The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
She’s done it again! Lady’s first chick begins to hatch
AFTER THE disappointment of last year when her eggs failed to hatch, Lady the osprey is proving age knows no bounds.
Just after 7am yesterday morning the first of her clutch began to show signs of hatching.
Rangers at the Loch of the Lowes reserve near Dunkeld spent the weekend keeping a close eye on the 26-year-old raptor as D-day approached.
Other than turning her eggs more than usual, there was no other excitement on the nest until yesterday when signs of her first chick in two years began to appear.
Scottish Wildlife Trust ranger Emma Rawling said: “Our female osprey’s behaviour changed this morning and as her breakfast arrived, she was reluctant to take it from the male.
“When she finally stood up, we saw why – the egg tooth of the first chick was clearly visible breaking through the shell.”
Despite facing the prospect of a lengthy wait, scores of keen birdwatchers made their way to the visitor centre to watch the drama as it unfolded.
Undeterred by the influx of visitors, volunteers and rangers at Loch of the Lowes ensured everyone went away with their own souvenir of the day.
As the chick’s egg tooth began to show, the web camera was zoomed in to allow fans of the osprey to take photographs.
Emma, who remained at the reserve most of the morning despite having just completed an eight-hour night shift, told the Courier that the soon-to-be-hatched chick still faced some challenges.
“We are really lucky that we are enjoying some nice weather because it means the chick can hatch without the threat of being waterlogged or too cold,” she said.
“Very occasionally, the chicks can also get exhausted and don’t make it out of the shell, so we are aware that it isn’t quite safe and sound yet.
“They are very vulnerable to predators too, so the 24-hour watch on the nest will continue until they are a couple of weeks old.
“This is very exciting, because it not only shows that our female is still fertile, but if the chicks go onto fledge then we can finally track them by satellite.”
Lady has been celebrated by conservationists for making a significant contribution to boosting osprey numbers in Scotland as part of one of 200 nesting pairs.
In her lifetime, she has laid 64 eggs, with 48 chicks going on to hatch and successfully fledge the nest.
It is hoped this latest arrival will add to her impressive record and, in the days to come that the other two chicks will start hatching.