Female Osprey Lays First Egg At Loch Of The Lowes!

By Contributor -

The osprey season at Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre & Wildlife Reserve is in full swing with resident female osprey NC0 laying her first egg…

Following her arrival last month, female osprey NC0 laid her first egg of the season at Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve at 10:18 on 11 April 2021.

Female ospreys typically lay between two and three eggs in a season, so more are expected later on in the season.

NC0 will stay on the nest to incubate her eggs for around 5-6 weeks before they hatch. Each mottled egg is around the size of a duck’s egg.

Sara Rasmussen, Perthshire Ranger, Scottish Wildlife Trust says, “We were absolutely thrilled to see NC0’s first egg this morning and we’re hoping to see more eggs laid over the next few days.

“Incubation is a great demonstration of how osprey pairs have to work as a team. NC0 will need to remain on the nest to successfully incubate the eggs, and she relies on her mate LM12 to bring her food during this time.”

Will Humpington, Advisor for Climate Change & Environment, People’s Postcode Lottery says, “It’s great to hear that NC0 has laid her first egg of the season. Our players are proud to support the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Osprey Protection Programme. We’ll be keeping our eyes on the live webcam to see how many more eggs she lays this season.”

Ospreys were extinct in Britain for much of the 20th century. They began to recover in the 1960s and today an estimated 300 pairs 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 the players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s live osprey webcam (CLICK HERE) ensures people from around the world can follow events as they happen.

Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre & Wildlife Reserve is currently closed to the public.