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 May at 16.36.10
Sad death of little chick three Sunday 16th June at approx 19.02
Louis disappears, last seen Wednesday 26th June 11.22.56
Louis returns but is clearly not well Saturday 29th June 08.26.37
Decision made to place the two surviving chicks in a translocation programme Sunday 30th June
Licensed raptor team collects the chicks Monday 1st July 10.15
Chicks 1&2 arrive at Pego-Oliva marsh, Spain and ringed Yellow 1JW (C1) & 1JR (C2) Thursday 11th July
Sadly, 1JR (C2) started having seizures and succumbed to a heart condition Tuesday 23rd July
FLEDGE! The surviving chick 1JW (C1) found his wings and flew Thursday 25th July 3pm
Dorcha last seen on camera (Nest One) 11.19.43 Saturday 27th July
Louis last seen on camera (Nest Two) 13.31.18 Tuesday 30th July
1JW (C1) last seen at Pego-Oliva marsh (Spain) on Tuesday 10th September
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Link to February 2024 - May 2024 thread:
loch-arkaig---the-woodland-trust---february-2024---may-2024
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:
Breakfast for the bobs! (zoomed)
05:49:55 Louis arrives with the first fish of the day, a very big silvery and lively fish. Think it's a trout as it has spots but could be a Silver Tourist.
The chicks line up well behaved as Dorcha grabs it ready for dishing out
05.50.18 Louis departs
05:55:27 Although most of the head of the fish is gone, the fish gives a strong tail flip and bob3 gets knocked backwards.
07.22 bob2 then attacks bob3 who turns around, stands up for itself and fights back. Not for long, as B2 quickly gets the upper hand, gets B3 in a headlock. But it doesn’t last long, and B3 has another go at B2!
07.22.10 B3 lies down and B2 angrily pecks empty air a couple of times before subsiding.
13.41.40 Louis briefly comes into view at the top of the frame, flying left to right dangling a fish
13.41.57 Fish number two is delivered - wow, what a colourful whopper!!! Is that really a trout, very bright colours?
Yes, confirmed as a Brown Trout, albeit one of the most colourful to hit the nest.
RAF jets overfly the nests - Dorcha kakes note but stays put 08.50 (zoom)
08:50 05 RAF or maybe USAF jets overfly both nests.They fly over the loch and then turn around and head back out to sea over the mountain.
08:50:26 Dorcha hears them over on Nest Two but doesn't flee.
Nest One Garry LV0 drops in 16.05.14
16.05.14 Garry LV0 arrives, flying in from the right (eastwards).
He brought a small clump of vegetation and spends ten minutes on the nest but just stand there looking around, doesn't do any nest prep.
16.15.06 Garry departs, returning the way he came.
21.52.01 Fish! Number three, half a trout
21.52.01 Late night fish supper arrives! Louis arrives with today’s third fish, half a trout.
Dorcha takes it and starts the feeding immediately, the chicks sit up and position themselves to get a share.
Louis stays on the nest.
Daily summary Monday 3rd June 2024
An interesting day which involved a lot of trying to ID the chicks who are growing almost hourly - bob3 showed confidence by successfully standing up to bob2, and all three chicks have enormous crops and are rapidly losing their baby fluff. Louis brought three fish to the nest, taking his tally to one hundred and fifty four, and Dorcha did an excellent job of sharing it out, when she wasn't being harassed by Hoodies heard but not seen. The RAF, or was it the USAF, was both heard and seen when their jets hurtled past the nests, Dorcha watched them carefully but stayed put. In other news, Garry LV0 dropped in to Nest One for a ten minute visit - it's good to see him, hope he's tucked up somewhere nearby with Aida or another female. It was windy on the nest today, with more wind and some rain forecast for tonight.
Night cam switches over (day cam): Nest One 23.37.56 (03.26.34); Nest Two 22.57.46 (03.46.07)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/UQo5-WyryIg N2 Fish number one, flapping, trout 05.49.55
https://youtu.be/IFhzO5KsdL8 N2 Littlest chick refuses to be bullied 07.21.45
https://youtu.be/Doxi8HRjEro N1 RAF jets overfly the nests - Dorcha notes but stays put 08.50 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/BDO2TT57j_8 N2 Fish number two, whole colourful trout 13.41.57
https://youtu.be/2YM6p3Jri_E N1 Garry LV0 drops in 16.05.14
https://youtu.be/MHUgxIYoIYM N2 Late night fish supper arrives, half a trout 21.52.01
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/YCIj4Favinc N1 Chick Chick Chick! Third Osplet hatches! 2020
https://youtu.be/b1KUQjFXyZw N1 A good look at all three chicks 2020
https://youtu.be/-LyppnxdIvo N1 Simultaneous feeding of the chicks by both parents 2020
https://youtu.be/j3jA0FV2U9E N1 The family stars on BBC Breakfast 2020
https://youtu.be/R7HdSkERuGU N1 Louis drops a stick on Aila 2020
https://youtu.be/VOt1I51zEv0 N1 Aila shows off her impressive ballet moves 2020
https://youtu.be/zSitgPiYMKE N2 Littlest chick falls over and struggles to right itself 2022 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/cxivipxUDHQ N2 Louis bashes Dorcha with a wet fish 2022 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/r5yWobFb6Ts N2 Prelude to sunset 2022 (timelapse Classic Ospreys: Bach)
https://youtu.be/PZqOjIYBNr8 N2 Another owl attack on Dorcha 2022 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/aMpRdGWmD64 N2 First fish returns and bob gets another feed 2023
https://youtu.be/N3wO7-U4rz4 N2 Is that the egg or chick making a noise? 2023
https://youtu.be/q_1DDxDkh4o N1 Little singers visit 2023
Oh well done. Thank you Geemeff
Even when the weather is challenging, Louis still catches fish!
06.28.46 Despite the challenging weather, Louis brings fish number one, a whole trout so fresh it's still flapping
06.30.38 Louis departs
Weather's still poor but expert fisherbird Louis brings a second fish
10.01.23 Louis comes into view on the extreme right, does a quick flyby, Dorcha sits up
10.01.37 Louis lands with fish number two, headless trout
10.04.17 Louis departs - he's amazing, weather's still bad but he can still catch fish!