It's been a strange old week to say the least.
On Monday morning the DOP office and visitor centre were broken into and several thousands of pounds worth of damage done. Nobody was hurt, we weren't there at the time, but it seems that the only motive was cash - the float was taken out of the till, around £70.
Three PCs that run the Live Streaming and other ospreys video feeds - just wanton destruction
Computer hardware can be replaced. Indeed, after the initial shock of the intrusion, the only thing that I kept thinking about with any degree of melancholy was the destruction of Kim's work. Kim is our Learning Officer, and after speaking to over 600 children at an event in Aberystwyth a few days before, it was heartbreaking to see some of her work she had prepared for an upcoming event destroyed.
A 32-inch monitor destroyed for no reason
Materials and recourses to be used to further our children's education about small birds and the environment just smashed for the hell of it. This part of the crime was hard to reconcile.
Thankfully, most of the solar glasses came through unharmed!
Words can't express the our gratitude and appreciation shown by so many thousands of people. Over 1,200 messages on Facebook and several thousands more via email, twitter, telephone and in person of course. It's not often the ospreys make front-page news in the local paper, this this week we managed just that!
Thank you all so much. We're truly humbled by the amount of care and love shown by so many people. This crime has made us stronger instead of weaker; we're even more determined than we were a week ago to make the 2015 osprey season the best ever. They broke our equipment on Monday but not our spirits. As Freddie used to say, 'The show must go on...". We'll make sure that it does.
On Friday, someone was looking down on us at the Dyfi. For the first time this century, the UK experienced a Solar Eclipse that was visible through a thin band of clear sunny weather across Mid-Wales and parts of the Midlands. For the hour-long show, we were bathed in blue skies before the clouds and rain moved in. Maybe Karma does exist!
We built the 360 Observatory as a nucleus to bring people together to experience the Natural World from a different level. If ever there was an event that was the epitome of what the 360 Observatory is all about, this was it.
This is what we saw... (Music: The Poet by U137)
We're nearly there! We are 85.4% of the way to our £10,000 target, a phenomenal response since the appeal started just two weeks ago - thank you all so much.
We have borrowed a PC to get the Live Streaming going this last week - it was back up just 24 hours after the robbery. There's no audio yet and there are a few tablet platforms out there that won't display the Live Streaming properly, but we are working flat-out on it. It should be an all-encompassing service once again by the end of this week.
We have also received donations to help us after the robbery; the amount is difficult to quantify at the moment but we think it's at least £3,000. We will use this money to boost our security; from toughened glass, to new doors and security locks, to High Definition CCTV surveillance equipment and a lot more that the police have asked me not to expand on.
Many people don't use social media. If you are reading about this for the first time and would like to donate, you can do so in the usual way.
Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust would also like to show our appreciation to Dyfed-Powys Police who have been brilliant throughout the whole process. Diolch yn fawr i chi gyd.
The window has opened, the seven month wait is at an end and the winter of osprey discontent is over.
Glesni's Grandad, White 03(97), returned to his Rutland nest on 17th March and the Glaslyn female was back on her nest shortly before 6am on 19th March.
The Glaslyn female returns to her nest for the 12th season in succession on 19th March 2015 - she's raised 26 chicks to fledging age so far
We'll see a lot more returnees this week, but when will Monty and Glesni be back?
Monty usually returns during the first week in April, and Glesni arrived two days later in 2014. History tells us that breeding females come back earlier as they get established, she may have to if she wants to avoid another battle with her cousin, Blue 24.
Glesni's Auntie, Nora (Monty's first breeding partner), was back on 24th March in 2012 - that's the day after tomorrow as I write! It won't be long now.
Despite being eclipsed this week, twice, the sun will continue to shine and we are back for another season. The show is about to begin. Thanks again for all your support; it's time once more to keep calm, look up and, for this week of all weeks, smile.
