A FEATHERED favourite has frequented Porthmadog for the 15th year in a row.

The community-led wildlife charity Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife was delighted to see the female osprey known as Mrs G, return to the Glaslyn Osprey nest on Easter Sunday, 1 April for her 15th successive breeding season.

Mrs G landed shortly after 2pm on Sunday and immediately chased away another female osprey that had regularly visited the nest during the previous week.

There was a huge cheer from visitors and volunteers when they realised that the osprey on the nest was Mrs G.

She was several days later returning from her wintering grounds to the Glaslyn Valley than in recent years, and there were concerns that she may have come to grief during the winter.

However, she wasted no time in proving that she was in great condition, and quickly went on a fishing excursion returning within 20 minutes with a flat fish.

Mrs G and BGGW followers waited for four more days before another cheer erupted in the visitor centre as her male partner, Aran, landed with a thump on the nest on 5 April.

Mrs G was first discovered breeding at the Glaslyn nest in 2004 and to date has hatched 37 live chicks, 33 of whom have successfully fledged the nest.

Five of her offspring are known to be breeding elsewhere in the UK and she is known to have 62 ‘grand chicks’.

The male osprey, Aran, joined Mrs G in 2015 when the original male failed to return from his winter migration.

As well as breeding ospreys during spring and summer, there is also the chance to see other wildlife at BGGW, such as red kites, peregrine falcons, hen and marsh harriers or even otters.

BGGW is always looking for new volunteers to assist either at the visitor centre or the protection site.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer contact the visitor centre manager, Heather Corfield on 07834 575008 during visitor centre opening hours or send an email to [email protected]