Monty has left the Dyfi.
 
After spending all evening on his favourite larch tree perch, at 06:14 last Friday, September 4th, he took off north to gain some height and circled around. The last we saw of him, he was gaining height heading south.

Monty spent almost five months on the Dyfi this year (7th April - 4th September) - exactly 150 days, two days less than last year.

Here are two videos of Monty arriving - five months ago, and then his last 60 seconds with us this year on 4th September:

Despite arriving within just a few hours of Blue 24 on 7th April, he made sure that he was the last osprey left on the Dyfi by the time he left. Blue 24 departed two days earlier on 2nd September - was this a deliberate ploy by Monty to make sure she left first, did he wait for her to leave?

Here are the key statistics from this year and, for the first time, we have included Blue 24 into the key milestones table.

It is always a bittersweet time of year in September. Our favourite birds have, one by one, left the Dyfi. But yet, it's fantastic news that we started the year with two and ended with five. Or should that be six!

For the first time since 2011, Monty raised a family of three, and for the first time with Glesni. That's 11 chicks in five years - pretty good going.

I guess the only disappointment this year was the fact that we didn't spot any previous Dyfi youngsters returning, but perhaps we're a bit too optimistic? If they're alive, Einion would be four years old and Clarach and Cerist only two. Glesni and Monty do such a fabulous job of defending their nest from other ospreys, it's nigh-on impossible to identify other ospreys unless they perch within camera range - and that's within just a few metres of the nest. And remember that any previous offspring would not be treated any differently to any other non-related osprey. The filial bond will have completely disappeared by the time a son or daughter would return years later down the line - and that's if Monty and Glesni would recognise them at all. I'm convinced that there is no kin-recognition between parents and offspring as adults; so even if there was just that last bit of tenuous bond left, neither parent would recognise a relative from previous years anyhow.

Consider also that many birds are not spotted for several years, especially females who tend to be less 'philopatric' than males; their tendency to return to the place (or more accurately 'colony') of their birth is weaker. Cerist and/or Clarach could easily have been roaming around Wales and England this summer - they just weren't spotted. One thing is for sure, however, we will see a Dyfi offspring return one day - as the years pass by, the chances become greater and greater. The more tickets you have...

So as another season comes to a close, we rejoice that Monty and Glesni have produced three youngsters for the first time. DOP is still open 10am - 4pm until 27th September and the Live Streaming and Chat will continue until 30th September. After that, you're still not rid of us.

There will still be the occasional blog and Facebook/Twitter update and we have a lot of wonderous things planned for next year. If you think this season was good - wait until 2016! You wouldn't expect anything less would you?

For now, here is the last photo we have of Monty this year. Winter well dear friend, if only you knew how much happiness you have brought to so many people's lives.

Until next year...