Wales’ oldest breeding female osprey has hatched her 50th chick in her nest at Glaslyn near Porthmadog.

Having celebrated Mrs G return in March - her 19th year in a row - Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife welcomed the arrival on Thursday of the latest in a long line of offspring. Two more eggs are due to hatch in the coming days.

Since 2004, when she first started breeding in the Glaslyn Valley, 41 of Mrs G’s chicks have successfully fledged, and last year five of her chicks and three of her grand-chicks were known to be breeding elsewhere in the UK. In total, last year she had 112 grand-chicks and 10 great grand-chicks that were known about. However, with more grand-chicks already having been hatched this year at a nest in Kielder Forest, Mrs G’s dynasty is growing by the day.

The latest news is especially welcome following a devastating season last year when Mrs G and her partner, Aran, lost their three newly hatched chicks. Aran injured his wing in a storm which meant he was unable to fish and feed the family. Happily, he recovered over the summer and returned from his winter migration to re unite with Mrs G in April.

Glaslyn Ospreys Visitor Centre and Hide at Pont Croesor is open every day from 10.30am to 4.30pm until the birds migrate in September.

This year the project is also celebrating its tenth year as a charity and, on 2 July, a new hide built over the winter months following a successful public appeal to raise £35,000 towards its construction, will be officially opened by Iolo Williams.