Out of Africa.  Our beautiful ospreys are back in dramatic reunion!  Here is the sequence of events.

At 11.30 an osprey was seen flying over the lake. No sooner was it spotted but it was dived at by a Peregrine and flew off. This was a pretty dramatic sight but only a foretaste of what was to come.

At 14.00 an osprey was seen sitting in the 2 o’clock tree near the nest.

At 14.05 this osprey moved on the nest. The watchers at the Whinlatter Big screen were thrown into a swivet of excitement, abandoning their lunches and piling in from the shop. Was it one of our birds? Yes! Our female, showing the distinctive black marking on the back of her head. We had hardly time to realise that she was gazing intently up at the sky when, like a thunderbolt No-ring plummeted down, not onto the nest but straight onto her back and passionately mated with her there and then. Even Mata Hari could hardly boast of being able to elicit such a response at the end of a 3000 mile journey! Upon disengaging they sat back to back casting fleeting glances over their shoulders at each other. After being parted for seven months it takes a bit of time to get used to sharing space with another individual.

During the afternoon No-ring sat on his favourite post and then attempted to fish under the Viewpoint but did not succeed as the water is still high and muddy. Mrs. No-ring basked in contentment sitting on a tree and then on her favourite perch - the spy-camera beside the nest.

The last bit of drama for the day occurred as No-ring started to make his way to the Northern fishing grounds and a helicopter clattered up the lake, right on his tail. Knowing his aversion to helicopters we were praying both that the helicopter would avoid him and that he would not attack the helicopter. The world is full of dangers and even home has its share.