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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

  • 28/08/2023 08:44
    Daily summary Sunday 27th August 2023

    Even the Hoodies didn't bother to turn up today, the nests are silent and the fish tally closes for the season at 396. Thoughts turn to the hazardous journey the family is undertaking along with several hundred other UK Ospreys. Tonight's bonus read, written by George, gives the facts about migration as we currently understand them. Researchers in the field such as Dr Tim Mackrill and explorers like Sacha Dench and her Flight of the Osprey expedition are adding to the bigger picture but there are still many mysteries to unravel. Citizen scientists like us nest cam watchers are playing our part too - George kindly gave permission for our fish stats to be used in a book about Ospreys as that Project doesn't have a nest cam. The author is Simon Curtis of Belvoir Osprey Project, and the book due out in January will also feature photographs of Aila & Louis. I'll post the link as soon as it's available.
  • 28/08/2023 12:56
    Sad moment realising they have gone especially for you who has laboured over following the nests to share with us all .... many thanks Geemeff for all your hard work, very much appreciated!
  • 28/08/2023 14:35
    I agree Wendy. Geemeff's incredible work is much appreciated! Thanks Geemeff!
  • 28/08/2023 14:35
    I agree Wendy. Geemeff's incredible work is much appreciated! Thanks Geemeff!
  • 28/08/2023 23:33 in reply to Lisa K

    Me too, you go above and beyond passing on so many fabulous videos and detailed information. You deserve a Star2 Geemeff, thank you.

  • 29/08/2023 00:43 in reply to WendyBartter
    WendyBartter said:
    Sad moment realising they have gone especially for you who has laboured over following the nests to share with us all .... many thanks Geemeff for all your hard work, very much appreciated!

    Thank you Wendy, it's a labour of love. Bittersweet waving them goodbye but absolutely thrilled they're living their lives as they ought - wild and free.

    Working on my season's highlights video now, problem is, what to leave out?!

  • 29/08/2023 00:49 in reply to Glider
    Glider said:

    Me too, you go above and beyond passing on so many fabulous videos and detailed information. You deserve a   Geemeff, thank you.

    Lisa K said:
    I agree Wendy. Geemeff's incredible work is much appreciated! Thanks Geemeff!

    Thank you Lisa and Glider! What a rollercoaster of a season, and in the end we had our lovely Ludo.

    Perhaps we'll have chicks on both nests next year!

  • 29/08/2023 00:53

    28th August 2023:

    Blast from the past this day in previous years - Rannoch's baby panda moment (2019) and the final sighting of Willow (2022)

  • 29/08/2023 00:54

    Dyson the Hoodie pays a visit 06.21

  • 29/08/2023 00:55

    09.54 Dyson returns but still no luck - no more fish until next year!