The Poole Harbour Osprey Project
Ospreys are making a comeback in Dorset after nearly two centuries, thanks to a pioneering project lead by local charity Birds of Poole Harbour!
Birds of Poole Harbour (BoPH) was founded in 2013 and works to conserve and educate the public about birdlife in Poole Harbour through its visitor centre on Poole Quay, events including birding boat trips, and conservation projects. Perhaps the most ambitious of these is the Osprey Translocation Project, which over a fi ve-year period aims to restore ospreys as a breeding species to the South of England.
The European osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a magnifi cent bird of prey which breeds throughout Europe and migrates to West Africa each winter. Ospreys are ‘exclusively piscivorous’ meaning they only eat fi sh and so are usually found near large water-bodies. Being the second largest natural harbour in the world therefore makes Poole Harbour an absolutely
prime location for them, with its many channels fi lled with grey mullet providing a perfect hunting ground. Hovering 30 metres above the water, ospreys watch for the
Osprey © Simon Kidner
slightest movements below the surface before diving feet fi rst and grasping unsuspecting fi sh in
their inch long talons. For years, locals and visitors to Poole Harbour alike have enjoyed displays like these each spring and autumn as ospreys pass through on migration. And yet we don’t have breeding ospreys here (yet)… Why not?!
In the early 20th century human activities drove the osprey to extinction as a breeding species in Britain, and whilst northern regions have since been naturally recolonised, their spread southwards has been slow. This is in part due to the fact that they prefer to nest where other ospreys already nest. The best way therefore to help speed up this process
10 Osprey © Paul Morton
is, in fact, to create a brand new population via a process called translocation!
So, in 2017, BoPH began transferring the fi rst of 60 osprey chicks from natural nests in Scotland down to Dorset, in partnership with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and local company Wildlife Windows. They have just completed their third year, releasing eleven young birds at a secret location in Poole Harbour. These juveniles left on migration in early September, and it is hoped that they will return to breed in as few as two years’ time. One such returnee is LS7, a male released during the project’s fi rst year, who has spent this summer bonding with an immigrant female called CJ7 and adding material to man-made nests installed earlier in the year.
It is hoped that thanks to BoPH’s efforts, in 2020 Poole Harbour will host the fi rst breeding ospreys in Southern England for over 150 years! They are currently fundraising to install a live-stream camera on the pair’s favourite nest, hoping to allow everyone in the local area and beyond to experience this spectacle. If you would like more information or to donate please go to the website:
www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk
Look out for our monthly series with more stories on the Osprey Project in upcoming issues!
Twitter:
@harbourospreys @harbourbirds
Facebook:
Poole Harbour Osprey Project Birds of Poole Harbour
Email:
osprey@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk To advertise, please contact 01202 657317 or email
info@broadstonelink.co.uk
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