Osprey chick hatches at observatory
A pair of rare ospreys have become parents again after one of their two eggs hatched at an observatory in Mid Wales.
Monty and Glesni were sitting on the eggs in their nest near Machynlleth on Saturday when the first chick hatched.
Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust said it was delighted with the hatching, but said it was too early to say if the chick was a boy or a girl.
The chick hatched at about 11am and is the third Monty has produced at the trust's Cors Dyfi reserve in the Dyfi Valley since 2011.
He produced two chicks with Glesni in 2013 called Cerist and Calrach.
Emyr Evans, from the trust, said: "We spotted the first crack in the egg at around lunchtime on Friday so it took just less than 24 hours to hatch and we are now hoping the second will hatch OK too.
"It is the day we have been waiting for. There was hardly a dry eye in the house."
Monty has returned to breed at the Cors Dyfi reserve every year since 2011, but his previous partner, Nora, failed to return from Africa in spring last year.
The birds of prey are kept under constant watch at the nesting site where a webcam films their every moment.
Last year both adult birds were fitted with GPS tracking devices for BBC Springwatch viewers to follow them during their winter migration to Africa.
They are one of only two known breeding pairs of ospreys in Wales. A pair has also bred in the Glaslyn Valley, near Porthmadog, since 2004.
Earlier this year the trust officially opened its new £1.4million 360 Wildlife Observatory at the reserve.
The observatory took four years of planning, preparation and construction and allows visitors to connect with the wildlife of the Dyfi estuary in a much more exciting and fun way.
Mr Evans said: "The building itself sits deep in the reedbeds of Cors Dyfi. From the upper viewing level, 10 metres above the bog below, it provides a full 360 degree panoramic view of the Dyfi Valley with the Pumlumon Mountains and Snowdonia National Park beyond.
"This amazing vantage point gives visitors the opportunity to experience the whole of the Dyfi ecosystem from a totally new perspective, as well as giving fantastic views to the osprey nest.
"We now have a world class facility that will enable us to connect people with wildlife like never before in Wales. It takes forward our vision of enhancing people's relationship with nature and learning about the natural world around us.
"The 360 Observatory takes wildlife watching and learning to a higher level, quite literally."
