15/04/2001
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Peter Barron
of the Lake District National Park's Blencathra team sees the male osprey
return back from Africa
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17/04/2001
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Peter Baron
is again first to see the female return. She heads straight to the artificial
nest.
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20/05/2001
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The female
is seen sitting deep into the nest a clear indication that the eggs
have been laid.
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13/06/2001
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The osprey
chicks hatch sometime during the 12th and 13th of June.
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Whilst observers
could not see the chicks it was obvious from the change in their behaviour
that the chicks had hatched. The female was no longer sitting on the
eggs but was seen by the Forestry Commission's Graeme Prest was seen
ripping up fish and passing it down into the nest.
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22/06/2001
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The osprey
viewing platform is opened to the public by the Forestry Minister,Elliot
Morley.
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A
clear sunny day which afforded many good views of both birds.
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28/06/2001
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11.00am A
juvenile osprey is seen around Bassenthwaite Lake. The male of the nesting
pair chases the juvenile out of the valley.
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11.30am The
male osprey provides a superb exhibition for visitors by fishing immediately
infront of the viewpoint but unfortunately fails to catch anything.
The bird flies out of view but appears 10 minutes later at the nest
with a fish - success!
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4.15pm During
the afternoon Tom Clay of the RSPB and Nathan Fox, one of the Forestry
Commission Rangers both see the first glimpse of a chick reaching up
to be fed by one of the adults.
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29/06/2001
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A very wet
morning and afternoon. One couple visiting Dodd deserve special mention
for perseverance.
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They had
driven all the way from a clear and sunny Leyland to see the Ospreys
only to arrive in North Cumbria to heavy rain and low cloud. They spent
3 hours at the viewing platform getting occasional glimpses. The couple
were finally rewarded for their commitment when at 2.30pm the sun broke
through and the male was clearly seen fishing. At the same time the
female climbed onto the edge of the nest presumably to give the chicks
some sun.
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01/07/2001
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The second
weekend of public viewing saw the highest visitor numbers yet with around
600 people watching the ospreys during Sunday.
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03/07/2001
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Good visibility
all morning but poorer in the afternoon
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In the morning
Peter Ulrich (RSPB) saw a male bird hunting near the marsh at the east
end of Bassenthwaite Lake, 2 fishing attempts but no success. Later
on Peter reports an amazing sight. The male lands back on the nest with
a fish quickly followed by an intruder osprey, so briefly 3 osprey on
the nest at once. The male chases off the intruder which included a
spectacular "dog fight" lasting 10 minutes.
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04/07/2001
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Following
last nights massive thunder storm the day is hot and steamy in the morning
but clearer in the afternoon.
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Nathan Fox
(Forestry Commission) saw three fish brought to the nest during the
day. At 2:30pm the male maurauds a buzzard high over Barf. At 5pm just
before the telescopes are removed for the day a party of school children
from Lochinver Secondary School enjoy watching the ospreys
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05/07/2001
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A bright
and sunny day during which Tom Clay (RSPB) saw three fish brought to
the nest. One successful fishing expedition takes place right in front
of the viewpoint. at 11am.
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06/07/2001
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A clear and
sunny day, hazier in the afternoon. Nathan Fox (Forestry Commission)
watched the male bring fish back to the nest at 11:0am, 2:25pm and 3:30pm.
In the afternoon a second osprey was seen flying upstream with a fish
in its talons. The Calvert Trust visit at 10:00am
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7/07/2001
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Peter Ulrich
(RSPB) has a great view of an osprey chick at around 10:00am. A group
of 10 Common Scoters are visible all day. At midday visitors are treated
to a view of the male leaving the nest catching a fish at his first
attempt and taking it back to the nest
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08/07/2001
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Rain cleared
around 10:00am to reveal the female bird brooding her young.
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A very active
afternoon Peter Ulrich (RSPB) saw a party of 3 Peregrines screaming
over the viewpoint chasing each other at 01:30pm followed at 3:10pm
by the male osprey catching fish on his 2nd attempt and good views of
the young chick(s) being fed.
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09/07/2001
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A bright
sunny day with a number of ospreys seen during the day.
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A very active
day with Pete Barron (Lake District National Park Authority) seeing
the male osprey carrying a large Perch (fish) back to the nest. Not
content with just the fish the male did the "rollercoaster"
osprey display flight for everyone to marvel at.
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10/07/2001
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A cloudy
overcast rainy day.
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At 11:50am
Peter Ulrich (RSPB) saw a third osprey perched on a branch sticking
out of the water. This osprey has a green ring visible on its left leg
and spends 20 minutes bathing and wading in the lake in the early afternoon
before it flies off to interact with another osprey.
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The male
osprey is seen catching fish twice during a busy half an hour from 2:00pm
until 2:30pm.
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12/07/2001
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At 1:30pm
Peter Ulrich (RSPB) saw 3 young foxes playing on the far side of the
marshes at the edge of Bassenthwaite Lake.
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At 3:40pm
Peter sees the male Osprey take of from the "famous" fence post and
hover over the lake several times but doesn't dive probably because
the windy conditions have caused the lake surface to become rippled
making visibility into the lake very poor.
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13/07/2001
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Peter Ulrich
saw the chick at around 10:35am. The afternoon saw lots activity with
the male osprey fishing at 12:30pm and bringing in a fish to the nest
at 12:45pm to which the female responded by dropping down from her perch
to feed the young chick.
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14/07/2001
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Graeme Prest
(forestry Commission) saw good views of the male bringing fish to the
nest and feeding the young chick. In addition a Greenshank was seen
on the n nearside lake edge.
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15/07/2001
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Graeme Prest
enjoyed a day of great activity with the young chick seen flapping its
wings on the nest for the first time. Another 2 juvenile ospreys were
seen in the area during the afternoon along with more views of the male
osprey fishing.
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16/7/2001
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Nathan Fox
(Forestry Commission) reported two juvenile ospreys, female and male,
circling over the lake and then the viewpoint.
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The chick
was seen regularly during the afternoon. The day finished at 4:45pm
with the male catching a fish in the bay in front of the viewpoint and
taking it back to the nest.
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17/7/2001
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Pete Ulrich
(RSPB) enjoyed a day full of ospreys fishing at 11:55am, 1:45pm, 2:30pm
and 3:35pm.
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Whilst the
male is very successful at catching fish he manages to drop one over
land near Powter Howe.
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18/7/2001
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A very windy
day sees the water being whipped off the lake surface. Peter Ulrich
(RSPB) reports good views of the male bird fishing throughout the day.
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The afternoon
saw the chick walking around the nest along with both adults and the
day finished with the male sitting on its favourite lakeside post having
had a wash and a wade in the lake in front of the viewpoint.
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19/7/2001
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The chick
is given a health check today. See press release. Nathan Fox (Forestry
Commission) and Peter Ulrich (RSPB) see much activity during the afternoon
with the male chasing off an intruder at 3:45pm and at 5:15pm the female
osprey feeding the chick on the nest.
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20/7/2001
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Peter Ulrich
(RSPB) has a good day with lost activity spread throughout the day.
At 10:45am the male osprey leaves his perch and escorts a third intruder
osprey out of his territory.
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At 10:50
an osprey alarming repeatedly above the viewpoint flapping vigorously
with its legs dangling, presumably not a bird of the nesting pair. At
1:45pm the male osprey starts to fish and is finally seen bringing a
fish to the nest at 2:15pm. The female drops from her perch to feed
the chick.
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21/7/2001
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In the morning
Peter Ulrich (RSPB) sees the male fish catch and eat a smallish fish
followed by both adults chasing off an intruder osprey.
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The afternoon
sees more crossbills flying around the viewpoint, another intruder osprey
driven off and both adults circling to a great height and eventually
out of site. From 3:00pm onwards the male is seen fishing hourly.
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22/7/2001
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The male
osprey spent the morning chasing off intruder ospreys. At 12:00pm Paul
Brown (forestry Commission) saw the male returns to the nest with a
large stick. In the late afternoon the male is finally seen bringing
a fish to the nest where the female feeds it to the chick. The afternoon
was busy with the male successfully fishing a number of times but out
of view for most of the day. The female was always close to or on the
nest though so visitors did get a view of her.
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23/7/2001
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Paul Brown
(forestry Commission) saw both the female and the male sit all morning
from 09:30am until 12:00pm. The afternoon saw more activity with both
adults seen fighting off a buzzard intruder.
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Swooping
dives by both adults were seen. Between 4 and 5pm the male successfully
fished twice in front of the viewpoint. The second time the male was
seen eating fish on the "famous" fence post - "classic stuff"
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24/7/2001
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Paul Brown
(forestry Commission) enjoyed clear morning visibility and saw both
adults exchanging perchs around the nest. At 12:10pm visitors to the
viewpoint were greeted with the superb sight of the male chick standing
on the edge of the nest flapping its wings. At 1:15pm the male is seen
bringing a fish back to the nest , the female joins him 10 minutes later
to feed her and the chick.
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25/7/2001
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Gareth Browning
(Forestry Commission) and Tom Clay (RSPB) enjoy some classic intruder
chasing and male osprey display flying in the morning.
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Around lunchtime
a single Goshawk provides added interest to visitors as it circles over
the viewpoint. The afternoon saw superb views of both female and male
birds washing and wading on the nearside of the lake. The male is watched
by two Ravens as he eats fish on his favourite fence post and later
fails to catch a fish on the far side of the lake.
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