Ospreys at Esthwaite

Eight ospreys, three nesting sites and a closer look at one of Britain’s most remarkable wildlife recoveries.

A group of Friends of the Ullswater Way supporters joined Mike Thornley for a field visit around Esthwaite, following his earlier talk on conserving ospreys in Cumbria.

Mike led the group to viewing points overlooking three different nesting sites. By the end of the visit, we had seen eight ospreys. As we moved between the sites, Mike shared his knowledge of the birds, their behaviour and the work involved in monitoring and protecting them.

The sight of ospreys breeding in Cumbria would have seemed impossible within living memory. Persecution caused them to disappear as a breeding species from England during the nineteenth century and from Britain altogether in the early twentieth century. They returned naturally to Scotland in the 1950s, but it was not until 2001 that ospreys successfully bred again in England, with one of the first nests here in Cumbria.

Their return is an extraordinary conservation success. Careful protection, suitable nesting sites and years of dedicated monitoring have helped establish a growing population. Seeing eight birds around Esthwaite brought that story vividly to life.

Our thanks to Mike for generously sharing his time and expertise, and for giving the group such a memorable opportunity to see these magnificent birds. To protect the ospreys, we do not publish the precise locations of their nests.

Catch up on Mike’s talk

Explore the return of ospreys to Cumbria and the work being done to protect them in Mike Thornley’s Understanding Ullswater talk, Conserving Ospreys in Cumbria.