August is the month when we've seen the Loch Arkaig ospreys depart on their journey south. We've enjoyed watching them this year - the wonderful parenting skills of Aila and Louis, and the antics of their 3 chicks, Captain, Vera and Doddie.
Mary GK did an absolutely wonderful video summarising the 2020 season. Thank you so much Mary! And here is Geemeff's great compilation, thank you!
2020 last dates:
Doddie JJ6 was last seen at the nest on Saturday 15th August 2020
Aila was last seen on Saturday 22nd August 2020
Captain JJ7 was last seen on Sunday 23rd August 2020
Vera JJ8 was last seen on Saturday 5 September.
An unidentified osprey was seen off camera on Sunday 6 September eating a fish. This could well have been Louis, having arrived and found no Vera around to feed.
Doddie JJ6 was videod and photographed fishing for over a fortnight at Avalon Marshes in Somerset
Link to July 2020 thread
Link to Youtube channel
Link to Woodland Trust Loch Arkaig page/webcam feed
During that last tug of war over the fish JJ8 has a good hold of JJ6's head feathers, still JJ6 took the fish! Ian
(c) THE WOODLAND TRUST, LOCH ARKAIG OSPREY PROJECT - POST CODE LOTTERY
JJ6 really struggled to get the tail of the last fish down, I think in the end he left it lying on the nest. The problem was not the tail itself but the large sliver of skin attached. It looks like he is going to manage it here but doesn't. Ian
13.08, JJ7 is on the nest as Louis brings in a very nice fish. Ian
Very nice fish indeed. Still eating it 40 minutes later
(c) WT Loch Arkaig
14.10, JJ7 flies with the 13.08 fish, JJ6 providing the backdrop. Ian
14.55, Louis arrives with a headless fish to an empty nest. Soon enough JJ6 comes in for the fish. JJ6 takes his time before starting to eat. Based on past experience, if I were him I would eat as much as possible before his siblings arrive, maybe he thinks JJ7 is still eating the 13.08 fish off camera (see my previous post) so he only has JJ8 to worry about. Ian
Louis
JJ6 taking his time with the fish
15.44, JJ6 flies with the 14.55 fish. Ian
16.03, I can't keep up today. Aila arrives with a whole fish to an empty nest. JJ6 returns still carrying his previous fish. Aila mantles as if to say "don't even think about it"! Ian
EDIT - 16.10, no other chicks have appeared so Aila is tucking in (and quite rightly so).
16.27, to steal a phrase from Victor Meldrew "I don't believe it". After ages of JJ6 bleating, Aila is now feeding him from the fish she brought in as he stands with a fish Louis brought in at 14.55. Ian