Haste Ye Back: Famous Alyth Ospreys head south for winter after new chick fledges nest

S S E N Transmission New chick on the block Bob investigates the nest camera up close

  • New osprey chick – affectionately named as Bob – takes the tally of Ospreys raised from SSEN Transmission’s purpose-built nest to 21 in ten years 

The famous resident Ospreys at SSEN Transmission’s purpose-built nesting platform at Alyth substation have started their long migration south this winter after successfully raising another healthy chick.

The new chick – affectionately named as Bob by enthusiastic followers of the birds through their dedicated live YouTube feed – fledged the nest at the end of August, with parents Harry and Flora now raising 21 chicks since the nesting platform was built ten years ago in 2014.  

Avid birdwatchers have been following the progress of the birds throughout this breeding season via a dedicated live feed which has attracted over 4,500 subscribers.  Fans flocked to follow parents Harry and Flora as they fed the new chick with fresh fish from the nearby Tay estuary watching as it grew bigger and stronger throughout the summer. 

Female osprey Flora and Bob took flight in late August to begin their migration south, with male osprey Harry heading off around a week later. 

The successful fledging of Bob takes the total tally of osprey chicks reared on the new platform since it was first built to 21, with the team hopeful for even more chicks in 2025.

S S E N Transmission Harry and Flora have raised 21 chicks from the purpose built nest in ten years

As with previous years, ornithologists have been on hand throughout the year to check that SSEN Transmission’s progress with the substation work at Alyth has not interfered with the ospreys’ development. 

The nesting platform was first created in 2014 with the help of osprey expert Roy Dennis MBE as an alternative home for the ospreys ahead of the start of a programme of upgrade and reinforcement work to the transmission East Coast network, after the birds were spotted nesting at the top of one of SSEN Transmission’s 48-metre-high electricity towers which was scheduled for maintenance as part of the project.

In 2022 pupils from Meigle Primary School named the two resident ospreys Harry and Flora, after becoming so invested in their progress and visiting the special viewing platform on site.   

SSEN Transmission Senior Consents and Environment Manager Ewan Jelly said:
“We are delighted to see yet another successful breeding season for the ospreys at Alyth as we mark ten years of the nesting platform, with Harry and Flora successfully raising Bob to take to the skies. 

“The platform has been in place for ten years now and it's been truly incredible to not only see the ospreys return year on year, and producing chicks, but also to see how invested the public are.

“Harry and Flora have always been a big hit with the team at Alyth Substation, but the live webcam on YouTube has over 4,500 subscribers and plenty of engagement from viewers. To have an audience this large is great as the Alyth Osprey initiative perfectly showcases our commitment to ensuring we protect the natural environment across all of our projects, making sure we leave biodiversity in a better position than when we started and protecting vital ecosystems wherever we can.

“We hope to see Harry and Flora make their way back to the platform again next year.”

S S E N Transmission Male osprey Harry delivers a fresh fish to Flora and BobAlyth Substation Energised

The new £86 million Alyth substation was built as part of a wider scheme to upgrade the East Coast Transmission network.  The new site energised in January this year after around three years of construction.   It will play a key role in enabling the connection of new renewable generation to the grid, helping to facilitate the transmission to net zero emissions. 

Throughout construction of the project the team were careful to manage any environmental impacts during the build, delivering significant biodiversity net gain on site throughout its construction. The studies forecast a 50% increase in biodiversity since teams first arrived in the area. 

Teams have worked hard to create various ecological improvements around the site which has helped to encourage native species of flora and fauna around the perimeter of the substation compound, contributing to a positive net gain in biodiversity.   This includes planting around 5,400 native trees, sowing native grass and wildflower seeds and installing various nesting and feeding boxes for bats, birds and red squirrels.

The new Alyth Substation is part of a significant number of projects on the East Coast of Scotland to strengthen the transmission network in the region, enabling the connection of new renewable generation to the grid and helping to facilitate the transition to net zero emissions.   Currently under construction is the East Coast 400kV Overhead Line Upgrade Project, which involves upgrading the existing 275kV overhead line circuits between Kintore, Fetteresso, Alyth and Kincardine Substations to 400kV operation.  Funds for the webcam are provided by the project team delivering the overhead line upgrade. 

Learn more about the East Coast 400kV upgrade here: https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/project-map/east-coast-400kv-ohl-upgrade/


Futher background: 

  • Ospreys normally nest in large mature trees. This iconic species feeds almost entirely on fish which they capture in a spectacular fashion by swooping down and snatching them from near the surface in their talons. Ospreys are migratory with the majority spending their winter in West Africa (although a small number of ospreys spend their winter in Iberia).  Ospreys are a protected species, and it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb the birds close to their nest during the breeding season.

  • In 2022 a live camera was installed by Wildlife Windows ahead of the ospreys returning from Africa.  They provide ongoing maintenance and support, also hosting the live feed for SSEN Transmission on YouTube. www.wildlifewindows.co.uk