Sea eagles have successfully hatched a chick in Fife for the second year in a row.
The nest, in Forestry Commission Scotland woodland, was built by a pair of birds, known as Turquoise 1 and Turquoise Z after their wing tags.
They were released five years ago as part of the East Scotland Sea Eagle reintroduction project.
In total 85 birds were released on the east coast of Scotland between 2007 and 2012. The first successful nesting attempt was made last year.
East Scotland Sea Eagle officer Rhian Evans said it was really exciting that this pair have nested again this year, particularly after the sad news that last year’s chick the first to fledge in east Scotland for nearly 200 years disappeared in upper Strathdon last April.
“We hope this chick will fledge successfully, but will have a happier fate than its brother and eventually become part of the breeding population and have chicks of its own,” she added.
A nestwatch programme manned by more than 20 volunteers from the community has been established to ensure the site is protected from accidental or deliberate disturbance.
This year, three new pairs of white-tailed eagles, also known as sea eagles, have established in the east of Scotland. The birds can live for 25-30 years and generally mate for life. They were driven to extinction by persecution, with the last bird shot in 1918.
Reintroduction into Scotland has taken place in three phases starting in 1975. In 2013, for the first time in almost 200 years, sea eagles bred successfully in east Scotland.