Another successful year for Nest One

Once again, Blue 35 and White YW have proved themselves to be devoted and successful parents. Over the past twelve years, this remarkable pair of has raised an incredible 34 young ospreys at Foulshaw Moss.

This year was no exception. Their two daughters, Blue 5K4 and Blue 5K5, grew from tiny, fluffy hatchlings to powerful young ospreys ready to take on the world. Despite being six days younger and considerably smaller than her sister, Blue 5K5 quickly learned how to survive, making sure she got her fair share of fish. But as the two sisters grew, the tables gradually turned, and it was Blue 5K4 who sometimes found herself waiting patiently while her younger sibling enjoyed her fill.

A new generation on Nest Two

Our less experienced parents, Blue 476 and Blue 717, have surprised us all by successfully raising three youngsters this year.

Their parenting style has sometimes been unconventional, but together they have developed into an effective partnership and given us a whole new set of stories to add to the history of the Foulshaw ospreys.

Their three youngsters—Blue 8K0, 8K1 and 8K2—have each developed their own distinctive characters.

Blue 8K0, despite being the smallest was the go-getter, the first to fledge and the first of the three to begin his migration by a considerable number of days.

Blue 8K1, the middle sibling, made sure that nobody forgot she was there. Noisy, hungry and full of character, she certainly knew how to demand attention.

And then there was Blue 8K2, the youngest. Having spent her early days waiting patiently for her turn at mealtimes, she eventually found her confidence and took the plunge, becoming the last of the five Foulshaw youngsters to fledge the nest.

Five youngsters, five personalities and five very different stories—but all now facing the same incredible journey south.

At the time of writing both male adults from Nest One and Nest Two have recently been seen. White YW was last seen early morning on the 8 September. Blue 476 has been seen making visits to his neighbours nest. The last time was a fleeting visit to Nest One at teatime on 9 September. 

Will these be their last appearances before setting off on their migrations bringing another remarkable season to a close?

Here are the 2026 Milestones for the adults and youngsters from both nests.

Two new nests at Foulshaw Moss

The excitement at Foulshaw hasn't been confined to our two familiar nests.

This year brought the wonderful discovery of two new natural osprey nests, both built by the birds themselves.

Even more excitingly, one of them, Nest Three, successfully produced a chick. The youngster was ringed Blue 8K9, fledged successfully and will soon be embarking on its first monumental migration.

The discovery of these new osprey nests is fantastic news for the future of ospreys at Foulshaw Moss and provides another exciting chapter in the reserve's growing osprey story.

A busy year for visiting ospreys

There have been plenty of visitors to the nests this year too.

Last year, a hungry young intruder arrived at Nest One late in the season, usurping the resident youngsters and demanding food from White YW. Thankfully, we haven't seen a repeat of that drama this year.

Instead, White YW has enjoyed a much more peaceful end to the season, spending his time renovating the nest ready for next spring and building up his strength for migration.

There have still been plenty of visitors. On one memorable day in August, three intruders joined youngsters Blue 5K4 and Blue 5K5 on the nest. The youngsters seemed remarkably unconcerned about sharing their home with the passing ospreys and, before long, the visitors moved on.

The odd return of a one-year-old osprey

One of those visitors was particularly interesting: Blue 3K9, a female chick from Yorkshire, ringed in 2025.

Young ospreys don't usually return to the UK until they are two or sometimes three years old, so seeing a one-year-old back in Britain is fairly unusual. 

Blue 3K9 may not be the first to do this, however, and it raises an intriguing possibility that some young ospreys could be spending their first winter much closer to home, perhaps in southern Europe rather than travelling all the way to West Africa.

As more ospreys are tracked and their movements become better understood, it will be fascinating to see whether this is simply an occasional occurrence or the beginning of a developing trend.

Wonderful news of a Foulshaw youngster putting down roots nearby

And then came some particularly exciting news.

One of Foulshaw's 2023 youngsters, Blue 8C1, has returned to the UK and is now establishing a nest in Lancashire with a Scottish female.

Blue 8C1 was the smallest of his brood and the last to fledge, so hearing that he has successfully survived his first migrations and returned to breed makes this news even more special.

To see one of our Foulshaw youngsters returning as an adult and beginning to establish his own territory is exactly what we hope for when we watch these birds leave the nest.

Perhaps next year we'll see Blue 8C1 and his new partner successfully raise another generation of ospreys, and continue the Foulshaw story in a new location.

And finally… time for reflection and gratitude

As the nests fall quiet and another season comes to an end, there's a huge amount to celebrate.

We have watched five youngsters grow from tiny hatchlings into independent young ospreys. We've welcomed new nests, discovered new birds, followed familiar characters and, most excitingly, heard news of one of our Foulshaw youngsters returning to begin the next stage of his life.

My sincere thanks go to all the knowledgeable Foulshaw osprey volunteers and spotters who have shared their sightings, observations and expertise throughout the season. Without their dedication, patience and willingness to keep watching, it simply wouldn't have been possible to follow the lives of these wonderful birds so closely.

It has been a privilege to watch another season unfold at Foulshaw Moss.

Now the nests are empty, but the story continues. Somewhere far to the south, our young ospreys are beginning their own adventures, while the adults will spend the winter preparing for another spring.

And who knows what next year will bring?

Until then, fly strong, fly high — and safe travels, #FoulshawOspreys.