030 is back again at Rutland Water

While our cameras are offline (please read why on the previous post) here's some news about the bird with colour ring 030 on her leg.
This female was reared at the cathedral in 2015 and turned up at Rutland Water's Egleton Nature Reserve, some 60 kms ESE of Derby, in September of that year. Read the original story here
John Wright, a stalwart of the wonderful Rutland Osprey Project, contacted us and sent photos once he'd managed to read the ring number. He's recently been in touch again with further news of 030.
She stayed through the winter up to early May 2016 but then wasn't seen again - that is until this September:

John takes up the story:

"Your female peregrine from Derby, 030, is back wintering around Rutland Water/lagoon 4.
She is now in magnificent plumage, the only signs of immaturity being a few white and buffy spots on her crown and cheeks.
Just to remind you of the whole story from the beginning:

An adult female Peregrine with an orange/red ring was first seen around lagoon 4 (Egleton Reserve) in September (2016) though it wasn't until November that I managed to read the ring number. It was sitting in the usual spots as 030 did last winter and was assumed to be her but was too far away for the ring to be read by anyone. I was away from late August - mid October and when I returned she hadn't been seen for a few weeks.
She has now returned to Lagoon 4 where I took the attached photos on 5th November and also read her ring. She got a stick stuck in a talon (see photo below) while walking about in the Osprey nest and had a real job dislodging it. A bit embarrassing for a top predator!"

Our Peregrine (030) looks as if she's adding a stick to this osprey platform nest whereas
the truth is that the stick was accidentally caught up with her leg!
Photo: John Wright

"I have also attached photos of her from April 2016, chasing the Lagoon 4 male Osprey.
She became very elusive once the Ospreys settled down on the lagoon and I last saw her in early May".

030 chases one of Rutland Water's ospreys.....note the size difference.
Photo courtesy of John Wright

It will be interesting to hear if she stays around Rutland for the winter again.....maybe next summer she'll find a mate and leave Rutland for good?

Nick Brown for the Project Team