The 2018 Dyfi chicks have been successfully ringed.

We started our journey towards the nest at just after 8am on 9th July to avoid the worst of the heat and we got there in record time. The reserve around the nest was so dry, we could have walked there with our slippers.

The river creeks and all the usual wet bits were completely desiccated and solid underfoot. It was very 1976-like, it hasn't rained here for well over a month. The midges, horse and deer flies were close to unbearable.

Hydration

Thankfully when our ringer Tony got the chicks down to the ground they looked in excellent condition. Ospreys get all their moisture from their food so any periods of food shortage could be devastating during the weather we've had recently; luckily Monty has been a great provider and Telyn has been helping too with the odd catch of her own.

Telyn catches her own mullet to help with the fish supplies in the hot weather

We could see no fault-bars in any of the chicks' flight feathers (bright lines that sometimes manifest themselves at right-angles to the direction of the feather indicating a period of stress - usually food shortage). Their eyes were sparkly and their mobility rather active considering the temperature.

Bobby Bach - the youngest chick is a boy

Alys, Helyg & Dinas

We have two girls and one boy. Here are the names we have given them:

• Alys - oldest (female)
• Helyg - middle (female)
• Dinas - Bobby Bach (male)

As usual, we have named our chicks after Welsh rivers and lakes. River Alys is just up the road from us near Corris and we thought this was particularly suitable for the first chick that hatched. The very first meal of her life was an Allis Shad, quite a rare species of fish that Monty had caught.

Here's that very Allis Shad that Monty brought in to the nest, just as 'Alys' was calling for her first ever fish, from inside her own egg - before hatching... incredible video:

Posh Pete Test

So, how did the annual Posh Pete pronunciation test go?

They are pretty easy to pronounce this year to be honest, but here's the process we went through:

How to pronounce the names:

Alys = Alice

Helyg = Hell-ig

Dinas = Di-nas (said quickly!)

SOAR

As you know, we've had permission to use the music of Welsh and Senegalese harpists Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita for the audio track this year. It's the first track off their brilliant new album, SOAR, which was launched at the 360 Observatory back in April.

The song is entitled "Clarach", written in homage to our 2013 Dyfi chick who is now nesting in Queen Elizabeth Forest with her Scottish male near Aberfoyle. Clarach is the first Dyfi offspring that we know of to have returned to the UK to breed.

SOAR is released on bendigedig, a label owned and managed in common partnership by Theatr Mwldan and ARC Music Productions International Ltd. The album can be purchased via Catrin and Seckou's website www.catrinfinchandseckoukeita.com, or from the DOP shop (reopening September).

Many thanks to Tony Cross for coming over again and ringing our chicks for us - top job again, Tony.

So, without further ado, here is the 2018 Ringing Video