LLYN BRENIG 2 July 2024 - FEBRUARY 2025

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.

  • 08.15 372 spent some time on the tower perch.


    08.19


    09.49

    09.54 LJ2 was here too.

    10.10

    10.32


    ©️NWWT, WW, BOP

  • It’s Bethan’s turn on the tower perch now.

    She arrived at 11.51


    12.26


    14.09


    14.24 a yoga stretch


    14.28 and she’s off.


    ©️NWWT, WW, BOP

  • 14.51 LJ2 paid a short visit to the tower perch.


    14.54 Bethan to the nest


    15.00

    16.05 LJ2 to the tower perch

    Bethan to the nest again.


    16.34


    ©️NWWT, WW, BOP

  • 17.07 The clean up crew get to work.

    17.26


    18.36 Bethan is back. I’ve not seen any fish delivered today.


    18.41 She’s quietly mantling and looking upwards.


    18.49


    Off she goes.

    19.38 Bethan returns for one more asking for fish.


    19.40


    19.57


    And she leaves for the night.

    ©️NWWT, WW, BOP

    So it looks like Emrys has left on his migration. I’ve not seen 372 since this morning.

    Has LJ2 stopped fishing today to encourage Bethan to go as well?

    We’ll see what tomorrow brings. 

  • Recent post from Brenig FB

  • 5 September 

    Good morning. Today Bethan is 95 days old and Emrys 93.

    Bethan slept overnight on the nest perch. She started her own dawn chorus at 06.09. 

    06.14 After 4 or 5 minutes, her wings could be seen flapping and she flew down and off to the right.

    she then returned to the nest, announcing her arrival as she landed.


    Quiet chirps could be heard in the background - LJ2? stopping after a few seconds.


    06.15 Bethan looked around, the nest was eerily quiet, just the soft rumble of the wind on the mic.

    06.18 LJ2? appeared flying upwards over the water. His flight trajectory could be seen in the misty sky.

    Bethan watched as he flew inland to the right.


    She briefly vocalised


    06.21 


    06.27 She looked in this direction a lot.


    06.28



    06.30 she vocalised loudly then left.


    08.07 Bethan returned to the nest an hour and a half later.


    She called and flapped for a few seconds


    08.08


    08.09 She didn’t stay long.


    08.14 She landed on the tower perch for the briefest of appearances.





    I’ve not seen any other Osprey visits to the tower perch so far.

    08.16 The neighbours arrived for a nest clean up


    They stayed for around 5 minutes.

    ©️NWWT, WW, BOP

  • Well who’s a lucky girl then! Bethan got a fish from daddy.

    09.33 She arrives back at the nest.


    09.41

    09.45 She’s fish calling


    09.46 Here comes LJ2 with a large fish.


    Looks like a brown trout. He’s had a little himself before delivery.


    Bethan quickly takes the fish.




    LJ2 leaves


    09.48 Bethan looks around for a few minutes 

    She vocalises


    then leaves with her fish.

    ©️NWWT, WW, BOP

  • 09.53 Bethan returned to the nest three minutes later.


    09.55 She took her fish to the other side of the nest to eat.


    10.09 


    10.16 she’s finished for now, vocalises


    and departs with her fish.


    ©️NWWT, WW, BOP

  • 09.47 LJ2 has been on the tower perch a few times.


    10.12 


    13.06 He brought a half eaten fish.


    13.23


    13.39 Still there now


    ©️NWWT, WW, BOP

  • 13.55 LJ2 left with his fish.



    Nobody has been back to the nest or perch since.

    15.55 The PTZ cam went looking in the area and found someone, I think it’s LJ2.


    A zoom in reveals an Osprey on the tall post. Looks like it’s eating.


    ©️NWWT, WW, BOP