Continued from March/April 2024
LINK to Opening Page with background and history of this nest and relevant links
This season so far
31 March Blue LJ2 returns
1 April Blue 372 briefly visits, 6 April Blue 372 returns and stays
Sadly, Blue LM6 has not returned
Eggs laid
#1 April 23 - 17.40, #2 April 26 - 19.28, #3 April 29 - 15.46
All captures and videos ©️NWWT, Welsh Water, Brenig Osprey Project
April saw Blue LJ2 (18) pair with a new female, Blue 372 (21), with his first mate, Blue LM6 (18) sadly not returning this year. They raised 2 chicks in 2022 and 2023 and had formed a good partnership.
As a 3 year old, this is Blue 372’s first year of breeding. She was translocated to Poole Harbour in 2021 from a Scottish nest. She returned in 2023 and teamed up with Blue 416. They actually intruded at Llyn Brenig then and found themselves a nest elsewhere on private land in Wales. However, this year, Blue 372 chose the Llyn Brenig nest and LJ2 as her mate. Blue 416 did intrude here and try to take Blue 372 back. She stuck to her choice though and Blue LJ2 courted her and they became a couple. A lot of new experiences for Blue 372 this year but she is handling everything well and still doing her own thing ie catching fish if need be!
May 1 - Happy May Day.
Good morning and what a lovely one it is. 372 had a peaceful night on the nest with a swap over at 04.49.
05.11 372 spent time preening on the tower perch. It is so peaceful and calm after the terrible weather we’ve had.
06.0006.07 Meanwhile, LJ2 was doing some preening as well.
06.17 372 is thinking about leaving
06.19 she returns to the nest and gently stands on LJ2’s wing to signal she wants on the eggs.
06.21
07.18 Another changeover as LJ2 takes his turn.
08.06 372 is back
08.42 resting her eyes
08.34 LJ2 wants a turn again
08.34 and he takes over once more. ©️NWWT, WW, BOP
Some more incubation changes as the morning went on,
11.43 372 has been calling for fish
12.51 and LJ2 listened, bringing in one he’s already started on.
12.52 372 got up then sat down again, still fish calling. Then she looked behind her
and got up again to take the fish.
12.53 she takes the fish over towards the posts beyond the nest
12.53 landing at a favoured one.
LJ2 gets the eggs ready for sitting on.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
13.33 LJ2 finding it hot on the nest as he opens his beak.
13.51 He stands up, lets out a single chirp and flies off.
13.52 372 flies up from the nest perch, she’s had a good feed off the fish, just stringy skin and tail fin left.
She leaves the skin on the nest before going to her eggs.
14.14 372 finding it hot today too, gular fluttering as well. You can see the fish skin to the right of her head.
14.41 She starts fidgeting with some twigs, covering the fish skin.
14.50 372 doing a wing and tail stretch whilst sitting.
She then gets up for a wee shuffle around, moving things.
14.51 rolling the eggs before sitting on them.
14.53 her beak is open again. The birds have recently been more used to wind and rain!
15.36 LJ2 appears at the tower perch. He’s been away from the nest for about 1hr 45 mins. I wonder if he’s caught a wee fish for himself?He has an itchy bit on his back
then a head scratch
15.37 next a wing stretch
15.38 and now it’s time for preening all over.
15.52
15.53 he’s now ready to begin incubation duties.
15.53 372, ready for a changeover, leaves as she sees LJ2 flying in.
16.03 LJ2 looking comfortable.
16.38 LJ2 looked like he had seen something nearby. He started softly vocalising. He got up to check on the eggs, still vocalising. 372 then flew off the nest perch and below the nest at the water side. 16.39 LJ2 then saw 372 land on the tree to the side of the nest.He then picked up the fish remains that 372 had left earlier.
He was still calling
and flew off with his small meal.
372 flew from the tree to the nest.
16.40 She picked up small pieces of materials than were around the eggs.
then settled on her eggs.
17.29 372 starts calling for LJ2.
17.30 She gets up and leaves.
17.31 LJ2 is soon on the nest.
17.41 372 spends a little time on the tower perch preening.
18.02 372 returns to the nest.
and LJ2 leaves.
18.52 372 is fish calling
19.11 Calling louder now
19.12 LJ2 flies in with a fish in his talons.
372 goes to collect it.
She takes it in her beak to the other side of the nest.
Transfers to her talons and leaves.
19.13 372 landed on a much used post.
LJ2 gets ready to sit on the eggs. 372 is buzzed by a crow.
I love how the birds plonk their head down first as they sort out their sitting position.
LJ2 watched as the crow pestered 372 a few times. You could hear her squawking at it and flap her wings.
20.06 372 returned, empty taloned.
LJ2 flew over to the post area, hopefully he found the fish remains, unless she managed to eat it very quickly! 20.07 372 rolled the eggs before settling down on them.21.04 That’ll be her for the night now. Sounds like the rain has started.
Thank you Glider for the new thread and all the updates! 372 seems to be well settled in now and so pleased she found a great partner in LJ2 on this lovely nest spot.