From Opus

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.

• Ospreys return 2010 ~ the female Osprey (Mrs) returned from Africa on 26th March, and was followed by the male (No-ring) on 1st April, 2010 - see the daily diary link in External Links, below, for daily updates and video feed.^[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 .......
• The first chick hatched on Thursday, 27th May. Chick no. 2 appeared on Saturday evening, 29th May, and was seen by many visitors on Sunday, on the webcam screen at the Whinlatter Visitor Centre. The third egg did not hatch, and is unlikely to now (as of 14th June).
• Ringing Day: On Thursday, 8th July, both young male Ospreys were ringed and then had tiny satellite transmitters, weighing only 30 grams, attached. Big Yan and L'al Yan have ring numbers White 12 and White 11, respectively and both weigh about 1,450 grams.
• Fledging: Both young Ospreys have fledged successfully, Big Yan (ringed white 12) on 17th July and L'al Yan (ringed white 11) followed his brother into the skies on 20th July.
• 15th August: The live streaming webcam, courtesy of BBC Cumbria has now ended for the 2010 season. The Flicker Daily Diary is still active and showing one video per day, plus photos and comments on the happenings around Bassenthwaite.^[1]
• 23rd August: The satellite transmitters, carried by the two young Ospreys, are allowing us to see where and how far the birds are flying each day. Here's an example of L'al Yan's exploration on 18th August. Both young ones are easily seen from the Lower Viewpoint at the moment. It is believed that "Mrs" the female Osprey has left for Africa - awaiting confirmation.
• 27th August: Chick #11, L'al Yan, the younger of the two, left on his southbound migration on Tuesday, 24th August. Tune in to the DAILY DIARY to track this intrepid youngster. Big Yan (#12) decided to leave on 27th August - one minute he was perched near No Ring (Dad) by the Lake, then he flew over to him, flew around him twice, then soared up into the sky and headed south! Mrs has not been seen since Tuesday, 24th August.
• 29th August: Chick #12 spent the night of the 28th near Shrewsbury, then flew south, across the English Channel to spend the night of the 28th on the Cherbourg Peninsula. Meanwhile, chick #11 has made it all the way to Portugal, taking a direct route across southwest England and straight down across the Bay of Biscay.
• 31st August: The Osprey Project has now finished for 2010, but the satellite tracked journeys of the 2 young Ospreys will continue to be reported on DAILY DIARY and the 2010 Tracking Chicks page.
• 3rd Sept.: Chick #11 was heading south towards to Lisbon in Portugal and chick #12 was on the south coast of Spain near Cadiz. As of 5th Sept., No Ring was still at Bassenthwaite.
• 11th Sept: Both chicks have now reached the west coast of Africa, #11 near Nouakchott in Mauritania and #12 near Dakar in Senegal, south of Mauritania.
• Latest news: 15th Sept - from the movements of the birds up and down the coast in the areas mentioned above, it is thought that they have reached the areas where they will overwinter. Updates are being posted on the DAILY DIARY every few days.

Birds

Notable Species

Osprey, Red Kite (28 April, 2010), Barnacle Goose (5 June, 2010 - photo below right. These are most probably birds from a resident flock on nearby Derwentwater), Eurasian Oystercatcher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tawny Owl, Common Dipper, Common Redstart, European Pied Flycatcher, Eurasian Treecreeper.

Photo by oncebittern
The unusual sight of 10 Barnacle Geese over Bassenthwaite Lake, 5 June 2010.
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 ~ 30 young Red Kites were released in Grizedale Forest, near Windermere, at the beginning of August, 2010. This is the 9th reintroduction and part of the final phase of Red Kite reintroductions in different parts of the UK. 60 more will be released in the next 2 years. It is very likely that these wing-tagged kites will be seen over Bassenthwaite Lake as they explore the Lake District.

Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Greylag Goose, Barnacle 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, Eurasian Bullfinch, Lesser Redpoll, Common Crossbill, House Sparrow, Common Starling, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Common Raven

Other Wildlife

Red Squirrel, Badger, Roe Deer, Otter, Pipistrelle bat, Weasel, Stoat

Site Information

History and Use

In 2001 it was announced that a pair of Ospreys had nested in the woods above Bassenthwaite Lake. This was 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 collecting. 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 in Whinlatter Forest Park, 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
• Powterhow Wood, with a hide (blind), on the south west edge of Bassenthwaite Lake. 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]
• Dubwath Silver Meadows, a new wetland nature reserve about 17 acres in size, located at the north west end of Bassenthwaite Lake. 1.6 mile circuit of path and boardwalk, plus hides built in Celtic style.^[3]

Access and Facilities

• Both viewpoints will be open and staffed from 29th March, 2010 to 31st August, 2010. You may still visit the viewpoints after the Osprey season has finished, for beautiful views of Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwentwater.
• 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: £1.60 for 1.5 hours, £2.50 for 2 hours, £4.50 for 4 hours and £5.80 for all day (2010 rates).
• There are public toilets at the car park.
• The Old Sawmill Tearoom at Dodd Wood is open through the Osprey season and beyond, closing at the end of October.
• The Whinlatter Visitor Centre is located west of Braithwaite, on the B5292 between Braithwaite and Cockermouth - Grid Ref NY208245. After 31st August, the exhibition will show highlights of the 2010 season and tracking of the 2010 chicks on their southbound migration to Africa.
• From 29th March to 31st August, 2010, 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.^[4]

Contact Details

Whinlatter Visitor Centre phone: 017687 78469

Gallery

Click on images to see a larger version:

Photo by HelenB Southern end of Bassenthwaite Lake from the Lower Viewpoint, May 09	Photo by HelenB Bassenthwaite Lake looking north, May 09	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 HelenB Osprey nest, May 09.	Photo by Mad_BMS Bassenthwaite Lake, looking towards Skiddaw, May 05	Photo by oncebittern Male Osprey fishing on Bassenthwaite Lake, June 2010	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. Dubwath Silver Meadows Wetland Nature Reserve plus Dubwath Silver Meadows info and map
4. 2010 Osprey Bus timetable