© Sophia Evans
Osprey watch homepage
Thank you for helping protect these amazing birds.
Your Osprey Watch Session Homepage
Thank you for your help. This page aims to put to all the tools you need for your 2 hour session in a single, easy to use location.
Both camera links are available on here with the monitoring and disturbance forms and emergency contact flow chart.
Log what you see
Disturbance monitoring form can be found here
If you spot an osprey with a fish, log it: Collection of fish data input here
Observations of unusual, funny or good for social media behaviour here
Emergency Plan
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Overnight Observation |
Action |
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Unauthorised human presence near nest in the night (defined as anywhere within the 150m perimeter fence) |
Call 999 and ask for officer dispatch. Provide police reference C034995. Inform Welsh Water duty manager in the morning on 01490 754974 Complete incident log (see below) and forward to llynbrenig@dwrcymru.com |
| Possible human activity near nest (no visual confirmation) in the night (voices, lights close to nest etc) | Call 101 and provide reference number C034995. Note time of incident, inform Welsh Water duty manager in the morning on 01490 754974. Complete incident log (see below) and forward to llynbrenig@dwrcymru.com |
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Birds alarm calling in the night, not suspected to be linked to human activity. |
Complete the disturbance monitoring form above.
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DCWW Incident Log
Brenig Conservation Plan
For guidance, queries and feedback email:
Examples of osprey disturbance behaviours
Ospreys are listed as a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and as such it is an offence to disturb them, intentionally or otherwise, at an active nest.
Disturbance refers to any activity that disrupts the natural behaviour of a nesting osprey, often causing them to leave the nest, become stressed, or abandon their eggs or chicks which can significantly impact the breeding success.
When disturbed an osprey will show a behavioural response e.g. alarm calls, mantling, leaving the nest to investigate perceived threat or even abandoning the nest altogether. When an osprey leaves the nest at critical points during the season due to disturbance this can lead to eggs or chicks being predated or exposed to the weather causing hypothermia or an unviable egg.
The videos below provide examples of this behaviour. There is also included a video which shows how the female solicits for a fish when she is on eggs or chick and does not fish for herself.
Osprey battle for brenig nest 09052024 (https://youtu.be/oEzn3DvCZSI)
Example of how an osprey behaves when disturbed/threatened by another osprey.
This video provides an example of 372 defending the nest and chicks by herself. 372 is alarm calling, mantling with her wings (holding out her wings, shaking the wings, making herself look bigger). Flying from the nest to chase away the intruder.
Example of LJ2 defending the nest. 372 is flying chasing the intruder and briefly tries to land on the nest. LJ2 alarm calling and mantling (holding out his wings, shaking his wings).
Example of male osprey LJ2 protecting the nest before any eggs laid.
Example of both male and female osprey protecting the chicks from an intruder. Both alarm calling, mantling with wings and one leaves nest to chase away intruder osprey.
Male osprey chasing away crows who can predate eggs in the nest. LJ2 is very good at chasing crows.
This video shows a good example of disturbance behavious and also food soliciting behaviour by the female.
An example of the call a female osprey gives when she is hungry and wants the male to bring her fish.
An example of a prolonged attack on the nest by an intruding female and male, also the behaviours of the resident osprey pair defending the nest.