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:
Disco divas: Loch Arkaig Osprey chicks are Staying Alive, Staying Alive while mum's away!
Beverley noted this: "03:11:25 Well, at 3 in the morning, our little disco chick was in fine form, this time with Bob2 on backup vocals. If you listen carefully, you can hear Bob3 chuff-chuffing a base line. Dorcha couldn’t have been too enamoured of the act, since she left the nest at the height of their duet and stayed away more than a minute (03:11:25-03:12:28). Bob2 & Bob3 soon went back to bed, but Bob1 persisted. At 03:19:55 the chick snuggled back under mom, very endearing sight."
WT forumite jxd: “Just watched the amusing disco chicks from last night, with a bit of night fever going on, we should call them Bee Gees Maurice & Robin, Barry."
This cried out for music, so I set it to Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive (Delabella Remix) with many thanks to Synergy Music COPYRIGHT FREE
04.30.42 Fish number one arrives, a very lively trout.
Dorcha starts dishing up but bob3 ignores it while the other two tuck in.
08.06.57 There's a squabble amongst the bobs when Dorcha leaves.
She returns with a stick which she moves around and the bobs quieten down.
13.12.56 An Osprey leaves Stick Tree, flies to the left towards the solar panels then zigzags to the right
13.13.12 It's Garry LV0! He lands on the nest
13.28.28 Hops up onto the left hand perch
13.43.04 Departs flying eastwards to the right out of cam view
15.39.27 Louis delivers fish number two, a large whole trout.
This time all three chicks are eager for food and tuck in immediately Dorcha starts dishing up.
In fact, big bob1 starts trying to self-feed, continually jabbing at the fish.
17.12.05 Dorcha's calling for fish, and Louis obliges and arrives with fish number three, another whole trout.
Dorcha takes it immediately and starts tearing in to it.
19.14.52 Fish number four, a somewhat bashed-about half trout which Dorcha is reluctant to take from Louis as everyone is still full.
Louis waits patiently with the fish in his talons.
21.28.30 Dorcha is feeding the chicks from fish number four - they were too full when it first arrived.
Everyone including bob3 is getting a good feed, and they all have bulging crops.
Daily summary Friday 31st May 2024
Today brought the welcome surprise of a visit from Garry LV0 - he spent a bit of time on Nest One, but didn't do any nest work, merely standing and preening occasionally. Nest Two life continued as usual with no big surprises - the bobs gave an impromptu concert, squabbled a bit and ate a lot. Dorcha is leaving them alone slightly more often but making sure the food is shared out among the three of them, as noted by FlyingFish who's posted an interesting breakdown of the feeding. Louis continues to provide well, he supplied four fish today raising his tally to one hundred and forty three, and Steve Q posted his usual thorough weekly analysis of the deliveries. Weather was settled, and tonight's forecast is partly cloudy and light winds with a prospect of sunshine tomorrow.
Night cam switches over (day cam): Nest One 23.37.00 (03.11.38); Nest Two 23.01.53 (03.48.53)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/OpIOpWqfB0A N2 Disco divas are Staying Alive, Staying Alive 03:11:25
https://youtu.be/9iUe-1jG_Bs N2 Fish number one, very lively trout 04.30.42
https://youtu.be/grQeBqx-770 N2 The bobs squabble when Dorcha leaves and stop when she returns with a stick 08.06.57
https://youtu.be/xLg7YpH2vI0 N1 Garry LV0 visits 13.12.56
https://youtu.be/INETrDWOzik N2 Fish number two, large whole trout - everyone tucks in 15.39.27
https://youtu.be/KxyRfXdzE6U N2 Fish number three, another whole trout 17.12.05
https://youtu.be/F19ra-6sZlM N2 Fish number four, bashed-about half trout 19.14.52
https://youtu.be/Y2IZwwIZaFw N2 All three chicks including bob3 get a good feed 21.28.30
Bonus action - would social media users please remember to thank the People's Postcode Lottery who helped Woodland Trust buy Arkaig Forest and fund its restoration, and support the Osprey cams giving us our 24/7 livestreaming joy:
https://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/good-causes/charities/woodland-trust
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/iwfBMeFYino N1 Record fast fish arrives: 5 mins 23 secs! 2020
https://youtu.be/svRZ4AJ3C4M N1 Sleepy bob uses the other eggs as a pillow 2020
https://youtu.be/MWwaGMTjPek N1 Osprey with blue ring intrudes on Aila & Louis 2020 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/E_JOPZSi0nQ N2 Egg 2 sings sweetly preparing to hatch 2022
https://youtu.be/K2Rs11u4Gqc N1 Who flies past the empty nest? 2022
https://youtu.be/VqQDp44UxTg N2 First chick has hatched! 2022
https://youtu.be/14S1RC_H0IE Chick's big day: meeting mum and dad 2022
https://youtu.be/84WJZxukT5c N2 Louis reacts to the chupping 2023
https://youtu.be/-bKcyAe1lwQ N1 Affric & Prince fend off an intruder on 2023
https://youtu.be/btm-8Qg6e0o N2 Little bob hatches! 2023 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/udB7LRh6zMs N2 Proud parents and a good look at little bob 2023 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/3AEkinUe5Io N1 Prince brings fish for Affric 2023
https://youtu.be/l442XZsdH4o N2 First feed for little bob 2023 (zoom)
***CLOSED ***
Link to new thread June 2024 to February 2025
https://community.rspb.org.uk/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/f/loch-garten-ospreys/287633/loch-arkaig---the-woodland-trust---june-2024---february-2025