Tweed Valley osprey diary

End of Season and release of LT

2011-09-15T17:39:00.003+01:00

Most of the ospreys will have left for Africa by now and so 2011 osprey season has ended and it has been another successful one in the Tweed Valley. Our main nest birds on camera fledged 3 healthy chicks and we have had returning birds in to the area. The injured osprey 'LT' was successfully released to make his migration journey and that is a fine way to end this years season on such a happy note. I will attempt to upload the release film again as it didn't work last time! I hope that you enjoy seeing LT take off across the valley and he looks strong and healthy. Thank you to all the Tweed Valley Osprey Project supporters and the volunteers who staff the centres enthusing visitors and telling them all about the Tweed Valley Osprey Story. Thank you to all the project partners for another great season and to Tony Lightley and Ronnie Graham for ringing ospreys and Tricia Smith for rehabilitating the injured bird back to health. Glentress wildwatch room with cameras on wildlife will remain open and Kailzie Gardens Opsrey Watch will be open for themed events with the Friends of Kailzie Wildlife Project Officer during autumn and winter.

Film clip of releasing LT

2011-09-02T00:57:00.002+01:00

Released today

2011-09-02T00:50:00.002+01:00

The osprey has been recovering for nearly two weeks in South of Scotland Wildlife hospital under the specialist care of Tricia. Her dedication paid off today when on the advice of Conservation manager from the Forestry Commission, Tony Lightley, he was taken to the site where he was raised as a chick.
It was with baited breath that he was released and we stood and watched while he surveyed his surroundings and then took off with purpose and good strength. He looked fabulous as he flew across the valley and we were so pleased that he hopefully, is going to make his journey to migrate to Africa in good time.
Thank you so much to Tricia and all her hard work, to enable this osprey to safely recover and be returned to the wild where he belongs.

Recovering osprey

2011-08-26T10:16:00.005+01:00

The injured osprey is recovering slowly. He is still in specialist care but is now able to manage to eat two full fish per day unaided which is a good sign.
He is also flapping his wings more and so hopefully his strength is returning.
We hope that he can be strong enough for release very soon.

No birds seen today

2011-08-19T09:48:00.007+01:00

The osprey family were absent from the nest for most of the day on Thursday 18th August. We have had sightings reported to us of birds out as far as the Pentlands, it could be early returners passing down through the country starting their migration or local young birds spreading out into wider territory.
We have had an injured osprey which has been examined by a vet and has no visible injuries but needing a good rest. This is a Borders bird first ringed here in 2009 and he has a blue leg ring with the lettering LT, he is only two years old so he is unlikely to have successfully bred this year.

Pictured is vet David Campbell with osprey blue leg ring LT.

Rainy weather!

2011-08-12T19:30:00.003+01:00

No ospreys at the nest today. It rained constantly and the sounds from the forest was of rain pouring and dripping from the trees and off the camera! The last time the family were all seen at the nest was on Wednesday, they are most likely sitting out and waiting for the weather to improve. Hunting fish in rain like this cannot be easy, so best to reserve energy and wait for a better day. Here are some clips of the chicks being ringed this year. The ringers are Tony Lightley Conservation Manager from Forestry Commission and Ronnie Graham.

Alasdairs blog - back by popular demand!

2011-08-05T18:35:00.002+01:00

Alasdair our youngest volunteer was on duty today and he has written todays blog for us. Thank you Alasdair!

Friday 5th August

Today there has been a lot of activity on the nest. When the cameras came on there was nothing but a dead fish. At about 11: 30am, the adult male arrived back with a fish quickly followed by ZN who started eating the fish that was already there. The male began alarm calling as there was an intruder in the area. It wasn’t long before the male left.
There has now been some strange behaviour as the male arrived back with a fish closely followed by an unringed female who stole the fish. The male began alarm calling. Then the male went low as if to scrape the nest cup and then started moving nesting material about the nest.
Earlier there was a jay that stole the remains of a fish that was bigger than itself. There is a lot of calling going on, which can be heard even when the ospreys aren’t on the nest. In the background you can also hear the jays making an infernal racket competing with ZP.

This is my last shift of the season. It is my second season as a volunteer and it has been the best. Thank you to everyone who has made this season the best.

Jays and Ospreys!

2011-08-04T16:24:00.002+01:00

Today two chicks with leg rings, blue ZP and ZR who have become known as Zippy and Zorro were at the nest for most of the morning. The male bird brought in a fish and the chicks fed themselves and then squabbled over the remains until one of the chicks took the fish from the other, not sure which one it was.
Then two cheeky jays appeared and it seems to be an adult and youngster, the jays have been enjoying scraps of food left over on the nest when the ospreys are away. However, their boldness today was amazing. One jay kept returning to the nest while the ospreys were eating and just grabbed bits of twigs and sticks and tugged them away. Is this just a bit of mischief making?
The osprey chicks are spending a lot of time at the nest and they are extremely vocal.

Female osprey surprise!

2011-07-29T23:00:00.002+01:00

Just as we were beginning to think that the female may have started to drift away from the family unit, she surprised us by turning up at the nest today. Two chicks arrived at the nest and were calling frantically for food. Then the male flew in to the nest carrying a fish which was so fresh it was still breathing and wet. He did not pass it across to the chicks however, but flew off into a nearby tree. The chicks were calling monotonously, beseeching him to return with the fish. Then an extraordinary thing happened, the adult female flew onto the nest and the male returned and passed the fresh fish, untouched, across to her. She feasted on it and even offered a small portion to one of the chicks. One chick flew off and then the other left the nest, just leaving the adult female who finished the whole fish to herself complete with tail fin, she then picked up some scraps of fish remains from an earlier meal and ate that.
We have never seen the male present a fish to the female this late in the season before and it was a fascinating insight into the bond between this pair. We are constantly learning more about the family life of the ospreys the more we observe them. It is hard not to apply anthropomorphism to the events today and see it as a touching moment within a relationship between the pair,as he has no duty to continue to bring fish to her at this late stage in the season. It begs the question - are they bound by more than just duty and instinct to raise a family?

Young carrying fish. 28th July.

2011-07-29T09:55:00.003+01:00

A chick flew on to the nest with a fine fish in his talons. He never stayed to eat it, presumably in case his siblings spotted him and fancied sharing his prize.
There were no adults about and we wondered if this young chick had caught the fish for himself or whether he had been out hunting with his father who had caught it and pssed it over to him. Sometime after he had flown off, the other two chicks returned to the nest and they stridently vocalised their hunger for almost an hour before finally leaving.
The female has not been seen lately and perhaps she has broken away from the family as she will soon want to make her return journey back to Africa.

Alasdairs blog

2011-07-22T22:39:00.002+01:00

Today our youngest osprey watch volunteer, Alasdair aged 11 years, was on duty at Kailzie Osprey Watch with his Dad. Alasdair has kindly written the blog for us about what was happening today.

Alasdair wrote: Friday 22nd July
Today there has been a lot of activity on the nest. Earlier on there were two jays on the nest thought to be an adult and a chick. The chicks have been coming back and forth. ZP (the stay at home bird) has spent most of his day on the nest. At one point in the afternoon all three chicks were on the nest. There has been a lot of calling in the vicinity.
For ZP, the day has been a bit of a 'hokey kokey' because he has been in and out but not shaking it all about. When the nest is empty you can hear the family calling in the distance and when ZP is on the nest you can here them replying to his constant calling. Unluckily for ZP there hasn’t been a fish delivered to the nest so he is probably quite hungry so that explains the calling. At the moment he has been flapping about and has just left probably to be back soon. The female is probably thinking about leaving for Africa in two or three weeks time. At the moment mid afternoon seems to be the best time to come to visit the centres.

Thank you to Alasdair and we hope he will write for us when he is on duty again.

Three fledged chicks

2011-07-22T13:44:00.002+01:00

The osprey chicks are doing extremely well, they are now confidently flying and are sometimes away from the nest for quite some time getting to know the area, trying out their flying techniques and no doubt having some hunting lessons from their expert father.
Yesterday, all three chicks arrived back at the nest and were screeching and calling excitedly for about 45 minutes. It was clear that they were hungry and an adult was nearby with a fish. Their father must have been sitting in a nearby tree top feeding himself and they wanted his fish!
Eventually the male adult flew down to the nest amongst his squabbling youngsters and gave up the remains of his dinner. Some squabbles ensued but eventually all three chicks were full and settled down.

All chicks now fully fledged.

2011-07-13T12:59:00.005+01:00

The third chick is now finally flying. All three chicks will use the nest as base camp for a while yet as they practice honing their flying skills. The parents are still around and Dad is bringing fish to the nest for the young chicks to feed. Soon they will begin to attempt hunting techniques and Dad will oversee their training until he is confident to leave them to fend for themselves.
At times the nest may be empty but when the chicks are hungry they will head to the nest and call for food. It is at this time of year when other ospreys sometimes take a visit to the nest site to check it out while the family are away. Last year, late in the season a white leg ringed adult, with the letters HC appeared at the nest site and began moving sticks around and scraping out the bottom of the nest. He was a bird from another nest in the Tweed Valley that had been ringed as a chick back in 2007 and this was most likely his first return since fledging.
Hopefully, he has returned again, found a partner and set up a nest of his own. Who knows, perhaps he has reared young of his own for the first time this year.
This is a good time of year to spot young ospreys and adults flying around the area. If anybody spots coloured leg numbers that they can read, please let us know and we can find out about the birds spotted.

Two chicks flying now!

2011-07-08T15:51:00.001+01:00

Two osprey chicks are now flying but the third is reluctant to go. There is some reluctant and half hearted wing flapping but he doesn't look convinced that flying from the nice, cosy nest is agood thing!

more ringing pictures

2011-07-07T15:55:00.001+01:00

Ringing pictures

2011-07-07T15:49:00.005+01:00

Glentress wildwatch

2011-07-07T14:59:00.005+01:00

The wildwatch room has live ospreys and highlights from previous years. There are live cameras on to the bird feeders and ponds, which are showing great views of woodland birds and a female mallard having a good soak.
Outside the newly landscaped area has been seeded with wildflower mixes and the whole area is ablaze with birds foot trefoil, vetches, clovers and oxe-eye daisies. The flowers are attracting butterflies and bees and look tremendous as well as serving the invertebrate population well for nectar.
One of the volunteers at the centre on duty, spotted a hummingbird hawk moth in the wild watch room as it flew in through the window and then back outside.

Herons.

2011-07-07T14:56:00.002+01:00

The heron cam at Kailzie has revealed that the final heron chick has died. Of the three chicks in this nest all three have now died, the first was killed by its siblings and subsequently eaten by them. The other two never appeared to be very active although were growing so must have been getting some food from their absentee parents, one has been found dead below the tree that they nest in as well as the one dead in the nest.

Buzzard visit

2011-07-07T14:51:00.002+01:00

The three big chicks were in the nest when an adult sitting in a branch close by began alarm calling, the smaller two chicks instantly lay flat in the nest and shielded their fish. One of the chicks boldly sat at the edge of the nest to survey any drama, the adult male was seen to take off and all the chicks sat back up into a more relaxed position.
A short while later a buzzard was heard flying around the nest and calling loudly, the chicks did not flatten back down and the adult returned. There was no alarm call and the buzzard sounded very close by but did not seem to be perceived as a threat.

Maiden flight of first fledged chick 6th July

2011-07-07T14:43:00.002+01:00

The first chick to brave a maiden flight left the nest yesterday at 3.40pm. After much wing stretching and flapping the chick took off and was away for 1 hour and 40 minutes before returning and landing on a branch to the side of the nest. Today the chick is confidently coming and going from the nest. The other two have yet to trial out their wings on any proper flights.
The male brought in a good sized fish at lunch time and was left calling for the female to feed them, she declined and so he took to the task himnself. This is the first sign of the female backing away from duties towards the youngsters as she lessens the attachment. She will be the first to break up the family and return to Africa. The family will remain together through the summer until they are all confidently flying and hunting. The nest will still be in use as a delivery post for passing fish to the youngsters and the young birds will hang around at the nest site waiting for parents to bring food.

Osprey successes and losses

2011-07-07T14:40:00.003+01:00

Four nests in the Scottish Borders have so far been visited by the licenced ringers Tony Lightley and his team. Three have been successful and have raised chicks but the fourth nest sadly has failed. It has probably been due to the very wet weather which has made it difficult for the adult birds to fish. The adults were still holding the territory but sadly they are too late to raise a brood this year.

Osprey Ringing 27th June

2011-06-30T12:29:00.004+01:00

The chicks in the main nest for tweed Valley Osprey Project were ringed on 27th June. The three chicks are really big and very nearly ready to leave the nest. Conservation Manager and licensed ringer Tony Lightley and Ringer Ronnie Graham ringed the chicks. Each was given a unique BTO metal ring and they were given Large dark blue Darvic rings with white letters ZN, ZP and ZR and all 3 chicks were thought to be male.
A further nest of osprey chicks will be ringed on Friday 1st july and photos will be posted on to the blog afterwards.

Saturday 25th June

2011-06-30T12:27:00.000+01:00

Chicks looking like fully feathered, adult-sized birds now with large wings flapping a lot of the time, really building up those muscles now. When the youngsters are flapping their wings, they are holding on to the nest so as to not take off! All 3 were walking about the nest this morning with no adult on the nest, but as always most likely that one of them is nearby. Mum came and sat on the nest at 10:30 and all the chicks are having a snooze. Both parents were on the nest at 11:00, with Mum on the nest and Dad perched on the branch to the left hand side. Chicks were still snoozing.
Heron parent was back again today at 14:00 to feed the youngsters.

Thursday 23rd June and Friday 24th June

2011-06-30T12:24:00.003+01:00

Tony Lightley from Forestry Commission, (Conservation Manager) went to check the nest today to see when the chicks would be ready to ring. They also tried to re-position the camera for a better view of the nest and the rapidly growing chicks.
Woodpecker was around a lot today, probably because it’s been quite quiet on the people front.
Friday 24th June Chicks are looking big and healthy with plenty of fish being fed to them. Lots of stretching going on, particularly by one of the chicks, assumed to be the older one. Female has spent most of the day on and around the nest, being a good Mum as usual. Chicks have been preening and also moving sticks around the nest – practicing nest maintenance for later on in life! They have been lazing in the nest after being fed, stretching out their large, fully feathered wings. Huge fish brought by Dad at 14:45 (still alive at first!) Mum fed herself first and then the chicks. At 16.20 Mum left and soon came back with a wide stick that she proceeded to try and put down in the nest, instead putting it on one of the chick’s backs. The chick wasn’t happy and had to get up to shake it off!
Parent bird seen on the heron nest today at 14:30, feeding his or her chicks with what looked like a whole regurgitated fish and other treats!
The feeders have been very busy today with the nuthatch and greenfinches making many appearances, the pheasant was also back.

Tuesday 21st June

2011-06-30T12:24:00.001+01:00

Mum spent most of the day sheltering the chicks from the weather – the chicks can just about fit their heads under her but not much more! Only 1 fish brought in by Dad during the day, seems as though the rain was causing him problems when trying to fish.

Monday 20th June

2011-06-30T12:23:00.000+01:00

The ospreys are looking much happier today, with much nicer weather and the chicks have been preening, stretching and moving around the nest. Dad brought in a fish at 11.30, without having eaten any of it and passed it over to Mum. Mums doing a bit of re-arranging in the nest, moving sticks around after feeding the chicks.
Herons are looking much more lively today, stand up and stretching and moving around the nest. Not huddled up in a miserable looking ball as they usually do!
Great spotted woodpecker visited the feeders
New camera has been put up on a swallow’s nest. Looks like the female is sitting on something, probably eggs, and she can be seen leaving and coming back. We’ll keep an eye on the action there too

Sunday 19th June

2011-06-20T15:51:00.001+01:00

Female on the nest with the 3 chicks who are now stretching and flapping their wings to build up some flight muscles – only about 3 weeks to go before usual fledging age! Male came in with a fish at 11.00 and stayed on the nest while the female fed the chicks. Male disappeared again, presumably to hunt for some more food! Then, successful again, dad brings in a fish at 13.30 - we have some very well fed chicks! The nest had some small visitors – small birds, including great tits, coal tits and a few chaffinches. They seemed to be looking for insects probably attracted to the remnants of fish. Next thing we know, there’s something over the nest and mum is very unhappy again, she was calling and trying to chase off the intruders, seemingly without success. This went on for over an hour! Only 2 hours later and the male is back again with another fish showing his amazing hunting skills and ability to look after his family! Chicks are eager as ever to be fed and mum takes charge. Dad moves off to perch just off the side of the nest and watch over his feeding family. Once the chicks finished feeding they all tried to burrow in to mum to get away from the rain even though they’re much too big and have their adult feathers! Dad has left again and mum moves to the edge of the nest to do some preening and get away from her wanting chicks. Everyone is quite relaxed on the nest and content having being fed once more. It rained for virtually the whole afternoon, unhappy birds and people alike!
Variety of birds on the feeders outside; siskins, chaffinches, dunnocks on the ground, blue tits, great tits....and 2 nuthatches!

2011-06-20T15:47:00.000+01:00

Saturday 18th June
The male brought in a fish at about 11.45 and passed it over to the female to feed her and the chicks. All the chicks seemed satisfied and settled down in the nest to digest their meal! The male stayed around the nest for a long time, perching up to the left then flew off to catch some more fish. Between 16.00-16.20 the female was still on the nest but she seemed very unhappy about something nearby, possibly a crow seeming interested in what was going on. She was calling out to whatever it may have been, with her wings lowered and flapping. At about 16.50 it started to rain and the female moved over to the chicks to shelter them with her wings. The male came back once more with a fish at 17.00, having eaten the head for himself and passing it over to the female to do her duty!

A surprise visitor

2011-06-17T12:22:00.003+01:00

The osprey watch had another unusal visitor yesterday, as a little fledgeling robin flew into the fishery next door. Jimmy from the fishery brought it over to the osprey centre to find out what it was and to see if it was alright. It was a bit stunned so we put it in the artificial osprey nest outside the building to allow it time to recover and fly off.
The osprey chicks are doing very well, the male brought a feast of fish to the nest and the female fed the raw trout to each individual chick until they were full and sleepy.
The heron chicks are looking huge and glum. A visit from one of the parents did little to raise any activity from them but the parent seemed satisfied that they were ok and left them to continue their treetop trance.

Chicks are growing up.

2011-06-13T09:48:00.002+01:00

The three osprey chicks are really growing up in to fine healthy young birds now. The two older chicks have the characteristic stripey heads and are bigger than the youngest one.
It has been a busy time for the parents and despite the horrendous weather this summer has brought for the Tweed Valley, the male bird still manages to bring in plenty of fish .
The herony cam shows such a contrast in the two species lifestyles, the heron parents are very much more indifferent towards their chicks it seems. The parents rarely ever sit on the nest with their young and they have to huddle together for warmth and are never sheltered by the parents. We never see the young chicks being fed and as they are growing can only conclude that they get an early meal prior to cameras being swithched on.
Ospreys by comparison are so very attentive to their little ones and shield them from weather and any likely threats of danger.
The blue tits have now fledged and the other nest cams have no residents. One box has been visited by a grey squirrel and also a great tit. We will be keeping a look out for any other likely nests for cameras to capture second broods.

Daylight - Bat visit

2011-05-26T12:04:00.002+01:00

To the surprise of visitors at the Opsrey Watch on Friday, a bat flew in through the front door and flew round and round the centre. We think it was a Daubentons bat due to it's size and our close proximity to the fishery ponds, where it is most likely to hunt.
It was very exciting to see this wonderful bat so close up, volunteers and visitors alike were thrilled.
Ospreys and chicks continue to thrive, the smallest chick is just a tiny head compared to the older siblings but with plenty of fish being brought in the littlest one should soon catch up.

Third Osprey Chick hatched today!

2011-05-20T11:59:00.002+01:00

We are delighted to let you all know that our third osprey chick hatched today.
There always seems to be something happening when osprey volunteer Arthur, is on duty, he has just spotted the third tiny head reaching up to its parents for food, when osprey Dad brought a fish in.
This brings the number of chicks raised by this pair, to 20 in total, since 2004. They are certainly doing their bit for the conservation effort!

osprey progress

2011-05-19T14:38:00.002+01:00

The two chicks are doing remarkable well, the male bird brought in two fish within a couple of hours of each other today. Two little heads on wobbly necks reached up to mum for a good feed on both occasions.

ITV came to film at the centre today and we will be on Border ITV News about the Tweed Vallley Osprey Project.

The Herons still have two chicks, the parent bird was there on the nest but we have not witnessed the chicks being fed. One of the chicks from an earlier nest has been found dead and there was no flesh on the bird , it appeared to have starved.
A difficult season for the herons.

The blue tits are still doing very well and are growing fast.

Two osprey chicks!

2011-05-17T23:29:00.004+01:00

Two osprey chicks have been seen and the female was removing eggshell from the nest. We are hoping that there is another egg, as the birds keep moving something about, after feeding the chicks, which we hope is another egg. She appears to be continuing to incubate, rather than just shelter her youngsters. These are possibly, the first osprey chicks in Scotland this year. Congratulations to Wales, with the earliest record ever, for osprey hatching in the UK (9th May). If our main nest birds have 3 chicks this year, that will bring them to the grand total of 20 chicks raised since 2004.

Osprey parents could teach heron parents a lesson or two on parenting skills!

Herons are not doing well, with this cold, wet spring. The early April warm weather must have been a bonus for the early nesters in the heronry but the later ones are struggling in this wet weather.

Blue tits are doing well and are the cutest, if not the ugliest chicks ever!!

First chick has hatched

2011-05-15T22:12:00.004+01:00

The first osprey chick has hatched today. The female was seen removing egg shell from the nest and peering down to feed the youngster. The nest is still built up with sticks around the edges, so we do not yet know how many eggs there are or even how many chicks have hatched but there is at least one.

The brand new heron HD cam is now showing live pictures from the nest in the heronry. There has been great drama with the parent birds choosing to remain absent through some very bad, wet, spring weather. The cold chicks set upon the youngest one in the nest and viciously attacked it, repeatedly stabbing the chick on the head and neck. It was not seen in the nest today and so we presume that it has died. The parent bird stayed with the young today and they appeared to be more settled.

The blue tits on blue tit cam, now have 6 young in the nest.

A grey squirrel climbed into the open fronted nest box and deposited an acorn!
All the nests are live on camera in Kailzie Gardens Osprey Watch.

Blue tit Tragedy

2011-05-10T21:32:00.000+01:00

The blue tit nest cam has been raided by an invader!
The entrance hole had been enlarged and a chunk of the wooden fascia ripped off. The nest had been scraped and all the eggs scattered and rolled about, seven of the eggs are missing.
This was the scene when osprey watch volunteer Arthur turned up for duty 2 days ago. Thankfully, Arthur quickly swung into action to save the blue tit from further peril. He took a metal nest hole cover from an unsused nest and took the broken front from the stricken box, repaired it with a chunk of wood and secured the metal plate on to the front of the hole. He loaded the scattered eggs back into the nest cup and the distraught little bird returned immediately and settled to incubate the remaining clutch.
At first we accused the grey squirrel of the dastardly deed but then a great spotted woodpecker launched attack number 2 but the metal plate has so far prevented further plunder.

Blue tits

2011-05-05T16:29:00.004+01:00

The blue tit cam is relaying stunning images of the little parent nestled down in the nest incubating her eggs. It was at first thought that there are 8 eggs in the nest but when she turned them earlier today, up to 11 were counted and possibly more!

osprey dates

2011-05-05T16:17:00.003+01:00

The incubation period for osprey eggs is approximately 37 days long. The pair at this nest seem to have an incubation period of around 39 days and we think that the first egg was laid on 5th April which means that hatching at the very earliest date could be 11th May but more likely from Friday 13th May. It has been an uneventful incubation period so far with both parents appearing relaxed and settled. This pair are in their 8th year nesting and raising a family together and little ruffles their experienced feathers!

Ospreys and Blue tits

2011-04-30T23:30:00.003+01:00

The ospreys are keeping their clutch size a close guarded secret this year! The way they have built up the nest to secure their eggs means that we cannot see into the nest, to determine the number of eggs. We are guessing between 2-3 but it will be a nice surprise once hatching occurs. Viewing into the nest once chicks hatch, will not be a problem, because once hatched the parents stand at the nest edges in order to reach in and feed the young and it is at this stage that the nest flattens out and becomes a flat platform. We will be able to see right in and view the chicks very clearly. It is estimated that hatching will occur in the third week of May.

The blue tit female in the nestcam at Kailzie has finished laying eggs and today she sat down to begin incubation. The male was bringing lovely caterpillar and spider treats in for her to eat and as this nest now has live sound, it was so lovely to hear the interaction between the couple as food is passed to the expectant mum.

Heron Ringing

2011-04-30T22:18:00.004+01:00

The heron chicks from two nests in the heronry at Kailzie were ringed today by Tony Lightley, Ronnie Graham and with assistance from his son Ewan.

Three nests have chicks, two of the nests held chicks old enough and big enough to be ringed and one nest had tiny youngsters which were too small to be ringed.

Tony climbed the Scots Pine trees and sent the chicks down to the ground in a bag on ropes. The chicks were then each fitted with a unique BTO ring with serial number. Volunteers from Tweed Valley Osprey Project attended and enjoyed seeing the young chicks close up for the first time.

Heron cam

2011-04-23T14:46:00.004+01:00

The heron nest on camera has revealed 4 large chicks in the nest. They are growing up very fast. The bird ringers (Tony Lightley and Ronnie Graham), will be ringing the chicks on Saturday 30th April at 3pm. Visitors are welcome to come along and watch, there will be a charge of £3 per person towards project costs.
Please ring Kailzie Gardens on 01721 720007 to book a place.
Each chick will be fitted with a unique leg ring carrying an identification number. The records will be sent to The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The birds will wear the rings permanently and at the end of their life, if the corpse is found, the ring number can be sent to BTO and they can check records of where the bird was ringed and what age it was when it died. This research helps to find out about how species such as herons disperse and how long they live for.

Windows on Wildlife update

2011-04-20T18:46:00.002+01:00

The centre at Kailzie has five more nests on camera. So far, the blue tits have taken up residence in one nest box with a super new camera with sound in it. The birds have been busy building the nest up, another blue tit has been seen taking some of the moss out. Is this blue tit burglary or a domestic between the partners disputing the quality of the final nesting decor?
No eggs yet but the birds are very busy building up the nest.
The live heronry cam is showing great views of the treetop nests, the main heron nest we have the camera on has two very strong and healthy chicks already and their heads can be seen bobbing about and stubby wings are used as arms to scramble around the nest.
The other three nest cams are all still vacant and we are hoping for some summer migrants such as spotted flycatchers to take up residence once they arrive from Africa.

Osprey Update

2011-04-20T18:39:00.002+01:00

The ospreys are very settled into their incubation duties. As always our male bird is a super partner and takes plenty of turns at incubating the clutch to allow the female to go off and stretch her wings and feed away from the nest.
The new camera is really wonderful and the live images are crystal clear with the sounds of the forest also relayed back to the centre. We can clearly hear chaffinches singing their territory refrains close by. The ospreys are often vocal to each other at nest sitting swap over times too.
We cannot see into the egg cup yet as the nest is too deep, so it will be a nice surprise to find out how many eggs she has laid.

Confirmed Egg in the nest!

2011-04-15T18:10:00.003+01:00

The parents have been incubating since 7th April; they have built the nest up quite high and created a nice deep egg cup for the precious cargo. Great for osprey incubation but not so great for us osprey spies in the centre! We cannot see how many eggs have been laid but a keen volunteer could see at least one egg on view.

The parents are white leg ring male SS and the unringed female partner. They have been together at this nest site since 2004 and are superb parents. They don't waste time - on arrival back from migration they get straight down to the business of mating, and egg laying. Rangers from the commission very kindly renovate their nest site for them during their absence, so that when they do return, they find their nest in pristine condition, spring cleaned and ready to go. Little do they know how the storms and snow tear their summer home to pieces during the winter months!

Kailzie Gardens is the only Tweed Valley osprey centre open for now - Glentress will be opening shortly. Kailzie also has live cameras on 5 more nests, with herons, and blue tits in occupation already and the other three nest boxes with vacant signs over the entrance holes.

New Season 2011

2011-04-08T09:07:00.002+01:00

The osprey centres in the Tweed Valley will be opening shortly. Kailzie Gardens Osprey Watch will open on Sunday 10th April. Glentress wildwatch room, as part of the new development at Glentress Peel will open in a few weeks time. The main nest ospreys are back already we are unsure about their actual arrival date as the cameras where not switched on but as of yesterday it appears that an egg has been laid already. They don't waste time, this pair! New technology this year means that images received from the nest are in stunning high definition.

Video clip of returning bird HC from 2007

2010-08-28T01:23:00.003+01:00

Here is a clip from the live nest of the returning youngster HCvisiting the nest site. He was originally from the "back up" nest and ringed there prior to fledging in 2007.

End of season

2010-08-27T17:01:00.002+01:00

The Tweed Valley Osprey Project is coming to a close for the 2010 season.
Another successful year with over 100 osprey chicks raised in the Scottish Borders in the last 10 years. News of returning chicks to the area just adds to the enthusiasm of all involved and inspires us to carry on and take the project even further for next year.
We hope that everyone has enjoyed hearing about the Tweed Valley Ospreys this year and that we will see lots of visitors at the Two Osprey Watch Centres again next season.
We would like to thank all of our faithful volunteers who make this project run so smoothly and dedicate their time each year. We also want to thank the staff from the Radio Branch of Forestry Commission who carry out all the technical work with the cameras. Thank you to Tony Lightley and Ronnie Graham for ringing the chicks for the project.
Glentress closes on 31st August and Kailzie Osprey Watch will remain open (unstaffed) until Sunday 12th September.

Best Wishes to all and see you next season hopefully.
Di (osprey information officer)

More news of returning chicks!

2010-08-26T10:42:00.003+01:00

We have heard that another Borders bird ringed in 2007 has returned to the Borders to breed. She has a white leg ring letters EB and came from a brood of two chicks originally. She has successfully raised a family of her own this year on Tweed Valley Forestry Commission land. This is more fantastic news for our project and it is always a delight to hear that youngsters reared here are surviving their migration journeys and are beginning to return. We do not know the identity yet of her partner.

Borders Chick from 2007 returns!

2010-08-20T10:46:00.003+01:00

We are delighted to hear that the osprey spotted(white leg ring HC) checking out the main nest by sharp eyed volunteer, Iain Mckay while on duty, is a bird which came from our back up nest in 2007. He is now a mature bird checking out territory near to where he was raised in the beautiful Borders landscape which is so familiar to him.

More nesting platforms will be going up in our region to accommodate returning youngsters as they reach maturity and look for territories of their own.

It is great to hear news of any of the ospreys raised in the Borders and is testament to the great success of the Tweed Valley Osprey Project and the Team working in partnership which ensures that the project continues to thrive.

2010-08-19T11:03:00.002+01:00

The youngest chick blue HF still visits the live nest regularly and her father is often seen feeding there and reluctantly still handing over his fish.
A white ringed male with lettering HC was seen at the nest last week and we are going to find out who this bird is and where he has come from. We will publish our findings shortly.

Ringed chick news.

2010-08-19T10:57:00.003+01:00

One of the Borders ospreys ringed back in 2002 from our main live nest has been discovered alive and well. He is raising a family in Glen Almond in Perthshire, his partner is an unringed female.
It is possible that he has been there for a few years but it has only just come to light that he has a ring number which is visible and this has been reported to the ringers.
We are delighted to hear that he is doing well.
Often we do not get to hear what happens to chicks raised in the area and news of any sightings of ringed ospreys is always welcome, as we can then find out where they came from and when they were ringed.

2010-08-14T01:49:00.000+01:00

Osprey Kids Theatre

2010-08-14T01:25:00.001+01:00

Childrens puppet theatre.

2010-07-29T11:39:00.002+01:00

At Kailzie Gardens Osprey Centre, a new childrens puppet theatre has been created to play in. There are puppet characters of Kailzie Wildlife friends and children can use the puppets to create their own performances. Come along and meet the characters and have some fun!

Nest Visitors

2010-07-29T11:32:00.003+01:00

The chicks are now flying freely and the family leave the nest to go off to hunt for fish. The young ospreys are honing their flying skills and becoming competent and strong. The younger chick ringed (HF) does return to the nest on a regular basis and she can be heard calling loudly demanding that her parents return with food for her. Her patient Dad sometimes brings a fish for her and both parents do come over to the nest and join her while she proclaims loudly that she would like to be fed. The other chick can be heard nearby but always seems to be perched just out of camera site.
During periods of absence, other birds have been visiting the nest, so far we have seen a jay, a spotted flycatcher, a pied flycatcher and chaffinches all taking a look around and finding little scraps of food.

Chicks flying.

2010-07-22T12:07:00.002+01:00

Today the osprey family were all away fishing and a cheeky jay was seen at the nest exploring for any scraps or leftovers. Both chicks are now competent at flying and come and go from the nest frequently. The parents regularly bring fish back for the chicks and the youngsters will sometimes wait around for the parents to deliver fresh supplies. Visitors to the Tweed Valley should keep a keen watch out for ospreys flying about in family groups to favoured fishing haunts of lochs and rivers in the area.

Both flying

2010-07-16T09:26:00.002+01:00

The second chick took to the wing for the first time on Saturday 10th July. This was after much nervous near takeoffs. She is now coming and going from the nest site regularly and waits patiently for food to be delivered by her parents. Her sister seems to alternate her visits, they rarely come to the nest together. yesterday the younger sister ringed Blue HF was at the nest and she is much bigger than both of her parents, her sister is even bigger than her. It is testimony to the great summer of feeding with good fish supplies that they have grown to such stunning juveniles.

The parents try to ensure that good layers of fat are built up on their young as they will soon need to make their migration journey to Africa. They will lose weight dramatically once they begin that journey and as their muscles tone up.

For now all the family are still here but the female will be the first to leave as soon as she is confident that the chicks are fine to cope alone.

WEX Club and childrens' event.

2010-07-12T00:27:00.005+01:00

At Kailzie Gardens there is an RSPB Wildlife Explorers Group for young children to come and enjoy outdoor adventures and learn all about wildlife. The group meets once a month and is led by volunteers from the Tweed Valley Osprey Project and trained, competent volunteer leaders from RSPB.

The next meeting will be held on 8th August and we are inviting all children who would like to get involved to come along. ( Normally it is just for members and there is a waiting list to join).

We are planning to hold an osprey day of childrens events at the osprey centre at Kailzie Gardens starting at 2pm(8th August). Please ring if you would like to book a place for your child on 07908098026.

There will be osprey arty crafts and games, including the chance to take part in creating a giant papier mache osprey head for display at the centre.

We can guarantee that all involved will have a great time!

One of our WEX leaders Aly, is pictured above, holding an osprey chick at the recent osprey ringing event carried out by the licensed Forestry Commission, Conservation Manager , Tony Lightley.

Fledged -finally!

2010-07-12T00:21:00.002+01:00

The youngest chick finally fledged a week later than her big sister, this happened on Saturday 10th July. This very powerful but somewhat reluctant chick, finally made the brave jump from nest, wing stretching and flapping to taking to the air for real.

We are happy to see her go, as she was trailing behind in terms of progress compared with her sister who has surprised us all by being super early and precocious in everything that she does.

The chicks will continue to use the nest as base camp so we can still watch them at the nest but there may be times from now on when nobody is at home.

Reluctant to leave the nest.

2010-07-09T16:12:00.002+01:00

The younger ringed chick still has not made her first flight as far as we can tell. It is possible that she has had a few flights out of hours of the centre openings. She has many wing stretching sessions and prolonged flapping practice and today clearly lifted about 1.5metres above the nest and took a hasty and wobbly return.
It would seem that her dad is a lot more patient with her than mum. He regularly sits at the nest with her and although they did try the tactic of starving her off the nest which didn't work they have reluctantly continued to feed her .
Her sister was very advanced and flew for the first time a week earlier than expected, she regularly returns to the nest and then leaves again although only to hang about in nearby trees.

More osprey ringing photo's

2010-07-06T11:25:00.006+01:00

These photo's were taken on 5th July during the ringing of chicks from Tweed Valley osprey nests.

One of the main nest chicks has been ringed but the larger chick is now fully fledged and was off flying when the ringers arrived. The ringed chick is very well advanced and we can now see the parents encouraging her to leave the nest by withdrawing food supplies. If she wants feeding she is going to have to fly to mum and dad to get some. She is fully capable of flying, her feathers have 100% broken through the quills and she is a powerful youngster. She just needs a bit of courage to take the leap of faith to test out those magnificent wings.

Tweed Valley Osprey Chick Ringing

2010-07-06T00:24:00.002+01:00

Two osprey chicks ringed yesterday at one of the successful Tweed Valley Osprey Nests.

2010-07-05T23:48:00.005+01:00

Today Tweed Valley Osprey Project chicks were ringed by Licensed Forestry Commission Conservation Manager, Tony Lightley and his ringing colleague Ronnie Graham.
The larger of the two chicks on the live camera nest fledged a week earlier than expected at the weekend and so was unable to be ringed but the smaller chick was ringed today and was found to be a huge and healthy female.
Other monitored nest sites in the Tweed Valley had their chicks ringed also. The Tweed Valley birds are all doing very well and each year we are seeing successful chicks being raised which will one day come back to the area and raise broods of their own or spread into new territory and increase the distribution of ospreys in the UK.

Swallow cam

2010-06-25T12:43:00.002+01:00

The swallow nest cam is now back up and running at Glentress. The first brood of chicks unfortunately died. We think that one of the parent birds had been killed and the other parent was overwhelmed by feeding the brood single handedly and so the young starved.

There is a new swallow nest and the camera went live today and the female swallow is sitting on eggs. There is a splendid view of the nest and we will hopefully be able to follow the rearing of the baby swallows through the rest of the season.

The ospreys are doing plenty of stretching of their wings. Yesterday the male osprey brought in a huge fish which was dark brown along the top and had a gold belly, with dark coloured fins. We thought that it did not look like the usual brown trout that he brings in and wondered if it was perhaps a dark salmon kelt? Any good fishing folk out there with suggestions as to what it could have been please let me know! I don't know whether the volunteer on duty recorded it, so I may not have any footage to show of the fish.

2010-06-24T16:20:00.002+01:00

The two chicks in the video are about half their full grown size now and their feathering has the spangled charecteristic of pale edging to the feathers which distinguishes them from adult birds. They clamber about the nest with confidence, their legs have become sturdier and the facial markings are clearly visible. The video footage was recorded on 20th June.

The chicks will be fitted with leg rings shortly which will be carried out by licenced rangers. The unique leg ring numbers will enable the birds to be identified in the future wherever they may end up.

2010-06-24T16:11:00.002+01:00

At just four weeks old the difference in size between the two chicks is quite noticeable as the larger chick sets about the smaller one and after a few seconds of struggle, the smaller chick submits and puts his head down and waits for the onslaught to cease. Notice, in the film clip how completely unconcerned the adult is during the fight and continues to feed, despite the two siblings. Things calm down and the adult fed the larger chick first and then once full, the second chick got a share of dinner as well.

2010-06-24T16:06:00.002+01:00

Chicks pictured at 10 days old.

The chicks pictured at almost four weeks old and the lunch time battle.

2010-06-24T15:56:00.002+01:00

The chicks can be seen on the video clip at 10 days old being fed by their parents. Both chicks look fine ,strong and healthy.

The next clip shows a cheeky jay take a quick visit to the osprey nest to see if there were any interesting scraps of food available no doubt. It is a good reference point to see the size of the jay next to the towering osprey present at the nest. I am not sure who was more surprised but the jay didn't hang around for dinner!!

New Theatre for Children- coming soon.

2010-06-24T09:42:00.004+01:00

The scorching hot summer is wonderful for holidays but not so great if you are an osprey mum trying to defend your brood from the sun and the chance of heat stroke.
The experienced parents of the Tweed Valley are exceptionally good at keeping their youngsters shielded and so they continue to thrive. The male is such a good hunter and has found some good fishing grounds and is continuing to bring in good sized fish for his family.
The blue tits have all fledged at Kailzie nest cam and we will be editing the recorded footage to bring you a blue tit life cycle film which can be seen at Kailzie Gardens Osprey Watch.
A childrens wildlife puppet theatre is being created at Kailzie in time for the schools summer holidays, so bring your children along to meet the characters and they can play with the hand puppets and put on their own wildlife shows.

2010-06-17T22:19:00.003+01:00

The male(white SS), has taken to bringing a full fish back to the nest and to proceed to eat it in front of the hungry family. This is unusual as he would normally arrive and hand over the goods to the female who would feed the chicks. He has chosen a good perch on which to feed, just off to the left of the nest which was created during the nest renovation at the start of the season. He is bringing in some huge trout and so there is no chance that the family will go hungry as there is plenty to share all round.

The youngsters are practicing preening their new feathers and mastering the art of projectile excretion out of the nest!

An unwelcome presence at the nest today caused the male to lean protectively over the young who dutifully played their part by dropping flat into the nest, beautifully camouflaged and perfectly still until the perceived danger had past.

Most likely an intruder osprey surveying the nest site.

Growing up.

2010-06-11T09:45:00.003+01:00

The two chicks are growing into good sturdy stock. It is incredible to think that only a week or so ago they were two tiny white, fluffy, wobbly heads in the nest. Now they have the spangled colouring and of course their trade mark eye stripes. The parents are doting as ever and fish meals are provided in a steady flow throughout the day.

Only two chicks.

2010-06-09T16:31:00.002+01:00

Sadly the third osprey egg did not hatch out. The female bird is quite consistent each year in laying 2 - 3 eggs and because she lost her first egg earlier in the season we were surprised when she went on to lay 3 further eggs making it four in total.
We wondered about the viability of the fourth egg as she may have spent all of her resources for the season.
However, the two chicks are thriving and have all of the attention of their doting parents.
The blue tits have hatched on the nestcam at Kailzie Gardens and the chicks are all doing well.

2010-05-26T09:48:00.002+01:00

Our records from previous years suggest that today Wednesday 26th May will be the day for the third chick to hatch. We are going to be watching very careffully for any signs at the nest.
As soon as we have news we will update this blog.

2010-05-24T11:57:00.003+01:00

We had high hopes that the third egg would hatch today but as yet no sign of any hatching. The parents have been very busy feeding the two youngsters during the hot weather at the weekend and during these times the female has not been incubating.
Today she has resumed incubation duties, so there is still time and we will keep a close watch over the next few days and keep fingers crossed.

2010-05-20T17:25:00.006+01:00

A short film clip below to show the parent birds feeding the two chicks at the nest and another clip showing alarmed ospreys calling in distress as an intruder osprey flies overhead. The male bird tries to let go of his fish to deal with the intruder but the fish is firmly stuck to the spicules on his foot. He then flies off to chase the imposter taking the fish with him.

Second chick hatched!

2010-05-19T22:58:00.004+01:00

Today the second chick hatched, much to the delight of the visitors at Glentress Osprey Watch. When the camera first came on at 10am, the female stood up and turned the two remaining eggs and then settled back down again with the hatched chick beneath her.

At 10.30am she stood up again and revealed a second chick which had just hatched!

Both chicks are fine and healthy and the parents seem very relaxed as family life seems to be playing out in idyllic fashion so far this season.

We could very well have a third chick tomorrow but if not it will be very soon after, hopefully.

Not just ospreys!

2010-05-17T23:50:00.005+01:00

An exciting day in the Tweed Valley as not only did the first osprey chick hatch today but a phone call received about an owl in trouble led to a very surprising find. Three baby long eared owls were discovered and Conservation Manager Tony Lightley from Forestry Commission Scotland was able to ring the youngest of the chicks which was not yet flying.

This is great news as these are the first long eared owls to be discovered in this particular area of the Borders.

feeding first chick

2010-05-17T17:51:00.006+01:00

The male brought in two fish to the nest today and the female took the fish and began tearing off small strips of raw fish to feed to the tiny chick. The parents peering into the nest looked like very proud parents admiring the latest family member.

Two more eggs left to incubate to complete the brood.

First chick hatched

2010-05-17T10:55:00.003+01:00

The first of the osprey chicks has hatched this morning. A tiny little head has been spotted in the nest when the female bird stood up. We are delighted and believe the osprey chick is the first to hatch in the UK this season. The female continues to incubate the other two eggs and so over the next few days we should see the arrival of the siblings.

Nest Cams

2010-05-13T09:56:00.003+01:00

A fidgety female osprey sat in the nest incubating her eggs yesterday, she will be aware that it is not long to go until the arrival of the little chicks. I wonder if she can hear them inside the eggs?

The other nests on camera at Kailzie Gardens are doing well, the blue tit has finally begun to incubate her eggs. The nest is a cosy, snug little cup, adorned with swan feathers under which she covers herself and the eggs. She regularly wriggles about and turns the eggs during which time we can view in stunning detail, this attractive little bird.

The heron camera is now back to full working order and the nest has three big, not so cute chicks! Watching herons on the nest is like watching a scene from Jurassic Park.

Nearly time to hatch.

2010-05-11T12:52:00.004+01:00

We are all eagerly waiting for the first hatching this week. Any day now we should see the first of the chicks hatch out. The parent birds were very early arriving back from migration and settled down to mating, egg laying and incubating soon after their arrival. This has given them a head start on the season and they could possibly be the first osprey chicks to hatch in the UK this year.

Cheeky intruder osprey.

2010-04-23T11:03:00.003+01:00

On 19th April both birds were at the nest when a cheeky intruder osprey joined them The bird landed briefly on the edge of the nest and was chased off by male bird SS. Who was the mystery intruder? Could it have been a previous offspring popping in to say hello, or was it a stranger checking out a desirable residence?
Both birds are taking turns to incubate the eggs. They are fishing for themselves and eating away from the nest, we presume this strategy avoids attracting scavengers such as crows.

Keeping warm

2010-04-19T21:39:00.005+01:00

Sunday 18th April.

The male SS brought in a large clump of moss to the nest and tucked it around the female while she was incubating. On such a cold day, a welcome windbreak for the incubating bird!

3 eggs where revealed when the female stood up. ( Image taken from the CCTV film footage).

Some work is due to be carried out on the main osprey transmitter to fit a new cable for sound, this may mean a temporary disruption for viewing the picture. Once done this will be a very welcome addition to viewing the nest, as we will be able to hear the birds calling.

At Kailzie a blue tit has been busy nest building revealed on nest box cam.

3 eggs confirmed

2010-04-16T11:44:00.000+01:00

Just to let you all know that we now have three eggs, confirmed yesterday and probably laid yesterday morning as that was the first view of them.

All is looking good at the nest and both parents-to-be seem very settled. The male bird (SS) is doing plenty of incubating shifts and the female had a break for a couple of hours while he sat on the eggs. No fish have been brought back to the nest so we presume they are taking it in turns to go off and hunt and feed then return to the nest.

First egg is lost - but looks like another's been laid

2010-04-08T11:20:00.001+01:00

Just as we were celebrating the arrival of the first egg in the Tweed Valley (the first from an osprey in the UK, we thought), reports came in that the egg had fallen from the nest.

The egg was laid on 5th April and it was confirmed missing yesterday (7th April). However, all the signs are that the female has laid again so everyone on the project is keeping optimistic.

Diane, our Osprey Information Officer said:

"This was very disappointing but we are pleased to report that our volunteers have seen the female sitting on the nest again so we are quite confident that she has laid another egg....fingers crossed!

"A lot of work had been undertaken to help build up the artificial nest before the ospreys returned from their long migration. It appears that the birds had continued to add more and more material on top of about 12 inches of snow which had fallen very recently.

"Unfortunately this may have resulted in a loose nest and with high winds the egg may have ended up at the edge of the nest. We think the parents then tried to roll the egg back into position but failed to do so.

"The good news is of course that we think that the female has laid again and that ospreys have continued to build up the nest further and it looks much stronger."

We'll have more details when get them.

Our first egg!

2010-04-06T14:12:00.002+01:00

The strong winds have gone, most of the snow has melted too, and our pair are back and have given us an Easter egg treat! They only arrived in the Tweed Valley on the 21st March and have already laid an egg.

Diane, the Osprey Information Officer, has the story:

"The ospreys had a bit of a battering with the recent bad weather but they've come back to a sturdy nest - thanks to the Forestry Commission Scotland and RSPB rangers - and things are looking promising.

"We think the first egg was laid yesterday [5th April] as that is when our volunteers spotted it for the first time. The female is taking a real interest in the egg, rolling it around and getting it into the best position for incubation. This is all good news and we just need to keep our fingers crossed now that everything falls into place and we get more eggs."

It's possible this is the first osprey egg laid in the UK this year. You might catch a glimps of it via the webcam - there's a small version of it on the right of this page and you can see a larger version on the main Tweed Valley Ospreys site.

Both the Glentress and Kailzie visitor centres are now open. Details of opening hours on the main site too.

Snow and gale force winds

2010-03-31T14:28:00.000+01:00

Deep snow on the nest and gale force winds are not the ideal welcome home for the birds. In fact it may have upset our pair as they have not been seen due to the blizzard conditions, and another female has appeared at the nest.

We hope the pair are taking shelter and will be back to defend their territory soon.

Welcome back!

2010-03-29T13:32:00.000+01:00

Osprey Watch centre re-opens on Sunday 4th April

We are delighted to announce that our osprey pair have successfully returned from Africa and are back on the nest and we're looking forward to this, their 7th year in the Tweed Valley Forest Park.

The two osprey centres in the Tweed Valley at Kailzie Gardens and Glentress Forest will reopen on Sunday 4th April and will be open until the 31st August between 10.00am and 5.00pm every day.

We'll be bringing you updates on the blog so keep an eye out for the latest goings-on.

One Last Thing....

2009-09-01T16:22:00.003+01:00

The Osprey Officer Emma is leaving the project to work with other wildlife and would just like to say a heartfelt thank you to the fabulous volunteer team who make this project happen. Many of you will not realise that the two osprey visitor centres are run entirely by a volunteer team, fifty local people who donate their time and expert knowledge of birds and local wildlife to share with the public. The project would simple not happen if it weren't for their support and that of the whole local community who help us protect these fabulous birds.

It has been a privilege to lead this team and to share the magic of the osprey season with our numerous friendly visitors over the last three years. I hope you have enjoyed the blog, and the camera views- here's hoping 2010 will be just as exciting!

Goodbye and Good luck

2009-09-01T16:14:00.005+01:00

Its time to say goodbye to our young ospreys as they head off on the biggest adventure of their lives! They have a three thousand mile journey ahead of them, and all the hazards and dangers such as hunters, power lines, bad weather, sea crossings, deserts and even crocodiles!

Keep your fingers tightly crossed for Tokyo, Caledonia and Stig our three main nest chicks, as well as their contemporaries born in the Borders this year. It has been another amazingly successful breeding year for our local ospreys , with at least nine pairs raising an estimated 22 chicks! What a good omen for the future of our local ospreys!

Until next time...

2009-09-01T14:50:00.001+01:00

We hope you enjoyed the updates this season - we're now going into 'off season' mode on the blog. We'll keep it ticking over during the autumn and winter and will be back in the spring for next season's action.

Osprey Centres and Cameras

2009-08-27T19:03:00.003+01:00

Please accept our apologies for the intermittent problems with the osprey nest camera over the last few days. Its seems the constant work over the summer has exhausted the solar batteries and they are draining quickly. In order to preserve them we have shortened the timer to 10.30am to 4pm. There have also been some clarity problems but hopefully these have now been sorted.

Our twin centres at Kailzie Gardens and Glentress forest will be open 10am-5pm until Monday the 31st August. After this time, as there is no longer any activity on the osprey nest, our centres will go into an 'off season' mode. Both will be open but unstaffed during September, with highlights of the 2009 season on display but no live camera viewing. They will of course still have information on local walks, wildlife watching etc available.

So pop in and see our friendly volunteer staff before the months end to hear all about our fantastic season, ask questions, or share your own osprey stories.

The End is Nigh

2009-08-27T18:51:00.003+01:00

Well, metaphorically speaking the end of our 2009 osprey season is nearing its natural conclusion, as our young birds become independent and all the birds begin to think of moving southwards.

Over the last week, we've noticed the birds returning less and less often to the nest, and the three chicks are now appearing only once or twice a day for brief visits. This is , of course, a good sign as the youngsters need to be effectively self-sufficient any day now.

We have not had a confirmed sighting of our mother bird for well over a week , so we are pretty certain she has heading south on her long migration. Dad has also been conspicuously absent from the nest for the last few days- though he may still be in the area , just spending all his time at the river 'coaching' his offspring!

We are also starting to get regular sightings of other ospreys in the area- birds from further north in Scotland who are passing through the Borders on their journey south, often using our waterways as a convenient staging post.

All this of course means it is the best possible time of year to try your hand at spotting ospreys out and about in the Borders. If you want some hot tips, pop into one of our centres over the next few days and ask our volunteers. If you see a bird , and especially if you spot any wearing colourful Darvic leg rings, please let us know!

A Motherly Surprise

2009-08-19T09:21:00.004+01:00

Our viewing of the live osprey nest has continued to be fascinating this week, with more than usual nest activity for this time of year. All three chicks are still making very regular appearances, and dad is perhaps surprisingly still bringing fish to the nest daily, despite the fact that at least two of the chicks are now able to hunt for themselves.

Yesterday held an even greater surprise though, as our female osprey made an appearance on the nest with a fish. We had begun to think she had already left for her long migration journey south. Regular watchers will know it is always mum who heads south first, leaving dad to 'supervise' the teenage chicks in the final weeks before he too abandons them.

What was most interesting though, was the fact that mum 'babied' the three chicks as if they were tiny- carefully shredding the fish she had brought in and ensuring it was shared fairly. This is extraordinary considering their advanced stage of independence!

It was great to see her looking so well and obviously in good hunting form as she will surely start her journey soon.

Growing Independence

2009-08-17T10:22:00.004+01:00

Good news this week as all three of our chicks are doing brilliantly and gaining independence rapidly. They have all been returning to the nest regularly and their father has still been providing fish for them. There have been a few squabbles over fish on the nest and there is no doubt that the oldest two have been getting the lions share now mum isn't around to ensure good manners.

The best news though has been the appearance on the nest of both Tokyo and Calendonia with their own fish! Both chicks have returned to the nest carrying the fish, in Caledonia's case, still wriggling and flapping! We are very proud of our youngsters who are beginning to feed themselves. This puts paid to the theory that young ospreys do not hunt for themselves until abandoned by their parents and forces to start their southwards journeys.

Update on Other Birds

2009-08-12T09:36:00.003+01:00

Just a quick note to answer some enquiries about our other birds we've been featuring at the centres over the last few months on live cameras. Though Ospreys are of course our stars, we like to think of them as ambassadors for all our local wildlife and try to feature other species in the centres as well.

Firstly, the live Heron nest on camera at Kailzie fledged at least 7 healthy chicks, and though we've had one sad mortality since then, these youngsters are often being seen in the Kailzie fields and on the Tweed river below the centre.

Similarly the nuthatch family who so fascinated us on live nest box camera are all fledged and still visit the bird feeding table outside the centre- though trying to see any leg ring numbers on these visits has proved impossible!

At Glentress, the swallows have just yesterday fledged their second brood on the live nest camera - a grand total of 10 chicks this year- well done parents! Its a pleasure to watch the swallows swooping around Glentress carpark oblivious to all the human activity below.

We have also had exciting regular reports of Tree Sparrows on our live feeding station camera- as well as all the usual suspects- which is a quite uncommon species distinct from the common House Sparrow.

Lastly we have a family of Jays frequently using the Live Osprey nest at the moment- two adults and at least one youngster have been making appearances, mostly when the Ospreys are away, to scavenge for scraps. They have even appeared when the nest is occupied occasionally, and after ignoring them imperiously for a while , the young ospreys eventually give chase! Jays are lovely forest birds, not often seen up close, but are versatile scavengers and a colourful addition!

There is still lots to see in the centres, including highlights of the season so far, so drop in before the end of August.

Family News

2009-08-10T08:58:00.004+01:00

Over the last few days the main Osprey nest has been the site of regular activity and it's been quite hard to keep a track of all the coming and going! The whole family is never on the nest all together now, and with the adults and chicks all still using the nest as a base , especially for feeding, it is a bit like watching a constantly changing who's who!

The reason for all the confusion is easy to appreciate when you realise that all three chicks are now at least as big as their father and Tokyo and Caledonia are nearly as big as mum! The only appreciable difference in appearance is the more speckled feathers of the youngsters (as each feather still has a pale fringe to it).

The only way to be certain of the birds identities is to zoom in and focus on their legs to read their Identity Leg rings ( known as Darvic rings) which they have been wearing since the 13th July. By this method we have been able to confirm all three chicks have visited the nest regularly this week- including little Stig who seems to be doing just fine!

We have even seen mum on Thursday who brought a fish back to the nest and fed the chicks as if they were little.

This is interesting as she is obviously back to hunting herself and getting fit for her migration south, as she is usually the first to head south- and this could be very soon indeed.

Growing Up Fast

2009-08-05T10:05:00.003+01:00

Our three Osprey chicks are certainly growing up quickly and showing remarkable independence at this early stage of their newly fledged lives. Over the last three or four days they have been an increasingly rare sight at the nest, as they spend longer and longer away on their 'training' flights, working on their all important fitness.

They have also taken to roosting on trees nearby the nest rather than on it, as their quick appearance when an adult with food appears testifies! Like all hungry teenagers, when food is on offer, they magically appear! Dad has been bringing at least two fish a day the the nest, but it looks very like the start of the ' tough love' period when the food deliveries decrease, as a none to subtle 'hint' that the youngsters should be trying fishing for themselves.

Stig Takes Off!

2009-07-31T11:48:00.003+01:00

To everyone's joy, our smallest chick Stig, who got into such trouble earlier this week, has finally taken his first flight. Late yesterday he took off rather tentatively and made a short trip around the nest. He was back on the nest within five minutes looking very pleased with himself. However, he has only repeated the attempt twice since- he's still taking things slowly thank goodness!

Stig Still on the Nest

2009-07-30T11:39:00.003+01:00

To all our enormous relief it seems little Stig, our smallest chick, has learnt from his misadventure at the beginning of the week, and is taking things slowly. He has been sitting on the nest all day again yesterday, doing some wing stretching and flapping, but not trying to take off. Some unkind people have suggested he's a little 'backwards' but we think he's just being cautious as his unscheduled first 'flight' was such a disaster!

There has been lots of action at the nest, with the two oldest chicks making regular short flights and both parents appearing on the nest regularly. However, when dad brought in a fish and mum was absent, there was an bit of squabbling over the fish- with no mum there to ensure they shared fairly, Tokyo the oldest and bossiest unsurprisingly got the majority of ti!

We expect all three chicks to be using the nest a lot in the next two or three weeks or so- unlike many small birds, the Osprey chicks first flight is just the start of a gradual 'fitness' regime, aimed at building wing muscle and strength for the long journeys ahead.