A 24-HOUR vigil is in place as the Lake District's famous ospreys are sitting tight on newly-laid eggs.

The news has taken members of the Osprey Project by surprise, as the female laid her eggs in the nest near Bassenthwaite Lake almost two weeks earlier than last year.

A round-the-clock watch is in place to safeguard the nest from the mischievous hands of egg thieves, with a team of more than 60 volunteers helping to guard the nest.

The female is now sitting tight on the eggs, which should hatch in June, while the male delivers a regular supply of fresh fish to the nest.

After an absence from the Lake District of more than 150 years the birds of prey first nested at Bassenthwaite in 2001 when they successfully raised one chick. Last year the pair returned to the same nest and reared two chicks.

Bill Kenmir of the RSPB said: "There is a huge amount of interest and goodwill towards these fantastic birds and they have many fans not just in Cumbria, but throughout the world. The response from visitors has already been exceptional, with around 9,000 people visiting the public viewpoints in just a couple of weeks."

An osprey viewpoint, at the Forestry Commission's Dodd Wood near Keswick, gives open-air viewing of the nest from a safe distance, while live images from a camera overlooking the ospreys' nest are beamed to Whinlatter Visitor Centre, near Braithwaite.

A daily osprey diary, details of viewing arrangements and nest cam pictures are on the Lake District Osprey Project website:http://www.ospreywatch.co.uk

May 8, 2003 16:00