Another ringed intruder plus Exciting News!
Saturday 17th August saw another new visitor to the nest and the resident female having to defend it on two separate occasions. This had been preceded earlier by behaviours from both the Gilestone pair that suggested they were not alone in the area. When the male lands beside the female with a fresh fish and she shows no interest in it at all, but both are looking skyward, it is quite obvious that an intrusion might be on the cards. They both flew off again, fish untouched.
Resident female warns an intruder not to land on her nest
A little later there were disturbed calls heard and the female landed back on the nest. She was very vocal, mantling and looking above her as the intensity of her calling increased. She spread her wings wide and flapped and then down came the intruder. It barely touched down, thought better of it and took off again, pursued by the female shortly afterwards.
Resident makes a move towards intruder, Blue 469
Blue 469 is evicted by the resident female
Over the next half hour alarm calls could be heard involving more than one osprey, and eventually the resident pair both arrived at the nest. But the male was quick to take off again. Down came the intruder, who once again decided not to take on the resident and departed as soon as the Gilestone female moved towards her.
For a while there were calls heard in the distance and then peace returned. The resident pair came back to the nest and finally got to share that fish!
The intruder, identified as Female Blue 469, hatched on a nest on private land in Lancashire in 2021. Her parents are Blue OA and Blue 3AX. She is also a great granddaughter of Glaslyn’s ‘Mrs G’ and 11/98. Now three years old, Blue 469 has bred this year herself for the first time, raising two chicks on a nest on private land in Mid Wales. She has become the first descendant of the original Glaslyn pair to breed in Wales.
EXCITING NEWS TO COME…..
Usk Valley Ospreys expects to be able to share some very exciting news in the coming days. So watch this space!