Osprey 256 at Bowyer's Water

6th September 2023

For more than 10 years an Osprey appeared at Panshanger Park in September and stayed for about 10 days to feed up on Rainbow Trout before its journey to West Africa. Sadly it has not been seen in 2022 or 2023. However a different Osprey appeared at Bowyer's Water in the Lea Valley on the 28th August. The Osprey is a juvenile bird and has a blue colour ring 256 which shows that it was ringed in the nest this year in Aberdeenshire.

The Panshanger bird was feeding on trout up to 8lbs in weight and therefore on occasions would only feed as few as two times a day. However at Bowyer's Water the carp are too big to catch and so it had to make do with Perch up to 3lb meaning that it has to fish more often, which is great from a birdwatching and photography point of view. Here are a selection of flight shots.

And here is a sequence of a dive and unsuccessful attempt at catching a fish.

It was last reported on the 10th September. What an amazing bird and let's hope this becomes an annual event, although they do no return to their place of birth until their second year.