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

  • Peaceful scene. Going to miss this when the season's over

    (c) WT Loch Arkaig

  • scylla said:

    Thanks to IAN for the report of the second early-morning fish.  This is the best view of it - and JJ2 pecked at it but didn't succeed in claiming it, that fell to Aila:

    I'm going to have to carry on with the catchup later, sorry, I suddenly need to have a big break.

    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    Oops!  Well I didn't say how much later ;)

    Alarm calling heard, chicks pancaked obediently:

    Stick work:

    The chicks had been alone for hours when Aila brought in a clump:

    Everyone was alert - Aila stayed until 11:40.

    Quite a lot of intruder reactions today.

    I made KORKY's "1pm" fish more like 2pm, so am hoping it was a typo :-*

    And as VALERIE pointed out for us, it was TWO FISH!

    Here's the littlun in between the 2 chicks, Aila having taken the bigger:

    JJ0 likes to live dangerously on this side:

    It looked like JJ2 took umbrage but came to nothing:

    One picked a morsel or louse ;) off the other's beak:

    Aila has the FISH - she even ate some of it!

    Aila had flown in to protect:

    And again:

    JJ2 clucked 'n clucked:

    Very fine whole fish:

    Louis is not getting enough attention!

    Aila had a good feed after the chicks were served:

    The tailfin going down:

    After which she flew off, it was rain that brought her back:

    After nightcam the chicks were on their own until Aila returned, hackles raised (probably by the breeze!):

    This is it up to midnight, I'll do the filthy night next session:

  • Post-midnight, filthy night to filthy morning

    Frustratingly, no snap will show the filthiness, it was raining heavily and mist was rolling by.

    It didn't stop nature from taking its course:

    Aila was having to be very alert:

    Aila didn't have a flyabout, just a quick poop and ruffle:

    The 04:00 buffer recovered to this scene:

    Both chicks had a flap:

    Aila returned, left, returned and tried to cover the chicks:

    This was supposed to be Aila's flyoff but it seems my tremor lost it :(

    05:40 the mist suddenly moved away - a snap had to wait for Aila to pose:

    Lifted up by the chicks:

    Back came the mist:

    That's how it now is.  We await breakfish, I wonder how soon Louis can manage on this unfriendly morning?

  • 07.12, decent headless fish delivered.
    I may not be able to post much over the next wee while, my computer had a disagreement with a full cup of coffee yesterday and lost. I have sporadic access to another machine but will not be logged on as much as usual. Ian
  • I'm sure all that rain has watered the chicks and they seem to have balloned since yesterday LOL!
    2 very wet chicks but funnily enough Aila doesn't seem too bad as she feeds the chicks
    JJ0 turns away and has just been having a decent flap

    Have I missed a post about the sex of these 2?
    Sorry for your woes IAN
  • The chicks are both girls, rings JJ0 & JJ2, both weighing 1.49 kg at ringing. The Woodland Trust are asking for name suggestions (there are many excellent ones) so maybe they will have names this week after the WT chatters vote. Ian

  • Here's the fish (but no coffee) delivery from around 7.12am (sorry Ian)

    (c) WT Loch Arkaig

  • Mmmm. I suppose my next question on the Tech thread (which I won't be posting :) ) would be about the quality of captures - yours, Scylla are always so clear so I guess it's the HD whatsit you were posting about on the Tech thread.
    Thank you Scylla and Korky (your capture also very clear) for wonderful pictures from Arkaig
  • Gotta love the Scottish summer!

    (c) WT Loch Arkaig

  • Sorry to hear about your coffee mishap, Ian! Hope you get it fixed soon.