Our poor Ospreys have spend a rather soggy weekend here in the Tweed Valley, with intermittent downpours of heavy summer rain. Some of you have no doubt noticed that mum seems to be a little less vigilant on the nest than earlier in the season, but before you criticise her, let us explain.
Now the chicks have a decent set of adult feathers coming through, they are much better at thermoregulation ( maintaining their own body temperature) and have gained an amount of waterproofing as well. This means mum can now take breaks sitting nearby, without having to sit on top of the chicks all the time.
Secondly, the chicks are now much less vulnerable to predators, being a) well camouflaged ( as some visitors will be able to tell you!) and b) big enough to be too much of a meal for almost all predators.
Thirdly, you will probably have noticed the chicks have started their wing stretching and exercising, which can be rather vigorous and make the nest a bit crowded and uncomfortable for mum- better to give the chicks room for their aerobics!
So if mum is absent from the nest- don't panic! It is most likely she is just a few feet to the right or left of the camera on a perch, nearby if there's any trouble or threat- as you can see from how quickly she appears when food arrives!
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