Back in September 2024, a group of retreatants on our Wildlife Discovery Retreat looked on in awe as an osprey was spotted soaring through the sky and perching across the river at North Quay. The beautiful fish-eating bird was likely returning to warmer climes for the winter.
We’re eagerly waiting to see if the osprey will return, and this year the wait is particularly exciting because in July last year, our rewilding partner Ambios began installing several artificial nests on the Sharpham Estate. Thanks to funding from DEFRA's Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, several eight-metre-high pole-mounted nests were placed in carefully selected spots near the River Dart. The aim is to give the ospreys a safe place to rest and breed far from any disturbance from human activity.
An expert team built and placed the nests, which are edged with sticks and topped with bundles of turf, and straw - a couple even have a touch of white paint to simulate bird droppings, a method that's been successful in other locations such as Poole Harbour and Rutland.
