Kestrel nest halts repair work on Forth Road Bridge
A pair of nesting kestrels have halted repairs on the Forth Road Bridge.
A nest containing six eggs was spotted under the bridge's carriageway.
The discovery inside the end of a girder was made by workers repairing steelwork.
Maintenance Supervisor David Gill said: “When we saw the eggs, we immediately cleared the area and instructed staff to avoid carrying out any works that might disturb the nest.
“I’ve heard of kestrels nesting on the bridge before, but it’s pretty unusual.
"You’d think they might prefer a quieter location!
“We’re happy to have them here though, and have affectionately named them "Mr and Mrs Younger".
“We’ll come back and finish our repairs once the chicks have hatched and flown the nest.
"In the meantime, we’ve carried out a temporary repair on a local defect - quietly.
"There won’t be any impact on users of the bridge.”
Bridge officials said the birds of prey were protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to kill, injure or take a kestrel, or to take, damage or destroy an active nest or its contents.