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:
Daily summary Tuesday 7th May 2024
Another quiet day today, only one fish for Dorcha, and that arrived at supper time, taking Louis' tally to eighty fish since he returned on 28th March and they reunited on 30th March. There was welcome activity on Nest One when Aida showed up, and stayed quietly on the perch until she gave up waiting in vain for Garry LV0 to show up, and departed about an hour and a half later. A little songbird also visited, and did a bit of furniture arranging. The weather was settled and tonight's forecast for the Inver Mallie area is partly cloudy and light winds.
Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 22.44.22 (04.25.02); Nest Two 22.27.14 (04.33.45)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/6z_D0r_72h4 N1 A little songbird flits around for a while, then nudges a stick over the side 17.07.32
https://youtu.be/1MzoKTgPm4w N1 Aida lands on the perch, welcome back, we missed you 17.33.03
https://youtu.be/7MELRHvvwN0 N2 Fish number one, headless trout 18.56.03
Bonus opportunity - check out Woodland Trust volunteer opportunities:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/act/volunteer-with-us/opportunities/
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/8OaqnwQiaBI Aila does a bit of Louis-bashing before he takes the hint 2020
https://youtu.be/2qFBiVop8DQ Clumsy Louis clatters the camera! 2020
https://youtu.be/T8wmG4NbfIo Late night bat visit to Aila 2020 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/VA8CwMT9qyA Eurasian Siskin and Crossbill visit 2021
https://youtu.be/0FlIlYJMsGQ Cheeky Tawny Owl perches on the nest 2022
https://youtu.be/LcPUWA3mWDo Tawny Owl strikes Dorcha then returns to perch on the nest 2022
https://youtu.be/kJIFH0RyeSk Louis visits Nest One 2023
08.49.02 Blue ring Osprey does a flyover of the nest, doesn’t land, it’s Garry
LV0 08.49.05 Aida lands, quickly followed by Garry but she raises up defensively and he misses the nest and goes off the right edge
08.49.32 Aida leaves suddenly with a squeak, flying to the right. Another Osprey appears from the right, almost crosses her path, she keeps flying to the right, other Osprey disappears left
08:49:58 Two Ospreys fly right to left across the top of the screen. That other Osprey, presumably Garry, must have circled round out of sight after he disappeared off to the left near the solar panels.
10.41.33 Fish number one, nearly-headless but still flapping trout (zoomed)
Dorcha grabs it from Louis and starts to nibble - poor thing flaps feebly, Louis had had a nibble on its head already but not enough to kill it
10.43.02 Dorcha departs with her fish
Geemeff said:it's Aida, not seen for a couple of days
Really good to see her, Geemeff!
It was a lovely surprise!
N2 Fish number two, headless trout 16.51.02
16.51.02 In response to Dorcha's calls, Louis arrives with fish number two, a headless trout which she seizes immediately
16.51.21 Dorcha departs with the fish
17.27 a bird flies in from the left over the solar panels
17.27.10 Garry LV0 lands with a big clump of moss
17.27.27 As Garry wrestles with the moss, something very small flies from left to right
17.32.09 Garry departs, flies to Pole Tree (zoomed)
Dorcha nutts Louis!! (Zoomed slo-mo repeat)
18.04.14 Dorcha returns, Louis stays put on the eggs
18.04.22 Dorcha headbutts him to get him off the eggs - he moves immediately!
18.04.31 Louis departs
That is so funny
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Geemeff said:Dorcha nutts Louis!! (Zoomed slo-mo repeat) 18.04.14 Dorcha returns, Louis stays put on the eggs 18.04.22 Dorcha headbutts him to get him off the eggs - he moves immediately! 18.04.31 Louis departs https://youtu.be/ZrKyT_jo5DI
https://youtu.be/ZrKyT_jo5DI
With Dorcha most likely being a Scottish bird, that must’ve been a Glasgow Kiss that she gave him!!