The Kielder ospreys have now fledged 50 chicks since they began nesting at Kielder Water & Forest Park in 2009.
This year, nine chicks have fledged from four nests including Archer from Nest 3, who is officially the 50th bird to take its first flight at Kielder.
This year is the second most successful breeding season ever for the Kielder Ospreys, with only 2016 producing more fledged chicks, a record-breaking 11 of them. However, this year’s success has been tinged with sadness. One of the 13 eggs one failed to hatch and three of the chicks died before they had a chance to fledge.
Extremely wet weather at times has affected a number of UK osprey nests this season, including Kielder. The overall productivity of just over two fledges per nest is still above the average for many UK osprey projects.
Joanna Dailey, Kielder Osprey expert volunteer, said: “Kielder Water & Forest Park has proved to be a successful home for ospreys, with excellent habitat and food supply. A special pleasure this year has been seeing the Nest 3 adults, breeding here since 2014, raise three chicks for the first time. It is apt that the official 50th Kielder fledge is from that nest.”
Visitors can still watch the antics of the birds until late August through nest cameras broadcasting at Kielder Castle Café. For a chance to see these magnificent birds, join Northumberland Wildlife Trust volunteers at Northumbrian Water’s Kielder Waterside every Saturday, Sunday and Monday to view Nest 1A and 2 through a scope and see live footage broadcast from the nest to a screen in the cabin.
Fans of the famous birds can also keep up to date with them by checking the blog at https://kielderospreys.wordpress.com/
Kielder Osprey Watch is a partnership between Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, Forestry Commission, RSPB, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumbrian Water and Calvert Trust Kielder.
The partners are working hard to ensure that the ospreys are here to stay by maintaining a high quality habitat in Kielder Water & Forest Park and safeguarding and monitoring the nest sites. To find out more, go to www.visitkielder.com.