Loch Arkaig web cam: It will be switched back on next month, and should be found here
Here are "All the best bits from the Loch Arkaig Pine Forest osprey camera, Summer 2017, in 2.5 minutes", from the Woodland Trust.
Here is the RSPB Forum for the 2017 Season.
2008 A pair may have started nesting at Loch Arkaig
2013 Chick White KL(09) f, hatched 2009 Loch Arkaig, Inverness seen in Senegal, 2011 & 2012, 2016 by Rutland team and Chris Wood. 2013 is the likely first breeding year at Bassenthwaite of White KL(09) and unringed male
2015 No chicks
2016 No chicks
2017 The nesting platform used by the birds for more than ten years has been rebuilt almost from scratch as, with the birds adding new material every spring, it was beginning to sag under its own weight
Unringed m 10 April named Louis m arrived. Inconclusive whether same 10-yr male, but later concensus was that he was a first-time breeder
Unringed f 30 May new unringed female accepted by Louis
4 May 2017 WT named her Aila
10 May 17.20 Egg #1 Arrives with a grunt from Aila!
22.39 Owl on the nest. Spooked Aila who flew off. A slow start but the action is here.
13 May 19.26 Egg #2 - speckled
Egg #3
18 June First chick hatched
18 June 17.13 Second chick seen struggling out of shell
22 June Two chicks alive, just.
One chick survived, and was ringed 22 or 23 July. Blue JH4(17) m, Lachlan
At 35 days old it has a body mass of 1,305g and wingspan of 291mm.
9 August Lachlan fledges unexpectedly
The Loch is home to otters (three orphans were released in the late autumn 2017) Pine marten have been seen on the nest. WTE and Osprey breed. It's about time I tried to get back there!
Where is Loch Arkaig?
Ian S wrote the following post at 5 Feb 2018 9:30 AM:
I am reading an interesting Woodland Trust blog about UK extinct animals. The blog says that as well as ospreys at Loch Arkaig there are also sea eagles, which I didn't know. Ian
Sheila, thanks for setting up this new thread, Ian
Thanks Sheila for the new thread, webcam link and a summary of last season.
Here's wishing Lewis and Aila a safe journey home and for a successful 2018 season.
A lovely video of the LA wildlife. Apparently the film (2016) shows the previous occupants, neither looking like Louis or Aila. They both stayed around, but failed to breed in 2015 and 2016, but it was as a result of the trail cam, they decided to try a live nest cam as an experiment last year. I think we all agree it was a success!!
Posted with the permission of George Anderson, PR & Communications Officer of the Woodland Trust.
Some more links to do with LA, here
Thank you Sheila. Great start.
Sheila, I'll add my thanks for the new thread, history and links, too.
Ian, Interesting article but they missed out the reintroduction of Red Kites and Cranes, although I suppose Loch Arkaig may have neither.
I would like to welcome Mary C to the forum. Her focus will probably be Loch Arkaig!
Thanks Sheila I'm looking forward to being a part of where it all began!
Unknown said: Thanks Sheila I'm looking forward to being a part of where it all began!
...and we look forward to your 'on the spot' reports from Loch Arkaig!
Welcome.
Mary, welcome to the Loch Arkaig thread, with hope for a successful 2018 & at least one more character like Lachie :) Ian