Female osprey LF15 laid her first egg of the season at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve in Perthshire yesterday evening.

With 2019 marking 50 years of both the reserve and breeding ospreys we can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store.

Sara Rasmussen, Perthshire Ranger

Sara Rasmussen, Perthshire Ranger, Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “At first LF15 seemed a bit bemused by the whole affair. She took a while to settle down, but she has sat tight throughout the night, nestling down on the egg to begin incubation.

“LF15 and her mate LM12 have successfully fledged 10 chicks since 2015. With 2019 marking 50 years of both the reserve and breeding ospreys we can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store.

“Thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery our team of staff and volunteers are watching around the clock to see what unfolds and protect these amazing birds from disturbance.”

Sanjay Singh, Senior Programmes Manager, People’s Postcode Lottery said: “Our players will be delighted with the news that LF15 has laid her first egg of 2019. Their support is helping the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s team keep a close watch over these inspiring birds of prey over the coming weeks.”

Osprey eggs are around the size of a duck egg. They are laid a few day apart. This means a full clutch of three eggs could be laid by early next week. Incubation of each egg takes around 37 days.

Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre is open daily from 10:30am – 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 now more than 200 pairs of ospreys breed in the UK each summer.

This recovery is thanks to the efforts of conservation charities including the Scottish Wildlife Trust, whose Osprey Protection Programme is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.