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:
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
Fish number two, whole mackerel 14.12.58
Fish number three, whole trout 17.27.43
A sweet scene as Dorcha feeds Ludo 18.30 (zoomed)
Ludo flies away mid-call swooping about as the sun sets 20.59 (zoomed)
Daily summary Saturday 5th August 2023
After a calm night with a little light rain, the weather improved for a bit then the rain returned. Not huge downpours, but enough to keep the area wet throughout the day and remind us why it's called a rain forest. Louis had no problems fishing and delivered three fish to the nest, taking the tally to 338, but over on Nest One, Affric was impatient with Garry only bringing nesting materials. There were a few alarms and Ludo stopped fish-calling to watch a parent chase an intruder near the nest across the cam view. He only got one of today's fish but mum Dorcha came to the rescue and fed him beak to beak from one she'd claimed earlier.
Blast from the past - on this day last year Willow flew with fish for the first time
https://youtu.be/6t8IstQ6j1U
Morning mist doesn't stop Louis! Fish number one, headless trout arrives at 05.14.33, and Ludo is waiting
Ludo is startled off the nest by Dorcha who then steals his fish 05.41
09.35.26 Fish number two, big headless brown trout - Ludo again! he grabs it and Louis departs
10.04.36 Fish number three, huge whole trout, is grabbed by Ludo and Dorcha takes her time before taking fish two off him instead
10.57.40 Louis brings fish number four, a live trout. Luckily for the trout, Ludo is so full and is surrounded by a huge headless fish plus several large scraps so ignores it.
11.12.19 Louis releases the now-dead fourth trout from his talons, leaves it on the nest, and departs circling around the nest area a few times before heading off west along the loch
11.22.14 Ludo departs leaving both fish on the nest