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
16.43 Dilys continued to watch down below whilst Mari continued to eat her fish.
16.48 Dilys went to the nest edge,she was calling as she looked down
Then she made a dive
Mari stopped eating to watch what her sister was doing.
16.49 After just under a minute, Mari started eating again.
She was a bit unsettled though, stopped eating and calling out. She left at 16.54
16.55 Flew round the block and back to the nest. This fish is well travelled.
Two minutes later, Mari is off with the fish again.
17.17 Dilys came to the nest
She was calling, Mari could be heard calling too.
17.24 After a wee while it went quiet.
Dilys stayed until 18.01.
Dilys returns to the nest at 18.20. She starts fish calling.
What a beautiful evening it’s turned out.
19.24 Dilys continues calling
19.29 LM6 flies in from the water side with a headless fish for a Dilys.
19.30 Dilys and Mari call to each other
19.31 Time to eat20.17
20.44 she stops eating.
She moves away from the fish making little calls. A nearby crow calls and Dilys looks, then a few seconds later she flies off.
20.40 such a tranquil evening. LM6 in position for roosting.
Wednesday 16 August
Good morning Looks like it’s going to be a nice day.
LM6 was on the nest early to retrieve the fish end left by Dilys last night. 05.46
05.47 she took it to the perch side of the nest to eat.
There was lots of calling from the youngsters and frantic flapping.
05.48 One of the juveniles flew from the perch
She landed on the nest. It was Dilys
Still more flapping wings can be seen on the perch so both girls must’ve roosted there last night.
05.49 Mari left the perch and flew straight up to the nest.
05.51 LM6 is still eating and both juveniles are calling.
06.07 Mari has moved in closer and got a few wee bites to eat
06.16 Looks like the fish is finished
06.17 LM6 leaves the nest
06.19 Mari checks for any scraps
06.20 then she leaves too
06.20 Just our lovely Dilys left on the nest.
Today Mari and Dilys are 79 and 81 days old respectively
The juveniles were on and off the nest a few times together this morning looking for fish.
07.17
07.55 Aww, lying together
08.29
10.13 There seemed to be an intruder around. The juveniles followed something as it moved in the area.
They started mantling at times. One of the adult birds could be heard chipping in the background.If there have been intruders around then perhaps that’s why no fish arrived this morning.
13.57 LJ2 landed on the nest with a tiny half fish.
Mari arrived to collect it.
She took it in her beak
13.58
14.0114.03 It didn’t take long to eat. Mari is swallowing the tail.
No more fish until 19.05 when LM6 arrives with a very lively one.
Mari had been waiting on the nest for over an hour. The fish was wriggling as LM6 landed.
It flapped onto the nest
Mari jumped as she tried to hold the fish in her talons.
19.0619.07
19.08 Mari has the fish under control now. 19.12
19.31
20.09 Mari is still eating, LM6 joins her.
15.23 One of the juveniles and the two adults on the preening perch earlier.
15.31
15.40 She’s telling her parents she’s hungry.
18.59 LM6 was on the perch before leaving to go fishing earlier.
19.06 It took her just under 7 minutes from leaving, catching a fish, dropping it off at the nest and returning to the perch.