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
12.01 Mari flew onto the preening perch with the small piece that was left of her fish. She slipped on landing but quickly corrected herself.
12.01 LJ2 then flew on to join her.
12.01 Followed by Dilys into the middle. Mari called out as she saw her approaching
12.01 Then LM6 arrived to complete the family. They all watched as she approached.
12.02 However, there wasn’t enough room for a fourth Osprey so she flew on, watched again by her family.
12.02
Dilys continued to call at the nest looking for a meal. At 15.05 LJ2 responded.
14.37
15.0515.05
15.05
15.06
Dilys ate until 15.27 then flew off with her fish.
Mari came to the nest later looking for her next meal.
Again, it was LM6 who brought a fish, her 3rd of the day compared to LJ2’s one. She is such a good parent.
18.20
18.20 LM6 arrives on the nest
18.21 Mari takes the fish
18.21
18.21 Mari goes to the edge of the nest with her fish calling loudly
18.21 And off she goes.
19.44 These youngsters can fairly eat! Fish #3 for Dilys brought in by LJ2
LJ2 releases the headless fish for Dilys
19.46 Dilys starts eating on the nest
20.12 just under half an hour later she steps off the fish and flies over the nest.
20.12 Then she leaves the nest.20.15 LM6 arrives and wants the fish.
Dilys returns
20.16 LM6 flies off with the fish.
After a short feed, LM6 lands on the preening perch with the remainder of the fish. 20.41
20.54 LJ2 comes to join his mate.
21.28 Looks like LJ2 will be roosting with LM6 tonight.
Tuesday 15 August
Good morning Mari has been chasing LJ2 around this morning looking for a fish.
07.11 LJ2 arrives to do some nest tidying
07.12
07.12 here comes Mari. She was heard before arriving.
Mari vocalises to her dad for a whole minute.
07.13 LJ2 leaves and Mari follows him off the nest still calling
There they go
08.23 LJ2 returns to tidy the nest again.
Mari is heard in the background
08.24
08.24 Mari arrives on the nest
08.25 08.26 Her calls get louder
08.26 Mari flies off first
Then LJ2 leaves 12 seconds later in a different direction.
There was a light on the preening perch last night. It came on at 21.39
04.52 Still on in the morning
05.28 LJ2 is revealed as LM6 moves her head.
I’ve scrolled back twice very slowly and the first fish delivery on the nest I could find was at 16.21.Although LJ2 had a fish on the preening perch at 12.24.
He ate some on the perch
Then left at 12.37. There was no noise from any chicks around the nest area,.
16.04 Calling was heard off nest then Mari flew in.
She called intermittently then getting louder and persistent as LM6 flew in with a headless fish.
16.21
Mari quickly took the fish
16.28 She started to eat
16.30 Dilys arrived. Mari mantled over her fish.
16.31 then she flew off leaving Dilys on the nest.
16.31 Mari didn’t fly far, she turned over the water and flew straight back to the nest with her fish. She made a couple of chips as she landed.
16.32 Mari looked upwards a few times.
16.32 Nothing came of it and she was soon tucking into the fish.
16.33 Dilys was transfixed on something.
She did the side to side head movement.
She raised her wings up and down a couple of times.
16.34 I wonder if she sees a fish down below?
She was following something