Osprey fans, meet Blue 44- what a handsome chap!

He has been doing really well after all yesterday’s excitement and has settled back into his usual routine. Since the tagging process he has had two fish last night (4.30 and a perch at 9.45) and fed happily, and this morning had one at 4.47am, another at 6.17am and this afternoon another at 4.48pm.  Keep in mind the weather conditions here have been very difficult for our male bird hunting today and I think that is quite an achievement for him.

Some people have been expressing concern that our female Osprey hasn’t been brooding him as much today, but she had in fact been doing less and less of this anyway recently as he is really too big to fit underneath her now. His feathers are well formed now, and he is quite able to maintain his own body temperature so he is in no danger- though I bet, like us, he would prefer some better weather!

The female has been pecking at the transmitter and its aerial today- she must be curious as to what it is and why it has suddenly appeared. This is a normal natural reaction to such a change, but she has shown absolutely no sign of changing her behaviour toward him, so all is well. Blue 44 is also moving about the nest normally and has a great appetite so he seems to be taking it all in his stride.

This afternoon we received the exciting news that our colleagues and friends at the Lake District Osprey Project at Bassenthwaite today successfully ringed and satellite tagged their Osprey male chick too. Roy Dennis was also in charge of this procedure and has used the same type of transmitter. This Osprey chick is also an ‘only chick’ and is of almost exactly the same age as ours. This means we have the fascinating and hopefully revealing privilege of watching two very similar birds, from two locations, as they fledge and migrate this year which is really exciting. What differences will there be in their behaviour and routes? Which will migrate first and will they go to similar areas ofAfrica? It will be really exciting to follow this parallel story this autumn and winter.