As I write, exactly three weeks ago little Ceulan was pipping out of his egg for all he or she was worth. In fact, on this Monday three weeks ago, Ceulan and the first chick were hatching at the same time. Sadly, the first chick only survived for three days when the weather took its first victim.
Ceulan and his/her older sibling make their way into the world
Since the osprey started to nest again in Wales in 2004 after an absence of many centuries, 32 chicks have hatched from three nests. Six from the Dyfi nest, 25 from the Glaslyn nest, and one from the Welshpool nest eight years ago (possibly Monty). A great success story in anyone's book, but we often forget the one defining reason for this success - the Rutland Osprey Project.
This 2006 Glaslyn chick with a ring number Black 80 is now breeding in Scotland
In the mid 1990's, the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust made a brave decision. Just at the time when the osprey population in Scotland had reached 100 pairs for the first time in probably 200 years, there were still no ospreys nesting in England, Wales or Ireland. Ospreys are highly 'philopatric' - adults, especially males, tend to return to the same areas to breed as they were raised themselves. From extinction to 100 pairs in Scotland in 40 years was some achievement, but, at the end of the day, the osprey was still confined to a relatively small area in the Highlands due to the osprey's philopatric ecology.
Fast forward to 2012 and there are now several pairs of ospreys breeding at Rutland Water, having between them produced over 60 chicks in a decade or so. It's all down to the translocation programme they started from 1996 onwards. The Trust, in association with Roy Dennis, moved 63 little osprey chicks from Scottish nests to Rutland Water in five years, reared them in specially-built pens until they they were ready to fly, and then released them.
Two young ospreys ready to take flight at Rutland Water
Amongst these birds were the Glaslyn male (1998) and the Welshpool male, 1997 (so possibly Monty's Dad). The Dyfi female (Nora) is a daughter of another first generation translocated male osprey (1997), who is still breeding at Rutland. So all three of the Welsh nests have a Rutland-derived osprey in them. Add Wales's 32 chicks to Rutland's 60 odd and you have almost a ton of young ospreys born in England and Wales, purely down to the success of that translocation project. Not a bad conservation story.
Tim Mackrill was there right from the start at Rutland in the mid 90s and he's still there now managing the Rutland Osprey Project. Tim will be with us in mid Wales this Wednesday evening to present a talk on Osprey Migration and Developing Wildlife Education in West Africa. Where? Click for more location details and how to get there.
Tabernacle, Machynlleth, June 20th at 19:00
Over the last two years, Tim and and his colleagues have started on the next stage of the osprey conservation story - linking osprey migration and ecology with communities and education. The more we learn about these fantastic birds of prey, the more we can do to help them get back to populations of old and there's no point just focusing on areas where the osprey only spends five months of the year. People, and particularly children, in west Africa have the right to learn and engage with ospreys and a lot more wildlife besides. Young JJ here makes a living out of wildlife tourism and many of his fellow countrymen and women are doing the same in Gambia and Senegal.
JJ shows of his shiny new red top!
Bird ringing and satellite tracking have brought communities in the UK and west Africa closer together. Rutland's West Africa Project aims to connect people and communities using the osprey as a natural link.
Tim and colleague, John, in a school in the Gambia earlier in January 2012
If you can make it on Wednesday, brilliant. If you can't, please tell someone that lives a bit closer by sending or sharing this link. Facebook and Twitter are great for doing this. If you have any doubts whether the West Africa Project has started to make a difference or not - watch this!
Tim and four of his colleagues are currently on their way to Scotland to begin the Three Peak Challenge on Tuesday, the summer solstice. They will climb and walk Ben Nevis - Scafell - Snowdon in just 24 hours, ending with their talk (if they can still stand!) with us on Wednesday evening. They are raising money to fund the West Africa Project.
See you Wednesday hopefully, diolch yn fawr.
