The first osprey chick of the season has hatched at the Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve near Dunkeld.

Cracks appeared in an egg on the nest on Saturday afternoon and after a couple of hours female osprey LF15 stood up to reveal a tiny chick.

This is the earliest recorded hatching at the reserve since 2005, when the first chick emerged on 12 May.

Rab Potter, Reserves Manager, Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “Our team of staff and volunteers has been watching the nest around the clock since the first egg was laid and we’re delighted that the first chick has made an appearance.

“All being well, the next two eggs will hatch over the next few days and we’d encourage people to keep an eye on our live osprey webcam for a chance to see the chicks emerge.”

Osprey chicks grow incredibly quickly, fuelled by a high protein diet of pike, trout and other fish brought to the nest by their parents. They are initially covered in down, but start to grow new feathers within days, and are ready to fly after seven to eight weeks.

Once extinct in the UK, there are now around 240 breeding pairs of ospreys. The Trust’s Osprey Protection Programme at Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Clara Govier, Head of Charities, People’s Postcode Lottery said: “Our players will be delighted that the ospreys at Loch of the Lowes are having another successful season. It’s amazing to think that this tiny chick will be ready for a long migration south in just a few months.”