First osprey chicks of summer at Rutland Water

The first osprey chicks of the summer have hatched on Rutland Water.

The pair, born to Maya and her partner 33, arrived on Saturday evening after the Lyndon Centre had closed.

The first emerged at 6.24pm and the second around 8pm, as viewed on the webcam of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.

Marie Dipple, the trust's osprey projects officer, said: "They have had a fantastic couple of days in generally sunny weather, being fed by their attentive parents."

Four eggs have been laid on the lake and the two remaining eggs are due to hatch in the next few days.

The next chick to hatch will be the 150th to hatch on Rutland Water since osprey were re-introduced back to Rutland Water in the 1980s.

Today, 23 osprey live around Rutland Water. They started returning from West Africa in March.

Marie also confirmed: "It's very exciting at Rutland this year because the next chick to hatch will be the 150th chick born at Rutland water since the project began, after the Osprey had been extinct in the UK for 150 years, so this is a real milestone."

*Picture and video with kind permission of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.