For any woman, having 59 children is inconceivable and frankly undesirable, but for one unique Osprey, that feat was not only accomplished, but also important.
Lady, UK’s oldest breeding Osprey at the age of 26, laid her 59th egg, according to The Courier.
She has already lived three times longer than the average Osprey, which lives about eight years and produces 20 eggs.
Aside from the obvious physical durability required to lay 59 eggs, what makes this even more amazing is its implications on UK Osprey populations, which dipped dangerously low not that long ago.
Anna Cheshier, a ranger from the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said that in the early 21st century, they were nearly extinct in the UK area due to persecution and hunters:
“If a chick successfully hatches from the egg this osprey will have produced 50 young — an incredible contribution to the recovering osprey population breeding in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Until the eggs hatch we will watch on as our female osprey incubates the eggs, while her mate occasionally takes a turn during daylight hours. He also has the role of catching fish to feed the pair.”
Just like the famed family of Bald Eagles in Decorah, the Ospreys also have live camera fixed on their nest at the Scottish Wildlife Trust website. Although the quality is not as great as the eagles, it’s still interesting to see the species in its natural environment.
In other Osprey news, the chicks from the infamous crane in Florida I posted about earlier this week have safely hatched. This happened however after being moved from their nest on top of a crane without permission from the federal government.
Despite being cared for by the National Audubon Society with the chicks so far hatching safely, the owner of the crane may still face punishment, which includes a fine up to $15,000, six months in jail or both. According to the St. Petersburg Times, the owner expects only a $500 fine.
The near extinction of Ospreys in the UK clearly demonstrates why it’s important to protect the birds, but it should be handled reasonably.
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