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
A better picture of JJ6 being fed, you can see the fish he is standing on with his left leg. Ian
EDIT - 16.51, JJ6 flies off leaving the fish he was standing on behind. Aila now has two fish & no chicks in sight.
(c) THE WOODLAND TRUST, LOCH ARKAIG OSPREY PROJECT - POST CODE LOTTERY
Aila thinks "what am I to do with all this fish?". Ian
17.02, Aila flies with her fish leaving the other one on the nest for anyone who fancies it.
17.09, Aila comes back empty taloned. I suppose she could have eaten the fish she took away at 17.02. So far she is not interested in the fish on the nest. Here is another picture of her because she will be gone soon enough (until 2021). Ian
EDIT - 17.17, she flew with the fish from the nest (this is the one Louis delivered at 14.55).
It got confusing when Aila arrived with fish number six, but after much scrollback, I think this is what happened
16.02.54 Aila arrives with fish number six, large whole brown trout
16.03 Doddie arrives with the good sized remains of fish five
16.26 Aila starts feeding begging Doddie
16.51 Doddie departs leaving his fish behind, Aila on the nest with two fish
17.02 Aila departs with the new fish leaving the old fish on the empty nest.
17.09 Aila back again without fish, starts eating the old fish on the nest. What happened to the new fish? Seven mins - not enough time to eat it.
17.17 Aila departs with the old fish - is she stashing them somewhere for the ninja squirrels to guard?
Louis arrives with a nice flat fish, which JJ8 eyes up. Then Louis has a change of heart and flies off with it
(c) WT Loch Arkaig
07.04, JJ7 & JJ8 are on the nest as Louis brings in a flat fish. JJ6 is not far behind (at the second attempt having misjudged an initial landing). Louis let go of the fish which flapped a couple of times before JJ7 (on the left) put a foot on it. Ian
EDIT - I don't think JJ6 misjudged the first landing, he wheeled round twice before landing on the perch at the front of the nest.
08.16, JJ8 arrives just before Louis who delivers a whole (not flat) fish. JJ6 follows Louis in. JJ8 (who I don't think ate much yesterday) claims the fish. Ian
08.25, strange behaviour from JJ8. JJ6 is shouting for the fish but not proactively trying to steal it. JJ8 just walks away from it and leaves it to JJ6. JJ8 had eaten a bit of the fish but not much. She looks well enough, could she be getting fish off camera? She flies off at 08.27, leaving JJ6 with his free gift.
I think JJ8 does not like flat fish She didn’t even attempt to take the one that Louis brought last night.
EJ's Memorial Balgavies Loch Ospreys 2023