2020 ringing success

Many thanks to the NRW ringing team for a very efficient ringing again in not ideal weather conditions. I didn’t go down with them this year due to the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic. I watched from a safe distance at the gate.

All three chicks were weighed and ringed, had their DNA taken for the ongoing research being carried out accross Wales. The chicks were all healthy and in good condition despite the damp weather. The ringing didn’t take much more than 40-45 minutes. No sooner had the team reached the gate Seren had returned to the perch to watch over the chicks, Dylan stayed away, there was an intruder shortly after the team left. I think Dylan went after it, he returned back to the nest a few times after and later brought a large brown trout at 17.24pm.

The Smallest/ youngest chick was ringed 550 and weighed 1250g and is a Male.

The middle chick got 551 and weighed 1350g and is also male.

The biggest/ oldest got 552 and weighed 1450g and is also a Male.

With them all being males increases the odds on them returning to Wales to breed. This year has been good for Males being born at the Dyfi they had a brood of two males. Glaslyn is believed to have 2 females and 1 male.

Clywedog 2020 stats

Intruding Ospreys

With us having a camera on the nest this year. It has highlighted how often we get intruding ospreys landing on, or just visiting our nest. It has been a really useful tool in helping us understand the dynamics of other osprey intrusions and as a bonus we have been able to see one of our returning chicks land on the nest albeit briefly. How many birds have landed on the nest in previous years? Anyone of them could of been one of our returnees!

Tegid Z1

Intruding Ospreys are not likely to attack or intentionally harm the chicks on the nest, because at that stage it would be unlikely they would have enough time to breed on the nest, if they did some how manage to displace one of the established pair on the nest.

The “battling” for the nests usually take place early in the season usually before eggs are laid, there is always the exception as we found out in 2016. But oustings are less likely to happen in recovering populations like here in Wales. It would become a more common event as the population increases though.

Blue 24

Here at the Clywedog we have had 7 ringed ospreys land on the nest this year. Blue 24*, Blue 5F (Seren), Blue Z1 (Tegid), Blue 3J (Telyn)**, Blue KS_***, Blue 014 and finally our very own Blue KS8. We have had also atleast 4 other birds visit the area Blue 283, a Scottish male and two unringed females. There have been a few other birds spotted, on the webcam but with out being able to see anything to possibly identify them, it would be hard to rule them out from the other listed intruders.

Blue 014, a 2018 female translocated to Poole Harbour

* 24 is the breeding female at Llyn Brenig
** 3J Telyn is the breeding female at the Dyfi nest
*** KS_ we are not sure about the last digit on the ring, as it is damaged. It looked like a male, I would love it to be KS7. He landed on the nest but unfortunately his ring was mostly obscured by Seren who was in front of him most of the time
He landed here on the 15/5/2020 @14.17

Blue 283, 2018 female from Esthwaite in the South Lakes

Serens first chick.

At 10.25am 26th of May 2020 Serens first egg hatched. This egg was laid at just after 6pm on the 19th of April so it took only 36 days and 16 hours to hatch.

I was busy comparing egg splodges to work out which order the eggs were laid when I was messaged “we have a chick!” so I quickly stopped what i was doing and went back to YouTube.

Seren and Dylan had been fidgety all morning so I knew something was up, and that Seren are her fish on the nest too, that’s another tell tale sign tharlt things were close. Any way enough of my words heres the moment the chick started hatching. Check out how Seren reacts. She was very unsure and seemed quite nervous. But she has settled down nicely now and looks very much like the proud mum.

3 eggs for 5F and Dylan

Great news!

As of 8.50am this morning we have 3 eggs on the nest.

The first egg was layed on the 19th of April at around 6pm. You can watch her lay her first egg here, just listen to the sound she makes! I’ve never heard that noise before.

5F looking proud with her first egg.

The Second egg took me by surprise. I wasn’t eggspecting it quite as early as it was. The second egg came on the 22nd of April at just after 12pm. 5F took only 66 hours to make the egg. Watch her lay the second egg here.

Then there was 2!

Then along came the third egg, I was thinking it may be early just like the second egg, but this one came on 25th of April at 8.50am. It was nearly 69 hours after the second egg. Well done 5F and Dylan. Watch her lay her third here.

5F and Dylan stand over their precious brood.

I think the first egg should hatch around the 25th of May, I’m really looking forward to be able to watch the little chicks in the nest for the first time.

Dylan about to take his turn incubating.