We have two new chicks!

Just to let you know, two chicks have hatched this week already and we're eggspecting the third to make an appearance hopefully sometime Wednesday (24th) or Thursday.

Young Karis will be looking after you on the blog side of things until the end of the season and keeping you up to date with the latest goings on. Karis is our new People Engagement and Biological Recorder; I'm sure you'll all make her feel very welcome over the next few weeks, she is very excited to start her new role as a DOP blogger!

Expect a blog about all three chicks (hopefully!) sometime on Thursday and a video too later on in the week - may even put some music on it.

Dai Dot  

We had an intruder osprey over the nest this afternoon.

As the bird approached from the east we managed to get a couple of wide angle shots of it. It's a dark male (as is Dai) and he had two prominent white dots above his beak. Have a look..

Intruder osprey approaches Gelsni's nest

A dark-chested male, no rings and two dots. Hmmm...

We certainly didn't get a close enough look at him to positively ID him as Dai Dot, but perhaps more tellingly, Glesni alarm-called but not as aggressively as usual. Almost as if she knew this bird.

The intruder then flew to one of the electricity poles next to the reserve and found Monty on the adjacent pole munching through a mullet. Monty didn't bat an eye lid, nictitating or otherwise. Did these two birds know each other? Did they know that neither was a threat to the other?

Posh Pete was volunteering today, he's going to keep an eye on Pete's Post at the mouth the estuary where he lives - one of Dai Dot's favourite perches in years gone by.

We haven't seen Dai for over a year now, 27th April 2016 to be exact. We're cautious at the moment with the ID, but let's hope it's him. Blue 24 is still doing her best Bridget Jones impression around the Dyfi.

Exciting heh? If we get any more, we'll let you know. Look after Karis for me ☺