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Family News | EP returns! | 02/04/09

AW returns to Dumfries and Galloway

Our chick AW held as it was being ringed in 2004
AW just before having his ring put on in 2004

5th May

Dear all, the good news continues we now have 3 eggs on the "Ospreys are back in Galloway" nest and………….there are also 3 eggs at Caerlaverock so H/D may be a grandmother soon.

As Brian Morrell from WWT says it is great news AW has been doing his stuff. The first egg was treated with some bemusement by both parents and AW was the one who settled down to incubating and he still seems to be pretty keen to sit on his eggs. 

 “Great news! The Caerlaverock Ospreys have laid a second egg. Just after 1pm today the male bird flew in with a fish for the female who had been sitting tight on the nest all morning. She took the fish and flew off to eat it, and then just before the male took over on the nest we could see two eggs. The second egg could have been laid last night or this morning but due to the wet weather the birds were reluctant to stand up and leave the eggs uncovered so we could see what was going on via our live CCTV link. This may now be the complete clutch but there could still be a third egg in a few days time.”

You have probably guessed that I will be heading to Caerlaverock over the May Bank holiday, I might see you there as lots of our avid osprey watchers are heading in that direction so I might see you there, I will be the one drinking hot chocolate and cake with a big grin on my face...............I went down to Caerlaverock over the Bank holiday and managed to see the 3rd egg, so a full cluth now brilliant news

We will have to wait until the end of May/beginning of June to see if we get any chicks let’s hope so.

Good osprey watching, Elizabeth

21st April - Fantastic News for the "Ospreys are back in Galloway" project: one of our chicks has returned to  Dumfries and Galloway. AW started off life as a TV star and he is continuing to be a TV star! This youngster was one of the two 2004 chicks to hatch under everyone’s watchful gaze on the "Ospreys are back in Galloway" live CCTV link in Wigtown. We all watched enthralled as AW and AV (as they were ringed) grew up and learned to fly before finally leaving for Africa. We all had our fingers crossed for the chicks to return and have been waiting patiently ever since. AW appeared on the CCTV camera set up for the Caerlaverock Osprey Project where you can see him with his unrung mate.
The Caerlaverock Osprey Project has set up a CCTV system with their partners the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, SNH, Forestry Commission Scotland and their pictures are shown on a screen in their visitor Centre at WWT’s Caerlaverock reserve. Brian Morrell who is WWT’s Learning Manager at Caerlaverock emailed me with the news that AW had returned during our event celebrating the return of the "Ospreys are back in Galloway"; what could be more fitting?

18th April

I immediately made plans to go over and see AW for myself, just to make sure. On arrival, we waited for a bird to put in an appearance on the nest. We didn’t have to wait too long for an osprey; however it had no rings, so not AW. A bit disappointed off I went to the car for my camera and as I got back there were shouts. Not just one osprey on the nest but two, one of whom was the osprey I had come to see, AW! This was first time 2 birds had been seen together on the nest, a really good sign as you can imagine especially as AW was carrying a fish.

Brian has emailed me this morning to say that AW and “no rings” have been getting on well and that AW is definitely a male. Will this be the first year that there is more than one successful nest in Dumfries and Galloway? Let’s hope so, especially as we will have the privilege of seeing the progress of both mother H/D and chick AW on TV so we can follow all the details. Brian and I are exchanging DVD’s so that everyone can see both AW as a chick and grown up AW and partner.

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