Fears for osprey chicks as male bird disappears
FANS of Scotland’s most famous ospreys have been left ‘devastated’ after one of the pair vanished – causing at least one of the birds’ three chicks to die from starvation.
Conservationists have refused to intervene and deliver fish to the nest despite desperate pleas from bird watchers around the world.
The 12-year-old male, Odin, was last seen on Thursday morning. He left partner EJ with their three chicks in their nest at the Loch Garten RSPB reserve in the Cairngorms.
Without a regular supply of fish from the male, the birds are starving. After three days without food, at least one of the chicks was confirmed dead yesterday. Staff at the visitor centre, along with fans watching around the globe via the reserve’s ‘osprey cam’, were heartbroken when the female briefly left the nest unguarded to remove the carcass.
Chris Tilbury, visitor experience manager at Loch Garten, said: ‘We’ve had a number of younger males around the nest and our line of thinking is that [Odin] has been seen off by them.
‘There may have been a fight and he may have been injured.
‘EJ’s instinct is to stay on the nest and protect the chicks. Only when it gets to the stage where she is absolutely starving herself will she go and fish for herself.
‘But if she leaves the chicks at this stage, they will be very vulnerable to predators.
‘EJ was seen taking one dead chick away this morning – she was gone for less than a minute.
‘We’ve seen some movement on the nest so we know at least one chick is still alive.’
The ospreys have been breeding at the nest since 2009 and have previously seen off rival suitors.
They produced three eggs this season after returning from their annual migration to West Africa.
The youngest chick hatched on Saturday and could survive for a short time by eating the remaining contents of its shell.
But despite the likely demise of the remaining chicks, RSPB Scotland’s policy is to not intervene in the natural course of events.
Mr Tilbury said the centre had been inundated with calls from concerned twitchers, as well as appeals to the charity online.
He said: ‘It’s devastating to us. It’s horrible to watch. We understand that they are wild birds and this is nature but you can’t help but get attached to EJ and Odin.
‘If it is the case that one of these younger males has seen off Odin, then that is the natural order. That ensures that the strongest genes get passed on and it’s how the species survives and thrives.
‘To us it is brutal and a horrible thing to witness – and it kind of feels wrong – but it is actually the way things are supposed to be.’
Jess Tomes, visitor operations manager, posted on social media: ‘We have already stated that we will not intervene and supply fish to the nest. This is a decision we have given considerable thought to and have not taken lightly.
‘RSPB has a policy of non-intervention in the breeding efforts of pairs of nesting birds, unless the potential failure of a nest is brought about directly by the actions of people on those birds.’