200-year wait over as ospreys nest at Kielder

Jun 11 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

FISH-eating osprey eagles are nesting in Northumberland for the first time in at least 200 years.

A pair of the magnificent 5ft wingspan birds are using one of four artificial nesting platforms built by the Forestry Commission at Kielder Water and Forest Park.

What has been the region’s best-kept conservation secret can be revealed now it is believed the birds have hatched eggs. It is thought the pair are young birds making their first nesting attempt and experts were anxious to avoid disturbance during the crucial settling in and incubating period.

The return of ospreys to the North East is not only a remarkable conservation breakthrough, but also important because of the eco-tourism benefits.

A pair of ospreys has nested at Bassenthwaite in the Lake District since 2001 and have attracted a total of 500,000 visitors to a special viewpoint.

A study has shown that of the £2m annual visitor spend in the area, £500,000 is directly attributable to the birds, supporting the equivalent of 34 jobs.

The Northumberland ospreys are a major boost for the Kielder Partnership, whose strategy is to turn the forest and lake into a major visitor destination, upping the current annual visitor figure of 223,000 to 800,000 in 10 years. It is predicted the ospreys will mean at least 10,000 extra visitors this summer.

“It is hard to overstate the significance of this development. It is fantastic that these birds have come back,” said partnership director Elisabeth Rowark.

“Kielder is a tremendous place for wildlife and the ospreys settling here is superb.”