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
14.04, JJ7 & JJ8 approach the nest, JJ7 who is in front keeps going as JJ8 lands. In the time it takes JJ7 to turn around, Louis has landed with a half (at best) flat fish which JJ8 takes. Ian
JJ8 taking the fish
JJ7 looking crestfallen and a bit empty cropped compared to the bulging one of his sister.
(c) THE WOODLAND TRUST, LOCH ARKAIG OSPREY PROJECT - POST CODE LOTTERY
JJ8's bulging crop for comparison with JJ7's empty crop and this is before she got the last fish. Ian
15.19, JJ7 has been on the nest for a while when AILA brings in a (not whole but reasonably large) flat fish. JJ7 grabs it with delight but is initially too busy shouting to eat! Aila's crop didn't look very full, so if that is the case and the fish was a good part eaten, who had a go at the fish before it came to the nest? Maybe Aila & it wasn't enough to fill her crop or maybe JJ6. Who knows, certainly not me. Ian
Aila's not very full crop. Ian
15.42, Louis arrives to an empty nest. After a good few seconds JJ8 lands (she may have flown overhead first as Louis distinctly looked up). JJ8 takes the fish before JJ7 lands still holding his flat fish (see earlier posts from Cathy & me). All is currently calm with each chick on the nest with fish. Ref: my earlier comment about the partly eaten flat fish. Looking at it again, not much of it had been eaten before Aila delivered it, so maybe she ate a bit of it but not enough to fill her crop. Ian
Louis
Can't keep up with them today.....
Aila's delivery of the Flattie at 15.19
EJ's Memorial Balgavies Loch Ospreys 2023
Cathy said:Oh dear, live flat fish just gone over the edge
That was fish number five! May I present the latest addition to my Classic Osprey series......
Sole survivor of a Danse Macabre on the Loch Arkaig Osprey nest 22 Aug 2020