Osprey diary 2004 This years latest news » Look back at the osprey news from 2004
Ospreywatch
Monday 30th August 2004 Sadly, today is the last of the season for all the staff and volunteers at the Ospreywatch sites. It has been a superb summer for us (for you too, we hope) with the birds continually giving us surprises and extending our understanding of them as individuals and as a species. Although we won't be at our posts both Chick and our male will be around on the Lake for a week or two yet so there's still time to get your own binoculars out for a last sighting! We will post up the dates of their departures here. Whinlatter Visitor Centre, Dodd Wood Walks and the Cafes remain open; watch out for Red Squirrels! To all those who have followed the Bassenthwaite Osprey fortunes on this website - your feedback has been so much appreciated. Thank you. 'Birds are (definitely) Brilliant!'
Ospreywatch
Sunday 29th August 2004 !GOING FOR THE GOLD! At 12.30 Chick caught her first fish! For watchers at Dodd Viewpoint it was the high spot of the season. Again and again Chick threw herself into the water, at one point submerging completely, at another floating exhausted in the Lagoon. We'd like to feel that our cheers and heartfelt shouts of encouragement had some part in her success when eventually she rose into the air and with one last plunge, gained her fishy trophy. She treated the ecstatic crowds to a lap or two of honour, brandishing the victim's body and then flew off to a perch for her celebratory feast. Ospreywatch
Saturday 28th August 2004 Chick is really putting her back into it now and gave two marathon performances of about 45 mins each, plunging time and again up to her neck in the water. Unfortunately, she was unsuccessful (though, as with Olympic counterparts, not for want of trying) It was just as well that her coach (Dad) sailed in effortlessly into the breach at the end of the session to provide the necessary restorative protein. Ospreywatch
Thursday 26th Friday 27th August 2004 No sign of the female now since last Saturday. Our male is still catching fish for Chick but is obviously trying to take a backrow seat, hiding out of view in the forest. This may be more in the line of shading his eyes in filial despair as his daughter's attempts to fish consist of a series of rather painful looking belly flops. (compared with the graceful dips of last week) So far we have not yet seen her catch a fish of her own. Ospreywatch
Wednesday 25th August 2004 Ennerdale Show, held high up in the fells, was the venue for our first trial run 'Osprey Tent' outing. A Competition, Video Presentation, and stalwart Volunteers enjoyed the fine weather, the stock exhibits and answered the many questions of both Visitors and Local people. Completely oblivious, the birds concerned continued their daily routine on the Lake. Ospreywatch
Monday 23rd Tuesday 24th August 2004 Showery weather with variable visibility of both chick and male. They are often perched in the 'star tree' at the moment. This conifer is so named because its upper branches give the illusion of being woven into the shape of a Christmas tree star. Through the telescopes the bright chests of the two birds gleam out as decoratively as wax candles with the new pine cones hanging below them like green glass baubles. Very photogenic but very far away! Ospreywatch
Sunday 22nd August 2004 The Lake waters are still up, with the Nature Reserve marsh area saturated, to the joy of the many mallard, cormorant and heron, scuffling around in the soggy sedges. A quiet day for our male osprey and chick, with no signs again of any sort of female! Ospreywatch
Saturday 21st August 2004 Well! Having sent out the press release that the female had truly departed for Africa on the 15th August, low and behold this morning our 'scopes focussed on a female sitting cosily in family grouping with Chick and male. Dodd watchers feel that she is our female who has probably been on a preliminary mini-tour of the area before the Big Push. This is not uncommon behaviour but we wish she would make up her mind! Ospreywatch
Friday 20th August 2004 By first light the heavy rain had filled the Derwent until, swollen with silt and debris, it has spilled out in a dark brown stain over the South end of the Lake. The water being too murky for fishing has prompted the male osprey to sit in a tree all day but like a debutant at her first ball our Chick has been dancing over the clearer Lagoon area in a series of dipping flights, folding her wings back and touching the water with her long legs. Her actions seem to embody the perfection of the wild, matching absolute beauty with absolute pragmatism in her struggle to become a survivor. Ospreywatch
The Webcam images have been closed down for this year as none of the birds will be returning to the nest until next Spring. Thankyou to George, our field engineer and to Adam at BBC Cumbria for providing us with living pictures of the Ospreys' home life. Meanwhile the Diary will continue to give updates on the Ospreys' progress from the Visitor Centre at Whinlatter and Dodd Wood Viewpoint. Ospreywatch
Thursday 19th August 2004 Very wet again over the Lake today with spasmodic views of the male and Chick. The arrival of a third bird definitely confirmed that our female has gone (retrospectively last seen for certain on July 15th) as the male took off and shooed the migrant bird out of his air space. Ospreywatch
Wednesday 18th August 2004 Total confusion this moning over at Dodd Viewpoint as three birds were once again seen cleaving the skies! Is this bird our female returned, the extra female from over the fell, or a completely new passage migrant? It's all part of Life's rich birdwatching tapestry. Also observed is Chick making her first dives towards the water, instinctively hovering and plunging rather nervously from a short height. A very welcome development in her path to maturity. Ospreywatch
Tuesday 17th August 2004 Apologies for the black screen on the webcam - we are not sure what the problem is but in any case it would be extremely unlikely that any bird would land on the nest at this stage in the game. Our female still hasn't been seen, so it's probable she has left for good on the long journey Ospreywatch
Monday 16th August 2004 Today there has been no sign of the female bird. She left on August 17th last year so her timekeeping (without the benefit of digital waterproof watch) is pretty spectacular. Ospreywatch
Saturday 14th/Sunday 15th August All three birds have been seen over the weekend flying over the fell and water. Chick has yet to take her first plunge but she is still a little wobbly at landing on posts without the extra weight of being waterlogged. Ospreywatch
Friday 13th August 2004 Despite the rain and the run-off of the last few days the water in Lake is still very warm. Fishermen have been taking home good catches as the fish continue to rise, which possibly explains why our female is in no hurry to leave. Fishing and boating on Bassenthwaite is by permit at the North end only, leaving the shallow South end exclusively for ospreys, otters and all the other wildlife. Ospreywatch
Thursday 12th August 2004. As an early and hungry riser Chick has been making her presence felt very vocally both with her parents and in some local Lakeside homes. There can be few other people in Britain that rely on a screaming osprey rather than a clock or cockerel for their wake up call! Ospreywatch
Wednesday 11th August 2004 The heather is out in full bloom now, colouring the fellsides in rich purples. It is the sign that summer is approaching its end; rowan berries are turning bright orange and the backberries are swelling on the briars. It also means that our chick has only 3-4 more weeks to train for independence before the cooler airs of autumn prompt her leave taking. Ospreywatch
Tuesday 10th August 2004 Torrential rain poured down all day in buckets, sheets, waterfalls cats and dogs. Nice weather for ducks but no sightings of ospreys. On the positive side all the small becks were curdling with white foam in the fellside gullies, roaring down to fill the Lake full again. Ospreywatch
Monday 9th August 2004 Over the water! Yesterday evening our chick made her first foray over the Lake following her father. Not only this but she landed (precariously) on one of the posts and was passed a fish. Then swaying gyroscopically she tore it apart and ate it. A very important milestone achieved in learning how to fish for herself. Ospreywatch
Sunday 8th August 2004 Our female is certainly keeping us on our toes and busy rewriting the books! By this time she should have completely divorced herself from the family situation, shunning her estwhile child and husband. Today, after catching a fish she settled cosily on a post in the Lake near the male, who was also eating. Chick meanwhile sat patiently waiting for grub in a tree on shore. (She has not yet ventured over the water.) Her meal finished, the female immediately shot up into the air again, caught another fish, flew to her 'baby' and fed her, leaving the male to consume the rest of his fish - redundant. Mix and match roles in the childcare field are the order of the day. Ospreywatch
Saturday 7th August 2004 A surprise this morning when the female landed fleetingly on the nest. This obviously caused a mental aberration in the male as he flew in a few minutes later with a clump of yellow moss. All the birds have been flying confidently although the chick spends much of her perching time sitting coyly behind a tree trunk - and out of telescope view. Ospreywatch
Friday 6th August 2004 Visibility better today. We can see that the female has not yet left for Africa and that both male and chick are fine. Ospreywatch
Wednesday and Thursday 4/5 August Visibility has been shocking, ranging from thick haze to thick fog. Between tendrils of cloud we have occasionally seen glimpses of up to four birds flying. The feeding stations do provide interest though, with yet more juvenile tits, finches and siskins swarming onto the nuts and nigra seed. Last night the weather erupted into a tremendous sheet lighting and thunderstorm - it would seem that all small birds would be swept from the earth, but miraculously they always appear again, hopping round just as cheerily next morning. Ospreywatch
Tuesday 3rd August 2004 As might have been expected after such fine weather, today has seen the hillsides sweating out a damp mist, steaming and swirling at all levels over the whole valley. Let's hope it clears overnight to give us a sight of the birds. Proper midge weather! Ospreywatch
Monday 2nd August 2004 Visitors around the Lake have been enjoying good views of all three birds flying, despite the haze. With the young buzzards, kestrels and a couple of peregrine also in the air, the sky has looked like an aerial spaghetti junction at times. Ospreywatch
Sunday 1st August 2004 An Olde England full summer day with the far distances turning smoke-blue in the shimmering heat haze. The hot, acrid scents of bracken fronds mixed with the sweeter first flowerings of heather drift across the valley to tickle the nostrils of those watching the wildlife at Dodd. Viewing before the heat of midday is the ideal time and this morning our family, plus the spinster female, have all been seen flying. Our female spent a long time bathing in the warm shallows - no doubt reminding herself of the tropical lagoons of the Gambia but there are no signs of her leaving yet. Ospreywatch
Saturday 31st July 2004 This is one cool chick - already a mistress of air-surfing! Today she has taken a fish from her Dad, flown around with it and landed safely any number of times. Even her mother seems impressed. As expected Mum started catching her own fish for the first time today- building up for the long trip back to Africa. However, instead of eating it herself she perched on the branch next to her offspring and fed her. The male meanwhile sat nearby clutching yet another fish.This is such a different scenario from last year, proving that ospreys work to their own agenda and definitely not to ours. Ospreywatch
Friday 30th July 2004 Although we think that Chick probably roosted on the nest she was up and away early this morning. She really is amazing - this afternoon she made a creditable attempt at a flying roll (a la mum). Both adult birds are taking great interest in her exploits, following her flight and landings over the wood. Ospreywatch
Thursday 29th July 2004 Contrary to our expectations, based on previous years' observations, our Chick seemed perfectly at home in her new environment of wood and fellside. She has not revisited the nest at all today, but has been practising flying and landing very successfully. Her admiring parents have spent the time close by and have fed her 'on the branch'. Very different from the wobbly start of our previous chicks. Ospreywatch
The osprey chick hatched this year took its first flight early this morning. Perhaps concerned about taking its first flight the young osprey made its move at first light. Wednesday 28 July 2004 Ospreywatch
Tuesday 27th July 2004 A quiet start to the day building up into one of great tension - 'will she or won't she fly?' Jumping and flapping Chick rose to about 2 feet (60cm) above the nest at times. If there had been any sort of wind she would have been off! On top of this there was constant interference with the CCTV picture breaking up, making us think that we might be faced with a blank screen at the critical moment. At 17.00 the whole family settled down to feed but will we switch on to find an empty nest in the morning? Ospreywatch
Monday 25th July 2004 53 days old. Sightings of 3 Ospreys in the sky prompted many watchers to think that Chick had taken the Big Step - but no, it was the extra female osprey again. Unfortunately, her misplaced persistance at this site has lost her a season's courting because there have been no signs of any returning males. Aaa! Perhaps romance will fly her way next year? Ospreywatch
Sunday 24th July 2004 A wet chick stood glowering at 10.00, looking out at a Lake so mist enshrouded that the Dodd Wood Viewpoint remained closed for much of the morning. It was not until afternoon that chick continued with her flying practise, but when she did she managed to raise herself at least 20cm (9in) off the nest. Airborne any day now - (and it's still anybody's guess who'll win the Team's Sweepstake!) Ospreywatch
Saturday 23rd July 2004 Cold and windy, so Chick spent most of the day snuggled down in the deepest part of the nest. It was only towards the end of the afternoon that she did any flapping - (Coach comment:- at 51 days old it would be nice to see more regular body building training taking place ....) At 17.00 the male brought in a pike which was shared by the whole family whilst the rain, promised all day, started in earnest. Ospreywatch
Friday 23rd July 2004 A quiet day on the nest as Chick spent a lot of time sleeping, interspersed with some short flapping sessions. She displayed little interest in the fish her father diligently brought in, occasionally begging to be fed but prefering to snack on pieces she had hidden about in various parts of the nest. Our female meanwhile kept a fairly low profile, only visiting the nest twice today, once with a clawful of moss and once to collect her supper. Ospreywatch
Thursday 22nd July 2004 Pop pin-ups, eat your hearts out - there's a new chick in town. 500 fans have downloaded the website portrait of our 'Little Princess'. Predatory females obviously have universal appeal. Ospreywatch
Wednesday 21st July 2004 Evening views across the Lake were spectacular for the fortnightly Ranger's Guided Walk to the Viewpoint. Visitors watched the male catch a fish in straight plunge from 70metres above the Lake, proving his vitality is undiminished as he continues to hunt for his family. Ospreywatch
Tuesday 20th July 2004 The last of the bilberries are ripening to cloudy blue in the sultry heat. Chick's wing pinions have lengthened into dark fingers as she stretches and preens. Not quite enough length of tail feather to steer by yet though. Ospreywatch
Monday 19th July 2004 A glorious Lakeland Day with landscapes to rival the pictures on the chocolate boxes! In the sunlight the mane of feathers on the nape of the chick's neck glow an irridiscent orange-brown as she stands proudly on the side of the nest. When she is resting, of course they blend in with the fading moss as part of her juvenile camouflage. Ospreywatch
Sunday 18th July Great excitement today when the male brought in a very live pike. His daughter reacted not at all - until the male relinquished his hold and the agonised fish leaped into her nest space. The change was instantaneous as all her latent ferocity was triggered. With a flurry of feathers she struck out at the unfortunate prey. Screaming and scolding she subdued it and then spent the next hour happily dismembering it. Another big milestone passed on the road to independence! Ospreywatch
Saturday 17th July 2004 'Tip-toe through the nest twigs'.Flapping madly Chick is only just able to hold on to the sticks by the skin of her talons. It's a very different level of activity displayed by this sporty lass compared to her sibling of last year, who practiced only minimal movement until the week before lift off. Ospreywatch
Friday 16th July 2004 Bits everywhere and very little reaching the hungry mouth - this was the scene of frustration as Chick tried her hand (claw) at feeding herself again today. She has the co-ordination to hold on to the fish and to peck at it but has no idea which end to start at. It was a relief to everybody when her father brought in a second course and fed her, quelling those awful pangs of hunger again. Ospreywatch
Thursday 15th July 2004 The nest bowl is now rapidly building up with all the moss that the parent birds have been bringing in. As the chick tramples this down she is creating a firm platform for herself, enabling her to flap more efficiently and eventually take off safely. This we feel, will happen towards the end of the month, at about 57 days old. (She is 42 days old today) Ospreywatch
Wednesday 14th July 2004 The female only put in one quick appearance to the nest today. However, this communication that Chick should be able to feed herself by now landed on deaf ears with the male anxiously forcing tit-bits down his couch-potato daughter. Ospreywatch
Tuesday 13th July 2004 Watching close-ups of Chick on a DVD of the ringing process has been a privilege for both staff and visitors here at Whinlatter. The soft browns and creams of her immature plumage and her glowing orange eyes (they change to a harder yellow later on) make her the most beautiful creature; but as a feisty female, she manages to get in a good few nips at the ringer's fingers! You can see part of this video by using the video links at the top of this page. Ospreywatch
Monday 12th July 2004 Over the past few days the female has been holding back from feeding the chick, despite its voracious screams, often leaving her spouse to do the job. Today we saw that the 'hard-hearted' mother had cleverly pre-empted the next developmental stage. Today our chick fed herself for the first time, endeavoring successfully to take the fish from the male's claw and gulp it down. Ospreywatch
Sunday 11th July 2004 Cold weather for midsummer but the show of hedgerow flowers is still prolific with fiery banks of rosebay willow herb and sprawling purple vetches. Up on the fellsides the sheep are looking chilly and angular, shorn of their fleeces, whilst against the yellow mown fields the black silage bales stand out like monoliths storing the bounty of summer for the coming winter. Chick has had another growth spurt in the wing area and is doing her 'keep-fit' flapping exercises magnificently. Ospreywatch
Friday 09 July Last year our male was very keen to feed his chick and took every opportunity to do so - very different to this year when the female 'insisted' early on that she should do that job. However,having his offspring ringed must have brought out all our male's fatherly instincts as he started to feed the chick himself, the female looking on from a perch nearby. This behaviour has continued today but as long as the grub keeps coming Chick seems oblivious to the changes in role. Ospreywatch
Thursday 08 July An early start for some members of the osprey team this morning as we prepared to ring the chick. We soon found that it was not alone as there were two unhatched eggs which we have sent for analysis to see why they did not hatch. Our chick we believe is a female, given the weight and wing length, and it has been fitted with a green coloured ring marked 5S on its right leg. One to watch out for in the future. After finally meeting the chick and fitting its rings it was returned back to the nest. It waited patiently until 13.14 when a fish was brought in by the female. She brought moss and sticks onto the nest throughout the remainder of the afternoon. The closing picture prior to the nst camera going off was of all three birds on the nest. Friday 09/July Relatively little activity today after yesterdays excitement. Only two fish all day have been seen, but notbly moss and sticks have continued to be brought into the nest by the female. Ospreywatch
The health-check and 'ringing' of the Lake District osprey chick has taken place this morning (Thursday 8 July), with wildlife experts scaling the nest tree in Wythop Forest near Keswick for their first visit to see the chick hatched in this year's nest. The chick is believed to be a female. The chick was carefully lowered from its tree-top nest, so that representatives of the Lake District Osprey Project could check on the progress of the bird, which is now five weeks old. Two eggs were also found in the nest and these will be sent away for scientific analysis to try to identify the reasons why they did not hatch. As part of a national monitoring programme to learn more about ospreys, the chick was 'ringed' and this will help identify the bird if it returns to the Lake District in the future. The young osprey was fitted with a green 'colour ring' on its right leg and this will identify the bird if it is seen on migration between Cumbria and its wintering quarters in Africa. This is the fourth year that ospreys have nested near Bassenthwaite Lake and they have already successfully raised four chicks - one chick in 2001, two in 2002 and one last year. Ospreywatch
July 04 Sunday The female osprey was the first adult to make an appearance this morning as she came onto the nest with a stick, then started moving it here there and everywhere as the chick took little notice and set about preening itself. Mid morning heralded the arrival of the male with a small fish which he gently began to feed to the chick. This was shortlived, as he eat the remainder himself! In the afternoon, the chick took a leaf from the females book, and begn moving sticks around the nest (it must be a female were the cries from the watching audience). Pictures were lost on the large screens at Whinlatter from 14.15 onwards. JULY 5th Monday &July 6th Tuesday Both days were devoid of any live pictures at Whinlatter. Hopefully the engineer will call tomorrow... Ospreywatch
July 3rd Saturday The weather today has been changeable, and the same can be said for the nest activity. Much coming and going between both adults in the morning finally resulted in the chick being fed a tasty perch. This had to suffice until 16.00 when another fish was brought on and when we closed at 5pm all the family were busy tucking in. Ospreywatch
June 30th Wednesday There was heavy rain all today and we were rather worried when we seen a wet chick in the nest all alone. Dodd told us that the female was sat perched above the nest. It was not until 12.34 that she finally took the chick under her wing (literally) to raptuous applause from the watching audience at Whinlatter. July 01st Thursday With no elecricity this morning due to essential maintenace we had to rely on Dodd Wood staff for updates. When power was restored in mid morning we saw a vocal chick doing much wing stretching and stick moving. Two large fish were brought onto the nest in the afternoon and the chick ravenously took them from the female and was last seen sleeping off his meal. Ospreywatch
June 29 Tuesday Many fish have been on and off the nest today. The same one disappeared and reappeared three times! First brought in 11.10, the same one made an appearence as late as 14.28. Regardless, the chick eat it all! Ospreywatch
June 28th Monday 2004 At 24 days old our chick has grown to nearly half the size of its parent. It has unfortunately passed through the 'cute' phase of its development. Feathers are now starting to straggle through the brown down giving it a grubby and rather disreputable look. Only a mother could love it! Ospreywatch
June 27th Sunday 2004 Although our female dislikes rain she is an ardent bather. This morning she spent a happy half hour in the shallows energetically throwing water all over the place. Watchers were therefore surprised when there was an action replay this afternoon. Further investigation discovered that it was another bird, proving that though ospreys will defend their nest territory ferociously, they are prepared to share the fishing area. Ospreywatch
June 26th Saturday 2004 A tempestuous day with high winds lashing up white horses on the Lake. Forty feet up in the canopy the huge nest rocks ponderously amongst waves of whipping green branches. Do birds suffer from sea-sickness? Ospreywatch
June 25th Friday 2004 Three weeks old today, and with the better weather our chick is venturing out EXTREMELY close to the edge of the nest. This gives Dodd some good views; and Whinlatter heart-attacks! Ospreywatch
July 24th Thursday 2004 Heavy drizzle all day - this is more like the Lake District we know and love! Chick spent the time between feeds huddled in the bottom of the nest. Ospreywatch
June 23rd Wednesday 2004 Visitors to the Dodd Wood Viewpoint have been enchanted by the sight of a baby red squirrel visiting the feeding station. In an attempt to give red squirrels the best breeding chances and to build up their resistance to the parapox virus (carried by grey squirrels) many local people feed them all year - but even so, the population is beleaguered. Ospreywatch
June 22nd Tuesday 2004 'Plates of meat' that's our chick's feet! Today he displayed these new and wonderful appendages, which make him look as if he is balanced on two large white starfish. Growing into shoes is often a necessary part of growing up, but growing into feet is something else again! Ospreywatch
June 21st Monday 2004 Although the temparature fell to freezing last night, today the Midges have hatched out. They have been clouding the air with vengeance, biting both humans and ospreys alike. This was probably a factor in the chick being very active, giving watchers some worries when it appeared to become trapped between sticks at the edge of the nest. Mum to the rescue and all was resolved! Ospreywatch
June 20th Sunday 2004 During yesterday's rain our male found hunting more difficult than usual as silt was washed down the Derwent - five unsuccessful strikes in one of his attempts. Today, he seems to be making up for it having brought in at least 3 enormous fish. In between feeds the chick lay in bloated slumber and by 16.00 the female was refused to accept any more! Ospreywatch
June 19th Saturday 2004 Our chick, having grown to the size of a small bantam is now too big to be really incubated. During today's rain the female had to stand to umbrella it over with her wings. Ospreywatch
June 18th Friday 2004 The May blossom is over now but the hedges are still starred with flowers. This week the dog roses have bloomed along the lanes, the flowers strewn in confetti shades of vivid pink to palest cream. Flocks of new fledged siskins, chaffinches and tits dart about the forest picking out the abundant caterpillar food that coincides so neatly with their rearing. Ospreywatch
June 17th Thursday 2004 A total of 233 seen fish caught to date and our chick celebrates its 2 week old birthday today. In its fluffy brown down and 'ostrich' neck it looks a completely different creature to the pink and white scrap of hatching. Ospreywatch
June 16th Tuesday 2004 We have always suspected that our male has been catching a greater variety of fish than we have been able to identify. With some expert fishermen on the team now we have ascertained that bream, dace and chubb are also part of the diet. Ospreywatch
June 15th Tuesday 2004 The buzzards next door have produced a skyful of fledglings who have not yet realised where out-of-bounds air space begins. So, our female has spent a busy day teaching them. Ospreywatch
June 14th Monday 2004 Where previous to hatching the male was bringing in 2 to 3 fish, he is now catching 5 to 7 fish a day. As a result the chick is visibly elongating like a telescope, especially in the neck region. When he really stretches he can just see over the brim of the nest, looking very like a tiny E.T. in his wobbly and earnest excitement. Ospreywatch
June 13th Sunday 2004 We are still seeing unattached ospreys over the Lake. Today, a particularly persistant female was chased away from the nest area and escorted up the Derwent River by the male - only to appear again from behind the fellside, over the nest an hour later. Our female let her feelings be known very vocally! Ospreywatch
June 12th Saturday 2004 Our female was obviously very uneasy this afternoon, flying off and on the nest, and calling. As Schedule 1 birds they are of course, protected 24 hours a day. Any human intruder could be liable to prosecution for being in breach of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in event of the birds being disturbed. Ospreywatch
June 11th Friday 2004 Potty- training happens at a week old with ospreys. Today our chick managed to get up on its little legs, back up to the nest edge and 'squirt'. Another way of keeping the nest clean. Ospreywatch
June 10th Thursday 2004 As most mothers of toddlers will agree, meals consist of eating soggy left overs. This is no different in the osprey nest where the female acts as a 'hoover' after every meal, picking up dropped chewed and squashed fish pieces. As a result the nest is kept very clean and free from flies and infection. Ospreywatch
June 9th Wednesday 2004 Our female is quite right in doubting that the male is skilled enough to look after the chick yet. This is not through neglect on his part, but over-enthusiasm. His attempt to feed his offspring, whilst she was away today, nearly ended in tears as he eagerly jammed the tiny maw with completely inappropriate chunks. Following the chick's point blank refusal to swallow anything at all he flew off clutching the remains of the fish to eat alone.... leaving the female to tidy up on her return. Ospreywatch
June 8th Tuesday 2004 A warm muggy day with thick summer haze lying over the Lake. The upper fells are tinted green now with the sudden uncurling of bracken fronds and overnight our chick has developed two fine black eyestripes. 'June is busting out all over.' Ospreywatch
June 7th Monday 2004 No signs of another chick today but our Friday one has all the bounce of a gourmet tennis ball when it thinks that food is being served! 11 mouthfuls of trout at dawn, 28 mouthfuls of dace at breakfast and 45 mouthfuls of perch at lunch. Ospreywatch
June 6th Sunday 2004 The day being fine our proud parents sat preening on the rim of the nest for much of the day watching over the tiny wobbly piece of fluff they have been waiting so long for. By lunch time chick was starting to make positive impact on the family scene, demanding a magnificent 35 mouthfuls of fish!Good going for something not much bigger than a duckling. Ospreywatch
Saturday 4th June: After an anxious five-week wait, at least one osprey chick has hatched out at a nest in Cumbria, the Lake District Osprey Project announced today (Saturday 5 June 2004). Project staff at Bassenthwaite Lake, near Keswick, got their first glimpse of a chick at 5 pm on Friday 4 June after being alerted by a change in behaviour by the adult birds. Ospreys usually lay three eggs, but it is not yet known if there is more than one chick in the nest. The project team are hoping that more chicks will hatch in the next few days. Ospreywatch
June 3rd Thursday 2004 The camera image showing the nest surrounded by pine tree tops and shrouded by cloud seemed very reminiscent of an ancient Japenese print today. The adult birds, reacting instinctively to the wet, covered the eggs so tightly that we gained no hints of any developments under them. Ospreywatch
June 2nd Wednesday 2004 (Day 37 of incubation) After a busy start bringing four loads of sticks and moss up to the nest the birds have had a very quiet day incubating. Our male brought up a good fish at 13.30 but his spouse took so little notice of it that, when she eventually got to her feet, he flew off with it again. (Had he really just been fishing for compliments?) Needless to say, when next he offered it she sensibly grabbed without hesitation. Ospreywatch
June 1st Tuesday 2004.(Day 36 of incubation) We really do not want rain at this juncture! Even the milder mist and mizzel of June will have a chilling effect on eggs that could be pipping. Huge pillows of moss have been gathered and left on the nest edge. A Jay inadvertently landed on one of them but a glare from the sitting male gave it second thoughts about staying. Ospreywatch
May 31st Monday 2004 (Day 35 of incubation.)Possibly because today has been so warm and humid the female has left the majority of sitting to the male. Both seem rather restless, fequently standing over the eggs and looking at them instead of tightly brooding all the time. Do they know something we don't? Ospreywatch
May 30th Sunday 2004 Some 'Fishy Facts'-: Perch 65. Trout 14. Roach 7. Pike 2. Bream 1. Unidentified 54. A total of 143 fish seen caught by the male since he arrived in April. No wonder that male ospreys are said to have slightly thicker legs than the females,- whose more shapely ankles are due to having only themselves to fish for, for half the year. Ospreywatch
May 29th Saturday 2004 A rainy start to the day gave a very different view of the idyllic nest site. Wind whipped the tree tops causing the huge mass of sticks to heave and creak whilst rain soaked the moss into the semblance of a cold,wet heavy duvet. However, this is where our female comes into her own, as only her specially developed brood patch on her breast can keep those eggs at a steady 98F. Osprey watch
May 28th Friday 2004 Both birds are bringing in yet more sticks and moss so that the microphone to the left of the nest is nearly covered over. We hope that this will not stop us from hearing the tiny cheeps from inside the eggs just before the chicks hatch. Also the green 'lawn', that was such a pleasant feature of the nest edge, is now laced with branches - like garden fencing designed to keep wandering chicks away from the 40 foot drop. Ospreywatch
May 27th Thursday 2004 Congratulations to Loch Garten on their new arrival earlier this week. As the chick born into the original UK nest on this 50th anniversary year we wish it all good health over the coming months! Here at Bassenthwaite our birds are into their 31st day of incubation, so from tomorrow it is possible for ours to hatch at anytime. Ospreywatch
May 26th Wednesday 2004 The wonderful weather that has made the incubation period relatively easy for the birds has had its effect on the water levels. Large sandy areas have been uncovered at the South end of the Lake leaving some of the ospreys' favourite perching posts high and dry. However, it does not seem to have adversely effected fishing as the male brought in a top-of-the-range perch this afternoon. Ospreywatch
May 25th Tuesday 2004 Over the past two days the birds have been making a concerted effort to bring in nest material. The nest sides are being built up in good time to form the avian equivalent of a 'play-pen'- anticipating the flutter of tiny wings! Ospreywatch
May 24th Monday 2004 With a count-down of two weeks or less to hatching our anticipation is growing. Conjectures as to exactly how many eggs have been laid and how many chicks may survive is the main topic of conversation amongst both visitors and staff at the Dodd Viewpoint, Whinlatter Visitor Centre and Protection Sites. The commonly agreed theme, is of course, that no-one will know for certain until the first week in June. Ospreywatch
May 23rd Sunday 2004 Another osprey was seen again today flying quite near to the nest before being shown off by the female.At this time in the season it must be a young bird on its first flight back from the Gambia, looking for a mate and nest-site. But have the sightings over the past week been of the same bird or different ones? Could one be Red 15? Ospreywatch
May 22nd Saturday 2004 Another curious visitor today, in the shape of a red squirrel. Although probably no threat to the eggs the adult ospreys took no chances and saw it off promptly. Ospreywatch
May 21st Friday 2004 Dwellers in the Lake District often find that their home becomes an attractive 'drop-in' for visitors during the summer season. Similarly, the ospreys were surprised today at 14.30 when the third osprey landed on the nest. It was however, a fleeting call as our female saw it off very promptly! Ospreywatch
May 20th Thursday 2004 The strength of the pair-bond was demonstrated over the breakfast period. A fish, caught by the male, was passed between the pair a number of times - each taking a nibble from it until it eventually was no more! Later on in the morning another male osprey, sitting on a tree in the bog, was spotted through the telescopes. As we have still not given up hope of our 'Red 15' chick returning it was subject to intense scrutiny. Unfortunately, it was disturbed by a helicopter and flew off South without giving us a sight of its ring. Ospreywatch
May 19th Wednesday 2004 Although Bassenthwaite has more than enough prey our fisherman, like his human counterparts, enjoys working different waters. Following the Derwent towards Keswick he fishes the hidden river pools for brown trout. At midday, he returned from a foray there with a fish which he ate quietly on the post in the Lake. As he has also been feeding her at regular intervals the female has been incubating contentedly for most of the day. Ospreywatch
May 18th Tuesday 2004 Despite the male's obvious attempts to convince the female he would like to sit (which at one point nearly resulted in simultaneous incubation!) she determindly resisted for much of the day. It is now just over half way through the incubation period and we wonder if she is feeling the first stirrings of new life within the eggs. Ospreywatch
May 17th Monday 2004. Our birds seem to have reverted to a more normal pattern of behaviour with the male seen bringing fish up to the nest at 06.40, 11.16 and 13.50. This makes a running/ flying/swimming total of 111 fish so far. Ospreywatch
May 16th Sunday 2004 After her long wait the female's patience was rewarded yesterday when the male brought her a very large perch to munch at 18.25. We hope this pattern will be repeated today. Up at the Dodd Viewpoint it is shorts, shirt and suntan (burn?) time. The Ospreywatch telescopes scan an Arcadian scene where Mountains and May trees, bending with blossom, are reflected in long ripples across the Lake. To see our Osprey cutting the waters in its wild plunge for fish, turns the picture into a privilege beyond price. Ospreywatch
May 15th Saturday 2004 We believe that the male may well be feeding the female in the wee small hours of very early morning as by 17.00, there were no fish brought to the nest. However, the female although very vocal, has not attempted fishing for herself. Both birds have spent quite a lot of time together on the nest alternating incubating with preening. Both are moulting and like the dandelion clocks along all the verges are releasing puffs of down to the wind. The weather continues to be perfect. Ospreywatch
May 14th Friday 2004 It has been difficult to keep track this morning as the birds seem to be fluttering on and of the nest like butterflies, taking turns at incubation. 7 changeovers were noted before 10.00. Of course, the female incubates all night but our male is still very much enamoured with the role during daylight hours. Ospreywatch
May 13th Thursday 2004 A more regular day as far as fishing goes with the male bringing in prey at 10.22 and 16.35. This is much better behaviour as the female cannot afford to be off the nest catching her own food if the weather turns cold or wet - something that all Lake lovers know can happen in the space of minutes! Ospreywatch
May 12th Wednesday 2004 The mystery about the 'diet' is solved - although it points to some unusual behaviour. Today the male brought fish to the female at 09.00. However, the next two fish he ate himself. At 15.25, when he returned to the nest, empty-clawed AGAIN, the female treated him to a torrent of angry hunger screams and flew down to the Lake. Within 10 mins she had caught her own fish (as she obviously had to do yesterday) Meanwhile, he is presumably exploring the feminine side to his nature, snuggling down to incubate. Ospreywatch
May 11th Tuesday 2004 There is a mystery today as the birds seem to have put themselves on a crash diet. No fish were seen taken to the nest from dawn to 5pm. The male did catch a small something for himself mid-afternoon, but the female seemed quite content with his moss and stick deliveries. These are no easy flat-packs to arrange! There was one tricky moment when the male found himself jammed over the eggs with a stick entangled round his legs. It was a relief to all concerned when the female took over the arrangments. Ospreywatch
May 10th Monday 2004 After the excitements of yesterday our ospreys enjoyed a normal day at the nest, eating fish and incubating. Ospreywatch
May 9th Sunday 2004 After a fairly uneventful morning our pair had an interesting afternoon. At about 14.45 the female became very agitated upon the nest. She flew off twice calling for the male, but he was no where to be seen. (Gone fishing) At 15.00 the cause of her alarm became apparent. Our male returning from his successful foray was surprised by another osprey as he sat quietly eating on the post in the Lake. The intruder spent some time mobbing him before flying away South. Another disturbed teatime! Ospreywatch
May 8th Saturday 2004 Although the Ospreys with their 1.5m (5 ft) wingspan are the largest bird of prey on the Lake they do not always get things all their own way - other birds also patrol the water's edge. For example, a resident heron took grave exception to the male osprey eating a fish on one of the posts this afternoon. The heron first waded out to the post, causing the male to jump off clutching his fish. Later, the heron flew after our bird and attempted to mob him until he gave up the idea of a quiet mealtime and decided to fly back to the nest. Ospreywatch
May 7th Friday 2004 Breakfast fit for our Queen of Ospreys - a 2lb (1kg) perch, fresh from the Lake. Not surprisingly this is the most common fish. The old Cumbrian word for perch is 'bass.' 'Thwaite' is the Norse word for clearing, so Bassenthwaite loosely means 'a clearing by the perch lake. Ideal for Ospreys! Ospreywatch
May 6th Thursday 2004 Another cold night with a sprinkling of snow on Grisedale Pike.In the lower woods drifts of bluebells lie like lapis-lazuli between uncurling emerald ferns as the daytime temparature rises. At 11.07 our male brought back a fish that we think was a pike. The female demonstrated her habit of 'tasting' the proffered fish before flying off with it. Does raw pike really taste that different to raw roach? Ospreywatch
May 5th Wednesday 2004 A very cold clear night with the red moon of a total eclipse reflected in the chilly waters of Bassenthwaite. Both watchers and birds felt the effects of the cold and as a result the male was very busy this morning bringing in piles of extra moss. None too soon, as this afternoon a violent hail storm lashed the forest. Sitting tightly, the birds ensured the safety of the eggs. Ospreywatch
May 4th Tuesday 2004 Attempted matings dropped suddenly to zero from May 1st. as the clutch was completed. Overall, 107 matings were noted of which 36 were considered successful, peaking at mid-lay on April 27th with 7 out of 7 successes! Together with his fish kill tally our male surely rates 007 status. Ospreywatch
May 3rd Monday 2004 A colder day today and in the morning the female sat tightly on the nest. The male spent time at the North end of the lake and caught an enormous fish. He spent some time eating the head end but there was plenty of the tail end left for the female's lunch. Other than a few upsets with the next door buzzards it has been a quiet day. Ospreywatch
May 2nd Sunday 2004 Today the behaviour of the birds progressed into the true incubation mode. They have made no attempts to mate and the nest has only been left without either parent for the space of a very few minutes. This indicates that we now have a full clutch and that for the next 35 to 40 days one parent or the other will be sitting tightly. On how many eggs? - well let's not count our ospreys before they are hatched! Ospreywatch
May 1st Saturday 2004 'Sumer is a-cumin in,' and the cuckoo is loudly calling this weekend over the woods and Lake. With the sunny weather the female is allowing the male to incubate regularly on the two (maybe three) eggs. He is also treating us and our visitors to some magnificent dives for fish - one straight down from about 200 feet! Furthermore, he has started bringing back sizable branches to the nest for the first time this season. Ospreywatch
April 30th Friday 2004 Although we have been watching avidly for signs of a third egg we are not sure if our female has laid. Could she possibly have sneaked it in either at dusk or dawn? Whatever the case she must now be sitting on her full clutch and we will just have to wait patiently until hatching to know for certain! Ospreywatch
April 29th Thursday 2004 The male brought in a perch at 7.30. However, he was not around at 9.28 when the female exploded furiously off the nest to harrass one of the buzzards. We don't like to see her doing this because of the damage she could inadvertantly do to the eggs. At around midday the male brought a fish onto the nest and appeared to be picking pieces off it and dropping them in front of the female, tempting her to eat.However, she took no notice of this gentle gesture, preferring to wait until he brought in a roach at 16.40. Ospreywatch
April 28th Wednesday 2004 At dawn our female displayed all the behavioural discomfort that preceeds laying and at 05.18 we believe she produced her second EGG. The male presented her with a large roach, which although he ate it in front of her on the nest,she was not very interested in.(as with grapes consumed by hospital visitors) She felt better after taking a bath, and incidentally moulting a large white feather, and accepted a fish at lunch and at teatime. Ospreywatch
April 27th Tuesday 2004 We turned the screen on at Whinlatter at 10.00 to a view of the male sitting incubating the eggs, whilst his lady was off having breakfast. She returned at 10.46 and the day proceeded with both birds taking turns at keeping the egg warm. We are all anticipating the arrival of a second egg some time tomorrow. Eggs are laid at two day intervals and will hatch at two day intervals giving the first chick the greatest chance of survival. ospreywatch
April 26th Monday 2004 To get down to the nitty-gritty of spring time, it is quite true that 'Big Brother'is watching every intimate move. This season there have been 88 attempts at mating of which 22 have been successful. The happy result of this has, we think, been the laying of the first EGG - produced at 16.40. Ospreywatch
April 25th Sunday 2004 Another beautiful day with Bassenthwaite Lake glowing blue as sapphire below the osprey nest. With the sun on his back our male seems to be gaining in vigour and has passed over two fish to the female today without mantling. Towards five o' clock both birds spent a busy half hour rearranging the nest and then stood side by side with wings touching looking across the water. Spring is in the air! ospreywatch
April 24th Saturday 2004 A much warmer day here on Bassenthwaite. The nest cup is being made deeper by both birds scratching like terriers, getting rid of last year's compressed dirt.The male expended a lot of energy seeing off yet another intruder osprey during the morning. in the afternoon the female bathed by the lakeside in the sunshine. This inspired the male to attempt 'love on the beach'- but not entirely successfully. ospreywatch
April 22nd Thursday 2004 An interesting day on the nest with both male a female visiting for longer periods. The 14.40 webcam shows a typical domestic scene.The male is still showing some reluctance in sharing his fish, which may indicate that he still needs to feed himself into tip-top condition. Another osprey flew over in the morning but passed on North. Chasing both rival ospreys and the resident buzzards uses up a lot of energy! ospreywatch
April 21st Wednesday 2004. Male held on to a fish overnight and presented it to the female for breakfast. She only picked at this so later he retrieved the remains from her and finished it off. (Since he arrived he has caught 27 fish including 6 perch 4 trout and one small pike) ospreywatch
April 20th Tuesday 2004 Before 10.00 both birds very busy in nest, bringing in moss and attempting mating.One headless fish brought in by male around 7.30. Another stranger osprey disrupted this pattern at around 10.00 and both birds spent the rest of the morning 'encouraging' it to move North. We wondered if it was our 2001 chick - but it was not seen again in the afternoon, so probably a Scottish bird. osprey watch
April 19th 2004 From all the behavioural signs and the obvious rapport between the two birds we can suppose that the female is positively 'our' Bassenthwaite lady. We look forward to a clutch of eggs in May! ospreywatch
April 18th 2004 Sunday A large early morning (9.30) fish breakfast was provided by the male - although he still has difficulty in passing hard earned prey to the female. Honeymoon behaviour continued with the male bringing sticks and lumps of moss to the nest and occasional attempts at copulation. The afternoon was quieter with the female sitting in the 'Hidey-hole' tree and the male doing some private fishing at the N. end of the Lake. osprey watch
Saturday April 17th Although we have still not been able to identify the female positively, she and the male have spent a lot of time on the nest. The male has brought in 5 fish over the day and the female has been persuading him to give them to her. As the male is still instinctively guarding the fish with his wings this sometimes involves quite a tussle! Ospreywatch
Friday 16/04/04 A second Osprey, a female has spent the day in and around Bassenthwaite Lake and has been seen on the nest. She may not be the mate of the male Osprey that arrived back on the 10th. With the recent poor weather it has been difficult to confirm her identity using her leg markings. ospreywatch
April 14th Wednesday 2004 The Male osprey is taking control of his territory and has mobbed a buzzard and a peregrine over the nest. In return he has been mobbed by a black backed gull whilst sitting on his post on the Lake. Another osprey flew high overhead and was seen off - and so was not our female. ospreywatch
Tuesday 13th April 2004 Male osprey has had an active morning exploring his old haunts on the Lake. He has harrassed the buzzards and landed a number of times on the nest. Ospreywatch
Mon 12th April 2004 The male osprey spent the day resting and fishing and seemed to have gained back some energy as he was seen harrassing buzzards in the late afternoon. Ospreywatch
A male Osprey arrived back at the nest at 10.14am yesterday, after checking the nest out he went down to the lake for a wash and then sat on the fence post. Later he was back up in a favourite tree by the nest. This morning he has been on the nest twice. Ospreywatch
One of Cumbria's pair of nesting ospreys has arrived at its usual site near Bassenthwaite. The birds have come back to the Lake District every year for the last four years to breed chicks. The male bird flew over from West Africa where after spending the winter there. Lake District Osprey Project staff say the female is likely to arrive in around a week's time. Ospreywatch
Birdwatchers across the UK will be watching the skies over the next few weeks hoping for the first sighting of a very special bird. They will be on the look out for the return of the osprey chick raised in the Lake District nest in 2001, which could be on its way back to the UK for the first time. It will be a historic new chapter in the story of the return of ospreys to the Lakes if this locally born chick returns this spring.
Identification:
Head: White with speckled crown and black eye-stripe
Upperparts: Dark brown
Body: White with band of buff streaks on upper breast
Number of eggs: usually three
Migration: Ospreys spend the winter in Africa, returning north each spring to breed. Other facts:
Ospreys can catch and carry fish weighing up to one kilogram. They will fly up to eight miles to feed. In Autumn, ospreys leave Britain for West Africa. The females leave first, while males stay with the young birds to show them where and how to fish. The males leave in late August, with juveniles following several weeks later. | 
