One of the ospreys at Rutland Water appears to have been suffering with health complications, according to the team behind the Rutland Water Osprey Project.

Much to the delight of local bird watchers, Rutland's favourite osprey, Maya, was spotted back at Rutland Water on 12 March 2024, so this update about her poor health has come as a blow to the team and local community - who follow the life cycle of these rare birds with enthusiasm.

The Rutland Osprey Project is run by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Anglian Water. Thanks to a pioneering translocation project - which has been running since 1996 - the team now welcome well over 20 Ospreys to Rutland Water during the Spring, the result of a nearly thirty year success story.

The preservation of Ospreys in the UK began much earlier though, when, in 1954, a pair of ospreys believed to be of Scandinavian origin, kick-started the slow recovery of the population of ospreys in the UK, having successfully raised chicks close to Loch Garten, Aviemore. 

In 1996, the translocation project began, which involved moving osprey chicks from nests in Scotland and releasing them at Rutland Water with the aim to create a self-sustaining breeding population of ospreys in central England.

Thanks to this pioneering project started by Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust in partnership with Anglian Water, ospreys have made a triumphant return to England.

Now, residents can see Ospreys in Rutland from late March, once they have undertaken their yearly flight back from locations in Africa and Iberia. 

However, the team at the Rutland Osprey Project have shared some worrying news about Maya, one of their most successful breeding birds: "Over the last week we have noticed that Maya’s breathing has become laboured. With this in mind our consultant Tim Mackrill has been in touch with two expert and highly experienced avian vets. The consensus is that there are a few conditions that can cause these symptoms, which may have been brought on by the mild and wet spring.

"Maya’s age combined with the arduous migration and stresses of egg laying may have made her more susceptible. We will continue to monitor the nest and will provide updates where we can. We very much hope that she will show signs of improvement, but it is difficult to predict how things will develop in the absence of a definitive diagnosis."

The Rutland Osprey Project now have Live Webcams set up so that curious locals can find out more and track to progress of the active nests in the area.

Click here to view the webcams or to donate to the Rutland Osprey Future Fund.

Read more about the 2023 Osprey season here, or keep your eyes on Oakham Nub News for more Osprey updates.