Milestone chick takes flight as 150th osprey fledges at Kielder - Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Seventeen years after ospreys returned to breed in Northumberland for the first time in two centuries, the 150th chick has successfully fledged from a nest at Kielder Forest.

The chick, a male aptly named Kielder, took its first flight from the 'Lord Robinson' nest (Nest 12), marking a milestone in the species' recovery.

Ospreys had been absent from Northumberland for more than two centuries before a single nest produced three chicks in 2009. Since then, sustained conservation work has helped the population thrive with multiple nests across the forest producing chicks.

This year's achievement falls during a significant year for the Kielder, with Forestry England marking the centenary of its first plantings that led to the creation of England’s largest forest in 1926.

Alongside events celebrating Kielder’s importance as a source of sustainable, home-grown timber and as a popular tourist destination this news also highlights the forest’s as a home for nature – not just ospreys but also pine martens, goshawks, red squirrels and more.

The osprey's return is the result of years of work by the Kielder Osprey Project, a partnership between Forestry England, Northumbrian Water, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Kielder Trust, Wild Intrigue and Calvert Kielder.

Alex MacLennan, Recreation and Public Affairs Manager at Forestry England said: “It’s a great achievement to reach 150 successfully fledged chicks since 2009, their return each year to breed right here in Northumberland is a real calendar highlight. Even after so much success each year brings its own challenges in weather, predators and more so this is a very special milestone.”