INTRODUCTION TO BIRD SOAP OPERA

I don’t know what first got me interested in ospreys, following my experience with the flock of geese flying home to rest that night. I could write so much about how birds became the central part of my life in 2010, and about the emotional impact that they had upon me. IT WAS AS IF I HAD BEEN GIVEN THE GREATEST GIFT EVER. This, from what seemed to be the ashes of my life.

I had not wanted to return to my home county from beautiful Derbyshire in 2009, but it had become a very necessary move, as my husband had become quite sick with post polio syndrome, and had ended up in a wheelchair, which meant that he had had to give up work. We could no longer afford to live in Derbyshire, so sold up and moved back to Lincolnshire, which was a much cheaper place to live. I felt desolate at leaving my beloved Derbyshire. We had always wanted to live amongst the hills, which we finally achieved when we moved to Derbyshire in 2001. It truly was the happiest and most fulfilling time of my life, for more reasons than just the hills. Though the hills were the central factor in my life. And so, the last thing that I ever wanted to do was move back home again. I thought at that time that nothing good could ever come of it, and that nothing could ever match Derbyshire. My heart was heavy. As was my husband’s.

It was with the greatest of pleasure and amazement that we discovered something equally as good, and even better than what we had known in Derbyshire. And, it would never have been discovered in Derbyshire, for our minds were on different things. We would not have been open, perhaps, to this new discovery. I always believed that not much good could come out of flat, seemingly boring countryside. Give me the challenge and the excitement of the hills ANY day! How WRONG I was. I was to discover the glories of my home county anew. It was a PURE GIFT.

I cannot remember the order in which it all happened, after the geese experience, but after discovering herons, swallows that flew in huge flocks over our car at dusk, swooping onto the pond for food before bedtime, making a noise almost as loyd as an aeroplane in flight, my mind turned to ospreys. I vaguely remembered that ospreys had become almost extinct in our country, but with loyal commitment, love and care, and a good deal of luck thrown in, they had been re-introduced again, from just one breeding pair in Scotland. I became intrigued to find out more, and here was where my love affair with ospreys began, and in particular with Lady, who was until 2014 the oldest breeding osprey in the U.K. She nested every year up in Scotland at the Loch of Lowes, and we were able to watch her and her mate on the webcam. But that fuelled a deep desire to see an osprey in the flesh, so to speak. I never thought my dream would be realised. But it was! I will write more of this, but in 2014 it was not known whether Lady would reappear at the Loch of Lowes or not, for her 26th. breeding season. If she did, it would be a miracle. And at that time I was awaiting my own miracle – the news that my cancer had gone into remission. I felt, deep inside me, that if Lady reappeared, miraculously, then just as miraculously, my own cancer would have disappeared, miraculously. On a day in late March 2014, Lady came back. The very next day I was informed that my cancer had gone into remission.

2014 was to be the last year that Lady returned to her Scottish nest site.

I am still in remission, though much deteriorated.

A few dats ago, both Laddie and Lassie returned to what was Lady’s nest at the Loch of Lowes. Laddie appeared first, then, a few days later, Lassie joined him, amidst great joy at seeing each other again, and sky dancing the like of which has never been seen before. Followed, of course, by rather a lot of “nookie.” Lassie will, hopefully, within a week or so, have laid her first egg, and the whole life cycle will have begun all over again.

Watch this space for more of the Bird Soap Opera. I still have to tell you about EJ, of Loch Garten fame, and many more stories concerning Lady, and ospreys.

Oh, did I tell you that I DID see ospreys, on more than one occasion. And I didn’t have to travel far! They came to within five miles of my home! If I could find and post photos, I would, but cannot donthat for the moment.

Watch this space!