Kielder's Ospreys Close In On A 150-Chick Milestone

Kielder Forest is on the verge of a landmark: 150 fledged ospreys since the birds returned to Northumberland in 2009, after an absence of more than a century.

The first Kielder-born chicks arrived that year, when conservationists built a nest platform in the forest. Ospreys had been driven out of England and Wales by 1847 and vanished from Scotland by 1916, hunted by egg collectors and taxidermists through the Victorian era. Seventeen years on, Kielder holds eight active nests. This year every one produced eggs, a first for the site. Three chicks have fledged so far, with more expected to follow. No chicks have been introduced from elsewhere; the colony has grown entirely on its own.

It's a rebound from last year, when only six chicks fledged, held back by storms and predators. This year's obstacle has been the opposite problem: too little wind. Fledglings need a breeze to build confidence for their first flight, and Kielder's recent calm spells have left some chicks making tentative practice jumps rather than committing to the air. Each of this year's chicks carries a name starting with K, drawn from Northumberland's forests, hills and villages, among them Kirknewton, Kirkharle and Kielder itself. Conditions are easing, and several more chicks are expected to take flight before the season ends, pushing Kielder closer to its 150 milestone.