VISITORS OF EVERY KIND

Trout delivery

During the past week, viewers of the nest cameras will have been treated to a constant stream of fascinating activities, most regular being the fish deliveries which are definitely paying off in terms of the rapid growth and health of the two young chicks. Listing fish deliveries over the period 8 – 11th June found that 4-5 fish came in daily with the species returning back to trout again from late on 9th. The chicks continue to develop rapidly, and are now roughly equal in size and less inclined to argue with each other.

Chicks rapidly developing

There have been a fair few sightings of osprey intruders, a not-unusual occurrence at this time of year when prospecting two-year-olds are chancing their wings in territories across the UK. We saw Blue 4R1 briefly touch down on the nest on 10 June. Believed to be a female, she hatched in a West Midlands nest in 2024 from an egg laid by a 2019 Clywedog female.

Intruder 4R1 drops in

Another interaction between a visiting osprey and Syfaddan on 14 June was recorded by a Field Watcher on the Allt with its fine view of the whole of the Usk Valley around the nest. The pair proceeded to perform a synchronised aerial display for a good twenty minutes or more covering a distance of at least 3 parishes, when at last they were lost out of sight. Syfaddan returned to the nest alone over an hour later allowing Clogwyn her well-earned break from nursery duties. However, this foray was not without its dramas as in her desire to dip her ankles in the waters of the Usk where it loops and therefore more stagnant, she managed to collect some very dark matter, most likely rotten organic waste, which she then deposited in the nest.

And another close encounter of an aerial kind was that of the very welcome sight of a cuckoo which was seen on camera preparing to land on the nest (until seeing Clogwyn there!) at 15.43 on 11 June.

Cuckoos, like ospreys, migrate from Africa to breed here and are a red-listed species. Normally confined in this area to along the margins of commonland (where their nest host, meadow pipits, are most common) there has been a notable increase in farmland and lowland habitats in 2026.

One flew over the osprey nest

Less rare, unfortunately, was the sight of a drone operating not far from the exclusion zone around the nest. In this instance it was found to be a harmless mistake with apologies all round but it goes to emphasise once again the importance of adhering to the security requirements relating to the osprey, a specially protected Schedule 1 species.

Very much down to earth, the Canal Towpath viewpoint has hosted a wealth of visitors all week with our Watchers enjoying the company of holidaymakers from all over Europe. And Saturday, 13th June proved particularly enjoyable with spillover visitors from the big Questars biking, hiking and kayaking event at Talybont-on-Usk dropping by to learn more about ‘our’ osprey family. Also welcome were members of the UK Gay Birders Club gathering from all over the UK for a birding weekend in Wales. It's gratifying to see how the ospreys have become ambassadors for this beautiful area.

Visitors to the Canal Towpath Viewpoint