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:
Fish number one and only for Dorcha today, but it is a large headless trout 15.03.20
Nest One 16.36.59 The unringed female returns to Nest One with a rainbow in the background (zoomed)
16.36.59 the unringed female Osprey returns, pokes a stick or two around on the nest - there's a rainbow in the background on the right
16.42.30 She departs, another Osprey flies left to right across the cam view - chasing her? Following her?
17.20.25 Intruder Osprey disturbs Dorcha (zoomed)
17.20.25 Strange Osprey flies onto the cam post - disturbs Dorcha
17.21.09 Dorcha flies up making chipping noises.
17.21.50 Dorcha flies upwards chasing the hidden Osprey who flies off from left to right and lands on the Scots Pine in front of the nest.
17.28.39 the stranger departs the Scots Pine, flies to the right
This is soooo great! Garry LV0 gives his new girlfriend a second fish!
18.51.30 Skydancing heard
18.51.41 Unringed female returns
18.51.50 Garry LV0 arrives squeaking with excitement, he brings a second fish, coy-mantles over it
18.52.37 She moves forward and grabs the fish
18.56.33 She departs with the fish, Garry remains, does some nest tidying
Daily summary Sunday 28th April 2024
This day last year saw an unringed female touch down on Nest One, but Garry LV0 wasn't around and the female disappeared. Fast forward to today, and another unringed female touched down - but this time, not only was Garry around, but he arrived with a fish which she accepted from him. He attempted mating and was rejected, however, the female spent a great deal of time on the nest, looking right at home. Later, when Garry returned coy-mantling over a second fish, she moved in purposefully, and took it without hesitation. Looks like Garry might have gained a girlfriend - fingers crossed she returns tomorrow and we hear more of his happy skydancing and see some bonding progress. Nest Two was fairly quiet today, Louis only brought one fish, taking the tally to sixty two, but Dorcha was disturbed by an intruder Osprey - was it the Nest One stranger? We didn't get a proper look, but the timings would work. The forecast for the Inver Mallie area tonight is partly cloudy and light winds.
Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 22.14.40 (04.20.45); Nest Two 22.38.56 (04.39.47)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/VXBMGKtIP7Y Garry pays a quick visit to Nest One 11.15.27
https://youtu.be/OblWtrC3F-g A little Wren visits Nest One, singing very sweetly. 13.09.47
https://youtu.be/S5UeAmvJ59s Unringed female appears on Nest One and takes Garry's fish! 14.17.38
https://youtu.be/IV__vUYJFgc Fish number one for Dorcha, large headless trout 15.03.20
https://youtu.be/VdVTosK8JRE Unringed female returns to Nest One with a rainbow in the background 16.36.59 (zoomed)
https://youtu.be/M7sjCoAxYy8 Intruder Osprey disturbs Dorcha 17.20.25 (zoomed)
https://youtu.be/r7ujjSqFD7g Garry LV0 gives his new girlfriend a second fish 18.51.50
Bonus read - guide to ageing Ospreys by their plumage (thanks LizB):
https://www.raptoridentification.com/raptor/western-osprey/
Blast from the past - this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/tqPb1AiSy7Q Comedy as Louis can't land a large log 2020
https://youtu.be/T4Z9VmzL130 Aila uses her Louis-removal technique 2020
https://youtu.be/rtag9I2XEmg A bird arrives but not the one we want to see 2021
https://youtu.be/zBSV3MH-9XI Unringed female touches down on Nest One 2023
https://youtu.be/TwlnBA6Kyhs Unringed male lands on Nest One, is it Louis? 2023
https://youtu.be/qztPfcf4B2M Tug of sticks - mind the eggs please! 2023
Special blast from the past - Aila & Louis got together for the first time on this day in 2017, here's their first season:
https://youtu.be/1q-YUOB5y4g
Nest One - she's back! Landed at 06.35 this morning
09.15.22 Garry finally arrives with that fish - Ms No-ring grabs it and stays on the nest with it. Nice big headless trout. Garry stays too.
This is what happened first thing:
06.27.20 Noises from the cam post, camera shakes
06.27.22 an Osprey flies up just in sight on the right hand side
06.27.24 an Osprey flies right to left in front of the nest, cam post noises continue
06.27.50 Garry LV0 jumps down onto the nest
06.34.55 Garry LV0 departs
06.35.55 Female arrives, flying in from the left, moves a branch, calls
06.39.43 Garry returns - jumps down onto the nest again - they stay there together
Great to her back this morning. Hopefully Garry’s fish will have sealed the bond with plenty more fish to come
06.56.41 Fish number one for Dorcha, a large headless trout - she's very happy to see Louis
06.57.20 Dorcha departs with it
09.22.45 Both alarm call and fly off in a hurry
09.22.56 Another bird appears top right of centre - lots of flying about until all three disappear out of cam view
Has there been more sightings since this morning ?