The three surviving chicks on the Manton Bay nest on Rutland Water have been ringed.

In mid-May, four chicks were welcomed by Rutland Water's breeding pair, Maya and 33(11). Their progress has been followed by the Rutland Osprey Project team and Rutland's bird watching community, with live stream cameras capturing the trails and tribulations experienced by the young family.

Unfortunately, on 18 May, only days after the chicks had hatched, the fourth chick died. It was thought that this was the result of a pike, brought to the nest by 33(11), thrashing and injuring the young bird.

However, the three other chicks have thrived under the watchful eye of Maya and her mate, who have raised multiple clutches on the locally-famous nest.

The Rutland Water Osprey Project team expect the young ospreys to fledge soon.

On 24 June, the team shared on their social media: "Ringing at Manton Bay! Our 3 osprey chicks at Manton Bay have been successfully ringed this morning. We have 3H3 - Female, 3H4 - Male and 3H5 - Female."

The Rutland Osprey Project has been running since 1996, and this year the team are readying themselves for another successful clutch of eggs from returning Osprey, Maya. 

The preservation of Ospreys in the UK began much earlier though, when, in 1954, a pair of ospreys believed to be of Scandinavian origin, kick-started the slow recovery of the population of ospreys in the UK, having successfully raised chicks close to Loch Garten, Aviemore. 

However, it was predicted it could take over 100 years for ospreys to naturally repopulate central England.

In 1996, a translocation project began, which involved moving osprey chicks from nests in Scotland and releasing them at Rutland Water with the aim to create a self-sustaining breeding population of ospreys in central England.

Thanks to this pioneering project started by Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust in partnership with Anglian Water, ospreys have made a triumphant return to England.

Rutland water is a popular spot for bird and wildlife enthusiasts. Image credit: Nub News.

Now, residents can see Ospreys in Rutland from April, once they have undertaken their yearly flight back from West Africa. 

The Rutland Osprey Project now have Live Webcams set up so that curious locals can find out more and track to progress of the active nests in the area. View the webcams here.

Alternatively, head to Youtube to watch the livestream tracking the progress of Rutland's ospreys: