The 2023 Osprey Project report has been published in the March 2024 edition of the journal Nos Oiseaux. While only in French, this report outlines the highlights of last year. At least three males from the Swiss reintroduction project were confirmed back in the Three Lakes region in 2023, and a very likely fourth in the French department of Doubs. Two females released in Bellechasse bred successfully, one producing three young in France (Moselle), and the other two in Germany (Baden-Württemberg). The discovery of Chronos in Germany brings the total number of returnees from the reintroduction programme up to 11.
Two unringed females were observed in male-occupied territories in 2023: one for two weeks in the spring at the Grande Cariçaie (Lake Neuchâtel), where she paired with Olympe (F28) on a platform built by the project; the other during the summer in the Drugeon river basin (Haut-Doubs). The 2023 report can be downloaded here.
The 2022 Osprey Project report has been published in the March 2023 edition of the journal Nos Oiseaux. While only in French, this report outlines the highlights of last year. So far, two birds reintroduced each year between 2016 and 2020 are known to have returned: six males in Switzerland and one male and three females in neighbouring countries. As in 2021, Mouche successfully fledged two chicks in France (Moselle), while Plume bred again in Germany (Bavaria), but failed before the eggs hatched for unknown reasons. Rafale, seen in 2021 in Germany, returned there once again but does not appear to have bred.
Four males held territories in Switzerland: Taurus for the fourth year, Arthur for the third, as well as Olympe and Racine which both came back for the first time. The 2021 mystery bird in the Haut-Doubs turned out to be Flamme, living on the French side of the border and seen fishing in Switzerland. Radar, released in 2019 and observed twice in 2021 (in Switzerland and in Belgium), was not seen again last year. However, during one of our “Osprey Mornings” six different individuals were spotted, so he may have been one the birds for which we could not see if it was ringed.
The German female ringed AB13 who had paired with Taurus in 2022 unfortunately did not return, but another (unringed) female spent part of the summer at the Lake of Neuchâtel where she was seen displaying with Olympe. The 2022 report can be downloaded here.
