The secret to being a successful flier? Regular exercise and a healthy diet! Watch our latest video of HD highlights from the osprey nest camera at Foulshaw Moss, to see our 3 chicks doing exactly that over the past fortnight. 

First though, the film starts with an amusing clip that demonstrates exactly why the camera lens has often looked a bit cloudy in recent weeks. I think that leaves little doubt as to who the culprit is!

We then see them tucking into various fish supplied by the adult male. Notice how the female bird is becoming less responsive to their demands for food now. The hungry chicks have had to start learning to tear up the food and feed themselves.

The most obvious behaviour we have seen is lots of wing flapping, gradually strengthening their flight muscles. Eventually this starts to show results, with 2 chicks, Blue V2 and Blue V3 (named after their leg rings) lifting their feet just off the ground for several days.

You can also see them losing their fluffy down as they flap about, growing their flight feathers in preparation for their first big step out of the nest.

It takes an average of 53 days for osprey chicks to fledge. Right on cue, the oldest 2 chicks left the nest on 23rd July. Blue V2 caused a bit of worry by staying out of the nest all day, even when White YW (dad) came back with lunch.

Blue V4 should be flying in the next few days too. The chicks won't migrate for at least another month, so there should still be lots of action to see on the webcam, and at Foulshaw Moss.

Simon