Up, up and away for bumper batch of Kielder-born ospreys

Elsin taking off from Nest 5A at Kielder Water & Forest Park for the first time. Picture by Forestry England

After a bumper year for the osprey nests at Kielder, 16 young birds are currently earning their ‘wings’ and getting ready to set off on their epic journey to Africa or Iberia.

There was a record number of osprey eggs laid on seven active nests at Kielder Water & Forest Park, and despite wet females having to do nearly all the incubation in very bad weather, their offspring are now set to fly the nest.

In total, 18 osprey eggs are known to have been laid on nests that could be monitored, with 11 chicks surviving to be ringed and a further five youngsters born on 'wild' and inaccessible nests.

This week, all 16 juvenile birds have now fledged, the last being one of the pair on Nest 2 where there is no camera, however they have now been spotted flying around the forest.

Elsin on Nest 5A at Kielder Water & Forest Park. Picture by Forestry England

All in all, a vintage year, with one more active nest than the previous best and six more successful fledglings than the previous record.Kielder osprey expert, Joanna Dailey said: “To see the ospreys flying around Kielder is always wonderful, especially this year given the tough conditions prior to hatching. The youngsters are now gaining flying experience, often with the adults, before they head off to sunnier climes.”

Osprey mothers usually leave on migration around the middle of this month, with the fathers and youngsters following individually at the end of August.

Enthusiasts can read this year’s timeline of activity at https://kielderospreys.wordpress.com/timeline-2017/ and watch all the live action from Nest 6 via a screen at The Sea Diner catering unit in the grounds of Kielder Castle.

You can also visit https://kielderospreys.wpcomstaging.com/2021/08/04/437-elsin-fledges/ and watch Elsin, one of the first ospreys to be born to a father who fledged Northumberland and aptly named after a Northumbrian fell, take off for the first time from Nest 5A.

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

Kielder Water & Forest Park spans 250 square miles, is home to the largest forest in England and the largest man-made lake in northern Europe. It was awarded the number one tourism experience in England by Visit England 2013.