Just back from Inverness airport after sending off seven young ospreys to the Spanish reintroduction project in Andalusia. They have been collected from nests, in Moray, Inverness and Badenoch & Strathspey, on Forestry Commission or private land containing two or more young. This is carried out using a special licence from Scottish Natural Heritage, and it is a continuation of the project started five years ago. The great news this summer is that a young female osprey translocated from Scotland four years ago has mated with a translocated German osprey of the same age and they have reared three young on the Odiel marshes west of Seville. Ospreys had been extinct in mainland Spain for half a century or more, before this project. This year’s chicks were flown by Flybe from Inverness to Malaga, via London Gatwick. Dalcross Cargo organised all the arrangements and Tim Mackrill, from the Rutland Water Osprey project took them from London Gatwick to Southampton and fed them again before departure.
Young ospreys ready for translocation to Spain
Osprey chicks en route via Flybe
