Osprey chicks ringed for study
14 Jul 10
Experts have ringed three ospreys in Northumberland in a bid to gain more knowledge on the rare birds by observing their life closely.
A Forestry Commission ranger climbed the tree and raised the chicks from their nest, before taking their weights and measuring their wingspan.
The ranger said that the huge birds were docile and did not throw tantrums at being taken out of the nest. Their mother returned soon after they were returned.
Live CCTV beamed to Kielder Castle Visitor Centre from a nest camera has been helping experts monitor the activities of the chicks.
The birds are ones born of a pioneering pair that bred the first osprey family in the north-east of England in two centuries. Their nest is located at the 155,000-acre Kielder wilderness, which is only the second site in England where the birds of prey have naturally re-colonised after facing extinction in the 19th century.
Forestry Commission ornithologist Martin Davison, who carried out the procedure, said: "Rings carry vital information like where and when the birds were born, and to some extent can be read over a distance using a telescope. It's our best chance of finding out how they fare in the big wide world."
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http://www.visitkielder.com/site/visiting-kielder-water-and-forest-park/kielder-castle-visitor-centre (Kielder Castle Visitor Centre)
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