A rescued sea eagle is refusing to fly the nest and return to the wild after being nursed back to health.
The injured raptor was rescued from an inaccessible cove near the coastal village of Pennan, in Aberdeenshire, last week.
After being nursed back to health by the Scottish RSPB, the male bird was due to be released back into the wild on Wednesday.
However, when staff opened its container, he refused to spread its wings and fly away.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish RSPB said: "There was an oily substance on his wings, which might have been why he was reluctant to fly. Rather than release him, we've decided to keep hold of him for a few more days."
The spokeswoman said the team are not certain where the oily substance had come from but it may have come from an animal carcass it had eaten.
She added the bird was in good health and will be released in the next few days by eagle specialists in Fife.
The young bird is due to be released in Ireland as part of the Irish Sea Eagle reintroduction project.
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