Llyn Clywedog 2025 Season

Llyn Clywedog is a reservoir situated near the B4518 road north of Llanidloes, Powys, Mid Wales. The reservoir is owned and operated by Severn Trent Water, with oversight and regulation by Natural Resources Wales. A sailing club and a very active trout fishery operate on the reservoir. The fishery stock the lake with tens of thousands of trout every year.  

In 2004 the Forestry Commission erected an osprey platform; responsibility for this was taken over by Natural Resources Wales and it was eventually occupied in 2014, and has been used every season since then.

In 2024 the unringed osprey known as Dylan returned to the original nest (Nest 1) for his ninth season as the resident male. Since 2020 the resident female has been Blue 5F(12) (known as Seren - Welsh for Star). She hatched in Rutland in 2012. Previously she had for several years been unsuccessful in attracting the sole attention of a male to a nest at Pont Croesor. This pair have produced:

2020  3 males 550 (in 2024 he bred in mid Wales), 551 (seen in 2022) and 552
2021 1 male 496 (seen in 2023)
2022 1 female 553 and 2 males 554 and 555 (the last of whom returned in 2024)
2023 2 males 8B1 (predated by a goshawk before fledging) and 8B2 (who we hope will return in 2025)
2024 3 males 8B3, 8B4 and 8B5

5F Seren has regularly been seen in Africa in winter for many years - she was last seen in the Gambia on 12 February 2025.

In 2024 both adults  returned to the nest on 28 March, very much in line with previous years.

In 2023 a natural nest (Nest 2) was found towards the southern end of the reservoir. From this nest Blue Z5, a 2020 bird from private nest in North Wales and an unringed male produced a single female chick who was ringed 7B9. In 2024 this pair fledged 2 young, 8B6 (male) and 8B7 (female). Z5's father was blue Z1, a 2016 chick from the Dyfi, whose parents were Blue 12 (Glesni) and the unringed Monty. Sadly the tree which held nest 2 was blown down by storm Darragh in December 2024. It is not feasible to establish a new artificial nest nearby; it is hoped that the pair which built the first nest can establish another nest in 2025.  

There is no visitor centre or other facilities. The nest can be observed from a temporary hide in a layby off the minor road. There is a footpath close to the nest which is closed and blocked off during the nesting season.

There are at least two locations where Clywedog chicks of Dylan’s with the previous female, the unringed Delyth, raised young in 2024. 

The nest is curated by the area NRW ranger John Williams; he has a blog on this link. There is a more comprehensive history of the site in his blog. John goes well beyond the call of duty to support the ospreys and ensure that the cameras are running etc. Information on the camera feeds etc, will be added to this post when available.

All images are copyright Natural Resources Wales. 

There is an active Facebook group for the nest on this link. The group tries to record all fish deliveries which are collated for analysis.