First osprey chicks in 200 years reported in county

A pair of birds once driven to the brink of extinction could have produced the county's first chicks for at least 200 years.

A breeding pair of ospreys had been reported in Herefordshire, nesting in an oak tree near the River Wye close to the Powys border where they had raised three chicks to fledging.

"It's just fantastic news," said Toby Fountain of Herefordshire Wildlife Trust.

"Ten years ago, if you said that we'd have breeding ospreys in Herefordshire I don't think I would have believed you."

There are about 300 breeding pairs of the birds of prey in the UK, with about 20 in Wales.

It's thought the birds have now left the UK for their annual migration to western Africa, over 3,000 miles (4,828km) away, with sightings generally involving birds migrating to or from their wintering grounds.

Local organisation Osprey Hereford said the breeding pair had established themselves in the county in 2025.

The pair had returned to their nest this year, successfully rearing three young chicks through to fledgling, it said, which was a first for the county.

The location of the nest has not been made public in order to protect them, with the birds amber on the UK list of Birds of Conservation Concern.

They became extinct as a breeding bird in Britain in the 1900s "due to persecution by humans," said Fountain, a nature recovery officer, but had been successfully reintroduced in England and Wales.

He said the birds had most likely originated from the growing Welsh population.

"We can probably assume this is the first time in at least a couple of hundred years that they've been breeding in Herefordshire," he said.

The fish-eating birds can often be spotted following rivers during their migration, Fountain explained.

"If you're lucky enough to see them hunt, seeing an osprey fishing is a pretty amazing sight," he added

Local wildlife photographer Victor Talmaciu was among those lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the birds, capturing images of ospreys two years running at Bodenham Lake in Herefordshire.

"I was very excited because I know how rare it is in these parts," he said.

"For [the osprey] the lake is just a pit stop before he goes back to Africa."

The photographer said he returned to the lake again at the beginning of September to try and spot the bird before it left the country.

This time an osprey was being harassed by a flock of crows, "and didn't stay long," he explained.

"I went there full of hope and didn't come back disappointed," he added.

Jip Darke said he also first encountered an osprey at the lake.

"One of the other people in the bird hide had mentioned that they'd been seen around Hereford," he said, "and we were all talking about how wonderful it would be to see one".

"About 15 minutes later there was a bit of a commotion amongst the birds on the water and then we spotted a buzzard so assumed that must have been the cause, until another bird of prey comes into view, much whiter in appearance to the buzzard.

"As it came closer it was obvious that it was an osprey and the whole hide just erupted in excitement."

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