Egg-citing news for Easter from the Kielder opsreys

On osprey with the egg in a nest at Kielder.

Two weeks after the birds, YA and Mrs YA, returned to the nest, their first egg was laid on Sunday afternoon.

They could hardly have timed it better with Osprey Watch launching at Kielder this weekend and running every Saturday, Sunday and Monday between 10.30am and 5pm behind the Boat Inn, Kielder.

Before the return of the ospreys, Forestry England worked to enable live streaming from the osprey nest cameras.

A new communications mast has been installed to ensure a robust connection.

Nests 1A and 6 now have live streaming, while nests 2, 3 and 4 have recordings uploaded for osprey lovers to view at the osprey blog at kielderospreys.wordpress.comYou can watch the live feed of the osprey nests in Kielder Castle café and at Northumbrian Water’s Landal Kielder Waterside.

Breeding pairs of ospreys have nested in Kielder between March and September since 2009, with activity on the nest tending to be mainly throughout July and August as the chicks hatch, are fed and then learn to fly and hunt.

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

To find out more, go to visitkielder.com and to post osprey sightings visit facebook.com/kielder