The pair, identified by their leg rings as CJ7 (the female) and 022 (the male), have bred at their secluded nest site at Careys Secret Garden near Wareham since 2022. They are currently the only breeding pair in the whole of the South, having become established due to a reintroduction project which started in 2017, led by local charity Birds of Poole Harbour and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation.

Ospreys CJ7 (left) and 022 (right) reunited

Ospreys are a fish-eating bird of prey, making treacherous migrations each year to breed in the UK, travelling from their wintering grounds usually in western Africa. The species were once present across the whole of the UK, but were sadly lost as a breeding bird due to human persecution. Significant conservation efforts, including reintroductions, have been used to help them return to their former range over the last 70 years, and it is hoped that the Poole Harbour project will help them to spread across the South Coast.

Last year the pair reared a record number of four chicks, which is an uncommon occurrence on UK Osprey nests, and it is hoped that they will do so again this year. 

Liv Elwood, Birds of Poole Harbour Manager, commented: “It’s wonderful to see the return of this special pair of Ospreys once again. They are playing a very important role in the recolonisation of the species in southern England, and we are excited to see what happens on the nest this year. So many members of the public love watching these birds online via the webcams, and it’s stories like these that help give people hope for the future of our wildlife in the UK.”

Ospreys are a Schedule 1 species, meaning that they are protected by law in the UK. Guided tours to be able to see the nesting pair will be announced soon with Birds of Poole Harbour and Careys Secret Garden, but in the meantime the livestream webcams can be watched online via the Birds of Poole Harbour website (www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/osprey/osprey-webcams/).

Female Osprey CJ7 on the nest on Wednesday morning