Welcome to the Lake District Osprey Project website. Our first opening date was Good Friday on March 30th. Last year (2017) female KL arrived 28th March and male Unring 30th March. They produced a full clutch of 3 chicks over the season, all of which flew at the end of August on their migration.

2018 Unring arrived Saturday 31st March. Sadly, KL has not returned this season. Unring is now loosely connected with an unringed female, ‘Longstreak’.

No 14 our ‘Star’ traveller, hatched 2013, has spent the winter in Bioko. He started his migration this year (2018) on 19th March and is now hunting, but still a bachelor in South Lakes.

Exhibition and viewpoints. 2018 – We are open every day from 10.00 to 17.00 at Dodd Wood viewpoints and 10.00 to 16.00 at Whinlatter Visitor Centre with good views of the four ospreys using the Lake at the moment.

Sadly, we are unable to transport anyone up to the Dodd Viewpoints at this time due to the state of the track following extensive felling and haulage. However, the live screens at Whinlatter are fully accessible for those with mobility issues.

Webstreaming – as we do not have breeding birds this season there is no webcam. Unring does visit the nest for short periods.

Keep reading the Diary as we hope to put in new information every few days as it happens.
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Enchanter’s Nightshade

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Lake District Osprey Project

Now that it is damper and despite the earlier drought one tough plant is blooming now all along the wood edges. One of the most attractive plants of the forest its flowers stand around the stem like a wand of white stars. This is probably what has inspired its common name ‘Enchanter’s Nightshade’. Its Latin designation Circaea lutetiana follows this theme from Circe, a witch of Greek mythology and Lutitia the Latin for Paris, sometimes known in the past as the Witch City.

In fact the plant is not poisonous being related to the Willowherbs and no connection to the Nightshades.

It needs no enchantment though to still view ospreys from Dodd. Unring continues to guard his territory and visits his nest daily. At least 2 other ospreys are regularly seen at the South end of the lake – probably Longstreak the young unringed female and Blue 2H from the North end of the Lake. However, as mid August approaches it is getting time for the female birds to set off for Africa from all over the country so it is worth keeping a lookout on any piece of water for sightings of these birds migrating.

Enchanter’s Nightshade

Lake District Osprey Project

Sharing in one of nature's Lakeland wonders

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Welcome to the Lake District Osprey Project website. Our first opening date was Good Friday on March 30th. Last year (2017) female KL arrived 28th March and male Unring 30th March. They produced a full clutch of 3 chicks over the season, all of which flew at the end of August on their migration.

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Enchanter’s Nightshade