For hundreds of years during the last millennium, Wales had been devoid of breeding ospreys. Not since the last ice age some 11,000 years ago had such a vast amount of time passed without this enigmatic bird of prey nesting and breeding in the Principality. Then, in 2004, the first osprey chick in centuries fledged a nest in Mid Wales and since then, thankfully, ospreys have successfully bred in Wales every year for the following decade.
The story of the osprey’s revival as a breeding species is one of the greatest conservation success stories of recent times. Persecuted for hundreds of years to the brink of extinction in the British Isles, the osprey has fought back against adversity and now has a strong foothold in Scotland once again.
At the start of this century this iconic bird of prey started to nest south of the border and in 2004, finally nested in Wales.
The first osprey chick in Wales for centuries in 2004 - it's probably not Monty though.