Bassenthwaite Lake

Photo by HelenB
View of southern end of Bassenthwaite Lake from the Upper Viewpoint, May 2009.
Click on image to see a larger version

England, Cumbria

Overview

Bassenthwaite Lake is a National Nature Reserve, in the Lake District, located in the county of Cumbria in northwest England. It is owned and managed by the Lake District National Park Authority. The area became famous in 2001, when a pair of wild Ospreys nested there, this being the first time in over 150 years that Ospreys had bred in the Lake District.

• Both viewpoints will be open and staffed from 29th March, 2010
• The pair of Ospreys returned from Africa on 1st April, 2010 - see the daily diary link in External Links, below^[1]
• The first egg was laid on Sunday, 18th April, 2010, the second egg arrived at 15.30 on Wednesday, 21st April, and the third egg was laid at 11.15 on Saturday, 24th April, 2010.
• Monday, 24th May marks 5 weeks of incubation, so the first egg should be hatching any day now .......
• Latest news: the first chick has hatched. It was seen at 10am, Thursday, 27th May. In theory, the second egg should hatch on Saturday, and the 3rd on Monday, but these Ospreys haven't read the books!

Birds

Notable Species

Osprey, Red Kite (28 April, 2010), Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tawny Owl, Common Dipper, Common Redstart, European Pied Flycatcher, Eurasian Treecreeper.

Photo by HelenB
Osprey nest, May 2009. Click on image to see a larger version

Photo by charlierocky
The pair of Ospreys using the nest in the new location for a second year, April 2009

Rarities

Osprey, Red Kite

Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Eurasian Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Osprey, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Common Pheasant, Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Common Coot, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Tawny Owl, Common Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Northern House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Winter Wren, Dunnock, European Robin, Common Redstart, Eurasian Blackbird, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, European Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Treecreeper, Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, Eurasian Bullfinch, House Sparrow, Common Starling, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Common Raven

Other Wildlife

Red Squirrel, Badger, Roe Deer, Otter

Site Information

History and Use

In 2001 it was announced that a pair of Ospreys had nested in the woods above Bassenthwaite Lake, this being the first time in 150 years that a wild pair of the birds had bred in the Lake District. The Forestry Commission and the Lake District National Park Authority had provided a nesting platform in the hope that the Ospreys, they had been seeing during the summer for the last few years, would stay and breed there. Once the eggs were laid, wardens kept a 24 hour watch on the nest to protect the birds from any disturbance, such as illegal egg collectors. The RSPB is also involved in extra support for the Lake District Osprey Project.

Areas of Interest

• Osprey viewing from Dodd Wood viewpoints
• Whinlatter Visitor Centre, where there is a live video feed from the nest to a big screen. NB. Whinlatter is also a major mountain biking centre.
• Forest walks, provided by the Forestry Commission, starting from the Dodd Wood car park.
• Ivy Crag Wood - a small remnant of oak woodland on the slopes of Dodd below Skiddaw
• Hide (blind) on the edge of Bassenthwaite Lake, near Powterhow Wood. Access from the car park at Powter How, via a nice walk through the woods, where you might see Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, Wood Warblers, and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. There's a tunnel under the A66, so no road crossings involved. Or you can park in the A66 layby at Blackstock Point, and take a walk along the lake side to get there. Location shown by arrow on map referenced in External Links, below.^[2]

Access and Facilities

• Both viewpoints will be open and staffed from 29th March, 2010
• Osprey watching viewpoints are in Dodd Wood, on the east side of the lake. It is 3 miles north of Keswick off the A591, follow signposts to Dodd Wood from the A66. The car park is opposite the entrance to Mirehouse.
• The Lower Viewpoint - open from 10am to 5pm daily and staffed by volunteers. No views of the nest, but excellent views of the Ospreys fishing over the lake.
• The Upper Viewpoint - open from 10am to 5pm daily. It is about half a mile, a 30 minutes walk, up a steep incline, to this higher viewpoint. There are telescopes for viewing the nest which is only 400m away.
• There is no charge to use the viewpoint, but car parking charges are as follows: £1 for 1 hour, £3 for up to 4 hours and £4 over 4 hrs (these are the 2009 rates).
• There are public toilets at the car park.
• The Old Sawmill Tearoom at Dodd Wood is open through the Osprey season.
• The Whinlatter Visitor Centre is located west of Braithwaite, on the B5292 between Braithwaite and Cockermouth - Grid Ref NY208245
• There is a public transport service, the Osprey Bus, which links Keswick with a round Bassenthwaite Lake route, including the Whinlatter Exhibition and the Dodd Wood viewpoint. Please note that due to the closure of Ouse Bridge at the north end of Bassenthwaite Lake, this year's bus timetable has been amended as it is not possible to run a loop circuit.^[3]

Contact Details

Whinlatter Visitor Centre phone: 017687 78469

Gallery

Click on images to see a larger version:

• 

  Photo by HelenB
  Approaching the Upper Osprey Viewpoint, May 09

• 

  Photo by HelenB
  Osprey nest (centre) is only 400m from viewpoint. Derwentwater in the background, May 09

• 

  Photo by Mad_BMS
  Bassenthwaite Lake, looking towards Skiddaw, May 05

• 

  Photo by charlierocky
  Common Dipper, photographed near Keswick

Content and images originally posted by HelenB

External Links

• Lake District Osprey Project
• Ivy Crag Wood
• Bassenthwaite Lake on Streetmap
• Location of the Whinlatter Visitor Centre on Streetmap

1. Daily video diary of Osprey activities
2. Location of hide near Powterhow Wood
3. 2010 Osprey Bus timetable

Search for videos of Bassenthwaite Lake on BirdForum TV