Rangers scale new heights to help love-struck osprey

LOVE NEST: A ranger builds the lone osprey a nest of its own

Lone male tried to seduce other bird's mate
March 2011: Rangers in Northumberland have been going to new heights to help a frisky osprey bachelor entice a mate. Tree climbers went up in the world to help a frisky osprey bachelor entice a mate.

The first of three new artificial osprey platforms was erected by the Forestry Commission in Kielder Water & Forest Park. Wildlife rangers scaled a 20 metre spruce to lop the top of the tree with a chain saw and install a secure wooden decking.

This approach has already struck gold with Kielder's resident osprey couple who have produced six chicks over two years using their own platform some distance away. However, last year they had an unwelcome house caller when a lone male turned up and tried to seduce the female on her nest while her partner was away fishing.

'A true superstar of the animal kingdom'
The Kielder Partnership now wants to help the new male meet a mate of its own - and now he has a ready-made des res to tempt prospective females. If he is successful, the 62,000 hectare (155,000 acre) wilderness at Kielder would become the only location in England to have two osprey nests with birds which have recolonised naturally.

Elisabeth Rowark, Kielder Partnership Director, said: ‘We won't have long to wait to see if it does the trick as ospreys begin to arrive back from southern climes from the end of March. Nature fans across Northumberland are being urged to keep their eyes peeled for the Kielder birds and report sightings of a true super star of the animal kingdom.'

Kielder Osprey Watch 2011 is organised by the Kielder Partnership, the RSPB and Northumberland Wildlife Trust. The partners are working hard to ensure that the ospreys are here to stay by maintaining a high quality habitat in Kielder Water & Forest Park and safeguarding and monitoring the nest site.