Growing Chicks are now wing stretching.



Young ospreys play dead



The osprey chicks have survived the worst that the good old British weather has managed to throw at them and it was really heart - warming to see relaxed and healthy large chicks in the nest yesterday.

Tensions seem to have eased between the siblings too, and the youngest chick has apparently regained an appetite. The male bird with white leg ring SS continues to exploit his fishing source and is bringing in lovely big trout to feed the young brood.

Plenty of relaxed wing stretching was witnessed at the nest today and this is a good sign as the youngsters flex their muscles and develop their bodies in preparation for flight which will only be a couple of weeks away now.

Ringing the young chicks will be taking place shortly under licence with Tony Lightley, the Forestry Commission Scotland Conservation Manager and his team of helpers.

This will involve accessing the nest and removing the youngsters to fit their legs with Darvic ring and BTO ring so that we can gain an insight into their distribution once they have left the nest. Sightings of the large Darvic rings with the coloured background and lettering can be used to trace the origin of birds seen.

This year so far we have received news that Tweed Valley raised birds have appeared at Leighton Moss, and Tweed Valley osprey with blue Darvic leg ring ‘HF’, turned up at Dyfi Opsrey Project in Wales on 4th June - probably trying to get a spot of stardom on Springwatch!

Tweed Valley-raised chicks dispersing around the country is superb news for us, as it is so good to know that birds are returning after successful migration journeys.

Keep up to date with our ospreys progress and view images on the new FCS facebook page

Confirmed Egg in the nest!

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.

Ringed chick news.

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.

Nest Cams

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.

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

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!

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

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.

Osprey Centres and Cameras

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

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!

Growing Independence

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.

Stig Still on the Nest

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.

Stig Recovers

Just a quick update on Stig- our little rascal who gave us all such a fright yesterday! He seems to be absolutely fine, none the worse for his "off the nest" adventures!

It doesn't seem like he's learnt his lesson though- he's back sitting on the edge of the nest again, as precariously as before!

He has been tucking into fish today as normal with his brother and sister who have both been taking short flights. At about 5pm today when dad brought in a fish, all five birds were on the nest- though the chicks can feed themselves already, mum seems to think it was vital she was there to ensure everyone shared fairly!

Lets hope Stig continues his wing stretching and flapping and is fit enough to make his official first flight later this week- fingers crossed its more successful than the last!

Intruder Drama on the Nest

At Osprey nests, it is common in the early days of the season to have intruder Ospreys harass the nest. These are usually young juvenile birds trying to muscle in on the established pairs, who are given short welcome by resident birds. Regular viewers of our main nest here in the Tweed valley will know we certainly had our fair share of these dramas back in April.

It is more unusual however, to have intruders later in the season, so today's events were certainly a surprise! At approximately 11.45 the female started giving alarm calls, and the chicks obediently 'played dead' in the nest. Mum started to mantle ( spreading her wings defensively ) and the shadow of a large bird was seen passing over the nest a few times.

Then dramatically, a strange adult Osprey landed on the nest, clinging to the right hand side for a few seconds before mum flew at it in a rage and chased it off. This intruder bird seemed to fall to the lower branches of the nest tree, stunned, but then took off, and the female gave chase!

She was absent form the nest for at least 10 minutes, which the chicks didn't seem to mind, though we were very relieved when she reappeared to keep them safe. Though another Osprey would not harm the chicks, and opportunist predator may have take the chance to steal a chick, or a heavy shower could have chilled them fatally.

Is this the same intruder female who we saw at the nest in April? We could not seem any coloured leg ring during the brief visit so it is certainly possible- and would account for her boldness. Or could it be another of our youngsters returning to its natal nest? These questions can only be answered if it returns to the nest again- though we hope for our chicks sake , things remain quiet and peaceful.

And Now for the Bad News

Amongst all the happy news this week come two devastating bits of bad news for Ospreys in Scotland.

Firstly the confirmed police report of an Osprey egg theft in the highlands last month- egg thieves wiped out a breeding nest, in a illegal raid to supply the egg collecting trade. This kind of criminal behaviour threatens birds survival and is a timely reminder of the risks to our precious local birds.

If you are one of the lucky Borders locals who knows of a nest site location, PLEASE continue to be vigilant and keep the location to yourself! You never whose ears the information may end up in and the risks are very real. If you see any suspicious behaviour at any nest site, contact the Osprey officer or the police immediately.

Secondly, two reports this week of Scottish Ospreys seriously endangered and one dead through entanglement with fishing line. Whilst most fishermen are highly responsible and wildlife loving, a small minority continue to discard fishing line on river banks where it is a lethal hazard to all kinds of wildlife. Ospreys, swans, otters and other birds all regularly die or are injured by entanglement in discarded line. PLEASE CLEAN UP FISHING LINE! Walkers, if you see fishing line lying about, please pick it up to help protect wildlife- your actions could save lives.

Thank you.

And a Third and a Fourth

Fantastic news confirmed this afternoon that another of our local Osprey nests ( there are at least 8 again this year) , affectionately know as the 'backup nest' also has recent hatchlings. This nest is camera monitored , although not live linked , and todays recording clearly shows least two chicks. They are probably three or four days ahead of our main nest birds. We are hoping to be able to share this footage with you in the centres soon, so if you would like to see the backup nest birds, just ask the volunteer on duty to show you the latest recordings.
Lets hope all our local nests will do as well this year and we may have another bumper Osprey year!

Waiting With Baited Breath

Here in the Tweed Valley we are literally waiting with baited breath for our first Osprey chicks of 2009 to hatch. Yesterday was the 35th day for our 'oldest' egg, and therefore the first possible hatching date. Our birds seem to have an historical average of about 37 days so we feel sure the big event can't be far off!

The parent birds behaviour has certainly altered somewhat over the weekend. Despite the blazing sunshine, both parents have been diligent on the nest, with the male sitting most of the day on Sunday. Both birds seem to be somewhat restless, and we are looking out for signs of them 'listening' to the telltale noises from inside the eggs as they prepare to hatch.

Unusually on the weekend, when the male brought in a fish, the female did not leave with it as she has been prone to do, but he sat next to her and fed her strips of fish in a delightful display of tenderness. This is more like the behaviour we see on the nest when has has young chicks she is unwilling to leave.

Keep your fingers crossed and hopefully we will have good news to share with everyone very soon.

Then There Were Two

Great news today as we have confirmation of a second osprey egg in the nest. It was probably laid on Sunday afternoon or Monday but it has taken us until now to confirm its presence. This is because the nest is so very deep in the centre.

We may even yet got a third egg laid if this female's historical record is anything to go by.
We are overjoyed at the prospect of even two potential osprey offspring this year- but it's a long and hazardous 35 days ahead until hatching at least so fingers crossed all round.

Incubation Begins

Over the weekend here in the Tweed Valley, our ospreys have been settling down to the long and patient task of incubating their egg. As yet there is still only one egg, but because the nest is so deeply cup shaped, it may be a few days before we can confirm the presence of another egg as we would normally expect. This pair of birds have historically laid two or three each year for the last five years.

It seems our male, being impatient for the first egg to arrive has spent most of his time digging out the centre of the nest ( all that kicking may have been frustration!) and adding yet more moss which is doing a great job of hiding the eggs from view. After a weekend of perfect sunshine it turned very cold again yesterday so all that insulation certainly came in handy though.

Our male osprey has been showing himself to be his usual considerate and devoted self- taking a turn at least once a day to sit on the egg. Usually when he arrives back with a fish , the female will take it off to eat it and he will sit in the nest- carefully curling his long talons in to avoid endangering the egg. He can sit for up to an hour a half , showing unusual paternal devotion.

Let's hope that both birds soon have another egg to lavish attention on!

An Egg at Last!!!

The long wait is over - our female Osprey this morning laid her first egg at about 11am. After days of coming and going, she finally settled in the nest centre this morning and after about half an hour of agitated behaviour she started standing and using her beak to roll something beneath her- typical behaviour with an egg.

At noon we caught a glimpse of the egg, despite the centre of the nest being so deep.
This is hopefully just the beginning of her breeding season- with three eggs the historic norm for this pair of birds. They are usually laid a day or so apart, so we'll hopefully see more eggs over the next few days.

The male has been his usual attentive self today, bringing in at least two fish- the female didn't seem much interested in the second, having more maternal things on her mind! He also tried to take a turn incubating this afternoon, keen to take a look at the egg- but our female didn't give him much of a chance! He has certainly been hanging around the nest more than usual- a proud father indeed!

Overdue Eggs or Mistaken Identity?

We have been suffering a torturous wait here at the Osprey Watch centres for the appearance of our first eggs of the season. We have been getting lots of questions about why it is that the eggs are 'late', as they are usually laid 7-14days after first mating. However, the eggs have in the past been laid as late as the end of April, so we are not yet out of the realms of 'normal'- we are not panicking yet, just being impatient!

Firstly our nest has not been a quiet place this spring with an unusually high amount of intruder disturbance with others ospreys at the site. In particular last Saturday's violence may just have put off our female laying. This is unlikely but possible, especially since both our resident birds have been mating frequently and showing all the usual nesting behaviour such as nest 'renovation'.

The other even less likely possibility is that we have had a case of mistaken identity with the females and a changeover last Saturday.

Since 'our' female is unringed, we rely on recognising her distinctive head markings each year. Could it be that the female who arrived on the 1st April was coincidentally another unringed female with a similar marking? Could our male " white SS" have been courting another lady that first week, and when his 'real' lady turned up on the Saturday, she chased the interloper off? This would mean of course she has only been on 'her' nest for a week, accounting for the lack of eggs as yet.

The reason we are unsure is that the extreme violence of that encounter made identifying the females very difficult- in such a flurry of feathers , quite who was chasing who was unclear.

Could it be that there was a changeover amongst all that excitement? If the 'intruder' was in fact a resident bird coming home to find an interloper in her place, it would certainly account for the amazing violence and persistence she showed!

We will be reviewing the recorded footage over the next couple of days to see if we can unravel this mystery!