Due to my obliviousness, Sunday’s regular batch of photos from John Avise was posted yesterday. Today we have only one photo. It’s a weird one from Peter Fisher in Cumbria, and could easily have been a “spot the osprey” photo—except you can see the reveal below. Plus I enlarged the photo, and can’t make out the species, though I’m sure Peter knows what it is.
Peter’s notes (click the photo to enlarge it).
Don’t know whether you’ll be interested in this for your Reader’s Wildlife Photos. It’s not the most impressive shot of an osprey (I think you call them fishing eagles in The States) but maybe the world’s only dashcam shot of one?
JAC: The osprey, found throughout the world., is Pandion haliaetus. I quickly trawled the Internet and could NOT find any other osprey photos taken with a dashcam. Perhaps this is unique!
Quite right to not post any significant indication of location. There are still both egg-thieves, and bird poisoners out there.
I hadn’t previously heard of them settling in the Lake District (which the post does not say), but the environment would be relatively good, even for birds “in transit” to the better established breeding grounds in Scotland. Presumably, that would be one of the major steps for the population spreading back into previously populated areas.
There are now several places where ospreys are regularly breeding in England and Wales and there are high hopes that the species will establish on the south coast in Dorset. There are mixed opinions on the keeping of nest locations secret for ospreys, eagles, etc. Sadly, the egg thieves seem to be pretty well informed about the locations of nests in any case and if the nest is overlooked by a public viewing point at a safe distance the extra scrutiny thereby created may actually help deter the criminals. The right choice of secrecy or publicity perhaps depends on the individual circumstances in each case.
Unfortunately, the nests of birds of prey fail not just because of the depredations of egg collectors but also because of deliberate destruction by those who see the birds as unwelcome competitors for fish and game. The Hen Harrier is probably the worst affect by this, on grouse shooting moors, but as Bonetired comments below, ospreys have also been targeted on occasion. Other frequent victims include golden eagles, sea eagles, goshawks, buzzards and red kites. Unfortunately some people continue to have a 19th century attitude to these wonderful birds.
The ones that are publicly avowed are very carefully monitored but even then the bastards are still active. A couple of years ago, the pole that held the nest at Llyn Brenig in North Wales was cut down by someone with a chain saw. Unsavoury characters were spotted a few years ago at the best known site in Wales – the Dyfi – which triggered alarms.
Ospreys are in the Lake District – Bassenthwaite (again publicly avowed) – but they are monitored closely.
Great post.
The ones that are publicly avowed are very carefully monitored but even then the bastards are still active. A couple of years ago, the pole that held the nest at Llyn Brenig in North Wales was cut down by someone with a chain saw.