Is mystery third osprey a 2005 Glaslyn chick?

The third osprey made a dramatic entrance this morning. At around 9:30am it launched an attack on the nest, missing it only by inches.

The Glaslyn pair were both on the nest at the time and protected the chicks, shielding them from harm. The Glaslyn male then flew up and began chasing the attacker off, screaming threateningly all the while. It was quite a show for five minutes or so with both birds screaming and flying so close to each other.

It disappeared as suddenly as it had arrived but had certainly succeeded in shaking things up and both Glaslyn adults have been agitated all day. The female particularly has been restless and fidgety, going to and fro between nest and perch.

This third bird is still a bit of a mystery. There has been some hopeful speculation that maybe it is one of the Glaslyn chicks raised in 2005, returning to scout out its own nest site for when it is ready to breed. Both the 2005 chicks were ringed before they fledged - each had a yellow ring placed on their right leg (the eldest had the number 37 on and the youngest was 39).

If a ring like this was visible then we would know beyond doubt. Unfortunately, these frenzied scuffles in mid-air don't provide us with a clear enough view to make out a ring at all.

It would be wonderful to think that one of the 2005 chicks was now a healthy adult, back here in Wales and thinking about raising a family of its own. However, it does seem unlikely that a Glaslyn chick would be so threatening and be greeted with such aggression from the parent birds. It seems more likely (but not as romantic!) that this is another, unrelated, adult bird trying its luck.

Sometimes at this later stage of the season single ospreys will attack a nest to see if it is weak enough to be taken over and make it into their own territory, ready to return early next year and use the nest itself. Perhaps we will learn more with further sightings, it has certainly kept making an appearance here, so there's little doubt we will see it again.

Meanwhile, inside the nest we can just about tell our little ones apart at the moment. When younger the chicks had a white marking in a line along their spines, which eventually disappears after four or five weeks. One of the chicks still has this line, whilst the other doesn't. They are getting bigger by the day and are about three weeks or so from fledging. Exciting times indeed!