The 2021 Osprey Project report has been published in the March 2022 edition of the journal Nos Oiseaux. While only in French, this report outlines the highlights of last year. Now that the release phase of the project has finished, two birds reintroduced each year between 2016 and 2019 are so far known to have returned: 4 males in Switzerland, and 1 male plus 3 females in neighbouring countries. Two of these females bred successfully in 2021: Mouche in France (Moselle – with 2 fledged chicks) and Plume in Germany (Bavaria – with 3 fledged chicks). Two males (Taurus, for the third year, and Arthur, for the second) held territories in Switzerland, with Taurus forming a couple late in the summer with a German female ringed AB13. In addition, a “mystery male” summered in the Haut-Doubs not far from the French-Swiss border. Although he only has a metal ring on its left leg, we think it is one of “ours” that has lost his blue plastic ring, but his identity is still uncertain. Finally, two youngsters released at Bellechasse in 2019, Radar and Rafale, returned to Europe for the first time in 2021. The article can be downloaded here.
A report on the 2020 Osprey Project season has been published in the March 2021 edition of the journal Nos Oiseaux. While only in French, this report summarizes the first breeding attempt of Mouche in the French Department of Moselle, where she had at least one chick which sadly did not survive. Two males (Taurus, for the second year, and Arthur, for the first) returned to Switzerland, although Fusée was not seen again. In addition, two other birds were photographed, Flamme (born 2017) in his wintering grounds in the Gambia (although we do not know where he summers in Europe), and Plume (born 2018) on four different artificial nest platforms in north-eastern Bavaria, Germany. Twelve more young birds from Germany and Norway were translocated and successfully migrated from Switzerland between 15 August and 17 September. At least five of them “visited” an unringed male several times during his three week long stop-over in the region last summer. The article can be downloaded here.
A report on the fifth year of reintroducing Osprey to Switzzerland (“Cinquième année de réintroduction du Balbuzard pêcheur Pandion haliaetus en Suisse”) has been published in the March 2020 edition of the journal Nos Oiseaux. While only in French, it includes news about the three birds reintroduced at Bellechasse that have returned so far: the male Fusée to Switzerland and the female Mouche to eastern France (both released in 2016, and returning for the second time); and the male Taurus (released in 2017), returning to the Trois-Lacs region of Switzerland for the first time. Mouche has even found a partner and they built a nest in the French Department of Moselle, although too late in the season to breed! In 2019, 12 additional young birds were translocated from Germany and Norway, and 11 successfully migrated. Our nest-building team has continued to work hard, and we now have 21 nesting platforms ready and waiting. The article can be downloaded here.
A report on the fourth year of reintroducing Osprey to Switzerland and the first returns (“Quatrième année de réintroduction du Balbuzard pêcheur Pandion haliaetus en Suisse et premiers retours”) appeared in the March 2019 edition of the journal Nos Oiseaux. While only in French, it outlines the main activities undertaken in 2018, starting with the construction of additional nest platforms, the translocation of 12 young birds from Germany and Norway, their care and release in the Three Lakes region of Switzerland, and finally their departure at the end of August to mid-September. The highlights of 2018 were the first return in Europe of two immature birds released in 2016, with one spending a month during the summer at Bellechasse. Even more incredible was the discovery of his wintering site a few weeks after he migrated to West Africa. The article can be downloaded here.
A report on the third year of the reintroduction of the Osprey in Switzerland (“Troisième année de réintroduction du Balbuzard pêcheur Pandion haliaetus en Suisse“) appeared in the March 2018 edition of the journal Nos Oiseaux. While only in French, it provides an illustrated overview of the work undertaken through the project and the results achieved in 2017. This included the surprise of temporarily having a “baker’s dozen”. Not only all 12 birds which were released all migrated, but we even hosted a young migrating female ringed in Germany. Obviously attracted by our birds, she made a 5 day stop-over before continuing on her way south.
The article can be downloaded here.
A report on the second year of the reintroduction of the Osprey in Switzerland (“Deuxième année de réintroduction du Balbuzard pêcheur Pandion haliaetus en Suisse“) appeared in the March 2017 edition of the journal Nos Oiseaux. While only in French, it provides an illustrated overview of the work undertaken through the project and the results achieved in 2016, including the highlight of spotting one of our birds wintering in Senegal in December!
This article can be downloaded here.
A report on the first year of the reintroduction of the Osprey in Switzerland (“Première année de réintroduction du Balbuzard pêcheur Pandion haliaetus en Suisse“) appeared in the March 2016 edition of Nos Oiseaux. While only in French, it illustrates some of the main highlights of the 2015 release, and calls for volunteers to participate in the project during the summer of 2016.
This article can be downloaded here.
“La réintroduction du Balbuzard en Suisse” by Erwan Zimmermann, one of our volunteers, appeared in the December 2015 edition of Le Héron. This publication by the “Groupe de Jeunes” of Nos Oiseaux is produced once a year. Although the article is in French it is well worth looking at since it is illustrated and provides a good account of two weeks in the life of a volunteer taking care of ospreys.
The article can be downloaded here.
“Participez au retour du Balbuzard pêcheur en Suisse !” appeared in the March 2015 edition of Nos Oiseaux. While only in French, it provides an update on the project and a call for volunteers for the summer of 2015.
This article can be downloaded here.
“La Réintroduction du Balbuzard Pêcheur Pandion haliaetus en Suisse romande” appeared in the September 2013 edition of Nos Oiseaux. While the article is in French, it explains everything about the project, provides an overview of Osprey biology and ecology, its historical evolution, conservation status and various reintroduction projects taking place elsewhere in Europe.
Available for download here.
Nos Oiseaux members can download the entire fascicule (or any other) from www.nosoiseaux.ch.
