Successful ringing of osprey chicks at Llyn Clywedog marks annual highlight
In a significant conservation milestone, three osprey chicks were successfully ringed at the Llyn Clywedog nest in Hafren Forest on June 20, adding to the growing success of the nest protected by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
Expert NRW officers used a cherry-picker to carefully retrieve the chicks from their nest, bringing them to the ground to be weighed, sexed, and ringed. The chicks, now identifiable by their blue rings with the numbers 8B3, 8B4, and 8B5, can be tracked as they mature and migrate.
All three of the chicks are thought to be male. 8B3 and 8B4 weighed 1.4kg and 8B5 weighed 1.2kg. All three hatched between 20 and 24 May 2024.
This event marks another successful step for the osprey nest at Llyn Clywedog, which has seen 22 chicks fledge and migrate since its establishment in 2014. The nest, built by NRW staff on a platform high in a Sitka spruce tree, has proven to be an ideal environment for these migratory birds.
Through ring identification, the resident female of Llyn Clywedog is known to spend her winters in the Tanji Marsh in Gambia, West Africa, before making the long journey back to Hafren Forest to raise chicks.
John Williams, Technical Support Land Management for NRW, shared his excitement:
"This is a special time of the season. Seeing these chicks up close is a rare privilege, and knowing our efforts help track their amazing journeys is incredibly rewarding.
"Ringing is invaluable for understanding where the ospreys go once they leave the nest, and for assessing the health of the chicks at an early stage. While the process is stressful for both chicks and parents, we make sure to work quickly, carefully and to take steps to minimise their distress. The chicks are soon back on the nest and returned to their nest and resumed normal activities shortly after."
Live footage of the ospreys at Llyn Clywedog is available on YouTube by searching "Llyn Clywedog Ospreys" or by using the following links:
John added,
"We encourage people to tune into the live stream and witness these remarkable birds in their natural habitat. Watching the livestream offers a unique opportunity to see the daily lives of ospreys and learn more about the species."