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
19.59 Dilys returned to the nest for a short while. She was calling as usual!
20.05 Crows could be heard in the background and an Osprey flew from the tree. Dilys hurriedly left the nest.20.06 Ospreys and crows. There was lots of flying about.
21.16 Dilys and LM6 on the preening perch
Dilys left and currently it’s just LM6 roosting there. 21.39
Friday 11 August
Good morning Dilys was first on the nest today. 05.19 She left and returned and was never too far away.
07.05 LJ2 arrived with a nice fish for breakfast. I don’t know if this was a fresh one or the one he took from the nest last night.
07.05 Dilys was happy to take it regardless.
07.06
07.42
07.57 Mari could be heard in the background chittering away. Dilys stopped eating and looked up. A crow called, Dilys alarm called then another Osprey alarm called. Dilys grabbed her fish and flew off quickly out over the water.
She was followed by another osprey
07.57 Dilys flying back with her fish (magnified)
There was some calling and flying around by various birds and crow chasing then Dilys returned to the nest with her fish at 08.34
08.35 Mari immediately followed her on
08.35 Mari was looking for something to eat08.37 Dilys has moved further away from Mari and had a couple of bites of fish
08.38 Dilys then flew up, landed, flew off again, returned once more then left still holding her fish.
09.55 The nest is still empty. Here’s LJ2 on the preening perch.
11.59 LJ2 lands on the nest. He starts looking upwards
12.00 He leaves
12.00 One of the youngsters immediately lands on the nest and starts calling and mantling
However it doesn’t come to anything and the juvenile soon stops and leaves a couple of minutes later.
12.20 A few minutes after that, Dilys is on the nest when LM6 arrives with a fish.
12.23
12.25
12.39
12.50
13.27 Dilys is still eating.
13.57 Dilys took her fish off nest
16.15 Mari made an appearance on the nest.
16.18 She settled down. 16.43 Mari left shortly then soon came back and settled down again.
16.58 She got company this time. First big sister.
16.59 Then mum
17.01
17.12 LM6 left
17.30 Mari stayed lying down, Dilys stood beside her. What were they looking at?
17.32 Answer - LJ2 had caught a tiny fish
Dilys went to collect it.
17.3417.34 Dilys has discovered that she likes taking fish off the nest now and Mari has discovered that she likes lying down! Role reversal. 17.35
18.39 Mari lay for a while, she needed a leg and wing stretch.
18.49 After more resting, Mari looked up then jumped up mantling and calling. Intruder?18.49 Her sister flew on to the nest to give support.
It didn’t come to anything and Mari soon settled down again.
18.59 LM6 arrived with a live fish
19.00 Mari got up quickly to take it. She was so keen that she grabbed LM6’s toe and pulled hard
After 10 seconds, Mari let go
She stared at LM6 as if to say “Where’s the fish?” Oblivious that it was lying on the nest.
When Mari did notice the fish, she grabbed at it so quickly that the fish jumped and she missed it
She made sure with her second attempt and her talon went down to hold the fish steady.
19.00 Oh poor Mari. Seconds later, Dilys then stole the fish off her.
19.03 Dilys starts eating the fish.
19.08 Dilys still eating
19.11 LJ2 to the rescue! A few minutes later he arrives with a whole fish for Mari.
19.12
19.13 Nobody will be going to sleep hungry tonight.