A NEW building is planned to provide a place for people to keep an eye on the famous ospreys who have made Kielder Water and Forest Park their home.

Northumbrian Water has submitted a planning application for a new log cabin at Tower Knowe in Falstone which will be used to house the annual Kielder Osprey Watch Event each spring.

It will also double up as a small interpretation point for visitors to Kielder Water.

The proposed site is a grassed area adjacent to the Tower Knowe Cafe on the Water, which is a big hit with the thousands of tourists the area attracts each year.

A concrete paved area measuring 10m x 6m is to be constructed, with level access to the footpath surrounding the cafe.

This paved area is where the cabin would be sited, with the remaining area forming the viewing platform for the public.

A timber balustrade (1.1m) will be used to protect members of the public from

accessing the grass bank.

Electric and data services will be provided to the cabin to enable interactive displays, wi-fi and a PC as well as lighting. These services will be fed from the cafe.

The area has been a haven for ospreys since 2008 when a young pair of the birds were discovered in Kielder Forest.

Since then, ospreys have been found breeding in the area, and, for the first time in 2020, seven nests were occupied.

A popular activity with bird watchers is the Kielder Osprey Watch which has live video streams of the nests so people can keep up to date with the activities of the birds.

The new cabin would complement Northumbrian Water's event and allow people the perfect vantage point to keep an eye with the ospreys.

Kielder Osprey Watch is possible thanks to the hard work of Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, Forestry England, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumbrian Water and Calvert Kielder.