Three six-week-old osprey chicks have been tagged with ID rings at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve near Witherslack - one of Cumbria’s key breeding sites for these spectacular birds of prey.

It was a key moment in osprey conservation, marking the 100th osprey chick to be ringed in Cumbria since 2001.

As fully-grown adults their wingspan will be around 152cm–167cm (about five feet) making them one of the largest birds of prey in the UK.

The osprey chicks are expected to fledge in the next couple of weeks and will fly the nest at the end of summer before they start their hazardous first migration to southern Spain or West Africa.

Paul Waterhouse, Reserves Officer for Cumbria Wildlife Trust, visited the nest site to accompany a licensed and experienced bird ringer who was brought in to tag the chicks with ID rings.

“I’m incredibly pleased that we have ringed another three osprey chicks at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve this year," he said.

“These tags are invaluable as they enable us to identify the birds individually, keep tracks of their movements and understand their life history. They have been fitted with metal BTO rings, as part of the national bird ringing scheme”

To view the live osprey webcam go to https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife/cams/osprey-cam