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
16.14 LM6 flies up from the nest perch to collect the fish.
She takes it away to eat.
17.20 LM6 returns with what’s left of the fish. Dilys is watching from the tree.
As LM6 waits on the nest, Dilys is calling.
17.22 Dilys then leaves the tree to fly onto the nest.
She tells mum she’s hungry.
17.26 Mari then arrives and lands straight in front of LM6. LM6 starts feeding Mari
17.27 Dilys takes a piece from mum
17.29 Dilys has walked away whilst Mari is still feeding.17.30 Mari takes the fish from LM617.40 Dilys watching17.47 Once satisfied, Mari leaves what’s left on the nest and flies off.
18.26 Dilys then took the fish tail to eat.
18.44 She ended up with the stringy skin which she couldn’t manage.18.45 She dropped it, feaked her beak and flew off.19.00 LJ2 finally came to the nest and took the last of the fish away.
19.09
19.48 the juvenile on the nest perch started flapping and intruder calling (magnified)
LJ2 flew onto the nest chipping and mantling19.49 He left still chipping as he went
19.49 LJ2 returned chipping and mantling again.
19.54 Things quietened down and LJ2 left the nest.
20.46 Dilys was lying down on the nest.
20.47 LJ2 arrived with a live trout
Dilys grabbed LJ2’s foot first before grabbing the fish.
20.48
20.51
21.18 as darkness fell, Mari left the nest.
Dilys stayed a little longer eating then stepped off the fish at 21.26
21.30 She did a lot of wing flapping then flew off as the night cam came on.
22.04 I think it’s Dilys again returning for the night. Someone is already on the perch.
22.10
22.35
Friday 4 August
Good morning Fish arrived early doors at the nest today.
05.56 Firstly LM6 came and took away the leftover fish from the nest.
05.57 About half a minute later LJ2 flew in with a small fresh fish
Dilys flew in at speed following him, nearly overshooting the nest.
She quickly took the fish.
LM6 had just arrived too with last night’s fish she took away.
05.59 Mari flew to the perch, then the nest. LM6 started feeding her youngest as Dilys ate her own fish.
06.16 Dilys finishes off her fish.
06.22 Mari got a little more then walked away.
06.25 LM6 finished off the last piece.
Today Dilys is 69 days old and Mari, 67 days old.
09.37 LM6 flies in with a live fish much to Dilys’ delight.
Looks like a trout
It’s very lively.
LM6 has left and Dilys has a firm hold of the fish.09.48 Dilys enjoying her fish.10.29. Around 50 minutes after the fish arriving, Dilys is finished eating and steps off. 10.30 She feaks her beak on the nest edge then flies off.
10.32 LM6 flies up from the perch to retrieve the fish.and takes it off nest to eat.
10.51 Mari comes to the nest calling and looking around and finds a dropped scrap to eat.
10.53
11.03 She has difficulty swallowing the piece and tried many times, eventually dropping it down the side of the nest.
11.05 She sat down for a rest for a short while then left.