Rumours of a male Osprey at NWT's Ranworth Broad reserve immediately spurred my attention. I had high hopes, but as with any rarity, there is always a high chance of disappointment. So, as soon as we could, we rushed down to see if we could spot this majestic migrant.

The staff at the beautiful visitor centre were very informative, and told us where it had been seen. 

Scanning from the spacious hide, there was a whirlwind of bird activity; great crested grebes were displaying, a common tern perched on a wooden post in the water, teal paddled in the shallows, and house martins chittered in the clear blue skies above the centre.

We soon caught sight of the huge osprey, flying in over the broad. It circled on its long, bowed wings over the treeline, deciding where the best perch was. It came to its conclusion, and swooped onto a tree which broke away from the skyline like a hand from a bustling crowd. 

It seemed to be going about its business as normal - having a scratch, stretching its wings, watching the water - oblivious to the fact that a handful of birders observed it keenly through their telescopes.

Another behaviour we saw was stick-collecting. It was adding to the already huge nest platform built by the NWT, evidently hoping a female might join him. To have nesting ospreys at Ranworth would be a real privilege. I believe one day this fantasy will become true...

The osprey is the only bird in its family, and lives entirely on fish. It has a colossal wingspan of 1.7m, making it one of our largest birds of prey! They are boldly patterned, with a brown back, white belly and dark eyestripe. All in all, a magnificent bird and well worth a visit.