Arthur, the summer of 2020 star

Osprey Arthur at Hagneck, Lake of Bienne

Arthur (F12), a two-year old male Osprey who returned for the first time this year, is without a doubt one of the ornithological stars of this season. Since the beginning of July, he has been seen or photographed at Hagneck, on the shore of Lake Bienne, almost every day!

As for Taurus (PS7), a three-year old male who returned for the second time this year, he was observed in the Three Lakes region between April 9 and May 27, and then again (after surprisingly not being noticed for nearly two months) from July 22, when he has been seen every day since.

Regarding Fusée (PR9), our first male returnee in 2018 and again in 2019, so far there has been no sign of him this year. The exceptionally bad weather conditions that caused many Osprey to disappear during the last spring migration make us worry that he may not have survived, unless he has managed to spend this summer incognito in some remote or rarely visited area.

All 12 young birds translocated this year from Germany and Norway have now fledged. Most of them have started to venture further afield in their adopted country, visiting places such as the Lake of Morat, the Fanel Nature Reserve at the lake of Neuchâtel, the Niederried dam reservoir along the Aar River or the Auried Nature Reserve near Kleinbösingen. The most advanced of the twelve young, Zeppelin (F26), has already migrated, and we are expecting more departures any day now.

We thank all the people who have already sent us observations or photos, noting that for any Osprey recorded in Switzerland (whether or not a ring is seen), it is always of great added value if the time of observation can be recorded.