HISTORY OF THE LOCH AN EILEIN OSPREYS 151 



South Africa. Before this time years uncertain, probably 

 not long before he had taken Ospreys' eggs at Loch an 

 Eilein. 



In this year R. Carruthers, in his Highland Note Book, 

 says of the Osprey and the castle, "She has long been a 

 denizen of the ruined tower, and still remains." 



1844. Thos. Macpherson Grant wrote to Dr Gordon 

 reporting Ospreys at Loch an Eilein, and at other lochs in 

 Badenoch, specially mentioning Loch Insh, and also saying 

 that there were several pairs in Abernethy Forest. 



1845. The New Statistical Account says, " The Osprey 

 builds her nest and nurtures her young on the top of one of 

 the turrets of Loch an Eilein Castle, and supplies herself with 

 food from the neighbouring lakes and streams." 



1846. Lewis Dunbar said that in this year he first took 

 eggs from the Loch an Eilein nest. It seems, however, that 

 this really occurred in 1848, as Dunbar's reported dates are 

 all two years wrong. 



1846-7. There are no records for these two seasons. 



1848-52. For these years some of the information is 

 chronologically uncertain, and the different statements irre- 

 concilable. One year the Ospreys deserted Loch an Eilein 

 because of timber-floating, went to Loch Morlich, and built 

 there, and had their nest robbed by Dunbar. But Harvie- 

 Brown also says that the birds went to Loch Gamhna, and 

 built on a tree by its south-east shore, a tree that was blown 

 down about 1879. In another of these years, or more prob- 

 ably in each of two or three other years, perhaps 1849, 1850, 

 1 85 1, both the Loch an Eilein and the Loch Morlich nests 

 were occupied, and Dunbar took the first clutch from each 

 nest. At this period it is said that there were no Jackdaws 

 at the castle, though many occupied the neighbouring cliffs. 

 It is quite doubtful whether the Loch an Eilein Ospreys and 

 the Loch Morlich Ospreys were ever the same pair. 



1848. Dunbar's first harrying of the Loch an Eilein 

 nest really took place in this year. He swam across to the 

 castle, and carried off the eggs in his bonnet. The woman 

 living at the neighbouring cottage saw him come from the 

 water, and fled. The eggs were sent to Charles St John. 



