Countryside Team Install Osprey Nesting Pole in Ambitious Attempt to Encourage Breeding Birds at Seaton Wetlands

The East Devon District Council (EDDC) Countryside Team has taken an exciting step towards attracting breeding osprey by installing an artificial nesting pole at Seaton Wetlands.

The installation aims to re-establish osprey populations in Devon and encourage breeding osprey to settle in the area, following a record number of sightings over the Axe Estuary last summer.

Previously widespread throughout the country, ospreys were persecuted until their extinction as a breeding bird in England in 1847. Ospreys made a natural comeback in Scotland in 1954 and a landmark translocation project at Rutland Water led to successful breeding in England in 2001.

Ospreys are an opportunistic bird and will breed in a diverse range of landscapes. With recent breeding success at Poole Harbour and an observed steady increase in osprey visiting the Axe Estuary in the summer months, the Countryside Team at East Devon District Council have set their sights on helping spread the population of this iconic bird further.

Cllr Geoff Jung, Portfolio Holder for Coast, Countryside & Environment said: "Watching wildlife flourish and supporting nature restoration is at the heart of what EDDC do at Seaton Wetlands. Attracting breeding ospreys to Devon would be a significant achievement for the district."

James Chubb, Countryside Manager said: “With just a few known breeding pairs in England, installing an osprey pole at Seaton Wetlands is an extremely ambitious step, but osprey have a remarkable ability to locate nests, and the Axe Estuary provides an abundance of food for them. By working with local experts, we hope to make the wetlands an attractive site for this majestic bird so that they can once again be a common sight along our coast and countryside.”

The installation was overseen by Seb Loram, from the Devon Osprey Partnership CIC, who works in collaboration with landowners to identify suitable nesting sites to erect artificial platforms.

Seb explained: “Providing nest sites like this one at Seaton Wetlands will act as a beacon to
young ospreys looking to establish new territories, and this method has been successful in expanding their breeding distribution elsewhere. We are grateful to the team at Seaton Wetlands for their enthusiasm and to Devon Environment Foundation for their ongoing support with the wider project.”

Standing 10 metres tall, the nesting pole has been strategically placed in a secluded area of the wetlands to minimise disturbance.

James Chubb said: “We are realistic about our expectations, and while we may not see osprey breeding at the pole in the next year, or even the next 10 years, by installing a pole and managing the site suitably we are proud to be a local authority which is giving nature a chance to succeed.”

Once established the Countryside Team hopes to install a live camera feed, giving the public a chance to observe the birds and learn more about their behaviour.

To learn more about the team’s work and conservation efforts, visit www.wildeastdevon.co.uk