Wildlife experts are rejoicing after the first osprey touched down in Scotland this year.
Male osprey LM12 arrived back at Loch of the Lowes reserve near Dunkeld this weekend.
Clutching a fish in his beak, he touched down at 3.33pm on Saturday and has been spotted at his nest on two separate occasions since then.
Ospreys migrate to Africa in August and September before returning to Scotland for spring and summer, usually in March or early April.
Staff at Loch of Lowes are optimistic the osprey will produce more chicks with his long term made LF15.
Sara Rasmussen, Perthshire Ranger at the Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: “LM12’s arrival on the nest marks the start of another exciting season for the ospreys at Loch of the Lowes.
“He’s wasted no time in beginning to get the nest ready for breeding, and we can’t wait to see if LF15 will return in the next few days.
“Unfortunately there is no access to Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre or our hides at this time, but encourage people can keep up to date by following us on social media and by tuning in to our live webcam.”
Ospreys were extinct in Britain for much of the 20th century.
They began to recover in the 1960s, and now an estimated 300 pairs of ospreys breed in the UK each summer.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust’s live osprey webcam ensures people from around the world can follow events as they happen.
