Rangers at an osprey centre have welcomed the first chick of the season.
The new arrival made its appearance at around 11.30pm on Wednesday witnessed by volunteers on night-watch at the Centre.
Richard Thaxton, site manager at Loch Garten, said the chick was born to female osprey EJ and is the first of three expected at the RSPB Scotland Loch Garten centre.
It is not clear if the father of the chick is EJ’s partner Odin or another osprey.
He said: “This is great news. 2012 has been a fascinating season so far. This is the first egg to hatch and yet its provenance is uncertain owing to EJ’s dalliance with another male osprey before Odin’s late arrival.
"We have been on tenterhooks to see what would happen. Is it his, who knows? Odin at least seems to think so.
“Throughout the 36 days of incubation the weather has been atrocious, but EJ has remained dutifully steadfast in the face of endless rain, sleet and snow, sitting tight through to hatching. All being well the remaining two eggs should hatch in the coming few days”.
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