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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

  • 24/08/2023 18:09

    WOW! Amazing! Fabulous fisherbird Louis brings three fish in 21 minutes and 30 seconds!

    06.00.34 Fish number one, whole small trout
    06.00.39 Louis departs

    06.08.22 Fish number two, small whole trout (7 mins 43 secs after F1)
    06.08.27 Louis departs

    06.22.04 Fish number three, small live whole trout (13 mins 37 secs after F2)
    06.22.41 Louis departs

  • 24/08/2023 18:21

    Oh no! Ludo loses his fish to a Hoodie!

    12.24.04 Fish number four, half flatfish - but Ludo doesn't keep it for long!

    Both Louis and Ludo arrive at the same time. Louis brings a headless flatfish. Ludo mantles over fish

    Louis departs alarm-calling which spooks Ludo who then leaves without the fish

    12.24.24 In a flash Dyson appears picks up fish and flies away with it.

    12.24.51 Ludo flies back over but too late to recover the fish, saw it was gone and flew off again - to chivvy dad for another fish.

    12.25.15 Ludo returns fish calling!

  • 24/08/2023 18:27

    Fish number five, live whole monster trout 13.24.15

    Poor thing is still gasping long after Ludo's started tearing into to it

  • 24/08/2023 22:17

    Up close with the Hoodies - too close for Ludo's comfort 15.27  

    Ludo is vigilant as two Hoodies surround him, they'd like his fish and move around the sides and edges of the nest

    15.27.45-51 one of the Hoodies seems to clean the camera lens a bit before flying down in front of the camera

    15.28.29 Dyson walks past the other Hoodie to get up onto the nest - Ludo flaps his wings at him and he flew off nearly face planting onto the nest cam

    15.29.26 The last Hoodie finally leaves, and Ludo remains on the nest guarding his fish

  • 24/08/2023 22:21

    Fish number six, headless trout 15.50.26 (zoom)

    Six fish is a lot for one bird - but it's not going to one bird though - the entire Crow family is benefiting from Louis' hard work. Something has kicked him into overdrive, but I wish Ludo would eat instead of yelling. Makes for great viewing though. Dorcha could have done with a bumper day before she left!

  • 24/08/2023 22:23

    Ludo leaves with his fish as the Hoodies move in 19.06

    Good idea for Ludo to leave with his fish - this pair look different, more determined - they moved in instantly

  • 24/08/2023 22:25

    Little bird on Dorcha's perch 19.19 I zoomed in but it's backlit by the setting sun. Chaffinch?

  • 24/08/2023 22:56 in reply to Geemeff
    Yes, looks like a chaffinch to me Geemeff. Thumbsup

    Like you say, that is some amount of fish Louis is catching for one bird! No wonder the hoodie population is thriving!!
  • 24/08/2023 23:09

    10.46 The Crow family hoover up all the fish - there goes Louis' hard work!

    10.46 A Hoodie hops up on the empty nest, quickly followed by others

    10.49.16 A Jay appears bottom right

    10.49.31 The Jay scares away one Hoodie

    10:50 54 Sweet family moment as a Hoodie feeds its young one on the nest

    10.54.45 - Dyson took the remains of the flat fish off nest!

    10.55 And just like that, all Louis' hard work disappears as the Hoodies leave with the fish!

    All gone!

    Louis should have eaten one of those fish, instead of feeding the Hoodie family

  • 25/08/2023 00:06
    Daily summary Thursday 24th August 2023

    Fish, fish, and more fish - six of them to be precise! And everybody on Nest Two benefitted - Ludo and the entire Crow family, who even fed their juvenile beak to beak on the nest. Louis possibly didn't appreciate his hard work going to the Hoodies, but it didn't stop him delivering more fish than Ludo realistically could eat. The tally rises to 396 and the 400 barrier is very close but nothing can be taken for granted in these topsy turvy times before the last of our family leave on migration. No activity on Nest One, and the day ended on Nest Two with a little bird spending a few moments on Dorcha's perch.