BBC2 Springwatch 2012

sad news that one of the Osprey chicks didnt survive the terrible weather

looking at the pictures theyve posted on their fb page it looks like they had a terrible flood there and I hope the everyone and all the other birds, especially the ground nesting ones have survived the onslaught

Just checked their FB page and the other chick is okay - so sad about the other little chick.

All the cams are still down due to the flooding, as you said PPH I just looked at their website and the Springwatch production office was under water.

I hope they are all okay and will be back up and running soon.

Lai

The site's still flooded, and there will be no coverage today. Looking at the news I'm not surprised. Its a shame as you say about the Osprey chick, but looking at the last show it was having problems with the other chick getting all the food. I'm afraid to say I think there is going to be more bad news after the weather at Ynis hir
WS

Ps just edited this. Looks like we were checking, and posting at the same time Lai

WS - great minds obviously!

Lai

update from fb

Dyfi Osprey Project
19:00 Folks, we had to do something today that we never thought we would have to do.

Those of you that watched the live streaming around 3pm saw that one chick had clearly died and the eldest chick was too weak to hold it's head up. Nora was on the nest and wouldn't feed her chick as she did not see the the food begging behaviour that she would expect. We have watched two chicks die in the nest during the last 9 days, we didn't want to see the last one go.

We took the difficult decision to go to the nest and remove both the dead chick and the one that was barely alive and try and feed it. After around 15 minutes we finally got him to take some fish. He/she was shaking and could not lift it's head. After around 30 minutes we had its crop around half full and he had stopped shaking - we immediately put him back in the nest and around 5 minutes later Nora was feeding him.

Intervention like this is not the norm and will, most likely, attract some criticism. At the moment, we feel we had no option but to intervene in this way.

All three ospreys now looking well on the nest in beautiful evening sunshine

Thanks for that news PPH, well spotted. No doubt there will be criticism, as this is not the norm, but I think in this case it was the right thing to do. It was'nt an intervention between a predator, and prey situation and it did'nt affect any other species at the time. Also it was'nt taken into captivity, but returned to the nest, after a helping hand These Ospreys are the first to recolonise Wales for a few hundred years so its important for them to survive, and expand the species in Wales.
On a personal level, I could never see any animals suffer, if I could help, and I dont know how people who who report on wildlife do it, although I recognise that it has to be done. So I suppose that makes me a tree hugger, but to be honest I dont care, just give me a tree, and I'll hug it

WS

Thanks PPH - I for one am so pleased they took the decision they did in helping this chick, it would have been tragic to lose all 3. Nature is very harsh and there has to be the odd occasion when we can step in.

No doubt as you say lots of criticism but there are always two sides to an argument/debate!

Lai

That really is sad about the Osprey chick but as it has been said, it was struggling against the fitter on on the programme. It is horrible to loose any life but as WS says, these Osprey are very important to the recolonisation in Wales and therefore, I too support the act to give the second chick a helping hand. It was put back in the nest and now the rest is up to nature I suppose but it deserved a chance.
Sometimes things are best left alone I suppose and thats hard for me to say but in this instance I quite agree with what was done.

Thanks for all the news and updates WS & PPH

littlewid-x-

Good News Guys, somebody's looking a bit better this afternoon. This is from the Dyfi Osprey Projects FB Page.

Click the link for the Video
https://www.facebook.com/#!/dyfiospreyproject
More good news Springwatch Web Cams should be on at 9-30 am Monday morning, so it looks as though the show will go ahead tomorrow night. They also confirm that all the Barn Owls are OK
WS

Thanks WS. I saw on their FB page that the barn owls were okay. Let's hope they are up and running for tonight's show and that the wildlife hasn't suffered too much. I think it might be a sad show tonight.

Lai

We caught up with Springwatch later last night - won't say too much in case everyone hasn't seen it, but I will say well done to all the crew and cameramen for getting as much as they could up and running again and for getting some new cams going.

I love the tree creeper cam

until later Lai

I'll second that Lai, there's been a lot of hard work put in to get it all together again, so well done to all the crews, and backroom staff. I wont say much either till we know everyones seen it, except to say, it was'nt as bad as I feared
WS

The Web Cams are all up and running again.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/18035848

WS

Such a shame the series has ended and the cams are down now.

I've last night's episode to catch up on but wish we could still follow the sandpipers and their chicks.

Lai

I think it's a shame it's over too Lai and that the cams are down and we can't follow all the amazing birds and like you, the Sandpiper especially. I think it was one of the best SpringWatches ever, however, I am not the only one that enjoyed it......oh no.....little Splodge has actually watched every episode from start to finish, no word of a lie, its true. Here she is watching the very last SW and this is how she has been throughout the whole series.











In this last picture she wasn't getting down she followed Lolo's hand as if he wanted her to move in the direction he threw his arm, it was so funny to watch.

Sorry about the slightly wonky pictures but I was lying on the sofa taking them on my phone.
littlewid-x-

I thought it was a really good series to, and I was relieved that not to many of our feathered friends, suffered in the storm although its 3 weeks it goes far to quickly, and you always end up, wondering what happens to nests, birds, animals we've been following.
Thats brilliant of Splodge watch SW, she looked as though she's really hooked on the show. Mrs S will love these when I show her
WS

The secret side of Springwatch
Ynys-hir
So long Springwatch
Posted 1 day ago by Russell Jones 0 Comments The Springwatch series is now over and the reserve will slowly get back to normal. The production village is full of vans and vehicles; equipment is packed away and our overflow car-park is full of lorries waiting to take away portacabins, tents and production vehicles. The live studio will be transformed back to a tractor shed by the end of the day and by next Tuesday all the cables and mini cameras will be de-rigged and there will be no trace that Springwatch was ever here apart from the memories.

It was a mixed spring for our wildlife. A number of tragedies - the loss of the kingfishers to mink, a feral cat predating the wood warblers and the death of runtie, the smallest of the nuthatch chicks. The appalling rain which flooded the production village and some of our lowland wet grassland. But, amongst these disasters, there was also good news. The barn owls look healthy and I am sure they'll fledge. The common sandpipers hatching just in time for the final programme and the redstarts fledging. It's been a good year too for our pied flycatchers with 49 pairs nesting in our nest-boxes and managing to rear around 4 chicks to fledging, which is great news. Despite the floods it seems that most of our lapwing and redshank chicks managed to swim to higher ground and on a visit to the main wader breeding fields yesterday I saw lots of chicks feeding well.



For the other wildlife that calls the reserve home, it's been a poor year. After little sun and too much rain, butterflies and dragonflies have been notable by their absence. Normally the woods are full of speckled woods and the fields a delight of common blues, green-veined whites and small coppers, but this year we've had a lot fewer than we normally see. As Springwatch departs and summer arrives I can only hope for some sunshine and warmer days. One of the iconic signs of summer is the arrival of the swifts and between June and August we're keen to know about any nesting pairs near you. You can tell us by clicking here.

The team of volunteers that have helped us in so many ways over the last four weeks are also departing. Some were students at Aberystwyth university who stayed on after their exams to give us a hand and they will now leave for their summer break. A few will continue volunteering for us - helping out in the Visitor Centre or carrying out hands on conservation work. Without their help it would have been difficult to run the reserve so effectively during such a busy period and many thanks to all for their help and we wish them good luck for the future.



Springwatch may be over, but there's still plenty of ways you can enjoy the wonderful wildlife where you are. Sign up to Homes for Wildlife and find out about the steps you can take to turn your own back yard into a widlife haven. If you fancy getting a bit further a field, why not check out our fantastic network of nature reserves. There's bound to be one near you that's ready to be explored.

P.S. Don't forget to submit your Make Your Nature Count results to tell us about the garden in your wildlife.

For other Springwatch news click the Link
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/ynys-hir/b/ynys-hir-blog/default.aspx

WS

Splodge was totally hooked on the show WS and glad you liked her pics

That was a lovely write up and a fab link, a good way to remember what has gone on with SW this year and also some brilliant photos on there as well , it's always interesting to know what goes on backstage........who would have thought the studio was a tractor shed

littlewid-x-