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:
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
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?
Hopefully none of the above apart from 'Enjoying a last fling of batchelorhood before serious nest duties', Geemeff...
Come home Louis...
It wasn't unknown for EJ to go AWOL while she was waiting...
But I am very concerned :(((
IMAGICAT
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..
Geemeff said:
Cathy said: Hope you are right Glider. His disappearance is so out of character.
That sounds like a beautiful start to the day Geemeff!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
10 April
A misty phase soon cleared up:
No Osprey seen so far this morning - Great Tits have been on 'n off: