Female osprey LF15 has now laid a full clutch of three eggs at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve in Perthshire.

The final egg came on Thursday night at around 9:30pm. Since becoming the resident female in 2015, LF15 has laid a total of 12 eggs and successfully fledged eight chicks with her mate LM12.

The first egg of 2018 was laid in the early hours of Saturday 14 April, and the second came on Tuesday 17 April. The average time from eggs being laid to hatching is 37 days.

Rachael Hunter, Perthshire Ranger, Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “We’re delighted that our female has laid three eggs for a fourth season. She’s been diligently sitting on the eggs except when she swaps incubation duty with her mate while feeding.

“There is a very small chance of a fourth egg but that would be really unusual. We’re now looking forward to May and we’d expect to see the first chick hatch out in the second half of the month.

“During these next few weeks it’s especially important to protect the nest from human disturbance and thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery we’ll be watching the nest around the clock to ensure the ospreys at Loch of the Lowes have the peace and quiet that they need.”

Sanjay Singh, Senior Programmes Manager, People’s Postcode Lottery said: “It’s great news that LF15 has laid a hat-trick of eggs at Loch of the Lowes. Our players will be keeping their fingers crossed that it’s another successful year for the ospreys at the reserve.”

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 at Loch of the Lowes is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.