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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

  • 02/06/2023 11:34

    Just checked my notes - have this entry for 30th July last year:

    the Bunarkaig chick too little to be ringed on Lewis Pate's first visit was successfully ringed on the second, much to the delight of young Ivar who, on being given the honour of naming LV7, chose 'Fishy'.

    Would be amazing if LV7 turned up here in the next few years, almost as good as seeing one of ours.

    Tweed Osprey Project’s 699, who hatched at their Nest 2 last year, turned up at Kielder on 25/5 barely one year old!

  • 02/06/2023 12:28
    Many thanks for the history lesson Geemeff, has helped me to understand the goings on!

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • 02/06/2023 12:43 in reply to Geemeff

    Wow ! thank you Geemeff. Did not expect  such a detailed reply and am delighted to hear the entire story to date. Well done you Geemeff ! 

    So, Louis is now , thankfully, Shacked up with Dorcha on nest 2 and nest 1 originally Louis and  Aila now, fingers crossed , may eventually turn out to be occupied by Prince  and Affric 

    That  would be very very good.

    Another big thank you Geemeff

  • 02/06/2023 20:22

    14.19.39 Fish number one  - and it's an absolute whopper - very lively, flapping about right next to bob, who gets whacked.

  • 02/06/2023 20:30

    14.33.39 Louis goes to depart, taking the fish with him - but he drags it across the nest cup, and sends bob flying. Bob tumbles over backwards and lies there thrashing around feebly. Dorcha just looks on, but when she moves in, she steps on the bob, who squeaks. As she starts to cover bob and egg, the chick manages to right itself. (zoomed)

    I think the other egg is no longer viable, so this chick has all our hopes resting on it - please be careful, Louis! This is a very precious chick.

  • 02/06/2023 21:06

     My, how you've grown! Video taken at 17.43 which is 52.5 hours after hatching at 13.08

  • 03/06/2023 13:32

    Friday 2nd June Louis delivers a second fish at 19.12.42, headless trout. There's a sound of machinery in the background, the birds aren't too bothered - it's just the forestry workers who look after Arkaig Community forest.

  • 03/06/2023 13:34

    Friday 2nd June 23.44.33 Dorcha's midnight snack disturbs sleepy bob 23.44.33

  • 03/06/2023 13:41

    There is a faint mark on the egg seen on night cam, but not a pip. I think young solo will have the undivided attention of the adults.

  • 03/06/2023 13:45

    04.19.01 Louis arrives early with fish number one but Dorcha's just finished off the remains of last night's whopper so isn't interested. Bob also got a feed from the old one so isn't begging. Louis proceeds to tuck in before departing with his fish at 04.23.