Link to first page opener - here
Link to July 2023 - here
Recap:-
LJ2 returned 31 March 2023
LM6 returned 4 April 2023
Egg No.1 laid 20 April - Hatched 27 May (37 days)
Egg No. 2 laid 23 April - Hatched 29 May (36 days)
Egg No. 3 laid 26 April - Hatched 1 June (37 days) Sadly, passed away on 3rd June.
Chicks ringed 7 July
No. 1 - 7B5 42 days old (Female) 1755g
No. 2 - 7B6 40 days old (Female) 1730g
Chicks named 17 July after Brenig FB vote
7B5 - Dilys ( Meaning perfect, true, reliable)
7B6 - Mari (Meaning Star of the Sea) (Thank you Sandra for finding out the meanings of these beautiful Welsh names)
Chicks fledged 23 July
Mari first, (16.22) followed by big sister, Dilys 4 minutes later. (16.26) (55 and 57 days old respectively)
Today 1 August - Dilys is 66 days old and Mari is 64 days old.
It has been a wonderful month for this family. A plentiful supply of fish saw the chicks grow quickly into juvenile ospreys. As did the youngsters of last year, these two took turns to feed and with LM6 fishing as well now, they have often had a fish each at the same time. Mari, has turned out to be the faster developer of the two, practising fishing off various perches on 30 July (aged 63 days old) and on 31 July she started taking the fish off the nest to eat.
The next few weeks will see Dilys and Mari practise and hone their skills in preparation for becoming independent birds and tackling their long migration ahead of them.
Dilys and Mari at the beginning of the month
and now
LM6 and LJ2 getting some chill time together.
All captures and videos ©️ NWWT, Welsh Water, Brenig Osprey Project
Both birds chose to eat on the nest.19.55
19.59 Dilys finished first. She stepped off her fish.
19.59 She cleaned her beak then flew off leaving Mari eating.
20.13 LJ2 was quick to come and collect Dilys’ discarded fish.
20.14
20.16 Dilys came back
20.18 Mari left with her fish.
20.18 She took it to the tall tree.
20.21 Dilys left the nest soon after. Mari could be seen on the tree in the distance eating her fish.
20.30 LM6 was enjoying a fish for herself on the preening perch.
Saturday 12 August
Good morning It’s a blustery, rainy one today. One of the juveniles has been on the nest early asking for fish. 05.35
LM6 joined her and was picking up leftover scraps from the nest. Those juveniles are messy eaters! 05.47 05.52
07.28 LM6 returned with a live fish
07.28 The handover wasn’t very good and the fish flapped off the nest
07.28
07.57 Luckily for the juvenile (I can’t make out the darvic with the rain) LJ2 had been fishing as well.
07.58 Another live fish to handle. It flapped as well
07.58 But a firm grip secured it for breakfast.
08.31 I think it’s Dilys.
I’m out for the rest of the day, BBL
Fish delivery at 17.29 from LM6 to Dilys
17.30 Mari arrives
17.31 Mari had stayed on the nest with Dilys as she ate
17.55 Dilys left the nest with the fish.
Fish from LJ2 at 19.53
19.54 Both juveniles on the nest but no takers.19.55 LJ2 gathered the fish
and took it away again.
20.11 LJ2 returns with the fish after he’s eaten some.
Mari was ready to receive it this time.
20.12
20.20
Mari ate some then flew off the nest with her fish at 20.55.
Sunday 13 August
Good morning Dilys had been on the nest early asking for fish and got her wish at 07.07 as LJ2 flew in with a freshly caught trout.
It was very lively as Dily tried to take it
She did well though, holding tight07.0807.12 She began her feed on the nest07.4007.42 Dilys took her fish off the nest to eat further.
07.59 Mari joined LJ2 and LM6 on the nest to see if there was any fish. LJ2 was cleaning up scraps.
09.30 Mari returned later and LJ2 brought in a fish for her.
Mari dived in to take the fish.
She took a hold of LJ2’s toe first
Once she dropped that she got the fish
09.31 Within a minute of taking the fish, Mari was on her favourite tree eating it.
The nest has been pretty quiet today. One of the juveniles came later to have a quick preen.
She left then returned to sort out more feathers.
15.29 After that, she lay down.
16.03 She later got up, gave a few whistles then flew off.