A record number of osprey chicks have been tagged and ringed at a South Cumbrian nature reserve.
Five chicks – four females and one male – were weighed, tagged and given coloured identification leg rings at Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve, near Witherslack.
The previous highest number of osprey chicks tagged in a single season at the wetland nature reserve was three.
The increase in numbers follows a second pair of breeding ospreys nesting at the site.
Two chicks are on the nest of long-standing pair Blue 35 and White YW, who first bred at the reserve in 2014, while three chicks are on the nest of Blue 717 and Blue 476, who first bred at the site in 2025.
The male chick on the second nest was named 8K0, while the females were named 5K4 and 5K5 on the first nest, and 8K1 and 8K2 on the second nest.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust reserves officer Paul Waterhouse said: “We’re delighted to have tagged and ringed a record number of osprey chicks at Foulshaw Moss this year. Last year, we had the excitement of a new, younger breeding pair arriving.
“They only managed to fledge one chick – not uncommon among less-experienced ospreys. It’s wonderful to see this pair return, and with three healthy chicks this year.
“And we’re so pleased that our long-standing pair, Blue 35 and White YW, are still breeding successfully. We estimate their age to be around 18 years old, so every year they breed feels like a real bonus now!”
Conservationists tag and ring the birds to track their movements and understand their life history. In September, the chicks will leave the nature reserve and migrate south to the Iberian Peninsula or West Africa.
As ospreys are a Schedule 1 protected species, only individuals with a licence from the British Trust for Ornithology are permitted to approach and handle them.
Mr Waterhouse said: “We keep the process as short and stress-free as possible, with the minimum of handling and time away from normal routine for the birds.”
Blue 35 and White YW first arrived at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve in 2013 after the 900-acre site was transformed through a large-scale habitat restoration programme, having previously been drained and used for commercial forestry.
The second osprey nest is located close to the boardwalk, and the trust has constructed a hide nearby for visitors to view the nest.
Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve is open daily and is located off the A590 near Witherslack.
