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Osprey Conservation and Translocation Projects

Sue C
20/01/2010 16:21
While the forum’s been up & down, I prepared some material I promised a while ago, about conservation activities aimed at protecting ospreys, and persuading them to recolonise areas where they once used to breed. I’ve found some interesting material on projects from around Europe, and I hope others will join in and contribute items.
First, some background information:
This page from Roy Dennis’ website, also in his book “A Life of Ospreys”, is about nest building, but also has a lot of information about osprey breeding habits, and the factors which encourage, or hinder, recolonisation.
One of the biggest obstacles to the colonisation of new areas, is the tendency of young male ospreys to return to breed at the location where they fledged (known as philopatry). Translocation is the technique designed to overcome this, by transferring young ospreys to a new site suitable for breeding, shortly before they fledge. In Europe, it was pioneered at Rutland Water from 1996, and there are ongoing projects in several countries. This page from the Rutland Water site gives an overview of the project there:
 Ok that’s enough of the theory. First, we’re off to Spain........
  • 13/04/2021 22:34

    Hi Mary, I believe and hope that it will be possible for me to visit the area this summer, I expect current restrictions to be eased in next weeks and I might be allowed to pass the border without being quarantined at return.

    Thank you for mentioning the return of Blue YD, I  had right now a quick read of the Balgavies Loch thread and enjoyed wonderful pictures posted.

  • 14/04/2021 00:05
    Good luck Roberto, hope you manage to visit the area.
  • 24/04/2021 12:58

    As Tiger reports above, Blue 014(18)f has been reported as breeding at Pont Croesor,Glaslyn Valley, with Blue Z2(17)m Aeron from Dyfi, the first season for the young pair together.

    Poole's report, here

    Aeron has already been doing the rounds in Wales:  31 March he landed on the Glaslyn nest while Mrs G was incubating, and Aran was on the perch with a huge fish.  Glaslyn commented that  "Aran's patience went, or the fish was small enough for him to manoeuvre easily, and he flew at the nest seeing Aeron off.  He returned to the nest to give Mrs G the fish, and then went in chase of Blue Z17(17)m Aeron"   He was on the nest for over an hour with no real animosity.

    On 1 April Aeron landed on the Clywedog nest and made himself at home there too!

  • 29/05/2022 12:38
    I first posted this on the LG thread and then found this one that I thought was more fitting:

    I have been reading 'Silent Spring' again this morning - sober reading, and done a little research on the effects of DDT re: egg shell thinning on US Osprey populations. I was amazed to discover some local populations in US were totally wiped out - the bird became extinct in various regions - and as we know they are slow to recolonise areas where there are 0 Ospreys - and in others the population was decimated............. Chesapeake Bay was a stronghold of a successful Osprey population but then the average no of young fledged per nest fell to 0.8 per nest. Now that DDT has been banned - and thanks to various 'hacking' projects (the US term for translocation) the population in the US as a whole has recovered. What with DDT, shooting and egg theft in the UK us humans have done a lot to damage Ospreys. Thank God for the Osprey's resilience and for visionary men like RD.
  • 28/07/2023 16:30

    I am not sure whether there was a separate thread for the proposed translocation from Rutland to Suffolk, so I am posting an update here.  Because of bird flu, it won't happen again this year.  I think this is the second year it's been postponed

    We hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the summer.  We just wanted to get in touch to give you the latest update on the Suffolk Osprey Project. 
    The birds at Rutland Water (from where we plan to translocate the birds) are having another successful breeding season (you may still spot them on the live nestcams here https://www.lrwt.org.uk/rutlandospreys.  
    However, the avian influenza (AI) situation at Rutland has still not improved. It has devastated a black-headed gull colony at one of the lagoons and has recently been confirmed in common terns as well. In May, a dead redshank and avocet were found in the same area; as ospreys from several of the local nests regularly visit this lagoon, this means there is a clear pathway for infection.  
    Suffolk Wildlife Trust, along with Dr Tim Mackrill from the Roy Dennis Foundation, feel it would be irresponsible to carry out the translocation of osprey chicks to Suffolk under these circumstances, and to do so would also go against the AI protocol agreed with Natural England.   
    We’re sorry to have to report this news, but for the sake of the health of all birds, we feel we have no other option other than to postpone the translocation once more. 
    This is of course incredibly disappointing, and all of us at the Trust are very grateful for our supporters’ patience and forbearance. 
    Despite these challenges, we continue to hope to bring the osprey home to Suffolk and will of course keep you in the loop.  
    With best wishes from all of us at  Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

  • 28/07/2023 18:34 in reply to SheilaFE
    This whole thread is a mine of information about translocation projects. If I ever knew any of it I've forgotten so well worth a re-read, from the top!