Two six-week-old osprey chicks have begun to fledge at a South Cumbrian nature reserve.
The ospreys, who were born at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve, near Witherslack, have also been weighed and ringed so their movements can be tracked.
Paul Waterhouse, reserves officer for Cumbria Wildlife Trust, said: “This year we have two males and both chicks are doing very well.
“They’re now starting to fledge – this is a great time to come and visit Foulshaw Moss, where soon you may see all four birds flying above the nest.
“Our amazing volunteers are on hand at the nature reserve with telescopes to help you locate them, and can tell you all about these impressive birds of prey. Make sure you pay us a visit before they start their long migration to Africa, at the end of August or early September.”
A total of 29 osprey chicks have now been tagged at this site, since the parent ospreys starting breeding there. Blue 35 and White YW have successfully bred at this wetland nature reserve every year since 2014, which is managed by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.
Thanks to the rings, previous chicks from Foulshaw Moss have been identified in The Gambia, where they spend the winter.
Blue 35 and White YW first came to Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve after it was transformed by a large-scale habitat restoration programme. Over a decade or so, the 900-acre site, which had been drained and used for commercial forestry and farming, was returned the healthy wetland you see now, which is teeming with wildlife.
