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.
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
08.16 The PTZ cam caught Dilys on the nest perch
08.17 Having a preen
At 09.26 LJ2 brought her a fish to the nest.
09.27
09.32 View of Dilys with her fish from the PTZ cam
09.46
09.55 Dilys finished eating and again walked away from the fish. She left the nest without it.
09.56
09.52 LJ2 still on post
09.59
09.59 He then leaves
09.59 The cam switches to the preening perch and Dilys has arrived there. (The cam clock is running over 2 minutes ahead of the nest clock.)
10.08 Meanwhile LJ2 arrives on the nest his markings look different but his feathers are wet.
It’s so difficult to make out anything with the rain covered cam lens.
10.09
LJ2 leaves at 10.12 without the fish.
A crow arrives, LJ2 returns to chase it
The crow was back and LJ2 chased again. I think the fish dropped off the nest but again with the images being so poor, I can’t say for sure.
Dilys stayed on the perch for quite a while.
10.34 a wee leg stretch
13.35 LJ2 was about to join Dilys. She gave him a warm welcome!
The birds chose to sit on the perch for most of the afternoon.
13.38 LJ2 had to leave to do a crow chase at the nest.
13.39
13.42 Back to the preening perch to join Dilys
14.24 Both getting on with their preening, keeping in top shape for their long journeys ahead.
LJ2 leaves
then Dilys leaves
15.01 LJ2 returns
Back to preening
15.15 Dilys joins LJ2
15.45 it’s been a long preening session
16.26 Looks like a nice afternoon.
LJ2 left
16.28 Dilys was calling (loudly judging by how wide her beak is open!)
16.29 Then she left
16.27 Dilys arrived in the nest, still calling.
16.32
16.34 and off. Not a long stay.
Dilys returned at 18.02. She’s hungry. She’ll need to learn to keep her fish and not fly off and leave them!
18.18 She’s drawn to the fish in the water.
18.49 calling
18.49 Watching fish
18.51 LJ2 arrives with a headless fish. Looks a better size for Dilys to manage.
18.53 She actually started eating before LJ2 had left the nest.
19.24 Currently still eating.
19.26 Dilys ate some more
19.34 She then stepped off the fish and flew over the nest to the edge.
She left the nest and her fish behind.
She flew to the preening perch
LJ2 joined her.
He didn’t stay for long as a crow had just arrived at the nest.
Dilys was giving LJ2 encouragement as he chased the crow away
19.41 LJ2 then landed on the nest
He picked the fish up in his beak. Dilys was still shouting from the preening perch..
19.42 Dilys came to the nest still shouting but LJ2 left with the fish
19.50 she stayed for a few minutes
then left, flying over the water and dipping her talons. (Magnified) You can see the trailing splash behind her.
20.30 A crow was the last bird on the nest tonight.
Someone chased it off, I’m not sure who.
Wednesday 30 August
Good morning First arrival on cam this morning was Dilys at the preening perch.
06.20
06.32 A crow was first on the nest.
LJ2 flew by and the crow left. LJ2 then landed on the nest.
06.33
06.34 LJ2 left and Dilys flew on calling to him
06.36 LJ2 on the preening perch
06.51
07.35 Dilys is back again, she’s had a few fleeting visits here this morning.
07.36 and she left07.46 and back