Two fledgling ospreys have beaten the odds after their Highland sporting estate nest was destroyed by winter storms.
The nest at Balnagown Estate in Easter Ross succumbed to gales in January.
The devastation left estate staff and raptor experts just weeks to re-establish the nest before the ospreys returned from western Africa to breed.
But even with the nest rebuilt, it was uncertain whether the breeding pair would take to it or build their own elsewhere. To the joy of estate workers, they took to the man-made one and in June two eggs hatched.
The young birds have since flourished on the estate – until last week when they set off on the long journey to Africa where they will spend the first few years of their lives.
The nest was re-established by estate worker Paul Ross and bird of prey consultant Brian Etheridge, who has made the study and protection of the north’s raptors his life’s work.
He said: “The nest came down in the really severe storms we had at the start of the year.
“The top of the tree came down so we built the nest in the same tree but lower down.”
Balnagown Estate, near Invergordon has helped nurture about 200 breeding pairs of ospreys and includes three stocked lochs where the birds fish.
The young birds were regularly seen by estate workers honing their flying and fishing skills around the area.
Mr Etheridge said the osprey population had “never been better” and that estates like Balnagown had been a part of their development.
“The estate has been brilliant,” he said. “Very cooperative and helpful with birds of prey and they’ve been very positive with their work.
“The ospreys like to have the lochs stocked with fish and I think generally fisherman don’t begrudge the birds a few.”