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.
10.28 Emrys comes to the nest. He is vocalising.
10.29 He decides to have a wee lie down.
10.38 372 arrives with a headless fish.
10.39 Emrys takes it.
372 leaves.
11.18 Emrys has been eating alone on the nest.
11.25 LJ2 arrives with a freshly caught fish.
Emrys has a good look, still holding onto his fish.
LJ2 waits for just under a minute then leaves again.
11.26 He is watched by Emrys as he takes the fish to the tree to eat.
11.47 Emrys has had enough of his fish and releases it.
He cleans his beak against some sticks
11.48 and flies upwards off the nest
landing on the tower perch.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
11.53 372 came for the fish left on the nest.
12.01 She ate for a little while then took it elsewhere.
She flew off to the right of screen. LJ2 was still eating his fish on the tree.
12.47 Bethan flew onto the nest.12.48 372 followed on with the end of her fish.
372 started eating the fish and Bethan asked to be fed.
12.49 372 pulling at the skin.
12.50 and now Bethan gets fed.
13.11
13.22 Bethan decides she’s had enough and lifts her wings and glides away.
She has a twiggy branch caught in her talons
which drops off as she flies.
13.27 372 continues eating and soon swallows the tail fin.
No more fish delivered until teatime. 372 has been on and off the nest. She brought some sticks and had a lie down for a wee while. The youngsters have also visited the nest. They were on the nest fish calling when 372 joined them. The weather is very blustery.17.44 LJ2 then arrived with a live perch.
He had trouble landing.
Up he goes again with Bethan trying to pull the fish from LJ2 with her beak.
17.45 Landing attempt #2
Up again and again Bethan grabs the fish.
Third time lucky! 17.46 Success this time. 372 takes the fish from LJ2.
Then Bethan takes it from 372.
17.48 Bethan now eating the fish. LJ2 has stayed on the nest longer than usual.
17.50 Oh my goodness LJ2 lifts his wings to leave
his talons are still attached to the fish
and so are Bethan’s. Bethan is lifted off the nest by LJ2
Bethan is dragged down off the side of the nest.
372 and Emrys are left on the nest.
17.52 Two minutes later Bethan returned to the nest.
Thank goodness she seems none the worse after her ordeal. Phew!
That was rather a dramatic moment, glad she is ok!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
17.53 372 left then Bethan left and Emrys was alone on the nest.
18.25 He lay down for a bit. Bethan later joined him. She had a lie down too then got up.
She’s been fish calling on and off.
18.43 LJ2 then arrives. He’s managed to keep hold of the fish he brought earlier.
He’s eaten some of it.
And it’s Emrys to the front of LJ2 who takes the fish.
LJ2 leaves and Emrys (right) is eating the fish. The rain is bucketing down now.
Bethan stands next to Emrys fish calling the whole time. It doesn’t put him off eating!18.45 Bethan leaves with a clump of dried grass attached to her talons.
18.49 Emrys was eating away quite happily when 372 landed with a fish.
18.50 Bethan arrived (right)
Then LJ2 flew in with an earthy clump.
LJ2 left with the clump again soon after. Bethan was continually fish calling, Emrys still has his fish and it looks like 372 is feeding him off her fish.
18.55 Bethan finally joined the feed (middle) with Emrys and they both got pieces from 372.
18.59 Emrys is now back eating his own fish and 372 feeds Bethan.
19.26 Once Bethan is satisfied, she walks to the edge of the nest.
19.26 Then flies off to her tree. Emrys has now gone back to 372 to be fed.
Emrys and 372 eat some more than 372 leaves.
19.45
19.48 Emrys collects the fish
19.49 and takes it to the other side of the nest to eat.
19.52 He only ate for a few minutes then stopped.Emrys then has some fun in the wind doing lots of helicoptering about the nest.
19.56
19.57 When finished, he flies over to join Bethan on the tree.
20.34 Emrys came to his bed early.
20.40 Bethan is still on the tree, she may well be roosting there tonight.
20.41 372 was alone on the perch but left at 21.25.
21.34 Emrys settled down.
22.46 current scene.
Nobody is sleeping on the tower perch tonight.
6 August
Good morning. Emrys got up abruptly when he had morning visitors to his bedroom.
05.07 LJ2 arrived with a half fish.
Then the morning alarm came as Bethan landed shouting for the fish.
05.09 Emrys left the chaos to go the the tree.
05.13 Bethan getting fed by LJ2
05.25 Then all went quiet as LJ2 spotted something and they both were tracking whatever it was.
05.26 LJ2 released the fish
Bethan took it
05.27 LJ2 cleaned his beak then headed up to the tower perch.
(Clock is a few seconds behind here)
05.30 An alarm call was sounded by 372 and she flew from the nest perch to the right, below the nest.
Bethan paused. 372’s wing tip circled.
05.39 she left a few minutes later.05.40 372 came to the nest and started eating the fish.
05.41 Bethan was back again asking to be fed.
06.04 A quiet moment for Bethan.
06.06 Bethan leaves
06.16 and 372 finishes the fish off.
07.30 372 came to the tower perch to have a preen.
07.51
08.49 LJ2 joined her.
09.06
09.33 372 brought a clump of bedding to the nest, chirping a couple of times on landing.
09.36 She returned to the tower perch a few minutes later, missing LJ2 by a couple of minutes.
11.1911.20 LJ2 returned.