Author Archives: Rosieshields

As several of you have already noticed, the third chick hatched overnight. Just as we were beginning to wonder whether it would hatch at all, the chick decided to make a grand entrance. To celebrate, Samson brought in what, for him, was a small whale so the two chicks got well fed. The third chickContinue reading “LATECOMER”

Well, no 2 chick didn’t hang around. The weather has been cooler and wetter today but that didn’t stop chick no 2 from arriving this afternoon. I wasn’t actually expecting it until tomorrow but it decided that it couldn’t wait a moment longer. The picture was a screenshot from 1730 when Augusta went for aContinue reading “EAGER BEAVER”

It’s clear that Samson is passing on his sneaky genes. Having spent the morning watching the nest for but not seeing any signs of activity, I noticed that the farm vehicles were coming in to set up the watering system for the potatoes in the field below the nest. So, since then, Augusta has beenContinue reading “SNEAKY GENES”

Hi everyone. I hope you’ve all been enjoying the live views of the nest that are now available on YouTube (link at the bottom of this blog). The pair have been extremely lucky with the weather and you haven’t yet seen Augusta’s best “drowned rat” impersonation that we often get during incubation. We have hadContinue reading “EGG COUNTDOWN”

We are now up and running live on YouTube, so please head on over there where you can see, at the moment, beautiful Augusta sitting patiently on the nest in the sunshine (so saying, Samson has just taken over and Augusta is going “sticking”). Thank you for your patience as I jumped the gun aContinue reading “WE ARE LIVE!”

As broadband has finally reached the particular depths of this part of the Scottish Borders, I am excited to be able to tell you that we have set up a live feed so you can watch the day to day “goings-on” at Samson and Augusta’s nest. It’s very much at the experimental phase and youContinue reading “LIVE FEED”

I was actually watching the live feed this morning when, at 1012, Augusta laid her third egg to complete her 2026 clutch (a fourth egg is technically possible but most unlikely). I haven’t got a clear picture to show you yet but, on handover of incubating duties, it was noticeable that Samson had his normalContinue reading “THIRD EGG”

Augusta laid her second egg yesterday, so I think it’s probable that the first egg was laid on Wednesday, for those of you keeping count on such things. Things have been going quite smoothly for our pair so far with decent fish availability and nice weather. There have been a couple of ringed intruders butContinue reading “EGG UPDATE”

I have some good news and an apology. The news is that, after 16 days together, Samson and Augusta (Blue 500) have their first egg of 2026. It was laid either late yesterday or today (23rd) and Samson has been his normal enthusiastic self about taking as much of the incubation and guarding duties asContinue reading “FIRST EGG”

(All photos courtesy of P Sumerling) I think the Border Ospreys musical chairs game is over for 2026. KX7 lost interest in us when her regular partner arrived back at Kielder yesterday, although she was casting covetous eyes at another, at present, unattached male at Kielder but I’m sure she’ll now settle down. I hadContinue reading “MUSICAL CHAIRS 2026”