A Dramatic Weekend

Our resident Osprey Pair have had a dramatic weekend, with a most unwelcome Easter visitor at the nest! The pair have been looking very settled on the nest, doing great 'renovating work' with sticks and moss, and bonding closely - often sharing the perch side by side romantically!

However, on Saturday another Osprey spoiled their peace by invading the nest. When the male brought a fish in about 3pm, the female was joined by another bird, and briefly there was a dramatic struggle with three birds on the nest. It appeared as if our female had the intruder pinned down for a minute or so, before it escaped the violent squabble , minus the fish, and the male exited stage left! It is highly unusual for ospreys to come to physical blows like this, with most aggression and defence being ritualised posturing and 'swearing' rather than coming to blows with talons!

That would usually be the end of that, but for at least and hour and a half, the intruder continues to harass the female on the nest, dive bombing and swooping so low our lass had to duck to avoid being struck . The speed at which these attacks occurred was incredible, as was the intruders persistence. Those watching we riveted by the drama, but alas it was all so fast and furious we could not get a view of an identity ring on the intruder, so its identity remains a mystery. Was it another female? Was it a previous years offspring convinced it had rights to its natal nest?

In the five years we've been watching this Osprey couple we've never seen such a prolonged episode of aggression. We can only hope the drama has not put our female off laying her eggs as they are literally due any time now.