Successful Hatching of Fourth Osprey Egg
The only breeding pair of ospreys in southern England have successfully hatched their fourth and final egg of the season.
Female CJ7 and male 022 laid four eggs at their nest near Poole Harbour, Dorset, in April, marking the third consecutive year they have done so.
The pair established their presence in the area following a reintroduction programme coordinated by Birds of Poole Harbour.
Webcams captured the emergence of the fourth chick on Friday morning, while the mother fed the other three chicks with fish.
Birds of Poole Harbour said laying four eggs was "quite a rare occurrence in ospreys".
Breeding History and Conservation Efforts
CJ7 and 022 have successfully bred at the Careys Secret Garden nest site for three consecutive years, raising three chicks in 2023, four in 2024, and another four in 2025.
They were the first ospreys to breed on England's south coast in 180 years.
The reintroduction programme was initiated in 2017 by Birds of Poole Harbour and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation with the goal of establishing a breeding osprey population on the south coast.
Between 2017 and 2021, up to 14 osprey chicks were relocated annually from Scotland and released in the Poole Harbour area.
Typically, juvenile ospreys depart between August and September, migrating to West Africa where they remain for several years before returning to Dorset to breed.
