A pair of breeding ospreys has returned to Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve, prompting hopes that osprey chicks will hatch here for the sixth year running.
Blue 35 and White YW, the two ospreys who successfully raised and fledged three chicks last year, returned to Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve this week. The female, Blue 35, returned at 7.43 am on Sunday 31 March, following weeks of speculation and anticipation, especially among the online osprey-watching community! Osprey-watchers were now waiting for Blue 35’s mate to return, and it was with relief that he appeared within a couple of hours of her at 9.26am.
Paul Waterhouse, Reserves Officer for Cumbria Wildlife Trust, looks after Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve. He said: “We’re delighted to see Blue 35 and White YW back again. They’re an incredibly successful breeding pair, raising 14 chicks so far since 2014. Fingers crossed that this year, their sixth, will be equally productive. We recently had positive sightings of two of their chicks from last year, one over-wintering in Southern Spain and a juvenile in The Gambia. As their long migration is so arduous, sadly most osprey chicks don’t make it, so it was great to hear that two of last year’s brood had made it to young adults. Let’s hope that this year’s chicks will be equally successful.”
The Foulshaw osprey cam is now up-and-running – you can watch the ospreys close-up at https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife/cams/osprey-cam. You can also join in the conversation on social media using #FoulshawOspreys.
Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve is open daily to visitors. Throughout the breeding season (April to September) staff will be on hand to show visitors the osprey nest, using binoculars and telescopes set up on viewing platforms. The nature reserve is fully accessible, with an all-weather boardwalk which has opened up previously inaccessible parts of the nature reserve. This season visitors will also benefit from newly-installed information panels, which help to bring the nature reserve to life. The boardwalk extension and information panels were both funded by LEADER and the Lake District National Park Authority.
Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve is located off the A590 near Witherslack. Full directions are available on http://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/foulshaw-moss.
