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)
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.
15.16 372 came to the tower perch.
.
15.39 She started preening .
16.22 Here’s our girl! Are you hungry Bethan?!16.42 A fish is on its way
It’s LJ2
16.43 She starts eating.
17.09 372 just about to leave.
17.26 Bethan still eating.
17.33 She lifts her head, calls, releases the fish
and is off.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
19.12 Bethan was on the nest fish calling.
19.13 372 joined her.
She spotted the fish skin that Bethan had left earlier.
19.14 She gave some to Bethan
19.22 and ate the rest herself.
19.23
19.26
19.28
19.31 Done!
19.59 372 left and Emrys joined Bethan on the nest.20.36 Still there when night cam comes on.
20.37 Bethan left
21.27 and Emrys stayed.
21.47
23.44 Night night Emrys.
1 September
Good morning. The last few days of our season.
EDIT - Today Bethan is 91 days old and Emrys 89
Emrys had a Sunday lie in this morning, not leaving the nest until after day-cam was on after 6am.
06.14
He had a clump of dried grass caught in his talons as he went.
06.17 Bethan and Emrys met on the nest. They waited on breakfast.
07.12 372 brought in the first fish, just freshly caught.
It was Bethan who took it.
07.13
07.2607.51 Emrys then got a fish as well. His was a headless one from LJ2
07.57 Aw LJ2
08.06 Bethan stepped off her fish and cleaned her beak against a stick.
08.07 She moved over to the other side of the nest and left.
08.14 Emrys carried on eating. He then dragged his fish over to where Bethan had been eating.
He picked up and ate one of the scraps she’d dropped.
08.15 back to eating his own fish.08.24 it then got dragged over the nest again.
08.26 Eating again.
08.45 372 arrived with her second fish of the day, looks like another trout. She’d already eaten the head.
08.47 She has a few more bites
08.48 then releases the fish.
08.49 Bethan arrives
372 leaves
08.52 372 arrives at the tower perch.
09.02 Bethan’s not interested in eating at the moment. She just looks at the fish, leaves, returns and leaves again, flying down to the nest perch.
Well Emrys, I hope you’re hungry!! A choice of 3 fish to yourself here.
09.14 372 watching over the nest.
09.20 Emrys ate for a few more minutes then released his fish, picked at some scraps then wiped his beak.
Off he goes, leaving a feast on the nest.
09.22 Two minutes later LJ2 arrives to claim the freshest fish that 372 left.
Bethan flies up from the perch.
LJ2 takes the fish off nest.
09.23 Bethan comes over to choose which fish she wants to eat.
She opts for the trout Emrys had been eating.
09.26
09.38 She doesn’t eat too long and is soon away again.
The 2 fish are left unattended on the nest. 372 watches from the tower perch until she leaves at 10.05.
NWWT, WW, BOP
11.07 Emrys arrives at the tower perch.
372 joins him.
11.13 She doesn’t stay long.
11.25 A crow lands on the nest, bypasses the fish and grabs a couple of scraps.
372 flies in to chase it off.
11.34 372 decides to take the larger of the fish.
11.36
11.42 Emrys is still on the tower perch. He’s been preening.
11.51 The crow returned.
It got another scrap
Emrys flew down from the tower perch
and chased it off.
The crow chasing continued
Emrys chased it from the nest perch.
Then from the tree. It flew from the top branch down to the next one.
12.26 from the nest again
12.35 It’s certainly a trier.
It’s 372 who flies in (with her fish) to chase it this time.
12.36 As long as there is food, the crow will keep returning.
Again it leaves as an Osprey approaches from the far right, in front of the tower.
12.46 Bethan arrives and takes the fish.
Another quick raid
It flies down to the left just as there’s an incoming Osprey from the right.
It’s Emrys.
13.01 He hung around for around for 15 minutes
then left.
13.04 Another tasty treat.
13.14 Emrys came to the nest.
LJ2 flew up from a low position and past the nest carrying a fish.
13.14 Emrys started fish calling.
LJ2 landed on the nest with his half eaten fish.
13.18
Emrys left with the fish.
14.29 The crows were still around.
15.26 Bethan arrived looking for food. 372 was still on the tree.
15.36 Bethan was calling to her.
15.37 372 flew over with her fish.
15.38
15.39 372 left to chase the crow off the tree it had just landed on.
15.40 She then came to the tower perch. She cleaned her beak.
15.49 Bethan left with her fish.
15.49 LJ2 came to join 372
16.23 They were together just over half an hour then LJ2 left.
17.34 Emrys stayed close by the nest
18.10
18.47
19.19 Bethan is now here too.19.27
19.40 Bethan had left and now 372 arrives
They both watched someone fly past.
19.41 372 flew up to the cam pole.
19.49 Emrys was hungry.
19.55 372 returned with a fish for Emrys.
He grabbed her foot first.
Ospreys’ feet must be pretty tough - the amount of times they get yanked by a youngster!
19.56 Seven seconds later he lets go and grabs the fish.
372 moves a stick then flies off.
19.57 Emrys tucking in.
20.34
20.43 Last few bites
20.44 That’s him finished eating. He walks away from the fish.
21.18 Settled down now.