LLYN BRENIG - AUGUST 2023 to end of FEBRUARY 2024

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 gestation)

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. Purple heart


 
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

  • 17.14 Dilys flew to the nest fish calling


    17.15 Mari joined her (right)


    17.15 LJ2 flew in with a lovely fish


    Both juvies went for it. Surely it’s Mari’s with Dilys having had 2 already today! 


    Mari managed to get the fish and is now mantling


    17.16


    Looks like a mullet for Mari


    17.26 She ate some on the nest then took it away.

  • 17.26 Mari took her fish to the preening perch to finish eating.

    17.28

    18.04


    19.00 Meanwhile on the nest, Dilys was having her evening meal dropped off by LM6


    19.01


    LM6 stepped off the headless fish for Dilys to take


    Dilys moves in


    LM6 finds a scrap to eat


    19.02 Mari with her dimishing fish

    19.04 Dilys with her fish to eat


    19.03 LM6 joined Mari after dropping off the fish for Dilys.


    19.29 Mari finished her fish and joined Dilys on the nest


    19.56 Dilys still eating


    19.59 Dilys stepped off the fish watched by Mari


    19.59 She flew off

    20.00 Mari walked over to the half fish


    And picked it up with her beak

    She then gripped it with her talons


    20.02 And took it off nest to eat.

    These two juvies have been well catered for today. 

  • 20.35 LJ2 goes to the preening perch for his night’s sleep.


    21.12 

  • Saturday 26 August

    Good morning Grinning Today Dilys is 91 days and Mari 89 days old.

    Last year the last sightings on the nest were:-

    KA9, Gelert (M) 27 August aged 86 days

    X6, Olwen (F) 30 August aged 90 days 

    LM6 30 August aged 4 years

    LJ2 30 August aged 4 years but then he was seen again on 7 September. 

    The first egg was laid 5 days earlier this year compared to 2022. One chick died on the day the 3rd hatched. Initially it was thought it was chick 3 so I’ve aged Olwen and Gelert as being chicks 1 and 2. There was then confusion as to which chick died so Olwen and Gelerts’ ages might be out by a day or two…………………….or maybe not!

  • 07.41 Mari has been chilling on the preening perch with LM6.


    09.30 She had a good preening session


    07.03 Dilys was first to visit the nest this morning 


    LJ2 was on the nest at 07.44 shifting sticks


    Both juvies could be heard calling to him. Dilys flew onto the nest perch still calling


    09.21 Dilys back on the nest fish calling.


    09.50 Away and back again

    09.50 This time LJ2 arrives with a fish


    Dilys goes for it straight away.

    09.51


    09.54 she took the fish to the nest edge


    09.55 off she flew to have breakfast.

  • A quiet day on the nest after Dilys left.

    10.53 LJ2 visited the preening perch

    12.28 The crows visited the nest a few times. There was an Osprey on the tall tree but it didn’t respond as they had a good rake around.


    13.53 


    13.21 Mari landed on the preening perch 


    13.22

    13.32 Isn’t she lovely! 

  • Haven’t seen any more fish deliveries yet today. Also haven’t seen LM6 since she left the preening perch this morning.

    15.37 Dilys joined LJ2 on the preening perch.


    15.40


    Dilys is calling to LJ2


    15.48


    17.10 LJ2 is gone but she’s still calling


    A nice leg and wing stretch


    18.45 Off she goes 


    She chased the crow off the nest


    18.45 still calling for fish. Is anyone up there? 


    She flies down to the perch.

  • At last LJ2 brings another fish to the nest.

    19.36 Dilys got to the nest first, calling for fish


    19.36 LJ2 arrives with a whole fish



    Dilys took the fish


    For a moment they both stopped, still and silent. There was no Mari calling in the background. No LM6 to be seen.


    19,37 Dilys started calling.


    19.38 then got on with tackling her fish.


    19.59


    20.11

    20.19 she took it to the nest edge


    20.20 and flew off round the nest and across to the top right


  • 20.21 LJ2 landed on the preening perch


    He looked around


    Dilys brought her half eaten fish to join LJ2


    20.44 She continued to eat on the perch.


    20.57 
    As Dilys got to the end of the fish, it was always going to fall wasn’t it! 


    20.57 She looks down to see where it went.


    Aww that face Two hearts

  • Both birds left the preening perch.

    LJ2 first at 21.01


    21.03 Then Dilys


    Dilys arrived at her favoured roost, the nest perch. The two camera clocks must be out of sinc by a few minutes.


    I don’t know where LJ2 will be sleeping as he’s used the preening perch the last few nights.