Dyfi Osprey Data

At the Dyfi Osprey Project we pay close attention to the comings and goings of our ospreys. We record these carefully and the provide a fascinating insight into the lives of these migratory birds. Our 'Key Dates' table provides information on when the birds returned each year, when eggs were laid and when the chicks reached key mile-stones like fledging and ringing. It is so useful that we publish it each year on the back of our calendar!

It can be hard to keep track of the Dyfi ospreys and their off-spring so we have produced this handy graphic to help you keep track of all the birds who have made they Dyfi their home. 

From the moment the first osprey egg is laid in the nest each year we don't take our eyes off it until it hatches. The illegal collection of osprey eggs was a significant factor the population decline that lead to the birds extinction from the UK in 1916. With the population now slowly recovering and spreading across the UK we are able to add a little more science to our egg watching. From when each egg as laid to how long it took to hatch - we've got it covered. 

Ospreys are often identified by a coloured ring on their leg, Even without being able to read the letters or numbers on the ring we can learn a lot about the bird just by the colour of the ring and which leg it is on. All of the chicks hatched on the Dyfi nest have been ringed you can find their ring numbers the link below. 

Fledging is a major milestone for any young bird. Ospreys typically take their first flight when they are just over 50 days old. These first flights are a perilous time for the young birds, not only do they have to master flight but they have to learn how to land too!

In mid to late August each year the ospreys migrate from the UK to their wintering grounds in west Africa. It has taken just 14 short weeks for the osprey chicks to hatch, fledge and grow to a point where they are ready live independently. The chicks leave one at a time without their parents and make their own way south to the rivers of Gambia, Senegal and Guinea Bissau.

Osprey chicks hatching, fledging and setting off on their first migration are all exciting events but the first sighting of one of these youngsters returning as a adult is very special. At the Dyfi Osprey Project we have been fortunate that a good number of our birds have been sighted as adults in Wales and further afield. 

During the ospreys season we are always on the look out for other ospreys that visit the Dyfi nest. These birds are referred to as intruders as they disrupt the breeding pair at the nest. If an intruding osprey is ringed then we will record and report the ring number and find out where that bird comes from. 

All of the breeding females at the Dyfi Osprey Project have found their way to Wales from their home at Rutland Water. The Rutland Osprey Translocation Project really has helped the recovery of Ospreys in Wales.