Not long to go now..
Well, another week has passed and we still have five ospreys here at the Glaslyn. On Saturday, our protection staff observed all three chicks on the nest, with a fish kindly delivered by Dad. Brown Trout was on the menu, a fish large enough for all three hungry mouths. YE got her share first, whilst her brothers waited patiently for their turn. At the same time Mum returned with a fish of her own to the feeding tree. The two adult birds then perched together for nearly an hour, will this be the last time we see them together this season?
With the two male chicks fledging earlier than expected we thought they might be quick to head off to Africa. At the moment all three chicks look quite content to stay around the valley with regular fish supplied by Dad. An ordinary day is usually quiet to begin with. Mid-afternoon is when the action starts. The male returns with his latest catch and delivers it straight to the nest. Here, Dad is greeted by a calling chick, most frequently our female, YE. Sunday was particularly busy. Between 4pm and 5.30pm our male brought three fish to the nest, one for each of his offspring. We also had good views of the red kite that has been with us all summer.
The project has just over two weeks left for this season and we are very surprised to have so many ospreys to show our visitors. Many Scottish based ospreys will have begun their migration so we will also be keeping an eye out for any passing through!. Who knows, maybe our 2006 chick O8 will pop by to see his old home. The big question is which of our chicks will depart first? The smart money is on our eldest chick, YD. Though as this season has shown us, you can never tell with these birds!
Finally, a get well message to our wonderful volunteer Judith who is in hospital recuperating after a nasty accident. See you soon Judith.