Friday 17 June 2016

Day 17 - 30 Days Wild - A visit to see the Ospreys


* Today's random act of wildness - A visit to see Monty & Glesni *

Day 17 - Once again no boats to Skomer, so what better way to enjoy our day off than to see the Monty & Glesni at The Dyfi Osprey Project at the Cors Dyfi reserve near Machynlleth. It is one of Montgomeryshire's Wildlife Trust's flagship projects and I have been once before.

Below you will see the brilliant photos I could get...Ok, confession - they were taken from the television screens in the visitor centre where they have web cams constantly streaming live footage.

Screen grab from the visitor centre
Glesni feeding one of the chicks on the webcam

The reserve as a boardwalk and elevated hide that overlooks swamp and wetland, we stopped at the first hide to see what birds were on the feeders - there were siskins, chaffinches, blue tits, great tits, linnets and a jay very near by.

Lots of birds, Chaffinches, Linnets & Siskins
Male Linnet
Jay
Male Siskin

After spending quite awhile in this hide we walked along the boardwalk to the main 360 Observatory, along the way we spotted over 10 lizards on the way - all basking in the sun. It was fasinating to see how many different markings they had.

A lizard basking in the sun...
...and another one...
...and one more!
Only another 130m to the observatory.
The lizards appear again  - this one looks like he's shredding it's skin (look at the end of his tail)
Extreme close up of a lizard!

Wildling happy we almost at the observatory
The observatory is amazing, an elevated hide that has now got a lift installed (so everyone at any ability can enjoy the Ospreys) - There are very powerful scopes set up so you can get a good view of tthe ospreys, but you can also see them with the naked eye too.

There's lots of information there including a log of all the fish they brought in last year. Very helpful and friendly staff that are more than willing to answer any questions you have.

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This is a pic taken through one of the scopes
Glesni & Monty are on the nest feeding the two chicks
Monty & Glesni
Glesni and one of the chicks
Monty with a mullet for lunch
He eats the head first, before taking the fish to Glesni
It is so awesome to see the ospreys, it is definitely a place to visit if you love birds. When we were walking back along the boardwalk we managed to spot a few more birds...

Needs IDing
Meadow Pipit
Not birds I know, but these are water buffalo on the reserve to keep the foliage down.

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