Triplet hope for new osprey pair

The three eggs were laid six days apart

Hopes are high that a new pair of Lake District ospreys will become the parents of triplets.

Fish King, who has nested at Bassenthwaite Lake since 2001, took a new mate after his long-term partner failed to return from Africa.

She has now laid a third egg, leading to hopes she will match her predecessor who raised three chicks last year.

Incubation takes between 34 and 40 days and is done mainly by the female as the male brings her fish to eat.

The pair's progress can be watched online via a webcam.

Pictures are also being screened onto a giant videowall at the Whinlatter Visitor Centre, near Braithwaite.

Graeme Prest, from the Lake District Osprey Project, said: "We're delighted that the new female has laid a full clutch of three eggs.

"We'll now be keeping our fingers crossed that the eggs hatch successfully."