A team at Llyn Brenig, a Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water-owned visitor attraction in the heart of North Wales, has been working hard for the last 10 years to provide a suitable nesting site for ospreys, to help boost their numbers. Ospreys are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Conservation Act 1981 and in 2022, two chicks (named Olwen and Gelert) were reared and fledged successfully.
A volunteer group monitors the live webcam feeds from the osprey nest and nearby perch. Their contributions are a vital part of the security measures undertaken at the site. They also contribute to sharing key moments of the breeding season with the osprey-cam’s many viewers.
With the help of volunteers at the Osprey Lookout and Hide, visitors to Llyn Brenig are able to watch, and learn about, these magnificent birds.
Dave Wittrick (below) is a volunteer at the Brenig Osprey Project who has contributed more than six hundred hours of his time in the past two years to volunteering. He said: “I have a passion for birds of prey and experience in display falconry and captive breeding and so, after retiring in 2019, I became a member of the North Wales Wildlife Trust. At the beginning of 2022, the Trust launched the new remote Osprey Watch. I signed up for that and I was hooked! I volunteered to help at the Osprey Lookout as well.”
“It is such a privilege to be able to watch and study wildlife in the company of like-minded people. And I take pleasure in sharing our wildlife stories with members of the public and enthuse in them an interest in wildlife.Thank you to both Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and North Wales Wildlife Trust for running these projects and offering opportunities for people like me to contribute.”
The Lookout is open daily from 10am to 5pm during the breeding season and is a popular destination for visitors keen to find out more about the breeding raptors on the opposite shore of the lake. The Hide is open from May to September; it is situated about 150 metres from the osprey nest and provides fantastic views for watching or photographing these birds in action. With over 2,500 acres of forest, moorland and lakes with stunning upland scenery, Llyn Brenig boasts a visitor centre, café, gift shop, osprey exhibition, adventure playground, cycle hire, mountain biking, walking trails, world class fishing, sailing and other watersports.
Groups, organisations or individuals that would like to volunteer with Brenig Osprey Project should contact Sarah Callon at sarah.callon@northwaleswildlifetrust.org.uk.
For more information on the project, visit the Llyn Brenig website.
Welsh Water is unique in the water industry as it is owned on behalf of customers. Since 2001, it has been owned by Glas Cymru, which was formed in April 2001 for the sole purpose of acquiring and owning Welsh Water. It does not have shareholders, and any financial surpluses are reinvested in the business for the benefit of customers. Welsh Water is investing heavily and working hard to ensure top quality services to all the communities it serves. The company is set to invest £1.8 billion between 2020-2025 in its water and sewerage network. The company serves most of Wales, Deeside and Herefordshire. It is one of 10 water and sewerage companies in England and Wales and is the sixth largest.
The North Wales Wildlife Trust is the leading charity in North Wales dedicated exclusively to conserving all its habitats and species, and it cares for 35 nature reserves spanning over 950 hectares. Together with its 9,500+ members, 400+ volunteers and supporters, the organisation is bringing wildlife back to North Wales. It campaigns for the protection of wildlife and invests in the future by helping people of all ages to gain a greater appreciation and understanding of nature.
Osprey Europe Hikelite 26
£94
Discover Animals is a small team dedicated to bringing you the latest conservation and nature news. If you enjoy our content, please support our work with a donation from as little as £1.
