The first two Northumbrian osprey chicks to have hatched in Northumberland this year have been ringed so that they can be identified on their travels.
For the ringing procedure, the young birds were taken down from Nest 4 where they are being reared by male osprey 69, who is originally from Loch Lomond, and his unringed mate Mrs 69.
Kielder Osprey Watch volunteer John Jarvis captured an atmospheric picture of Forest England’s Wayne Penrose as he climbed the pole in the forest to the nest platform as the sun made a brief appearance. John also took a range of images as the ringing took place before the birds were returned to their nest.
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This year all of the Kielder youngsters will be given names beginning with the letter G after Northumberland locations. The two ringed birds are Gibshiel, after a Forestry England plantation in Redesdale, and Goswick, after Goswick Sands near Lindisfarne.
Nest 4 is now the oldest productive nest at Kielder, with a total of 12 chicks raised to fledging. This year there are a total of five Kielder nests with chicks. Two chicks on Nest 8, which appeared healthy and well cared for by parents Y1 and KF13, died for reasons unknown.
Eleven chicks were ringed in 2021 and four, returning from migration, have been seen this year - Elwick, Emblehope, Embleton and Elsin, who overwinters in Casamance, southern Senegal, and has been spotted in east Cumbria. Another bird hatched at Kielder in 2020, called Donkleywood, has been sighted breeding in south Scotland with an unringed male. They have one chick.
The Kielder Osprey Project is a partnership between Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, Forestry England, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumbrian Water and Wild Intrigue. Osprey Watch takes place at Tower Knowe at Kielder Water every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday to August 13 between 11am - 4.30pm, with visitors offered views of the nest via scopes and a close up on nest 7 via a camera in the cabin.
