Rutland Osprey’s 30th Anniversary Appeal - Wings for the Future | Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust

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Wings for the Future

For the past 30 years, Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust has worked with Anglian Water, and many other partners, to reintroduce Osprey to Rutland Water and beyond. Reaching a well-established breeding population as well as being an integral part of the species’ distribution across both the UK and Europe, the Rutland Ospreys continue to soar and inspire.

Last year, we celebrated the 300^th successfully fledged Osprey chick from Rutland Water. This year we celebrate 30 years of the Rutland Ospreys. As we plan for the next 30 years, your donations and support can ensure that the Rutland Ospreys continue to be protected.

Help us raise £30,000 for our 30 years; to keep the amazing work going, to bring the wonder of the Ospreys to even more people, to ensure that the Ospreys have a home in Leicestershire and Rutland for generations to come.

As one of the greatest examples of what a nature recovery programme can achieve, the Rutland Ospreys have not only shown that reintroductions are possible, but that they can inspire a whole community across the globe.

Almost half of the UK’s wildlife is in decline. Some of our best-loved species are at risk of extinction, the climate crisis is intensifying, and many people feel a growing sense of worry for the environment. The Rutland Ospreys provide hope in the face of these challenges.

Ospreys nesting at Manton Bay, Rutland Water - David Tipling

History

Since 1847, Ospreys had been regionally extinct. When Rutland Water was created in 1976 (this year celebrating its 50^th anniversary), Ospreys were seen flying over on their migration to nest sites in Scotland. After an individual was seen spending the summer at the reservoir, hope arose that they might return to Rutland.

In 1996, a translocation project began moving Osprey chicks from nests in Scotland and releasing them at Rutland Water with the aim to create a self-sustaining breeding population in central England. 64 juveniles were collected from Highland and Moray in Scotland and released at the reserve between 1996 and 2001.

1999 saw the return of the first of these chicks to Rutland Water and in 2001, the first Osprey to have been born in England for 150 years was welcomed.

Read more about the history of the Rutland Ospreys here:

Rutland Ospreys

Successes

03(97) – aka Mr Rutland – one half of the pair that raised the first Osprey born in England for 150 years. 03(97) raised a total of 32 chicks, breeding every year from 2001 to 2014. Many of these chicks themselves went on to raise further Ospreys making Mr Rutland a grandfather many times over. Such as 33(11)…

Maya and 33(11) – Maya is currently the most successful breeding female at the reserve. First seen at Rutland Water in 2009, she holds celebrity status within the local community and among Osprey enthusiasts. Thousands of people tune in from around the world to the live web cam streaming her nest at Manton Bay. To date she has had 40 chicks, a contribution of huge ecological importance.

300 chicks and counting – In 2025, the project celebrated its 300th successfully fledged chick, 7R4. The year saw eleven successful breeding pairs across the Rutland area, with 31 chicks fledging from those nests – the highest number of fledged chicks to date!

International appeal – The Ospreys from Rutland are engaging with birds from other reintroduction programmes and have been recorded breeding in Dorset, Wales, Scotland and the Netherlands, helping support the species locally, nationally and internationally.

Find out more about past Osprey seasons at Rutland here:

Rutland Osprey Blogs

Watch the Rutland Ospreys live here

Rutland Osprey Webcams

Your funding will help with

Annual maintenance of Osprey nests including maintaining the platforms to provide ideal nesting conditions and keeping our fascinating webcams running, improved and maintained.
Annual Ringing of the Osprey Chicks with support from specialist contractors, giving them a unique number so we know which birds return to monitor the breeding population.
Support for our volunteers to continue engaging with people about the importance of and the story of the Rutland Ospreys.
Improving our visitors experience at Lyndon Visitor Centre so that more people can enjoy the story of the Rutland Ospreys.
Investment in future plans to create new nesting opportunities in Leicestershire and Rutland to expand the Ospreys population further.