THE BIRDS OF SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE
OSPREY – Pandion haliaetus
As with all reports of rare and scarce birds they are subject to ratification by the respective rarities committees
Osprey is a medium large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. It is often known by other colloquial names such as fishhawk, seahawk, bald buzzard or Fish Eagle. It is the only member of the genus Pandion which is in turn the only genus in the family Pandionidae. Osprey is derived from the Middle English word 'osprai', from the Anglo-Norman word, 'ospreit' and from the Latin 'ossifrage' which is a reference to 'bone breaker'.
There have been seventeen Ospreys reported from S. Gloucestershire, they are;
c.1860: (1)
One was killed whilst fishing at Tortworth Court Lake presumably in either the spring or autumn passage.
1979: (1)
One was reported on October 27th at New Passage.
1987: (1)
On October 16th an individual was seen at New Passage, it was watched flying from the estuary and heading south.
1991: (1)
One was being mobbed by corvids on June 4th over Kingswood in Bristol at 07:15.
1997: (1)
One was observed heading south on August 9th at Severn Beach.
2000: (1)
On May 11th one was seen at Severn Beach heading north towards the Wye Valley.
2001: (1)
On August 31st at Oldbury Power Station a single bird was watched for around ten minutes over the tidal reservoir before heading off to the north-east.
2003: (2)
One on April 2nd at Severn Beach was watched heading north; On April 6th at Severn Beach one was also seen heading north.
2005: (2)
One flew inland east from Severn Beach on March 27th; One was noted flying north-east at around 19:00 over the tidal reservoir at Oldbury Power Station on April 2nd.
2006: (1)
An individual was seen briefly in flight on April 18th at Bradley Stoke over the Hilton Hotel at Aztec West.
2007: (3)
On March 28th one was seen in flight at Hambrook heading north over the A 4174 at 12:20; On April 1st one flew north over Wick Quarry at 15:05 viewable from Raven Rock at c.100 ft; On April 13th one flew low over Northwick Wharf and was lost to view heading north towards the old Severn Bridge at around 17:00
2008: (2)
One was seen flying very high, being mobbed by gulls over Mangotsfield at 10:40 on April 10th and was last seen heading north-east; One with a fish in its talons flew low upriver at Oldbury Power Station at around 14:55. It flew over the tidal reservoir near Lagoon III, gained height and headed north-north-east across the river;