Rutland residents are some of the lucky few in the bird watching community who can hope to catch a glimpse of the rare bird to the UK, the Osprey. This is thanks to the Rutland Osprey Project, which has run on Rutland Water since 1996.

The Rutland Osprey Nest can be found at Manton Bay, Rutland Water Nature Reserve, where star pair female Maya and male 33(11) have bred together since 2015 and have raised 20 chicks during that time. 

The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust offer bird watchers a unique insight into the life of Ospreys via their Rutland Osprey Nest Cam Live Stream.

On the 10th and 11th of May, Maya and 33(11) welcomed their most recent clutch consisting of 3 healthy chicks.

Find out more about the anticipation and arrival of the chicks here.

After just over a month of watching the chicks grow and thrive, the team ringed the 3 Manton Bay chicks on Monday the 20th of June.

A boat was launched from the fields behind and a ladder was lent up against the side of the nest. The three chicks were carefully lowered into the boat where they were ringed and other biometric data were taken.

The biometric data taken indicates that all three chicks are females. When determining the chicks' sex, the size of the bill, the thickness and length of the tarsus (the lower leg of birds) and their weight all play a part in distinguishing between male and female chicks.

On top of this, female birds weigh in at about 1300 to 1500 grams, where female reach a whopping 1800 grams. As such, the size and weight of the bird also helps distinguish the sex.

Since being ringed, the chicks have been taking short flights and are still eating and growing well.

This year the team have two live streaming webcams showing different angles of the nest, both of which incorporate sound so make sure to turn the volume up.

View these intimate and amazing videos on the Rutland Osprey website to follow the journey of these rare birds as they get ready to fledge the nest.