Ready To Fly

Followers of my blog will know that I have spent a considerable amount of time recently in the Lake District photographing and observing ospreys.Ospreys are slowly but surely moving into the area and this year there have been at least five occupied nesting sites.The ones at Bassenthwaite and Foulshaw are well known and even have excellent close circuit cameras covering all the activity at the nest.These two sites have produced five young ospreys and the ones at Foulshaw have just fledged and are now flying free in the area.

I have been very fortunate to have access to another site at a secret location in a beautiful forested area of Southern Lakeland.I visited this week aware that the three young ospreys at this site would very soon be leaving the confines of the nest .The site was approached carefully and quietly so as not to disturb the birds.I was hidden behind a wall and in camouflage and during my ninety minutes or so I was able to take many images of the young ospreys.

There was much wing stretching and flapping going on and the birds seemed restricted by the confines of the nest.From time to time the larger of the youngsters would flap vigorously and be airborne for a few seconds before landing back on the nest.The smaller osprey wasn't as active and seemed crowded out by his larger siblings.His time will come when the other two have left the nest and are flying free. I would think that all three will be leaving the nest in the next week. They will remain close by and the parents will still return with fish for them.I will probably return for a last look before they all leave on their long journeys to West Africa.Hopefully all the birds will return in subsequent years to continue their expansion into the Lake District.I am looking forward to their return to learn more about these very special birds.