Bassenthwaite is celebrating 25 years of Ospreys breeding seasons.
Three young ospreys are currently preparing to take their first flight from their nest at Bassenthwaite Lake – marking the 25th breeding season since ospreys returned to the area in 2001.
The birds had previously been absent from England for more than a century.
An adult male and female returned to the nesting platform in April 2026 to begin the breeding season. The female, which was identified by her leg ring, hatched at Loch of the Lowes in 2017.
She was also spotted at Esthwaite Water earlier in the spring, where she was seen courting another male before choosing the Bassenthwaite site.
The first egg was laid on April 10 2026, with two more following shortly afterwards. All three chicks hatched around May 19 2026.
The parent birds have been making regular fishing trips to feed the chicks, which can be seen on a live webcam installed by Lake District Wildlife Park.
On June 26 2026, the three chicks became the first ospreys to be ringed in Cumbria this year. The work was carried out by a licensed bird ringer as part of a conservation programme to track the birds.
People can watch the young ospreys stretching their wings and hopping around the nesting platform on Lake District Wildlife Park’s webcam here, in preparation for their first flights.
