More ospreys are appearing at lakes and reservoirs on their way south from the Scottish lochs to Africa. These large fish-hawks often stop for several days, diving for fish and gathering strength before moving on. Almost 200 have been reported from Durham to Devon in the last fortnight. However, they sometimes get it wrong when they dive. A recent note in British Birds magazine described how an osprey dived into Blatherwycke Lake in Northamptonshire on a sunny afternoon, and came up with a squawking great crested grebe in its talons. The osprey had apparently mistaken the streamlined form of the grebe under water for a fish. It quickly dropped the bird, which instantly took refuge under water again. The author of this note, Thomas Watters, is evidently a young man, since he adds a footnote saying: “My Dad helped me to compose this note. That’s why it sounds so old-fashioned.”