Ospreys

The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a spectacular fish‑eating raptor found worldwide, uniquely adapted for its aquatic lifestyle with reversible outer toes, sharp spicules on the soles of its feet, and nostrils that close when diving. Plunging feet‑first from heights of up to 40 metres, it can completely submerge to snatch fish weighing up to 2kg, then carries its catch head‑first in flight back to a traditional large stick nest, known as an eyrie. After becoming extinct in Britain in the early 20th century, the species famously recolonised naturally in the 1950s, beginning in Scotland, and with careful protection has since spread to England and Wales. Ospreys are long‑distance migrants, spending winters in West Africa and navigating thousands of kilometres solo each spring to return to the same nesting site and often the same partner. They are so specialised that they are placed in their own unique family, distinct from all other birds of prey.