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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

  • 19/08/2023 13:01
    Saturday 19th August

    Hooray! A fish for Ludo!

    Louis landed with a mackerel at 11.48.05 and left two seconds later at 11.48.07
  • 20/08/2023 00:30 in reply to Glider
    Glider said:
    Ludo did an amazing job defending his nest yesterday!

    Yes he did! Ludo acted like a proper grown-up Osprey - and he had to keep it up through at least three attacks, as he was also bombarded off-nest on his perch tree, we're told. So not only didn't he get any food, but he had to expend a lot of energy screaming, mantling, and flying around.

    Good thing Louis has kept him very well fed, and being a singleton, he's full of confidence and vigour.

  • 20/08/2023 00:33

    Fish number one, whole mackerel 11.48.05

    Great news that Louis is back and unharmed, and that was a two-second handover!

    11.48.05 Louis landed

    11.48.07 Louis departed

  • 20/08/2023 00:35

    13.37.57 Louis arrives with fish number two, a whole and very lively flatfish. Another two second handover from Louis to Ludo!

    13.37.59 Louis departs leaving Ludo to deal with the lively flatfish

  • 20/08/2023 00:37

    14.50 Ludo departs with his barely-touched flatfish, and flies off to the Scots Pine. He has to flap like mad to stay perched. I zoomed in as close as possible.

    He stays for a little while before realising he might lose his fish in the wind, and takes off, circling round behind the green belt to the left.

    Hope he held on to it until he found a more sheltered perch.

  • 20/08/2023 00:38

    15.27.21 Ludo arrives, squeaking, Louis follows a few seconds later.

    15.27.38 Fish number three, a whole smallish trout. Quite a feat as local resident LizB reports the loch is choppy and there are even a few waterspouts - well done Louis!

    15.27.42 Louis departs - four second handover this time

    16.30.30 Ludo departs

  • 20/08/2023 00:42

    17.36.40 Fish number four! Another flatfish - Ludo arrives two seconds earlier and grabs it from Louis. But gets Louis' leg first in his eagerness!

    17.36.44 Louis makes his escape off the nest

  • 20/08/2023 00:44

    20.23.45 Dyson the Hoodie pops up on the nest and Ludo jumps down from the cam post to get rid of him.

    But not for long - cheeky Hoodie returns

    20.26.04 ...and brings a friend! A second Hoodie pops up

    20.26.11 Ludo lunges down off the high perch and drives them off

    20.27 Battle continues, lots of flying and hopping on and off the nest

    20.27.45 Ludo is just glimpsed in the top left of screen as he sweeps past after clearing out the Hoodies

  • 20/08/2023 00:45

    Daily summary Saturday 19th August 2023

    Today saw the welcome return of Louis after an unprecedented absence of more than two days. And as if making up for disappointing his offspring, he delivered four fish to Ludo LY7, taking the tally to 382. No sighting of Dorcha since 6am on Thursday, so we wish her fair winds and plenty of fish on her migration journey, and look forward to her safe return next April. Meantime we get to enjoy the company of Ludo and Louis for a little longer before Dyson and crew get the nest all to themselves.

    No activity on Nest One except for a little songbird paying a fleeting visit 19.10 (zoomed) 

  • 20/08/2023 13:17

    08.08.56 Ludo LY7 jumps down from the perch fish calling

    08.09.31 Louis lands with fish number one, a whole mackerel

    Ludo grabs Louis’ foot first then lets go and picks up the fish as Louis makes his escape