Female osprey CJ7 and male 022 returned to their nest site near Poole Harbour in late March before laying four eggs between 14th and 23rd April. The first chick emerged on 22nd May, followed by two more over the next week, with the final fourth chick hatching on 29th May.
The successful hatch means all four chicks are now being fed and cared for by the experienced adult pair, who are breeding together in Dorset for the third consecutive year. Live nest camera footage shows the youngsters thriving, although a noticeable size difference has already emerged between the two older chicks and their younger siblings, a common feature in osprey nests where eggs hatch several days apart.
Volunteers monitoring the nest have recorded regular feeding sessions, with 022 continuing to provide a steady supply of fish while CJ7 feeds and shelters the chicks. Recent warm weather has brought additional challenges, but both adults have been seen shading the young birds with partially outstretched wings and ensuring they remain well fed and hydrated
The Poole Harbour Osprey Project has become one of the UK’s most closely watched conservation success stories. CJ7 and 022 remain the only breeding pair of ospreys in southern England, following the species’ return to the harbour after an absence of almost two centuries.
There is further encouragement elsewhere around the harbour. Several young ospreys hatched in Poole during recent years have been sighted returning to the area, including two-year-old male 5R0, which has recently been seen displaying to a female known as Teddy. While they are too young to breed this year, conservationists hope they may eventually establish a second breeding pair in the harbour.
For now, attention remains firmly on CJ7, 022 and their growing family of four, with the coming weeks expected to bring rapid growth as the chicks continue their transformation from dinosaur-nestlings into recognisable young ospreys.
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