Do you ever have trouble working out who is who or who lives where? Then read on. All your questions will be answered!
Ringing and Naming the Ospreys
All 75 Ospreys that were translocated to Rutland Water between 1996 and 2005 were fitted with a metal British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) ring on one leg and a larger Darvic ring, with a unique alphanumeric code, on the other. All the juveniles reared in nests since 2001 have been ringed in the same way. Apart from in 1996 and 1997, the Darvic ring has always been placed on the bird’s right leg, with Scottish birds ringed on the left. It’s possible to read the inscription on the Darvic ring in the field using a telescope from a distance of up to 300 metres. In Rutland all the birds are referred to by their Darvic ring number, with the year they were translocated/fledged in brackets. For instance 03(97) was translocated to Rutland Water in 1997 and fitted with a white Darvic ring bearing the inscription 03. 5R(04) fledged from a nest in Rutland in 2004 and was ringed with a Darvic ring bearing the inscription 5R.
Breeding Ospreys in Rutland
A male translocated to Rutland Water from Scotland in 1997. He returned to Rutland for the first time in 1999 and successfully bred in 2001 at Site B, a nest on private land. The first Osprey to breed in Central England for 150 years. He produced 27 chicks between 2001 and 2012 with three different females. This year, he arrived on March 17th and has been breeding with the same unringed Scottish female since 2009. She arrived on March 30th and they began incubating on April 14th.
5R fledged from Site B in 2004 and he is one of 03(97)’s chicks. In 2010, 5R bred in Manton Bay with an unringed Scottish female and this was the first pair in Rutland not to include a translocated bird. In three years this pair have produced eight chicks. 5R is the male Osprey you can watch on the webcam since he arrived on March 28th, a week later than in 2012. His mate returned on March 21st and on April 16th they began incubating three eggs.
5N fledged from Site B in 2004. She is one of 03(97)’s chicks and 5R’s sister from the same year. 5N paired up with 08(97) in 2007 and she was the first Rutland-fledged chick to breed, successfully rearing six chicks in two years. After 08(97)’s disappearance in May 2011 she paired up with 09(98) and spent the rest of the summer at her nest, Site N. The pair successfully bred in 2012 and produced two chicks. 5N returned this year on March 28th.
01 fledged from Site B in 2009. He is one of 03(97)’s chicks. He returned to Rutland for the first time on May 20th 2011. This year 01 returned on April 15th and has paired up with 5N following the death of 09(98), hopefully they will breed this year.
Other Ospreys who may intrude at Manton Bay and Site B
30 fledged from Site B in 2005. She is one of 03(97)’s chicks and has raised eight chicks between 2009 and 2012 at Site K, a nest on private land. This year she returned on March 28th but her regular mate, 08(01), hasn’t returned this year.
A female from Argyll in Scotland. She bred in Rutland for the first time in 2009 with translocated male 06(00) and they raised three chicks. Following the suspicious disappearance on 06(00) in spring 2010, she paired up with AW(06) and they produced six chicks between 2010 and 2011 at Site O, a nest on private land. This year she returned on March 28th.
00 fledged from Site B in 2009. She is one of 03(97)’s chicks. She returned to Rutland for the first time on May 4th 2011 and spent very little time in Rutland. This year she returned on March 18th. Her early arrival suggests that she is ready to breed and is looking for a mate.
03 fledged from Site N in 2009 and he is one of 08(97)’s chicks. He returned for the first time on June 15th 2011. This year 03 returned on 8th April.
06 fledged from Site O in 2009 and is one of 06(00)’s chicks. He returned for the first time on June 11th 2011. This year 06 returned on 10th April.
28 is a three year old male who fledged from Site B in 2010 and he is one of 03(97)’s chicks. He returned for the first time on June 13th 2012. This year he returned on 16th April and as a three year old, he is unlikely to breed this year.
11 is a three year old male who fledged from Site N in 2010. He is one of 08(97)’s chicks. On May 4th 2012 he was seen by Adolfo Villaverde at Villaviciosa in Northern Spain and he returned to Rutland for the first time on June 24th 2012. This year he returned on 20th April and as a three year old, he is unlikely to breed.
25 is a three year old female who fledged from Site O in 2010. She is one of AW’s chicks. She returned for the first time on June 28th 2012. This year she returned on 7th April and as a three year old, she is unlikely to breed.
12 is a three year old female who fledged from Site N in 2010. She is one of 08(97)’s chicks. 12 intruded at the Dyfi nest in mid-Wales on May 21st 2012 but didn’t return to Rutland until 23rd July. She stayed in the area for one day and was sighted back in Dyfi on 29th July. This year she returned to Rutland on 27th April.