First egg of the season sparks delight for Alyth’s osprey residents

A fresh chapter has unfolded for Alyth's well-known osprey pair, Harry and Flora, who have welcomed their first egg of the season to the delight of wildlife enthusiasts. 

The pair returned to a purpose-built nesting platform installed near SSEN Transmission’s Alyth substation over the Easter weekend, and since then have been sprucing up their nest for the breeding season.  

Flora was spotted laying her first egg at around 11am on Monday on the nesting platform’s live webcam – sparking delight from wildlife enthusiasts who have been observing the pair since their return to the nest for the tenth year in a row.  

Since then, the feathered friends have gracefully shared parenting duties, working together to incubate the egg and taking turns to allow the other to stretch their wings and catch fish.   

Harry and Flora have successfully raised 20 osprey chicks since SSEN Transmission installed the platform in 2014, with the help of osprey expert Roy Dennis MBE.  
 
The pair had been spotted nesting on an electricity tower scheduled for maintenance as part of an upgrade to the East Coast transmission network, leading to the move to an alternative home. 

Ornithologists continue to be on hand to check that progress with the Alyth substation, which was newly energised earlier this year, does not interfere with any growing ospreys’ development.