Thanks to Phil at the viewpoint for this update.

If you have been one of the many visitors to the Osprey viewpoint in Dodd Wood you will probably remember the glorious view from that location. The view is still there as indeed is the viewpoint but now due to recent events our visitors to Dodd have the added bonus of enjoying not only their Osprey watching but also their scenery viewing from a higher plane. The new upper viewpoint offers extraordinary views over Derwent Water and Borrowdale taking in Cat Bells, Causey Pike and High Seat to name but a few. You may of course even see an Osprey five hundred meters away.
This morning was one of those times when the extra walk up to the higher viewpoint was well worth it. The weather was warm, dry and sunny and even the Ospreys were enjoying themselves, celebrating with a fish at 11.30am. A more dramatic turn of events, however, began at 2.15pm when dark clouds began to overshadow the view, followed by the rolling sound of thunder and the clash of lightening. Heavy torrential rain caused volunteers & staff to dive for cover in their van and for visitors to head for the trees – a visitor later commentated that the trees were not water proof enough, I’ll pass that on to the Forestry Commission, very interesting - . After fifteen minutes the rain ceased and we all emerged from our hiding places to a softer cooler scene of grey haze and mist over both dale and fell. Over on Grisedale Pike however a grey plume emerged somewhat different to the rest of the scene. This plume was vertical like something on fire. It was something on fire. Lightening had struck the eastern edge of the pike and had caused the dry heather to ignite. Orange flames became visible even from our viewpoint, a short line of flame turned from a line into a horseshoe as it moved in three directions at once. The fell changed from its normal benign state into a caricature of an active volcano as large billows of smoke reached for the sky.  How many birds and creatures lost their habitats in those few minutes? Fortunately we were not the only watchers, several members of the public contacted Whinlatter, and the Mountain Rescue and the Forest Rangers were on the scene within minutes. By 4.00pm the flames had disappeared and only thin drifts of smoke were to be seen.
 But what of the Ospreys had they survived storm and tempest?  Of course they had! Tough old birds Ospreys, they were back chasing Buzzards within minutes without a care in the world, but that’s another story.