The project reached a major milestone in 2001 when 03(97), a male Osprey translocated to Rutland Water in 1997, raised a single chick with an unringed female at a nest on private land close to the reservoir. Remarkably, 03 has continued to breed every year since and has now raised a total of 23 chicks with three different females at the nest we now refer to as Site B.
In all, a total of 43 young Ospreys have now fledged from nests in the Rutland Water area, with twelve chicks fledging from five nests in 2010. Encouragingly it is not just translocated birds that are now breeding; four Rutland-born chicks have returned to breed themselves and Scottish females are now helping to swell the population too. The table below shows how the population has developed since 2001.
| Year | Number of breeding pairs |
Fledged young |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | 2 | 5 |
| 2004 | 1 | 2 |
| 2005 | 1 | 3 |
| 2006 | 1 | 3 |
| 2007 | 2 | 5 |
| 2008 | 2 | 3 |
| 2009 | 4 | 9 |
| 2010 | 5 | 12 |
Although most of the nest sites are situated on private land, it is possible to enjoy great views of a pair who nest on the nature reserve. 5R(04) – a male who fledged from the Site B nest in 2004 – first bred in 2010, raising three chicks with an unringed female in Manton Bay – just a short walk from the Lyndon Visitor Centre on the south shore of the reservoir. The nest is situated no more than 250 metres from two hides, providing some of the best views of nesting Ospreys anywhere in the UK. Check out the visiting section for more details, you can also see pictures from the nest on our live webcam.
