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 fish number one - Garry LV0 arrives with half a fish 11.02.01 (zoom)
11.02.01 Garry LV0 arrives with a well-munched fish, flying in from Stick Tree. Aida was on the nest for an hour and a half at dawn, timing is everything! He was around at dawn though, sky-dancing was heard faintly, so not very close by, but with their eyesight, and those big wings, he could seen her and have flown in to join her in seconds.
11.03 He departs with his fish and flies back towards Stick Tree, swooping around several times before landing in its branches.
I zoomed in to enjoy his swooping.
Nest Two, Fish number two
15.05.30 Louis delivers fish number two, a headless trout, looks a bit old. Dorcha seizes it in her beak and flies off with it.
Nest Two, what's on the menu? Looks like trout for supper!
19.47.34 Louis arrives with fish number three - surprise! It's a trout! Headless, as Louis has taken his share before handing it over to Dorcha.
Daily summary Wednesday 1st May 2024
A mild day weather-wise but Louis and Dorcha had a bit of drama with intruders near their nest. Unlike yesterday, no one actually landed on the nest however, and Louis had time to catch three fish, taking his tally to sixty nine. No intruders on Nest One, but no interaction between Garry LV0 and Aida as they arrived at different times, and she wasn't there to take the one fish Garry brought so he took it away again. His tally rises to five, with luck he'll bring more fish and they'll meet up on the nest tomorrow. Tonight's forecast is partly cloudy and light winds, and another sunny day is expected tomorrow.
Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 22.01.43 (04.28.43); Nest Two 21.57.09 (04.45.50)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/0wwxhyiiz24 Aida arrives with the sunrise, Garry is heard but not seen 05.05.50
https://youtu.be/oHU-qlnE6lQ Intruder flying nearby causes Dorcha & Louis to flee the nest 07.35.04 (slo-mo repeat with zoom)
https://youtu.be/i52IBajlRps Nest Two, Fish number one, headless trout 09.36.06
https://youtu.be/8mdWTR5kpcE Nest One, Fish number one - Garry LV0 arrives with half a fish 11.02.01 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/cK0fx6PTHEE Nest Two, Fish number two, headless trout 15.05.30
https://youtu.be/loQDeyI29Nk Nest Two, Fish number three, headless trout 19.47.34
Bonus photos of Loch Arkaig and the Ospreys flying around the loch, taken by photographer Gareth Overton from a canoe:
https://x.com/WTScotsocial/status/1785592772348547562
https://x.com/WTScotsocial/status/1785592774135275944
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/l-f7VaXK21A Two red deer graze near Nest One 2020
https://youtu.be/fnHg9LxETHA Louis pays a flying visit to Nest One 2021 (Slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/wE6nWxP8JTU Dorcha's third egg arrives just after midnight 2022
https://youtu.be/w3jSNo9VC3g They’re back with moss! Nest One visitors 2022
https://youtu.be/KiQW-kUOBnM Louis is oblivious as a bat flits around 2022
https://youtu.be/iF-53Y6h0IA Dorcha's finally able to persuade Louis to leave 2022
https://youtu.be/7fF-jH2_83k Dorcha tells Louis off for taking so long 2023
https://youtu.be/8ZyXlI_370k Late night fish supper 2023
Nest One - Garry's only visit today
08.21.46 Garry LV0 arrives with moss
08.28.33 Garry departs and flies to Pole Tree
08.58.29 Garry leaves pole tree and flies off to the right. 08.58.47 Garry drops down just to the right and below the rocky outcrop into the dead bracken.
10.52.50 Fish number one, whole trout, smallish., grabbed by Dorcha, who has a couple of nibbles
10:23:24 She departs, Louis settles down to egg duties
N1 Shadows seen near the nest at the time of the Eagle encounter 16.05.31 (zoom)
Liz B witnessed the off-camera encounter, here's her vivid description:
16.05.31 Alarm calls heard on camera which I intially thought was skydancing and assumed a female had appeared, so had a look through the scope to see if she was around.
Instead I saw two ospreys dive bombing a white tailed sea eagle as they chased it through the trees then up above the hillside.
One osprey eventually disappeared but the other repeatedly dive-bombed it for around ten minutes, each time the sea eagle would flip on its back to strike out with its talons.
The WTE eventually landed on a rock on the skyline and the osprey continued to circle high overhead until I eventually lost sight of it.
An incredible display to witness.