Female osprey lays third egg of the season at loch reserve

A female osprey has laid her third egg of the season at a reserve run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust in Perth and Kinross.

The bird coded NC0 laid the latest egg at the Loch of the Lowes wildlife reserve near Dunkeld at around 7.40am on Saturday.

NC0 was ringed as a chick near Loch Ness in 2016, with her 13-year-old mate LM12 breeding at the Loch of the Lowes for 10 seasons.

Osprey eggs are the same size as large hen eggs and NC0’s chicks are expected to hatch in mid to late-May.

Their nest features on a live webcam, with a clip of NC0 and her eggs also posted by the trust on YouTube.

Sara Rasmussen, Perthshire ranger at the trust, said: “Younger ospreys tend to be less productive so we thought that NC0 might stop at two eggs this year, but we’re really pleased that she has laid three eggs in her second season on the reserve.

“We can’t wait to see the chicks hatch out next month.

“Our team of staff and volunteers are monitoring the reserve around the clock to help ensure these ospreys have a safe and secure nesting site.

“I’d like to remind people that accessing the loch can disturb the birds at a critical point in their breeding season.

“We’d encourage members of the public to follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and pay attention to any warning signs that are in place to help protect wildlife.”