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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

  • 16/07/2023 15:00

    Sunday 16th July 2023 07.16

    LY7 hunts for scraps and has a nibble of the rotten egg. 10+ weeks old rotten egg - yum! I zoomed in on the nibble. He quickly left the egg and did a few wing flaps, then went back and started poking around for scraps - carefully avoiding the egg this time.

  • 16/07/2023 15:02

    08.39.52  Breakfast! Fish number one, whole trout

  • 16/07/2023 15:03

    12.48.37 Fish number two arrives, headless whopper trout

    12.48.57 Dorcha departs, return19 seconds later. LY7 moves over towards Louis with the fish

    12.49.44 Dorcha takes the fish, starts feeding herself and LY7

  • 17/07/2023 08:31

    The infertile egg is finally crushed by LY7! 07.07 & 12.59  

    The egg is finally got rid of - the final process started started at 07.07 when it was picked up in LY7's foot, then continued at 12.59 when he stood on it. When he moves away at 13.00, only a small white flat splodge is visible

  • 17/07/2023 08:33

    Sunday 16th Nest One  13.49 Good to see Garry LV0 after three day's absence! Affric's on the nest and starts fish-calling - Garry appears but he's got moss, not fish.

  • 17/07/2023 08:35

    Sunday 16th July Nest One Affric and Garry check out an intruder threat near Nest One. Intruder's not seen on camera.

    16.13.42 Affric's on the nest when Garry LV0 returns with moss

    16.14.02 He alarm chips and both he and Affric mantle over the nest looking skywards for the next few minutes then remain alert - the cause of the threat isn't seen

    16.21.37 Garry LV0 leaves

    16.43.36 Affric 152 leaves, isn't seen again today

  • 17/07/2023 08:40

    Sunday 16th July Nest One Garry LV0 brings moss and does some nest work

    16.46.09 Garry returns with more moss and does some nest cupping.

    17.18.08 Garry departs for the night

  • 17/07/2023 08:42

    Sunday 16th July 20.14.15 Louis brings a final fish - fish number three, headless Silver Tourist

  • 17/07/2023 08:42

    Daily summary Sunday 16th July 2023

    Today saw the return of Garry LV0 to Nest One after an absence of three days, but although Affric called for fish, he preferred to bring moss and refurbish the nest instead. Louis however carried out his usual fisherbird role expertly and brought three fish to the nest, taking the tally to 271. Dorcha seemed to get most of the fish as LY7 was more interested in exercising those big wings and practising hopping ready for the nest stage of helicoptering before the grand lift off into the world. He tried a nibble of the unfertilised egg, then proceeded to crush it underfoot, finally reducing it to an unrecognisable white splodge.

  • 17/07/2023 09:24

    Twelve Scottish Osprey chicks have arrived at Marjal de Oliva-Pego in Spain, part of a translocation project run by Roy Dennis. The lady quoted in the news item, Itziar Colodro, a member of the Migres Foundation, is the same person who tried to get the Spanish utility companies to properly maintain their power lines after Loch Arkaig 2017 JH3 Pean was electrocuted on one in 2019. Pean was from a neighbouring nest to JH4 Lachlan, Louis & Aila's first chick.

    Good luck to these twelve, hope they settle and prosper..

    https://euroweeklynews.com/2023/07/15/twelve-scottish-osprey-chicks-arrive-in-pego/