LOCH ARKAIG (The Woodland Trust) - JULY 2019

Link to June 2019 thread (Following Karen's excellent example of providing useful links....)

On 1 July, chick 1 is 30 days old. Chick 2, from egg 3, is 27 days old. 

Apart from the sad failure-to-hatch of egg 2 , everything has been reasonably settled on the nest, and Louis is in the running for Mary's 'Fisherman of the Year Award'.

Link to webcam, courtesy of The Woodland Trust

  • Very misty pottering and preening
  • CATCHUP

    It started out a wet night, as so often:

    Aila got disrupted:

    And retreated to the Robin's perch (shame we haven't seen the Robin for a long time):

    After a flyabout, Aila tried to shelter the girls again:

    Aila got slapped at Mallie's poop time:

    At last Rannoch got up ;-D

    Back to lying down again - and who's upstairs attracting Mallie's attention?

    Aila's morning departure:

    Mallie wingercised her way to settle down with Rannoch:

    Just before daycam:

    They got so wet that even Rannoch had to get up and flap off the water:

    Soon back down!

    Intruder alert from a parent far off:

    Another one:

    Mallie got her feet off the ground:

    Wow, Rannoch had a flap:

    But soon down again:

    Rannoch up again and had some flaps.  (It's my fault this is darker.)

    But soon down again, she even went to sleep :(

    Rannoch had a little lie-down preen:

    After a poop, Rannoch lay down with Mallie:

    Aila brought a tiny stick, left and returned with a clump:

    Mallie was interested in the clump:

    A bit of height again:

    BREAKFISH !!!

    Mallie claimed it and kept it, Rannoch approached and hovered:

    Eventually allowed to take over:

    20 seconds:

    At last Rannoch was up again:

    It was a poop that prompted her:

    And she actually got a bit active:

    Mallie has been getting a bit of height:

    This might have been spectacular but was just on the stop/restart of an hour:

    A token from Rannoch:

    Curtailed by an intruder alert:

    Lovely headless FISH !!!

    The first juicy morsel went to Rannoch with a twist of Aila's head:

    When Rannoch turned away it was Mallie's turn:

    Then Aila's, while Rannoch showed signs of life in the background ;)

    Then more for Rannoch while she was sat down !!!

    Nice one, Rannoch!

    Then she fed herself:

    A big flex:

    Then a long, thorough preen, and Mallie got fed again:

    More lying down and preening from Rannoch, a bit more wingercising from Mallie, and that's it up to 12:36.

  • I thought I'd never get finished, KORKY ;)

    Time for a break now (more like a carbohydrate coma, in truth).
  • 18-14 We have 'high tea'. Seems it is Fish on the menu again!! Smiley

  • Rannoch pretty unhappy that Mallie ate all the pies fish

    (c) WT Loch Arkaig

  • Louis's on the nest eating his fish - and Rannoch has just been rewarded with a bite or two after waiting a while... Aila tried to take the fish but not allowed.
  • Louis feeding Rannoch, what a Dad! Ian
  • Is there anyone on earth more forgiving than a mother?

    FISH !!!  Not bad:

    Mallie ate almost all of it:

    Until Rannoch prised the tailfin out of her talons and ate that - I was relieved to see that she swallowed it, after she'd spat one out this morning:

    FISH !!!  They're all so fuzzy in the air these days :(  Only this frame wasn't fuzzed:

    Louis ate some himself and then couldn't resist Rannoch's pleas:

    I don't think I've got the best bits in here but it jiggles when FF-ing and I can't watch it all real time :(

    Later Aila came to shelter Rannoch, it must have started to rain but we couldn't see it in daylight:

    Rannoch didn't want to be sheltered at first:

    Then she did, and Mallie did a head-spin:

    Yes, it was raining:

    There was a lively period after Rannoch got up for a poop, then they all settled down again:

    Mallie got up for a poop and is still up as I type, having a droop-sleep.

  • Both chicks just resting Aila was on the nest but has just flown