LOCH ARKAIG - THE WOODLAND TRUST - February 2024 - May 2024

Welcome to Loch Arkaig Ospreys season 8

Will Louis and Dorcha return to Nest 2? White check mark

Will someone take up residence in Nest 1? Question

Will any of Louis' chicks with Aila and Dorcha be sighted? Question

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 

Welcome little bob - first chick hatches! Wednesday 22nd May at 06.16.45 

Welcome little bob - second chick hatches - it's twins! Wednesday 22nd May at 22.26.15

Welcome little bob - third chick hatches! Friday 24th at 16.36.10

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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:

2016 Woodland Trust acquire the Loch Arkaig ancient Caledonian rainforest remnant and manage it in partnership with Arkaig Community Forest. An Osprey pair is seen.
2017 A nest cam is installed on a refurbished ancient Osprey nest. The old pair don't return but 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.
2023 Louis & Dorcha return, and raise one male chicks to fledging: Ludo LY7. No residents on Nest 1 but male Garry LV0 spent a lot of time flirting with Affric 152 despite her mate Prince still being around.
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Louis is a father of eleven, six with Aila (2017-2020), and five with Dorcha (2021-)
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In hatch order 2017 - 2023:
2017 Lachlan (JH4)
2019 Mallie (JJ0), Rannoch (JJ2)
2020 Doddie (JJ6), Vera (JJ8), Captain (JJ7)
2021 Aspen (LW3), Alder (LW4)
2022 Willow (LW5), Sarafina (LW6)
2023 Ludo (LY7)
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Highlights:
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2023 Nest Two highlights https://youtu.be/frFhrnS7Vvo
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2023 Nest One highlights https://youtu.be/qpxRv2OIsFQ
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All captures in whatever format are copyright Woodland Trust - with many thanks for allowing captures from their nest cam livestreams.
Osprey cams funded by People's Postcode Lottery
  • 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

  • 09.15.22 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.

    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 ?