Rutland Osprey project confirm there are two female and two male chicks at the Manton Bay Nest
The chicks have had blue rings put on them today so they can be tracked as part of the conservation project
It's been revealed there are two female and two male osprey chicks at the Manton Bay Nest at Rutland Water.
Today the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust have put a blue ring on the right leg of the chicks to help them be identified in the future - as part of the special conservation project.
The oldest chick is now 40 days old.
At the same time Trust weighed them and measured their wing length, and from this they could determine the sex of the chick.
The 4 chicks are:
3R5 – Female
3R6 – Male
3R7 – Female
3R8 – Male
All of the Rutland Ospreys, are fitted with two rings that allow conservationits to identify the individual.
The first one, on their left leg, is a metal ring, and the second, on their right leg, is a blue Darvic ring and each ring carries a unique set of numbers or code.
The number on the blue ring is enlarged enough to be read using a telescope or a camera with a suitable lens.
The breeding female at the Manton Bay nest, has been named Maya, but this an exception - all the others are referred to by number.
Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust said:
"The long-term aim of the project was and is to create a completely self-sustaining breeding population. Now, we are confident we have sufficient adult ospreys and returning chicks to form a population which does not need to be further supported by translocation. It is encouraging that the population has swelled by way of some Scottish ospreys stopping off to breed, as was first hoped all those years ago."