ALL OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR

The site is empty, the nest is deserted and the area no longer rings to the sounds of ospreys calling. It’s actually quite a spooky thing, walking around the field and seeing and hearing no sign of our birds having had them be such a feature of my life (at least) for the past 5 1/2 months.

3AF, typically, left the day after I published my last blog saying that she looked like she had no intention of leaving. I’m not sure why I bother making any comments in the future tense about ospreys; you’d have thought I would have learnt by now that they always make me out to be a liar or just plain stupid. I wonder if she stopped off at Abbotsbury Swannery on the Dorset coast like she did the year she spent with us? Her timing would have been very similar and certainly there were ospreys sighted there but I didn’t hear about if any of them were ringed.

Samson stayed around for a few more days. I don’t know whether he was checking that 3AF had really gone or whether he was hoping that another female would arrive unexpectedly but he was last seen as a confirmed sighting on 2 Sep. A couple more visiting ospreys were seen in the area over the next few days, too far away to see whether they were ringed, or even if they were male or female, adult or juvenile. They wandered up and down the river and over the nest but only one landed, and then only very briefly, in the dead tree.

And so we come to the end of the 2022 season. What a season it has been too, hasn’t it? Excitement as JW6 arrived, tinged with a little trepidation bearing in mind her behaviour last year; nerves as Samson was 2 weeks later arriving than he had done in 2021; anticipation as eggs were laid; celebration as two hatched; tragedy on ringing day when the one chick had to be euthanised after a nest accident, probably by its sibling, robbed it of an eye; euphoria as 688 (Sasha) took to the skies and then that odd mix of emotions as the birds one by one took leave of the territory to begin the long and dangerous journey to their wintering grounds. My fingers are firmly crossed that 688 completes that journey and finds himself a decent fishing ground where he can see out the winter and next year, and grow strong and healthy before making the trip back in 2024. He has excellent genes and will hopefully also get that slice of luck that all of them need to survive. Likewise, it is to be hoped that both his parents have a good migration and winter and return to us next year to rear another family.

In the meantime, we have work to do here. The nest requires a complete rebuild as some of the supporting structure needs replacing. I also have to strengthen the communication link to improve the picture in the restaurant and also to resolve the problems which prevented us from recording anything this year. So, several things to keep me out of mischief. In the meantime I would like to thank the people that make Border Ospreys work. Brian Clark, without whom I would probably end up completely bald as he does sterling work in supporting me for long periods meeting the public, answering questions and monitoring the nest; most importantly, he is also responsible for taking most of the cracking aerial photos that grace this blog. He is unnecessarily modest about his photographic abilities but I am very grateful for them. Tony Lightley and Joanna Dailey, my two experts who answer my numerous questions, provide advice and support and, in Tony’s case, who is the crazy person who climbs the 100ft tree to collect the birds for ringing and will be doing the nest rebuilding work. Michael Thomson of MT Tree Care (and Nathan) for their work in the winter climbing the tree to install the new camera, do running repairs on the nest and, critically, when we had the emergency with the baling twine this summer, Michael dropping everything to race to the rescue of the chicks. Without him acting so quickly, we may have lost some, if not most of the family. Jain Jameson of Techstar for her invaluable work and support with the wiggly amps side of the house; a black art to many of us. John Henderson, owner of Born in Scotland, and the staff there for all their help and support. Lastly, to you who read my blog, visit in person and give me such encouragement with your support, however it is provided. I do enjoy the interaction and, while I try to keep things lighthearted, I hope I also convey my enthusiasm and respect for these magnificent birds. If I can extend their fan club by just a handful each year, while also doing something in which I believe passionately, then I am content. Best wishes for the remainder of 2022 and I’ll see you all in 2023.