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LOCH ARKAIG - THE WOODLAND TRUST - February 2024 - February 2025

Geemeff
12/02/2024 14:26

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

.

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.
.
Louis is a father of eleven, six with Aila (2017-2020), and five with Dorcha (2021-)
.
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)
--------------------
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
  • 15/05/2024 23:39

    07.51.49 A Tree Pipit flies onto centre perch for a few moments

    07.52.01 the Pipit departs

    07.54.55 A male Chaffinch flies in and perches on the centre perch, singing away. He moves to the left hand perch, looking around

    08.00.22 He departs.

  • 15/05/2024 23:41

    Nest One A pair of Crossbills visit

    08.38.13 A Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra, or Loxia scotica?) flies in from left front, perches on the cot rails nearest the camera and preens

    08.39.02 Disappears out of sight underneath the nest as a pink bird, another Crossbill, appears in the branches on the left

    08.39.18 second Crossbill flies off to the right

  • 15/05/2024 23:43

    14.35.15 Sounds like Dorcha has seen Louis - she's calling impatiently

    14.35.42 Louis arrives with a headless trout - Dorcha grabs it and is off like a shot!

  • 15/05/2024 23:45

    14.54.58A A Jay pops up on right hand of nest, stays for a few moments then pops underneath the nest and out onto the branches on the left hand side before disappearing again.

  • 15/05/2024 23:47

    Daily summary Wednesday 15th May 2024

    .

    Another quiet day, Dorcha did fly off the nest alarm-calling a few times, but nothing was seen or heard on nest cam, and she soon returned. Louis delivered two fish for her, taking his tally to ninety six, and spent as much time incubating as she would allow. The first egg could hatch as early as next Tuesday, and the second and third soon after, not the three days apart of the laying order - all explained in tonight's bonus read about delayed incubation. Several birds visited Nest One, none of them were Ospreys. Today was warm enough that Dorcha was gular-fluttering to cool down, and tonight's forecast is for cooler weather with light rain showers and light winds, although with the nest being exposed at the top of a tall tree the winds probably aren't that light, but Dorcha will take it in her stride.

    ..

    Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 23.02.34(04.06.53); Nest Two 22.54.30 (04.09.32)

    .

    Today’s videos:

    https://youtu.be/cWhuGMfJyfA N1 Spider catching prey looks spooky under night cam 00.34

    https://youtu.be/NpfcZgjs_iA N2 Fish number one, headless trout  06.08.43 

    https://youtu.be/cMK0siVupV8 N1 Tree Pipit and a singing male Chaffinch visit 07.51.49 (zoom)

    https://youtu.be/3_yhd9Wr7Wc  N1 Two Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra or Scotica?) visit 08.38.13 (zoom)

    https://youtu.be/4Z08mDIL_kI N2 Fish number two - Louis arrives with a headless trout 14.35.42 

    https://youtu.be/g7qfaZnHTV0 N1 A Jay pops up on right hand of nest 14.54.58 (zoom)

    .

    Bonus guide - the hows and whys of delayed incubation of Osprey eggs:

    https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/emyr-mwt/delayed-incubation-ospreys

    .

    https://youtu.be/aNw4BAafrNU  N1 Female Osprey LH5 visits Aila 2019

    https://youtu.be/KFwEEgor1i4 N1 Louis chases a Hoodie 2020 (slo-mo)

    https://youtu.be/oEjdJwMaAXk N1 Log's labours lost 2020

    https://youtu.be/lCVIgDr_x0o  N1 100 not out! Louis delivers the 100th fish 2020

    https://youtu.be/4gV9jVydScY  N2 Another owl attack - Dorcha takes a hard hit 2022

    https://youtu.be/JgcvHL73vsc  N2 Second fish arrives without fanfare 2023

    https://youtu.be/c_uLdRun9EM  N2 Louis is on overdrive - third fish arrives 2023

  • 16/05/2024 11:11

    05.28.53 Dorcha is calling before Louis arrives with fish number one.

    It's only half a small trout so he's had a good breakfast before bringing it to her

    05.29.22 Dorcha departs with it as a Cuckoo calls in the background

    This is the season’s earliest, beats the previous earliest: 05.30.24 on 10th May.

  • 16/05/2024 20:52

    Size matters! A little Tree Pipit visits Dorcha 07.14.46 (zoom)

    07.14.46 A little bird, looks like a Tree Pipit, flies in and perches on the high perch.

    The difference in size between the Pipit and Dorcha is striking. Dorcha sees the bird but doesn't bother moving.

    07.14.59 little bird departs

  • 16/05/2024 20:54

     Nest Two Stickgate! Sticks come and go 09.35.08

    Stickgate! Louis brings sticks and Dorcha promptly throws them overboard!

    09.35.08 Louis arrives with a branch. Dorcha’s back makes a handy place to put it.

    09.39.52 Louis departs

    09.43.25 Louis returns with another, bigger, stick. He tries to position it, dislodges other sticks, but leaves the new one sticking up at the side.

    09.45.08 Dorcha gets up and deals with the awkward stick on the left then comes over and gets rid of the new stick too.

    10.00.09 She chunters softly but persistently and he departs.

  • 16/05/2024 20:57

    Nest One A redpoll pays a flying visit 11.16.45 (zoom)

    11.16.45 A little visitor flies to the centre perch, stays a few moments, and hops over to the left perch.

    Is it a Common Redpoll (Carduelis Flammea) or maybe aLesser Redpoll (Carduelis Cabaret)?

    11.17.00 Departs flying quickly to the left

  • 16/05/2024 20:59

    Fish two arrives but both are watching the sky intently 14.53.46 

    14.53.46 Louis brings fish number two, a headless trout.

    Dorcha’s been watching something overhead, she takes it but doesn’t immediately start eating

    14.54.08 Both look up intently, keep watching. Nothing is seen on nest cam, but they definitely see something they need to keep an eye on

    14.58.28 Louis settles on the eggs and Dorcha departs