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!
Yes there was, I just can’t see anything Sandra!! I’ve not seen any closeups from the PTZ cam and Brenig FB still hasn’t posted anything about it.
Maybe one of the times 372 rises from the eggs, there’ll be a bob!
The PTZ did show LJ2 eating the fish he caught earlier on another perch.
11.48
12.00
14.45 LJ2 preening under a dramatic sky
14.49
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
Nothing much else has happened tonight.
18.11 LJ2 at the nest
18.59 372 returns
crop of the eggs
19.10 LJ2 brings a small piece of bark
20.33 LJ2 rolling the eggsl
21.15 372 takes over incubation
21.16 she settles down
22.05 still in the same position.
23.00 Has the top egg got a crack or a blade of grass stuck to it?23.01 now to the right
23.30 Not so clear now
We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
May 30
Good morning. I’ve wakened so early this morning, had a check on the nest but there’s no change.
01.33 372 got up for a wing beat.
01.49 then an egg roll
02.52 she left for a comfort break
Heavily cropped photo of the eggs
02.54 372 returns just over a minute later
04.44 another comfort break
Can’t see any sign of hatching04.46 372 returns
05.16 she’s snoozing
05.41 No sign of LJ2 this morning, I presume he’s fishing.
06.26 LJ2 made a short appearance on the tower perch. He did some grooming.
06.29 then left.
06.45 372 is still on the nest. She has been shouting to LJ2.
She gets up for another comfort break.
06.46 a few seconds later, LJ2 arrives, his first time on the nest this morning as far as I can see.
Morning Glider. Thanks for all the updates and lovely captures.
No sign as you say but wont be too long and you'll have some wee bobbles here :-)
Thank you Karen, this nest is at the tail end for bobs this year so it’s felt like a long wait, but lucky to have a pair with LM6 sadly not returning. Yes, as you say, hopefully soon!
07.26 372 arrives with some grass and lands on LJ2’s tail
07.27 She walks to his side and he leaves.
She shifts a couple of soggy clumps of nesting further from the eggs
07.28 before settling down.
08.17 A quick check of the eggs and roll
08.25 and again
08.26
09.47 372 currently sitting.
Post from Brenig FB late last night.
10.53 372 patiently sat on the nest. She then let out a brief fish call and got up and gave her eggs a good shift around.
she settled back down again.
11.02 LJ2 flew in from behind 372 with a half eaten fish.
372 was very happy to receive it.
Looks like a rainbow trout
Off she went with her fish
11.03 LJ2 pecked at a couple of things in the nest cup then got into position for incubation.