We give Usk Ospreys a perch

Ospreys are making a comeback in parts of Wales, and we are assisting their return by providing a wooden pole near their nest site as a perch.

Engineers from Brecon installed the pole on behalf of the Usk Valley Ospreys group.

An additional perch was added to the pole to encourage the male osprey to use it as a lookout while the female is sitting on the eggs, allowing one or both adult birds to monitor the nest as the chicks grow.

Ospreys were once common in the UK but have been extinct as a breeding bird in Wales since 1847 due to habitat loss and persecution.

Hannah Davies, Team Manager at National Grid Electricity Distribution, said: “We power the lives of people across South Wales, ensuring energy reaches the communities that need it every day.

“We are also committed to creating positive legacies in the communities we are proud to live and work in, which is why we were pleased to support the efforts to protect ospreys in Usk.”

Ospreys are large fish-eating birds of prey. In the UK, they are migratory, breeding here during the summer and migrating to West Africa for the winter months. The osprey population in the UK is slowly recovering and is now protected by law.

Ospreys typically pair for life and are very site-faithful, often using the same nest for decades.

Andy King, Usk Valley acting chair and ornithologist, said: “Ospreys need a good place to nest that is protected and safe, so when a survey suggested that the oak our ospreys have been nesting in might not be strong enough, we were naturally concerned.

“Thanks to the support from National Grid Electricity Distribution, a telegraph pole was erected close to the current natural nest to host a potential replacement nest or a perch if needed.

“Given the charity relies on the generous help from volunteers and other organisations, it is grateful to National Grid Electricity Distribution for its assistance.”

For more information, you can view the ospreys in the nest live on the Usk Valley Ospreys website: Live Video from Nest.