First osprey chick on England's south coast for 200 years
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This isn't the chick at Poole Harbour, it hasn't come out for its close up just yet! This is what an Osprey chick looks like
The first osprey chick to hatch in Poole Harbour in 200 years has arrived!
The chick's mother, known as CJ7, is part of a reintroduction programme which started in 2017 with the aim of boosting the number of ospreys in the area.
The fish-eating birds of prey used to breed across the British Isles in the past but their numbers fell dramatically in the Middle Ages.
CJ7 has been seen feeding her chick a charity - The Birds of Poole Harbour - called it a "magical moment".
The female (left) and male returned to Poole from North Africa
Project manager Brittany Maxted shared on social media: "A very proud moment! So many years of hard work. So many dedicated colleagues. So many highs and lows.
"And finally... the first osprey chick to hatch in Southern England since 1847!"
Paul Morton, from the charity, said: "Words don't even begin to describe what this means to us.
"The prospect of actually having wild hatched chicks in a nest always felt so far away.
"But here we are, with an official birthday... and we now have the first wild osprey chick for southern Britain in 200 years, right here in Poole Harbour."
How to identify birds and their song
Since 2017 osprey chicks from Scotland have been introduced to Poole Harbour as part of a reintroduction and breeding programme.
CJ7 and 022, the chick's parents, met last year.
In a statement Birds of Poole Harbour said: "Now these birds are back, and successfully breeding, we hope that they can continue to build in strength as a population here on the south coast and be enjoyed by generations to come."
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