[HelenB]

The Lake District is still having really cold weather for the time of year. Frost last Friday night and the fellsides around Bassenthwaite covered in sleet and snow last Saturday.

Young Victor has been mainly fishing for himself and Mrs is having to go off and catch her own, while he takes over at the nest, but last Friday (4th May) he did bring Mrs quite a large fish in the early afternoon, though he had already eaten a fish by himself at 6.40am! The Osprey team are hoping he will have got the hang of bringing fish to the nest for Mrs and the chicks by the time the eggs hatch.

Some other Ospreys have been seen in the area several times - usually 3 of them. The Osprey Team have been hoping that a pair may settle at the Dodd Wood nest, but that has not happened. One of the Ospreys is ringed - White 37 on its right leg. The right leg denotes an English bird, but this is not a number from Bassenthwaite or Rutland Water, so it's a bit of a mystery where this Osprey is from! Scottish birds should be ringed on the left leg, unless one has been put on the right leg instead.

[HelenB]

Yesterday, Mrs pushed one of the eggs out of the nest cup and it could be seen on the edge of the nest via the nestcam feed. Then this morning the staff and volunteers observed YV take the rejected egg and fly off with it. Mrs has continued to incubate the other 2 eggs as normal. The Osprey team had said they would not try to collect the egg for analysis and now that the male has removed it, we will never know why she rejected it.

A photo of the nest showing the rejected egg can be seen on the Facebook feed.

[HelenB]

Great news! The Osprey team were able to confirm that one of the eggs hatched on Friday, 25th May. See the Facebook feed for more information: https://www.facebook.com/ospreywatch

[HelenB]

YV is doing well providing fish for Mrs and the 5 day old chick, which is growing quickly. The second egg has not hatched and the Osprey Team say that if it doesn't hatch today, it is probably not a viable egg.

[Seatallen]

Still only one chick when I was there last Thursday so looks likely second egg isn't viable.

[HelenB]

The Osprey Team have commented on how fast the chick is growing, with the large amount of fish which YV is bringing in. He has now started to chase off the crows which hang around hoping for leftovers, instead of just ignoring them!

[June Atkinson]

Originally Posted by HelenB

The Osprey Team have commented on how fast the chick is growing, with the large amount of fish which YV is bringing in. He has now started to chase off the crows which hang around hoping for leftovers, instead of just ignoring them!

As this now seems to be a singleton, it will really thrive on all the food brought in and all the undivided attention it is getting!

[HelenB]

The Osprey Team have just announced that they now have images again on their webcam, with the help of Adam Flett from the BBC. They are working on the quality of the pictures, which will be refreshed every 10 minutes.

Here's a link to the webcam website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/webcams/cumbria/osprey_latest.jpg

The young Osprey is just over 3 weeks old now, growing fast and starting to get its adult plumage.

Other news: a ringed Osprey has been seen fishing over Derwentwater recently. Its ring is blue and on the left leg, and has a Y and maybe an N on it. The team are hoping to be able to get a positive ID on it and find out where it is from. Blue rings are used on Scottish Ospreys.

[HelenB]

The Osprey Viewpoints at Dodd will be CLOSED today, Sat. 23rd June, due to unseasonably high rainfall on Friday, 22nd June. The surrounding farmland is flooded and the staff cannot get to work. Also power to the webcams has been lost, so no video.

The female Osprey sheltered her chick all day through the storm and it and the nest have survived. The chick was eating when the staff eventually got a look today.

[June Atkinson]

Originally Posted by HelenB

The Osprey Viewpoints at Dodd will be CLOSED today, Sat. 23rd June, due to unseasonably high rainfall on Friday, 22nd June. The surrounding farmland is flooded and the staff cannot get to work. Also power to the webcams has been lost, so no video.

The female Osprey sheltered her chick all day through the storm and it and the nest have survived. The chick was eating when the staff eventually got a look today.

Our ospreys are having a really hard time. Let's hope this chick is sufficiently robust to withstand the winds and rain.Thanks for posting Helen.

[HelenB]

There are 2 photos on the Facebook feed, showing the extent of the flooding. Some of the roads in the area had to be closed.

[HelenB]

More bad weather again, today - 28th June, but the chick is thriving. The overhead security camera was damaged in the storm and will probably be offline for the rest of the season, but the HD video problem has been resolved and live pictures are available at the Whinlatter Visitor Centre, again.

[June Atkinson]

Originally Posted by HelenB

More bad weather again, today - 28th June, but the chick is thriving. The overhead security camera was damaged in the storm and will probably be offline for the rest of the season, but the HD video problem has been resolved and live pictures are available at the Whinlatter Visitor Centre, again.

Yesterday, the skies over the north-eastern region went totally black!
You'll have seen the coverage on TV and in the papers.
I was stuck in the Gosforth gridlock trying to get to the Freeman Hospital to see my husband, but had to give up and come home. Thousands struggled for hours to get home or get to work. It's the worst flooding for a long time.

Glad the young osprey is safe and well. I'm hoping that our young red kites are safely tucked up in their nests!
One fledgling was found on the ground under a nest and after a Vet check, is in rehab, being fed, probably for about three weeks - W******* chicken fillets, no less! Just until we can get a supply of wild rabbit :-)

[HelenB]

3rd July was health check and ringing day. Our chick is a male and in great condition, considering the bad weather this season. He was fitted with a GPS transmitter so that he can be tracked on his migration south to West Africa. Let's hope he has more success than chicks no.11 & 12 from the 2010 season.

Here are the statistics:
BTO ring: 144751 (left leg)
Darvic ring: white 13 (right leg)
Weight: 1350 gms
Wing length: 315 mm
Tail: 130 mm

Thanks to climbers, John and Pete, and ringer, Roy.

[June Atkinson]

Originally Posted by HelenB

3rd July was health check and ringing day. Our chick is a male and in great condition, considering the bad weather this season. He was fitted with a GPS transmitter so that he can be tracked on his migration south to West Africa. Let's hope he has more success than chicks no.11 & 12 from the 2010 season.

Here are the statistics:
BTO ring: 144751 (left leg)
Darvic ring: white 13 (right leg)
Weight: 1350 gms
Wing length: 315 mm
Tail: 130 mm

Thanks to climbers, John and Pete, and ringer, Roy.

Thanks for posting, Helen. One hopes that he will be strong enough and find his way to and from West Africa.
It is amazing, being able to track these young birds and follow their fortunes.
Good luck and God speed!

[HelenB]

White 13 took his first flight on Monday 16th July at 1.15pm.

[June Atkinson]

Originally Posted by HelenB

White 13 took his first flight on Monday 16th July at 1.15pm.

Fly well, fly free little one!

[HelenB]

The satellite transmitter has been tracking 13's explorations from the nest, since he fledged on 16th July. He's flying closer to the edge of the lake, but hasn't yet taken his first dip. See the 2 maps on the Facebook feed.

It's hard to believe that he'll be on his way to West Africa in 3 weeks or so......

[HelenB]

Posted on the Facebook feed - no 13 has been venturing further afield and flew down to Derwentwater on 15th August. A trip of 7 miles. Does he know that he'll soon be leaving on a 3000 mile journey to West Africa?!?!

[June Atkinson]

Originally Posted by HelenB

Posted on the Facebook feed - no 13 has been venturing further afield and flew down to Derwentwater on 15th August. A trip of 7 miles. Does he know that he'll soon be leaving on a 3000 mile journey to West Africa?!?!

To me this is a miracle! How do these young birds know when and where to go?

I have the huge Migration Atlas and when I see the migration routes taken by our birds, I'm filled with wonder!

[HelenB]

"Lucky" 13, as he is sometimes called, left Bassenthwaite early on Sunday morning - 26th August. His mother did not leave before him, as in previous years. I hope he has a safe journey to West Africa. It amazes me that a young bird like this can find his way!

It has taken him 3 days to fly down to the south coast of England, where he was last reported at 2pm on Wed, 29th August, somewhere between Eastbourne and Hastings, presumably preparing for his Channel crossing. The satellite tracking shows that he flew right over London and spent the night of the 28th near Chartwell.

Information and satellite maps are being posted on the Flickr diary and the Facebook feed.

This year's Osprey Watch will end on Sunday, 2nd September. After this there will be no staff and volunteers at the viewpoints on Dodd, or at the exhibition in the Whinlatter Visitor Centre. The Visitor Centre is open all year though.

[Seatallen]

Good luck to Lucky 13- I hope he makes it and has a good winter.

It's always sad to see the Ospreys depart. I spent a very happy few hours at Whinlatter visitors centre in late May.

[HelenB]

More news on Lucky 13's progress. He crossed the English Channel on the morning of Thursday, 30th August and stopped to roost for the night, just north of Paris.

[June Atkinson]

Originally Posted by HelenB

More news on Lucky 13's progress. He crossed the English Channel on the morning of Thursday, 30th August and stopped to roost for the night, just north of Paris.

Et voilà, un balbuzard à Paris!! Nous souhaitons un bon vol pour Lucky!!

[HelenB]

Originally Posted by June Atkinson

Et voilà, un balbuzard à Paris!! Nous souhaitons un bon vol pour Lucky!!

How's your Spanish, June? He was last reported on Saturday, 1st of September at 7pm, north of Valencia on Spain's Mediterranean coast. I wonder if he'll follow the coast and cross into Africa at Gibraltar.

From Paris he flew south, roosting for the night of 31st August, south of Toulouse, near the Pyrenees. On 1st September he entered Spain, kept west of Barcelona and stopped for 3 hours at the Ebro Delta on the coast. I guess he must have been fishing!

The Osprey team seem to be taking a couple of days to get the satellite maps posted on the Flickr Daily Diary: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ospreywatch