Migration is now in full force and an increasing number of Osprey have been passing through Switzerland since the end of July. Once heading south, the juveniles realise sooner or later that, no longer being able to count on their father to feed them, they need to learn to fish for themselves. Every year at this time, some of these birds make stop-overs for more or less prolonged periods in places where they can rest and perfect their fishing skills. In Switzerland they include, depending on the year, sites such as Chavornay (VD), Fanel (BE) and Chablais de Cudrefin (VD), Lac de Bret (VD), Lac de la Gruyère (FR), Auried (FR), Wohlensee (BE), and further afield Klingnau (AG), Flachsee (AG), Mauensee (LU) and the Bolle de Magadino (TI).

On August 19 and 20, two Osprey born this year, the first one an unringed bird of unknown origin, and the second one sporting a German ring, stopped in Olympe’s (F28) territory in the Grande Cariçaie, clearly attracted by his presence as well as by two nesting platforms built by the project. The German bird was photographed on one of them on August 20 by a camera trap, making it possible to read its ring. It was then seen again, carrying a fish, in the Chablais de Cudrefin on August 31, 11 days after we thought he had left.

The unringed youngster, clearly a male, took possession of both of Olympe’s nesting platforms from his arrival on August 19 until the 26th. While we saw him attempting to fish, he quickly understood that there could be an easier way to get a meal – by appealing to Olympe’s paternal instincts. After having had two successive female partners earlier this season (which have since left), Olympe appeared perplexed by the sudden arrival of this noisy juvenile. On several occasions he brought him fish to a nest, which the clever youngster quickly took while Olympe watched him eat from a nearby perch. Then on August 23 an unringed adult female (photo above) turned up, briefly joining this sort of “blended family”. Any observers stumbling upon this scene could easily have thought that a pair had bred here, when in fact it was just one more fascinating chapter in the saga of the species’ return to the region. Who knows if these young birds, as long as they survive their first migration, may perhaps visit the area again in the future?

The visiting adult female only stayed for two days (23 and 24 August), coinciding with another surprise: the arrival of Arthur (F12), who had temporarily left his territory at Hagneck, on the Lake of Bienne. This created some stress for Olympe, the “owner” of the site, with some chasing and acrobatic flights adding to the overall animation. However, once the female and the unringed youngster had left, things returned to normal and Arthur was seen back in his own territory at Hagneck. As of August 31, our three territorial males Arthur, Olympe and Racine (F29) were still in the Three-Lakes region, and are expected to head south very soon.