If you come up to Llyn Brenig in the next few weeks, you’ll notice some major changes near the osprey pole! Aside from some additional physical security measures and the lovely new platform, there’ll also be far fewer trees around – read on to find out why …

As those who will have read our earlier posts will already know, Storm Arwen wrought havoc when it came calling in late November – including blowing down many of the conifers in the plantation near the nest. This was expected to happen within the next few years in any case, and we’d already been planning how to deal with it – lack of action not being an option in this case – but we’ve had to accelerate somewhat to keep everyone (ospreys included!) safe. Deciding what to do hasn’t been straightforward, and we’ve brought in some specialist advice from the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation to help us ensure that we’ve taken everything into account – especially about the welfare of the ospreys. As a result, we are going to fell quite a few of the remaining trees in the vicinity of the nest – with more to follow in the years ahead, with appropriate re-planting once an appropriate plan is agreed with NRW.

Although this will look relatively drastic, it will not be wholesale landscape change, and will also bring some explicit benefits. Ospreys prefer to nest in more open areas away from dense vegetation cover – where potential predators may be able to hide – so felling in the immediate vicinity will actually improve the site for them. Furthermore, we’ll be leaving some partially-felled trees and adding additional perching opportunities for the ospreys, too; whilst the work will also improve viewing opportunities from the osprey watchpoint (which will also help with site security).

A reminder – doing nothing here isn’t an option. Leaving the trees to come down in an unplanned, uncontrolled manner, as they inevitably would without intervention, would be the worst of all possible worlds. We’re hoping to turn the situation to our and the birds’ advantage, and hope we have your support in doing so.

More news soon, as ever!

Team BOP