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
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:
Now here's a mystery!
Are fish numbers one & two, arriving at 08.22.22 & 08.22.35, the first caried by Louis and the second by Dorcha, both today's fish? Louis' certainly is, as it's still flapping!
But where did Dorcha get hers from? Is it a remnant from last night - the timings don't really stack up. Did Dorcha catch it herself? Unlikely! Or did Louis do an off-nest handover?
There would have been time between departing sky-dancing at 06.25, and returning at 08.22 with the flapping fish.
Quite a mystery! Any opinions?
17.56.58 Fish number three, headless BT, arrives.
Dorcha's been screaming her head off so the silence when Louis arrives and she does a grab and go, is wonderful.
Geemeff said:Quite a mystery! Any opinions?
I think it was yesterday evening's fish that she returned with, Geemeff. It was quite a chunky, headless one that Louis delivered which I very much doubt she would have eaten in 'one sitting'. Lots of loose, hanging skin on the fish that Dorcha brought to the nest this morning.
It's a possibility - but yesterday's last fish was delivered at 17.47, and when Louis delivered today's first fish, it was whole (still flapping), which implies he had already eaten this morning. So we've gone with it being an off-nest handover. One thing we can agree on is that Dorcha didn't catch it!
Maybe Louis ate a whole fish this morning before catching another?
Daily summary Friday 5th April 2024A day of low activity - not much happened, no activity at all on Nest One, and just the usual round of mating, nest prep, and fish deliveries on Nest Two. Three fish were brought to the nest, taking the tally to nineteen, Surprisingly, one was delivered by Dorcha, however this was almost certainly caught by Louis. The weather was settled after some early light snow and sleet, but didn't stop Louis swooping around skydancing before dawn. Tonight's forecast is heavy rain and light winds.Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 20.59.14 (05.59.15); Nest Two 20.54.46 (06.09.13)Today's videos:https://youtu.be/_tcny1NvSfs Louis sky-dances at dawn 06.17https://youtu.be/onRZQMzzFec Fish number one, whole, & Fish number two, half, BT 08.22.22 & 08.22.35https://youtu.be/ErfdHVvfT3Y Fish number three, headless BT 17.56.58Bonus watch - WT virtual tour of Loch Arkaig:https://arkaigtour.woodlandtrust.org.uk/Blast from the past - this day in previous years:https://youtu.be/000ExVIHdTk He's back! The return of Louis 2020https://youtu.be/MqCZOPYRBMw Louis brings a big stick 2020https://youtu.be/GiXhBTMjfdI Nest Two is visited by a Great Tit (Parus major) 2022https://youtu.be/xfg_jzAnuCU Louis does a lovely long loop as he leaves 2023 (zoom)https://youtu.be/s45fByu5-ZE Louis swoops around in front of the nest before landing with a fish 2023https://youtu.be/b7XBOsBjZHU Fishy tails! Louis eats all his dinner 2023
I wish we could ask them!
Nest One: various little Passerines visit the nest briefly:
06.54.13 - Coal Tit hops up onto the right hand side for a few seconds10.05.30 Coal Tit flits around the right hand side of the nest, disappears in a blur of wings10.47.42. Great Tit hops around, then perches on the centre perch before flying off to the leftThink I've got the ID right, no doubt someone will kindly correct me.
07.38.35 Louis does a flyby before landing seconds later07.38.51 Fish number one, headless brown troutDorcha takes it from him and departs at 07:39:20.Louis stays on the nest.