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==Site Information== | ==Site Information== |
Revision as of 22:35, 12 April 2009
This article is incomplete. This article is missing one or more sections. You can help the BirdForum Opus by expanding it. |
Overview
Bassenthwaite Lake is a National Nature Reserve, in the Lake District, located in the county of Cumbria in northwest England. It is owned and managed by the Lake District National Park Authority. The area became famous in 2001, when a pair of wild Ospreys nested there, this being the first time in over 150 years that Ospreys had bred in the Lake District.
Birds
Notable Species
Osprey, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Tawny Owl, Common Redstart, Pied Flycatcher, Eurasian Treecreeper.
Rarities
To do
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
To do
Other Wildlife
Red Squirrel, Badger, Roe Deer, Otter
Site Information
History and Use
In 2001 it was announced that a pair of Ospreys had nested in the woods above Bassenthwaite Lake, this being the first time in 150 years that a wild pair of the birds had bred in the Lake District. The Forestry Commission and the Lake District National Park Authority had provided a nesting platform in the hope that the Ospreys, they had been seeing during the summer for the last few years, would stay and breed there. Once the eggs were laid, wardens kept a 24 hour watch on the nest to protect the birds from any disturbance, such as illegal egg collectors. The RSPB is also involved in extra support for the Lake District Osprey Project.
Areas of Interest
- Osprey viewing from Dodd Wood viewpoints
- Whinlatter Visitor Centre
- There are several forest walks, provided by the Forestry Commision, starting from the Dodd Wood car park.
- Ivy Crag Wood - a small remnant of oak woodland on the slopes of Dodd below Skiddaw
Access and Facilities
- Osprey watching viewpoints are in Dodd Wood, on the east side of the lake. It is 3 miles north of Keswick off the A591, follow signposts to Dodd Wood from the A66. The car park is opposite the entrance to Mirehouse.
- The Lower Viewpoint - open from 10am to 5pm daily and staffed by volunteers. Excellent views of the Ospreys fishing over the lake.
- The Upper Viewpoint - open from 10.30am to 4.30pm daily. It is about half a mile, a 30 minutes walk, up a steep incline, to this higher viewpoint. There are telescopes for viewing the nest which is only 400m away.
- There is no charge to use the viewpoint, but car parking charges are as follows: £1 for 1 hour, £3 for up to 4 hours and £4 over 4 hrs.
- There are public toilets at the car park.
- The Old Sawmill Tearoom at Dodd Wood is open through the Osprey season.
- The Whinlatter Visitor Centre is located west of Braithwaite, on the B5292 between Braithwaite and Cockermouth - Grid Ref NY208245
- There is a public transport service, the Osprey Bus, which links Keswick with a round Bassenthwaite Lake route, including the Whinlatter Exhibition and the Dodd Wood viewpoint.
Contact Details
Whinlatter Visitor Centre phone: 017687 78469
Content originally posted by HelenB