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
A final fish arrives at 16.43.59, only two today.
Monday ends with another spectacular sunset seen from cam 2, I did a time-lapse (Two 19.58-20.31).
Not a lot of action on the nest on Tuesday, it's a waiting game for the first egg - due 22nd??
A Coal Tit visited, two fish were delivered, and Louis wrestled with a stubborn stick with another spectacular sunset behind him.
06:54:16 Coal Tit sings merrily on and off the nest
First and second fish - the first one is a very late first fish at 12.39.39 but although Dorcha arrives seconds after Louis, she makes no move to take it, and he flies off with it. Has she been fed off-nest? That's possible, otherwise she would have been screaming for fish very loudly, and seized it the moment it arrived.
19.33.46 No such delay on the second fish!
Louis subdues a stubborn stick 19.40.15
Osprey Love Island! Lurid headline in the Glasgow Standard, but I noted their photos are quite tame!
Osprey Love Island as Loch Arkaig mating pair catches attention of eagle-eyed birdwatchers
https://glasgowstandard.com/2023/04/17/cncj-osprey-return-to-loch-arkaig/
06.22.17 Fish number one arrives, a headless trout. Dorcha just watches, and finally makes a move to take it from Louis at 06.35
Dorcha is harassed by a Hoodie. https://youtu.be/9O8JWeQEXeE 18.04.28
19.43.25 Louis brings a fish finally, whole trout. Very lively one. Fish number two
19.45.51 She departs with it.