Joy as young osprey takes flight for first time

WIldlife experts monitoring ospreys at Rutland Water are celebrating after the first of this year's chicks took to the skies for its debut flight.

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust's Osprey Project features a webcam trained on the bird's nest at Manton Bay.

The project team said the young male - known as 8R5 - flew from the nest on Thursday evening and was seen on camera soaring over Rutland Water.

After enjoying further "off-nest excursions" in the days since, the team is hoping the osprey's siblings will soon be joining him in the sky.

The Rutland Osprey Project is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, having seen more than 300 fledglings since it launched in 1996.

Celebrating the latest success, the team said: "Now that 8R5 has afforded his younger siblings more room on the nest today, with lots of off-nest excursions, 8R6 has been taking full advantage of the extra space to undertake some helicoptering of her own.

"It won't be long until we have two chicks in the skies over Manton Bay - and 8R7 won't be too far behind either."

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