AN anxious wait for osprey watchers ended at the weekend when a female bird of the species caught up with her regular mate who promptly sealed their relationship by fetching her a fish.

The pair have mated and successfully raised chicks at Loch of Lowes in Perthshire for the past four seasons but the female bird, somewhat prosaically known as LF15 but better known to the public as Lassie, made her companion LM 12, or Laddie, wait for eight days at their nest

by the loch.

Lassie was spotted arriving at the nest at 5.47pm on Saturday and Laddie promptly put on an impressive skydancing display to welcome her back. Things soon hotted up as Laddie presented his returned paramour with a present – a fish.

The pair have been breeding at the nesting site near Dunkeld since 2015. They have successfully fledged 10 chicks from 12 eggs. It is thanks to the efforts of this pair and others that ospreys have come back from the brink of extinction with around 200 pairs expected to breed

this season.

This is the 50th anniversary season of Loch of Lowes nature reserve, and while Laddie and Lassie are the major attractions, at least until their chicks hatch, the reserve also plays host to the increasingly rare species, the red squirrel, as well as otters and beavers.

The ospreys have their own webcam which allows online viewing of their nest and their activities in it.

The ospreys can can be viewed at the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Sara Rasmussen, the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Perthshire ranger, said: “It’s exciting to see our resident birds back together.

“Ospreys live completely independent lives outside of the breeding season but LM12 and LF15 have quickly re-established themselves as a pair.

“They have already made their first attempts at breeding. LF15 will begin laying eggs about 10 days after the first successful mating.”