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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 23:56

    16.47.12 Fish number five, big headless trout.

    Louis waits patiently until his noisy offspring arrives to claim it.

  • 11/08/2023 00:00

    Daily summary Thursday 10th August 2023

    Fish galore today! Louis seems to be making up for his temporary absence, and brought four fish before lunch. He added a further one later to take the tally to 356, and next door at Nest One, Garry LV0 brought a good size fish for Affric 152. However she didn't have time to enjoy it as an unringed Osprey did a direct flyover of the nest, causing both of them to mantle and alarm call. The jury's still out on whether or not it was Prince, Affric's official partner. Night cam switched over early tonight, breaking the 10pm barrier for the first time which means that it'll soon be time for the family to start leaving on migration.

    Blast from the past - on this day last year, we saw Garry LV0 for the first time when he intruded on Sarafina and Willow on Nest Two. We couldn't read his ring at the time, but he kept returning and we finally got him ID'd as LV0 from nearby Loch Garry.

  • 12/08/2023 08:34

    Friday 11th August 07.48.42

    Fish number one, whole trout - Ludo flies in just ahead of Louis and grabs it

  • 12/08/2023 08:36

    Friday 11th 12.17.33 Fish number two, headless trout

    Dorcha's on the nest ready and waiting

  • 12/08/2023 08:38

    Friday 11th Nest One 12.48

    Affric and Garry together on the nest looking quite cosy but no fish for her. What is going on with these two, is Prince feeding her on the Bunarkaig nest? 

  • 12/08/2023 08:41

    Friday 11th 13.24 Dorcha arrives with her leftover fish for Ludo  but gets her foot grabbed by Ludo. I zoomed in on the action.

  • 12/08/2023 08:42

    Friday 11th 17.28 Hoodie looks for scraps as soon as Ludo leaves (zoomed)

  • 12/08/2023 08:45

    Friday 11th 18.47.46 Louis arrives with the final fish of the day.

    Fish number three is a whole trout, Ludo jumps down from the high fish to take it

  • 12/08/2023 08:47
    Daily summary Friday 11th August 2023

    Wet weather didn't stop Louis fishing, he brought three fish to the nest today taking the tally to 359. Dorcha got one of them and attempted to share it with Ludo but he grabbed her foot instead. Dyson the Hoodie had a good root around and managed to find some fish scraps, but no luck for Affric over on Nest One, no fish was forthcoming although she and Garry are looking cosy together despite an unexpected visit from Affric's (former?) partner Prince yesterday.
  • 13/08/2023 01:55

    Saturday 12th  Nest One Affric and Garry pay a dawn visit 05.30

    05.30.10 Affric arrives

    05.3.110 Garry arrives

    05.31.20 Garry departs

    05.51.09 Affric starts fish-calling

    05.54.09 Affric departs