Scotland's Oldest Osprey Hatches Chicks 45 and 46
This week saw Britain's oldest mother give birth at 66 a story trumped in the animal kingdom by a Scottish Osprey.
Scotland's oldest and most prolific osprey mother has hatched her 45th and 46th chick. This amazing bird travels around 3,000 miles every year from Arica to Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve, near Dunkeld.
The Osprey is believed to be around 24 years old, has laid 55 eggs at the reserve, with 46 of those producing chicks.
Graeme Walla, Perthshire Ranger at Loch of the Lowes said, "We have all become egg-stremely egg-cited - egg-static you could say! We have been patiently waiting and watching for this moment!."
"Volunteers working through the night to protect the eggs were lucky and delighted to watch the arrival of the chick close-up on our high definition screen. The live pictures from the nest were fantastic to watch and we are absolutely overjoyed that we have yet another osprey chick here at Loch of the Lowes.
"Now we're waiting expectantly for the other two eggs to hatch, over the next few days ."
This unringed female first arrived at Loch of the Lowes in 1991 and has returned each year since, with the male a regular companion since 1994. This prolific pair have significantly boosted the endangered osprey population.
