Two six-week-old osprey chicks were tagged with ID rings recently at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve near Witherslack. A total of 29 osprey chicks have now been tagged at this site, since the parent ospreys starting breeding here. Blue 35 and White YW have successfully bred at our wetland nature reserve every year since 2014.

The chicks were weighed by a licenced and experienced bird ringer and each given a coloured ID leg ring. This helps conservationists track the birds’ movements and understand their life history. Thanks to the rings, previous chicks from Foulshaw Moss have been identified in The Gambia, where they spend the winter.

As the osprey is a Schedule 1 protected species, only those with a licence from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) are permitted to approach and handle the birds. At this age, the chicks can’t fly yet, so they’re easier to handle and not in danger of injuring themselves during the process. The ringing is kept as short and stress free as possible, with the minimum of handling and time away from normal routine for the birds.

Paul Waterhouse, Reserves Officer for Cumbria Wildlife Trust said: “This year we have two males and both chicks are doing very well. They’re now starting to fledge – this is a great time to come and visit Foulshaw Moss, where soon you may see all four birds flying above the nest. Our amazing volunteers are on hand at the nature reserve with telescopes to help you locate them, and can tell you all about these impressive birds of prey. Make sure you pay us a visit before they start their long migration to Africa, at the end of August or early September.”

Blue 35 and White YW first came to Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve after it was transformed by a large-scale habitat restoration programme. Over a decade or so, the 900-acre site, which had been drained and used for commercial forestry and farming, was returned the healthy wetland you see now, which is teeming with wildlife.

The nature reserve is now home not only to migrating ospreys, but other birds of prey including peregrine and marsh harrier. In the summer months, it’s alive with dragonflies and butterflies, wetland-loving plants such as Sphagnum moss and bog rosemary, and adders and lizards can be seen basking in the sun.

Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve is open daily, free of charge. It’s located off the A590 near Witherslack.

Watch the ospreys live on our osprey webcam.

We hope you enjoy watching this family of ospreys through the webcam for the whole season. It costs us around £12,000 to get and keep the osprey web cam running for the season. If you can, please donate to help with the costs to keep this broadcasting for you.

Use #FoulshawOspreys to join the osprey conversation on social.