First Juvenile Osprey Flies in Dorset Reintroduction Program

The first of four juvenile ospreys hatched in Dorset as part of a reintroduction programme has fledged. The birds, hatched to parents CJ7 and 022, continue to return to the nest for feeding before migrating to West Africa.

First of Four Juvenile Ospreys Takes Flight

The first of four juvenile ospreys, hatched as part of a reintroduction programme in Dorset, has successfully taken its initial flight.

Female CJ7 and male 022 laid four eggs in April at a nest site near Wareham for the third consecutive year.

These birds were the first to establish residence in the area through the project led by the charity Birds of Poole Harbour.

On Tuesday at 16:00 BST, female 6T6, which hatched in late May, became the first of the chicks to fledge.

The chicks were ringed on 1 July, with all four presumed to be female.

Conservationists had to climb a 30m (100ft) tree to access the nest, where the chicks were weighed and measured.

Birds of Poole Harbour founder Paul Morton said, after flying for the first time, ospreys generally return to the nest three to four times a day for a month to get fed.

The juveniles typically leave between August and September, migrating to West Africa where they stay for several years before returning to Dorset when ready to breed.

An osprey with a blue tag on its leg feeds three chicks with their beaks open from a fish it is holding in its talons. A cracked egg pokes out from behind the group. — Image caption, The chicks - all believed to be female - hatched in late May

The chicks - all believed to be female - hatched in late May.

Reintroduction Programme Background

Birds of Poole Harbour and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation initiated the reintroduction programme in 2017 with the goal of establishing a breeding population on England's south coast.

Up to 14 osprey chicks were relocated from Scotland and released in the Poole Harbour area annually until 2021.

CJ7 and 022 have successfully bred at the nest site at Careys Secret Garden for three consecutive years, raising three young in 2023, four in 2024, and another four in 2025.

They were the first ospreys to breed on England's south coast in 180 years.

Birds of Poole Harbour noted that laying four eggs is "quite a rare occurrence in ospreys."

A second pair, male 374 and female 1H1, are in their second year of breeding and have hatched three healthy chicks, all believed to be male.

Additional Information

The young ospreys continue to return to the nest for about a month after fledging, during which time they receive regular feedings from their parents.

After this period, the juveniles embark on their migration to West Africa, where they remain for several years before returning to Dorset to breed.