You may be lucky to come across an osprey nest and might wonder what to do? Firstly, if the ospreys are calling above your head, you are too close and you should retreat and allow them to land back on the nest to continue incubation or to shelter their young. It is sometimes possible to observe them from a distance with binoculars or a telescope, or from within a vehicle without disturbance. If you return and disturb them again, to get a photograph for example, you are breaking the law. We are extremely interested in reports of new osprey nests in order to build up a record of the re-colonisation of the UK.

A confidential record of all known osprey nests is kept, and Osprey workers attempt to monitor them every year to check on occupancy, identity of individual adults, whether they lay eggs and how many young are reared. We also try to ascertain reasons for failure, and carry out conservation work, such as re-building damaged nests.

Locations are not publicised but contact is maintained with land managers.

Please send details of location (including a map reference), what you have found (occupied nest or old nest), date of finding, and any other useful information on land ownership, and your contact details to roydennis@aol.com

We may already know it, but would rather be told again than miss a nest, because people assume we know it.

Thank you