Ospreys in Loire Valley, France. March 2011.

March sees Osprey migration begin and with 2 weeks holiday in Normandy and The Loire what better opportunity than to visit the Observatory at the Etang du Ravoir in the Forest of Orleans, near the town of Ouzouer-sur-Loire. Late afternoon weather conditions were perfect. Blue skies gave way to a brilliant orange hue as the sun began to set in the west. This silhouette is my favourite picture from the trip.

In 1984, Rolf Wahl discovered two ospreys building a nest at the Etang du Ravoir, apparently the fist since the 2nd World War. Measures of protection and conservation of the site were immediately engaged. In 1992 Rolf sold his business and moved to the Orleans Forest where he has led and managed the development of the Ospreys in France since.

I was fortunate to meet Rolf during my visit, one could not want to meet a nicer man whose knowledge of the Osprey is remarkable. Some background to Rolf can be found Here. Today of course Rolf has several able assistants and I was delighted to meet one of them, Gilles Perrodin, during the visit. Gilles and his colleague run a blog during the breeding season and although Google's French translation isn't exactly accurate the general picture is easily obtained. Follow this Link.