It’s been a while since we last brought you news of Blue YD, last year’s satellite tagged chick from one of our Angus reserves, so I thought it was time for a quick update.

Blue YD remains very settled on the long, sandy peninsula of the La Langue de Barbarie National Park, which lies approximately 12 miles to the south of the major coastal town of Saint Louis. Now that all adult ospreys are on their breeding grounds young osprey like Blue YD are able to establish themselves at prime coastal locations such as this. He’s certainly making the most of it – over the past 9 days he has traveled no further than 3 miles from his established roost site.

He is spending much of the day either roosting in the trees that run along the landward facing side of the island peninsula or sitting on the endless sandy beach, interspersed with the occasional coastal fishing trip…

And with weather and scenery like this who can blame him?…

If Blue YD chooses to stay here through till the autumn (why wouldn’t he?) it will be interesting to see if he is able to hold his own as adult birds begin arriving back from their breeding grounds, or if he is forced to head back inland for the winter. Only time will tell…

Still no news of Blue 44 but we remain hopeful that he’s out there somewhere.

Jonathan