Decided to stop off on the Cleddau on my way back from Carmarthen this evening for an 'Osprey watch', nothing at a cool Picton Point but at Millin Pill, from probably the only viewing spot, an Osprey perched up in a tree on the lower west bank. It was clearly a juvenile - broad dark band across the chest, dirty smudges on the otherwise white crown, pale tips to the wing & tail feathers, and most importantly broad white fringes to the scapulars and coverts on the upperwing. Given the dispersal of Ospreys from the breeding sites, I have to pose the idea that this bird was bred locally. Once fledged the female departs swiftly, and the male stays with the young birds until they leave. For example, the Dyfi youngsters are all still at the nest site near Machynlleth as of today, with the female departed but the male still in attendance - the 3 youngsters fledged between 27th July and 3rd August.
I watched the bird perched and do 2 solo flights between 7 and 7.30pm when a heavy shower set in - the clincher to prove local breeding would have been a male returning with a fish but I didn't see it!
Park at approx SM 995 138, walk down path to shoreline, view south down pill and bird was perched in trees on RHS where pill bends out of view approx SM 993 134.
Info on the Dyfi birds: http://www.montwt.co.uk/dyfiospreys.html
2 Green Sandpipers here too.
0 comments:
Post a Comment