Bassenthwaite Ospreys (England) (1 Viewer)

Last year we were lucky enough to be visiting our parents in Penrith, about 25 miles from Bassenthwaite Lake, when we heard that a pair of Ospreys had successfully bred for the first time in 150 years, in England. A viewing centre situated across the lake, opened while we were there, so we went to see for ourselves. This year we haven't been over to visit our family, so I have been following the progress of the 2 young Ospreys, via the webcam. On 19th August it was announced that they had fledged, so there would no longer be a live webcam, but there are archived images and video to see. Go to: http://www.ospreywatch.co.uk/

I think it is wonderful that the Ospreys have returned to England, and I congratulate the authorities concerned in the conservation efforts needed to bring this about.

Re Osprey's

Hi HelenB

We went to see them this year as we were visiting friends close by. It was quite early in May we saw both birds one on the nest and one perched in a nearby tree.

burhinus

I went to see the Bassenthwait Ospreys on Thursday 12th Sept, the female has left for AFRICA and the male remains with two young birds for another week or two before departing . It was nice to see the birds, here on Mull we have had a bird return for a couple of years but so far has not attracted a mate and we have now to wait until next year to see if we will be lucky and get another raptor to our list here on Mull
Alan

according to a friend, a second pair of osprey bred successfully in the lakes this year, though the location is being kept secret at the moment. also, kielder had a nesting pair this year, don't know if successful or not. i travel often to workington, so i drive right by bassenthwaite. its good to see osprey flying over the road there, breaks up a tedious journey.

mamo said:

according to a friend, a second pair of osprey bred successfully in the lakes this year, though the location is being kept secret at the moment. also, kielder had a nesting pair this year, don't know if successful or not. i travel often to workington, so i drive right by bassenthwaite. its good to see osprey flying over the road there, breaks up a tedious journey.

Click to expand...

Yes I read that in a magazine but nothing has been mentioned officially.

Lake District osprey chick takes first flight

From the RSPB web site:

Lake District osprey chick takes first flight

The osprey chick that hatched this year in the now-famous Lake District nest has taken its first flight.

The chick, thought to be a female, decided to take the plunge early on 28 July. The adult ospreys and their chick have become a star tourist attraction in Cumbria, and thousands of people have visited the two public viewing sites run by The Lake District Osprey Project.

Perhaps concerned about taking its first flight with so many people watching, the young osprey made her move at first light, meaning the visitors and project team all missed the auspicious moment!

Welcoming the news, Bill Kenmir of The Lake District Osprey Project, said: 'This is fantastic news and we are thrilled that another young osprey has successfully flown from this special nest. This is another feather in the cap for the Lake District, as these birds continue to attract local, national and international interest.

'We are delighted that so many people have been able to enjoy watching the ospreys''We are delighted that so many people have been able to enjoy watching the ospreys at the facilities provided by the Lake District Osprey Project and they will be able to follow the action until the end of August.

'The successful return of ospreys to Lakeland is a tribute to the hard work of all the volunteers and staff involved in this project. We are grateful to them all for their support and dedication and thank everyone who has helped by backing the project.'

Telescopes have been trained on the nest from the Dodd Wood Viewpoint, which will remain open to the public until the end of August and pictures beamed from a 'spy on the nest' camera have enthralled visitors to the Forestry Commission's Whinlatter Visitor Centre. Images from the osprey nest have featured on the internet, attracting followers from across the world.

The pair of ospreys first nested at Bassenthwaite Lake in 2001 as the result of a natural recolonisation of England and they were the first recorded pair to breed in Lakeland for at least 150 years. So far, they have successfully raised four chicks - one chick in 2001, two in 2002 and one last year.

The Lake District Osprey Viewpoint gives open-air viewing of the nest from a safe distance. It is located at Dodd Wood, 3 miles north of Keswick, off the A591 - follow signs to Mirehouse. The viewpoint is open all daylight hours. Between 10 am and 5 pm, osprey project staff are on hand with telescopes for visitors to use.

The Forestry Commission's Whinlatter Visitor Centre situated to the west of Bassenthwaite Lake, between Keswick and Cockermouth, includes a huge 'video wall' showing live pictures from the osprey nest.

Although the chick has now flown, it will continue to visit the nest and visitors to the centre will also be able to watch recorded highlights of all the action from the osprey nest. The centre is open daily from 10 am - 5 pm.

The Lake District Osprey Project is a partnership between the Forestry Commission, the Lake District National Park Authority and The RSPB.

I was just coming to report that

Sadly there is still no sign of the 2001 chick. Similarly there is no sign of the Rutland Water 2001 chick. So I guess the title of "First Adult English Bred Osprey for 150 years" is still up for grabs.