Population of the Osprey in SW Northumberland

BACKGROUND

The Osprey according to Wallis (1769) used to frequent the county. In the review by Rossiter (1999) of Wallis' work, he quoted:

Wallis's statements fall short of proof of breeding for the osprey in Northumberland in the 18th century as he does not provide any specific evidence for nesting. However, it is known today that ospreys are in general fleeting visitors outside their breeding areas. If the Northumbrian shepherds in the Greenlee Lough area did indeed know this species well, the chances of it being a former breeder in Northumberland are strong. Macpherson (1892) indicates that the osprey probably bred until the end of the 18th century in Cumberland at Ullswater and also in similar habitat to Greenlee Lough at Whinfield Park of ‘a wild heath or moss. It is situated in a low-lying district, between the waters of the Eamont and the Eden Rivers.’ In Northumberland Maddison (1830) recorded the ‘osprey, or sea eagle’ at Prestwick Carr but Hancock (1874) reported that, since the draining of Prestwick Carr, it was now only a casual visitant.

In recent times, since 2009. the Osprey has established a breeding population at Kielder Water, which by 2020 (Birds in Northumbria) involved 6 pairs present, 5 successful nests and 11 fledged young, the same numbers as in 2019. In 2020 an additional nest was occupied by an unpaired female. Kielder Water, a reservoir, was flooded in 1982 so obviously unavailable in historical times for breeding Osprey.

SEASONAL MOVEMENTS

The Osprey is a summer visitor to its breeding grounds in northern England and Scotland, with arrivals starting in March and most birds departing by early October. For instance in 2023, 64 sightings were reported in the year on BirdGuides in Northumberland with 6 in March, 8 in April, 14 in May, 8 in June, 7 in July, 8 in August,10 in September, 3 in October. So records are fairly evenly distributed through the season with modest peaks in May and September. Osprey are strong fliers, do not rely on thermals and readily undertake long sea crossings.

NR's RESULTS

All the data in Table 1 refers to the study area in south west Northumberland, with survey work done by NR.

Year	Number of localities where signs of occupation	Number of adult	Number of juvenile	Total broods	Total young fledged
2016	1	2	0	0	0
2017	1	2	1	1	1 (1x1+)
2018	1	2	0	0	0
2019	0	0	0	0	0
2020	0	0	0	0	0
2021	0	0	0	0	0
2022	0	0	0	0	0
2023	1	2	1	1	1 (1x1+)

Table 1: Numbers of breeding Osprey found from 2016-2023 in SW Northumberland

More details of the Osprey breeding season for 2016 are available in Table 2.1:

Table 2.1: Breeding Data for Osprey in SW Northumberland by area in 2016

From 16:49-16:51 on 18/6 a pair of Osprey were circling at moderate height initially over the clear-felled area to the N of Riddlehamhope but then moving around more generally over the Riddlehamhope wood at the top of the Beldon Burn with the tall strong Scotch Pines. On 11/9 none were seen, quite late in the season to check on Osprey productivity but reasonable for the Honey-buzzard survey, which was the driving force. No visits were made this season prior to 18/6. Although the evidence on 18/6 is quite compelling for a breeding attempt, the lack of other sightings, not helped by the inappropriate timing of visits for this species, means this is recorded overall in the possible category.

More details of the Osprey breeding season for 2017 are available in Table 2.2:

Table 2.2: Breeding Data for Osprey in SW Northumberland by area in 2017

Of the three years presence at Riddlehamhope, the most promising sighting was on 15th September when a juvenile Osprey was seen over one of the woods on the grouse moors at exactly the same place as 2 adult were see last year on 18/6/2016. This was taken as confirmation of breeding in view of the circumstantial evidence over the 3 years. However, no other sightings were made in the area in 2017.

On the day after 16/9, I did some research: thought it was a little late for a juvenile to be lingering but checking the Kielder blog https://kielderospreys.wordpress.com/ shows that juvenile Aln left its nesting area on 9/9. There have been many sightings at Derwent Reservoir this year https://www.durhambirdclub.org/blog with some recent records from August 5-September 8 itemised below (together with this week's, September 9-15, for completeness):

September 9-15: An Osprey headed east high over Blaydon (15th). On the 11th a distant Honey Buzzard over the Derwent Valley was a welcome addition to a Whickham resident's house list.

September 2-8: On the 2nd a Hobby was over West Aukland [sic], while 5 Pale-bellied Brent Geese flew over Seaton Snook into the estuary.. A Gannet north over the Lambton Estate was an unexpected and extremely rare inland occurrence. 4 Osprey were noted at Derwent Reservoir and 3-4 were seen here throughout the week.

August 26-September 1^: On the 27th the Spoonbill remained at RSPB Saltholme along with the 4 Egyptian Geese. There were Osprey sightings at Derwent Reservoir throughout the week, peaking at 3 (27th).

August 19-25: Two Osprey have continued to show very well at Derwent Reservoir, while a passage bird was over Eppleton Quarry (21st). The latter seen just after the observer had had a 'purring' Turtle Dove at Hetton Lyons.

August 12-18: 1-2 Osprey have been constant at Derwent Reservoir and a passage bird over Seaton Ponds (15th). Nightjar were still churring at Hamsterley (12th).

August 5-12: Nightjar are still churring and displaying in the Hamsterley area from 9pm, while Osprey continue to be seen at Derwent Reservoir.

So there was plenty of evidence for Osprey in the Derwent Reservoir area but nothing can be assumed about their breeding status.

More details of the Osprey breeding season for 2018 are available in Table 2.3:

Table 2.3: Breeding Data for Osprey in SW Northumberland by area in 2018

In 2018 an early sighting at Derwent Reservoir - Ruffside on 15/4 was interesting: at 13:28 one Osprey flew from S of water, aggressively mobbed by Common Buzzard, to N side, clearing the N bank. A few minutes later noted at considerable height a pair of Osprey moving W, using orthographic lift in the S breeze over the S facing ridge, towards their nesting site. There was a later sighting in the Beldon Burn on 31/8 when an Osprey (unaged) was seen moving W at 13:41 towards Riddlehamhope. Coupled with the records on 15/4 at Ruffside, Derwent Reservoir, this makes this site a territory in 2018 (probable breeding).

Coverage in the study area was substantially reduced in 2018, leaving a core area of Devil’s Water and Tyne Valley W so the Derwent area was less frequently visited. The occupation of the Beldon Burn might have continued in subsequent years.

More details of the Osprey breeding season for 2023 are available in Table 2.4:

Table 2.4: Breeding Data for Osprey in SW Northumberland by area in 2023

In 2023 there was a high number of sightings of Osprey around Hexham, which sits on the Tyne just below the join of the North Tyne and the South Tyne. The North Tyne runs up to Kielder and the South Tyne to Haltwhistle and Alston. Hexham is about 15km from Derwent Reservoir.

The spring records on BirdGuides for the Tyne this year, are given below:

15:15 09/06 Osprey Northumberland Riding Mill one moving slowly west along River Tyne mid-afternoon

16:48 08/06 Osprey Northumberland Hexham 16:45 one flew east over Tesco

17:56 27/05 Osprey Northumberland Riding Mill 17:51 one flew west

16:36 23/05 Osprey Northumberland Hexham 14:30 one flew north

10:33 23/05 Osprey Northumberland Hexham one flew north

17:20 16/05 Osprey Northumberland Stocksfield 17:20

13:39 30/04 Osprey Northumberland Stocksfield 13:33 one flew north over east side

So it was no surprise when on 23/6 when a likely Osprey site was found on the Tyne at Hexham NE. The single Osprey made 2 fishing trips at 14:55 and 15:55 and got up for a third time at 16:01 to interact with a Black Kite. On 3/7 a distant Osprey to W at 17:57 was seen from Thornbrough, Corbridge. On 24/7 two adults were in territory over the site. On 7/8 two Osprey were seen at 14:30-14:35: an adult persistently high-up and a weak-flying juvenile in the tree tops below but up in the air low-down three times. Earlier in the season on 7/5 the site was visited for raptor study but no Osprey were seen: they may have been sitting tight. This is considered to be the first breeding record in modern times for Osprey on a river system in Northumberland.

Sightings continued on BirdGuides but at a lower rate:

14:54 29/06 Osprey Northumberland Stocksfield one circled over then flew south mid-afternoon

15:19 13/07 Osprey Northumberland Riding Mill one flew east along River Tyne

09:27 21/09 Osprey Northumberland Stocksfield one flew south-west over Mickley Grange

07:39 29/09 Osprey Northumberland Mickley Square 07:38 one flew south-east over Mickley Grange

There were no additions to these records from the Bulletins of the Northumberland & Tyneside Bird Club, searched from March to October. Indeed surprisingly only the 27/5 record at Riding Mill was duplicated. The bulletins did contain many records from Derwent Reservoir all through the summer.

Multimedia and Notes for Osprey in SW Northumberland:

2016

Beldon Burn (Derwent)

18/06/2016: From 16:49-16:51 a pair of Osprey were circling at moderate height initially over the clear-felled area to the N of Riddlehamhope but then moving around more generally over the Riddlehamhope wood with the tall strong Scotch Pines 1  2  3  4  5  6.

2017

Beldon Burn (Derwent)

15/09/17: an Osprey juvenile up at 14:46 at Riddlehamhope in interaction with Red Kite 1.

2018

Beldon Burn (Derwent)

15/04/2018: Derwent Reservoir -- Ruffside: at 13:28 1 flew from S of water, aggressively mobbed by Common Buzzard, to N side, clearing the N bank. A few minutes later noted at considerable height a pair of Osprey moving W, using orthographic lift in the S breeze over the S facing ridge, towards their nesting site 1  2  3  4  5  6  7.

2023

Hexham NE

23/06/2023: piccies of an adult Osprey up fishing over the Tyne: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11 (2 with Black Kite).

03/07/2023: a distant Osprey to W at 17:57 1  2, approaching the Hexham NE area.

24/07/2023: the Osprey site on the Tyne was active with 2 birds seen, the second showing clearly 4 projecting primary tips. The first bird was seen coming in high from the S slowly descending over woodland to E at 15:30 1  2  3  4. The second bird, missing a tail feather, came out from the site at 16:01, keeping low down over the Tyne until 16:02 5  6  7  8  9. It then climbed higher, keeping over the site, until 16:04 10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25 when it disappeared into the thin haze.

07/08/2023: two Osprey were seen at 14:30-14:35: an adult persistently high-up and a weak-flying juvenile in the tree tops below but up in the air low-down three times 1  2  3  4  5.

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