Science

First of four juvenile ospreys takes flight

The first juvenile osprey of the season leaves its nest near Wareham.

Published July 15, 2026, 10:18 AM
Updated July 15, 2026, 10:39 AM2.0K
Share𝕏f
First of four juvenile ospreys takes flight

The first of four juvenile ospreys, hatched as the result of a reintroduction programme in Dorset, has taken flight.

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

The birds were the first to take up residence in the area as a result of the project led by charity Birds of Poole Harbour.

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

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

Conservationists had to scale a 30m (100ft) tree to reach 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 usually leave between August and September, travelling to west Africa where they remain for a few years, before returning to Dorset when they are ready to breed.

Share𝕏f
News17 is committed to delivering accurate, fair, and thoroughly researched reporting. If you believe this article contains an error, please contact our editorial team at corrections@news17.net. We take all reports seriously and will issue corrections promptly when warranted.