Breaking news - the famous Glaslyn osprey family has a new addition as of 10am this morning (Friday 11 May).

The osprey family is now in their ninth successful season at Glaslyn in Wales where the RSPB holds one of its many Date with Nature events. The event allows visitors to get up close and personal with the birds of prey, watching them through telescopes hunting for food and seeing them feeding their young via nestcam footage.

The parents returned to Glaslyn in March from their wintering grounds in Africa and have laid three eggs in total. Both the male and female ospreys have taken turns over the last month incubating the eggs.

Geraint Williams, the RSPB's Osprey Project Officer said: "After a stormy few weeks, this is excellent news. The chick looks a bit dishevelled but we'll keep a close eye on it and the two eggs that are left, and hope these will hatch over the next few days."

Happening all over the UK throughout the year, A Date with Nature is an exciting programme of events that provide the opportunity for people to connect with wildlife that they might otherwise never see.

A number of 'Dates' take place on coastal areas, showcasing the UK's amazing marine life. Seabirds such as puffins, razorbills, kittiwakes and gannets and other wildlife like basking sharks, seals and dolphins could all be on show. At other Dates with Nature visitors will get the opportunity to see all kinds of breathtaking wildlife spectacles like rutting deer, hunting kingfishers and handsome herons performing their courtship dance.

RSPB staff and volunteers are on hand at all the 'Dates' to point out different wildlife and provide information about how the RSPB is stepping up for nature and how the public can get involved.

The success of the ospreys at Glaslyn is due in no small part to dedicated local volunteers who help to protect these birds from the ever-present threat of egg collectors and their chicks.

Visitors to the RSPB viewing site at Pont Croesor, Glaslyn near Porthmadog, can observe the nest and special moments like the male returning with a fish for the chicks. There are telescopes available and plenty of friendly advice from RSPB staff and volunteers.

You can also enjoy dramatic close-up views of the nest via a camera situated nearby, the live video link is fed into a TV screen in the visitor centre allowing visitors to see flap-by-flap footage of the famous family.

The Glaslyn osprey Date with Nature is open to the public every day from 10am - 6pm until the end of August and is free of charge to all. Details can be found on the RSPB website at www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature and there will also be regular updates about the birds on the Glaslyn osprey blog at http://blogs.rspb.org.uk/glaslynospreys as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

Many of the RSPB's Date with Nature events are run in partnership with other organisations. Some events let visitors watch unreachable sights using carefully positioned cameras while most introduce people to wildlife in the flesh, feather and fur.

To keep an eye on the action visit our website www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature for a full list of projects and all the latest news.