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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

  • 10/05/2023 22:56

    12.12.08  Lunch arrives - Louis brings fish number two

  • 10/05/2023 23:10 in reply to Geemeff
    Geemeff said:

    Sandra P said:
    Hi Geemeff,
    Yes, that did appear to be a beautiful, juvenile Tawny who was doing lots of pouncing practice. Its food begging call was a giveaway too!

    It was a lovely way to end the day - I enjoyed the clumsy pouncing around. 

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    They are so inquisitive and fascinating to watch, Geemeff.

    I hope you don't mind me posting this on here but in 2020, at Lowes, there were a family of at least two Tawny juveniles who got up to all sorts on and around the nest for a few weeks in July. Laddie and NC0 used the 'frustration' nest that year.

    ©SWT/LotL

  • 12/05/2023 02:16 in reply to Sandra

    Sandra P said:

    Geemeff said:

    Sandra P said:
    Hi Geemeff,
    Yes, that did appear to be a beautiful, juvenile Tawny who was doing lots of pouncing practice. Its food begging call was a giveaway too!

    It was a lovely way to end the day - I enjoyed the clumsy pouncing around. 

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    They are so inquisitive and fascinating to watch, Geemeff.

    I hope you don't mind me posting this on here but in 2020, at Lowes, there were a family of at least two Tawny juveniles who got up to all sorts on and around the nest for a few weeks in July. Laddie and NC0 used the 'frustration' nest that year.

    ©SWT/LotL

    That is so lovely, thanks for posting, Sandra. Given that it looks like another year with an empty Nest One, it would be fabulous to have visitors like these little owlets - maybe that juvenile Tawny will return!

  • 12/05/2023 02:19

    Not much happened on Nest Two today, and nothing at all on Nest One.

    Here are the two fish Louis brought - Dorcha didn't want the second one.

    Fish number one 13.17.49

    Fish number two 18.34.40

  • 12/05/2023 22:48

    A bit more action on Nest Two today, but nothing bar the ever-industrious spider on Nest One.

    08.15.17 An intruder Osprey did a flyover of the nest much to Louis & Dorcha's fury

  • 12/05/2023 22:53

    Stickgate!! 09.12.58  Dorcha arrives back, Louis doesn't want to move - she's doing his ear in but being ignored!

    09.17.35 she flies off only to return at 09.19.38 with a big stick. That worked - she laid it across his back and gave him a shove, then walked across the eggs with it and Louis got the hint and finally took off.

      

  • 12/05/2023 22:55

    12.15.48 Fish number one - large trout, worth waiting for!

  • 14/05/2023 03:07

    13th May Not much happened, all the action was at other nests! Two fish were delivered. First hatch is due earliest 26th May so a while to go yet.

    Fish number one 10.15.23

    Fish number two 21.31.22

  • 14/05/2023 10:35

    Windy night, cautious stretch and flap:

  • 14/05/2023 10:37

    Dawn brings no Louis but a new camera angle