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Hello, Elle!
I have finished the puzzle, too!
A clever setter!
Several new words to me.
6a,10a, 20a,11d.
I think I have them all parsed, though 8d took me an age to see it.
There is athletics on my TV now.
Shot putting.
I see Michael Johnson and Gabby Logan in the studio.
I have no plans at present.

Hello Elle and Rusty,

Just received this mail from the Loch!

Hi

We are aware of other ospreys landing on the nest, there has been a lot of activity from other ospreys coming into the area.

We know from LF15's behaviour that the only osprey mating with LF15 is LM12. He is still coming to the nest and mating with LF15 several times a day.

They are wild birds and we do not have any control over their behaviour. In regards to there potentially being 2 fathers to the chicks. This is not unheard of and as long as LM12 or indeed the other male continue to support the female and provide fish we will have a successful breeding season.

I hope that you can understand our postition on this situation. Our primary concern is to protect the nest and ensure that they can breed without human disturbance. We are not hiding anything from the public.

Kind regards

Emma Castle-Smith

I must admit to accusing them of treating us like children and hiding
the truth from us............!
So, in a very round about way, they almost admit that another
male has mated with Lassie - without honestly saying so - and this
is what annoys me!

Hello, Pigale!
I'd say that is a fair result!
Well done for keeping at them!
Emma's email is quite explanatory and reasonable, I think?
Yes, we saw the "white tailed" bird mating with Lassie.
I understand the rangers position.
They can not and will not interfere with nature.
Just as the Loch Garten rangers would not feed EJ's starving chicks last year when Odin disappeared, and the chicks subsequently died.
I have not looked in on the nest since early morning.
Maybe best check up on that scandalous female bird !

BTW, had a peep at tweet and it sounds that EJ has found a mate -
there is a photo of the new pair.

I never asked for the rangers to interfere with Nature, but merely
to keep us informed and agree that there was indeed another
male mating with Lassie, that's all - it is their silence that annoyed
me.

Hello, Pigale!
That is good news about EJ!
No, I understand that you never asked the rangers to interfere with nature.
My clumsy way of communicating, I think!

Hi, Rusty!
Our daughter and the boys arrived here just before 12.
It hadn't been a very pleasant drive in the pouring rain - traffic build -up was bad - but they got here safely, which is all that matters.
All are fed and watered now......
My husband is going to take the boys to the supermarket, while daughter and I have a (childless) chat!
Now the crossword.....
I couldn't parse 8d?
I have "erode" = grind away(def)
And can see "ere" as "before, but what about the "od"?
The ones I still cannot do are
20a: P?U?B?I?E
and 23a: A?A?E?A
Otherwise all correct, I think......
I shall hopefully catch up with the Athletics this evening.
Are you going out for walk?



Hello, Pigale!
You fared better than I - I have not yet had a response to my email to the Rangers!
They are still saying, though, that Lassie has not mated with any other bird than Laddie!
But you and I (and surely other people, too) all saw that she did ...with the osprey with the white-striped tail!

Birds don't have any kind of moral code! I suspect the rangers don't mind which or how many male birds mate with Lassie as long as one does! - but their communication could have been more encouraging and helpful.

Perhaps the cyclist was altering his blood- we shall see. Has led to at least 20 deaths from heart attacks in young cyclists in the past. Easily proved.

Hello, Elle!
That's good the family have arrived!
No rain here!
20, across is word for a tip, "pourboire".
23a is "alameda", a walkway, often between trees.
The od is an abbreviation of "overdraft" in banking terminology.
No athletics on that I can see.
Boxing just now.
No, I had a walk this morning, so I did.

Elle, "the arrangement with bank" is "od" for "overdraft".
A bit vague, perhaps, or maybe not!

Good afternoon, Rusty!
I have been abandoned!
Gramps and the boys have gone to the supermarket...and my daughter has fallen asleep!
I shall not awaken her...the rest will do her good, especially after her migraine of the last two days.
Both "pourboire" and "alameda " are new words for me!
I am sorry but I cannot see the parsing for either?
I did not know that "od " was an abbreviation for "overdraft?
I thought "od" was "overdose"....which obviously did not fit the clue!
Still wet here.....




Hello, Ros !
What Pigale and I have been "objecting to" is the denial of Lassie 's mating with the alien osprey.......when we both - at different times - saw it happening!
The visitor was quite distinctive from Laddie .
I queried how one could decide paternity?!