Nottingham RSPB
local group

Anglian Water Osprey Project

In partnership with the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust

Following an absence of over 150 years, attempts are being made by a team at Rutland Water Nature Reserve, to re-establish the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) as a breeding species in England. The translocation project is being run in partnership between Anglian Water and the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and is the first of its kind outside the USA.

During the past three successive summers 24 young birds have been successfully translocated from thriving populations in Scotland and released at Rutland Water. Sadly, since migration, two of the Rutland young have been recovered in West Africa, the first in February 1997 in an area south of Dakar, Senegal. More recently a report was received via the BTO of a bird that had been "intentionally taken" in Guinea in August of last year. Although such information provides important clues about the destinations of migrating birds it also serves as a sobering reminder of the hazards that the young face once they have left the relative safety of our shores. At Rutland Water a constant monitoring effort by volunteers throughout daylights hours ensures that each of the translocated juveniles stands the very best chance of setting out on its first southerly migration.

In spite of these losses the team remains optimistic that birds will return and believes that the project is now entering a new and exciting phase. By spring the young released in the early years will have reached maturity and although rather young to breed, it is possible that, from April onwards, some may return from their overwintering grounds to prospect for suitable nesting sites. As Ospreys like to nest close to the site where they first fledged it is hoped that returning birds may choose to settle within the locality of Rutland Water. Indeed, it is this aspect of the Ospreys ecology that has allowed similar projects in the USA, upon which the Rutland translocation project is modelled, to succeed.

It is of course possible that returning birds may choose a more distant site, perhaps in a neighbouring county, as in the weeks between fledging and migration the young were known to range widely from the release site at Rutland Water. In order to extend coverage the project team are hoping to encourage members of local bird clubs and other wildlife groups to keep an eye out for colour-ringed Ospreys.

Each year Scottish Osprey chicks are ringed with a metal BTO ring and a coloured plastic Darvic ring. The colour coding changes from year to year. The translocated chicks bear the same means of identification, but carry rings on the opposite leg to the Scottish birds. For the past three years Rutland chicks have been ringed as follows:

1996	red ring/white lettering	left leg
1997	white ring/black lettering	left leg
1998	ochre ring/black lettering	right leg

If you see any colour-ringed Ospreys the project team would be very interested to hear from you. Please try and record the time, date and place of the sighting and as much detail as possible about the rings. We should stress, however, that the welfare of the birds must come first and attempts at reading colour rings should only be undertaken if the birds use a regular feeding perch where the leg may be visible. All sightings will be followed up and will be treated in confidence.

The project team can be contacted at:

Anglian Water Birdwatching Centre
Rutland Water Nature Reserve
Egleton, Oakham
Rutland LE15 8BT

Tel:	01572 770651
Fax:	01572 755931
website:	http://www.fineshade.u-net.com/rw/

If you would like to receive a leaflet about the project please forward an A5 s.a.e to the above address.

LETTER SENT OUT BY THE TEAM TO LOCAL ORGANISATIONS DATED MARCH 25th 1999