Bassenthwaite Lake

Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest of the Lake District at approximately 4 miles long and ¾ miles wide. Despite its size this long and narrow lake is very shallow, at its deepest point it reaches a depth of just 70 feet. The Lake is easily accessible with the A66 dual carriageway running along the western edge. The laybys are extremely popular for people wanting to take pictures and a spot of bird watching.

Coniston Water

Coniston is the third largest of the lakes and is approximately 5 miles long and ½ a mile wide. The lake is hugely popular with tourist due to its large expanse of water, which contains a number of tranquil islands, as well as the stunning scenery. The lake was famously the setting for the book Swallows and Amazons as well as the setting for Donald Campbell’s ill fated attempt to break the water speed record.

Derwentwater

Derwentwater is approximately 3 miles long and 1 mile wide making it the widest lake in the Lake District.

The lake has a number of islands within, one of which contains Derwent Island House which is open to the public just 5 days a year.

The huge Skiddaw overlooking the lake and the nearby market town of Keswick make Derwent one of the most popular lakes for visitors.

Ullswater

Ullswater is the second largest of all the lakes in the Lake District at approximately 9 miles long and ¾ of a mile wide.

Regarded by many as the most beautiful of all the lakes, Ullswater often finds itself compared to lakes in Switzerland, such as Lucerne.

This favourable comparison is thanks to the beautiful scenery with mountains to one side and green fields and woodland on the other. The lake is great for water sports, with canoeing, sailing and wind surfing particularly popular. There are also the more relaxing steamer boats that take you on a cruise of the lake.

Windermere

Windermere is the largest lake in the Lake District and is the largest in the whole of England at approximately 10.5 miles long and 1 mile wide. As well as being the largest of the lakes Windermere is also the most well known and has long been a very popular attraction for tourists. Many of the tourists who do visit end up taking part in at least one of the many on water activities available. These range from wake boarding, sailing and canoeing to a more sedate pleasure cruise.

The Lake District’s famous pair of mating Ospreys have reunited at their Bassenthwaite Lake nest after a 3,000 mile migration from Africa.

The female arrived back at Bassenthwaite on March 26, the earliest date an Osprey has ever returned to the Lake, followed on April 1 by the male bird.

Since then they have been seen by staff from the Lake District Osprey Project gathering sticks and moss for nest building.

Pete Barron, of the Lake District Osprey Project, said: “We are delighted that the ospreys have returned for a 10th season.

“They have been busy mating so we are hopeful the female will be laying eggs very soon. We now have a dedicated team doing 24-hour nest protection to ensure the ospreys are left undisturbed.”

The team are certain that the birds are the same ones that have appeared at Bassenthwaite in the past. The male has nested at Bassenthwaite since 2001, while he paired up with the female for the first time in 2007.

The return of the ospreys raises hopes for a 10th successful nesting season for the famous fish-eating birds of prey.

Ospreys first nested near Bassenthwaite Lake in 2001, the first to do so for at least 150 years.

The Osprey Viewpoint at Dodd Wood, near Keswick, is now open, offering views of the nest and nearby Bassenthwaite Lake.

At the Forestry Commission’s Whinlatter Visitor Centre, near Braithwaite, there is an exhibition area dedicated to the ospreys with a live feed from a nest camera.

Osprey fans can follow the birds in the daily osprey diary at www.ospreywatch.co.uk.

People staying in hotels in the Lake District over the next few months may notice that there are is more foliage around after a successful programme of tree planting was carried out during half-term.

Bassenthwaite Reflections, a lottery-funded organisation which sets up voluntary projects around the national park, revealed that more than 2,000 saplings and oaks were planted during the week-long scheme.

Project leader Rachel Graham explained that regular volunteers were joined by holidaymakers and mountain bikers in the area even stopped their journeys to lend a hand.

“Reflections is all about encouraging people to look after the landscape and this was a perfect example of our supporters going the extra distance,” she said.

The tree planting activity of last week is designed to restore a site spanning 3.5 hectares and is part of a wider programme to reintroduce native woodland to the region, as well as clearing invasive species that affect the landscape

All three osprey eggs which were laid in a nest at Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria have now hatched.

Two chicks were seen earlier this week, and the third was confirmed on Thursday when it raised its “wobbly little head”, said conservationists.

It is the ninth brood for a male bird which arrived at the lake in 2001.

He was the first osprey to nest in the Lakes in 150 years and has reared six chicks with the current female and 10 with his previous mate.

The birds attract thousands of people to the area each year, providing a boost to the Lake District’s economy.

Visitors to Bassenthwaite can watch them through high-powered telescopes at the Dodd Wood viewpoint, overlooking the lake.

Live images from the nest are also beamed to a big screen at the nearby Whinlatter visitor centre.

The Lake District Osprey Project is managed by a partnership of the Forestry Commission, Lake District National Park Authority and the RSPB.

BBC.CO.UK

Around 100 bird watchers are keeping an eagle eye on the osprey nest at Bassenthwaite after two chicks hatched over the bank holiday.

The first chick was born on Sunday evening, followed by another early on Monday. A third egg is still incubating in the nest and around 100 volunteers from the Lake District Osprey Project team are looking after the birds and their nest.

The new arrivals are the first for the osprey pair this year after they arrived back in the Lake District last month. Nathan Fox, of the Lake District Osprey Project, said: “We’re thrilled to see the arrival of the first osprey chicks of the season and look forward to seeing another new face in the coming days.

“This is always a nervous time for the project team so it is a great relief when the first eggs hatch.” The male osprey, known as ‘No Ring’, has successfully reared six young with his current partner and had previously reared 10 young with the female osprey he originally paired up with in 2001.

He has delivered more than 100 fish to the nest for the female but he is expected to double that to cope with the demands of his off-spring. A spokesperson for the LDOP said the chicks should make their first flights in August and stay in the area until early September. Thousands of tourists have already visited the Bassenthwaite area so far this year to get a glimpse of the ospreys. Visitors can get see the birds from a viewpoint in Dodd Wood, 400 metres away from the nest. The viewpoint is open during daylight hours, with staff on hand with telescopes from 10am to 5pm.