Thousands across the world watch real-life chick flick as the first newborn osprey of 2021 makes an appearance
THE first osprey chick of 2021 has hatched on one of Scotland’s most famous nests -- watched live online by an audience of thousands of followers around the world.
Ospreys NC0 produced a “full clutch” of three eggs last month on the nest at the
Scottish Wildlife Trust’s (SWT) Loch of the
Lowes Wildlife Reserve near Dunkeld, Perthshire.
At around 1pm on Monday, a small hole was spotted on one of the eggs, followed by increasing vocal cheeping, to the delight of SWT staff, volunteers and webcam watchers around the world.
The tiny chick broke out of the egg just before 10pm, and hatched fully in the early hours of yesterday.
Male osprey LM12 -known to followers as Laddie -- brought a fish back to the nest just after 8am, and the chick received its first feed from NC0 shortly after.
The two remaining eggs laid by NC0 this season are expected to hatch by the end of the week.
Osprey chicks develop rapidly before taking flight and migrating south at the end of summer.
The chicks’ parents will have to work hard over the summer to ensure the growing brood receives a steady supply of fish.
Sara Rasmussen, SWT’S Perthshire ranger, said: “Our Osprey Protection Programme is a huge undertaking which is made possible with the support of 50 volunteers, Trust staff and backing from players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
“Seeing the first chick hatch out is a thrilling sight that demonstrates the importance of guarding the nest from disturbance. Everyone at Loch of the Lowes is proud to play a part in ensuring the reserve provides a safe and secure place for nesting ospreys.
“We’re hopeful this tiny chick will be joined by two siblings by the end of he week. I’d encourage people to keep a close eye on the Trust’s live osprey webcam to avoid missing any of the action.”
Laddie has been the resident male osprey at Loch of the Lowes since 2012, and NC0 is his third partner. For the first three years he paired with a famous bird known as Lady, the oldest breeding osprey ever recorded in the UK.
He then fledged 12 chicks over five years with Lady’s successor, which quickly became known as Lassie. When Lassie failed to return last March, she was replaced by NC0, a female ringed at a nest near Loch Ness in 2016.
The pair successfully fledged one chick last summer. This year,
Laddie touched down on his regular tree on March 21, and immediately began to prepare the nest ahead of NC0’S arrival on March 25.
The first egg arrived on April 11.
Ospreys were extinct in Britain for much of the 20th century. They began to recover in the 1960s and today an estimated 300 pairs breed in the UK each summer.
In total, 83 chicks have fledged at Loch of the Lowes since 1969 – 50 of which were the offspring of the legendary “Lady”.
Wildlife enthusiasts around the world can watch events unfold via the reserve’s live nestcamera, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “It’s fantastic to hear that LM12 and NC0 have hatched their first chick of the season.”