12 June 2024
I kept the computer on determined to stay awake to see the first hatch of Iris and Finnegan. About an hour before that historic moment I fell asleep! Isn’t it typical? Many of you will know that I have kept a tiny bottle of champagne to celebrate the hatch of Jackie and Shadow’s eaglet for the past two years. It has been sitting. I think today is the day to toast Iris and Finnegan and their first hatch!
It will remain a mystery to me why Louis chose to not challenge Finnegan’s take over of both Iris and her nest but also part of his territory. I am told that Louis and Star moved their nest to a further distance. I would like to think that Louis recognised that Finnegan was serious and would care for Iris and any chicks but I suspect it was Finnegan’s youth and determination that prompted Louis not to want to ‘mix’ with this new guy. There is enough space and fish for all! Whatever the reason, we are now joyously celebrating an event that Dr Green and his team have been waiting to happen since 2018. No one ever expected to see Iris be a mum again and yet, here we are with the oldest known osprey in the world having a strong healthy chick that one can hear cheeping on the microphone.
Dr Green is expecting the second little dinosaur in the next couple of days.
Look at how proud Finnegan is protecting Iris, the baby, and their nest.
The first feeding.
Here is a link to Iris and Finnegan’s streaming cam:
And, two last notes on other nests that got missed in the morning posting: Smallie has been fed by one of the adults (thanks ‘PB’) and there is an issue brewing at Loch Arkaig that we hope will be resolved. Louis always delivers 5 to 7 fish a day and had a bad day. C2, who seems to be the aggressive female, with C1 a male, is being rather brutal to her siblings. We wait for the nest to calm down.
Thank you to the Montana Osprey Project for their streaming cam.
Celebrate Iris and Finnegan’s historic moment. Many of us have tears of joy!