This summer, the Rutland osprey project is marking their 30th anniversary since starting their pioneering work to reintroduce ospreys to Rutland.

Thirty years ago, in a hidden nest at a secret location on the Burley Estate, the first nest was built by a male Osprey, 03(97), who was relocated to Rutland from Scotland in 1997 as part of the reintroduction project.

03(97) later became known as Mr Rutland and reared a total of 32 chicks with three different females in the nest on the Burley Estate between 2001 to 2015.

Over the past 30 years, the Rutland Osprey Project has welcomed more than 300 osprey chicks, with an incredible 30% of chicks being born on the Burley Estate.

Osprey nests are often reused by successive generations of osprey, with the same nest going on to be used since.

Another important osprey pair, 11(10) and 25(10), both fledged locally and reared chicks at another nest on the Burley Estate, fledging a total of 32 chicks to date, making them the most successful osprey pair in the area.

Osprey chicks on the Burley Estate (Photo: Tim Mackrill)

Tim Appleton said: 'The nests on Burley Estate have a special place in my heart, particularly Site B, within Wild Rutland as the first successful nest in the project.

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'It has been remarkable to see Rutland's population of osprey grow and flourish over the years and I have no doubt this will continue long into the future.'

The osprey programme is one of the Estate's most recognised conservation achievements but is just part of a much broader commitment to protecting and enhancing the natural environment.

Tim Mackrill first got involved in the Osprey Project as a 15-year-old volunteer in 1997 and is now regarded as a leading expert on Ospreys said, 'The two nests on the Burley Estate have made a very significant contribution to the recovery of Ospreys in the southern half of the UK.

'Many of the offspring have either returned to breed in the local area, or elsewhere in England and Wales, helping this wonderful species to expand its range.'

The Burley Estate is the proposed home of a new conservation-led visitor attraction, Wild Rutland.