OSPREY SPOTTING

Ospreys were absent from Northumberland for more than 200 years and, at one point, extinct from the whole of the British Isles. Now this big bird is back in a big way. Witness its razor-like talons poised below its five-foot wingspan and you can’t help but tremble at the thought of being a fish.

Leaplish Waterside Park has a viewing point staffed by volunteers with spotting scopes during the summer months while the ospreys are resident. Nest cameras, installed by Forestry Commission staff with a head for heights, provide live video feed to Kielder Castle and Leaplish, which means you don’t even need to go outside to see them. If you’re hoping for a wilder experience, head out on foot with binoculars and your fingers firmly crossed. The Lakeside Way circles Kielder’s reservoirs – but be warned, the whole loop is a marathon at 26 miles. nwt.org.uk/ospreys