New female osprey takes over nest at Loch of the Lowes

The new female has already settled in to the nest and mated with the resident male

A new female osprey has set up nest at the Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve at Loch of the Lowes.

Staff at the reserve near Dunkeld had been awaiting the return of "Lady", the female which has nested at the site for 24 consecutive years.

However, a younger bird has instead moved in and mated with the resident male, known as "Laddie".

Rangers at the reserve said Lady may yet return, but would face a competition for her nest and mate.

Lady would be 30 this year, and is thought to be the world's oldest breeding osprey, having reared 50 chicks at Loch of the Lowes.

Scottish Wildlife Trust Perthshire ranger Charlotte Fleming said everyone at the reserve was "so excited" by the new development.

She said: "Many people have been asking if this means that our famous osprey - affectionately known by many as Lady - will not return this year, but we simply do not know.

"There is still a possibility that she will return - and dramatic scenes could unfold if Lady were to begin to compete for her nest and her mate."

A webcam set up to cover the nest attracted more than a million viewers from 96 different countries last year.

A webcam broadcasts live images from the osprey nest around the clock