On our way to make a visit to Geilston Garden recently, we came across a chap looking out across a field in the direction of Murray’s. Spotting the binoculars Faye was wearing, he engaged us in conversation. He was keen to tell us about an Osprey nest on farmland not too far away. To be honest, Backwoodsman was quietly sceptical, though he had seen an Osprey over the Clyde at Cardross before (August 2020), and photographed it. Alas, Backwoodsman cannot read the markings on the ring. UK Osprey Information tells of the return of ringed individuals, with the colours and markings of the rings. Most of the action is around Loch Garten and the Tweed Valley, as expected.
There are always good tales to be heard at Cardross; some years ago, one chap was keen to tell of a White-tailed Sea Eagle which flew in regularly from Mull (had he followed it, perhaps?). This sounded like madness and Backwoodsman put his head down, got back onto the Redshanks he was watching and hoped his interlocutor would go quietly and soon. In contrast, Osprey man had detail, which was interesting, and we decided that we would allow a decent interval to pass and then return to Cardross and try to find this farm and the Ospreys.
On alighting from the train, we saw an Osprey overhead, which seemed very promising and we set off towards the farm. Backwoodsman is not disclosing the location in this post in case the twitcher social media has found a way of trawling the internet and harvesting bird sighting data (but if anyone wants it, and promises not to post it, it can be supplied privately). Backwoodsman has gone right off this business since the Waxwings episode, and would not want the farm lane clogged up with serried ranks of grumpy camo-clad pensioners with birdscopes, and their vehicles.
On arriving at the farm, we saw a chap dismounting a tractor and Backwoodsman approached. Far from the expected “ged orf my larnd!”, he told us that he thought there were Ospreys about, but no, we couldn’t go on the field because the cows were about to, which seemed fair enough. We took a punt on some trees which looked sufficiently knocked about to offer a nesting site to a pair of Ospreys and settled down to wait. Before too long, out came the Ospreys.
So no prizes for saying “hey, these images aren’t up to your usual standard, you busker!”. Agreed, but this is very long range shooting. Backwoodsman would be pretty confident of putting one through Bibi at this range but getting a sharp focus on a dynamic raptor, rather than a wizened and corrupt war criminal, is a tough gig, especially in very bright sunlight. Backwoodsman suspects that the birds probably covered fewer pixels than the spot area used to meter and inform the autofocus, which can mean that the camera spends most of its time hunting for a focal position. Backwoodsman feels he was pretty fortunate to get anything at all, and is only posting because the Ospreys threw some beautiful shapes, exhibited some interesting behaviour and are really not that common. One day, we’ll have to go sit in a hide somewhere and get the money shot of large Osprey with fish.
We were expecting to see an established pair on a nest, with regular traffic to feed ravenous chicks; this really isn’t what we saw. There was definitely a tree of interest – an old pine – but there was no evidence of a nest. A bird flew around the top of the pine regularly, sometimes perching, sometimes swooping by. And then, there were two birds.
The new arrival seemed to be carrying something; it looked more like a Greggs pasty than a fish but it was hard to tell at that range. It definitely interested a passing Buzzard and some Corvids. The laden bird seemed to be trying to attract the attention of the first Osprey but it wasn’t exactly welcomed with open wings. This went on for a while and then a third bird showed up.
This was so not a passing Buzzard; while the quality is poor, the white head of each bird is quite clear. Our friends Sabine and Peter had taken us to the RSPB Gartocharn reserve on Loch Lomond and we had seen some Osprey action across the Loch, so this area between the Clyde and the Loch clearly attracts Ospreys. Apart from Loch Lomond itself, and the Clyde, there is even a Trout Fishery quite close to hand (their website even mentions Ospreys).
BTO population data is seven years out of date – they report 240 pairs breeding in the UK between 2013 and 2017. A recently edited Wikipedia entry tells us that “The population in Scotland was estimated at 250 breeding pairs in 2023” so it’s pretty special to see three birds together so close to home. We’ve been very lucky with Ospreys, what with this sighting, and the previous one at Cardross. We had seen a pair on Loch Etive near Taynuilt a few years ago (no camera) and an individual over the beach at West Kilbride (August 2023), terrifying a flock of Starlings. And all of this without venturing to Loch Garten.
Since our Cardross visit, Backwoodsman has striven to get the de-noising software to sharpen up these images, hoping for some extra pixels within the vague outlines. On Saturday, we learned that a Tory Big Beast (the only man able to defeat The Blob according to Simon Heffer writing in today’s Sunday Telegraph) had decided not to stand in the forthcoming general election. To mark the occasion, EJ Thribb (171/2) might write:
So farewell then, Michael Gove,
They say you were the brains behind Brexit.
You were never short of big ideas,
But you left the detail to someone else.
As a proud former member of The Blob, it is with some regret that Backwoodsman feels that in the vagueness of these images, he now has something in common with the member for Surrey Heath, and hopes to post some sharper and more detailed stuff next time.
backwoodsman.org 