Following our update yesterday, we sadly received the news that juvenile Osprey 5H2 passed away this morning whilst in veterinary care. After sustaining injuries during a predation attempt made by a juvenile Goshawk on Friday evening, 5H2 was located by the Birds of Poole Harbour team and taken for emergency care at a local veterinary centre. She was then transferred to a specialist vet on Saturday morning where she received antibiotics and treatment to prevent infection in her injuries.

Despite given the best care possible, she died this morning due to those injuries, which in truth, was always the more likely outcome, but her resilience and strength over her final few days made us believe that there was at least some hope.

Thanks to everyone for their messages of support for the project, this is indeed a knock back for the season. However, when you place webcams on wild birds nest there will inevitably be scenes of nature that play out in their fullest that may shock or disturb. But these are just the realities and challenges wild birds face, including large birds such as Osprey. Since the predation attempt there have been no further signs of the Goshawk, so we assume it’s moved on. But it’s important to remember that the Goshawk, a magnificent species in its own right, was only doing what it knows best, which is to be the most efficient hunter it can be. We hold no animosity towards this young Goshawk, and just see the incident as unfortunate. Goshawk have been heavily persecuted over many years and are trying to make their own recovery which seems to now be coinciding with the return of the Osprey. And while we can’t rule out any future predation attempts again, the fact that Osprey, Goshawk, White-tailed Eagles, Peregrine, Marsh Harrier and Red Kite are now all visible again over Poole Harbour sky’s shows that times are changing and attitudes towards all raptors are improving.

Massive thanks to ‘Vets Now’ in Wimborne for 5H2’s initial care on Friday evening and ‘Anton Vets’ in Andover who cared for 5H2 over the weekend.

Thanks everyone for your support and sweet dreams ‘5H2’ x