NATURE RESERVE Diary

26th August

If you visited the Birdfair at the weekend then you will have been very unlucky not to have seen an Osprey. 32 and his mate put on a wonderful show on Lagoon 4, with both birds present nearly all weekend. Osprey project volunteers manned Dunlin and Sandpiper hides each day of the fair and over the course of the weekend several thousand people from all over the world were able to enjoy great views from the hide. 32 and his mate are certainly looking very settled and so hopes are high that they will return to breed in the spring.

Both birds will probably be present until early September so why not come to Rutland Water this bank holiday weekend and try and see them for yourself? The views certainly make the trip well worth it!

Meanwhile 5R has been present on and off in Manton Bay. Like the Lagoon 4 pair, he is likely to remain into September.

13th August

There is still a great chance of seeing Ospreys if you are planning a visit to Rutland Water over the next fortnight. Although non-breeding birds are generally less tied to their territories during late summer, both 32 and his mate are spending long periods at the artificial nest on Lagoon 4 (right) at Egleton. Early morning and then late afternoon/early evening are particularly good times to see the birds - 32 will often have caught a fish for his young mate at this time.

There is also a chance that you'll see 32 on Lagoon 1. If you tuned in to Countryfile two weeks ago you will have seen us building a new artificial nest on the shores of Lagoon 1. 32 has already found this new nest and sometimes eats a fish there before taking the remainder to his mate on Lagoon 4 - so its worth checking from the Viewing Gallery at the Birdwatching Centre before you head off to Lagoon 4!

Meanwhile at Lyndon 5R continues to hold territory in Manton Bay - like 32 he is often present at the nest early in the morning and then later on in the afternoon.

There is also a chance of seeing the Site N chicks if you visit Lyndon. As reported in the Site N diary, 04 spent several hours perched in the dead tree in front of Waderscrape hide on Thursday afternoon. The Lyndon centred is manned by staff and volunteers from the project on a daily basis so please come and say hello if you are visiting.

21st July

32 and the unringed female continue to spend long periods on Lagoon 4.

Interestingly it is now more than two weeks since the female last visited 5R in Manton Bay, and she is now rarely absent from the lagoon for more than a few hours. 32 is sometimes away for much longer, but thanks to a regular supply of fish provided by her young mate, the female (right) seems very settled.

John Wright's series of photos show you the kind of views you can enjoy from Dunlin hide - Burley House providing a spectacular, classic Rutland backdrop.

Across in Manton Bay, 5R is still on territory, and still waiting for a potential mate to arrive. There is still time for him to attract a female of his own this summer and we continue to keep our fingers crossed for him!  You can enjoy great views of 5R at the nest from Shallow Water hide on the Lyndon Reserve.

14th July

Visitors to the Egleton reserve will know that over the past few days the unringed female has been looking very settled on Lagoon 4. Although 32 was absent for much of the weekend, the female (right) remained at the nest and even started to exhibit territorial behaviour herself. On Saturday afternoon she chased a heron away from the nest and then on Monday afternoon she chased AA(06) away from one of the artificial perches. 32 was away fishing at the time but the female wasted little time in giving the young male his marching orders. 32 returned soon afterwards with a fish which he immediately presented to the female on the nest; things are certainly looking very promising for next year.

You can get great views of the birds from Dunlin hide on the Egleton reserve – it is definitely well worth a look.

Meanwhile 5R continues to hold territory on the Manton Bay nest – still hoping to attract a mate this summer. The young male has spent most of the past few days at the nest providing great views for visitors to the Lyndon reserve. Aside from 5R there is plenty more to see at Lyndon. Gardenature have kindly installed a camera in the Kestrel box outside the centre. This is providing some great images of three rapidly growing chicks in the nest.  In addition, the Water Rails who were featured on BBC Springwatch earlier this spring are now feeding a second brood of chicks. Over the weekend it was possible to see the adults feeding at least one chick immediately in front on the hide.

23rd June

5R and 32 continue to fight over the unringed female - she seems to be favouring Lagoon 4, but makes regular visits to 5R in Manton Bay; particularly if 32 is not forthcoming in the fish department!

18th June

In the past few days 32 has been reluctant to feed the unringed female and so it was no suprise when earlier this morning she visited the Manton Bay nest.

Having a caught a fish soon after first light, 5R returned to Manton Bay and tucked into his catch. Knowing there was a female in the area he only ate part of the fish - perhaps saving the rest just in case the female paid him a visit.

Sure enough, just after 10:00 5R took off and began displaying high above the bay. First one, and then a second bird landed on the nest - the unringed female (see webcam photo on right), followed by 32. Sensing his opportunity 5R folded his wings, dropped down to the nest and, almost in the same manoeuvre, presented the fish to the female and chased 32 off the nest! The female eagerly accepted the fish while the two males tussled above.

Eventually the two rival bachelors headed off west, leaving the female to eat the fish on the t perch adjacent to the nest. An hour later she had finished the fish but neither male had returned. And so the female headed off too - who knows where she will go next..

16th June

By early June two year-old Ospreys begin to return to the UK for the first time. With over 200 pairs now breeding in Scotland, more and more young birds make their way north through central England each year - resulting in a scattering of Osprey records throughout the summer. Whilst most Scottish youngsters will head north to their natal area, there is a chance that females, in particular, will summer further south; especially if they happen across an unpaired male with a desirable territory. It is these young females that we are pinning our hopes on as potential mates for 5R and 32 - if either of the bachelor males pairs up with a female this summer, it will greatly increase their chances of breeding next spring.

You can imagine therefore that there was a good deal of excitement in the air when a female joined 32 on Lagoon 4 on Friday (12th June) afternoon.

With a number of unattached males summering in Rutland, the female's arrival sparked a flurry of Osprey activity over the Egleton reserve. She dropped on to the nest shortly after 1pm and three male Ospreys suddenly appeared over head - 32, 5R and maroon AA. Having established Lagoon 4 as a territory of his own, 32 quickly saw off the two intruders and began displaying high above the nest - the shrill eep eep eep call echoing around the lagoon. After several minutes he folded his wings and dropped down on to the nest (see photo on right) with a clump of nest-lining. He then attempted to copulate with the female; and unsurprisingly was given a rather hostile response!

At this point it was still not possible to identify the female; having landed in the middle of the nest it was impossible to see her legs - and so we had to wait.

As the photos show, 32 has done little nest-building since taking over the territory, but the arrival of the female sparked him into a flurry of activity. He made numerous trips to a newly-cut silage field to collect grass cuttings to line the nest. Each time he returned to the nest he mantled and then tried to copulate. The female remained unresponsive, but this did little to damped 32's enthusiasm - every time he was rejected he just flew off to fetch another clump of grass!

This pattern continued for most of the afternoon. At one point maroon AA returned and landed on the 'French perch' above the nest for a few seconds before being chased off by 32.

At 3pm 32 flew off strongly east. We suspected he had gone fishing. The female waited patiently on the nest (her legs still hidden) and after half an hour the male returned with a small fish. He took the fish straight to the nest, but rather than passing it to the female, he started tucking in himself. After a few minutes he left the nest altogether, taking the fish to a nearby perch where he proceeded to consume it all, leaving the female to food-beg fruitlessly on the nest!

Eventually 32 returned to the nest, and remained with the female into the evening. Still the female's legs remained hidden.

Finally, at about 6pm, a juvenile Lesser black-backed Gull hovered above the nest and the female lifted off for long enough for us to see that she was unringed.

The female has remained with 32 since Friday, and although initially reluctant to feed her, he finally presented her with two fish on Sunday. It will be interesting to see if the female remains with 32; the fact she is unringed means she may continue north to Scotland, but if she does stay for the summer, there is every chance that she will return to breed next spring. She has certainly looked very settled since her arrival - moving sticks and nest lining around in the nest.

Watch this space...or even better, visit Lagoon 4 for yourself!

11th June

If you were watching the webcam this morning you will have seen 5R rearranging sticks in the Manton Bay nest. He has continued to spent long periods in the bay - yesterday evening returning to the nest with a huge trout. All he needs now is a female to share these fish with. 5R usually sits on the t-perch adjacent to the nest but yesterday afternoon he spent over an hour perched on the dead tree close to Waderscrape hide - giving the lucky visitors in the hide fantastic views.

32(05) too is still favouring Lagoon 4 at Egleton and can often be seen perched on one of the artificial nests. All of the hides over-looking the lagoon offer good views, but Dunlin hide is best.

Meanwhile 08 and 5N's chicks seem to thriving at Site N; see the Site N Diary for details.

4th June

5R (right) continues to hold territory in Manton Bay and can regularly be seen around the nest site - and sometimes on the webcam. If you are planning a visit to Lyndon, early morning and late afternoon/early evening are usually very reliable times to see him. It is inevitable that as the summer progresses there will be some days when he is absent from the bay for prolonged periods, but more often than not, a visit to Lyndon will be rewarded with great views of the young male. Volunteers are continuing to man Waderscrape and Shallow Water hides, particularly in the afternoon, so why not pay us a visit?

Young two year old Ospreys will now be beginning to return to the UK for the first time (as demonstrated by the Scottish intruder at Site B) and so we are hoping that a young female will pair up with 5R before the summer is out. You may remember that 5N first paired up with 08 in July 2006, before returning to breed next spring. Let's hope that history repeats itself this summer.

Meanwhile we now know that two chicks have hatched at Site N (08 and 5N's nest on private land) - yesterday afternoon it was possible to see the two chicks jostling for position in the nest as they were fed by the female. A third egg remains unhatched, but after the disappointment of 2008, it is great news that the birds have two healthy chicks.

28th May

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. They have now hatched two chicks and are progressing nicely see the Site N Diary for details

19th May

In recent weeks 32 has become a permanent fixture on Lagoon 4; usually perched on the artificial nest close to Dunlin hide. Like 5R in Manton Bay, you can almost guarantee that an Osprey on Lagoon 4, is 32. Or can you?

On Friday evening a male Osprey landed on 32's nest. Surprisingly though, it wasn't 32.

Like all English-ringed Ospreys, 32 has a (yellow) darvic ring on his right leg and a metal BTO ring on his left. Whilst the intruder did have a metal ring on its left leg, there was no darvic. So either it was ringed as a chick with just a metal ring, or more likely, it has lost its darvic ring. If this is the case, then our best guess is that the mystery bird is a Site B chick - and almost certainly, maroon AA.

If you are a regular visitor to the website, you may remember that an unidentified Osprey intruded at the Site B nest in July last year - to read more, click here. At the time we suspected that the mystery bird was probably maroon AA - a young male who fledged from Site B in 2006. Frustratingly though we were unable to confirm the bird's identity from John Wright's photo (as you can see in the photo on the right, the bird had a metal ring on its left leg, and a fish was obscuring its right leg) and there were no subsequent sightings. Until now that is...

Having looked at John's photos we are now almost certain that the bird on Lagoon 4 on Friday evening was the same bird that intruded at Site B in July last year. The timing of these sightings makes maroon AA by the far the most likely candidate. Two year old birds willl often return to their natal site only briefly, before arriving earlier the next spring.

If this is the case - and the only way we will be able to categorically prove it, is if we can read the inscription in the metal ring - then maroon AA is the fifth Rutland chick to return to the reservoir. Although he is too young to establish a territory this spring, he is likely to remain in Rutland for the remainder of the summer, and probably cause a good deal of trouble at the nest sites!

Meanwhile 5R has continued to spend most of his time at the Manton Bay nest - so if you are planning to visit Rutland Water over the Bank Holiday weekend, Lyndon and Lagoon 4 are well worth a visit.

12th May

We were able to record some great footage from the nest camera during 30's short stay with 5R in Manton Bay.

During the courtship period male Ospreys attempt to woo potential mates by providing fish. They usually eat the head of their catch before passing the remainder to the female. This, they hope, will prove that they will be good providers for the female's offspring.

In this instance, 5R had already eaten part of a trout before presenting 30 with a sizeable chunk. Initially 30 took the fish to a nearby perch, but after half an hour she flew back to the nest; seemingly to finish her meal there. 5R though thought she had brought the fish back for him. Watch the video to see what happened next...

Perhaps we should not be too surprised that she left soon afterwards?

11th May

The distinctive eeet eeet eeet call of a displaying Osprey is becoming a familiar sound at Rutland Water. Lone males will display above their territory throughout the summer as they search for a mate – often so high that it is almost impossible to see them. Now that 5R and 32 both have established territories their display flights have a dual role – to confirm ownership of the nest site and to attract a potential mate. The flight itself is certainly a dramatic sight – the displaying bird rising and falling with legs dangling as it gives the characteristic call. 5R and 32 are likely to continue displaying for much of the summer, so if you visit Manton Bay or Lagoon 4, make sure you keep an ear open for those distinctive notes! The photos below show 5R displaying over Manton Bay.  

While not displaying 5R and 32 have been spending most of their time perched on or close to their nests – just in case a female passes nearby. Life for an unpaired male is fairly relaxed and without a mate to feed the two bachelors usually need to catch just a single fish each day. On Saturday 2nd May evening passengers on the latest Osprey cruise were treated to great views of 5R as he searched for a fish close to the dam. In contrast to last year, the birds are catching a good number of coarse fish at present – mainly perch and roach – and seem to be favouring the eastern part of the reservoir when hunting. 

You can get excellent views of 5R at his nest from Shallow Water hide on the Lyndon reserve. In addition live pictures from the nest are also shown in the Lyndon centre, so why not pay us a visit? 32’s nest (see photos above and right) is visible from the new hides over looking lagoon 4 on the Egleton reserve.

Meanwhile the former Manton Bay residents, 08 and 5N are continuing to incubate a clutch of eggs at their new nest, situated on private land. They are now over half way through the long incubation period and all looks very settled.

30th April

If you have checked the webcam over the past few days, it will be no surprise to hear that 5R is alone in Manton Bay once more. Having flown off with a rival male on Saturday evening, four-year-old Rutland female, 30, has not returned and instead has settled with the translocated male she spent several months with last summer. Whilst clearly disappointing for 5R, this is probably a good thing for the long-term viability of the Rutland population; if 30 had remained in Manton Bay it would have meant breeding with her brother. Although in-breeding is common in small populations and therefore not necessarily a real problem, it will be far better for the gene pool of the Rutland population if she breeds with a translocated male to whom she is not related. The nest 30 has moved to is on private land with no public access, but we hope to have some good news from there later in the summer.

So 5R's search for a mate continues. In recent days he has spent nearly all his time perched on or close to the Manton Bay nest, waiting patiently for another female to arrive. He has continued to add sticks and clumps of grass to the nest, but sadly, to no avail.

All hope is not lost yet though. In 2003 a pair of translocated birds bred successfully very late in the season - they did not start incubating until 22nd May. So were a female to arrive in the next week, 5R may yet raise a family this summer. Regardless, he is now a regular feature in Manton Bay, so why not visit Lyndon over the bank holiday weekend a see the young Rutland batchelor for yourself!

A kilometre or so further north, 5R's younger brother, 32(05) has continued to hold territory on Lagoon 4 on the Egleton reserve. The nest is easily viewed from the three new hides over-looking the lagoon. Aside from 32, the lagoon has attracted a number of migrant waders in recent days including two Curlew Sandpipers. So Lagoon 4, like Manton Bay, is well worth a visit.

26th April

In keeping with what has been a very unpredictable spring, 30 has kept 5R guessing today. Having looked very settled at the nest for almost three days, 30 was absent for nearly all of today and visited the territories of at least two other males. Clearly she is in the process of weighing up the competition! Rather than pursuing her, 5R remained at the Manton Bay nest for most of the day - obviously hoping that the young female would return. It will be interesting to see if and when she does...

25th April

The plot thickens. Just when we were beginning to think that 30 was looking very settled at the Manton Bay nest, she has gone AWOL for the evening. She was present in Manton Bay until 4:45pm, chasing Egyptian Geese and then an intruding Osprey away from the nest and copulating countless times with 5R. Put simply, she was doing everything to suggest that she intends to breed in Manton Bay. At 4:30 5R presented 30 with a roach, and all seemed very settled. But fifteen minutes later two intruding Ospreys appeared over the nest and things changed. 5R and 30 left the nest and all four birds circled over the bay together before drifting out of sight. 5R eventually returned, but, significantly, without 30.

So has she been lured away from the nest by a rival male, or merely gone wandering for a few hours? We should know more in the morning...

24th April

After the excitement of 30's arrival yesterday, today has continued in the same vein. The young female has remained on the nest throughout the day and 5R has provided her with two fish - one at 10am and another shortly after 4:30pm this afternoon. On the latter occasion he spent ten minutes displaying spectacularly above the bay before landing on the nest and presenting his potential mate with a trout. 30 eagerly accepted the fish on both occasions and has certainly appeared very settled on the nest throughout the day. Like yesterday, the birds have been copulating at regular intervals, and 5R has added clump of turf after clump of turf to line the nest - and thereby helping to hide the goose eggs that were still visible yesterday.

One thing that has really surprised us is that 08 has not caused any trouble since 30 arrived. We worried initially that her presence may prompt 08 to abandon 5N and try and reclaim the Manton Bay nest from 5R - despite moving to the new site this year, Manton Bay has been 08's territory for the past eleven years, so he must still feel a certain attachment. However when he did appear,  he gave the nest, and 5R displaying high above, no more than a passing glance. With 5N sitting on eggs he obviously has more important things on his mind!

It is sure to be an exciting weekend, so why not visit Lyndon for yourself? Although Shallow Water hide is temporarily closed, you can still enjoy great views of the nest from Waderscrape hide. Failing that, make sure you log onto the webcam to keep up with the story!

23rd April 8pm

A really exciting afternoon at the Manton Bay nest. Around midday 5R began displaying above his new territory and moments later a female landed on the nest. Eventually we were able to see a yellow colour ring on the bird's right leg - it was 30(05). 30 fledged from the Site B nest in 2005 and returned to Rutland for the first time in 2007. She returned again last summer and we were keeping fingers crossed that she would return early enough to breed this year. Well she has now done just that. The photo on the right and two below show 5R performing the typical male mantling display shortly after 30 had arrived.

Within a few minutes of landing on the nest 5R copulated with 30 and there followed a remarkable sequence of well over 30 successful matings. The photo on the left shows him leaving the nest after a successful mating- notice 30's raised tail. It is usually several days before a female will let a male mate with her, but this was most certainly not the case today! By 7pm 30 was still at the nest and 5R was continuing to copulate with her - in between regular forays to collect clumps of grass to line the nest (see photo below).

It is going to be really interesting to see what happens tomorrow so be sure to check the webcam during the day, or even better, visit Lyndon for yourself. We will be closing Shallow Water hide for a few days to help the birds settle but you can still get excellent views of the nest from Waderscrape hide. The website will also be updated with the latest news as it happens. Watch this space!

23rd April

If you have logged onto the webcam in the past two days, you will know that 5R has spent nearly all his time at the Manton Bay nest, continuing to add sticks and turf as he waits expectantly for a potential mate to arrive. The nest camera is providing some fantastic images of his exploits and we will be adding some video to the website very soon. In the meantime we have uploaded three videos from earlier in the spring, prior to 08 and 5N moving to their new nest. This just gives you a taste of what you can enjoy at Lyndon -so why not pay us a visit?

Canada Geese have proved a constant nuisance at the Manton Bay nest this spring, and as this video shows they can be remarkably resilient when under attack from a dive-bombing Osprey. This video shows 08 doing his best to evict a pair of Canada Geese.

Despite coming within millimetres of the geese at incredible speed, the Canadas did not budge. Thankfully though, 5R has managed to keep the geese off the nest over the past few days.

Prior to incubation both male and female add sticks and nest lining to the nest. In this video 5N arrives at the nest with a clump of grass. 08 then makes a brief visit to the nest with the tail end of a fish.

21st April

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.

In 08 and 5N's absence, 5R has been trying his best to move into their old territory. Having evicted the pair of Canada Geese who had laid eggs in the nest during the latter part of last week, 5R spent much of Sunday evening adding sticks and clumps of grass to the nest. He has continued in this vein for the past couple of days and appears totally oblivious to the three large goose eggs nestled in the nest - he should eventually cover them up with clods of turf (see photo from webcam below).

5R's only problem, is that 08 obviously still feels attached to the nest. On Tuesday morning he interspersed incubation at his new nest site with visits to Manton Bay, each time chasing 5R off the nest. On one occasion he even rearranged the sticks on the nest - clearly more by habit than necessity! We just hope that as incubation progresses, 08 will become more tied to his new nest, and interfere less at Manton...

Meanwhile 5R's younger brother, 32(05) is also busy establishing a new territory. Last spring the young male spent several weeks nest-building on an artificial nest at Lyndon before being ousted by 5R. With his older bother back on territory at Lyndon this spring, 32 has had no option but to search for a site elsewhere. Intiially he seemed to be favouring an artificial nest in Burley Fishponds, but since Saturday he has become a regular feature on an artificial nest on the new lagoon 4 on the Egleton reserve. The nest was erected last autumn before the lagoon was flooded, and 32 has taken full advantage, spending long periods displaying high above to confirm his ownership. So, like 5R, 32 now has a nest, and now juts needs a mate.

The nest is easily viewed from the three hides over-looking the lagoon, so why not pay 32 a visit yourself? For visiting details at Egleton, click here.

14th April

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.

 Meanwhile 5R appears to have given up on the artificial nest close to Heron hide, and is now focussing his efforts on the nest on the south side of Lax Hill, opposite the Lyndon centre. This, much larger, well-built structure is where he was joined by a metal-ringed Scottish female in May last year. We now think that the female that intruded at Site B last week and Manton Bay yesterday, is this same female, so perhaps she will be tempted to join 5R at this nest in time to breed?

Whatever the case, the female had a very lucky escape yesterday after becoming tangled in a large piece of bailing twine (see photo on left).

We have found that the birds sometimes decorate their nest sites with this twine, despite the fact that there is the potential for them to become tangled if the twine is very frayed. That is exactly what happened yesterday when the female landed on the nest site of one of the unpaired males. He had recently taken this large piece of blue twine to the nest, and when the female landed on it, she became instantly tangled.

After a bit of a struggle she was eventually able to free herself without coming to any harm, but she probably wasn't thanking the male for bringing her this 'gift'!

11th April

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?  

8th April

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?

4th April

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.