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!
19.23 372 returns with a small stick. She has recently been contributing far more with nesting materials. 19.24 She prepares the nest cup for incubation. The view of the eggs are blocked by the large piece of bark.
Luckily, 372 decides to move it. We have a partial view now.
20.12 LJ2 arrives to give 372 a break before her night shift begins.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
20.41 372 returned
20.43 she fussed about with pieces of bark in front of LJ2 and then he got up and left.
22.01 372 now
May 4
Good morning. A quiet, wet night on the nest for 372. LJ2 took over incubation at 05.08.
05.06 372 arrived on the tower perch to do some preening.
05.26 LJ2 on the nest
372 left the tower perch around 05.30 (the clock is unreadable) and returned about 25 minutes later.
She continued preening and left again at 06.13.
06.17 372 returned to the nest.
06.24 372
There have been more nest swap overs. 09.37 LJ2 brought a stick this time.
LJ2 has also spent some moments on the tower perch.
06.50
08.35
08.37
09.16
09.37 LJ2 flew to the nest to take over again (first photo) and is currently there now.
09.58
Pretty quiet here today. The birds are regularly swapping incubation.
This is the latest with LJ2 taking over.
13.01
Brenig Osprey Project FB posted this a short while ago.
©️DOP/MWT
Roli is certainly doing the rounds. I wonder if he’ll come back here?
14.35 372 flew onto the nest to take over from LJ2.
14.36 LJ2 flew off but before 372 could settle on her eggs, she saw something and started mantling and chipping.
14.36 LJ2 came to join her
It came to nothing and 372 chose to fly off so LJ2 was back on the eggs.
15.11 372 flew in carrying some moss.
15.12 LJ2 flew off and 372 did some tidying before settling down.
15.13 372©️NWWT, WW, BOP
372 had only been on the nest for 5 minutes when LJ2 was back with a twig.
15.18
15.19 He dropped it onto 372’s back. He squeezed in next to her, he really wanted back on the eggs.
372 gave in and flew off.
16.15 She was away just under a hour for when LJ2 started fish calling. and 372 arrived with a fish. That’s number 4 she’s caught now! 372 landed with the fish
LJ2 went over to collect it
and off he goes. He must be loving this new partnership!
16.16 372 finally got back on the eggs.
LJ2 was away a long time eating his fish. 17.17 372 rested her eyes
17.37 shifted pieces of bark and wood around her
18.52 rolled the eggs
19.13 once she saw LJ2 was around, she sounded a couple of contact chirps and flew off to the tree in front.
19.14 LJ2 landed on the nest empty taloned, making a contact call as well.
20.07 372 flew to the tower perch
20.05 she did some preening
20.12 As LJ2 sat on the nest, he watched 372 chasing a couple of corvids back and forth.
20.18 She came to the nest shortly after to take over incubation.
Surprisingly LJ2 returned again at 21.19 as darkness fell.
372 got up to allow him on the eggs. She stood for a few minutes before flying off.
21.22
23.23 LJ2 was on the eggs for a couple of hours until he was startled by 372 flying up from the nest perch.
LJ2 flew off and 372 walked to the centre of the nest to take over incubation. As she settled down, LJ2 could be heard landing on the nest perch. He landed with a few contact chirps and 372 turned her head.
23.24
23.29 The gulls could be heard in the near distance as 372 got comfortable to sleep.