There was sad news last week when one of the Loch Garten osprey 
chicks died and staff on site were faced with the regular pleas to save it. A very difficult decision to make not to help out particularly when so many visitors and website visitors are seeing the chick being bullied by its larger siblings and its desperate struggle to hang on to life. In recent years this has happened twice before. On those occasions the chicks just about managed to survive but both were a week to ten days behind the stronger chick in learning to fly and even further behind when having to leave the nest to fe
nd for themselves. They both departed the nest site but we had grave doubts about whether either survived for long after that. As we have seen on recent editions of Springwatch, nature in its rawest form can be very cruel and weakness in the fight for life often means that chicks will die. Sadly, this is what happened at the osprey site, the weakest chick being overwhelmed by its larger brothers or sisters. The two surviving chicks are doing very well and, tomorrow the chicks will be ringed and also each chick will be fitted with a satellite tracking device (left), the first time more than one chick at an osprey nest has gone through this process. Hopefully I will have a picture of the event for the next diary and in a couple of weeks you will be able to follow their progress via a dedicated website.
chicks died and staff on site were faced with the regular pleas to save it. A very difficult decision to make not to help out particularly when so many visitors and website visitors are seeing the chick being bullied by its larger siblings and its desperate struggle to hang on to life. In recent years this has happened twice before. On those occasions the chicks just about managed to survive but both were a week to ten days behind the stronger chick in learning to fly and even further behind when having to leave the nest to fe
nd for themselves. They both departed the nest site but we had grave doubts about whether either survived for long after that. As we have seen on recent editions of Springwatch, nature in its rawest form can be very cruel and weakness in the fight for life often means that chicks will die. Sadly, this is what happened at the osprey site, the weakest chick being overwhelmed by its larger brothers or sisters. The two surviving chicks are doing very well and, tomorrow the chicks will be ringed and also each chick will be fitted with a satellite tracking device (left), the first time more than one chick at an osprey nest has gone through this process. Hopefully I will have a picture of the event for the next diary and in a couple of weeks you will be able to follow their progress via a dedicated website. And, my mad daughter? On Saturday Ruth is taking on the Corrieyairick Challenge, 17 miles of walking and 26 miles of biking. See http://www.corrieyairack.org/ for what she is tackling. She is doing the event to raise money for S
peyside Trust Badaguish who run a holiday centre for kids with special needs. She's looking for a bit of sponsorship so if you feel you could help go to http://www.justgiving.com/ruthtaylor3 and boost her total. She'll be on my bike so I've got the oiling and cleaning to do tomorrow before she does her last training ride. She said she would do this event so that she can fit into her wedding dress in October! There must be easier ways.
peyside Trust Badaguish who run a holiday centre for kids with special needs. She's looking for a bit of sponsorship so if you feel you could help go to http://www.justgiving.com/ruthtaylor3 and boost her total. She'll be on my bike so I've got the oiling and cleaning to do tomorrow before she does her last training ride. She said she would do this event so that she can fit into her wedding dress in October! There must be easier ways.The first finishers are expected in Kincraig, just outside Aviemore from 12.30pm, just 4 hours after starting! I imagine Ruth and her team of Jo and Sarah won't arrive before 4pm. I just hope they all make it.
Best wishes
Stewart & Janet
It has been a good year for twinflower
All photos © Stewart Taylor
