First three osprey eggs laid at Kielder

A second egg was laid in Nest 4 on Wednesday and a first egg was laid at Nest 7 on Monday.

With osprey pairs on Nests 2, 4, 5A and 7, and empty nests for pairs to occupy, it is envisaged more eggs will be following quite soon.

The season is currently far from smooth, with the long-term breeding male named 37 failing to return to Nest 2, nor the female at Nest 6.

The female from Nest 1A is also looking for a partner following the loss of YA last year.

The 2023 chicks will all be named after parts of Northumberland beginning with the letter G.

Breeding pairs of ospreys have nested in Kielder between March and September since 2009, with activity on the nests tending to be mainly throughout May to August as the chicks hatch, are fed and then take to the wing and practice hunting.

With their fair share of births, deaths, reunions, breakups, hatchings and philandering, they are now a big hit with the public who are able to watch their lives unfold via locally-streamed nest cams and from a new cabin at Tower Knowe.

In 2022, all the ringed chicks were named using the initial F. Two of the ringed ones were seen on migration in the UK with one spending several weeks in Devon honing her fishing skills. A third bird was seen on the river that runs through Barcelona.

Osprey Watch is back in full swing from the cabin at Tower Knowe.

On Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday to August 13 between 11am and 4.30pm, visitors will be offered views of the activity on the nest via scopes, and a high quality 4K close up on nest 7, via the nest cam in the cabin.

There will also be screens in Kielder Castle.

Joanna Dailey from Forestry England says: “It’s wonderful to see eggs being laid again. The absence of several breeding birds is an opportunity for prospecting ospreys to take a vacancy. A couple of females have taken an interest in Nest 6, so we hope the male W6 will be able to settle soon.”

The Kielder Osprey Project is a partnership between Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, Forestry England, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Northumbrian Water.