As Bob and I entered the empty hide and sat down I immediately saw a large raptor perched in a tall dead tree on the opposite bank.
“It’s here” I announced.
No sooner had I said the words the Osprey left the branch and dived feet first into the broad. It missed the fish. Pulling itself back into the air, it shook itself free of water and headed directly for us. The ducks, that to that point had been quietly dabbling away, scattered to all corners of the reserve. The magnificent raptor banked, attempted to land in a tree far too thin to hold its weight and then flew off over the river. We didn’t see it again.
To my knowledge Osprey has surprisingly never bred in the broads. With at least two to three birds in the county this summer, including the female we saw, Norfolk can’t be far off having its first breeding pair. Next year perhaps?
Letter From Norfolk 