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
And it continued! Another touchdown at 17.19, and a final one at 18.33
16.39 - 18.33 Heavily edited super slo-mo video of three Ospreys - fighting for possession of Nest One? Definitely LV0 - thank goodness for Darvics! - almost certainly Louis, and another unringed Osprey. But is the third male or female? Initially I thought the 16.62 landing was an unringed female but I'm unsure now and might lean towards all three being male!
I've slowed down where there's a chance of making an ID. I didn't track the distant flying as it was all just chasing with no chance of working out who's who. Looking at underwing spots, I think all three landed, Louis, LV0 and the unringed stranger, but I was concentrating on editing the video so will have another look now it's done and may well change my mind!
Your interpretation please!!
05.43.26 Fish number one - 24 hours after her last meal, Louis finally brings a fish for Dorcha. Of course, he was a bit busy yesterday afternoon repelling invaders!
Egg number three! Some squeaking, then a final grunt at 07.35.39 and a moment later Dorcha stands up revealing the third and paler egg.
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Yes that is good news on the 3rd egg. I just wish Louis would concentrate on this nest and give up defending his old nest.
Another look at the arrival of the third egg, zoomed
A Hooded Crow intrudes on Dorcha 12.06.10
Fish number two arrives at 15:40:34 - It's a lot fresher than the dried up old one that arrived earlier!
Very wet night but no disturbances, Dorcha has a stretch and a squirt 01.16