Has the question finally been answered?

Ever since the our male returned on the 4th of April, we were unsure just who he was. I did think it was Dai dot at first. In fact I would change my mind so many times a day. Every one knows just how difficult it is to get an ID of a bird at distance. I have used all the excuses under the sun or rather lack of it. Poor light, long distance and so on. In some photos he would look like Dai, when he was on the nest and under bright light he would look like Dylan.

When your on your own, with no one to help you when you need it, it’s a tough call. So I have to wait till people can get back to me. It also gives me another chance to review my footage and edit any photos I’ve taken. Then try to make sense of what it was I’ve just witnessed.

Today though I think might just of answered the question just who is the current male here now. Just when our male arrived back with a fish, he wasn’t alone! Another bird had spotted him from up high. Both Delyth and the male were both looking skyward when I spotted another osprey circling high above the nest.

Dylan lands with his fish.

The intruder lands on the nest, next to Delyth.

Erm what are you doing here?

The male then took the fish to the trees on the left of the nest. Delyth then landed on the nest and watched the intruder. Then it came down to the nest and landed on it! I could see his legs clear as day and could see no darvic ring, that it was a male. The female was mantling and calling. Both birds looked quite shocked at each other and if you could see my face I was shocked too!

Then both birds took flight and flew around, then towards me and over the trees. Then only one had returned to the nest, it was Delyth. The intruder had gone. Who was it? Well I managed to get a picture of it. I couldn’t believe my eyes it looked like Dai dot!? But that must mean the our current male is Dylan!

The intruder, Dai Dot? Showing his two very distinct dots above his beak

This lead to more questions though, like did Dylan oust Dai while no one was watching? Well I don’t think so, simply because the male that arrived here on the 4th had some damage to his tail feathers. This intruder didn’t. So he has only just arrived. Or at least only just shown himself here today. So now I am more sure our male was Dylan all along. I have noticed a few good things about him so far, such as the fact he has come back earlier this year which is good. He also seems to have improved with his fish supply.

Dylan showing the damaged tail feathers

The intruder, Dai dots tail feathers completely intact.

Finally I’m sorry to have maybe given people hope that Dai dot had taken back his old nest. It is a difficult job, which I do enjoy and I always try to give you as much correct info as I possibly can.

2018 A new year and new hope.

The new year is here and I’m very excited as there is around 90 days till Delyth and Dylan return. Each year I feel the same, both excited and anxious about their arrival. Last year (feels strange saying that so soon) Delyth arrived on the 1st of April. Dylan made her wait 16 days and arrived on the 17th of April. He is lucky that there is a significant imbalance of females to males, as he could of had a battle on his hands if a new male or even Dai dot had got there first. Hopefully Dylan doesn’t make us wait quite as long this year.

The new year brings new hopes and challenges. Like will they have better luck with the weather this year and have three young again. I really do hope so as each and every new osplet brings a higher chance of seeing them again. Our first young from 2014 will be four years old and will most likely (if they haven’t already) be looking for a nest of their own. That is of course if they have survived the rediculous odds of survival in their first year. In 2014 we had two chicks a Female ringed 1A and a Male ringed 2A both with blue darvic rings on their right legs. But as a few eagle eyed people may of noticed their rings were put on the wrong way round and may get misidentified while inflight. 

Now i don’t know which of the two have survived as neither have been seen in the UK or Africa yet. That’s not to say one or even both have perished, because there is still alot we don’t know about their migration. We are learning so much through satellite tracking, the technology is improving all the time and the trackers are getting smaller and lasting longer. I think they are now approaching the right age for them to be actively looking for their own nest site, which is why I am very hopeful one of if not both may be seen again this year… But where? If philopatry is anything to go on it would suggest that 2A should retern to Wales, here’s hoping. Whereas 1A being a female doesn’t follow this and could end up any where. Though it would be nice for her to atleast return to Wales. 

Then there is the young from 2015 3A, 4A and 6R. They will be three years old this year and should be coming back too. I don’t know alot about this brood but I believe there was two females and one male, unhelpfully I don’t know which is which. So come on home and show yourselves please, we need to know. If they did return they are unlikely to breed this year but not impossible. They would likely be looking around and building up an idea of where all the other ospreys are. We associate this with all the intruders each nest gets in a year. 

The brood from 2016 will we see them? I think it’s unlikely but if they do return they would be two years old this year. They were ringed X3 a male X4 a female and the one we are unsure about X5 because of the difference in age and size it only weighed 1.15kg at ringing. I personally think it was a female but hopefully one day she will show her self.