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:
That stringy bit of skin reminded me of that clip of the sparrowhawk nest last year when they were all trying to down a squirrel tail or similar and mum kept pulling it back out. I think all the chicks tried to eat it. Not sure if that was before or after scrappygate
Nest Two 16.36.10 Welcome little bob3! The chick is finally completely out of the shell
16.34.25 Dorcha stands up to reveal the chicks - the third one is very nearly fully out of its shell
16.36.10 Littlest bob makes another move and wriggles free.
Welcome bob3 - that's a full house for Louis & Dorcha!
(zoomed)
This is just nature at its finest...
Welcome little one!
Awe great news
Fish & chirps!
20.37.47 Louis lands, very talkative - he and Dorcha have quite a chat. Is he asking for a turn minding the three bobs? Is she telling him to get fish?
20.38.51 Louis departs - will he be back tonight?
Great news on #3 bob hatching. I hope it’s as feisty as its siblings, it’ll need to be! Ludo was a feisty one last year too!
Daily summary Friday 24th May 2024
Three, two, one! Three bobs, two parents and one fish - little bob3 hatched today to join his siblings who both hatched on the 22nd, and while bobbling around getting used to being out of the confining shell, is looking nearly as strong as the twins. Louis only brought one fish today, so his tally rises to one hundred and fourteen.It was a big fish, but more will be needed tomorrow with three gaping beaks to fill. One little songbird was the only action on Nest One but there's more than enough on Nest Two to compensate. One little bob went for a short flight, courtesy of mum Dorcha and a wayward stick, luckily falling back into the nest cup, both bobs had a bit of a beak-to-beak with the egg pipping unnoticed in between them, and Louis was unusually chatty while Dorcha was unmoved by his blandishments. There was some rain through the night but it was dry today, and tonight's forecast is for light cloud and light winds.
Night cam switches over (day cam): Nest One 23.15.10 (03.54.21 during reset); Nest Two 22.52.38 (04.17.46)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/Sy1LlSSJ-9E N1 Little songbird 05.45.18
https://youtu.be/S9tiIZUuGb0 N2 Oh no! Little bob goes flying! 08.13.14 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/Vdf9IDsBbag N2 Bobs battle as Egg3 pips 08.54.30 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/ldo33QlMzQc N2 Fish number one, a whopper whole trout 12.25.28
https://youtu.be/0ekXD7X_EoI N2 The egg tooth is visible as C3 struggles to hatch 12.41 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/rcU2Q0RZvrg N2 News news! Little bob3 has hatched! 16.36.10 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/4xvdHtEABiE N2 Fish and chirps - Louis is very talkative 20.37.47
Bonus advice - WTS George on how to survive the highs & lows of nest cam watching:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=14839719
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/IcfjHc5PwvY N1 Strange male Osprey fights with Aila 2019
https://youtu.be/Mxamg8LwHgI N1 Strange female Osprey lands, eyes the eggs 2019
https://youtu.be/KYF4_yeOomM N1 Louis brings a pike 2020
https://youtu.be/KS-03fDKZQs N1 On yer pike! 2020
https://youtu.be/Dsy2zI3KU9g N1 Sugar Plum Ospreys! 2020 (Classic Ospreys - Tchaikovsky)
https://youtu.be/O-_dIoR11g8 N2 A bat? makes a lightning fast visit 2023
https://youtu.be/yVJjaUVMc4Y N1 Blue 152 and a male with fish 2023 (slo-mo zoom)
https://youtu.be/PlYSipF5BCg N2 Dorcha is serenaded as the sun sets 2023
05.15.55 Louis arrives with fish number one, a whole trout.
Dorcha takes it immediately and starts feeding herself, the bobs sit up and take notice.
Newest bob isn’t that much smaller than the older two, and is looking good.
05.17.31 Louis departs, Dorcha keeps attending to the bobs
09.56.00 Fish number two arrives, a live trout still flapping and gasping. Bobs very interested.
09.56.24 little bob actually has a go at a nibble! Not an accident - he has a second go! Or probably she, this very determined and precocious bob could be female
09.56.10 A bob’s head is squarely stepped on by Dorcha’s left foot - ouch!
09.57.27 Both Louis and Dorcha turn to the left - very faint mewing of a Buzzard is heard
09.59.03 Louis departs, Dorcha carries on sharing out the fish
Olympic hero! Louis pole vaults
11.30.05 A stick arrives, as if by magic, and hovers over the nest
11.30.11 Louis appears and pole-vaults onto the nest