Nature & Wildlife, Poole | Posted on August 13th, 2026 | return to news

Bumper year for Osprey chicks in Poole

The Birds of Poole Harbour project has not only seen a record number of chicks, hundreds of people have enjoyed the Osprey tours.

This year has seen a record number of Osprey chicks fledged from Poole Harbour-linked nests.

Thousands of people have watched the Carey Osprey nest live webcam and over 1500 people have come to Carey’s Secret Garden to see the nesting birds in person from Birds of Poole Harbour (BoPH) Osprey Tours. This nest, the first nesting pair of Ospreys on the south coast of England for over 180 years, has once again produced four healthy chicks, for the third year running.

Deputy manager at Birds of Poole Harbour Sam Ryde said: “To have this number of Ospreys fledging from this area is something we only dreamed of. They are now becoming a mainstay of Poole Harbour during the summer and it’s fantastic that so many people are able to see and enjoy these native birds of prey back in our landscape after a hiatus of 180 years.”.

Ospreys generally only have one-three chicks and less than one per cent of Ospreys produce as many as four chicks. This is another fantastic result, and represents another enormous boost for the South Coast population. Over the last five years of breeding at this nest, the pair ‘CJ7’ and ‘022’ have now produced a staggering 17 chicks.

‘Nest Site 2’ was also successful again, raising three healthy chicks. This nest site is at an undisclosed location for the safety of the birds and at the request of the land owner.

The Poole Harbour Osprey Project also continues to have an impact beyond the local area. Including the three nests in Wales and one in the East Midlands where Poole Harbour birds are breeding, a total of 57 wild-fledged chicks have been produced thanks to the BoPH project over the last six years.

This is a huge success story and shows the increased connectivity between the English and Welsh Osprey populations as a result of the reintroduction project which was started in 2017 by Birds of Poole Harbour and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation.

Another key highlight this season has been the return of four young males from the Carey Nest. Hopefully over the next few years many more Ospreys will nest across the south coast, as a result of the breeding success in Poole Harbour. Each year BoPH install more artificial nests to encourage breeding.

Overall it’s been another fantastic season with seven Osprey chicks fledged in the south of England and 16 chicks in total linked to the Poole Harbour project. BoPH are now starting to see the young fledged Ospreys exploring the harbour as we enter peak Osprey migration time on the south coast (mid-August to early September).