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
10.57 Mari stayed on the nest for a little longer, leaving at just before 11.00.
She was heard calling off nest.
10.24 LM6 returned to the preening perch to dry out her wings after catching the fish earlier.
10.27
12.15 Mari flew in to join mum.
13.41 Having finished her fish, Dilys joins the other two on the perch.
13.45 It’s a preening session for everyone.
The females stayed on the perch until14.55
Then 3 became 2
and then 1 then 0.
14.59 They did return again quickly
Although one of the youngsters misjudged her landing and touched down on the other before flying off elsewhere.
Mari came back to the nest first at 15.42 followed by Dilys at 16.09.
16.33 The pair were both fish calling.
17.00 There was an alarm call from one of the parents then an Osprey flew past the nest.
Mari then flew off alarm calling
Dilys then left alarm calling as well.
17.02 It wasn’t long before Dilys returned to the nest
17.03 She started calling, Mari could be heard calling in the background too.
17.10 Mari then flew onto the nest. She started calling straight away.
The juvies had to wait until 17.46 when LJ2 arrived with a fish.
They both went for it as he landed in between them. Dilys (left) was the victor.
17.47
18.05 Luckily for Mari, LM6 is her mum and such a good provider. She arrives with a fish for daughter No. 2.
Mari collected her fish and took it to the edge of the nest.
18.08
18.29 Both ate together for over 20 minutes then Mari flew off with her fish.
18.38 then Dilys left too.
19.01 LM6 came to the nest to clean up scraps.
19.03
19.07 LM6 flew off to the tall tree
The crow that was sitting in the tree then left to fly to the nest
It found a piece of fish
LM6 flew back to chase the crow off
19.08 She looked around for more scraps.
The youngsters later found their way to the preening perch with their half eaten fish.
18.59 Mari arrived first.
Quickly followed by Dilys
19.00
19.13 Dilys was eating hers
19.20
It was a bit tricky to grasp the small tail end and it dropped
19.21 She looked down to where it fell into the water.
19.23 Dilys left and we now fully see Mari’s new look!
19.44 Dilys spent a short time on the nest
19.46 She then flew to the preening perch. She may be retiring for the night.
19.32 Meanwhile, on the preening perch, Mari left then flew back.
19.46 She tucked into her fish
20.47 Getting to the tricky small tail end.
20.48 One more bite
And Mari’s end of her fish suffered the same fate as Dilys’ - a drop into the water. These two need much more practice with eating on perches!
20.55 Looks like Mari is sharing the perch with LJ2 again tonight.
Thursday 24 August
Good morning The infra red light came on at 02.12 on the preening perch. Mari was sleeping, head tucked in.
The click of the camera disturbed her and she woke up
She yawned
02.13 then tucked her head in again
02.14 then the light went off again
but came back on a few seconds later
Again she immediately responded, lifting her head up
02.16
Another yawn
02.16 the light went off again
02.17 and came back on again
No wonder she’s unsettled. How annoying must that clicking on and off be.
I think the infra red stayed on for the rest of the night but can’t be sure as scroll back isn’t slow enough for me and jumps in small blocks.
02.42
03.31
03.43 the preening has started
04.05
04.24
05.23
05.4106.01
06.18 Dilys was flapping on the perch then flew off and landed on the nest.
06.19 She was calling for fish and Mari was calling back from the preening perch.
06.19
Dilys left the nest at 06.26 and flew back at 07.55 calling for fish. Again, Mari called back from nearby.
07.57 alarm calling was heard
07.57 Dilys left quickly, alarm callling too