Link to March 2023
All pictures and videos ©Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife
"New season improvements get under way" per ©️BywydGwylltGlaslynWildlife
Aran and his new mate, Elen, both returned last season on 03 April. After a will-they/won't-they start, Elen laid her first egg on 24 April and the second 3 days later. Two male chicks, 0H1 and 0H2, fledged on 20 and 23 July and were last seen on 05 and 04 September, respectively.
Elen with her two boys, courtesy of Cirrus:
Elen was last seen on 24 August, Aran on 08 September.
A happy ending to a season that had started out so sadly.
May our 2024 season turn out so well.
IMAGICAT
Well, it's a start if Elen fails to arrive!
Birdie's DU Summaries 2018 https://www.imagicat.com/
Yes Sheila. Hopefully Aran will have chicks this year one way or another.
This is the fish grab incident!14.09 Aran with his fish.
14.12 Aran mantling on the nest rim, Blue 372 calling from behind
She dives in underneath Aran
and pulls
14.13 getting her reward
She takes the fish to the side of the nest to eat.
16.11 Spending time together.
16.52©️BGGW
Both stranger and Aran were still on the nest a few mins. ago. Stranger tweeting up now and again
http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes/
RSPB Giving Nature a Home
03 April
Blue372 gets first fish-gift from Aran:
.
Just after 16:00, Cam2 went back to its own view, it had been on the same view as Cam1 for hours!
The live chat are all saying that Elen is back! She arrived with a fish at 13.58
14.09 Aran flew in with his own fish to join her on the nest.
14.26
©️BGGW
EDIT - Aran closest to the camera.
10.19 Aran had already given Blue372 a fish this morning.
©️BGGWI don’t know where Blue372 is now.
How jolly complicated life can be!!
Absolutely Sheila, you just get used to one set up then it all changes again!
I was going to go back to this morning, to all the comings and goings, and fish brought in, when I realised Elen was back. I dashed to the Chat....and reported sky dancing. Woops, it was on playback in the background. Easily done, but it did make me feel an idiot after I posted that!!
I haven't got the detail fully, but a sketch -
06.11 to 06.16 Aran could be heard sky dancing.
06.53 According to Gail Edgley (Chat) there was a proper mating
07.53 A suspected miss
There were several other occasions when 372 failed to raise her tail
08.35 372 was waiting for a fish. Aran was on the rim. She went towards him and looked down, checking to see if he was holding a fish.. He wasn't, and she continued calling.
08.37 Aran gently lifted off first to the perch and away, returning straight away to mate. There was a cam glitch. 372 may have been responsive.
I haven't checked this in between footage
13.59 Aran lands on perch with whole mullet
14.08 Aran chirruped and flew with the fish. He did not intruder call. Cam remained on the perch.
14.09 Jets were screaming down the valley, cam lowered and another osprey was on the nest rim too. Aran was faux mantling. The newcomer also had a fresh fish. Both tucked into their respective fish! Elen had returned.
I wonder whether she saw off 372 at some point. I'm not sure when she was last seen.
Will Elen stay, now they are together. I can't remember whether their paths had actually crossed earlier or not. Or whether she got bored waiting for him, and disappeared fr a wander.
Both their their fish, tucking in