A mixed bag of news today: some good, some not so good, some interesting and then a grumble.

Probably the best news came, not from our nest but from Nest 10 at Kielder, just across the border from us. Brian and I were very privileged last week to be invited to view (from a safe distance) our 2017 chick, PY0 (nicknamed Walter), his mate, 330, and at least two chicks on their nest. These are the first confirmed grandchicks of Samson’s and, although much younger than the chicks on our nest, they looked strong and healthy and I reckoned handsome PY0 looked a lot like his dad (but I was accused of being biased). It was lovely to see him for the first time since he set off on migration back in August 2017 and our thanks go to Joanna and the powers that be who allowed us to go and see him with his family.

Back at our nest site, Samson has continued to work hard bringing fish in all the daylight hours he can. The family have often already had their first fish by the time the camera comes on at 0500 and he’s still working when it goes off at 1800. The bonanza he had when he discovered what I assume was a group of trout caught by low water levels in the river lasted almost a week but then it was back to hard graft. This last week, fishing conditions have been much harder with heavy outbursts of rain upstream causing river levels to rise dramatically with the accompanying transportation of mud which have often made river fishing impossible. Lake fishing has also been made more difficult with gusty winds and local downpours causing very poor levels of visibility into the water. Despite this, he has been bringing in some decent sized sea and brown trout and the pike population has also taken a slight dip. Last week, he brought in 3 good sized Jack pike in one afternoon.

Nevertheless, gaps in fish deliveries have been extensive on some occasions and tetchiness between the chicks has been noticeable. In the last few days chick #2 has been picking increasingly on chick #3 and has actively prevented it from getting close to JW6 when she’s feeding the chicks, even to the extent of leaving off being fed to attack #3 and force it to cower away. It’s natural behaviour, particularly if competition is keen for food, but that doesn’t make for easy watching. #2 only desists when either the fish is finished or it is so full it has to stagger off to lie in a food coma. Yesterday, #3’s first feed of the day didn’t come until 1730! The cocky little #3 that I was describing in the last blog has had an implosion of confidence and now only approaches for feeding with great trepidation. I’m hoping that food supplies will satisfy #2 and still be sufficient for #3 to feed, or that #2 quickly grows out of this phase; with a 3 day gap in age there will only be one winner if this deprivation of regular food continues.

We’ve had a couple of intruders this last week. A left leg ringed female came quite close to the nest but, inevitably, not close enough to catch the ring number. Yesterday, an unringed male had the effrontery to land on the nest (well, technically, on top of the chicks) very briefly before being invited to leave by a furious JW6. Samson was away fishing and so missed the drama but JW6 managed extremely well on her own although she wasn’t able to chase the intruder far from the nest as she wasn’t prepared to leave the chicks unguarded. If there’s any doubt about an adult’s commitment to its family, it would be dispelled by the second photo, showing JW6 standing astride her family, looking like an avenging Fury. I wouldn’t want to cross her when she’s in that mood!!

Lastly, I have been extremely disappointed to see on camera several instances of individuals walking under the nest, disregarding the notices asking people to stay away and clearly disturbing the birds in the nest. What was particularly annoying is that some of these intruders were obviously birdwatchers or nature lovers and knew exactly what was there. On one occasion a couple stood about 40 feet from the base of the nest tree, looking up, as JW6 flew round and round alarm calling and there they stood for several minutes. Unfortunately, their faces were unrecognisable from the video but their actions were in clear contravention of the Countryside and Wildlife Act which precludes disturbing Schedule 1 birds at their nest site. I don’t expect people to know the provisions of the Act, and I’m fully aware of their rights under the Rules of Access in Scotland, but the notice they chose to ignore makes it clear they were breaking the law and the sight of an adult bird, circling round in distress should have warned the most ignorant of “nature lovers” that they should not be there. Luckily for them, the chicks were old enough to survive their parent bird’s absence from brooding duties while she attempted to chase away these intruders, but these people were not to know that. The birds are very tolerant of people, dogs, noisy children etc who keep to the river path. Why are there always people who are not content but have to get closer to see, photograph or otherwise experience these magnificent birds, irrespective of the needs of the birds themselves?

With that off my chest I’ll dismount from my hobby horse to say that I will let you know in a few days about the situation with the sibling rivalry. Thankfully, it only occurs when there’s a fish delivery and during feeding. The rest of the time, there’s peace and tranquillity and the chicks don’t bother each other and for that I’m grateful. I know some nests experience major problems, irrespective of the food situation, and the bullied chicks have died. I hope this won’t happen here as I’ve a real soft spot for the little one and, before you ask, human intervention would be inappropriate. Fingers crossed for a peaceful and beneficial resolution for all concerned. Keep those fish coming, Samson.

Chick #1 is now 2 weeks old, so I thought I’d better update you on how things are going.

The short answer is that things are going very well at present, but I hope that I am not tempting fate by saying that. Samson is doing a magnificent job of providing for his rapidly growing family bringing in a variety of trout, grayling and the ever popular pike. Unlike some of the other males on nest cams, he does not have access to stocked reservoirs on his doorstep, so he has to work a lot harder to find adequate supplies and so does particularly well. Personally, I could wish that he made sure the pike were dead before he brought them onto the nest as sight of those teeth make me fear for the chicks but, touch wood, there have been no accidents yet and JW6 (Juno) quickly brings the most wriggly of fish under control. Samson even managed to bring two fish in at one stage, both in one foot, and I think he was as surprised as anyone when, half way through JW6 feeding the first one to the chicks, the second one flipped over the edge of the breadbasket frame and into the nest!

As a result of this bountiful supply, the chicks have been growing rapidly and the first two have already turned dark as the fluff disappears and the feathers start appearing through the follicles. Chick #3 still retains its fluff but is due to undergo the metamorphosis in the next couple of days. The change in size is noticeable on a day to day basis and I’ve never noticed before how quickly the wings go from useless little stubs to mobility aids to sizeable appendages. You can see on the photograph that the chicks have started to do that weird sprawl with one leg stuck out to the side that they all do as their body shape (and size of feet!) develops.

You will recall in my last blog that I was worried about the difference in age between the first two and the third chicks and whether the little one would have enough to eat or whether it would be picked on by either or both of the others. I needn’t have worried. I’d be interested to know if other observers have noticed but what the third chick lacks in size, it often makes up for in cunning and it’s certainly the case with this brood. As soon as the little one was mobile, (about 4 days old), it was working out how to be in the best position to get early feeding by JW6. It would stay low and come up between its two siblings, nip around the side, or just push its way through while they were still waking up. It happens far too often to be a coincidence, with the result that Chick #3 is now strong and healthy, although still obviously smaller than the other two. It does get pecked occasionally by Chick #1 but just tucks its head down and weathers the brief storm.

So all is proceeding nicely at present with good weather and good food to aid the family’s development. Exploring around the nest is now the preferred entertainment when not eating or sleeping and, when viewed from the river path, the chicks’ heads are starting to be visible poking over the edge of the nest. Let’s hope that this positive start can be maintained as they continue to grow and develop.

When the camera switched on at 0500, 2 things were immediately apparent. First was that there had already been a fish delivery and JW6 was busy tearing it apart to feed her family and second, that we now had 3 chicks, the youngest of which had hatched sometime in the previous 11 hours when the camera had been switched off. It’s a lot smaller than its 2 siblings, having hatched 3 days after chick 2 but still managed to get a few mouthfuls of fish in the first two feeds of the day, which was more than enough for it on day one.

The rest of today was taken with an ongoing battle between JW6 who wanted to brood the chicks or at least keep them under her wings and the 2 larger chicks who were determined to squirm out from underneath her to see what was going on outside. I think a score draw was finally declared.

Saturday saw some different action in that I received a call at home in the morning from a local rescue saying that one of the ospreys at Born in Scotland had got itself trapped 3/4 of the way up at telegraph pole! Grabbing my falconry glove and with my heart in my mouth, I raced to the car and did my level best to set a new land speed record down to the site (only joking, officer!). When I got there, I discovered the member of public who reported it to the rescue. Luckily, the bird was far more accessible than the rescue had suggested to me, being only about 7ft up, and it was, in fact, one of the local buzzards and not an osprey. It was a reasonable mistake to make as it was in a right tangle with having caught its wing in a barbed wire frame on the pole, designed to stop people climbing up. There was no way it could get itself free as its entire weight was forcing it further onto the barbed wire. We got a ladder and I was able to take the bird’s weight and release its wing. We took the very peeved buzzard to be checked over by a vet and, after she sprayed it with bright blue disinfectant where the barbed wire had caught the flesh of the wing, she said the wing looked fine and there were no breaks. A couple of feathers were permanently damaged but I could see that the rest would be sorted by a good preen. We returned to the site and released the bird, which flew away strongly. It’s a local bird and easily recognised by having a gap in its tail, so I’ll be keeping a look out for it and making sure it’s continuing to be able to look after its family.

Returning to the ospreys, it is to be hoped that the next few days see some large fish being delivered to the nest which will be enough to sate the larger chicks and leave enough for the little one to do a bit of catching up. It’s always tough to watch them having to wait in turn to be fed but Samson has experience of having 3 chicks, having successfully raised 3 in 2015, 2016 and 2017. He has been doing superbly so far at keeping the nest well supplied; fingers crossed his fishing skills will continue to be rewarded.

Chick no 2 was already fully hatched and dry by the time the camera switched on this morning and we got our first sight of it at 0530, already able to wriggle around.

Breakfish duly arrived a couple of hours later and both chicks were eager to taste the grayling that was on the menu. Samson let the family eat what they needed and then retrieved the remainder from the nest and took it away to eat in peace. It was good to see (not for the fish!) that the grayling was still flapping when it arrived, showing that Samson didn’t have to go far to catch it.

A lazy morning followed but little tummies started rumbling quite quickly and they were excited to see Samson return with a small pike (definitely deceased) in the early afternoon. Both chicks fed extremely well with JW6 feeding both of them alternately.

I do love to watch them fall into a stupor at the end of a meal, trying for one last beakful before the heads drop and the rest of the body follows and they collapse just where they ate. They look like little humbugs when all you can see is their backs but JW6 was quick to settle down and brood them again while Samson carried away the leftover fish.

The weather couldn’t be better for the important first few days of these chicks’ lives. Warm, sunny and dry. I can’t help remembering last year when it was considerably colder and wetter. These chicks don’t know how lucky they are.

If chick 3 is as eager to arrive as its siblings have been, I wouldn’t be surprised if it arrived tomorrow but I’ll certainly let you know. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with the picture of the comatose chicks, post-pike.

Well, Border Ospreys chick #1 of 2023 didn’t hang around. When JW6 gave us a quick look at the eggs at 1234, there didn’t appear to be any movement, although parts of them were covered with some straw but she was certainly lifting her body higher, supporting herself on her wings which looked suspiciously like there was some action going on underneath. By 1550, the first chick had fully emerged and was making its presence felt by tickling its mum with its movement, causing her to twitch and shuffle almost constantly. She had a very startled look on her face and was unable to sit still; a very amusing spectacle.

Samson brought in half a pike just after 1700 and then proceeded to stand completely in the way of the camera so we couldn’t see if the little one was going to be offered or to take any food or not.

JW6 was certainly bending down offering pieces to the chick but it seemed too unsteady to hold itself up at that early stage for feeding. Samson eventually moved out of the way and JW6 shuffled round and by 1720, the little one had taken two tiny pieces of fish from her.

JW6 was very confident in her feeding technique, such a difference from exactly a year ago when she was learning to feed her first ever chick. Amazing what a bit of experience can do.

I’m not making any predictions about when we might see movement from either of the other eggs but I will let you know as soon as we see anything.

I am now back with you and I thank you for your forbearance while I have been away. I am still reviewing several days of footage that I had missed but I can tell you that everything seems to be going well and we still have 3 eggs. Both adult birds have brought sprigs of greenery to the nest, a sure sign that they know things are about to happen and we are expecting the first hatch, probably around Wednesday, 31 May.

The big news didn’t happen here, though, although it very much concerns us and that is that we have confirmation that one of the ringed offspring from Border Ospreys is preparing to become a parent itself with a nest and a mate.

As those of you who have followed Border Ospreys from the start will know, we began ringing the chicks at the nest in 2016. It is one of the 2017 chicks, nicknamed Walter and who was ringed as PY0, and he was discovered nesting in the Kielder area. He has been intruding regularly at Kielder since he first returned to the UK in 2019 and has now paired up with 330, a 2019 female from nearby Tweed Valley Osprey Project. He was the offspring of Samson and from the last brood raised by Delilah. The nest was discovered a few weeks ago but confirmation of the identity of the pair was only made yesterday.

This is very exciting news as it is the first confirmation we have had of a Border Ospreys bird nesting although undoubtedly there have been others from pre-ringing broods. So, as Samson prepares to become a parent again, we now know that, fingers crossed, he will also be a grandparent!

I wish the new couple every success in what will hopefully be a long partnership.

Third egg for Samson and JW6 this morning. He treated her by incubating the eggs for her while allowing her 5 minutes of crow bashing, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

I was too optimistic about the camera situation in the last blog but we did manage to get confirmation this morning that JW6 had indeed laid a second egg, probably yesterday. As with last year, she is now increasing the time she is incubating, leaving Samson more time to fish and do all his other chores. A third egg should be due on Monday.

I am having to deal with a family situation at present which may take me away from the nest for a wee while, so I will be unable to blog for a period. We will, nevertheless, have people watching the nest and if there is anything untoward to report I will endeavour to let you know.

I will be back with you as soon as I am able but here is a picture of our newest volunteer watcher who hasn’t quite worked out how to use the scope yet.

These birds think I’ve got nothing better to do than write about them!

Today was the 11th day that Samson has been back and, as I inferred yesterday, he and JW6 have certainly been making up for lost time. Their behaviour this morning suggested that something had changed on the nest and I managed to work out a solution for the camera to get sufficient footage to show that, sometime this morning, JW6 laid her first egg of 2023.

As with last year, she seems quite content for Samson to incubate for extended periods, although quite how he was expected to incubate and also answer her insistent calls for a fish, I have no idea. She did deign to sit on the egg to release him for fishing duties but was quite reluctant to resume incubation when she’d finished the fish that he subsequently brought.

The next egg is due on Friday by which time I hope to have a fully functioning camera system again. I’ll let you know what happens.

The happy reunion of Samson and JW6 (Juno) took place moments after I pressed the “publish” button on my last blog. Some very active bonding between the two birds took place within a few minutes and has continued unabated since!

Samson has also fulfilled his side of the bargain with a steady supply of fish being brought to the nest. We’ve seen brown trout, sea trout and grayling being brought back in but no sign of his favoured pike just yet. There has also been lots of nesting material being brought in, some more useful than others, and lots of shuffling and reshuffling of sticks and soft grass until the nest meets the approval of both birds. Neither seem the least bit affected by the change in its size and shape from last year but then, if you’ve just flown north for possibly thousands of miles, you’re not likely to be too picky about the decor, are you?

All things being equal, we should expect their first egg to be laid sometime this week and so, with impeccable timing, the camera system has developed a fault and we’ve had no pictures for the last couple of days. We’ve hopefully isolated the problem and I am keeping my fingers crossed that we get it resolved before Juno decides to lay but I’m not promising anything; you know what she’s like!

I was delighted to hear from Kielder that PY0, our middle chick from the 2017 brood, has made the journey north safely and is making a serious bid for one of the spare nests there this year. It would be nice to confirm that Samson was a grandad, as he might be already if any of his female offspring have found mates and settled down.

In the meantime, I’m hoping that the weather will improve because it’ll be no fun for JW6 having to incubate in that biting wind we’ve experienced in the last few days …and it’s not a lot of fun for the watchers either.