Reunited and Re-bonding

Saturday, 4 April, brought blustery weather as a prelude to the arrival of Storm Dave that night. Nevertheless, Clogwyn was actively nest building on and off between 07:41 and 17:09

Red kites and buzzards were also in evidence close to the nest, and two kites were observed pestering Clogwyn on the National Grid perch at 12:22, where she had taken a fish. 

Easter Sunday was seemingly a day of rest for Clogwyn and the slightly storm-battered nest was left untended up until early evening. Instead Clogwyn took a fish to the National Grid perch and stayed there till 11:30 before disappearing into the oak copse. She returned to the same perch at 15:55 with a second fish, and might have stayed there to finish it, but at 16:29 another osprey descended onto the nest. Thought to be female from her underwing markings and darkly marked chest, she was unringed, so identifying her was not possible for the Watchers. But Clogwyn had identified her - as an intruder. The defensive resident female mantled briefly and then flew up towards the nest, carrying the remains of her fish with her. The stranger on the nest did not wait for her to arrive and beat a hasty exit. Clogwyn touched down just seconds later but took off again immediately and raced after her. Two ospreys were observed flying to the river. One turned back with the remains of a fish. The other headed on upstream and was soon gone.

Unringed intruder Sunday 5th April

Monday, Clogwyn was back at the nest at 06:21 industriously nest building till 09:02 and then took time out to go fishing. At 14:35 observers on the towpath saw an osprey with a fish coming from the direction of Llangors, first to the valley oak and then to the ivy tree. They noted it looked too pale to be Clogwyn. At 15:35 the bird began to sky dance, first flying steeply upwards, then hovering, and then stooping and falling before swooping into the same sequence again and again whilst emitting the unmistakeable call of a displaying osprey; a repetitive, high pitched ‘eep’ ‘eep’ ‘eep’. The watchers on the towpath could hear it and Clogwyn most certainly heard it. She knew the song and the singer. She was spotted flying down the valley and returning to the nest to wait for him. The display had by now lasted around twenty minutes. Then Syfaddan arrived at the nest with some soft nesting material in his talons and they made their first mating attempt immediately. 

Syfaddan returns carrying nest material

There were 6 mating attempts in total that day and Clogwyn was food soliciting repeatedly but was not yet rewarded with a fish. Both birds busied themselves with the nest and by 20:00 both had departed to roost for the night, probably quite close by. 

Mating on day 1

On Tuesday morning Clogwyn beat her previous earliest arrival at the nest by 45 minutes!  Both birds busied themselves with building work and nest cupping. But at 10:15 there was an intruder in the area. All three birds were seen flying over the Spinney, with two of them engaged in combat before the resident pair returned. At 11:00 Syfaddan brought his first offering of fish for Clogwyn. It was small and incomplete but there would be two further fish deliveries during the day. However, the best fish seen by far was so big that Syfaddan failed to lift it clear of the water and instead had to drag it through the shallows to the bank, whereupon it escaped his talons, fell back into the water and made its getaway. 

Wednesday saw more early morning activity when Clogwyn arrived at 05:45 and Syfaddan at 06:05. There were six mating attempts on the nest (down from 11 the previous day) but there was also one attempt noted well away from the nest. A good reminder that although most osprey matings happen on the nest or close perches, it doesn’t necessarily follow that all of them are. Clogwyn may still be fishing for herself, despite her very vocal food soliciting calls. Clogwyn brought a partially eaten, previously unaccounted for fish to the nest at 16:13 and did not put up too much resistance when Syfaddan took it from her. There were three fish in total for the day.

Syfaddan wing flaps as an unidentified osprey flies past (visible above Syfaddan against ploughed field)

Thursday and another early start to the day with both birds arriving at 05:42 and mating immediately. There were two further mating attempts before nest building began at 06:22, The work continuing till 08:24 when Syfaddan brought the first fish of the day. At 11:52 Syfaddan circled from the nest and seemed agitated, wing flapping and mantling on his return. At 11:54 another osprey was seen in the middle distance and Clogwyn arrived at the nest, she too seemed anxious. Clogwyn was carrying a fish but the unidentified bird was not, so there could be no doubt of an intruder in the area, though it did not come close or try to land. Peace resumed for the rest of the day, as did nest building, fish delivery and mating. The pair called it a night by 20:29.

A Canada Goose visits the nest - but there’s nobody home.

Luckily the pair were both absent on Friday morning when a large visitor landed on the nest in the shape of a Canada goose. It was perhaps just as fortuitous that it didn’t stay long enough to meet the residents! Later on, Clogwyn brought in another unaccounted for fish, which Syfaddan took away from the nest, although he did bring in further provisions for her later in the day. There were twenty mating attempts throughout Friday, the most recorded so far, and though not all will have been successful, it is still an indication that their reunion and re-bonding is going well.

Clogwyn (left) Syfaddan (right)