Rutland Water osprey project launches an appeal to raise £15,000 for new web cameras at Manton Bay
An appeal has been launched to upgrade the osprey cameras at Rutland Water so viewers never miss a slice of the action.
Public interest in the birds rocketed during lockdown with many more people tuning in to see what the birds were up to.
Live footage is streamed from the cameras to the website but the ageing equipment doesn’t offer the best quality or reliability.
Reserve officer Lloyd Park has launched a £15,000 fundraising appeal to pay for new equipment ahead of next year’s breeding season.
He said: “The cameras have always operated on a shoestring budget but we want to offer a better viewing experience. Quite often we lose out because of problems with the technology.
“There has been much more interest in the cameras this year than in previous years. Coronavirus has given us a captive audience."
The current cameras are in a fixed position but Lloyd would like to install more interactive technology with the ability to zoom and rotate to capture the best footage.
Not only will it improve the experience for wildlife watchers, it will also provide better scientific information for the osprey team.
Lloyd said: “The information provided via the cameras is invaluable. It has been particularly important this year because we haven't had volunteers in the hides."
People watching the birds from home were even able to alert the wardens to trespassers during lockdown.
Concerned viewers contacted the team to say the birds had been acting strangely, and when a warden went out to check they found people walking in an out of bounds area.
The osprey project was launched at Rutland Water in 1996 when birds were re-located from Scotland with the aim of creating a breeding population in the county.
The first chick was raised at the reservoir in 2001.
An osprey named Maya has bred at the Manton Bay site since 2010, including four chicks this year.
They are expected to start their migration to Africa next month and usually return to Rutland in March.
To donate to the webcam appeal visit www.lrwt.org.uk/webcam-appeal or text WEBCAM to 70085 to donate £5.
Lloyd added: "We need your help to make vital improvements."