Summer dates have been announced for tours to view the extraordinary ospreys of Purbeck after they hatched four chicks for the second year in a row – a one in 10,000 phenomenon.
The ospreys, CJ7 and 022, have been together since 2020 and have a nest at Careys Secret Garden near Wareham in Dorset, which they have returned to every year following their annual migrations to West Africa for the winter.
All four osprey chicks are being fed raw fish by mum CJ27
Odds of one in 10,000
In 2024, they had four eggs which all hatched and fledged successfully, and bird experts were amazed when the ospreys – believed to be the only breeding pair in southern England – laid another four eggs in April 2025.
With ospreys typically laying just two or three eggs a year, the odds of a pair having four eggs two years in a row were put at one in 10,000 – and for all of them to hatch in two consecutive years was said to be ‘unprecedented’.
Now new dates have been announced for small viewing parties to get closer to the birds at their secluded nest in Careys Secret Garden, from Wednesday 4th June until Saturday 2nd August 2025.
An in-depth guided tour will take visitors up to the viewing platform, which is around 350 metres away from the nest to ensure the birds are not disturbed, but with plenty of binoculars and telescopes to borrow for those who don’t have their own.
Tours, costing £20 for adults and £10 for children, are being run by Birds of Poole Harbour in conjunction with Careys Secret Garden, and involve a walk of half a mile on uneven and sloping ground which currently makes it unsuitable for wheelchairs.
Mum CJ7 with her first egg of 2025 – three more were to follow, and unusually every one of them hatched
“Every chick is a reason to celebrate”
Liv Elwood, Birds of Poole Harbour manager, said:
“The whole team at Birds of Poole Harbour were delighted to see CJ7 lay four eggs for the second time.
“This nest is so important to recolonise this special species on the south coast, and every chick that fledges from the nest is a reason to celebrate. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds.
“It was so exciting when the fourth and final osprey chick hatched on the Carey nest, and it is fantastic to see the whole family doing well, with CJ7 and 022 carefully distributing the fish to ensure every chick is well fed.
“With all four chicks feeding really well, now is a fantastic time to come and see the Carey osprey nest! Fish deliveries have already increased and we’re now even starting to see the tiny heads of the osprey chicks appear above the nest.”
Now that all four chicks are growing well, more tour dates have been added to learn more about this VIP family
“Privileged to share this space”
Liv added:
“We’re delighted to be partnered with Careys Secret Garden again this year to deliver the tours, offering a unique guided viewing experience of the local osprey pair at their secluded nest site in the Piddle Valley.
“Careys Secret Garden shares our appreciation for just how special it is to be able to provide viewing access to the only osprey nest in the south of the UK.
“The viewing of the nest at Carey is being very carefully managed to avoid any risk of disturbance to the birds, with a limited number of tickets available for each session, so please make sure to book onto one of the tours in advance if you would like to visit.
“The nest site is incredibly sensitive and ospreys are a Schedule 1 species which means they are protected by law. We ask everyone not to disturb the birds and avoid attempting to get closer to the nest as this will risk the success of this very important nesting pair.
“We are privileged to be able to now share this space with these birds, and ensuring their safety is our top priority.”
Back in 2022, 5H1 – here staring into the webcam – became the first chick hatched by CJ7 and 022
Intruding female osprey
Since their first successful breeding in 2022, CJ7 and 022 have produced 11 chicks, making history in the process by becoming the first breeding ospreys in southern England in nearly 200 years.
This year, they have seen off an intruding female osprey from Rutland which tried to stake a claim both on the Wareham nest and on the male, 022, and have chased off a heron and other predators who showed an interest in the newly hatched chicks.
All four chicks are growing quickly and are expected to fly at about six or seven weeks old
“Looking like mini dinosaurs!”
Liv Elwood said:
“After the second egg hatched, we saw a grey heron get a bit too close to the nest and watched as 022 went into full defence mode. He chased the heron up into the sky for a couple of minutes, before it eventually got the message and flew away.
“In the early hours of Wednesday 28th May 2025, the fourth and final chick of the Carey osprey nest hatched. CJ7 and 022 are great parents and it’s always a joy to see them very carefully feeding the chicks so each gets a sufficient feed, including the fourth chick.
“It is only in about one percent of osprey clutches that four eggs are laid, and it is even rarer for them to all hatch.
“Now that the hatching is out the way, we should see a rapid growth and development of the chicks over the next few weeks, very quickly turning from being extremely cute to looking like mini dinosaurs!”
As usual, the public can watch the nest live 24/7 on YouTube. Birds of Poole Harbour also operates osprey cruises in August and September which offer views of the adults hunting for fish as well as many other rare species of birds in the Wareham Channel.
Careys Secret Garden near Wareham is very proud of its osprey family
Further information
- Book tour dates and find out more about the ospreys at the Birds of Poole Harbour website
- Discover a hidden world at Careys Secret Garden
