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
19.34 Dilys enjoying her fish watched by Mari.
19.48 LM6 drops by with a piece of bark.
She stays on the nest with her girls for a wee while.
19.59 Dilys seems to have finished and Mari takes the fish.
LM6 leaves at 20.01. Dilys cleans her beak.
20.04 Dilys stays for a few more minutes, leaving at 20.06.
20.07 Mari alone with the fish.20.22 Mari ate for a short while on the nest then flew off with her supper.
Dilys and LM6 pay a couple more visits to the nest Dilys has a lie down. 20.35
20.46
20.5821.14 LM6 did some late night nest tidying before leaving a couple of minutes later.21.17 Dilys flew to the perch. There was at least one other Osprey already there.
Tuesday 8 August
Good morning A lovely bright start to the day.
06.12 Dilys was first to the the nest, flying up from the perch.
She found the tiny scrap of fish that was left from last night.
She picked it up and dropped it several times, unable to grip it with her talons to eat.
She left the nest at 06.15
04.11 One of the adults roosted overnight on the preening perch..
It was joined by another at 04.30 There were a few comings and goings on the perch.05.13
05.2005.25 Beautiful sunrise05.4506.5807.3907.4008.2108.22
07.58 Dilys followed LM6 onto the nest, fish calling
There was nothing. LM6 just wanted to deliver and place nesting material.
08.50 Next, Dilys followed LJ2 onto the nest, fish calling.
Nothing again. LJ2 was also delivering new nesting material.
10.16 LM6 landed on the nest fish calling, quickly followed by Dilys. LJ2 then arrived with a fish.
Dilys took the fish
and for the first time, she flew off the nest with it. 10.18
11.15 Dilys flew up from the perch to the nest. Her fish was gone. Just an hour after leaving with the fish. Hopefully all eaten?
She was making a noise as usual!From further scroll back, I see she landed on the perch at 10.39
I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have eaten a fish in that short time and the fact that she is now fish calling on the nest would back that up!
12.00 Dilys back on the nest and here comes mum with a fresh catch.
12.00N
12.02 Dilys starts eating 13.08 Dilys had chosen to eat on the nest this time.13.08 And here’s Mari, I wondered where she’d been this morning.Mari takes the fish from Dilys.13.0913.10 Mari takes the fish off the nest to eat.13.10 She ends up on the tree along from the nest.
14.04 An hour later LM6 flies back to the nest with a headless fish. Glad she’s had some herself this time.
Dilys landed fish calling just after mum. Mari is still eating on the tree beyond.
14.05 Dilys didn’t go to take the fish, so LM6 started eating.14.07 Dilys was still fish calling and LM6 started feeding her. 14.3816.40 LM6 fed Dilys for half an hour then stepped off the fish. She feaked her beak.
14.41 Then left the nest.
Dilys looked at the fish and decided to pick it up.16.42 She held it tightly in her talons.
14.44 Then flew off with it. She’s learning to protect her meals.
16.04 LJ2 flies to the nest with a headless fish
16.05 Mari follows him on.She takes the fish
16.10 Pausing for a short while16.23 Mari then takes the fish away to eat.