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 11
Good morning. We had a short changeover of incubation in the early hours and a relatively peaceful night otherwise.
02.33 372 got up and came to the nest edge for a wing stretch. Then she decided to leave for a comfort break.
02.34 Half a minute later, LJ2 flew up from the perch
And settled on the eggs. He’s being extra vigilant after the intruder episode.
02.36 372 flew up from the nest perch.
LJ2 wasn’t for moving. 372 walked around him.
and managed to persuade him to get off the eggs.
02.40 LJ2 flew off
04.48 372 was there through to the early morning light. She’s snoozing.
04.52 LJ2 arrived to take over duties.
04.53 372 arrives at the tower perch. Such a beautiful scene.
04.59 LJ2 on the nest.
05.09 a wing and leg stretch for 372
She leaves the tower perch at 05.35 and returns 4 minutes later to continue preening. 05.43
05.56 LJ2 having some shut eye.
06.39 372 starts looking to the water below her
06.40 a final wing stretch and she’s off
06.44 372 arrives with what I think is a clump of earth with roots or shoots in it.
She takes over incubation.
07.34 LJ2 brings yet more bark. They seem to have their preferences of nesting materials!
07.35 LJ2 settled over the eggs.
08.09 Enter 372 with a clump of earth in each set of talons. I say earth, it’s maybe broken down bark?
08.10 372 tidying the nest cup
08.11 She briefly sat on the eggs but was soon up again shifting materials.
08.36 372 is fish calling
but LJ2 brings more bark.
08.37 372 leaves
09.46 LJ2 is still on the nest.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
10.01 372 arrives at the nest with a headless fish for LJ2.
He gets up quickly
and goes over to get it, vocalising.
It’s a bit of a struggle as 372 can’t release and LJ2 is pulling at the fish.
372’s wings are beating fast as she tries to hold her balance
10.02
He finally manages to get it
And flies off backwards with a small stick in his mouth and larger one in his talons.
The larger stick falls back to the nest
372 looks on
All that effort for nothing. LJ2 lands on the tower perch, fishless.
He cleans his beak as he had managed a morsel of fish when he was pulling at it from 372.
Maybe he’ll decide to go fishing this time!
10.13 LJ2 came back to the nest with more bark. At first glance, I thought he’d picked up the fish from where he dropped it as he’s done that before.
10.15 He walked around 372, fiddling with things then quietly vocalised
10.16 before leaving.
10.27 372 feeling the heat
10.37 LJ2 was back soon with a small piece of bark.
He pulled at the clump of grasses
10.38 just enough to coax 372 into leaving
She landed on the tree to the side of the nest. LJ2 was quickly settled back onto the eggs.
.
How happy I am to see your updates reporting P&Q ©️WendyBartter on the nest
IMAGICAT
10.46 372 spent some time on the tower perch.
11.41 She’s looking down to where the fish are again!
There have been a few more changes on the nest, the latest one being at 14.32 with LJ2 landing with his stick partially on 372’s back.
14.33 372 left
14.34 the wind does to seem a bit gusty.
15.15 LJ2 currently on the nest.
scylla said:. How happy I am to see your updates reporting P&Q ️WendyBartter on the nest
How happy I am to see your updates reporting P&Q ️WendyBartter on the nest
Yes we do like our peace and quiet here Scylla!
372 flew in at 15.46
She walked over towards LJ2. There was a stick that had its end tucked in under LJ2’s wing.
372 lifted the stick which worked like a lever, lifting LJ2’s tail end up!
15.47 LJ2 left the nest and 372 set to work organising things..
15.48 she’s settled down now.
17.41 It’s still 372 currently on the nest. I wonder if LJ2’s gone fishing?
20.05 At last LJ2 has returned and with a half fish for 372.
She was squealing with delight
20.06
Off she goes for her supper.
20 minutes later 372 flew back with the remainder of the fish.20.20
20.21 She started eating it on the edge of the nest
20.28 there goes the skin with tail fin
20.29 once finished, 372 came towards LJ2 and he stood up.
LJ2 flew off
20.30 and 372 settled on the eggs.
20.41
They didn’t change over again.
23.06 372 tucked in.
May 12
Good morning. All looked well on the nest overnight. 372 was up for a wing flap and left for a quick comfort break. She dropped a tail feather. There was an early morning intruder.
01.05 a wing flap.
Comfort break for under a minute at 01.39.
01.46 372 got up for a wee poke about the nest cup. You can see one of her tail feathers pointing downwards as it came loose.
and fell onto the nest
04.52 LJ2 arrives. The tail feather can be seen clearly now. They swap over.
05.26 Just over half an hour later, LJ2 is looking around in all directions. He lets out 3 chirps.
05.28 LJ2 continues checking the area then quietly chirps and gets up
Now he’s chipping
Intruder appears. Blue ring right leg.
It all happened so quickly, the blue ring was blurred in every snap I took.
The touchdown was a milli second
LJ2 flew straight over and the intruder flew off.
EDIT - there goes the tail feather!
LJ2 in hot pursuit over the water.
372 arrived and started chipping.
In the distance, one bird could be seen flying to the left and another on the right.
The bird on the right flew back this way.
05.29 It must’ve been LJ2. 372 walked to the centre of the nest and was soon settled down over the eggs.
05.32 LJ2 lands on the tree along from the nest.
and it’s all calm again.