Love Triangle Averted: Beloved Osprey Pair Reunites Peacefully at Dorset Nest
After last year's dramatic romantic rivalry, osprey pair CJ7 and 022 have reunited without incident at their southern England breeding ground.
Osprey Pair Reunites Without Drama at Dorset Nest
After a turbulent breeding season that featured an unexpected romantic rival, a celebrated pair of ospreys has made a smooth and drama-free return to their nest in Dorset. Wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists alike are breathing a collective sigh of relief as the birds settle back in for another season.
A Peaceful Homecoming This Time Around
Female osprey CJ7 was the first to touch down, captured on a nest webcam landing at approximately 18:30 GMT on Wednesday at the walled garden near Wareham, Dorset. Her partner, male 022, followed the next morning, arriving at 06:40 on Thursday. The calm reunion stands in sharp contrast to the events of twelve months prior.
Last spring, 022 returned ahead of CJ7 and was briefly joined at the nest by female 1H1, a bird that typically occupies Rutland Water during the warmer months. The uninvited guest spent several days with 022 before CJ7 arrived back from her winter migration to West Africa and wasted no time driving the intruder away.
Historic Breeding Pair With a Remarkable Track Record
CJ7 and 022 hold a distinguished place in British wildlife history. Together, they became the first ospreys to successfully breed on England's south coast in 180 years, establishing their nest at Careys Secret Garden in 2022. The pair has since proven to be prolific parents, raising four chicks in 2024 and another four during the 2025 season.
The conservation charity overseeing the breeding initiative described the pair's timely return as "brilliant news," expressing optimism for another productive nesting season ahead.
Last Year's Love Triangle Had a Happy Ending
While the 2025 love triangle caused a brief stir, it ultimately had a positive outcome for osprey conservation in the region. Following her brief dalliance with 022, female 1H1 paired up with male 374, and the two went on to become the second breeding osprey couple in southern England since 1847. They successfully hatched two chicks in early June of that year.
Hopes for a Third Breeding Pair in 2025
Conservationists are now setting their sights even higher. The charity has installed ten nest platforms across Poole Harbour in hopes of attracting a third breeding pair to the area this year. The organisation is also optimistic that the second pair — 1H1 and 374 — will return to resume their own nesting activity.
Many of the ospreys monitored in southern England are fitted with identification rings but do not carry GPS trackers. These birds typically make their way back from annual migrations to western Africa from late March onward.
A Vision Decades in the Making
The osprey's growing presence in southern England is the result of a long-term reintroduction programme that began in Poole Harbour in 2017. The initiative was launched with the ambitious goal of establishing a self-sustaining breeding population in a region where the species had been absent for generations. With multiple nesting pairs now returning season after season, that vision is steadily becoming a reality.
