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
18.34 LJ2 brings a stick to the nest
18.35 Dilys arrives and lets him know she is there!
18.39 Nice photo of father and daughter.
19.09 LJ2 is in an industrious mood. He returns to the nest with a tiny clump of grasses and does a lot of reorganising.
19.10 He did some nest scraping and up popped a couple of white feathers on his shoulder.
19.11
19.12 19.1319.15
19.18 Done!
19.44 Dilys was soon there to try out the new arrangement.
19.57 She had to have a wee lie down. It does look super comfy there! 20.11 However, she was rudely interrupted by LM6 flying in with LJ2 who had a fish!Dilys was up like a shot to greet LJ2
and quickly had hold of the fish.
20.12 LM6 stayed on the nest with Dilys.20.15 She waited patiently as Dilys ate. 20.39 LM6 noticed Dilys had stopped eating20.39 Dilys left the fish and went to the other side of the nest. LM6 quickly picked the fish up.20.40 She took it away to eat elsewhere.
Notice - Mari has been sitting on that tree top in the background for hours!
20.41 Dilys left a minute after LM6.
Wednesday 9 August
Good morning A fine calm, sunny start to the day. 06.26 LJ2 has just brought a stick to the nest, Dilys has followed him on and there is an Osprey sitting on a nearby tree behind LJ2 to the right.Think it is LM6
06.47 Both leave then Dilys and Mari come to the nest. (LM6 had left her tree earlier and an adult bird arrived on the taller tree at 06.42).
06.47 Mari leaves and rests on a tree next to her parent.
06.48 Dilys leaves the nest flying down over the water, Mari and parent now have a crow for company in the trees, sitting below them.
There has been some crow chasing earlier!
07.37 LJ2 brings another stick to the nest
He decides where to place it. Dilys is of the opinion he should be getting her a fish.
08.27 LM6 arrives with nesting material. Dilys is on the nest.LJ2 then arrives with a freshly caught fish.Dilys quickly takes the fish.08.29 LJ2 leaves and Mari arrives08.37 LM6 leaves09.08 Mari waits on the nest then gets her opportunity to take the fish whilst Dilys tackles some fish inners.Mari flies off with the fish.Dilys is still eating.
09.11. Dilys is now finished and leaves the nest a few seconds later.
09.58 LM6 soon flew in with a headless fish. Dilys came to the nest to meet her.
10.02 Dilys didn’t attempt to take the fish so LM6 let it go and flew off. Dilys then collected the fish.
10.04
10.25 Dilys ate for about 20 minutes then flew off with the fish.
15.08 The nest was quiet for the rest of the day, a few visits by the juveniles.
16.28
17.21
17.43 (magnified)
A juvenile flew from the tree and landed on the nest just in front of LM6 who had brought a fish.
17.44 the other juvenile flew from the tree to the nest
17.44 It looks like it’s 7B5, Dilys who has the fish.
18.08 Mari waited on the nest with Dilys
18.17 She picked her moment
and took the fish from Dilys.
18.21 Dilys flew off and Mari ate on the nest
18.24 She didn’t eat for long and decided to rest again.
18.31