Did you know that ospreys have stable mates? After migration they return to their nests to breed. In this episode of Smart Regions, we visit the Marais d'Orx in the south of France, to discover how this bird of prey has been reintroduced into the wetland that was drained by Napoleon.
The Marais d'Orx nature reserve in the Aquitaine region of France is a 1,000 hectare wetland rich in history, nature and birds of prey that are returning to their natural habitat.
In 1800, Napoleon had it converted into a polder, an area of drained wetland that has been reclaimed from the water, thanks to an innovative system of pumps and dykes. The aim was to cultivate arable land and do away with unhealthy swamps. Used for industrialised agriculture until the 1980s, the area is now a beautiful nature reserve and an important migratory corridor.
The Balbuzard Plan: How do ospreys reproduce?
The Marais d'Orx team, managed by Fabienne Puyo and led by Paul Lesclaux, has been working to reintroduce the osprey since 2018. The reproduction rate had been declining in the area.
"This bird species, even if persecuted for decades, is philopatric, which means they have a tendency to return to their birthplace to breed after migration," says Lesclaux. Interestingly, they also tend to have the same breeding partner for life. After migration, they meet again in their nesting territory to reproduce. So if there are no young birds born in a colony, the population is in decline.
The Balbuzard Plan, funded by the European Union from 2018 to 2021, has enabled the transfer of fledglings from other regions. These young birds adopt the Marais d'Orx as their birthplace, so they will return to nest and mate here. "We transferred the last fledglings in 2021 and 2024, and there are already 9 chicks that have been born naturally in the park from the ones we released."
The programme has been successful and the population is growing. For monitoring purposes, an open webcam has been installed in a nest in order to follow the life of these birds of prey.
From agricultural land to nature reserve
After a long period during which the wetland was drained and used for agro-industrial purposes, the authorities took action to restore it. Since the Conservatoire du Littoral (CdL), a French public organisation established to conserve the country's coastline, acquired it in 1995, "there has been a desire to restore it to its natural state, to create a more balanced ecosystem which favours biodiversity," explains Fabienne Puyo, director of the nature reserve.
Nature reserves like this help to mitigate the effects of climate change, Puyo explains. The director of the reserve also attaches great importance to education and public awareness. "Nature is a precious commodity, providing humanity with services that are often overlooked and undervalued.”
Today the nature reserve is home to a wide variety of migratory birds, as well as other animals such as otters, turtles, reptiles and numerous species of insects. In 2015 the nature reserve invested almost €3.3 million (20% funded by the ERDF) to build an educational trail along a wooden path with several birdwatching observatories.
This included the renovation of two jewels of the wetland's heritage: the Maison Béziers and the Maison du Marais. Today they serve as a visitor centre, exhibition centre and offices.
Alain Oelick is an amateur photographer and bird lover. During our visit we accompanied him on his walk to follow the routine of the ospreys. "Whilst the ospreys were being reintroduced, the reserve allowed me to come and take photos to demonstrate how young ones develop and grow. His photos celebrate the process.
The Balbuzard Plan is an osprey restoration programme in the Marais d'Orx. With a total budget of 351,007 euros, it was 80% financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
It has been 30 years since the Conservatoire du Littoral acquired the Marais d'Orx in 1995 in order to restore it. Today, the reserve is an example of the restoration of public nature attractions to raise visitor awareness and facilitate scientific research.