A pair of ospreys have built a nest in the Biesbosch nature reserve south east of Dordrecht, becoming the first pair ever recorded to have bred in the Netherlands, the Dutch forestry commission said at the weekend.

The nest contains one egg and the female has been sitting on it since late April, ranger Thomas van der Es said in a short video about the new arrivals.

Ospreys are migratory but several pairs have been spotted in the Biesbosch in the spring since 2014. Some have built nests but none have so far produced young.

Parts of the Biesbosch boating route have been closed to the public to allow the birds to raise their young undisturbed. Rangers have also stepped up their patrols, Van der Es said.

The osprey, which only eats fish, has a wing span of up to 1.8 metres. It winters in North Africa and nests in many part of Europe, largely near freshwater lakes and rivers, and sometimes on coastal brackish waters.