A second osprey chick of the season has hatched at a Scottish wildlife reserve, just 24 hours after the first.
It emerged from its egg at 7.18pm on Sunday in its nest at Loch of the Lowes reserve in Perth and Kinross.
The chick is the twelfth produced by the breeding pair known as LM12 and LF15.
Sunday night’s hatching has increased hopes they will produce three chicks this season despite fears earlier in the season the first egg might have become chilled as the nest was left unoccupied for two hours shortly after it was laid in early April.
It is hoped the third and last egg of the season will hatch later this week.
People around the world can follow developments in the nest on the trust’s live osprey webcam.
Sara Rasmussen, Perthshire ranger, Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: “We’re thrilled to see two chicks hatch out in such quick succession.
“It’s particularly exciting because it means the egg we thought may be unviable after being left exposed in early April has hatched after all.
“Our male osprey LM12 has a lot of work ahead to keep his growing family supplied with food.
Have you seen our second chick? 🥚🐤🐤 https://t.co/23WLqN2CMf pic.twitter.com/dM3zOaDMOR
— Loch of the Lowes (@LochoftheLowes) May 13, 2019
“Yesterday we saw him bring in four fish, including two large pike, so we’re sure he is up to the task.
“It’s a great time of year to tune into our live webcam or pay a visit to the reserve because there is so much to see.”
Ospreys were extinct in Britain for much of the 20th century.
They began to recover in the 1960s and today around 250 pairs breed in the UK each summer.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust said this recovery is due to the efforts of conservation charities.
