The first osprey of the season has arrived at a Scottish nesting site.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust confirmed that a male bird, know as LM12, had returned to the Loch of the Lowes reserve near Dunkeld in Perthshire.
He arrived there on Saturday, when conservationists spotted him clutching a fish.
He was sighted back at the nest on Sunday, with Scottish Wildlife Trust staff waiting to see if he will be joined by his female mate for the sixth consecutive season.
The bird and his partner, an osprey know as LF15, have successfully hatched 12 chicks at the reserve since 2015.
Sara Rasmussen, Perthshire ranger for Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: “LM12’s arrival on the nest marks the start of another exciting season for the ospreys at Loch of the Lowes.
“He’s wasted no time in beginning to get the nest ready for breeding, and we can’t wait to see if LF15 will return in the next few days.”
She added: “Unfortunately, there is no access to Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre or our hides at this time, but people can keep up to date by following us on social media and by tuning in to our live webcam.”
Ospreys were extinct in Britain for much of the 20th century. They began to recover in the 1960s, and now an estimated 300 pairs breed in the UK each summer.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust runs an osprey protection programme, which is supported with cash from the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Sanjay Singh, senior programmes manager for the People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “I’m so pleased that funding raised by our players is able to support the work of the Scottish Wildlife Trust in its ongoing work to protect ospreys at Loch of the Lowes.
“The work is incredibly inspiring and we can’t wait to see what this season has in store.”
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