Rare bird of prey flies into town

ONE of Britain’s rarest birds of prey has been spotted near Warrington.
The osprey, made famous after its remarkable recovery from near extinction in Scotland, has been seen fishing along the Mersey and has been making regular appearances at the Norton Marsh nature reserve near Warrington.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust says the sighting is “highly unusual.”
Osprey pairs elsewhere in the country are currently in the midst of raising chicks, with the nearest confirmed nesting ospreys some distance away in Wales or the Midlands.
The nature charity said the bird could be a young adult who has made the migration from Africa but has been unsuccessful in finding a mate this season.
After a chequered history in the UK, the osprey made return to the Highlands of Scotland during the 1950s and 1960s after decades of absence following persecution the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Today, following successful conservation efforts and reintroduction projects in some parts of the UK, the osprey has seen a resurgence in numbers to around 250 pairs. The majority remain in Scotland with ospreys now breeding in Wales, Rutland Water and the Lake District too.
Very distinctive with white underparts and brown above, the osprey feeds exclusively on fish, the only bird of prey in Britain to do so.
The osprey has also evolved highly complex adaptations to allow it to feed on fish, including a retractable claw which lets it grasp fish with two talons either side to allow it to fly longer distances with prey.
The bird is more commonly seen in this country in March and April.
The last time an osprey is known to have visited the area for an extended period was in 2006, when an individual remained hunting along the Mersey for several weeks during the summer.
Tom Marshall from the Cheshire Wildlife Trust said: “It’s a real summer treat to be able to see an osprey so close to Warrington and the Mersey.
“This is an iconic bird in Britain, and with birdwatchers often having to travel hundreds of miles to see one, to witness an osprey with all its fishing prowess here on the Mersey is very special indeed.
“The fact that it has stayed around for a few days also shows the continuing health of the Mersey too, the same improvements that have allowed wildlife like the otter, salmon and water voles to recover in our local waterways.”
Generally nesting in trees, ospreys have also been encouraged into new areas by the building of artificial nests and feeding platforms.