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
Always love seeing the Ospreys move their heads side to side. It has a name and I cannot remember what it is called.I did a little 30 second video of JJ7 doing it this morning.
EJ's Memorial Balgavies Loch Ospreys 2023
Mary, the most likely theory it that it is helping them to focus their vision (which I am sure you know). The only "big" word I can find in relation to this is parallax. Could this be the word? Ian
I don't think it is that word Ian, I am sure I heard Emyr @ DYFI mention it once a while back.
Ian S said:Geemeff, nice video of the flat fish. I noticed that when (a hollow cropped) Aila brought in the fish JJ8 tried to flap her off the nest, ungrateful teenager! Ian
And did you see how she prevented JJ7 from going over to it after Aila left? Very determined, that one, I'd bet she beats the statistics on those 1 in 3 survival odds.
MaryGK said: I don't think it is that word Ian, I am sure I heard Emyr @ DYFI mention it once a while back.
Triangulation
"If you watch a bird of prey long enough, you will probably see it bob its head from side to side, move its head around in circles, or even turn its head almost completely upside down. This isn’t some kind of strange dance. Raptors do this to triangulate an object and better determine how far away it is."
https://peregrinefund.org/keen-vision
Something to watch while we're waiting for a fish.. This day two months ago.. from my Classic Ospreys series
In the Hall of the Mountain Queen 19th June 2020
11.38, Louis brings a fish to the nest. A chick arrives and takes the fish. They both fly off. Blink and you would have missed it. I couldn't tell which chick came in, but (based on the lighter coloured bib) I am guessing JJ7. Ian
EDIT - 11.50, JJ8 comes to the nest empty taloned, does that mean that the chick who get the fish 12 minutes ago was JJ7 or that JJ8 ate the small fish and has returned. My guess is still that JJ7 was the chick who got the fish.
Louis waiting for the chick
Louis and chick taking off
Can anyone read that ring?
(c) THE WOODLAND TRUST, LOCH ARKAIG OSPREY PROJECT - POST CODE LOTTERY
11.51.35 to 11.51.44, JJ8 watches as another osprey flashes past firstly across the top of the screen then back to the right. I have no idea who it was given the speed. Ian
12.34, JJ8 is on the nest as Aila brings in a fish. Ian
13.48, JJ7 & JJ8 are on the nest as Louis delivers a fish. JJ7 gets this one. Very soon after, both chicks fly off at the same time in a bit of a hurry, they were very alert just before flying. Ian