First images captured of osprey nest

Jun 24 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

THIS is the first image of Northumberland’s historic osprey nest.

And it was revealed yesterday that the first ospreys to nest successfully in the county for over two centuries have hatched three chicks.

The photograph shows the female sitting on the artificial nesting platform, erected by the Forestry Commission last year at Kielder Water.

Just visible are the heads of the three chicks. Because experts are staying well back from the remote site to avoid disturbing the birds, the picture was only made possible using a powerful telescope peering through dense foliage.

Martin Davison, Forestry Commission ornithologist, who is keeping tabs on the osprey family, said: “We reckon these are first time parents, probably about four years old, but even so they are doing a smashing job.

“A big cause of infant mortality amongst birds is lack of food, but the male has been out regularly swooping down on Kielder Water to bring the youngsters fish.

“We can’t take anything for granted, but each day that passes the chicks grow stronger.”

Chicks need at least one small fish every day to stay healthy, but as they develop, so too will their appetite.

So far, the female has refused to budge from the nest, but she will hunt if the male struggles to find enough food.

During the first weekend at a special public osprey viewing area, over 250 nature lovers used the Mounces car park, off the C200 near Leaplish Waterside Park. Volunteers from the RSPB and Northumberland Wildlife Trust treated people to views through powerful telescopes, able to pick out the distant osprey nest from the trees on the far side of Kielder Water.

The viewing point is open daily and staffed during weekends, but may also be staffed at other times during the week.

For further information go to www.visitkielder.com, or check times with the RSPB on (0191) 256-8200. Duncan Hutt, head of land management at the Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said: “It’s great news to have ospreys breeding in Kielder Water & Forest Park and even better to find that they have had three chicks. All being well we will be able to watch all the birds hunting around the lake later in the summer.”

To avoid congestion at weekends, people are asked to park at Leaplish Waterside Park and take the guided osprey shuttle bus to and from the Mounces viewing point. Public viewing arrangements have been part funded by Northumberland National Park.

Ospreys were once distributed widely, but persecution resulted in the species becoming extinct in England as a breeding bird in 1840 and in Scotland in 1916.

Some birds re-colonised Scotland in the 1950s and there are about 200 breeding pairs today.

Tony Henderson