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!
Still quiet on the nest this afternoon. 372 seems to have been on it all afternoon.
14.26 Looks like LJ2 was being chased and chasing crows. He flew under the nest out to the water.
he then flew back this way with a crow on his tail.
14.43 372 was vocalising
LJ2 flew under the nest again to the water.
He then changed direction and flew upwards to the right.
He got to this point then turned around
and flew past the nest at speed.
Things quietened down again
15.28 372
15.47 change of position.
16.20 change of position again
18.02 372 got up and flew off for a comfort break. She made no contact calls so LJ2 mustn’t be nearby.
A cropped pic of the eggs. I think #1 is bottom right.
18.03 372 returned under a minute later.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
18.08 LJ2 arrived with a headless fish. That’s 3 today which is good for him!
18.09 372 was very happy to receive her evening meal and left with the fish in her beak.
I don’t know why, but LJ2 up and left the eggs at 18.45. He must’ve known 372 was nearby.
18.46 372 came to the nest with her half eaten fish.
She ate a little more on the nest
18.50 Then left the fish to cover the eggs.
19.00 LJ2 flew onto the nest and landed on the fish remains.
He then flew off with it.
19.25 a quick egg roll
20.07 372 snoozing
You deserve a medal Glider for persevering with this nest view which rates as the most obscured that I have ever seen!
Haha thanks Wendy! I guess I’m just used to it!
The rain has dried off. We can see the birds again! 21.16 372 was quietly calling for LJ2, he flew onto the nest.
372 left for a break.
21.17 LJ2 resumed incubation.
21.57 As darkness fell, 372 returned.
She noticed the fish tail that she’d left from earlier in the day.
22.02 372 started eating it and quickly finished it off. She started shouting at LJ2
22.03 then they changed over.
22.24 Hope it stays dry for the rest of the night.
.
29 May
Do we have a pip? Seen at 06:03 but no sign since, up to now:
IMAGICAT
Good morning Scylla,
Thanks for the video and your eagle eyes on the egg. It certainly did look like a wee jaggy edge and slight movement. I would never have noticed something so small! Today is 37 days since the first egg was laid. I have been on scroll back looking through this morning’s events and was wondering if 372 and LJ2 knew something was happening because there has been heightened activity with the 2 of them back and forward, bringing nesting materials and changing over very frequently.
Glider said:there has been heightened activity with the 2 of them back and forward
I extracted loads of clips covering that, but when there was no further sign of pipping I decided to avoid the stress of joining 'em up etc
04.17 372 left for an early morning comfort break.
04.41 LJ2 arrived to take over
05.19 372 has a short spell on the tower perch preening
05.50 Intense colours - LJ2 still on the nest.
06.02 LJ2 sees 372 below approaching the nest perch. He leaves and she comes to the nest.
07.08. LJ2 is back with a clump of soft mossy grasses. 372 is vocalising.
07.11 LJ2 tidies the nest cup
07.29 372 returns with soft nesting
08.20 here comes the big stuff now - LJ2 with a chunky stick
Which of course, is placed on 372’s back!
08.45 372 with more soft nesting
09.04 LJ2 with a thick mossy stick and also a thin twiggy stick
which were a bit awkward when landing.
09.05 372 gives way to LJ2
10.01 372 is calling from nearby, LJ2 gets up to peck at the nest and move the eggs.