Glaslyn osprey finds new lovebird and set to become dad again

An osprey who lost his mate has found a new lovebird and is set to become a dad again.

Aran returned to Glaslyn, in Eryri, also known as Snowdonia, in April.

His partner, Mrs G, did not come back and is now believed to be dead after 20 years of returning from Africa to Wales.

But Aran, named after the national park's Yr Aran summit, has partnered up with a new bird in Wales.

She has been named Elen, after the mountain Yr Elen, which sits in Eryri's Carneddau range.

Rebecca Phasey, education officer for osprey protection group Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, said: "Aran attracted a new partner to the nest, and they bonded for a few weeks.

"And now she has laid two eggs. So we're so hopeful we'll see chicks in the Glaslyn nest again."

The reserve volunteers believe Elen is a young bird, and this may be her very first breeding season.

While many of the UK's visiting ospreys have identification rings, Elen is un-ringed, so where she has come from is unknown.

"It's really exciting to know there are ospreys out there," Ms Phasey said.

"We're incredibly grateful that we still have ospreys on the nest to keep this project going."

The reserve hope this is the start of a long-term breeding partnership between the pair, since ospreys usually mate for life.

Aran and Mrs G were responsible for raising 18 chicks during their time together.

"We hope that by the beginning of June we will see two chicks hatching on the nest, and after that they will grow and migrate again in the autumn to west Africa," said Ms Phasey.