon realised that this was a different bird. It
had a green ring, number 10, and was a three
year old male turning up for the first time in
2003. He had been a frequent and bold intruder
at both of that year's succesful breeding nests
and now seemed to be establishing a grip on 08's
territory.
During the next three
days, 10(00), was a regular visitor to the nest
and perch. He was there with a fish in the
morning, flew off at mid-day and returned in the
evening. This was very fortunate because many of
the visitors to the BirdFair were hoping to see
an Osprey and the hundreds (literally) who made
the evening walk along to the hides on the
Lyndon reserve were not disappointed.
But what had
happened to 08(97)? Had he migrated? Had he just
ceded his territory to 10(00)? Perhaps he had
flown off in search of a female and would return
to reclaim this position.
|
On 15
August 10(00), a 3-year old male took over the nest
and perch.Photo: Ray
Broad
|
Shallow
Water Hide during the BirdFair - it's not normally
as busy as as this! Staff and volunteers were
present to tell the Osprey story and point
telescopes in the right direction.
|
By the end of August there
was still no sign of him, while 10(00) occupied the
nest and perch for periods most days. Unlike 08(97)
no nest building behaviour was observed . But he
did catch lots of very large fish &endash; and left
heir remains in the nest, much to the delight of
crows and even a scavenging Heron!
Then, with the onset of
September ,10(00) also deserted the Manton Bay
nest. With Scottish Ospryes reported heading south
it was likely that he too had headed off for
Africa.
However, on 2 September,
another intriguing event occurred. A white-ringed
male was seen perched in the vicinity of one of the
breeding nests and was very probably 08(97). We
can't be sure, but if it was, it poses all sorts of
questions about what he has been doing since he was
last seen on 15 August.
08(97) arrived back in Manton
Bay on 6 September and occupied the nest /perch
until 10 September, when he was seen for the last
time that year. |
2004 - let's try another nest
Over the winter of
2003/04 the Manton Bay nest was covered to
prevent geese occupying it prior to the ospreys'
arrival. However this proved a rather fruitless
operation. No sooner had the cover been removed
than a pair of Egyptian Geese had landed on it.
Perhaps because of this, 08 switched his
attentions to an artificial nest on the top of a
large sycamore tree at Burley Fish Ponds.
A few days later an
unringed female arrived on 15th April and
amazingly, John Wright's field sketches
suggested that it was the same female (later
known as U3) that had been present with 08 in
2002 and 2003. She remained with 08 for a week,
raising hopes that perhaps, at last, 2004 would
be his year. (More details here)
Alas it proved not to be
the case. U3, despite showing every indication
that she would stay and breed, departed on 21st
April. It seems very likely that after leaving
Rutland in mid-July 2003, U3 had found a male
with a nest probably in Scotland - superior to
that of 08's. So in 2004 she was simply passing
through en route north. Unfortunately for 08, he
did not manage to attract another female for the
remainder of the year. |
The
view of the pair on the nest as seen by the
hundreds of visitors who were watching from the road.
Picture: David Slater
|
|
|
08 and
U3 on the Manton Bay nest. The new "French Perch"
in the centre. Photo: Ian
Trotter |
2005 - Back to refurbished Manton
Bay
08 returned to
Rutland Water on 30th March this year. We
decided to leave the goose cover on the nest as
late as possible and this proved much more
successful. As soon as 08 appeared in Manton Bay
we removed the cover, rebuilt the nest with the
help of volunteer Ron Follows and erected a new
perch, based on a design used by Rolf Wahl in
France.
08
obviously liked our handiwork and on 5th April
he was joined by an unringed female on the nest.
A close look at her head pattern revealed the
same familiar eye-brows, leading us to believe
that she was the same, by now notorious,
unringed female returning for her fourth year.
She was the third unringed female seen this year
so we began to refer to her as U3.
Despite
food begging vociferously to 08, copulating with
him and adding nesting material to the now very
impressive structure in Manton Bay, U3 departed
on Monday, presumably to return to her
established nest elsewhere. This left us all,
not just 08, feeling rather
frustrated! |
After the departure
of the female, 08 deserted the Manton Bay nest
entirely and spent much of the early summer near
the nest used successfully by 03(98) and 06(01)
in 2003. (details
here)
For much of that time
there was was another unringed female (U4) with
him - probably a two-year old and too young to
breed this year. However, this female also spent
time with the other non-breeding males, 09(98)
and 06(00).
When the translocated
youngsters were brought from Scotland, 08 and U4
were often seen flying over Lax Hill and resting
on a perch near the nest in Manton Bay. U4 took
on a fostering role with the young chicks,
helping to provide them with fish, but 08's
reaction was very different. He was extremely
aggressive towards them, sometimes dive-bombing
them on their perches and harrying them in the
air. (More
details here)
|
SiteC1%205%2005.jpg)
08(97)
on 1st May 2005. Photo: John
Wright |
 |
2006 - A new female, a new nest
platform
08 arrived back on 24 March.
We waited eagerly to see if last year's female, U4,
who had adopted the translocated chicks would
arrive too. As usual our hopes were not fulfilled
but, also as usual, 08 very soon found a new
partner who was interested in his attentions and
his territory. She arrived on 8th April and was yet
another different female with amazingly white feet
and legs. We called her U6.
However, she was not
interested in the usual Manton Bay nest but went
instead to an almost bare platform about half a
mile away. This is at the foot of Lax Hill and in
full view of the Lyndon Visitor Centre.
Both
pictures by John Wright show the female on the nest
and 08 bringing in building
materials.
We were disappointed, but not
too surprised, when U6 departed on 14th April,
possibly taking some of 08's genes with her on her
journey north. |
|
08 woos a young celebrity
For the rest of the
spring and early summer, 08 remained solitary,
holding his territory in the Manton Bay area
and, from time to time making improvements to
the two nests there.
Then in mid-July the first
Rutland-bred female to return as an adult was
sighted on Lax Hill. 5N(04) was greeted with
great enthusiasm by the project team - and that
included 08! The difference in age was
apparently no problem - he was now 9 while she was
just 2 years old.
They remained together as a pair until late August, once again raising hopes that 08 might breed with her in the following spring.
|
5N
(left) and 08 on 18th July: Photo John
Wright |
And please click here for details of 08(97) and 5N(04)'s exploits in 2007 and 2008.
Home > Breeding > Life history of 08(97) >
|
