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:
11.02.20 Dorcha causes chaos with a stick
11.04.25 Luckily it quickly goes overboard while Dorcha stares in amazement
13.31.19 Garry LV0 pops in for a fast visit, flying in from behind the left-hand knoll. He's carrying a small bit of wood which he sets down on the nest then ignores
13.31.36 He stays for just seven seconds and flies off first towards the right hand knoll then across eastwards, then disappears out of sight behind the 'L' in the WT logo
(zoomed)
13.47.14 Fish number three, smallish headless trout.
Dorcha dishes it out very even handedly, turn and turn about
13.47.40 Louis departs, and the calm polite alternative mouthfuls for each chick feeding continues
15.48.34 Fish number four, it's a whole flatfish.
Chicks usually are not especially enthusiastic about flatfish, but this pair eventually gathered around for a feed.
15.48.42 Louis departs - eight second handover, his fastest yet.
Nest One gets another visitor
20.38.30 A little bird makes a really quick flit around the nest, starting with the underneath, before disappearing underneath again a few seconds later, as quickly as it came
23.45.37 Louis looms up out of the darkness with fish number five, a headless trout. All-time latest delivery - breaks his previous record of 23.30.55 on 29th June 2024
Dorcha initially seems startled then quickly realises and starts fish-calling.
As soon as Louis lands, she grabs the fish and the chicks sit up
23.46.39 Louis departs, the family tucks in to a midnight feast
Daily summary Sunday 23rd June 2024
Calm was the order of the day, the weather was settled and the two chicks behaved impeccably. Dorcha had a bit of fun with an unwieldy stick which, after causing chaos, was lost overboard. Garry LV0 paid a flying visit to Nest One and a little bird did a quick flit round too. The star of today was Louis, who loomed up out of the darkness at 14 minutes and 23 seconds before midnight with a record-breaking latest delivery fish, to take his total for the day to five fish and his season's tally to two hundred and forty two. Tonight's forecast for Inver Mallie which includes the nest area, is partly cloudy and light winds. Perhaps Louis will do a spot more fishing - it will be interesting to see what time he delivers the first fish tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 00.09.26 (03.09.37); Nest Two 23.30.31 (03.43.42)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/Mw1wYciPyBg N2 Fish number, one live trout, chicks line up politely 06.28.23
https://youtu.be/NiluW_gKrG0 N2 Fish number two, headless trout, chicks still polite 08.26.17
https://youtu.be/e1DJpaL8Dlo N2 Dorcha causes chaos with a stick, tbut it soon goes overboard 11.02.20
https://youtu.be/e3oZRUuHIzs N1 GarryLV0 visits for just seven seconds 13.31.19 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/gZDgFJrJfMo N2 Fish number three, smallish headless trout, Dorcha doles out evenly 13.47.14
https://youtu.be/0yXwS1_ft18 N2 Fish number four, whole flatfish, chicks are not very enthusiastic but queue up anyway 15.48.34
https://youtu.be/kqS35fIdnn8 N1 A little bird makes a brief flit around and underneath 20.38.30
https://youtu.be/35Zn71fWiCg N2 Fish number five, headless trout - breaks all-time latest delivery record! 23.45.37
Bonus watch - Woodland Trust's video for World Rainforest Day 2024:
https://youtu.be/jtoaKvyYz-w
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/Oay1Lrgh3O0 N1 Another Osprey intrusion, the chicks pancake 2019 (Slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/obBc6-JVTgU N1 The family ignore fish three and track an intruder 2020
https://youtu.be/5CFk79DzWVg N2 A large unwieldy twiggy stick arrives and departs 2020
https://youtu.be/Zl0Mf-1ZbRs N2 Dinner en famille! Dad feeds C1 from F3 while mum feeds C2 from F2 2022
https://youtu.be/ElJNzd8XcRA N2 Sunlight sonata: a slice of family life 2022 (Classic Ospreys - Beethoven)
https://youtu.be/04jToc-igIg N1 Prince intrudes at Nest Two 2023 (slo-mo, zoom)
https://youtu.be/cQ1zI4L_ng4 N2 Bombs away! Thankfully chick misses the nest cam! 2023
https://youtu.be/ovW-q9Dcbkc N1 Is Affric becoming more accepting of LV0? 2023
https://youtu.be/FaLhOxt1U50 N2 Mumbrella Dorcha does her best to shelter the chick 2023
https://youtu.be/1rWjROjQOlE N2 Tailenders: Louis returns fish three and Dorcha finishes it off 2023
Nest One
06.15.01 Garry LVO arrives with a big stick and begins tidying, moving and arranging the stick he just brought plus the one from yesterday, and does some nest cupping.
After a while he goes to the right side and just waits quietly
06.28.16 Garry departs, flying past Pole Tree behind the knoll towards the loch
12.45.07 Fish number one, small whole trout.
As is the pattern now, the chicks queue politely and take turns to be fed
12.45.26 Louis departs, 19 second handover
stick