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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

  • 10/08/2023 00:56

    15.25 Ludo watches a parent chasing an intruder (zoom)

  • 10/08/2023 00:56


    Finally! The wonderful sight of Louis, bringing fish just as if he hadn't given us a scare by going missing.

    Fish number one, whole trout 19.25.19

  • 10/08/2023 00:57


    20.51.38 Fish number two, lively flatfish - Dorcha gets it. Ludo is there waiting but squeaks and stands back, and Dorcha swoops in, grabs it and goes! 

    This is fish number 350 for Louis for this season so far. Dorcha has brought ONE!

  • 10/08/2023 00:57

    Daily summary Wednesday 9th August 2023

    Well, what a relief to see Louis safe and well after an absence of nearly 28 hours! It's been a busy day chasing intruders, lots of distant flying action seen, with both Ludo LY7 and Dorcha mantling on the nest but no sign of Louis. When he finally arrived in the early evening with the first fish of the day, he was looking well and even had a bit of a rounded crop. Ludo got that fish, and when Louis brought a second fish an hour and a half later, Dorcha swooped in to take it and made off with it leaving Ludo protesting on the nest. Those two fish took Louis' tally to 350 and the total to 351 including Dorcha's single contribution. Nest One saw Garry LV0 bringing a duvet of moss to add to the already generous furnishings, but as ever, Affric 152 would rather have had fish.

  • 10/08/2023 23:36

    Nest One No Ospreys yet just two songbirds 07.08

  • 10/08/2023 23:39

    05.21.06 Louis arrives with fish number one, a headless trout

    Ludo arrives two seconds later and grabs it.

    05.21.13 Louis departs

    05.29.43 Ludo departs with his fish

  • 10/08/2023 23:41

    05.52.22 Fish number two, a headless trout. Louis arrived so quickly after the first fish at 05.21 that this one nearly went unnoticed. But sharp eyes on the forum noticed, and Ludo LY7 certainly noticed - he dashed over and got it.

  • 10/08/2023 23:43

    Fish number three, whole trout  - someone is fish calling in the background as he approaches the nest

    06.39.00  Louis lands, stands there, starts alarm chipping

    06.39.21 Louis departs with the fish, alarm calling

    06.39.30 Dorcha arrives

    06.39.39 Louis returns and Dorcha grabs it from him. He releases it and leaves immediately

    06.39.45 Dorcha leaves with the fish

  • 10/08/2023 23:44

    Fish number four has a three-second handover from Louis to Dorcha

    12.02.14 Dorcha lands, calling

    12.02.32 Louis arrives with fish number four, a headless trout

    12.02.35 Dorcha grabs it in a precarious beak hold and flies off rapidly

    12.02.37 Louis departs

  • 10/08/2023 23:47

    Nest One 16.21 Unringed Osprey buzzes Garry & Affric - is it Prince?  I slowed where he's most visible, and zoomed.