R’egg’ord Breaker?
11 May 2011
The wait is finally over. Despite an anxious few days of keeping RSPB Cymru staff and volunteers waiting a little longer than expected, the first Glaslyn Osprey chick hatched late afternoon on Monday, May 9.
The excited team are awaiting confirmation that this is the earliest Osprey chick to hatch on record in Britain.
Geraint Williams, Osprey Project Officer said: “It really has been a season full of surprises here at the Glaslyn Osprey site this year. The icing on the cake will be the confirmation that we witnessed the earliest hatching of an osprey chick in Britain”
The parents had a flying start this year when they arrived back at Glaslyn from their wintering grounds in Africa almost a month earlier than usual. They have laid three eggs and have spent the last few days carrying a great deal of fresh bedding into the nest in preparation for the new arrivals.
The continued success of this pair of osprey, now in their eighth successful season, is due in no small part to dedicated local volunteers who help to protect these birds from the ever-present threat of egg collectors and their chicks. Plus thanks to a little help from Páramo's and Andy Rouse's Aspira Fund.
Visitors to the RSPB Cymru viewing site at Pont Croesor, Glaslyn near Porthmadog can observe the nest and special moments like the male returning with a fish for the chicks. There are telescopes available and plenty of friendly advice from RSPB staff and volunteers. You can also enjoy dramatic close up views of the nest via a camera situated nearby. And all of this is set against a backdrop of stunning vistas of Snowdon and the mountains of Eryri.
The site has a live video link from the nest feeding into a TV screen in the visitor centre. This allows visitors to see flap-by-flap footage of the osprey family and can be viewed online via the following link http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/webcams/pages/ospreys.shtml
The viewing scheme is open to the public every day from 10 am until 6 pm until the end of August and is free of charge to all. Details can also be found on the RSPB website at www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature and there will be regular updates about the birds on the Glaslyn osprey blog at http://blogs.rspb.org.uk/glaslynospreys.