The second egg of the season has been laid by female osprey Lassie at a Perthshire wildlife reserve.
The egg was laid shortly before midnight on Monday at Loch of Lowes, near Dunkeld. The first egg was laid in the early hours, and a third could be laid by the end of the week.
Rachael Hunter, ranger at Scottish Wildlife Trust, which runs the reserve, said: “It’s great to see a second egg in the nest and this means we could have a full clutch by the end of the week.
“Thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery we’re watching the nest around the clock to protect it from human disturbance and to ensure the pair have a strong chance of successfully fledging chicks.”
She said: “In the last few days we’ve seen fewer intruding ospreys at the reserve. That’s a good sign as it means that our male osprey can concentrate on bringing food back to the nest for his mate. Last week he managed to bring back four fish in one 24 hour period, this attracted crows and a buzzard but they were quickly chased off by the larger and more powerful ospreys.”
