The resident osprey pair at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve in Perthshire have reunited for a fourth season following the arrival of male bird LM12 this morning.

Another male had been seen near the nest on Wednesday evening and this morning but LM12 quickly chased this rival bird off shortly after arriving at the reserve at 11:41 am.

After ensuring the intruder had left LM12 mated with LF15. If this attempt was successful the pair’s first egg of the season could be laid in just over a week’s time.

Rachael Hunter our Perthshire Ranger said: “It’s great to have our resident pair back at Loch of the Lowes and we’re hoping that they will be able to have another successful season together.

“Thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery we’ll be maintaining our round-the-clock watch on the nest to ensure the birds are protected from human disturbance and have the best possible chance of a successful season.

“LM12’s arrival is perfectly timed for Easter Weekend – we’re expecting to be very busy with visitors over the next few days now that our resident birds have reunited.

The female osprey LF15 arrived at the reserve last Tuesday (20 March). The pair have been breeding since 2015 and have successfully fledged eight chicks.

Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre is open daily from 10am – 5pm with 24-hour access to the reserve hides. The Trust’s live osprey webcam ensures people from around the world can follow events as they happen.

Ospreys were extinct in Britain for much of the 20th century. They began to recover in the 1960s and around 260 pairs of ospreys now breed in the UK each summer.

Our Osprey Protection Programme is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.