Lake District Ospreys - first photographs

 May 2008. The photographs, shot by photographers Steve and Ann Toon, were taken from the new public viewpoint at the Forestry Commission's Dodd Wood near Keswick which overlooks the new nest.

This is the first time that these ospreys have been successfully captured on camera at their Lake District nest.  In previous years, the nest has been on the far side of Bassenthwaite Lake and too far away for successful photography.  However, this year the ospreys unexpectedly moved from the nest site that has been used since 2001, and relocated to the opposite side of the lake.

The photographs were taken about 425 metres from the nest, and the conditions still posed a challenge for professional wildlife photographers.  Visitors to the Viewpoint can see the ospreys through high-powered optics.

Viewpoints

The nest move created a headache for the Project Team, but means that visitors to Dodd Wood will get their best-ever views of the nesting ospreys. The original viewpoint at Dodd Wood remains open, with great opportunities to watch the ospreys fishing in the Lake, as well as to see red squirrels and watch woodland birds.

A second viewpoint has been set up about half a mile further on up the hill and is around 400 metres from the nest, giving visitors fantastic close-up views of the nest through binoculars and telescopes.  Visitors are advised to go to the original viewpoint first where staff from the Lake District Osprey Project will provide directions to the new site.

Osprey project staff set up telescopes for visitors to watch the action between 10am and 5pm daily at the lower viewpoint and between 10am and 4.30pm at the upper viewpoint.

Nestcam

The Lake District Osprey Project team has also installed a new camera pointing at the nest, sending pictures to the giant videowall at Whinlatter Visitor Centre near Braithwaite where volunteers are on hand to answer questions about the birds.  For the latest updates on the ospreys and information on how to see the birds visit the LDOP website http://www.ospreywatch.co.uk/.  Images from the camera can be viewed on the project website and at www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria.

Since ospreys first nested in 2001, more than half a million visitors have watched the birds nesting and rearing young from the viewpoints provided by the Lake District Osprey Project.  Ospreys returned to the Lakes without human intervention and colonised as part of a population expansion in Scotland.  The project team helped them by providing some ready-made nests, but otherwise these are entirely wild birds.

24 hour nest watch

The LDOP and a team of dedicated volunteers carry out a round-the-clock guard on the nest to protect it from potential egg theft or disturbance.

It is now easier than ever before to visit Dodd Wood and Whinlatter thanks to a new Osprey Bus.  The liveried bus service named after the spectacular birds of prey operates around Bassenthwaite Lake at weekends, Bank Holidays and school holidays.  

The Lake District Osprey Project is a partnership between The Forestry Commission, the RSPB and the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA).

 

Where to see the ospreys
The Osprey Viewpoint is situated 3 miles north of Keswick off the A591 – follow signs to Mirehouse from the A66. The Viewpoint is 10 minutes walk uphill from the Mirehouse car park. The Dodd Wood Viewpoint and car park are open all daylight hours. Staff from the Osprey Project partnership will be on hand with telescopes from 10.00 to 17.00 every day.

Grid reference: NY235281

Click here to go to the Osprey Watch website.