A pair of Ospreys have made history in Herefordshire after successfully breeding in the county for the first time on record, raising three young to fledging.
Image – G. Bilbao – Lugg Meadows April 2024
The fish eating birds, which have a wingspan of up to 1.8 metres (5.5ft), are distinctive for their brown upper parts, greyish white heads with a distinctive black eye stripe and white underparts. They can sometimes be mistaken for a large gull.
Image – G. Bilbao – Wellington August 2020
Ospreys have been recorded in Herefordshire on numerous occasions over the years, with sightings at various watercourses, lakes and pools. Occasionally, individual birds have remained in the county for several days. These sightings have generally involved birds migrating to or from their wintering grounds in West Africa, travelling to breeding sites in northern England, Scotland, Wales and further north.
In spring 2025, a pair of Ospreys took a significant step towards establishing themselves in the county when they built a nest in an oak tree a short distance from the River Wye, close to the Powys border. However, their breeding attempt was unsuccessful, possibly because they were a young pair.
This April, the pair returned to the same area and were observed repairing their old nest. Eggs were subsequently laid and hatched, the pair went on to successfully rear three young through to fledging.
The family of Osprey have now departed for their wintering grounds in West Africa. The female was the first to leave the nest territory, followed by the three young which departed a some days later. The male, which was almost certainly hatched in Wales, was the last to return to warmer climes.
C. Wells – May 2026
The successful breeding represents a significant ornithological milestone for the county and the wider border region for three reasons.
Firstly, it is the first recorded successful Osprey breeding in Herefordshire.
Secondly, the male is almost certainly Welsh born. The nest from which he originated would therefore represent the furthest south breeding site recorded for a Welsh Osprey in England. There is a nesting pair of Osprey near Abergavenny.
Thirdly, this is the first confirmed Osprey breeding record in the English counties bordering Wales.
The successful fledging of three young marks an important development in the return and expansion of Ospreys as a breeding species in the region. What began with occasional sightings of the iconic migrating birds has now culminated in a successful breeding attempt on the banks of the River Wye.
A remarkable first for Herefordshire.
Please submit details of Osprey sightings in Herefordshire to ospreyhereford@yahoo.com
