The first bird has arrived back at Northumberland’s osprey breeding colony after a long and perilous migration flight.
Veteran male YA landed today, on the same date he returned to Kielder Water and Forest Park last year. He has bred at Kielder since 2012 and for the last nine years his partner has been Mrs YA, who has also been one of the early arrivals.
The pair set up home at one of Kielder’s seven nest and YA lost no time in catching a fish and holding it on the nest. Osprey observer Joanna Dailly said “his behaviour is designed to show the female that the male is going to be a good provider and when she arrives he will offer her a ready meal.”
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YA and Mrs YA have produced 22 confirmed fledged chicks. Two of their sons bred successfully for the first time last year at Kielder, so the couple have four grandchicks.
YA’s older brother by two years, Osprey 37, also nests at Kielder and his return is expected soon to continue what is a family gathering. It is not known where the YA couple spent their winter but many ospreys congregate in the African countries of Senegal and The Gambia. Two of the 2021-hatched Kielder birds were spotted in Senegal this winter.
Last year the colony produced a record 16 fledged youngsters. A Kielder-hatched male spent a lengthy spell last year weighing up potential breeding sites so this year there could be an addition to what is now an established colony.
In 2021, all the chicks were named after Northumbrian locations with the initial E. The names of this year’s chicks will begin with F.
The Osprey Watch station for visitors at Tower Knowle at Kielder will operate each weekend from April 17 to August 14 between 10.30am and 4pm. Osprey Watch is delivered almost entirely by volunteers and Northumberland Wildlife Trust is appealing for call volunteers to help run the facility. A training day will be held at Kielder Waterside on April 7.
The Kielder Osprey Project is a partnership between Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, Forestry England, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumbrian Water and Calvert Trust Kielder.
