Missing osprey chick returns to its nest after four-day venture

Blue 44: Osprey returned to nest with mother, Lady.Scottish Wildlife Trust

An eight week old osprey that went missing after his first flight has returned to its nest after a four-day venture.

Blue 44 was born to 27-year-old Lady at the Loch of the Lowes reserve in Perthshire.

The chick took its first flight on Monday, but then disappeared and could not be traced, despite searches by volunteers.

Volunteers managed to track it by satellite and saw that it was alive and moving about.

On Friday at around 11.30am the bird appeared to be escorted back to the nest by its mother Lady, the UK's oldest breeding osprey.

Jonathan Pinnick, visitor centre assistant manager, said: "It's just such a huge relief to have Blue 44 back.

"Lady gave him quite a telling off though. She appeared to escort him back to the nest and then flew round whacking him on the head with her wings. She then landed and started pecking him on the head. It was very dramatic.

"The nest is about 30ft high and it's possible Blue 44 was just daunted and with the bad weather struggled to get the courage to come back. He appears to be fine though."

Mr Pinnick added that the bird could leave again in the next few weeks to begin its migration to West Africa but that staff would be able to follow his progress due to satellite tagging.

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