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!
18.54 It’s turned into a beautiful evening. 372 on the nest19.45 she starts gently calling to LJ2
He is on the tower perch
19.46 and flies down to the nest to changeover with 372
19.47
20.25 Current scene on the nest with LJ2.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
20.40 372 arrived to take over for her night shift.
20.41
21.36 when the night cam switched on, 372 looked up as she heard it but got straight back to her business of sorting the nest.
22.19
May 8
Good morning. 372 had a peaceful night. 02.38 She got up for a wing flap and a squirt in the direction of the nest perch. Hope LJ2 wasn’t sleeping there!LJ2 arrived at the tower perch at 04.43
04.41 Getting ready before going to relieve 372 at the nest.
04.49 Changing of the guard, as LJ2 arrives to the left, 372 leaves to the right.
04.53 Day cam comes on.
06.24 a calm, misty morning
06.39 372 comes back to take over incubation
07.26 a wee catnap
07.49 LJ2 returns and 372 leaves.
08.16 372 arrives at the tower perch for a brief visit.
08.39 LJ2 watches a couple of birds fly at speed over the water below the nest
08.40 372 surfs in on a chunk of wood
08.50 current scene on the nest with 372 incubating.
There have been a couple more nest changes.
11.46 LJ2 arrives with a headless fish.
He lands with the fish.
and leaves again, seconds later.
11.50 LJ2 returns 4 minutes later. The corvids are very noisy close by.
11.51 372 concentrates on the corvids and doesn’t get up. LJ2 flies off with the fish again.
I can’t see that 372 has had any of the fish yet. It was an eventful afternoon.
12.42 372 rolling her eggs
13.40 Relaxing
14.50 Mantling
14.50 An unringed Osprey lands on the nest perch
Enter LJ2 coming from over the water, curving round and and flying in from the top left
The unringed Osprey flies up from the nest perch, chased by LJ2.
372 watches the chase, laying low, covering her eggs.
14.51 Next thing, 372 stands up mantling and the unringed Osprey flies over her
The bird returns with 372 trying to fend it off. She is chipping as well.
It stands beside 372
Only for a few seconds. It looks to the left and takes off at speed.
LJ2 is heard skydancing and the unringed bird flies out over the water.
14.52 LJ2 can still be heard skydancing. 372 goes back to her eggs.
LJ2 can still be heard until around 14.54. 372 looks up.
15.04 Things settle down again.
15.44 Still 372©️NWWT, WW, BOP
16.12, 372 got up, rolled her eggs and sat down again.
16.13 A minute later, she got up again and flew off.
16.14 LJ2 flew to the nest, still carrying the well travelled half fish.
He walked the fish to the nest cup
16.15 then flew off again
flew round and back past the nest. 16.15.55 372 landed on the cam pole.
16.16 Seven seconds later LJ2 landed on the nest with a contact chirp,
but left after a couple of seconds.
16.16 Seven seconds later, 372 flew down from the cam pole
and sat back on the eggs.
16.57 372 has been on the nest since.
17.39
18.11
18.38 She seems quite tired. Maybe because of the intruder episode.
19.06 egg rolling
19.24 preening now
20.26 LJ2 arrives, empty taloned.
20.27 He’s not long there when he shoots off chasing the neighbours!
20.29 He returns again and 372 takes her break.
20.30 LJ2 on the eggs.
Thanks for updates Glider, for successful outcome here after all the tragedies this season
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
You’re welcome Wendy. I hope so, things are ticking over nicely here but it’s 372’s first year of breeding so I’ll be crossing my fingers too. She’s taking to the role very well though.
20.57 LJ2 looking over to the sunset.
21.15 372 returns.
21.56 372 currently.