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
.
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:
Something odd has happened to the layout of the pages, I can neither 'like' nor 'reply' to any post! Gone back to your OP to use reply box underneath!
I'm glad it's not just me - you're right something weird has happened in the last couple of days. makes posting things difficult, takes a long time.
And it's not even the first of the month..
This is the only thread affected in this way ... strange??
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
Amazing! Louis brings a fish in under ten minutes from leaving the nest! And it's not even his all-time record.
04.37.12 Fish number two, small whole trout
04.37.46 Louis departs. 34 second handover
* 04.27.35 Louis departed after fish one, returned with fish two at 04.37.12 That is 9 minutes 37 seconds Nest to Nest time - amazing!
04.37.58 Dorcha offers a bit of fish - the chicks aren’t interested, she tucks in
04.38.13 C2 staggers over under the weight of a huge crop, and starts eating
Even stranger ... has reverted to normal presentation!
C2 has a nibble at poor little C3, and Dorcha deals with intruders
14:29:47 C2 has a few pecks at the body of C3
14.31.44 Dorcha starts alarm calling - however, the chicks don't pancake, in fact C2 rushes over to C1 and starts a fight
14.33.01 An Osprey flies overhead - from Dorcha's furious reaction it's an intruder
14.33.30 the intruder flies overhead again. Dorcha settles down when it's out of sight but remains wary.
WendyBartter said:This is the only thread affected in this way ... strange??
Oh, is it? I haven't had a chance to check out any others.
Geemeff said:WendyBartter said:This is the only thread affected in this way ... strange?? Oh, is it? I haven't had a chance to check out any others.
Folliwing this post, many of yesterdays post have been repeated in the strange format ... think it should be reported to RSPB tomorrow!
17.48.52 Fish number three - headless AND body-less trout, just a tail-end, really. Louis has had the best of it before coming to the nest.
Nevertheless, C2 immediately makes sure C1 is cowed and not competing for the scraps
17.49.09 Louis leaves with Dorcha shouting at him. 17-second handover
Finally! C1 makes an attempt to stand up to C2. Doesn't last, but it's a start
18.10.01 Chick1 finally makes an attempt at standing up to dominant C2
18.11.55 Has another go
18.13.40 Staring match and a bit of mild argy bargy.
18.14.24 And C1 goes for it - it doesn't last long, C2 quickly subdues C1 but this is a promising start.
C2 has a golfball crop while C1 has a concave chest.
C1 needs to find its courage and demand a share of fish as Louis is bringing enough for everyone but it's all going to the dominant younger chick.
Daily summary Monday 17th June 2024
After yesterday's sadness at the loss of little Chick3, today was calmer all round, both for the family and for the watchers. Louis brought three fish to the nest, taking his tally to two hundred and ten. He put on a sprint between leaving the nest after delivering the first fish and returning with the second fish, and achieved a remarkable Nest to Nest time of 9 minutes 37 seconds. However, this doesn't beat his all-time N2N record of 5 minutes 23 seconds on 31st May 2020. The third fish was basically just a tail end, and as with the earlier fish, dominant C2 got most and wouldn't let submissive C1 have any. C1 is looking very hollow-cropped while C2 has the usual golfball - so it was heartening to see C1 suddenly decide to stand up to C2. Several attempts were made in quick succession, none lasted long and inevitably C2 soon subdued C1, but this bodes well for the future. There was discussion around the fate of the sad bundle of feathers that was C3, it's possible Dorcha will dispose of it in the forest as she's done before, or bury it within the nest vegetation, or it might even get eaten. C1 had the odd peck at it today, right before Dorcha had to deal with an intruder Osprey overflying the nest. No activity on Nest One, the weather was much more settled, and tonight's forecast is a dry night with light cloud and light winds.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 00.03.50 (02.54.38); Nest Two 23.19.46 (03.48.07)
Today’s videos, all Nest Two:
https://youtu.be/rcFGjw9ggH8 Fish number one, very small whole BT, C1 gets none 04:27:10
https://youtu.be/IVqA6qiQegI Fish number two, small whole trout, arrives <10 mins Nest-to-Nest time! 04.37.12
https://youtu.be/vxpIhe93244 Chick1 pecks at Chick3's body, Dorcha deals with intruders 14:29:47
https://youtu.be/sAFaD-IV1No Fish number three, just a tail-end but C2 stops C1 getting any 17.48.52
https://youtu.be/UVmvmdGrrgo Chick1 finally makes an attempt at standing up to C2 18.10.01
Bonus watch (not for the faint-hearted) - LizB talks about Ospreys eating their dead chicks. Warning: graphic content.
https://youtu.be/ab052JeJ_5Q
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/I_GsmuqoYpk N1 Little stirrer! Bob2 instigates a fight 2020
https://youtu.be/kb2CDBYN45g N1 That tiddler won't feed four! 2020
https://youtu.be/LETGGTIp7Rg N1 Clown feet on show as the chicks wingercise 2020
https://youtu.be/Z1uCptJNQOQ N1 Look closely - it's a deer 2020
https://youtu.be/Dx2ivqwDc7k N2 Dorcha protects the chicks from flying debris 2022
https://youtu.be/JMnUa4lbLBg N2 Bob2 pushes forward demanding a share of fish 2022
https://youtu.be/A-ooBwiJ2bM N1 Affric rejects LV0 on Nest One again2023
https://youtu.be/EPcA-_axV7c N2 Stickgate! Chick reacts to another bashing 2023
https://youtu.be/T0geg92yWd8 N1 LV0 teases Affric with a fish, makes her wait 2023