Triple joy as ospreys show off their first offspring

Published on Tuesday 23 June 2009 22:52

A PAIR of ospreys that were the first to nest in a remote corner of England for 200 years have had three chicks, conservationists said last night.

An image of the young family's nest in Kielder Forest, Northumberland, was released by the Forestry Commission, which encouraged the once-persecuted birds of prey to populate the area on artificial platforms.

The photograph was taken with a powerful telescope through dense foliage because experts fear if humans get too close the ospreys could become unsettled.

The female bird can be seen sitting on the nest, with three chicks in the unkempt collection of sticks.

The male has been seen swooping over Kielder Water – Europe's largest man-made lake – catching trout to feed to the chicks.

Martin Davison, Forestry Commission ornithologist, said: "We reckon these are first-time parents, probably about four years old, but even so they are doing a smashing job.

"A big cause of infant mortality among birds is lack of food, but the male has been out regularly swooping down on Kielder Water to bring the youngsters tasty fresh fish.

"We can't take anything for granted, but each day that passes the chicks grow stronger."

Nature-lovers hoped that if the chicks were raised successfully, ospreys would repopulate Northumberland after a long absence.

They were wiped out more than 200 years ago in the county, and are only found elsewhere in England in Rutland and the Lake District.

It was believed the Northumberland pair were part of the expanding Scottish population, where numbers have steadily increased since it was recolonised in the 1950s.

The Forestry Commission announced earlier this month the ospreys had nested, but it was only with the images released yesterday that confirmation came that the pair had produced chicks.