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:
10.57.09 Affric152 is on the nest, calling - Garry LV0 arrives bringing her a fish, a whole trout
10.57.38 Affric takes off with the fish, Garry stays and does a bit of nestorising
11.04.59 Garry als0 leaves
12.39 Garry is on the nest with Affric and has been coy-mantling for some time
He stops coy-mantling and attempts mating with Affric, no success
12.40 he departs, she remains
15:47:17 As soon as Louis brings fish number two, a headless Brown Trout, Dorcha does a grab and go and flies off with it
16.02 Nest One: Very ill-tempered mating encounter between Affric 152 & Prince unpicked:
16.02.16 Affric 152 lands with a fish
16.02.19 swings around looking angry, Osprey feet come into view above her
16.02.20 Prince lands
16.02.43 Prince flies up and lands on her back attempting to mate, she doesn't actively resist but hangs her head low to the ground
16.03.12 he flies off and up 16.03.20 lands for another go, same as before
16.03.36 he leans down and nips her head with his beak, tries again, same result
16.03.49 Leans down, grabs her head, pulls her backwards into the centre of the nest, she resists, flaps her wings and squeaks
16.03.53 He flies off and away up out of cam view
16.03.57 She flies off to the left towards the solar panels
16.03.59 He appears and chases her, they fly between the solar panels and Pole Tree then swing to the right and fly above the knoll to the right and out of sight by the big WT logo
Absolutely fascinating! He attacked her a couple of days ago too - what on earth is going on??
16.24.52 A bird shoots past the nest - in super slo-mo, it's seen to be a female chaffinch coming very close to the camera.
(real time with super slo-mo repeat)
Nest One 17.34.34 Garry LV0 lands with another big headless fish
17.53.10 gives a quick squirt onto the nest and departs with his fish, Affric's fish is still there
21.13.52 A fish supper arrives at sunset - fish number three today, a lively flapper which knocks the eggs.
Dorcha quickly pulls it out of the nest cup and flies off with it. No harm done to the eggs.
Daily summary Monday 22nd April 2024This day last year saw an owl attack right after Dorcha laid her first egg, then an eagle touched down on the nest. Today has also had its drama, but mainly concerning the lovers in the Nest One triangle. Affric accepted a fish from Garry but rejected his advances, then later arrived with a fresh fish, presumably from Prince, who followed her to the nest and attempted mating with some aggression, including grabbing her head, pulling her backwards into the nest and chasing her when she managed to free herself and leave. She left her fish behind which Garry noticed when he arrived with a fresh fish, and had a nibble at hers but eventually departed with his own fresher fish, leaving Affric's on the nest - will it still be there in the morning? Confused? Wonder how the three of them feel about this situation! Nest Two was much calmer - Louis delivered three fish, taking the tally to fifty one, and he shared incubation duties with Dorcha, although she did have to prise him off the eggs at bedtime. The weather was settled, more of the same is forecast for tonight, with a clear sky and light winds, which is perfect weather for owls to go flyabout..Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 22.02.32 (05.08.44); Nest Two 22.21.44 (05.10.36)Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/bzoJYwxO5dY Fish number one, flapping trout, Dorcha grabs it immediately 06.05.23https://youtu.be/_A1o0bhxk_w Garry brings Affric a fish 10.57.09https://youtu.be/nQJirIJiue4 Garry stops coy-mantling and attempts mating with Affric, no success 12.39https://youtu.be/yR0Raz48D40 Fish number two, headless BT, Dorcha does a grab and go 15:47:17https://youtu.be/bVMPL7NSoN4 Ill-tempered mating encounter between Affric & Prince 16.02.16 https://youtu.be/rsnw7elm7hQ Chaffinch does a rapid flypast of Nest One 16.24.52 (Real-time, super slo-mo repeat)https://youtu.be/GomhIEZ_2mE 17.34.34 Garry brings another fish and leaves Nest One with a squirt 17.34.34https://youtu.be/dXwt2HSZ1fk A fish supper arrives at sunset - fish number three 21.13.52Bonus watch - Woodland Trust’s time lapse of a beech tree budding:https://youtu.be/jlvfiMr6aYMBlast from the past, this day in previous years:https://youtu.be/aQ5e_p6KSg4 Whose shadow is Aila tracking? 2020https://youtu.be/uPIkehlZIXw Aila gives chase 2020 (slo-mo)https://youtu.be/-YjzEre5Ex8 Midnight owl strike 2022 (slo-mo)https://youtu.be/olQdCvN9Vj4 Another owl strike an hour after the first 2022 (slo-mo)https://youtu.be/odF55TOSvUY Louis chases an intruder osprey off the nest 2022https://youtu.be/iOH80Okm7ZY Yet another intruder Osprey on the nest 2022https://youtu.be/uOeWEzk6yos Cheeky Hoodie invades Louis on the nest 2023https://youtu.be/QW4rWthqJCE Louis spots an intruder Osprey in the distance 2023 (zoom)https://youtu.be/U17pKvmqkcw Golden Eagle touches down on Nest Two 2023 (slo-mo)
Geemeff said:Bonus watch - Woodland Trust’s time lapse of a beech tree budding:https://youtu.be/jlvfiMr6aYM
Lovely link, been watching all sorts of trees budding, very peaceful thanks Geemeff!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr