WATCH: Resident female osprey touches down at RSPB’s Loch Garten reserve
The resident female osprey has returned to RSPB Scotland’s Loch Garten nest must to the relief and joy of staff and visitors.
And even better news is that Asha has taken up with a male osprey with hopes that this could lead to chicks.
Spring is always an anxious time for those who follow the goings-on at the nest on the charity’s Abernethy Reserve by Nethy Bridge
But they were delighted to see that Asha has not only survived the winter and long migration but is thriving.
Jess Tomes, visitors operations manager at the Abernethy National Nature Reserve, told the Strathy: “Our resident female Asha, touched down on the nest at 7.58pm last night.
“And then this morning at 6.15am she was joined by Blue 047 who was an intruding osprey from last year but not the one who kicked out the eggs.
“It made for a beautiful sight at sunrise this morning.
“Asha helped herself to a huge trout this morning which she was only off the nest for about 20 minutes catching.
“She’s spent the last four hours eating and was still at it.”
Blue 047 refers to the colour and numbers on the males leg ring and records show he hatched in Moray 2021.
Readers can follow the season live on the nest cam by clicking here and also by clicking here.
RSPB Loch Garten can be considered the home of osprey in the UK following their successful recolonisation close to this exact location in 1954.
Ospreys were considered extinct as a breeding bird in the UK after being wiped out by persecution but thanks to Loch Garten and other nesting sites in Scvotland they are thriving once again.
The birds spend winter in southern Spain, Portugal or West Africa before migrating to Scotland in the spring.
