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
Some PTZ shots
14.35 Mari resting with her fish
15.18 She’s started eating it again
Mari’s finished her fish. 17.13 18.5318.54 Mari leavesDilys and Mari together (Mari closest to cam)
21.18 Mari
Saturday 19 August
Good morning The weather continues with strong winds and rain., Mari spent the night on the preening perch, joined by LJ2 at 05.03 when the cam was still in darkness.
Here they are at 05.32 keeping their heads well down as they are buffeted about in the wind.
Same positions at 05.49 just before LJ2 leaves.
05.50 Mari stayed on for another 6 minutes
05.55 She leaves
Meanwhile Dilys stayed overnight on the nest perch. She started stretching her wings and vocalising at 05.49. She then hovered up in a backwards motion and landed on the nest.
Clarity is actually better when viewing the live stream and the captures are poorer.
05.56 LM6 and Mari joined DilysIt was a brief 20 seconds visit. Dilys left alone again06.00 LM6 is back
06.03 They have both left and returned to the nest many times this morning.
06.24
06.29
06.38 LM6 has just left, flying down beside the water
06.42
06.46
07.33 Mari was the last to join as the three females wait to greet an incoming LJ2 with fish. You can just see the tail at the top.
07.34.00 This was a struggle to deliver with the winds being so strong.
07.34.05 LJ2 landed. Dilys to the right.07.34.15 LJ2 was up again
07.34.20 and down
07.34.35 and up
07.34.37 The look on Dilys’ face as the fish goes off again!
07.34.42 back again
07.34.44 and away to the cam side
07.34.55 LJ2 comes back to land
07.34.58 This time Dilys changes her tactics. Rather than waiting for LJ2 to be fully settled on the nest, she launches at the fish mid air as LJ2 rises in the wind.
07.35.00 She’s still holding and LJ2 is hovering
07.35.03 still holding
07.35.06 And as LJ2 manages to release his grip on the fish, he comes hurtling back into the cam lens
07.35.12 Top right of photo, LJ2’s talons
07.35.12 LJ2’s wing appears
07.35.13 You can see his wingtips as he flies from right to left
07.35.14
07.35.17 LM6 watches her mate
07.35.21
07.35.22 He’s alright and flies over and down towards the perch.
07.35.47 LM6 has left and Mari watches Dilys eats.
07.38
07.39 Mari leaves
08.18 I’m glad Dilys had chosen to stay on the nest to eat her meal.
08.19 Mari arrives to the right of Dilys. She eyes the fish.
08.21 This prompts Dilys to leave to continue eating elsewhere.
08.24 Mari stays for a little while
She departs at 08.34
No one on the nest up to 11.31.
Different visits to the preening perch this morning.
08.49 LJ2
09.58 Dilys having finished her fish.
10.55 Mari
12.24 Two crows on the nest, looking around for scraps. Looks like one was a juvenile asking for food.
13.52 Dilys lands on the nest
14.03 She decides to stay and lies down.
14.56 LM6 lands with a small, partially eaten fish.
Dilys takes the fish from mum
14.57
14.59 Dilys then flies off the nest to eat watched by LM6.
15.11 LM6 chooses to stay on the nest.
15.21
15.49
15.50 And off she flew
16.06 A crow is back on the nest. Spotted by one of the juveniles who flew in from the right to chase it off, calling out all of the time.