Rutland Water osprey Maya returns to Manton Bay nest to find mate 33(11) and female 25(10) already there

Feathers were ruffled when a star osprey returned to her nest to find her mate with another female.

Famous osprey Maya arrived back at the Manton Bay nest at Rutland Water yesterday morning (March 17) after spending the winter in Africa.

Maya, thought to be at least 18-years-old, has been in Rutland since 2009 and breeding on the Manton Bay nest since 2010.

During that time she has raised 38 chicks, making her one of the most successful breeding female Ospreys on record, 27 of which have been with her mate 33(11).

But another osprey, 25(10), has caused a flap after being the first to arrive home to Rutland Water and staking claim to the nest, which 33(11) returned to just hours later on Thursday last week.

It is not the first time this has happened. In 2023 she landed before Maya, mated with 33(11) but was then kicked off the nest by the star bird.

Since 1996 Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust has collaborated with Anglian Water on The Rutland Osprey Project, an initiative aimed at reintroducing the birds of prey to the area and establishing a breeding population across England.

Tim Mackrill, who managed the project for more than 10 years and is still heavily involved, said: “The sight of an Osprey diving talons-outstretched to pluck a fish from the water must rank as one of the most amazing of all wildlife spectacles.

“Once synonymous with the lochs and coasts of northern Scotland, you are now just as likely to encounter a hunting Osprey in central England, thanks largely to the success of the Rutland Osprey Project.”

Since the project started and the first successful breeding ospreys in 2001, a total of 278 chicks, including a record 25 last year, have fledged from nests in the local area.

This year it is hoped that the 300th osprey chick will be welcomed to Rutland Water, marking a testament to nearly three decades of conservation efforts.

Joe Davis, head of reserve management at Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, said: “Rutland’s ospreys are thriving, proving that proactive conservation can transform the fortunes of endangered species.”

Live-streaming webcams are in place for birdwatchers to keep an eye on the birds throughout the summer and can be accessed here.

Updates on the birds are also shared on the Rutland Osprey Project Facebook page which has more than 62,000 followers.