LLYN BRENIG, LLYN CLYWEDOG WELSH OSPREY PROJECTS CAPTURES & UPDATES MARCH 2021 TO END FEB 2022

This is a trifle confusing as yesterday afternoon/evening the North Wales Wildlife Trust posted an update, of four main points.  Although posted on the NWWT site, it has BOP on the bottom which presumably is Brenig Osprey Project.  The link is here, but I give it in full below

Update 02/05/2021

Once again, thank you for your support over the past 36+ hours. Today has been another long and busy day – below is an update. Please forgive us if there is no further update for a little while, and accept our apologies that we aren’t able to respond to all the messages we’re getting at the moment – once again, our priority has been taking on-the-ground conservation measures for the birds. So …

1. Our nesting pair (and a guest, welcome or otherwise!) are still around – see our update of earlier this morning! This is good news, and gives us hope that we may yet have a breeding season here.

2. Yesterday, we cleared a second nest platform in the hope that the birds would choose to make it their home. At the time, our absolute priority was ensuring that something was available to them, causing the minimum disturbance possible. However …

3. After obtaining a range of expert advice throughout yesterday and this morning, a decision has today been made to also place a new nest and amended platform in the original location. The aim is to give the birds a choice of two nest sites, including something as close as possible to their original. Wildlife Trust staff have spent this afternoon building a new nest from scratch and, if all goes to plan, Welsh Water will erect it tomorrow morning.

4. Once it becomes clear which, if either, nest site the birds choose, we will establish what security measures can be put in place to protect them. We cannot emphasise strongly enough how out-of-the-ordinary Friday evening’s attack on the nest was – most UK nesting sites are not monitored 24/7 because there has been (thankfully) little need to, particularly in recent years. We will do what we can, and will be in touch further about what support might be needed. Thank you for all the offers received so far.

5. We are conscious that there is a view that publishing information about the birds is unwise – or even irresponsible. However, we firmly believe that the risks of doing so are outweighed by the benefits, and that those determined to harm the birds would find out all relevant information even if not in the public domain.

Finally, please bear in mind that none of these decisions are straightforward, and that there is rarely absolute consensus on the best way forward. There are alternatives, which can have some advantages, but no position (and no decision-maker) is perfect. Staff are making decisions under huge pressure and based on the best science and evidence available – please be kind to those involved at this difficult time, even if you disagree. In all decisions, the welfare of the ospreys is of paramount concern – and let’s not forget that none of us would be having these discussions were it not for the actions of the perpetrator. If you know anything – anything at all – about who did this, please contact North Wales Police, using crime reference Z059734.

We’ll be in touch with more news in the week, as and when we’re able to provide it.

Team BOP

Edit:  AG actually posted this last evening, after 21.00hrs.

I cannot understand why anyone, given the severity of the crime committed here would approach the area far less undertake such a task in secret! If indeed good intentions then why did they not offer to work with relative authorities. The fact this has been done so secretly imo raises suspicions.

Edit:

Yes Sheila - I think our posts did cross as I was responding to Richard's post

Unknown said:

You couldn't make this up if you tried.

Just read this release by Llyn Brenig on F/B.

"On Saturday, following the discovery that the osprey nest had been felled at Llyn Brenig, an alternative nesting site was immediately prepared. Working with North Wales Wildlife Trust and having taken advice from a leading osprey expert, it was decided to erect a second nest on Monday morning.

However, an unauthorised nest was erected on site by an as yet unidentified person or group last night. To give the birds the best chance now, we respectfully ask people not to interfere on this delicate and protected site and to allow our licensed team along with NWWT to undertake their work in line with the law, expert guidance and also correct health and safety measures."

I think our posts crossed, Karen.

A few mins ago, left nest for a comfort break, pouring with rain.   Did return fairly quickly.  © NWR - LLYN CLYWEDOG OSPREYS

Very wet & windy at Llyn Clywedog. Fortunately Dylan supplied a good trout this morning at 10.07 before the worst of the weather. Seren hunkered down on the nest now. Better now than after hatching.

Llyn Brenig I agree Karen. I can't imagine who or why when it was being dealt with. They would need a licence to do this in any case. It just gets worse.

Here might lie the possible confusion.  That post about the illicit nest was posted by Llyn Brenig @LlynBrenig  · Sports & recreation venue, which will be the activities part of the Lake, not by either the Llyn Brenig Osprey Project nor North Wales WT who are actually handling it.  This is their FB page on which it was posted.  Do the groups work well together?

I am very confused with the different Facebook groups for Llyn Brenig. I now just stick to Tiger's group for all nests and rely on our expert commentators in here.

I think it is worth waiting for either BOP or NWWT to say what is/has happened rather than speculation which becomes fact.

Unknown said:

Very wet & windy at Llyn Clywedog. Fortunately Dylan supplied a good trout this morning at 10.07 before the worst of the weather. Seren hunkered down on the nest now. Better now than after hatching.

Some "highlights", including fish.  The weather dried out for a while but was miserable at evening session shut-down: