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.
11.56 Bethan returns with her fish, announcing her arrival372 joins her
12.18 She waits on the nest with Bethan
12.43 then leaves. Bethan is still eating.
12.49 Bethan leaves, she takes the tiny piece of fish that’s left and a clump of grass in her talons.
12.59 372 returns to the nest 10 minutes later fish calling.
13.47 She waits for half an hour then leaves, returning about 15 minutes later calling for fish.Again she waits. An alarm call is heard, I don’t know if it was 372 or someone else.
14.26 She departs in a hurry up into the sky behind the tree.
14.56 372 returns to the nest, immediately mantling and chipping.
15.00 After 2 or 3 minutes she stops and is quiet.
372 flies off.
15.25 Meanwhile, a short while later, LJ2 has got himself a fish and takes it to the tower perch. A mullet I think.
He starts to eat.
16.00 He stops feeding and leaves.
©️NWWT, WW, BOP
16.03 372 returns to the nest
She is fish calling.
LJ2 arrives with his headless mullet
372 takes it
16.04 Off she goes with her fish.
16.05 LJ2 hangs about a bit longer. He looks up to the sky.
16.06 Does a bit of cup scraping.
16.07 Then goes on his way.
17.38 372 came to the tower perch.
18.39 Bethan was first back to the nest.
19.05 LJ2 brought her a fish a short while later.
19.06 She took the fish
Emrys joined her
19.07
19.08 He didn’t stay long.
19.24 Emrys returned about 15 minutes later.
19.33 Bethan had had enough and stepped away from the fish.
19.35 She then flew off leaving Emrys now eating the fish.
19.58 The sun is setting, Emrys is still eating and Bethan has returned.
20.10 Emrys has had enough and left the fish. He’s off now.
20.15 Bethan gets second helpings.
20.26
20.46 Bethan released the fish, mostly skin, and flew off.
20.49 372 is still on the tower perch. She has had a good old preen. A yoga stretch now.
21.25 Looks like she’s spending the night there.
21.45 Currently still there. The nest is empty.
17 August
Good morning. 372 was still on the tower perch until 05.43 this morning.
She flew onto the nest
and was joined by Bethan
05.44 then Emrys.
372 had spied the leftover fish skin from last night. Both juvies were very noisy as 372 tried to eat the skin.
She abandoned it and left.
05.45 Bethan decided she’d have it. This was not going to be easy for her.
05.47 I’ve lost count how many times she tried to swallow that skin!
05.50
05.55 She was on and off the nest, took it away and brought it back.
Emrys was around too but just ignored it.
06.54 Bethan was determined.
08.07
Bethan flies off with the skin again.
08.15 Emrys arrived at the nest.
Bethan joined him, misjudging her landing and hitting his tail.
Emrys gave her a look!
08.19 Bethan no longer has the fish skin, so it’s either been swallowed or dropped.
08.20 They spend a short time preening then they’re off again.
10.44 Emrys got a fish from LJ2
11.03 He didn’t eat long and Bethan was there to take it after he left.
11.06
11.35 Bethan ate for half an hour then released the fish and flew off.
11.36 LJ2 flew on and landed precisely on top of the fish.
With both sets of talons in place, LJ2 flew straight back up and away a second later.
12.38 An hour later Emrys flew to the nest fish calling.
12.39 372 arrived with a headless fish for him.
He eagerly took the fish.
Bethan arrived.
12.46 She waited as Emrys ate.
13.05 Bethan flew off. Someone made an alarm call
Emrys quickly departed with his fish.
15.07 Bethan hung around the nest for most of the afternoon.
17.23 Emrys was with her when LJ2 arrived with a fish.
Both juvies went for it but it was Bethan who claimed the fish.
17.24
18.07 Emrys waited as Bethan ate.
18.35 372 then delivered a fish for Emrys.
372 left the 2 happy youngsters with their fish.
18.47 Bethan stopped eating.She then flew off, leaving her fish on the nest. She landed in lower branches of the tree.
19.35 Emrys ate a bit longer. Then he left, taking his fish to the post marked.
19.37 372 came for the fish that Bethan had left.
19.38 Bethan followed her on.
372 began eating the fish.
19.58 Bethan waited then moved closer to 372
372 started feeding her. She’s been doing this funny angled upside down head when feeding the youngsters as they became bigger!
20.34 Between the 2 of them, the fish was finished.