TAY AND Tummel, the two newly-named osprey chicks at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s (SWT) Loch of the Lowes wildlife reserve near Dunkeld, took to the skies yesterday for their first-ever flight.

At 54 days old, the two remaining chicks from a brood of three have been growing at speed and their flying skills have been improving daily, with both practising flapping their wings and jumping over the last week.

There is a 50-foot drop from the nest if one of the chicks takes a tumble, so the stress levels of staff and volunteers have been rising as the chicks readied themselves for their first flight.

Over the last few weeks significant changes have taken place to the appearance of the osprey chicks as they move ever-closer to adulthood.

“The chicks have finished their dark reptilian phase and if you visit the webcam you can now see that they are now quite light and speckled,” said Andrea Williams, SWT’s Perthshire reserves ranger.

The camera used by staff and volunteers 24 hours a day to monitor the birds is simultaneously beamed into the visitor centre and live to www.swt.org.uk.

Ms Williams continued, “Tay is the boss in the nest and is the one who seems to want to try everything first so he was the one that took the plunge first, but—brimming with sibling rivalry— Tummel was hot on his heels and soon gave her brother some lessons in aeronautical skills.

“It’s brilliant to watch and thanks to CCTV it’s like watching your own soap opera unfold before your eyes.

“It is so addictive and we have people saying that they can’t stop watching the osprey family on the webcam.”

Loch of the Lowes has witnessed the birth of 69 chicks since 1969, with 49 chicks produced by the current female.

After the sad deaths of chicks at the reserve at Loch Garten, staff and volunteers are relieved with the Perthshire success.