Wildlife enthusiasts left heartbroken by update from Welsh osprey nest

Nation.Cymru Staff

Wildlife enthusiasts across Wales have been left heartbroken as Natural Resources Wales shared some sad news from a well-known osprey nest.

Ospreys have nested at Llyn Clywedog in Hafren Forest near Llanidloes since 2014, when the NRW team built a nest in a sitka spruce tree, and 22 chicks have fledged the nest in the 12 years since.

Since the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, livestream cameras set up at the nest have captured the osprey pair, Seren and Dylan, for fans to watch on YouTube, with the 2026 stream going live in late March.

Once the eggs hatch, the female osprey typically remains at the nest to brood and protect the chicks while the male provides food for both the young and the female. Osprey chicks usually fledge after around eight weeks.

Osprey pairs, who are monogamous and usually mate for life, can rear a maximum of three chicks at a time, so viewers were delighted to see the Clywedog couple had a full nest by mid-May.

However, Natural Resources Wales took to their Facebook page on 5 June to share an update confirming that the two-week-old chicks had sadly died from hypothermia.

They explained: “During cold, heavy rain on Wednesday night [3 June], the female left the nest, leaving the chicks exposed. The male continued to return to feed and protect them, but without the female he was unable to brood them.”

As there are two solar-powered cameras at the nest and a nearby perch, which have infrared capability and allow for 24-hour streaming, the NRW team at Clywedog turned off the livestream and, following expert advice, removed the chicks.

They added: “Thankfully, the female returned safe and well on Thursday night…

“We know how much these birds mean to so many people, and we share your sadness. Nature can be both beautiful and harsh.”

Many commenters speculated that the sudden change in weather may have played a role, while others wondered whether the female may have encountered difficulties away from the nest.

Though there are now more than 400 breeding pairs in the UK, ospreys remain on the Amber List due to historically low numbers and past persecution.

NRW added that, as the breeding pair are safe, they are now likely to prepare to migrate earlier than usual. The Clywedog female is known to spend the winter in the Tanji Marsh in Gambia, West Africa.

As of 11am on 7 June, the livestream camera on the perch appeared to have been turned off.

There are several other breeding pairs in Wales, including those at Gilestone Farm. They are currently rearing their chicks and a livestream can be viewed here.