A PAIR of ospreys have returned to their nesting site in the Lake District.

The birds are back at Bassenthwaite Lake - 10 years after the first male osprey chose the area for a nesting site.

The bird, known as No Ring, was the first to nest in the Lakes for 150 years.

Experts say he has returned with the female he paired up with for the first time in 2007.

It is hoped the birds will rear an 11th generation of young after two male chicks were produced last year.

Graeme Prest of the Lake District Osprey Project said: "It is wonderful news that the ospreys have returned for another season and have already mated. With a bit of luck, the female will be laying her eggs soon.”

Almost 100 people are part of a volunteer project to provide 24-hour observation on the nest. They also engage with the public about ospreys at the Dodd Wood viewpoint and Whinlatter Visitor Centre.

The public Osprey Viewpoint at Dodd Wood, near Keswick, has been opened and telescopes are being provided to see the birds.

Live images from the nest are also being beamed to a big screen at the nearby Whinlatter visitor centre.

The osprey project is managed by a partnership of the Forestry Commission, Lake District National Park Authority and the RSPB.