Two ospreys have returned from Africa to their purpose-built nesting platform at a Perthshire electricity substation.

The birds of prey, named Harry and Flora by pupils at nearby Meigle Primary School, flew back to Alyth after migrating south for the winter.

Flora was spotted first in early April and was joined by Harry a few days later.

A live video feed, which attracted more than 2,000 subscribers last year, has been set up so avid birdwatchers can keep track of the pair.

Flora and Harry have previously reared three healthy chicks – Rowan, Holly and Bonnie – who successfully flew the nest last September.

The team at the Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) substation are hoping for more this year – with 17 osprey chicks successfully reared from the platform since it was built in 2014.

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The platform was built as an alternative home for the ospreys after the birds were spotted nesting at the top of one of SSEN Transmission’s 48-metre-high electricity towers.

As with previous years, the birds will be carefully monitored by an on-site ornithologist throughout the nesting season to ensure any construction work doesn’t cause disturbance to the ospreys.

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Ewan Jelly, from SSEN, said: “They are firm favourites with the teams here working on the Alyth substation project, and it’s a real joy seeing them return to the nest and take to the skies as they hunt for fish in the nearby rivers and lochs.

“As ever we’ll continue to observe the birds closely to check on their progress and monitor for any signs of distress, and we look forward to hopefully welcoming more chicks again later this year.”

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