Osprey pair lay first egg of the season

The egg appeared on the webcam at about 19:50 BST on Sunday

The only breeding pair of ospreys on England's south coast have laid their first egg of the season.

A webcam is monitoring the nest of female CJ7 and male 022 near Wareham, Dorset.

In 2022, the birds, which were part of a reintroduction scheme, became the first nesting pair on the south coast in 180 years.

Conservationists say they expect more eggs to be laid in the coming days.

The first egg appeared at about 19:50 BST on Sunday, two days earlier than last year.

Last summer saw four chicks hatch - the highest annual figure so far.

In a Facebook post, Birds of Poole Harbour said: "After lots of courtship, fish handovers, nest building, mating and the odd intrusion by another Osprey, we now have the first egg at the Careys Secret Garden nest."

The conservation charity said the birds laid their eggs three days apart, predicting the next one could appear on Wednesday.

It said the average time for eggs to hatch was 37 days but the first egg would often take 40 days, meaning the first chicks could hatch between 20 and 23 May.

"Since egg-laying both CJ7 and 022 have been dutifully brooding," the post said.

Numbers of the fish-eating birds fell dramatically in the Middle Ages.

Now they are a Schedule 1 species, meaning they have the highest level of protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

Birds of Poole Harbour and Careys Secret Garden are offering limited, managed tours near the nest location, including a viewing platform 350m (383 yards) away.

They are also working with Dorset Police Rural Crime Team and the National Wildlife Crime Unit to ensure there is no disturbance or trespassing risks to the private site.