A POPULAR osprey known as ‘KL’ has returned to Bassenthwaite, sparking hopes for another successful year for the Lake District Osprey Project (LDOP).

KL, a ringed female osprey, returned to the nest yesterday following a winter spent in West Africa. This has delighted the team as ospreys are not always guaranteed to return to the same nest sites. She was then joined by an un-ringed male osprey.

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Nathan Fox, of the LDOP, said: “It is brilliant to have KL back at Bassenthwaite for the fifth year with a partner. We are hopeful for another successful nesting season and would love to see as many people as possible coming up to watch these spectacular birds of prey from the viewpoint at Dodd Wood.”

Since the ospreys arrived, they have been spotted around the nest mating, providing plenty of opportunities for people to watch them in action.

A dedicated team of staff and volunteers can be found at the viewpoint at Dodd Wood, near Keswick, which opens tomorrow and is available every day from 10am to 5 pm until the end of August.

At nearby Whinlatter Visitor Centre people can also watch live nest cam images on flat screen televisions, between 10am and 5pm.

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 on facebook.com/ospreywatch, or by following on Twitter @lakelandosprey.

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

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