Thousands watch online as famous Perthshire osprey Laddie welcomes three new chicks into the world

Ospreys NC0 and LM12 – named Laddie - produced a " clutch of three eggs for the first time at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's (SWT) Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve near Dunkeld in Perthshire.

The third chick emerged at around 6pm on Saturday, following its older siblings which hatched on Tuesday and Thursday – all in full view of fans who have been glued to the reserve's live nest-cam.

And all three tucked into a breakfast of trout – freshly caught by Laddie shortly after 7am on Sunday.

Sara Rasmussen, SWT's Perthshire Ranger, said: "We were thrilled to see the chick burst out of its shell.

“There was relatively little notice this one was on the way because part of another eggshell had found its way on to the remaining egg, fitting it like a cap and potentially hiding early signs of hatching.

“Ospreys gain 70 per cent of their body weight in the first month of their lives and we can see the youngsters developing almost daily. It’s amazing to think that in around 12-13 weeks these tiny chicks will be young birds capable of migrating all the way to Africa.

“Even though all of the chicks have hatched, the nest is still vulnerable to disturbance. Our staff and volunteers, with support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, will continue to keep watch over these amazing birds of prey to ensure they are safe and secure.”