Another big day for our wee osprey – despite the heat it has been doing really well, feeding regularly and looking very strong and confident. Just now, it was so full after two feeds over 20 mins or so, and its crop was so heavy, that it fell over forwards- a very full sleepy baby!

We have just also had another intruder osprey visit the nest this evening- and the great sight of both our parent birds uniting in classic defensive behaviour, mantling and alarm calling- this time the other osprey took the hint and didn’t attempt to land.

The other great moment today was when the male brought in a  large stick and clumsily carried it around the nest,  almost dropping it on the chicks head- the female took things in hand and put the stick well out of the way, but managed to hit the male with it on the way- just to make a point?

Today I would like to say a huge Thank You to two of the core members of our Osprey Nest Protection Watch team: Thomas Plant and Laura Cunningham. These two have been a vital part of the Species Protection staff here this season and are leaving us to take up exciting jobs on Handa Island doing seabird monitoring for the breeding season. Both have worked long and unsociable hours doing Osprey Watch without complaint and have contributed so much to the safe success of the ospreys this year- thank you !

Thomas , a regular contributor of the “Notes for the Nightwatch team” on the blog, has been our in house screen-cap and graphs wizard, and Laura has been producing our weekly Osprey news bulletins amongst their many other duties. Both have also been involved in the hard practical and survey work on our other reserves in their spare time. We will be very sad to see these two capable and professional folk leave us, but they are off to do more exciting things so we are really happy for them.

Despite loosing these two wonderful team members , the staff and volunteers  will be continuing our 24hr nest protection watch until after all three eggs hatch, so here’s hoping that wont be too much longer!