This morning we had the amazing news that the first breeding pair of Ospreys on the south coast of England for 180 years, successfully arrived back from their migration for a 5th year. This is the pair that set up to breed at Careys Secret Garden, as a result of the reintroduction project run by Birds of Poole Harbour and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation.

022 (left) and CJ7 (right) on first reuniting and handing over a large bass

Ospreys are fish-eating birds of prey that were once widespread across the UK, but because of human persecution were driven to extinction in England in 1847. Conservation efforts over the last 70 years, including reintroductions have led to their return and, as of last year, there are now 2 breeding pairs in the south of England. It is hoped that the Poole Harbour project and these birds will help the population spread and connect with other Ospreys. Each year they migrate to West Africa for the winter so it’s always an anxious wait for their return.

The female CJ7 arrived back last night at 6:29pm on 25th March and the male 022 arrived back this morning at 6:40am. This is the famous pair from our live webcameras that have raised an incredible 4 chicks for the last two years running. Hopefully, with their return, they will reaffirm their pair bond in the coming days, start building up their nest and eventually begin nesting.

Sam Ryde the Birds of Poole Harbour Deputy Manager said “This is fantastic news that the breeding pair have returned again. These birds are incredible important in restarting the south coast population of breeding Ospreys and we can’t wait to see what happens this season. Thousands of people engage with the Ospreys through watching our Live Webcams or on our events and it’s uplifting stories like these about nature recovery that are so important for both our environment and people.”

You can watch the story unfold Live from our webcameras online at the Birds of Poole Harbour website (www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/osprey/osprey-webcams/)

Female Osprey CJ7 having just arrived back

Ospreys are a Schedule 1 species, meaning that they are protected by law in the UK. With the exciting arrival of the pair, guided tours to be able to see the nesting pair will be announced soon with Birds of Poole Harbour and Careys Secret Garden, so keep an eye out for that.