I saw Talisman with a large freshly caught flounder sitting on an old stump on the mudflats at Findhorn Bay at 1:50pm today. I had seen another Osprey further along the shore but it was unringed. Yesterday, Talisman was in much the same place but he seemed out of context because behind him on the mudflats was a huge noisy flock of 5000 pinkfooted geese, freshly arrived from the Arctic. A real wintry feeling to the day and what a way of linking migration journeys – some of them were probably from north-east Greenland – and once Talisman reaches his winter quarters he will be way down in West Africa. On Thursday 16th September I called by his nest and there he was, perched in the old Scots pine above the nest. I saw no sign of his young but they could have been hidden, especially if he had just brought a fish. But he should be off soon, he is the last one to go.
Today it was good to see signals come in from both the hen harriers; both are still in Angus, the female, named Tanar, was in Glen Esk and the male, Glen, a bit further south in Glen Lethnot.
Talisman above nest 16th September
Talisman perched in Findhorn Bay 18th September
