WATCH: 'We have an egg!' celebrates Loch Garten's osprey centre
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RSPB Loch Garten at Abernethy have posted the joyous news that 'We have an egg'.
A spokesperson for the centre celebrated yesterday: "For the first time in four years we are seeing Loch Garten being used as an active nest site and it is really exciting!
"The male osprey, Axel, has brought in fish this morning too so hopefully we will see his luck continue over the next couple weeks and maybe more eggs to follow!"
The centre has had "a busy old time" with the arrival of the male AX6, who after a little bit of sky dancing started building up the nest to make it more chick-friendly.
He arrived on April 12 and spent the first days alone on the nest. Saturday 16 was saw a metal leg ringed female join him on the nest with some successful sky dancing and fish brought to her.
"All was well for a couple of hours until the old flame turned up! We expect the unringed female that unleashed herself onto the nest was the same one who we observed paired up with AX6 last year. This might explain why AX6 didn't put up much of a fight when the metal-ringed female was ousted."
"Ever since the 16th we have been watching these two set up the nest with AX6 normally bringing in fish a little bit later in the afternoon.
"This has always been very rewarding for our visitors that are able to observe fish being brought in during opening hours in our centre but has led AX6 to be given the reputation of a useless hunter.
"We have expected that it could be that because AX6 is a less dominant male in the area he has taken to fishing later in the day to incur less competition."
Some osprey intruders have been hanging around the nest: "A male had been seen with the leg ring Blue NN2 to our best guess and some other unringed birds that have been making flybys. The bird ringed NN2 was a young male ringed near Fochabers in 2019 so it is possibly his first season back in the area.
"In more recent days the female has been less aggressive to these intrusions and it may possibly be due to the lack of male presence around the nest."
Time will tell if it is to be a successful season and fingers are firmly crossed at the centre.
