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LOCH ARKAIG - THE WOODLAND TRUST - March 2023 to February 2024

Geemeff
01/03/2023 20:23

Loch Arkaig Ospreys season 7

Will Louis and Dorcha return to Nest 2?

Will someone take up residence in Nest 1?

Will any of Aila & Louis' chicks be seen (Doddie JJ6 is a good bet!)

Link to 2022 thread (season 6)

community.rspb.org.uk/.../1394415

2023 season highlights:

Louis returned on Sunday 2nd April at 12.26.54

Dorcha returned on Sunday 9th April 08.09.46

They reunited on Monday 10th April at 12.33.03

First egg laid Friday 21st April at 05.44.19

A Golden Eagle touched down on Saturday 22nd April at 11.50.56

Second egg laid Monday 24th April at 07.03.30 

Third egg laid on Thursday 27th April at 07.35.39

Violent Owl strike sends an egg overboard 23rd May at 00.26.46

First chick hatches - and it's Egg3! 31st May at 13.08

Another Owl strike - Bob's unharmed. 6th June at 00.18.16 

It's a boy! The chick is ringed LY7 on 9th July around 10am

Fledge! LY7 finds his wings and flies 19th July at 15.05.11

Hello Ludo! The voting results are in and LY7 is named Ludo! 19th July

Dorcha leaves on her travels - last seen on 17th August at 06.30.34

Louis was last seen on 24th August at 15.50.34

Ludo LY7 was last seen* on 25th August at 10.03.28  (*on the nest)

Ludo sighted in France 24th September! Still there 8th October

We wish all of them fair winds and fine fishing, and hope to see the adults safely back in 2024!

Brief history of the nests:

2016 Woodland Trust acquire the Loch Arkaig ancient rainforest remnant and manage it in partnership with Arkaig Community Forest.
2017 A nest cam is installed on a refurbished Osprey nest. A young male Louis and a young female Aila take up residence and raise one male chick to fledging: Lachlan JH4.
2018 Louis & Aila return but a Pine Marten steals all their eggs.
2019 Louis & Aila return and raise two female chicks to fledging: Mallie JJ0 and Rannoch JJ2.
2020 Louis & Aila return and raise two male and one female chicks to fledging: Doddie JJ6; Vera JJ8 and Captain JJ7.
2021 Louis returns but sadly Aila doesn't. Louis takes up residence on a new nest with a new mate Dorcha and they raise two male chicks to fledging: Aspen LW3 and Alder LW4. This is designated Nest 2, no one takes up residence on Nest 1.
2022 Woodland Trust install a nest cam on Nest 2. Louis & Dorcha return and raise two female chicks to fledging: Willow LW5 and Sarafina LW6. Still no residents on Nest 1.
2022 season: Louis and Dorcha returned to Nest Two on 12th April, laid three eggs 24 and 27th April and 1st May.
The first chick hatched on 31st May, the second on Jubilee Day 2nd June and the third on 5th June but sadly passed away on 12th June.
The other two progressed rapidly and were ringed LW5 (eldest ) and LW6 (younger) on 12th July, and both gender assessed as female.
Willow (LW5) fledged 25th July and Sarafina (LW6) 31st July.
Last seen on the nest: Dorcha 18th August, Willow 28th August, Louis 8th September and Sarafina 9th September.

Link to Woodland Trust Osprey page: keeps coming up as blocked! Weird! copy and paste then join up:

https://    www    woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/  

community.rspb.org.uk/.../loch-arkaig---the-woodland-trust---march-2022-to-end-of-february-2023

Dorcha bringing her one and only fish on 18th August 2022 before departing and not being seen again


Louis incubating the eggs while Aila is seen flying with a fish in the misty distance on 9th May 2020.

All captures in whatever format are copyright Woodland Trust - with many thanks for allowing captures from their nest cam livestreams

  • 09/04/2023 17:00 in reply to Geemeff
    I do hope Louis is ok, Geemeff, it is a little bit concerning that he's not been back to the nest...
  • 09/04/2023 17:14 in reply to Sandra
    Sandra P said:
    I do hope Louis is ok, Geemeff, it is a little bit concerning that he's not been back to the nest...

    17.15 Liz B hasn't seen him in the area, and Chaddie who lives close to the Bunarkaig nest says there's no Osprey action there either. I feel like we haven't seen the last of him. Will be very happy to heard that call of his again! Blowing my own trumpet, I said yesterday that I had a feeling Dorcha would return today (I have the email to prove it!) so fingers and talons crossed he swoops in nonchalantly any minute now. 

    So what are the possibilities?

    Found a new female on another nest out of the area

    Injured while fishing

    Predated by a Sea Eagle or Golden Eagle - both nest in the area

    Shot by a rogue hunter

    Enjoying a last fling of batchelorhood before serious nest duties

    Struck down by avian flu

    What have I missed?

  • 09/04/2023 17:34 in reply to Geemeff

    Hopefully none of the above apart from 'Enjoying a last fling of batchelorhood before serious nest duties', Geemeff...

    Come home Louis...

  • 09/04/2023 18:20 in reply to Sandra

    It wasn't unknown for EJ to go AWOL while she was waiting...

    But I am very concerned :(((

    IMAGICAT

  • 09/04/2023 19:12 in reply to Geemeff
    I think he was just hedging his bets, looking elsewhere in case Dorcha didn’t return. I think he’ll be back tomorrow. Two hearts
  • 09/04/2023 19:55 in reply to Glider
    Hope you are right Glider. His disappearance is so out of character.
  • 09/04/2023 20:35 in reply to Cathy
    Cathy said:
    Hope you are right Glider. His disappearance is so out of character.

    Yes, my thoughts too Cathy. I don't recall him going missing before - in 2017 he waited 18 days for a mate, in 2021 he waited on the nest for about the same time, but whenever he's had a mate, he's not left.

    Still, he returned a week before Dorcha so he's probably just gone looking to see who else is out there, he's in his prime as a breeding male and his hormones must be raging. If only he'd waited one more day for her!

    I'm holding out for waking up tomorrow and they're both on the nest. 

    She'll be grumpy because she had to catch her own fish, he'll be coy-mantling and wondering what the fuss is about..

  • 09/04/2023 21:56 in reply to Geemeff
    Geemeff said:
    Cathy said:
    Hope you are right Glider. His disappearance is so out of character.

    Yes, my thoughts too Cathy. I don't recall him going missing before - in 2017 he waited 18 days for a mate, in 2021 he waited on the nest for about the same time, but whenever he's had a mate, he's not left.

    Still, he returned a week before Dorcha so he's probably just gone looking to see who else is out there, he's in his prime as a breeding male and his hormones must be raging. If only he'd waited one more day for her!

    I'm holding out for waking up tomorrow and they're both on the nest. 

    She'll be grumpy because she had to catch her own fish, he'll be coy-mantling and wondering what the fuss is about..

    ________________________________________________________________________________________________

     That sounds like a beautiful start to the day Geemeff! BlushPray

  • 09/04/2023 21:56
    Fingers crossedFingers crossedFingers crossedFingers crossedFingers crossed!

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • 10/04/2023 07:32 in reply to WendyBartter

    10 April

    A misty phase soon cleared up:

    No Osprey seen so far this morning - Great Tits have been on 'n off:

    IMAGICAT