The second egg of the season has been laid by female osprey LF15 at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve in Perthshire.

The egg was laid shortly before midnight on the evening of Monday 16 April. The first egg was laid in the early hours of Saturday 14 April, and a third could be laid by the end of the week.

Rachael Hunter, Perthshire Ranger, Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “It’s great to see a second egg in the nest and this means we could have a full clutch by the end of the week. Thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery we’re watching the nest around the clock to protect it from human disturbance and to ensure the pair have a strong chance of successfully fledging chicks.

“In the last few days we’ve seen fewer intruding ospreys at the reserve. That’s a good sign as it means that our male osprey can concentrate on bringing food back to the nest for his mate. Last week he managed to bring back four fish in one 24 hour period, this attracted crows and a buzzard but they were quickly chased off by the larger and more powerful ospreys.”

Sanjay Singh, Senior Programmes Manager, People’s Postcode Lottery said: “I’m thrilled to hear that a second egg has been laid at Loch of the Lowes. Thanks to support from our players these birds are in safe hands, and it will be an exciting wait to see if the chicks hatch out successfully next month.”

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.

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