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 Thursday 2nd May 2024
A very quiet day today on both nests. Garry LV0 appeared once on Nest One bringing some moss but Aida wasn't seen at all. After he left, Garry flew over to Pole Tree then seemed to be collecting nesting materials which he didn't bring to the nest. Does this mean he and Aida are setting up home elsewhere? The answer is 'wait and see', as it's far too early to make any assumptions. However, LizB witnessed a very interesting confrontation between two Ospreys and a White-Tailed Eagle near Nest One which she describes very vividly: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=14608859 Could those Ospreys be the potential Nest One pair? Possibly, as Liz also noted an Osprey perched behind the nest having its meal, just before the encounter with the Eagle. Nest Two saw only one fish delivered for Dorcha, taking Louis' tally to seventy, but both Louis and Dorcha were heard alarm-chipping several times, so perhaps the unseen intruders put him off his fishing. Tonight's forecast is a clear sky and light winds, and there was approximately 18 hours on day cam.
Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 22.24.12 ( 04.27.16); Nest Two 22.37.16 (04.36.10)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/bdcOT9JEGB8 N1: Garry LV0 brings moss, flies to Pole Tree then away 08.21.46 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/GioCl06202I N2: Fish number one and only for Dorcha 10.52.50
https://youtu.be/EKAjiNbY3A0 N1 Shadows seen near the nest at the time of the Eagle encounter 16.05.31 (zoom)
Bonus read - what do Woodland Trust and magic mushrooms have in common?
https://bit.ly/WoodlandTrustandmagicmushrooms3Qnat8U
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/JJRPS8QYvpY Lockdown Ospreys star on BBC Breakfast 2020
https://youtu.be/rwa2_9rR24Q WT's Dr Jessica Maxwell discusses the nest on BBC Breakfast 2020 https://youtu.be/0Rw_H0C8-SE Owl strike on unsuspecting Aila 2020 (Slo-Mo)
https://youtu.be/x-Bze6ZP7pA Two smaller visitors to the nest on Dawn Chorus Day 2021
https://youtu.be/1syQj_jjjxw Golden variation: Dorcha is bathed in the setting sun 2022 (Classic Ospreys Bach)
https://youtu.be/efwVjBqAYpA Gerroff and go fishing! 2023
https://youtu.be/zxmDLBLAJ6Y Fish supper for Dorcha - third fish today 2023
N1 Sweet singing is heard before a little Wren visits 05.55.06 (zoom)
The Wren perches on the left side of the nest for a few moments before flying off to the right.
08.37.55 Louis arrives with fish number one, it's whole but a bit of a tiddler trout.
Dorcha seizes it but stays on the nest and finishes it off quickly.
Looks like she's not impressed and would like some more breakfast.
Nest One 09.59.30 Aida arrives, looking very hollow-cropped, but a welcome sight after a day's absence
10.00.39 Garry LV0 arrives with fish number one, a headless trout which she seizes and starts tucking into
10.05.13 Garry startles Aida as he flies over her to land behind the nest, she flies off with the fish.
Seconds later he follows her and the pair are seen flying off into the distance past the knolls and disappearing into the belt of green trees
10.23.11 Louis is visible in the distance with a stick
10.23.35 Louis tries to land onto the nest with the big stick - misjudges it!
10.24.18 Finally lands and spends some time rearranging the nest and dropping sticks over the side
Nest Two - 13.04.10 Two Lesser Redpolls (Acanthis cabaret) arrive and flit around the left hand side of the nest, one perches and calls near Dorcha. (zoomed)
And no, obviously I didn't ID them, Steve Q made the ID!
The wee Jenny wren wakes me up some mornings ( mostly have nest 1 on a one of my tablets) just lovely to hear first thing
Little woodland visitors to nest One:
15:15:34 Tree pipit arrives on high perch, stays for five minutes, singing occasionally
15:17. Coal Tit appears lower left of nest 15:19:05 Wren appears from lower right of nest
15.21.31 The Tree Pipit departs, last bird to leave
Drone footage of Nest Two: