LOCH ARKAIG - THE WOODLAND TRUST - March 2023 to February 2024

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

  • Intruders around! Who's trying to touchdown on the nest, Louis or an intruder Osprey? 18.15

  • Fish supper - third and final fish today, headless trout 20.46.55

  • Nest One 21.10

    Affric departs for the night having called in vain for fish. Beautiful clouds in the setting sun.

  • Please nominate Woodland Trust for a chance of obtaining a £5,000 grant from Benefact Trust. The more nominations received, the better the chance of winning one of ten £5k grants. Very simple form to fill in, no sign up required.


    We are an international family of specialist financial services companies that give all available profits to charity and good causes. The Movement for Good Awards is our annual programme of giving. This year we’ll be giving over £1million to charities and good causes – with your help. You can nominate a registered charity, not-for-profit organisation or community interest company in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man . One nomination per charity, per person. The more nominations a charity gets, the greater their chances of winning, so spread the word!

    Woodland Trust Scotland charity number is SC038885, or just type Woodland Trust in the charity name box and the first two selections are WT England and WT Scotland.

    https://climate.movementforgood.com/

  • Daily summary Monday 17th July 2023

    Light rain through the night gave way to a damp and overcast dawn which didn't stop Louis bringing an early breakfast and a further two fish to the nest, taking his tally to 274. Affric was out of luck again on Nest One as Garry didn't bring any fish for her but as she had a full crop, she's obviously feeding well, just not in cam view. Both nests experienced disturbance when RAF jets came flying noisily past, however Dorcha was seriously alarmed by a gunshot very near the nest which caused her to fly away and the chick to pancake. No harm was done and LY7 got on with the business of strengthening his wings, flapping away vigorously disturbing some of the little songbirds who visited the nest. He looked a little precarious hopping over to the edge and peering down at the void, but it was Dorcha with an unwieldy stick who nearly sent him overboard!
  • Name that chick! Voting now open!

    Following hundreds of suggestions our judges have come up with five contenders for the name of this year's chick:

    Darach which is Gaelic for oak.

    Hector was put forward by patients at the local hospital in Fort William who watch the livestream during kidney dialysis.

    Ludo combines the names of our chick's parents - Louis and Dorcha.

    Murray is in honour of Scotland's famous tennis dynasty - mother and sons!

    Shooglenifty is in honour of the music group of that name, whose late leader was fiddler Angus R Grant who grew up at Caol near Loch Arkaig.

    Use this link to cast your single vote: 

    https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=11126397

    Voting is open until Wednesday.

  • Blast from the past: Three years ago today, Doddie (JJ6) took the great leap of faith and found his wings.

    Here's that moment, 06.13.29 on 18th July 2020, set to Chopin from my Classic Ospreys series.

  • 04.39.41 Breakfast is served - eventually! Louis does a flypast and quick circuit before landing.

    Fish number one, whole trout

  • 12.01.35 Fish number two, medium headless trout  

  • 15.01 Helicoptering!

    LY7 gets high! Proper helicopter!