A pair of ospreys are now established at Talybont-on-Usk.

2023 saw the first ospreys build a nest in the area for hundreds of years, creating great excitement and speculation as to whether they would return this spring.

Usk Valley Ospreys, the group formed in 2024 to help protect the birds, has now announced that a pair of ospreys are now established at the site. 

Several birds have been scouting the area before a male osprey was spotted first in early April, making strenuous efforts to rebuild the nest.  After a nervous wait, a female arrived in early May. They have been continuing to build and reinforce their nest, despite the dismantling efforts of local jackdaws, and establish their relationship. A succession of fish has been delivered to the female and there have been numerous mating attempts. 

The nest is situated on a tall tree located on Gilestone Farm, owned by the Welsh Government. The discovery of the birds forced government officials to scrap its plans to rent the site to the Green Man Festival.

The birds are visible from a single viewing point, signed along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal at Cross Oak near Talybont-on-Usk. The Welsh Government and the tenant farmer have worked hard in their efforts to conserve the site.

Dr Tim Mackrill, an expert in ospreys who is advising the Welsh Government on the birds said: “It is almost certain that the male is the same osprey that built the nest last summer, but it seems that the female is a newly-arrived bird this spring. Her relatively late arrival, which is typical of youger birds, means that she may not lay eggs this year, but it is clear that the birds have become a territorial pair.

“Ospreys mate for life and so, even if the female does not lay eggs this year, the behaviour we have witnessed so far this spring shows that they now regard the nest as home, and will return to breed next spring. If this pairing is successful, we can expect them to keep returning over many years. Nests are actually used for decades, and refurbished each time for the new clutch of eggs.”

Dr Mackrill added: “It’s been heartening to see such support from the local community. Ospreys are protected birds, and still a very rare bird in Wales, so it’s vital that we afford them all the protection we can muster. The Welsh Government’s help has been invaluable, and the nest cam provides a good level of security to deter any disturbance, which is illegal. Hopefully the footage will be able to be streamed in the near future so we can all enjoy this phenomenal sight.”

Since the announcement of the ospreys’ arrival, the Usk Valley Ospreys group has been created, and now numbers some 160 members.

More information about the UVO, its aims and objectives, including how to view the birds, is on uskvalleyospreys.org

Joining UVO is free and members are updated weekly on the latest Osprey happenings, with photographs, video and an active social media feed (search for UskValleyOspreys on Facebook).

As the live cam footage becomes available, information about how to watch the nest live will be also published on the website.