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:
Nest One 06.21.25 A little bird of the Passerine variety visits, stays for a few seconds.
Taking a guess at Great Tit
It’s a wee coal tit Geemeff.
Glad to see Louis back after that long absence. ️
Thank you, for some reason I always get those two wrong! Now amended.
Throwing shapes..
09.07 Louis is on the eggs with Dorcha on the nest too.She moves over to him.
They simultaneously raise a wing each and make a beautiful shape together
13.36 Dorcha is calling - she must be able to see Louis
13.38.15 Louis arrives with fish number two, a headless trout. Dorcha grabs it and flies off with it immediately.
18.35.28 Fish number three, headless trout, Dorcha does a grab, and has a quick nibble
18.36.15 She departs with it
18.36.34 A distant bird is seen flying right to left, probably Dorcha as Louis takes no notice
Daily summary Monday 6th May 2024
Another quiet day - too quiet on Nest One, which had no visitors apart from a passing Passerine. Have Garry LV0 and Aida finally got it together but chosen another nest? Early days yet, so it's back to wait and see. Nest Two was a little livelier, after an uneventful night Dorcha got an early breakfast when Louis delivered the first of three fish around 6am. His total to date now stands at seventy nine, and he and Dorcha shared incubating duty without any stick incidents, although there were one or two minor alarms. The weather was settled today, and tonight's forecast is light cloud and light winds.
Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 22.15.18 (04.29.02); Nest Two 22.06.46 (04.38.20)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/Dfmo_U46rCY N2 Dorcha has a stretch and a squirt 01.23.20
https://youtu.be/Cm8RJPwnr0w N2 Fish number one, whole trout with a side of feather 06.01.01
https://youtu.be/oI3R7TrjVHA N1 A little Passerine visits 06.21.25
https://youtu.be/sa-_Txps92s Throwing shapes - Louis and Dorcha are winging it 09.07
https://youtu.be/jBUxQk2rXpk N2 Fish number two, headless trout 13.38.15
https://youtu.be/f4tTh_9InCk N2 Fish number three, headless trout 18.35.28
Bonus guide - WT all-seasons guide to identifying trees, wildlife and more:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/identify-wildlife/
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/rDDH4Z8zHEc Health and safety first, says Louis 2020
https://youtu.be/2ULJmAe1b5E Louis bashes Aila with a big stick 2020
https://youtu.be/B5w5Yemqvyo Social distancing is for the birds! 2020
https://youtu.be/hyrcjnhSYqM The good, the bad, and the OMG: lockdown season highlights 2020
https://youtu.be/hOnID1xMcys Coronation Day - breakfast fit for a queen arrives 2023
https://youtu.be/usB2iBz2BQM N2 Ringed Osprey visits 2023 (super slo-mo, zoom)
In this clip: 17.07.32 A little songbird hops up on the nest, flits around for a while, then nudges a stick over the side!
Great Tit (Parus major)
17.33.03 an Osprey lands on the perch - it's Aida, not seen for a couple of days
18.46.23 She does a lovely left wing/leg stretch, till waiting quietly, just looking around
18.54.09 Aida gives up and departs
18.56.03 Fish number one - finally! Louis arrives with a headless trout
18.56.18 Dorcha departs with her supper