I caught the male osprey (black/white 6R) at nest B01 (Logie’s old nest) in the morning of 19th July 2009, assisted by Steve Bentall and Amy King, using a decoy eagle owl and a dho gaza net. He was in very good condition weighing 1542 grams: wing length was 478mm and tail 204mm. We fitted a GPS satellite transmitter (34281) and the released him.

Talisman Energy UK plc has again sponsored GPS satellite transmitters for our conservation research on ospreys in the Moray Firth and so we have decided to call this male Talisman, in recognition of their valued support.

Talisman's History: Black/white 6R was ringed as a chick on the Black Isle on 13th July 1999. He was lucky to survive because when Colin Crooke climbed up to the nest he found the two chicks entangled in agricultural baler twine, which was cut away. He was first seen back in Scotland at nest B01 near Forres in Moray in 2003 but did not breed. He was not seen the following year nor was the nest used, but in 2005 he became the resident male and bred with a new female (red/white 21) which had been ringed as a chick by Roger Broad at Loch Awe in Argyll in 2001. They had two young, one of which was translocated to Andalusia for the mainland Spain Reintroduction Project.

In 2006, black/white 6R was back and he mated with a new unringed female, (later named Logie, when she was trapped in autumn 2007). They reared 1 young in 2006, 2 young in 2007 and 2008. This year, 2009, he paired up with Morven, when Logie failed to return, and has reared another chick.

In summer 2009,he regularly fished in Findhorn bay, and often visited Blairs Loch south of Forres. He wintered in Guinea Bissau and then returned to his usual nest in April 2010.