Continued from June 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
Hatched
June 2 - 00.52, June 4 - 09.48? It is not known for certain which eggs these are. My thoughts are these are eggs 2 and 3 and egg number 1 did not hatch. (Left unattended on a frosty night)
However, the consensus among the volunteers is that it is eggs 1 & 2 which have hatched. Llyn Benig is around 1000 feet above sea level so the ambient temperature is around 2 degrees Celsius lower than at sea level which might account for longer hatching times. It has certainly been a cold hatching period. (AG)
Chicks ringed 08/07/24 - (Second hatched) 8B8 (M) 1500g 265mm - (First hatched) 8B9 (F) 1620g 291mm
Chicks named 18/07/24 8B8 EMRYS - 8B9 BETHAN
Chicks fledged 28/07/24 (54 days old) - 27/07/24 (55days old)
MIGRATIONS
8B8 Emrys - 03/09/24 (92days old) / 372 03/09/24 (3years old)
8B9 Bethan 06/09/24 (96 days old) / LJ2 last seen on the evening of 06/09/24 so probably left 07/09/24 (6 years old)
All captures and videos ©️NWWT, Welsh Water, Brenig Osprey Project
RESUMÉ for JUNE 2024
This has been a month of fast change. Two chicks were born at the beginning of the month. On chick 1’s day of hatching, someone was flying a drone in the area and it spooked 372. She alarm called and quickly left the nest with the little chick being thrown to the nest edge as she left. Somehow that wee one had the instinct and strength to move back to the nest cup and safety again. 372 has proven to be a great first time mother. She has gently fed the chicks, given them warmth and shelter and LJ2 has provided well with a variety of daily fish. There have been the usual intruders which has distracted LJ2 at times from bringing in fish but he would always bring some later on. The chicks are now 4 weeks old and developing very well. There is a hierarchy between the chicks with #1 being dominant over #2, mostly at feeding times. #2 knows to allow #1 to feed first then it’ll get its turn. Gelert KA9(22) son of LJ2 and LM6, was photographed at Dyfi 3 weeks after his visit here on 25 May.
10.43 372 returned soon after with a long stick.
10.53 After moving the stick around the nest, 372 left 10 minutes after arriving.
10.58 372 and LJ2 together on the tower perch.
11.32 372 on the tower perch.
11.59 An intruder comes into the area. 372 starts mantling.
The intruder is seen high in the sky, to the right of the time clock.
12.00
12.01 372 flies down to the nest to defend. Sky dancing can be heard.
12.02 An Osprey can be seen in the sky to the right.
372 flies off towards it.
12.08 372 came back again, shouting and flapping.
12.19 The PTZ cam switched to the tree where Emrys was. He was looking quite relaxed.
He stayed there throughout the drama!
13.54 The PTZ cam went back to the tower perch and 372 was there.
14.09 Here we go again, an intruder is around. Don’t know if it’s the same one.
14.10 372 back defending the nest again.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
14.50 LJ2 arrived with a small perch?As 372 took the fish, Bethan arrived.
Bethan tried to take the fish from 372.372 held tight
14.52 and kept the fish. Emrys then arrived.
14.53 372 started feeding him.
14.54 Bethan watched Emrys being fed
then decided to try to take the fish again.
14.55 372 released it to her this time.
14.56 Emrys watched Bethan but didn’t try to take the fish.
15.10 372 watching Bethan
15.13 Emrys left to go back to his tree.
15.19 372 shouted for another fish.
372 then took the fish off Bethan
She offered some to Bethan but the youngster didn’t take any.
So 372 finished it off.
17.08 LJ2 brings another small fish.
372 takes it.
17.09 Bethan arrives.
Emrys arrives, misjudges his landing and lands on top of Bethan. She is squawking loudly!
It’s suddenly quiet as Bethan doesn’t have Emrys on her back any more!
372 starts feeding Emrys.
17.23 Bethan gets fed too.
17.39
She gets the tail to munch down.
19.55 At last, LJ2 brings a decent sized fish. 372 was there to receive it.
19.57 Bethan arrived first and 372 started to feed her.
20.01 Emrys arrived
20.11 he held back until there was a space next to 372.
20.38 Bethan and Emrys both fed well. LJ2 arrived with a long stick
and landed in the middle of everyone.
20.42 372 feeding herself now.
20.44 She walks away from the fish.
20.47 372 does a bit of nest tidying, moving the stick LJ2 brought in. 20.50 372 and Bethan had both left when LJ2 arrived and took what was left of the fish.
Amazing colours in the sky tonight.
20.54 Bethan and Emrys settled down on the nest together.
21.22 They both got up. Bethan was vocalising.
21.24 A couple of minutes later she flew off
and landed on the tree.
22.41 Emrys sleeping alone tonight.
30 July
Good morning. Emrys awake and getting ready for the day ahead.
05.05 a wing stretch
and leg stretch
05.06 a quick preen
an itchy bit
lots of wing flapping
and off he goes
round past Bethan
round again and lands beside Bethan. Those 2 sure love that tree!
NWWT, WW, BOP
05.25 Two birds landed on the tower perch. It may be the 2 youngsters.
06.54 Emrys visits the tower perch.
08.29 LJ2 doing some cup scraping
09.13 He brings a long stick
09.56 and another one
10.19 372 wants a fish
11.27 An hour later the fish arrived. A fine headless one.
11.28
Here comes the first juvie.
11.29 It’s Bethan.
11.41 Emrys arrives
11.42 Bethan joins LJ2 on the tower perch.
She’s cleaning her talons with her beak.
12.04
12.34 LJ2 leaves
12.25 He’d been watching 372 eating the fish
12.35 and waiting until she left so he could collect it.
12.35 Bethan’s giving us some beautiful closeups.
14.30 LJ2 returns with the fish
He’s joined by Bethan
14.32 who managed to get a wee feed from him.
14.37 Emrys arrives
Bethan collects the fish that LJ2 has now left
14.39 and feeds herself. Emrys has left again.
Bethan feeds until 15.14, does some tidying
15.16 then takes a wee rest.
15.19 She flies off 3 minutes later.
15.26 372 arrives at the nest with a clump of grasses.
15.27 She picks up the fish, it’s just the tail end left.
Emrys arrives, he’s asking to be fed.
15.28
15.36
15.36 As Emrys was enjoying his feed, Bethan appeared.
15.37 372 started feeding her instead
15.47 Emrys got a token piece.
15.52 As Bethan continued to get fed, Emrys moved closer and shouted louder.
He was given the tail fin. much to Bethan’s annoyance. 15.54 She continued to shout and watch Emrys’ every move, ready to snatch.
However, Emrys held onto it. He struggled to swallow it so spent time picking away at it, reducing it in size.
16.06 Finally, he managed to get it down.