Here at the Oakeley Arms we’re incredibly proud of the rich wildlife that lives in abundance here among the wild hills, rocks, crags and forests of Snowdonia and the region.

And one of the greatest success stories in the area in recent years is the Glaslyn Osprey Project. In 2004, the Ospreys caused excitement among nature lovers in the area when a breeding pair returned to the marsh lands of the Glaslyn river, after many years of being absent. Osprey’s first disappeared from Britain at the turn of the 20th century. They returned to Scotland sometime in the 1950s and were first spotted in Wales during the late 1990s. But it wasn’t until 2004 that a breeding pair of Ospreys were known to have returned.

Ospreys (sometimes known as the Sea Hawk, River Hawk or Fish Eagle) are birds of prey, most usually found near water because, as their name suggests, their diet consists mainly of fish and seafood. British Osprey’s spend the winter months along the coasts of Africa, enjoying the warmer climes, but return to the UK during the summer months to breed, hatch their chicks and rear them.

Osprey by Yathin S Krishnappa via Wikimedia Commons

The breeding pair of Ospreys that were spotted in 2004 were the first known breeding Ospreys in Wales, which led to huge excitement for the area, and investment and expertise from the RSPB. The birds were seen in trees along the Glaslyn valley – a prefect spot to enjoy the rich catches from the nearby river.

Sadly, in 2004, the Osprey nest was destroyed by a storm and so there were no new Osprey chicks that year. Over the winter and with the help of local school children and support from the RSPB, a wooden platform was erected around the nesting site. Everyone involved with the Glaslyn Osprey Project waited with baited breath for the Osprey pair to return in the Spring. And return they did! They made their home in the same place, helped by the specially built platform and raised their Osprey chicks there.

The RPSB opened a viewing area so that anyone interested in the Ospreys could observe them from a safe distance. The bird charity also helped to ring the chicks, for future identification and studies, and to protect the Osprey eggs from predators.

The breeding pair have returned to the Glaslyn site every year since, and have raised a total of 23 chicks from the nest. Thanks to the ringing and identification marks, some of these chicks have been spotted as far afield as Scotland.

In 2012, the RSPB handed the site over to a local not-for-profit community group, who continue to look after the Glaslyn Osprey Project today. You can visit this remarkable site and see the stunning Ospreys for yourself (open April to the end of August) or you can tune into the webcam near the nest to see what the Ospreys are up to today.

For more information, visit the project website at www.glaslynwildlife.co.uk