Saturday, 13 April 2013

Dynasty of the Glaslyn Ospreys


I called in to pay my respects to the pair of ospreys now into their tenth breeding season. Mother was sitting on the three eggs laid on the 6th, 9th and 12th of April and a fish had just been delivered. After the disastrous 2004 season when both chicks were killed, in a storm which broke the nest, the parents have gone on to rear twenty one chicks so far.

What I liked most of all was the family tree showing the records of five of their offspring. Yellow 37, born 2005, was identified in Northumbria last year where she reared two chicks. Black 80, a male born 2006, has taken up residence in Dumfries, where his Dad used to be. So far he has fathered nine chicks. 

If 1 in 3 of the Glaslyn osprey chicks goes on to produce an average of 2 chicks a year for 25 years ...... that’s a heck of a lot of ospreys.

This is the last year of the Glaslyn osprey site being run as an RSPB affair and next season it will be in the hands of a local community venture. Whoever is in charge there is always the need for volunteers and at the moment a few extra hands are required – if you can spare the time for guarding the nest or for meeting the visitors, please get in touch with Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife at bywydgwylltglaslyn@gmail.com

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