TWO osprey chicks that were raised on a South Lakeland nature reserve have survived into adulthood and returned to the north of England for the summer.
A male osprey was spotted flying above the South Lakes last month and was identified by its leg ring as Blue 7A, one of three chicks raised by a pair of breeding ospreys at Foulshaw Moss, near Witherslack, three years ago.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust (CWT) has now been informed by Kielder Ospreys in Northumberland that a female, Blue V3, was spotted on their web cam, trying to land on an already-occupied nest.
As the photo shows, the incumbent female despatched Blue V3 very dramatically! Blue V3 hatched at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve in 2015 and it seems she was attempting to return to her ‘grandparent’ nest, as one of her parents hatched at Kielder.
Paul Waterhouse, Reserves Officer at CWT, said: “This is exciting and important news for us as these sightings are the first confirmation we’ve had that any of the osprey chicks raised at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve since 2013 have survived into adulthood.
"Unfortunately 60 to 70 per cent of osprey chicks do not reach maturity - the arduous 2000-mile migration from the UK back to Africa or Iberia claims most of them. We’re delighted to see that at least two chicks have made it into adulthood, against the odds, and returned to the north of England. It also shows how invaluable the leg rings are, as they enable us all to identify the ospreys individually, keep tracks of their movements and understand the life history of these wonderful birds of prey.”
The parents of Blue 7A (White YW and Blue 35) recently returned to nest at Foulshaw Moss and Paul thinks that Blue 35 has laid at least one egg. Another female osprey (AK1) from Loch Eye, Easter Ross in Scotland, has also been seen at the nature reserve recently, giving rise to speculation that she also may be looking for a future breeding ground.
The ospreys can be viewed using telescopes set up on the viewing platform at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve, which is located just off the A590 near Witherslack. Full directions are available on www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk. You can also join in the conversation on social media using #FoulshawOspreys .
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