THREE osprey eggs have now hatched at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve in Perthshire.
Female osprey NC0’s last chick of the season hatched at 7:46pm on May 23, it emerged around 23 hours after a small hole was spotted in the remaining egg in the nest, at 8:45pm on Sunday.
Soon after the egg hatched, male osprey LM12 returned to the nest with two large perch to support his growing family.
The male has an eye injury which appears to be minor and hasn’t affected his ability to catch fish. The other two chicks hatched on April 19 and 21.
Sara Rasmussen, Perthshire Ranger, Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “It’s fantastic that all of NC0’s eggs have hatched this season.
“Our team of staff and volunteers have worked around the clock to ensure the ospreys can breed successfully without being disturbed.
“It is immensely satisfying to know that the long days and nights protecting the nest have paid off, and ongoing monitoring will contribute to the next step in the chicks’ remarkable journey.
“We’ll continue to keep an eye on the young ospreys as they grow, and hopefully all three youngsters will successfully fledge and migrate south at the end of the summer.”
Ospreys were extinct in Britain for much of the 20th century, beginning to recover in the 1960s, an estimated 300 pairs of ospreys now breed in the UK each summer.
Most of these birds migrate to West Africa but some winter in Spain and Portugal.
The recovery of ospreys is thanks to the efforts of conservation charities including the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
The Osprey Protection Programme at Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve is supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Laura Chow, Head of Charities, People’s Postcode Lottery said: “We’re thrilled to hear three osprey chicks have hatched out under the diligent watch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s team at Loch of the Lowes reserve.
“We’ll be glued to the live webcam to watch these tiny birds as they develop.”
Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre is currently open seven days a week from 10:30am to 5pm.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s live osprey webcam ensures people from around the world can follow events as they happen.
