Monty arrived back on his nest on April 7th. Nora was not on the Dyfi waiting for him this year as she was in 2012, and has still not returned. However, after waiting 16 days with just Elin and a couple of passage migrants for company, his perseverance was rewarded on Tuesday morning, April 23rd, when this female suddenly landed on his nest.

Is it Elin?

Just like Elin, she was un-ringed and had many similar features. However, on close inspection it became clear the this female was, in fact ,a new female to us and most probably Monty as well.

Hello....Who are you?

She was around the same size as Elin but had a much darker plumage, particularly around the chest and head. She also had thinner legs. She had one redeeming feature that stood her out however - her voice! Since her arrival, her continual calling and food soliciting has literally filled the valley with an orchestra of osprey sounds. Not little sonatas or a baroque chamber quartet jobbie; full blown symphonies - percussion, choir, and all the woodwind. The lot.

Why is she making such a racket? Lots of reasons, but primarily, to start with anyway, food. She is nagging Monty to go and catch fish for her - he caught four mullet and a flounder for her on the first day she was here. The poor lad was worn out.

Have your fourth mullet of the day luv... still hungry?

There is obviously a reason for all this behaviour. She had a concave chest when she landed on Tuesday, she clearly hadn't eaten for some time. But there may be another reason, one that is much more deep rooted and scientifically important.

If, and it's a big 'if' at the moment, this female is not paired up and on her way back to her previous nest/partner, she may be prospecting for a nest site and a decent male to boot. She may be a three/four/five year old looking for her first opportunity to pair up and start a family. If she is, she needs to make some huge decisions that could decide her breeding success not just for 2013, but for the rest of her life possibly.

Decision time in the Welsh rain

Her overriding aim in life is to pass her genes on to as many offspring as possible. She can't do this alone. She needs a male to contribute his 50% quota of the DNA but importantly, she needs a male that will be a good provider of fish for her and her (hopefully) many offspring.

Male gorillas thump their chest, red deer roar the deepest and loudest, female ospreys screech and incite a fishing competition. It's a bit more complicated than this, but that's it in a nutshell. This female needs to be as sure as she possibly can that Monty is not a wet drip that catches minnows every other Friday if he can be bothered. She saw him catch five fish on Tuesday - in months to come, he will need to do this on a daily basis with three chicks and a wife to support. For her genes to successfully pass to the next generation, she needs a good fisherman and Monty needs to prove that he is one. Simples.

How will we know this female from others in the future other than from behaviour if she's not ringed? Plumage patterns, obviously; her general size and appearance; but also her eyes. She has, as many ospreys do, very characteristic dots on her yellow irises, particularly in her right eye. It's a bit like iris recognition technology in humans.

Eye, eye, I know who you are

Will Monty's new girlfriend stay? Well, as I write, she has been here on the Dyfi for exactly three days. Each minute, each hour, each day longer she stays, the better the chances. She has allowed Monty to mate with her right from the off - a good first positive sign. Monty is now fishing for all he's worth, his chances of breeding this summer and passing his own genes on, may well depend on his piscatorial performance over the weekend. Try saying that after a glass or two of Mullet wine. Sorry, mulled wine.

This new female has been the star of the show this week here on the Dyfi and certainly a star in the eyes of Monty. We have therefore called Monty's new girlfriend 'Seren' which means star in Welsh. Pronunciation is easy: "SER-EN".

A week ago today we finally, after four years, added audio to the nest pictures. Look out for a bit of a techie blog over the weekend. A blog explaining how we got to today, how to get the most out of your computer/device, and some basic troubleshooting advice (everything should be working now). There will also be a blog about Nora next week.

Finally, and just to prove how noisy Seren is, have a look at this incredible video of her screaming over a light snack. Poor old Monty!

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Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust has around 20 nature reserves in all, Cors Dyfi is just one of these. Please see the Press release below about a stunning woodland called Dolfowryn Woods which is currently under threat unless we can raise £2,000 to save it. Thank you - Diolch yn fawr.

Cyclist pedals 2000 miles to save local woods!

 Newtown cyclist Philip Thomas has volunteered to cycle 2000 miles across Europe to raise money to help save his favourite childhood playground.
 
Dolforwyn woods is a  Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve Near Abermule and has, for the last 4 yrs, been leased by the Trust from the previous owners who transformed the previous Forestry Commission woodland into a high quality wildlife habitat being home to rare species of plants, insects, birds and mammals.
 
The lease is fast running out and to save this vital habitat, the Trust is launching an appeal at the end of April to help purchase the woods which will ensure they are safe for the future benefit of people and wildlife.
 
Phil has agreed to use his long distance cycling experience to help get the ball (or the wheel!) rolling and raise money for the appeal.
 
Starting April 1st he will be cycling a distance of 2000 miles over 6 weeks from Thessalonika in Greece to Estonia in Northern Europe, wild camping along the way despite unusually cold temperatures for this time of year! He will carry a GPS spot tracker which will help supporters follow his progress on his blog – philip89thomas.blogspot.co.uk.
Phillip says “I’m hoping it will get warmer very soon and I’m looking forward to the challenge, I hope people will join me to save this lovely woodland for the future.”
 
For more information on Phil’s epic journey and how to support the Dolforwyn Woods Appeal visit the MWT website at  www.montwt.co.uk.

Philip on his European quest to save Dolforwyn Woods