To our ears the ospreys have a rather limited range of calls. The repeated alarm call, uttered when predators are about is harsh and shrill, rising in intensity when another (rival) osprey is spotted. On the nest contact calls between the adults are usually softer, although Mrs. picks up on an absence of food very fast and is by far the most vocally vociferous of the two. No doubt there are subtle variations in pitch and intensity that humans cannot pick up, but which have meaning for the birds.

In addition, over the years we have noted that non-verbal communication plays a large part – again we probably only recognise a small amount. For example last year we saw during incubation that No-ring enjoyed getting his toes under the blanket and cuddling down with the eggs. But when Mrs. felt that he was overdoing the new-man thing she picked up small sticks from around the nest and dropped them down the side of sitting No-ring until he became so uncomfortable he was forced to stand up, whereupon she slid in under him.

Today, No-ring, after catching a particularly good fish felt he deserved to sit on the favourite perch to the right of the nest. Mrs. was already in occupation but No-ring, unwisely, decided to assert his dominance. Making sure his wife was looking at him and his intentions plain he swooped towards the tree, expecting her to move off. To his chagrin she didn’t budge an inch and instead of the branch he found he had landed on her back. He balanced there precariously until he overbalanced and tumbled off. Dignity and dominance set at naught he even more unwisely, wheeled around for a second try. There was a complete action replay (although this time he as he landed on her back he tried some desperate bouncing up and down to shake her off) but Mrs. dug her heels in determined not to be ousted from her post. She sank lower and lower into the foliage and would not let go. Eventually after a lot of flapping the inevitable happened and he tumbled off again. On the third flight round, watched balefully by his wife he lost his nerve and in high dudgeon veered off. We suspect only her Youth and Beauty prevent her from being labelled an Old Battleaxe!