Clarach is Monty and Glesni's first born chick. She returned to the UK in 2016 and breed for the first time in 2017
Year of Birth | 2013 |
Place of Birth | Dyfi |
Parents | Father - Monty (unringed), Mother - Glesni 12 (2010) |
First seen at Dyfi | Yet to return to the Dyfi but has visited Glaslyn, Rutland, Keilder and Aberfoyle!! |
Breeding Years | 2017, breeding unsuccesful in 2018 and 2019 |
Chicks Fledged | 2 (2 ♂) |
Chicks | LH0 (2017 ♂), LH1 (2017 ♂) |
Likes | Web cameras |
Dislikes | Anonymity |
Distinguishing Features | Large bird |
Ring Number | Blue 2R |
Clarach was hatched on the Dyfi nest in 2013. She was the first ever chick for Monty and Glesni 12(10). Her and her sister Cerist were an unusually late brood in the osprey world. Glesni did not lay her first egg that year until the 22nd of May, Clarach hatched from that egg on the 28th June.
Monty and Glesni's first chick hatches on the 28th June 2013 - Clarach
Clarach weighed an incredible 1,710g when she was ringed on the 6th of August 2013. Her fledging was uneventful compared to that of her sister who required a full search party to flush her from the salt marsh and back to the nest.When Clarach left the Dyfi nest to migrate on the 18th September 2013 she was 82 days old.
Clarach shortly before she started her first migration in 2013.jpg)
Fast forward to the 3rd of May 2016 and Clarach is sighted again - in Wales!!! She landed on the Glaslyn nest, about 30 miles North of her home on the Dyfi, you can read about her return here, have a look below at the moment she landed.
Video courtesy of ©Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife
Clarach certainly made the most of her summer in the UK, after making a second appearance on the Glaslyn nest in North Wales she then appeared at the Manton Bay nest at Rutland Water before heading further North and landing on a nest in the Keilder Forest. Where else she went we don't know but visiting three nests with webcams in under two weeks is pretty amazing.
Clarach lands on the Manton Bay nest, Rutland - Picture Tony Shooter
Clarach's tour of nests in 2016 gave us great hope that she would return and hopefully breed in 2017. On the 13th of April we received a call from Rutland Osprey Project to say they had sighted Clarach on a nest. Great news, but there was even better news to come, a few days later Forestry Commision Scotland contacted us with this image to say Clarach had landed on yet another nest with a camera and was pair bonding with an unringed male.
Clarach and the unringed male on the Aberfoyle nest - Picture Scotish Forestry Comission
On the 4th of May 2017 Clarach laid her first egg, and then a second and then a third! Sadly one of the chicks did not survive beyond a few days old. However, Clarach and the unringed male did successfully raise two male chicks, ringed LH0 and LH1 to migration. The chicks have been fitted with tracking devices and their progress can be followed via Forestry Commission Scotland and the Lodge Forest facebook page.
Clarach and her chicks aged about 3 weeks old - Video Forestry Commission Scotland
Here is a little compliation we put together to celebrate the arrival of the next generation of Dyfi Ospreys Video Here
Clarach returned to the nest in Aberfoyle in 2018 and 2019 however, in both years she failed to raise any chicks. In 2018 her eggs were predated by a raven and it is uncertain what happened in 2019 but no chicks were hatched.