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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

  • 20/08/2023 13:19

    Nest One

    Garry LV0 makes a fleeting appearance - I zoomed in, and also slowed down during his two seconds on the nest

    The full sequence:

    08.51.32 someone on Stick Tree - another bird approaches, first one flies off towards the nest, second one perches on Stick Tree.

    First Osprey turns out to be Garry LV0, ring seen as he approaches the nest

    08.53.06 Garry touches down briefly, and is off again in two seconds, flies back towards the loch, past Stick Tree where the second Osprey is still perched

    Garry disappears against the green belt of trees, reappears, circles round to the left

    08.53.26 Second Osprey leaves Stick Tree, both seen flying, lovely aerial scenes

  • 20/08/2023 13:35

    13.14.26 Fish number two, another mackerel

    Ludo seen flying under the nest before arriving one second before Louis bringing his lunch.

    13.14.31 Louis departs

  • 20/08/2023 22:29

    16.43.11 Fish number three, live flatfish. Louis does another lightning fast handover and leaves. Ludo looks at the flapping fish.

  • 20/08/2023 23:12

    Fish number four, live flatfish 17.37.05

    17.37.05 Louis arrives with fish number four, another live flatfish.

    Ludo is still busy with fish number three, and ignores it, just looks at it, and carries on with his fish as Louis departs, leaving it lying there untouched

    18.46.21 Ludo flies off with the remains of fish 3 - fish 4 is left lying face up on the nest

  • 20/08/2023 23:14

    18.52.52 A Jay pops up on the nest with his family chattering away in the background.

    Back again fleetingly a minute later with all sorts of strange calls heard, presumably from juvenile Jays

    18:56:20 The Jay returns, glances at the untouched flatfish and departs.

  • 21/08/2023 00:42

    Blast from the past - this day in 2019 was the last time we saw Mallie JJ0

  • 21/08/2023 00:43
    Daily summary Sunday 20th August 2023

    Louis is back to his efficient best and continues to supply Ludo LY7 with fish, delivering four to the nest today which takes the tally to 386. However, Ludo was full from the previous three, and totally ignored the fourth fish, leaving it untouched on the nest. Even a visiting Jay ignored it, but will Ludo want it tomorrow morning? There was interesting action on Nest One this morning when an Osprey chased Garry LV0 off Stick Tree and perched there itself while Garry flew over to the nest for the briefest of touchdowns before he and the other Osprey put on a bit of an aerial display seen distantly via the nest cam. Was the other Osprey Prince? Will Ludo's unwanted fish still be on Nest Two or will the Hoodie cleaning crew get there first? With luck, we'll get the answers tomorrow.
  • 21/08/2023 10:59

    Blast from the past - this day last year, Sarafina flew with fish for the first time. She was very pleased with herself and zoomed about in front of the nest flying backwards and forwards shrieking with excitement. Set to Schubert's Impromptu no. 4.

  • 21/08/2023 17:07

    The Hoodies missed out, yesterday's fish four has been available for more than twelve hours.

    06:26.31 Ludo LY7 arrives for his breakfast, calling loudly. He grabs the untouched flatfish from yesterday

    06.45 He tucks in enthusiastically after waiting for a while

    07:10.00 Ludo flies off with the flatfish to the Scots Pine tree (zoomed)

    07:12.19 Ludo leaves the Scots Pine

  • 21/08/2023 17:09

    09.11.08 Louis arrives with fish number one, a whole mackerel.

    Ludo's heard calling and should have come get that and leave his old flatfish, but doesn't.

    09.18.09 Louis departs with the fish

    I zoomed in as it's an unusual treat to see Louis on the nest for such a long time