Water blogged

Wet, wet, wet...that's the only way to describe north Wales these last few days. It's been just horrible weather over the weekend and was especially bad yesterday when it rained almost non-stop and the two Glaslyn chicks looked thoroughly fed-up throughout.

They are way too big to fit under 'Mum' now, but that didn't stop her from spreading her wings out umberella-style and trying to wedge both huge bodies underneath her. They seem to feel that if their heads are tucked underneath then they are keeping dry, despite the bottom two-thirds of their bodies poking out into the splattering rain.

They were absolutely drenched yesterday. Their feathers are water-resistant to an extent but can't stand up to a pounding from such relentless rain so they all just got completely sodden through.

Thankfully, the rain and wind has not impaired the male's fishing ability and he brought back fish after fish yesterday, helping them to keep their energy levels up and stay warm. Good chap!

Luckily, the weather forecast for this week looks better and this is a great time to come and watch the chicks as they spend much more time on their feet now and are taking an active interest in things beyond the nest.

The two youngsters have been starting to exercise their wings more and more, and often spend a few moments just vigorously flapping. They are getting used to their wings and are developing their muscles ready for the big fledge in a few weeks time. In around a week or so, the flapping will become more productive and we will see them hover for a few moments above the nest. This is a kind of fly dry-run before taking off for real.