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.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Monday, 29 March 2010
Welcome back!
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.
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.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
One Last Thing....
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!
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
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!
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...
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.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
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.
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!
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!
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