Lagoon 1 Osprey nest platform;

A New Lease Of Life

By Fran Payne

Early Spring marked the beginning of our mission to revive the worn-out Osprey nest platforms. These platforms had never been utilized by breeding birds before, but they were strategically placed, hoping that one day a male Osprey would adopt it as his territory and attract a female companion

While Tim Mackrill focused on off-site nests, our Rutland Water team was assigned the task of making the platform at the rear of lagoon 1 (visible from AWBC) more enticing to Ospreys.

Over the winter, we dedicated two weeks to willow coppicing and pollarding, creating an open space that would offer the birds a pleasant view from their prospective bedroom window. Who wouldn't appreciate that?

The next step was to transport a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) to the existing nest pole Thankfully, Euan McLaren Tree Services came to our rescue! But, as is often the case, things didn't go smoothly. It took us the better part of the morning to navigate the platform along the bund from Lapwing hide to the telegraph pole, maneuvering through brambles, willow thickets, and remnants of old ridge and furrow, all while contending with high water levels. Nevertheless, we eventually reached our destination.

Once Euan had secured the platform in place, he had to remove the dilapidated structure and modify the top of the telegraph pole to accommodate the new platform. With the fresh platform firmly in position, it was now my turn to play the role of the chief Osprey and begin nest building Matt and Katie stood on the ground, diligently passing up bundles of sticks as the nest gradually took shape.

And I'm pleased to say, it now vaguely resembles an Osprey nest! From here on, it's up to the birds to claim it as their new home.

Two new nesting rafts launched on Lagoon 3

By Tim Sexton

Following on from the success of a new design of tern raft, used on Lagoon 2 (built and launched during the winter of 2021/22), two additional rafts have been supported through Anglian Water Capital money to replace aging wooden on polystyrene rafts on Lagoon 3.

The new raft design consists f fl i i il h d i i b l d together with a metal frame dressed with gravel to simula and volunteers helped to cons from Greenbank in the second

There have been various float and combined they have seen them.

The two new rafts on Lagoon 3, which can be viewed from both Shoveler and Buzzard Hide, should support around 40 pairs of Common Tern and the high sides will put the chicks out of reach from all but the most determined of predators.

The design will also enable us to ring the chicks in the summer, which will help us to understand more about the young bird’s movements after fledging and their longevity. A new colour ringing scheme starting this year for Terns, similar to the existing Black-headed Gull scheme, will make reading rings in the field easier and hopefully encourage more sightings of ringed birds to be reported.