A NEW osprey nest webcam which live streams from within Hafren Forest has gone live for public viewing.

The camera, installed by Carnyx Wild on behalf of Natural Resources Wales, streams an osprey nest near Llanidloes on YouTube.

It is hoped that a pair of the fish-eating birds of prey will return from Africa to their nest in Hafren Forest, near Llanidloes this month.

For local osprey conservation enthusiast John Williams, it is a wish that has become reality.

“This has been a dream come true for me, finally we have a working live stream camera on the nest. I can only thank my colleagues at NRW for doing all the work in getting this organised.”

Delyth, a female osprey, has been coming to breed at the site for six years. Dylan, the male, arrived at the site for the first time three years ago before ousting the original male.

There is a small viewing hide near the nest however Natural Resources Wales sites are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The new high-definition camera has proved a hit with viewers since it was launched on March 28. So far the live stream footage of the nest has received more than 2,000 views. Since Wednesday, April 1, two ospreys - Blue 5F and Blue 24 - have landed on the nest.

Rhys Jenkins, Senior Officer for Land Management at Natural Resources Wales, said: “We have had ospreys nesting at Hafren Forest since 2014. They have proved very popular with local people and visitors to the area. Throughout this time we have been monitoring them closely to record their movements and breeding behaviours. To help us with this and to give people and extra glimpse into the nest we have installed a live feed camera.

“The live feed is a fantastic way for both adults and children to enjoy the special wildlife of Mid Wales without leaving home. This is invaluable at a time when the measures to tackle coronavirus mean people cannot get out and enjoy them first hand.”

You can watch the live stream at www.youtube.com/user/ChrispeBardoFilms/featured