Kielder osprey returns in good time
Osprey KX7 keeps up her early bird record as she lands first at Kielder. Tony Henderson reports
It is tempting to say you could set your watch by Kielder osprey KX7.
The female from the forest nest with the best view has once again been the first osprey to return to the Northumberland breeding colony on her migration flight from Senegal in Africa.
Last year she landed at nest 7 on exactly the same date and osprey observer Joanna Dailey joked: “She may have been an hour later this year.”
Perhaps KX7 is determined to renew her claim to nest 7, with its sweeping views over Kielder Water and proximity to the reservoir for fishing.
She will be nine years old this season and has been breeding with her mate KM8 since 2020, with the pair raising a total of 14 chicks.
But their breeding success is having a wider effect, with one of their daughters breeding herself in Scotland and producing five chicks so far, and a son fathering two chicks last year at a private site in Northumberland.
“They are a productive pair and KM18 is a good fisherman who catches big fish,” said Joanna.
The nesting season at Kielder in 2025 proved to be the least productive year for the breeding birds since 2015.
Only six youngsters fledged from four nests at Kielder Forest compared to 2021 when seven nests resulted in 21 fledged youngsters. Reasons for losses last year included predation, cold weather, high winds and natural causes. The nest 7 pair lost one of their three chicks to illness.
It is expected that eight or nine nest sites will be available this year, with the rest of the ospreys due back at the end of this month and early April.
Reports from an osprey observer in Senegal say that strong winds may be stopping the birds from starting their migration. “But it looks like KX7 may have struggled through,” said Joanna.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust will be running Osprey Watch from the osprey cabin at Tower Knowe Visitor Centre in Kielder every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday between 11am and 4pm, from Saturday April 4 (Easter Saturday) until mid-August.
The People’s Postcode Lottery is supporting the event for a second year.
Katy Barke, Northumberland Wildlife Trust head of nature recovery, said: “This time of year is always one of anticipation and excitement as spring progresses and species return to the UK from all over the world.
“The osprey must rank as one of the most spectacular migrant birds and we are very fortunate to host so many pairs at Kielder Water & Forest Park.”