Close encounter of the second kind

May 29th - Ceulan receiving his first ever bit of food. Sadly the first chick to hatch (left) died two days later

Just over a month ago, at the age of 11 days, Ceulan the sole surviving Dyfi Osprey had a close encounter with humans when Emyr Evans and Al Davies stepped-in to save him from going the same way as his two siblings. Wet weather, unprecedented in living memory, meant that his parents Monty and Nora, who managed to produce three cracking youngsters on their first breeding attempt, were unable to feed and shelter the chicks. A shivering bundle, too weak to raise his head to beg for food, the outcome, without assistance, seemed inevitable. Removed from the nest temporarily, warmed, dried and fed human intervention had given him a second chance. (Sorry about that, seem to have lapsed into a bit of tabloid journalism there!)

http://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/2012/06/the-perfect-storm

How things can change! Yesterday Roy Dennis, Emyr, Janine and myself paid a much bigger and stronger looking Ceulan another visit in order to fit rings and a satellite transmitter before his imminent fledging in about a weeks time!

Trophy shot? No, just a photo of me at work! Wouldn't be the same without the bird in it!!

Last year's three young were also fitted with satellite tags and their migration dairies can be seen on the Dyfi Osprey Project's excellent website  http://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/home . Two of them, Dulas and Einion are still alive and hopefully enjoying much better weather in Sub-Saharan Africa! It will be fascinating to be able to follow the progress of one very lucky young Osprey.