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:
She must innately feel it is not safe to have chicks presently then? Do we know if or where her and Prince's nest is?
It's all a mystery! We thought she and Prince were a pair and on the nest on private land in Bunarkaig, we get occasional reports from someone called Chaddie who can see the nest distantly from his kitchen. But frustratingly, not close enough for ID. Occasionally it looks as if one of the pair has a blue ring, but even that isn't confirmed.
LizB passed the nest this morning and saw two birds there, definitely not incubating eggs, she says.
Who knows what Affric is up to - does she even know herself?
Nest Two - Louis sees off an unringed intruder Osprey. Video in real-time with slo-mo repeat
12.22.29 Dorcha starts watching something, then Louis suddenly flies off his perch, Dorcha reacts, keeps watching, checking something above
12.24.59 Louis lands and alarm chips
12.25.06 An unringed Osprey intrudes, landing on the nest on the right hand edge, possibly female with a dark necklace and underwing spots
12.25.08 Louis flies at her and she departs quickly with him chasing
Oh it would be good if Prince or Garry managed to meet this new female. We need the numbers evened up.
Prince hasn't been seen since divebombing Affric - and Garry only paid one visit today, and that was at dawn!
Nest One
06.03.38 Garry LV0 flies in from the left. He spends a few minutes on the nest, does a little nest work but mainly stands quietly looking around
06.09.09 He departs, flying to the right and out of sight
Nest One Two little birds visit:
06.47.26 Movement is seen, then first one, then a second little bird appears. Great Tits, I think
06.48.10 They depart
Nest Two Chaffinch looks tiny nest to Dorcha (zoomed clip)
17.46.55 Tweeting is heard, then a little bird hops up on the perch next to Dorcha - it's a female Chaffinch (thanks to LizB for the ID)
Not sure Dorcha even notices her
17.47.12 the Chaffinch departs
2 Great Tits on nest 1 in your video
Richard B
Fish, finally - first fish of the day for Dorcha, a headless trout. She grabs it and goes.
18.39.41 Finally Louis brings the first fish of the day for Dorcha. She grabs it and departs immediately, is seen flying in the distance towards the left.
This is a record late first fish for this season, Louis has been busy elsewhere - he had to see off an intruder who landed on the nest earlier, for example