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:
Geemeff said:Any bets on how long before Louis' unsuitable stick disappears?
A 'guess-timate' of no more than a day, Geemeff!
Nest One RAF jets doing a flypast, caught on cam (zoomed)
11.10.40 Two jets fly past left to right
12:35.24 Three jets fly past left to right
Daily summary Friday 17th May 2024
Another quiet day, the only real disturbance was the RAF doing a noisy flypast of Nest One, and some less noisy visitors in the form of small birds, neither of which events disturbed the pair on Nest Two. Louis delivered two fish today, the first at 05.26.48 not only broke his season's earliest record, but was the hundredth fish of the season too. His tally now stands at one hundred and one fish since he and Dorcha were reunited on 30th March. He also delivered several sticks, some were more suitable than others, and at times he and Dorcha appeared to be talking to the eggs, although the jury's still out on that one. The weather was reasonably settled, just a bit of light rain, and tonight's forecast is more light rain showers along with light winds.
Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 22.58.16 (03.21.32); Nest Two 23.12.26 (03.44.50)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/5cCaq5kTqkI N2 Fish number one, headless trout season's earliest 05.26.48
https://youtu.be/WTQ4b4LQo84 N1 Little birds on and around - Coal Tit and two others 10.08.33
https://youtu.be/7U2CHj6KvJY N1 RAF jets doing a flypast, caught on cam 11.10.40
https://youtu.be/bNEt7dzwNPE N2 Fish number two, well-munched trout 16.19.22
https://youtu.be/ebw5Gj3hh4A N2 Louis arrives with an unsuitable stick 18.51.51
Bonus watch - Woodland Trust YouTube playlist of all Osprey cam footage including the drones
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbKmvYI09zizagB--Hw8Y_Gw_WgV8vupZ
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/2xr0kHFi4BE N1 Aila brings a new Louis-removal device 2019
https://youtu.be/iELK2rMuzrY N1 Fish & chirps 2020
https://youtu.be/gaCjDhmLU0Y N1 Highland games: Louis does his best caber toss 2020
https://youtu.be/2SeN0J1rxOg N1 Close encounters of the bird kind 2020 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/Rh1aeXJkWng N1 Co-ordinated stick work by Louis & Aila 2020
https://youtu.be/IW7bBXUG7QM N1 Woohoo! Successful mating by the Newsome Twosome 2021
https://youtu.be/aip-ZV4vZ4g N1 First fish delivered to Blue 152 by The Stranger 2021
https://youtu.be/oEh_k7uovKI N1 A sweet little singer visits 2023
https://youtu.be/akMXEPJOQIo N2 Intruder Osprey! It's Blue PU0 2023
https://youtu.be/miF-Q3_MxDg N2 Intruder Blue PU0 returns 2023
https://youtu.be/9aC3rufAdio N2 Dorcha uses her 'scare crow’ voice 2023
Nest One A little bird is almost invisible
10.10.34 there's movement in the left hand branches, and a little bird is just barely glimpsed among the pine needles before it flies out and away
This was the only action on Nest One today.
N2 Dorcha practises her ballet moves 10.45.09
10.45.09 Dorcha stands, has a scratch and a preen
10.46.45 and 10.48.12 Dorcha practises her ballet moves, looks rather graceful and elegant
Dorcha's fish does a flypast before landing!
12.08 Dorcha starts calling - she must be able to see Louis
12.08.42 Louis flies overhead but doesn’t land
12.09.01 Louis circles back and arrives with fish number one, a whole trout. It's a good size and Dorcha grabs it immediately
12.09.30 She departs with it leaving Louis to egg sit
17.59.26 Fish number two! Louis has delivered a headless Brown Trout, good chunky size.
Dorcha wastes no time taking it from him
18.00.24 Dorcha departs with the fish, Louis settles down on the eggs
Classic Ospreys: Air on a Sunset
Starts at 20.30, and ends at 22.00, with a perfect arc of cloud seemingly corralling the glowing colours of sunset under its canopy.
Set to Air on a G String by JS Bach, part of my Classic Ospreys series
Daily summary Saturday 18th May 2024
A settled day weather-wise with plenty of sunshine, and apart from one or two alarms, probably caused by a Buzzard heard mewing in the distance, a settled day on the nest too. Things are moving along nice and calmly for the big moment expected in a few days when the first egg is due to hatch, Dorcha had time to show off some ballet moves, and Louis had time to catch two fish, taking his tally to one hundred and three. Other than a quick glimpse of a little songbird hiding in the pine needles left of the nest, there was no activity on Nest One and we hope this means that Garry LV0 & Aida are paired up and nesting comfortably somewhere private together, and that Prince & Affric 152 are settled with eggs due to hatch soon. We wish them well, and we'll hope for residents on Nest One next year. There was more than twenty hours on day cam today, more good weather is on the way, and tonight's forecast is partly cloudy and a gentle breeze.
Night cam switches over (day cam): Nest One 23.34.05 (03.29.59); Nest Two 23.49.45 (03.42.50)
https://youtu.be/rLuxQPEUP1c N1 A little bird is barely glimpsed among the pine needles 10.10.34
https://youtu.be/vHH0SsHb-Ls N2 Dorcha practises her ballet moves 10.45.09
https://youtu.be/XJhFzl5Mnuk N2 Fish number one, whole trout, nice size. 12.09.01
https://youtu.be/tUGQfBlJvek N2 Fish number two, headless BT, good chunky size 17.59.26
https://youtu.be/oG-WC3EAf5E N2 Air on a Sunset: glorious sunset in quicktime 20.30 (Classic Ospreys: JS Bach)
Bonus read - two articles about egg anatomy and the hatching process (thanks LizB):
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/05/under-the-shell/
https://www.fayrehalefarm.com/wp-content/uploads/Hatch-1157697_432879363493726_407957231_n.jpg
https://youtu.be/at5go-cg9A8 N1 Louis' turn to dump a stick on Aila 2019
https://youtu.be/9_X4DMti3Gk N1 I've got your back: Louis, Aila, and a stick 2020
https://youtu.be/W04J7cJyYss N1 Aila screams until Louis brings fish 2020
https://youtu.be/Z6UfoL5Hb7c N1 Time to go - Aila head-butts Louis 2020
https://youtu.be/0vfmJaN8vG4 N2 Little bird perches next to Dorcha 2023
https://youtu.be/Epa8-yc2CKU N2 Louis warns away a distant intruder on Nest One 2023
https://youtu.be/M2Fz6H4TedA N2 Unringed intruder on the nest! 2023 (zoom)
05.16.42 Another record early fish!
05.16.42 Louis arrives with fish number one, a whole trout. It’s another record-breaking season’s earliest fish, and the dawn chorus is heard all around as he lands
05.17.22 Dorcha departs with it