A variety of artificial nests have been erected around the reserve at Rutland Water over the years of the project. There are some on poles erected over the water itself and others in various trees. In March 2001 one of the nests high on Lax Hill, known as AN2 had to be completely replaced after it blew down in a winter gale. Once again volunteer and tree surgeon, Linsay Brown offered his services and those of his colleague John Stewart. A large sycamore close to the edge of the water had been identified as another good potential nest site. One cold March morning, Linsay and John tackled this task as the photos below show. Firstly they climbed the tree and cut out some of the top-most branches to make a suitable position for the artificial nest. It was only then that the height of the tree was truly appreciated - about 90 feet according to John. The tallest sycamores in the country are thought to be about 110 feet.
The next task was to haul a huge wooden disk into the tree to make a base for the nest.
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The disk in position |
Once the disk was firmly in position, branches and turf were hauled up and positioned to make the basis of a nest . We hoped the Ospreys would do the rest! John assured us that the view from the top of the tree is pretty spectacular, even on a cold wet day in March. The project team is really grateful for the skilled help that Lynsay and John have provided with such enthusiasm over the years of the project. |
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Postscript
Click here for pictures and an account of how the artificial nest was used by a non-breeding male in April 2004.