Loch Of The Lowes Osprey Lays Third Egg!
The osprey season at Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre & Wildlife Reserve is in full swing with resident female osprey NC0 laying not one, not two, but three eggs…
Female osprey NC0 laid her third egg of the season at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Loch of the Lowes reserve at around 7:40am today (Saturday 17 April).
Sara Rasmussen, Perthshire Ranger, Scottish Wildlife 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.”
Watch NC0 with her full nest…
Will Humpington, Advisor for Climate Change & Environment, People’s Postcode Lottery said, “I’m thrilled to learn that NC0 has laid a full clutch of three eggs under the watchful eyes of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s team. Our players are proud to support the Trust’s Osprey Protection Programme and we’re looking forward to seeing the chicks hatch out in a few weeks’ time.”
NC0 was ringed as a chick near Loch Ness in 2016. Her mate LM12 has been breeding at Loch of the Lowes is around 13 years old and has been breeding on the reserve for 10 seasons.
Osprey eggs are the same size as large hen eggs, and hatch around 5-6 weeks after they are laid. NC0’s eggs are expected to hatch in mid to late May.
Ospreys were extinct in Britain for much of the 20th century. They began to recover in the 1960s. 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 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.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s live osprey webcam (CLICK HERE) ensures people from around the world can follow events as they happen.
