What a relief! All three chicks from this year's nest appear to have left Glaslyn for Africa along with their parents, all safe and sound.
Local school children were asked to suggest names for the fledglings, and project staff chose 'Glaslyn, Glesni and Gwenlli' suggested by Euon Parry, from Ysgol Rhos Gadfan. A further six schools enjoyed visits from project staff who gave talks about ospreys and the other wildlife found in the area. Following on from this, 200 school children visited the site to see the ospreys in the flesh, and to join in with the activities on offer.
The team of staff and forty volunteers welcomed over 30,000 visitors to the site, all of who enjoyed great views of these fascinating fish eating raptors, and heard about their ecology and behaviour during the regular talks given in the centre.
The following quote sums up the visitor experience nicely:
'We made two visits to the Osprey Project at Glaslyn … and got some great views of a male on his favourite tree …The volunteers were enthusiastic and very engaging! My kids enjoyed seeing the tiny swallows in the hide nest too! And I thought the treasure hunt was a great idea for bored kids waiting to spot an osprey!'
The project officer is now taking a well-earned rest for a couple of months, before starting back again in January to make further improvements to the site, with new trails and activities for visitors. Take a peek at the Glaslyn osprey blog to see what else has happened this year.
Looking forward to seeing you all in 2010!