Osprey pair’s first egg of season laid on same day for third consecutive year

Ospreys in the Highlands have laid their first egg of the season on the same date for the third year in a row.

The footage was caught at Loch Arkaig at 6.20am on Thursday by a Woodland Trust Scotland webcam.

It is the third consecutive year the first egg of the osprey pair has been laid on April 23.

Woodland Trust Scotland director Carol Evans said: “Many people who will never visit this special woodland helped to buy it four years ago by contributing to our fundraising appeal.

“The osprey camera was launched with them in mind. We wanted to offer a slice of wild forest life to people near and far.

“This year, with so many confined at home, this online experience becomes even more precious.”

A live nest camera, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, has been streaming footage of the birds online since 2017.

Sanjay Singh, senior programme manager at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “We are delighted that support from our players helps bring this wildlife spectacle to homes across the country and indeed the world.

“Contact with the natural world is so important and while we are staying at home to keep ourselves and each other safe it’s fantastic that people will be able to continue to see nature in action.”