EXCITEMENT is building at Bassenthwaite Lake as the staff and volunteers on the Lake District Osprey Project (LDOP) eagerly await the return of the famous ospreys. 

The viewpoints at Dodd Wood, near Keswick, will re-open again on Saturday April 1 and visitors are invited to help spot the ospreys as they arrive back from Africa for another breeding season in the Lakes. 

This will hopefully be the seventeenth year that these iconic birds of prey have bred at Bassenthwaite.

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"We can't wait for the ospreys to come back," said Jon Carter from the LDOP.

"We hope to see the female, known as KL and her partner return as a pair for the fifth year in a row. Or we could get some completely different birds coming in altogether. 

"That's the great thing about watching wildlife, you never know what dramas are about to unfold. It's really exciting and we hope to see lots of visitors coming along this season to share in the action."

The viewpoints at Dodd Wood will be open every day from 10 am-5 pm until the end of August.

Jon added: "It's not just the ospreys that make this site a fantastic place to visit. As we await their return we also get great views of red squirrels and a whole host of wonderful woodland birds. Not to mention the chance of spotting an otter on the lake."

Since the LDOP began in 2001, the ospreys have nested successfully at Bassenthwaite every year, raising nearly 30 chicks, while over 1.5 million people have visited the project.

Osprey fans around the world can keep an eye on the action from the nest by following the webcam on the LDOP homepage ospreywatch.co.uk and get the latest news at facebook.com/ospreywatch, or by following on Twitter @lakelandosprey. 

To help support the project, people can also now donate at justgiving.com/fundraising/lakesospreys

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