What a great visit we had in late July to see the Brenig Ospreys ! Grateful thanks to Sophia, a lead volunteer at the project, for not only organising the occasion but also acting as our chief guide. Many of us will best remember her for her cheerful helpfulness in the Loggerheads shop. Disappointingly she has now moved on though still involved with the NL – our loss, the Osprey project’s gain. She was assisted on the day by fellow volunteer Andy, who was a fund of knowledge and answered our many questions with both expertise and good humour.
The good news is that Ospreys are now firmly established as a breeding species in Wales – a major step forward when we remember that they only returned to the UK at Loch Garten in Scotland as recently as 1954. There are now settled populations in Wales at Dyfi, Glaslyn and Clywedog as well as Brenig, with recent news of breeding in the Usk Valley too. The Brenig project is a joint venture between Welsh Water and the North Wales Wildlife Trust. The birds first attempted to breed here in 2017 and have now become firmly established. The current pair are raising two chicks, a male and a female and, thanks to first class technology, we were able to immediately see them at close hand on the Visitor Centre’s screen.
We were then split into two groups, with half of us staying in the Visitor Centre to watch developments whilst the second group pressed on to the hide where they could observe the birds at closer quarters and with the naked eye. The chicks were ringed much earlier in their development so there’s a good chance we’ll hear a lot more about them in the future. They will also be given Welsh names, though many enthusiasts prefer to use their ring numbers.
The groups then changed places. We were so lucky with our timing. Whilst the chicks didn’t fledge (take wing) during our visit there was some vigorous wing beating on the nest as the birds practised for their first take off, already looking fully grown and more than capable. Their flight to West Africa wouldn’t be long delayed and they both fledged a few days later. The second group had the chance to watch the chicks devour a fish brought back by the male parent.
We also learned about other inhabitants of this special part of North Wales from our guides. A small population of the rare willow tit is being closely monitored and supported, and fallow deer, water vole and polecat are also there. Even a pine marten was spotted recently. After a fascinating morning, we finally adjourned to the splendid café for a lunchtime snack overlooking the lake. All agreed that it had been a splendid event – special thanks to Sophia for organising and leading – and to all the other friendly faces we met on the day. We look forward to keeping in touch with things there.