ONE HUNDRED ospreys have taken flight since their return to Northumberland.

The milestone was reached when a chick called Fourlaws left its nest in Kielder Water and Forest Park. 

The Kielder Osprey project is a partnership between Northumbrian Water, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Forestry England, Kielder Water and Forest Park Development Trust and Calvert Kielder.

Ospreys were reintroduced in Northumberland in 2009 for the first time in over two centuries when a single nest produced three chicks. 

This year, osprey couples occupied eight nests in the forest park, six of which produced offspring.  

Tom Dearnley, ecologist for Forestry England, said: “To have 100 chicks successfully fledge in just thirteen years and by a bird that had been absent for so long, is amazing.

"This is the restoration of a population, a reservoir of animals which can spread outwards creating a huge boost to biodiversity. 

"It’s full repayment for the effort invested in building nesting platforms in the years before their arrival and the work of the whole team involved in ospreys at Kielder."

He added: “The significance of this size of population is that locally born birds are now being seen at other locations across the UK, as well as returning to Northumberland to raise their own families. It just shows what can be done with well-managed habitats, foresight and collaborative working.”