Two osprey chicks have spread their wings and taken flight for the first time at a Scottish wildlife reserve.
The young birds of prey, referred to as PF4 and PF5, took to the skies for the first on Sunday and Thursday respectively.
Based in the Lowes Wildlife Reserve and Visitor Centre in Dunkeld, their maiden flight saw them fly over the Loch of Lowes.
While the female chick PF4 took off with a single leap, her younger brother seemed to need a bit of time to build up the courage for the big step.
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The Scottish Wildlife Trust said the male spent a "great deal of time squealing, flapping, helicoptering and jumping about from the nest to a perch and back again" before flying off at 9.47am.
Sara Rasmussen, a Perthshire ranger, said: “This is a great time to come and view these majestic birds taking short flights around their nest and the loch where you can hear them shouting out for fish.
“The youngsters will be fed constantly by their parents to build up their energy and fat reserves before their long migration in late August.
“Initially, they will spend time building up their strength, confidence and control with short flights around the nest.
“After a week they may start to venture further, building up to flights that last a few hours.”
The young birds will very soon need to embark on a mammoth journey as part of their seasonal migration which could take them as far as Africa.
The pair’s parents, female NC0 and male LM12, returned to their Dunkeld nest on March 17 within six hours of each other.
The mother tends to leave first while her male companion continues to provide food for the young.
All of the birds are named after the unique identification bands which are put around their leg.
NC0 laid three eggs in April, with two hatching on May 13 and 16 but her final egg did not hatch.
The Scottish Wildlife Trust said it is the earliest recorded hatching date for the nest.
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