Osprey return

[bigyetiman]

And at 16.45 our Swallows arrived back and are busy inspecting their nest from last year

 

[Marigold]

One in eight bird species under threat of extinction, see https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/23/one-in-eight-birds-is-threatened-with-extinction-global-study-finds
- but according to the IUCN Red List report quoted in the link in the text, ospreys aren't doing too badly.
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22694938/0

 

[Margaid]

Mrs G laid third egg at Glaslyn yesterday and Blue 3J laid her second at Dyfi this morning.

Live Steaming at Dyfu is off-line at the moment as they're changing servers,

 

[Hen-Gen]

One in eight bird species under threat of extinction, see https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/23/one-in-eight-birds-is-threatened-with-extinction-global-study-finds
- but according to the IUCN Red List report quoted in the link in the text, ospreys aren't doing too badly.
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22694938/0

A cause of great sadness. Once a species goes extinct then it is probably lost for ever. I say probably because tissue culture and cloning may prove successful in times to come. The puffin is certainly declining here. Warming sea temperatures have driven it's main food source (the sand eel) furthur north and broods are failing as a result of starvation. Predation of this species is also increasing as a result of the burgeoning increase in the skua population. With a life expectancy of circa 25 years it can withstand the odd year of reproductive failure but what is happening now is on a different order of magnitude.
Will we, as a species, wake up in time or will me make our world uninhabitable?

 

[rick]

Will we, as a species, wake up in time or will me make our world uninhabitable?

I don't know Hen-Gen. There wont be much point in reviving species if they don't have a habitat to return to. We are locked into our little political bubbles while birds are global.
I work with trees and it seemed very obvious to me that while the great and the good were banging on about drought resistant species (a south of England mindset), the North is getting wetter - something that the arb thinkers of note are only just taking on board. I do think that the problem, technology and, of course, this crazy evolved habit of growth at all costs, is the only thing that can come to the rescue. We're just not going to go backwards but it is about time we managed things properly.
Back in the 50's we thought we could discard our environment and live in bubbles - its becoming obvious to even the most gung-ho oil driilers now that just one little storm dwarfs all our efforts for a year (unless fusion, miraculously comes on line.)
I think we are turning the corner. Its remarkable that we've only been burning both ends of the candle for 150 years and are already thinking in glacial time frames of effect. We are just another species that has evolved over millennia. I hope we're as good as we think we are!

 

[Marigold]

Another development in Eastenders plot at Glaslyn today; a new male at the Post Croesor nest, courting Aran's girlfriend, who has already laid an egg, presumed to be Aran's.

"Breaking News
Update from the Pont Croesor nest
Rutland born 5F laid her first egg of 2018 at around 07:30 this morning.
https://www.facebook.com/BywydGwylltGlaslynWildlife/photos/a.167529850063941.1073741825.164696917013901/1000651803418404/?type=3

Despite perhaps, the somewhat unwelcome news that 5F has laid an egg which is probably Aran’s we now have perhaps one of the most exciting bulletins for a long time.
Last night one of our volunteers spotted a male osprey land onto 5F’s back. The bird was ringed on its right leg. Who was this bird? Our volunteer thought she could read a number 3 – could it really be? Was that an R next to it? If it was a 3 and an R it would be Gwynant – born at Dyfi on 8 June 2014 to Monty and Glesni.
Wind back the recordings, no recordings at the protection site! Get to the visitor centre – scroll back – patience, excitement – here it is – YES it is him – a Welsh male returned to Wales.
As a youngster he was a very determined and feisty bird – from what we’ve seen so far he’s lost none of it. Aran was at the PC nest as he landed. Gwynant stood his ground as Aran rapidly departed!
Gwynant remained in the area for most of the evening – although he hasn’t been seen this morning that doesn’t mean he’s gone – watch out for more updates and a video this evening."

And from the Dyfi site;

"GWYNANT IS BACK!!
At just after 7pm yesterday evening he landed on one of the nest platforms surrounding the Glaslyn nest.
Gwynant (Blue 3R) is a 2014 Dyfi chick and was Glesni's first son.
But LOOK - Gwynant has AMBER EYES like his Dad!
Blog and video tonight, WHOOP WHOOP, Go Gwynant !!!!!
Image ©BGGW
Congratulations, Llongyfarchiadau to Dyfi."
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/31408432_1871127112918154_2410759585557118976_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=ad1cc3adcebaed183d59053a7f9e5774&oe=5B5A2084

 

[Margaid]

Blue 3J at Dyfi has laid her third egg too!

Hope Gwynant stays with 5F and Aran stops his philandering otherwise one or other nest will suffer.

 

[Marigold]

One in eight bird species under threat of extinction, see https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/23/one-in-eight-birds-is-threatened-with-extinction-global-study-finds

- but chiff chaffs still trying it on
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2018/apr/30/steve-bells-if-the-thorny-issue-of-migrant-chiff-chaffs

Nice little BTO video about how to distinguish chiff chaffs from willow warblers here;
https://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-id/willow-warbler-chiffchaff
so you can report any sightings to the Home Office.

 

[Margaid]

Dyfi have decided that Glesni is not coming back So they are proposing to give Blue 3J a name, but not rivers or mountains which they restrict to Dyfi hatched birds as she hatched at Manton Bay in Rutland.

 

[rick]

Last year, I started watching Mrs G on the nest just as Z6, 7 & 8 were hatching so I didn't see the incubation time. Mrs G is doing a lot of full on sleeping at night on the nest at the moment but last year was very alert all night if I remember rightly, but that was after they hatched.
Tonight she is tucked up like hen Getting a good rest while she has the opportunity?

 

[Margaid]

Monty's mate at Dyfi is now called Telyn, which is Welsh for harp because she was incubating her first two eggs when they had Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita playing at the observatory.

This is the link to a video of them playing "Clarach" http://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/emyr-mwt/2018/05/02/telyn-blue-3j-has-name.

All the more amazing given this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-43927802

 

[Marigold]

What a wonderful lady, thanks for sharing the link.

 

[rick]

Its a really good album!
Aw, I want to go to Senegal now!

 

[Margaid]

Two chicks hatched at Rutland!

 

[bigyetiman]

Looking forward to Glaslyn and the rest of North Wales in a weeks time. At least it looks like being drier this time round.
family of Wrens just hatched in our shed. Buzzard chicks in woods nearby are getting very vocal, as are the rooks

 

[Margaid]

Getting to Glaslyn is jinxed! Last year, apart from the pouring rain the day before which meant that Marigold and OH, BYM and OH and yours truly couldn't get to the reserve because of flooding, I was fighting a problem with the power steering on the car. Set off this morning in the other car, brilliant sunshine and then about an hour and a half into the journey, in an area with no mobile signal I had a warning message "Tyre pressures too low" !!!!! Apparently all four wheels ... Stopped and looked but they all looked OK. Don't carry a pressure gauge because I always end up letting air out of the tyres. So no option but to drive gently until I reached a garage.. First one I reached after about 10 miles had a defunct airline so pressed on to Dolgellau - 10 miles through beautiful wild scenery although I wasn't in the mood to enjoy it. Finally managed to put air in all 4 tyres - and they did all appear to be at least 5 to 6 PSI low, despite being quite hot (which puts the pressure up). At that point, with 25 miles still to go I decided to call it a day and go home after ringing BYM's OH to explain I'll take the car to the garage tomorrow to get the pressures checked while they're cold. Maybe next year ...

 

[Margaid]

Mixed fortunes for the ospreys, but all seems to be OK at Glaslyn and Dyfi. At Manton Bay in Rutland the smallest of the chicks was literally left out in the cold overnight and died; Clarach, daughter of Glesni (from Dyfi who didn't make it back this year) lost her first egg to a corvid. She laid two more and a few days ago both of those were taken by a corvid. News from Denmark however is that Merin, a male hatched from one of Glesni's eggs in 2015, is breeding with an unringed female in Jutland

 

[bigyetiman]

What else can happen if we try to meet at Glaslyn, we now live in dread that if we try to meet there again, we could trigger an earthquake, tsunami or volcanic eruption or possibly all three.
Other than that we had a wonderful week in Wales, sunshine and warmth everyday, it was even windless at South Stack on Anglesey which was a 1st.
Nice to read that Merin is breeding in Denmark, better luck for Clarach next year

 

[rick]

Bound to be an earthquake! It comes in threes, you've all got to give it another go.
Its been too long since I was last in Wales so this summer...
Ive just put my car through the MOT. Apparently, next year they are going to phase in a new regime of testing that will include the engine management system and tyre pressure warning (and the air bag warning light that has been a nightmare on my C1. Its on, its off, etc. Air bag itself fine (how would I know?) just a seat sensor on the blink again - probably.
Something tells me good intentions are about to clash with reality when everyone fails (and has to buy a new car to boost the economy I suppose!)

Awww! Sorry, I just had to post this - fast asleep! (we need a hearts emoticon - or not, maybe)

 

[Marigold]

Yes, we had a lovely day together last year, despite the rain - it's good to know what people look like, after years of talking online. Sorry it didn't work out for you this year, Margaid, but I'm glad you got home safely. I'm now looking forward very much to meeting Val, who is coming to lunch in a couple of weeks - her leg is now better enough to enable her to drive and it's turned out that we actually live only half an hour apart. I'll have to tell the girls to be on their best behaviour (or what passes for it, in the case of stroppy Violet!) We're off to Exmoor next week, in our old BMW which is subject to a fault recall because of the possibility that the electrical system will cut out unexpectedly, - haven't been able to get it done yet so I hope it'll be OK.