Welcome to Loch Arkaig Ospreys season 8
Will Louis and Dorcha return to Nest 2?
Will someone take up residence in Nest 1?
Will any of Louis' chicks with Aila and Dorcha be sighted?
2024 season:
Louis arrived on Thursday 28th March at 15.18.38
Dorcha arrived on Saturday 30th March at 14.21.27
They reunited on Saturday 30th March at 16.13.37
First egg laid on Sunday 14th March at 11.13.48 Congratulations!!
Second egg laid on Wednesday 17th March at 05.55.52
Dorcha is injured in an eagle attack on Friday 19th April at 11.08
Third egg laid on Saturday 20th April at 02.26.08
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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
Link to 2023 thread:
https://community.rspb.org.uk/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/f/loch-garten-ospreys/282446/loch-arkaig---the-woodland-trust---march-2023-to-february-2024
Brief history of the nests:
Congratulations on the 2nd egg this morning 05.55
There is so much going on between these two nests Geemeff, I don’t know how you keep track of it all, your updates/videos/photos and extra bonus videos for us to watch. Thank you.
I'm beginning to wonder myself! (helps )
Not now Louis! Off he goes, and seconds later, egg number two appears (zoomed)
05.55.16 Louis arrives and attempts mating. Dorcha isn't impressed and he flies away.
05.55.52 She moves a couple of times and stands up to reveal the second egg! Congratulations!
Great, and another one
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
N1: 15.06.35 Garry LV0 arrives bringing fish. He stands looking around for a few moments, but no one comes for it.
15.10.23 He departs with his fish
15:35:07 Finally, Louis arrives with fish for Dorcha, a headless Brown Trout.
After a quick nibble, she seizes it in a beakhold and flies off with it dangling precariously. That's it for fish today.
18.07.48 Affric calls for fish but Garry makes a mating attempt instead, which is rejected. He flies off, comes in again, but veers off last minute and flies off
18.09.25 He returns with a large branch, and he and Affric work together to place it in a good spot. No sight of One-ring or Prince today
Amazing drone footage on Instagram: gives an absolutely stunning bird's eye view of Nest Two:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C53rwoaIGu2/
or if you prefer TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@woodland_trust/video/7358422112761040160
Daily summary Wednesday 17th April 2024Eggactly on time, three days after the first egg, Dorcha produced the second egg at dawn today. Louis appeared unaware of its imminent arrival, and attempted mating, but she just shrugged him off and got on with it. Louis was on and off the nest after that, taking his turn at incubation, but like yesterday, delivered only one fish to the nest today so the tally only rises to forty one. A fish was also delivered to Nest One, which saw a stream of comings and goings but only by Affric 152 and Garry LV0, no sighting of either Prince or One-ring today. Affric wasn't around when he brought the fish so he took it away again, but later when she called for fish, he attempted mating instead, was rejected, then flew off and returned with a branch. Interestingly, she then helped him place the branch and they did a bit of nest prep together before departing separately. That nest is looking very cosy with plenty of cot rails and soft mossy furnishings. Woodland Trust have released stunning drone footage of Nest Two - link below - taken before the birds returned, and the Nest One footage will follow soon. A mild night is forecast for tonight, with light rain and light winds.Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 21.51.01 (05.07.55); Nest Two 21.56.27 (05.24.04)Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/SGa5_hOLmmg The second egg arrives! 05.55.52 (zoom)https://youtu.be/oJc06aWLkAg N1: Garry LV0 brings fish but no one comes for it 15.06.35https://youtu.be/EsbqRINSJp4 Louis brings fish number one and only, headless BT 15:35:07https://youtu.be/DUPOg7KJH_U N1: Affric calls for fish but Garry brings a branch 18.07.48Bonus watch - drone footage gives an absolutely amazing bird's eye view of Nest Two:https://www.instagram.com/p/C53rwoaIGu2/Blast from the past, this day in previous years:https://youtu.be/d3Y9CGoYsvY Bold Hoodie takes advantage of Aila's absence 2020https://youtu.be/UPtm4jmy9Zo Louis finally manages to subdue a tricky stick 2021https://youtu.be/mZYG9XNCof8 How to tell Louis & Dorcha apart 2022https://youtu.be/N-kTPwBCeQs Louis coy-mantles over his fish then departs with it 2022https://youtu.be/NIeUiK4R_r8 Noisy helicopter gets Louis & Dorcha's attention 2023https://youtu.be/GITGVoOkg2o Hercules caught on both nest cams 2023 (split-screen zoom)https://youtu.be/n974C1G3zig Moody cloudy sunset seen on Cam Two 2023 (time lapse)
Nest One
08.18.01 A bird is seen flying in from the left. Zoomed in it's seen to be Garry LV0 carrying a fish coming in to land on the nest
08.18.44 A Hooded Crow appears in the branches on the left of the nest
08.18.54 A second Hoodie flies in and perches on the centre perch, eyes the fish
08.19.14 Garry turns towards it and it flies off the perch, but only into the branches where the first one is - Garry keeps a close watch
08.20.40 One flies away 08.20.48 The other Hoodie flies up onto the centre perc, stared at by Garry just inches away
08.21.02 The Hoodie flies away
08.22.50 Garry departs with his fish
10am Nest Two - nothing untoward during the night, just a couple of squirt breaks and a wing-flap or two. Two lovely eggs gleaming white in the infra-red of night cam
No fish yet this morning, Louis has been in to incubate and bring sticks, Dorcha would like a fish and has chuntered softly at him. The wind's picked up and it's raining lightly