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.
14.47 Emrys gets a fish too, from 372.
14.50. He flies off with the fish.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
No more fish today but the juvies have had one each.
17.27 LJ2 came to do some tidying.
19.00 Hello Bethan
19.53 372 spends some time preening on the tower perch.
20.24 Bethan asking for another fish.
No Emrys on the nest tonight. He is roosting elsewhere.
30 August.
Good afternoon.Today Bethan is 89 days old and Emrys 87.
All 4 birds are still here. 07.48 Emrys and 372.
08.16 The 2 youngsters and LJ2
09.06 Fish delivery from LJ2. Looks like a whole one.
Emrys took it.
09.1209.47 Fish delivery from 372 to Bethan. Looks like the same type of fish that Emrys got.
372 has eaten a little of the fish head.
09.48
Emrys took his fish off nest and Bethan left hers on it.
10.34 LJ2 came and took Bethan’s fish away. He was looking empty cropped earlier when he gave Emrys a fish.
10.35 372 got the innards that Emrys had left.
11.36 372 landed on the nest.
11.37 She started calling for fish.
LJ2 brought in what was left of the one he’d been eating, the one 372 had originally caught!
11.38 372 took it.
Emrys arrived
11.39 but this was 372’s fish. She flew off with it down to the right with Emrys watching.
©️NWWT, WWT, BOP
12.33 Looking good LJ2
12.49 372 joins him with the remainder of her fish.
14.14 LJ2 left and 372 moved along the perch to resume eating her fish.
Swallowing the tail fin.
14.35 She cleans her beak.
14.51 She’s off for a bit.
15.21 Back again
15.29 Emrys had been on the nest and Bethan joined him briefly. Was she looking at fish below the nest?
16.22 372 still on the perch. Wing and leg stretch.
and a preen.
16.24 Emrys still on the nest, calling for another fish.
Both juvies were on the nest waiting for the next fish.
18.06 LJ2 flies in carrying one for them.
He’s already eaten the head.
Both juvies go for it.
A bit of a tussle
Bethan emerges victorious.
18.08
19.19 She’s been eating for just over an hour now.
19.22 Bethan steps to the side
she cleans her beak.
Emrys gets his opportunity to take the fish.
19.23 Bethan leaves him to it.
19.27
20.14 After eating for just under an hour, Emrys leaves with his fish.
372 arrived at the tower perch at 19.46 she did some preening.20.19 LJ2 joined her.
20.33 372 left to go to the nest. She repositioned a stick and looked around.. She was there for a couple of minutes.
LJ2 was still on the tower perch.
He had a scratch of his head and left at 20.43.
No one is roosting on the tower perch or nest tonight.
©️NWWT, WW BOP
31 August
Good morning. Today Bethan is 90 days old and Emrys 88.
05.57 They’ve both been on the nest this morning
.
06.04 For once, it was Emrys (left) making all of the noise as he tried to eat a leftover piece of fish skin.
06.07 He ended up flying off with it plus all of the soft nesting attached!
I’ve not seen any of the adults yet on the nest or tower perch.
07.11 I don’t know if there’s an intruder around as Bethan started mantling at one point.
Then she flapped a bit and shouted for a few seconds then calmed down.
09.14 Both juvies on the tower perch.
11.17 No ospreys around I guess!
12.28 Both youngsters back on the nest.
13.57 Emrys shouting from the tower perch.
14.16 Emrys on the nest when a fish arrives from LJ2
LJ2 sort of hovers and as he is near Emrys’ beak, so Emrys just grabs at the fish.
The fish drops
Emrys goes after it.
Got it.
14.18 He eats a little first
14.22 then flies off with it.
15.14 It’s just Emrys on the nest again, where’s Bethan?372 flies in with a headless fish for him.
15.15 Emrys takes the fish.
15.18 He decides to take the fish elsewhere to eat.