A trio of Angus osprey chicks have been successfully ringed in a rare operation at an Angus nature reserve.
Experts completed the tricky task at Balgavies Loch near Forfar earlier this week.
It’s only the second time young ospreys have been ringed there since the first recorded Angus osprey chick was born at the Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve in 2012.
Almost catastrophe in 2022
And it has turned out there is a silver lining behind a near disaster at Balgavies last summer.
Searing heat cracked the trunk of the tree which the long-established island nest sat on.
A single chick plunged into the loch, but was found by Balgavies regulars.
Reserve warden Jim Hughes fed it sea bass before the young bird was returned to a makeshift nest built around an old potato basket.
It fledged and survived to depart the county on a migration thousands of miles south.
The resident Balgavies pair returned this spring.
They have raised more than a dozen chicks, including four in 2016.
And the new nest’s relatively easier accessibility meant the current brood of three could be reached to ring.
It was done under licence in a seamless three-man operation involving Robin Manson, James Silvey and Mike Fenton.
Photographer’s delight
Balgavies regular and keen photographer Darren Dawson said it was great to see the three chicks lowered down, ringed and safely returned.
“I took a few images, but decided to film the event as it’s not every day you see ospreys getting ringed,” he said.
“It took no more than 15 to 20 minutes and was very professionally done.”
Darren’s YouTube video has already had hundreds of views.
“It’s great for warden Jim Hughes, who worked really hard behind the scenes to get this to come together,” he said.
“Jim is well respected by all visitors, photographers and wildlife enthusiasts for all his work he puts in at the loch.”
Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve manager, Rab Potter said: “It has been fantastic to see the ospreys return to the loch and successfully raise three healthy chicks this year.”
The successful ringing has raised hopes the Balgavies birds can be spotted in the future – either on the shores of West Africa where they could migrate later this year, or back in Scotland.
The reserve’s osprey-breeding success has made it a regular destination for visitors from Angus and beyond.
Renowned wildlife cameraman and 2022 Strictly Come Dancing winner Hamza Yassin filmed there in 2021.
Blue YD
Balgavies’ first chick, ringed as Blue YD, was feared gone after the signal was lost from a tracker attached to the bird.
He dropped off the radar after travelling more than 20,000 kilometres.
But it was then spotted in Fife and has since returned annually to Angus.
The bird has since set up its own nest at a secret location and is also raising its own brood of three this summer.
