DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NEST
The news item on 3rd of June described the first 24 hours in the life of the Gilestone nest chick. Just over a week on, it is still doing really well.
The number and length of feeds in a day has increased as expected, and the chick is growing rapidly in size and strength. It is much more mobile within the nest cup and can easily turn itself to face the direction of a parent and the possibility of a feed. Having previously only been viewable from the cup cam, now its head can be seen from the nest cam when it reaches up for food.
Syfaddan passes morsel of fish to Clogwyn
The parents are doing well too. Clogwyn has been an almost constant presence on the nest, brooding and feeding her chick with increasing expertise. Both parents continue to add materials to the nest in preparation for the chick becoming more mobile.
Syfaddan’s behaviour has changed considerably. Having always been eager to incubate the eggs (even though it took him a day or two to perfect the skill initially) from the moment the chick hatched he stopped incubating. This is normal. Male ospreys rarely brood chicks. Brooding is the job of the female. Males are genetically hard-wired to become the provider and protector first and foremost from this point onwards. But there is another task he can assist with.
On Monday 9th June, with the chick one week old, Syfaddan had brought in a massive fish. Clogwyn was feeding the chick and Syfaddan, who was holding the fish, was feeding himself. Then, as the female reached towards it, Syfaddan passed her a morsel in his beak which she accepted. Perhaps a practice exercise or a sign of his thought process at least. He then leaned towards the chick in what looked like a brief feeding attempt, but Clogwyn was closer and beat him to it.
There were other occasions after this when it became clear that Syfaddan was indeed attempting to feed his offspring. Then, early on Tuesday morning, with Clogwyn briefly absent, he succeeded. The eager chick reached up and took its first feed from its father.
Syfaddan succeeds in feeding his chick for the first time