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:
Weather's improved somewhat when Louis arrives with the third fish
16.58.19 Fish number three arrives, and Dorcha gets on with the feeding immediately
17.09.51 Louis departs
15.12.44
Big argy bargy - Bob3 wisely ducks down and lets the older two get on with it, Mum just watches
20.22.25 Louis arrives and there's a pink patch on his leg - does he have a wound on the back of his left leg?
Is it blood from the fish, diluted by the rain or wet legs from fishing? Or is it scratched?
If so, who or what caused it?
Geemeff, I noticed he had that on his leg in your 16:58 fish delivery, in fact both legs
Yes, well spotted, whatever happened, happened on that fishing trip. I'm leaning towards diluted fish blood, but i suppose we'll see better tomorrow.
Late night fish supper arrives
21.44.25 Fish number four, think it’s whole but view obscured. If whole, it’s a smallish trout.
There’s a quick glimpse when Dorcha has just started on it, and she wasn’t calling so Louis wasn’t sitting eating nearby so probably whole.
Also can't really see Louis' legs to see if the pink is still there or not.
Daily summary Tuesday 4th June 2024
Poor weather and challenging fishing conditions didn't stop Louis from catching fish, he delivered four to the nest, taking his tally to one hundred and fifty eight. Did he injure himself while fishing, or was that diluted fish blood on his leg? Whichever it was, it didn't seem to bother him. Despite copious quantities of fish, the two older chicks got into what looked like quite an argy-bargy, and the youngest chick very sensibly ducked down out of their way, while Dorcha just let them get on with it. As WTS George reminds us, "In Ospreys it is rare for any real harm to be done and deaths from fighting are rare.The fighting is all about establishing and enforcing a hierarchy. We are probably seeing quite a lot of conflict at this point because 1Bob and 2Bob are pretty much equal in size having hatched on the same day (which is unusual)." No action on Nest One, plenty of wind and some rain today, and more of the same forecast for tonight.
Night cam switches over (day cam): Nest One 23.41.09 (03.27.05); Nest Two 23.01.06 (03.49.06)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/JcaBgfjYzjY N2 Fish number one, whole trout, flapping 06.28.46
https://youtu.be/gSOp_1UMHEY N2 Weather's still bad but Louis brings fish number two 10.01.37
https://youtu.be/t-i9WHKicEA N2 Bob3 wisely ducks down and lets the older two get on with it, Mum just watches 15.12.44
https://youtu.be/YC2Jt0seZ-s N2 Fish number three, headless trout - weather's improved somewhat 16.58.19
https://youtu.be/dYQBDY2soVM N2 Is that diluted fish blood, or has Louis injured his leg? 20.22.25 (super zoom)
https://youtu.be/i4YkuGfOMTY N2 Late night fish supper arrives, fish number four 21.44.25
Bonus read - Osprey v Eagle digestive systems:
https://ospreyandeagle.wordpress.com/nutrition/digestive-anatomy/
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/19Gf0Iu9Xzo N1 Feeding time and all three bobs get a share 2020
https://youtu.be/zMbgjWURVL4 N1 Littlest bob gets an exclusive feed 2020
https://youtu.be/lVj37NF50Lg N1 What shall we do with a drunken Aila? 2020
https://youtu.be/BklMKNWOzVY N1 Sneaky Louis steals Aila's stash 2020
https://youtu.be/N8ToynUSt60 N1 Aila is surprised by a Willow Warbler 2020 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/V72CuYsuVEI N2 Dorcha does DIY thanks to Louis 2022
https://youtu.be/7HQERAee5ew N2 Is the third chick on the way? 2022
https://youtu.be/zdGmzi6KXmQ N1 Affric & Prince visit 2023
https://youtu.be/3c3p3n4sfTo N2 Second fish is the first pike 2023
https://youtu.be/C7KLxQlvvZE N1 Prince brings Affric a pike 2023
https://youtu.be/uoZxHqusZ3Y N1 Unringed intruders divebomb Affric 2023
Let's hope so. Perhaps it will not be there when he delivers another fish tomorrow, his legs may be clean then.
He still had the pink patches this morning, but they don't look like scratches. Maybe less feather coverage? It's not fish blood as he's been in the water several times since 5pm yesterday.
Dorcha takes a comfort break while Louis waits with fish number one
06:04:30 Louis arrives with the first fish of the day. They have a little chat then he waits with the fish while Dorcha departs for a comfort break, returning a minute later.
Louis stays while Dorcha begins feeding - but on an old remnant, not the fresh new fish..
06.06.22 Clear view of Louis’ leg - still got that pink patch