The second osprey chick has hatched at Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve in Perthshire.
A crack was spotted on an egg in the nest at 12:33pm on Friday 20 May. The young osprey emerged in the early hours of Saturday, at 3:24am.
The chicks will grow rapidly and are dependent on regular deliveries of fish, brought to the nest by male osprey LM12 and fed to them by female osprey NC0.
The first osprey chick of the season hatched on Thursday 19 May. The third and final egg is expected to hatch within the next 48 hours.
Sara Rasmussen our Perthshire Ranger said: “We’re thrilled that the second egg has hatched and we’re hoping to see a third chick by Monday. It will be fascinating to watch these young birds grow and develop.
“Our staff and more than 60 volunteers have been monitoring the nest around the clock for several weeks. It’s fantastic that their dedication is helping the ospreys have another successful breeding season protected from disturbance.”
Laura Chow, Head of Charities, People’s Postcode Lottery said: “It’s been so exciting to follow the osprey season at Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve. We’re pleased that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are able to support the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Osprey Protection Programme which safeguards these amazing birds and helps people all around the world learn about their lives.”
Ospreys were extinct in Britain for much of the 20th Century. They began to recover in the 1960s and 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 & Wildlife Reserve is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
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.