After a forced separation of several months, Scotland’s most famous couple is again hitting the headlines after reconciling at the weekend.
Despite leaving his Lady waiting for almost a week, the male osprey known as Laird was welcomed to the breeding ground at the Loch of the Lowes wildlife reserve.
Following an enthusiastic reunion, the pair have sparked hopes that more chicks could be produced at the Dunkeld nest this year.
Laird, who is officially known as ‘7Y’ because of his leg ring, was first spotted in the Perthshire skies at around 7.50am on Sunday and, shortly afterwards, was accepted by Lady.
Anna Cheshier, ranger at the Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve, said, “Not long after the male osprey arrived on the nest, mating began and continued to take place for most of yesterday morning.
“We can confirm that this bird is our resident female’s mate from last year, thanks to a leg ring marked 7Y which sits around his ankle.
“Arriving five days later than our female, we are absolutely thrilled to see a mate on the nest.”
She added, “Last year, this bird’s behaviour indicated that he was a fairly new father, but he really proved himself last season, following his paternal instincts to fish and provide for his chicks, particularly when our resident female suffered a bout of illness.”
Despite his relative inexperience at raising a family, Laird melted hearts across the world when he stepped in for his mate as she struggled to recover from a mystery condition.
There were fears that the young ospreys would suffer as a result of Lady being unable to feed but, fortunately, the male took on the role of both parents and even tried to encourage the 26-year-old bird to eat.Increased chance of chicksWhile there is still uncertainty over the ageing osprey’s ability to breed, Anna said that Laird’s reappearance alone gave hope.
“His return and the pair’s subsequent mating early into the season certainly increases the chances of chicks on the nest at Loch of the Lowes again this year,” she added.
“As our female osprey is of an unusually advanced age, there are concerns over her fertility.”
She added, “Only time will tell if she will go on to lay eggs and produce chicks.
“If she does manage to do so, she will be adding to her already impressive record of laying 58 eggs and producing 48 chicks so far in her lifetime.”
All eyes will now be on the nest for the next few weeks as, if the mating has been a success, Lady is expected to lay between two and four eggs before the month is out, with the eggs hatching six weeks later.
Led by Anna, with help from SWT staff and volunteers at Loch of the Lowes, a 24-hour osprey protection watch will commence as soon as the first egg is laid thanks to SITA Tayside Biodiversity Fund and People’s Postcode Lottery to keep the bird safe from wildlife crime.
To watch or read the latest events on the nest, visit www.swt.org.uk, where there is live footage of the birds and a daily blog.