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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

  • 29/06/2023 11:25
    Daily summary Wednesday 28th June 2023

    A fascinating day trying to puzzle out the triangular goings-on on Nest One - Garry arrived early and did a bit of tidying, returned when Affric arrived but left her calling for a marathon five hours without responding with fish, then returned much later for another little session of tidying. Prince wasn't seen on the nest, however local resident LizB spotted three Ospreys over her house, was one of them Prince? Was that why Garry didn't bring fish? The situation on Nest Two is much more straightforward - the chick continues to grow apace, Dorcha is spending a little more time away from the nest and causing chaos with sticks on her return, and Louis the fabulous fisherbird keeps providing well for his family, raising the tally to 210 with three fish deliveries. The day ended with an unexpected visitor, a Short-Eared Owl, dropping in to Nest One in the gloom just before night cam switched over.
  • 29/06/2023 11:44

    Thursday 29th June  04.33.12 Nice early breakfast for the family. Fish number one, headless BT.

    Louis doesn't stay long and departs at 04:33:52

  • 29/06/2023 11:50

    Nest One 05.59 Garry (LV0) arrives with a stick, does a little tidying before departing at 06.01

  • 29/06/2023 12:38

    Nest One 06.13 Affric arrives, Garry follows, coy-mantling. He does a little nest tidying then flies to Stick Tree and perches. Affric stays behind fish calling.

  • 29/06/2023 13:21

    Nest One09.48  Affric rejects Garry's advances, stays until a stick falls

    Garry is persistent. His nest, his female. He thinks! More fish for her, and less of Prince around for him, is what's needed before he'll achieve his wish.

  • 29/06/2023 13:40

    10.16.33  Open beak - squeak - gulp - repeat! Fish number two being eaten by the chick

  • 29/06/2023 13:54 in reply to Geemeff

    I'm checking in after far too long an absence!  Thanks for all your work, GEEMEFF - lovely roundup for the 28th - and I would have said the owl was a "funny-looking Tawny", that's how much I know if they're not Tawnies or Barn Owls or Great Horned/Eagle Owls... or, come to think of it, Western Screech... or Burrowing...

    Oh!  Not bad, actually Grin

    Anyway, it's lovely to see Louis & Dorcha and younster all well.

    IMAGICAT

  • 30/06/2023 09:46 in reply to Geemeff

    Thank you so  much for all your hard work making the videos  Geemeff. Much appreciated

  • 30/06/2023 10:33 in reply to Cirrus
    Unknown said:

    Thank you so  much for all your hard work making the videos  Geemeff. Much appreciated

    My pleasure - I'm really enjoying watching young solo's progress towards fledging.. and am totally fascinated with the threesome on Nest One, looking like Garry's coming out on top, but we'll see. 

    Sorry I'm always playing catch up, just a really busy time for me right now and I tend to fall asleep once I've posted the daily report on WT forum so end up posting some videos a day late here. Can do better..must try harder.. echoes of school days!

  • 30/06/2023 10:43 in reply to scylla

    scylla said:

    I'm checking in after far too long an absence!  Thanks for all your work, GEEMEFF - lovely roundup for the 28th - and I would have said the owl was a "funny-looking Tawny", that's how much I know if they're not Tawnies or Barn Owls or Great Horned/Eagle Owls... or, come to think of it, Western Screech... or Burrowing...

    Oh!  Not bad, actually

    Anyway, it's lovely to see Louis & Dorcha and younster all well.

    nd bo

    I thought it was a Tawny but luckily there are people who know about these things! I wonder how many other species are out there, just not paid any courtesy calls yet. Eagle owls stay away please - I once flew one at a raptor experience day I was given as a birthday present. Huge - and heavy! had to hold my arm out and boy, did I battle to keep it steady when the owl landed to get her food reward. Such a thrill when she swivelled her head and looked me full in the eye.

    Thank you for all your work keeping a myriad of other nests recorded and up to date, Scylla. Don't know how you do it!