Prize winners visit osprey ringing event.

The Fernando family from Edinburgh won a prize trip to see the ospreys being ringed in Tweed Valley.



Gail,Naresh,Reine Fernando (age 12) and Lowry Fernando (Age 7)

At the weekend, the osprey chicks in the nest known as ‘The Back-Up Nest’ were ringed. The Fernando family from Edinburgh were invited along as special guests to see the chicks being ringed by Tony Lightley, (Conservation Manager from Forestry Commission Scotland and licensed ringer for raptors in the South of Scotland).

Phil Cosgrove , Chairman of Friends of Kailzie Wildlife
 and osprey project volunteer.

The special invitation was won as a raffle prize from the Kailzie Wildlife Festival Event on 9^th and 10^th June. Phil Cosgrove, chairman of the Friends of Kailzie Wildlife was delighted to inform the family of their special prize and attended the event also.

Tony Lightley rings the osprey chicks across the whole region as part of the Tweed Valley Osprey Project to monitor their progress and distribution throughout their lifetimes. The two healthy chicks were fitted with blue darvic leg rings CK5 and CK6.

As well as chairing the Friends of Kailzie Wildlife Group, Phil has been volunteering with the Tweed Valley Osprey Project for 6 years and this was the first time he had seen ospreys so close. He described it as a wonderful experience.

One of the chicks ringed.

The Fernando family had a lovely time and Gail said:

"We were very excited when we heard we had won the competition and the children were really looking forward to the ringing. The actual day far exceeded our expectations and it was a magical and very moving experience and was the highlight of our summer holidays.

"A big thank you to Tony at Forestry Commission Scotland and Friends of Kailzie Wildlife for organising this brilliant prize."

Reine (age 12) said; “It was an experience like no other. Getting to actually hold the osprey chick was really exciting, I can’t wait to tell all my school friends about it”

New osprey chicks are ringed

Tweed Valley Osprey Project volunteers
 at yesterdays ringing

Yesterday, the young osprey chicks in the main camera nest were ringed.

Tony Lightley, the conservation manager from Forestry Commission for Scotland led his team to the nest, where under special licence, Tony was able to climb to the top of the nest tree and remove the chicks and lower them to the ground below where they were fitted with two leg rings each. On their right legs they received a unique British Trust for Ornithology Ring which is indestructible and bears a unique reference number, and on the left leg they each received a large blue coloured Darvic ring with white lettering.

The three chicks from our main nest were given the following leg rings, CKO, CK1 and CK2.

These rings will help to monitor the progress of the birds over the course of their lifetimes. If the birds are spotted and a note made of their leg ring number this can be sent to BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) and the ringer of the bird will be contacted to let them know. This is a great tool to scientifically track the distribution of ospreys and find out about how long they live and where they are migrating to; and often information can be gleaned about other places birds may turn up along their migration routes at stop off feeding places.

The chicks were also measured and weighed and from this information we believe that all three chicks may be female. They are very big chicks and well fed and feathered. It is estimated that they will be likely to fly in about another weeks’ time.

A selection of volunteers are invited to attend the ringing each year, as a thank you for staffing the centres at Glentress and Kailzie. All enjoyed the experience very much and were delighted at seeing the chicks.