A rare osprey chick has been saved after a nest collapse drama at an Angus wildlife reserve.
Visitors to Balgavies Loch near Forfar have been watching the young bird’s progress since it hatched at the Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve earlier this summer.
Balgavies made history in 2012 when the first recorded osprey chick in Angus was born there.
Since then the tally of new arrivals has passed double figures.
But the island nest collapsed this week.
It’s thought the soaring temperatures may have caused the collapse.
And it led to fears for the youngster’s survival.
The fledgling was found on a path beside the loch by reserve warden Jim Hughes.
He managed to capture the chick and feed it.
Temporary home built
SWT staff and Tayside and Fife Raptor Study Group managed to build a temporary platform high up on the island.
And indications are the family are back together again.
An SWT spokesperson said: “The osprey nest at Balgavies Loch Wildlife Reserve collapsed on Wednesday, potentially as a result of extreme heat putting stress on the tree.
“The juvenile osprey, which was close to fledging, was found to be still alive and was kept safe.
“Thanks to members of the Scottish Raptor Study Group the juvenile osprey was raised up into a temporary platform.
“It successfully fledged Thursday morning so we are relieved to report that all is well.”
Ringing operation
The dramatic incident also meant that the young bird could be ringed by the experts.
It is only the second Balgavies osprey to be ringed because of the challenge of getting to the nest.
The very first recorded chick – Blue YD – is still a regular returnee to Angus.
Blue YD was also satellite tagged and his signal tracked for 20,000 miles before he dropped off the radar.
It led to fears the bird may have perished.
But he was spotted by an English birdwatcher during a trip to Senegal and has been regularly recorded in Angus and Fife since.
A Balgavies appearance at the nest last year sparked hopes Blue YD might settle in his original home, but the regular mating pair were soon back together on the nest.
Balgavies is one of the most popular spots in Angus with fans of the raptors.
Ospreys return to Scotland each spring from wintering thousands of miles away in West Africa.
The Angus reserve was the scene of drama in 2016 when a hot air balloon passed close to the nest at the protected site.
