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[00:00.40] This is not the first local sighting of ospreys – soaring birds of prey with long hazel-flecked wings, white feather crowns and distinctive eye stripes.

[00:09.70] But the presence of at least two osprey chicks has raised hopes that these raptors can establish a permanent colony in Ireland.

[00:16.87] This successful breeding makes them the first known wild osprey chicks on the island of Ireland in modern times.

[00:23.51] Conservation group Ulster Wildlife are keeping the nest site confidential to protect them.

[00:28.29] Over their lifespan of 15 to 20 years, these migratory birds can rack up more than 160,000 miles of travel, but they always return to the same area every year.

[00:39.18] Giles Knight, the environmental farming scheme adviser who found them said it was a rub-your-eyes, once-in-a-lifetime moment.

[00:46.62] Osprey populations were threatened in parts of North America in the 50s and 60s due to the use of pesticides and chemicals like DDT, which thin their eggshells and killed many birds.

[00:58.04] But after these substances were banned, most osprey populations were able to recover.

[01:02.56] The birds were thought to have become extinct as a breeding bird in Ireland in the late 18th Century due to human impacts.

[01:08.93] Scientists say their return indicates a healthy wetland ecosystem with plenty of fish like pike, perch, and trout to sustain what could be a new dynasty of ospreys.