Osprey lays first egg of season at Loch of the Lowes nature reserve

Lassie has been keeping the egg warm

Female osprey Lassie has laid her first egg of the season at Scottish Wildlife Trust's Loch of the Lowes reserve in Perthshire.

Lassie, whose official name is LF15, touched down at the reserve on 20 March ahead of the mating season.

Webcam footage from the reserve has now shown the bird keeping the egg warm in its nest.

Lassie and long-term mate LM12 have fledged eight chicks since becoming a pair in 2015.

Lassie laid three eggs last year

Rachael Hunter, Perthshire ranger for Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: "We've been expecting to see an egg for about a week so I'm delighted that a long wait is over. LF15 laid three eggs last year so we might see another one in around three days' time.

"LF15 has been keeping her egg nice and warm this morning, although LM12 came back to the nest shortly after 6am and caused a short squabble by trying to push her out of the way.

"Since then he has brought another fish back to the nest and took over incubating the egg to give his mate a chance to feed."