Irvine's new £24m water project is back on track after being halted for weeks by birds.

Scottish Water had to stop works for seven weeks to avoid disturbing up to six nests of breeding birds in the area.

The major project to improve the water mains network that serves more than 80,000 people in Ayrshire has resumed now the eggs have hatched.

The sand martins were nesting on both banks of an excavation housing a dewatering system near the Garrier Burn at Drybridge, Irvine.

The work was suspended to give the chicks time to fledge the nests.

Scottish Water's communications manager for the project Jane McKenzie said: "Scottish Water is fully aware that breeding birds are protected in law and that the birds and their nest sites must be left undisturbed until the chicks have fledged.

"We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and CWA (Caledonia Water Alliance), who are working on behalf of Scottish Water, ensured that we did not disturb the sand martins' natural habitat.

"Although Scottish Water's investment in our infrastructure in this part of Ayrshire is very important we are delighted that we were able to ensure our work did not prevent nature from taking its course."