Rutland Water ospreys Maya and 33(11) are reunited on their Manton Bay nest

A second osprey has landed at Rutland Water less than 24 hours after its mate appeared.

33(11) arrived at his Manton Bay nest at 3.25pm this afternoon (Wednesday).

His arrival follows the return of his mate Maya, the county’s most successful breeding female osprey, who landed yesterday. She has produced 37 chicks to date.

Announcing the news on social media, a spokesperson for The Rutland Osprey Project said: “Less than 24 hours after we saw Maya return to the nest, we see 33(11) touch down as well. Fantastic to see our pair back together again.”

The nest was empty when 33(11) landed but Maya swooped in carrying a fish just a few seconds later. The birds first bred together in 2015 and have raised 20 chicks together.

Two live-streaming webcams are in place for birdwatchers to keep an eye on the pair. Footage is accessed via the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust website.

The birds will have travelled between 3,000km and 4,000km to return to Rutland from their winter home in Africa. The journey takes up to a month.