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
.
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:
Great item on BBC News Channel this morning about the Ospreys at Poole, Dorset. Thank you so much to Geemeff for all the wonderful coverage at Loch Arkaig. Heartsore about the chicks heading off to Spain but hopefully that is the best option for them to grow and thrive after all the devotion by Dorcha and Louis.
Update from George this morning:
I am told that the chicks are both believed to be male.
They haven’t been weighed and measured yet as it was thought best to let them get a good feed and a warm and dry night before disturbing them after their journey yesterday.
But the team know their ospreys and that is their thinking.
More as and when we get it.
The livestream will continue to operate and the adult ospreys are likely to stay around before migrating a little earlier than they would have otherwise.
We continue to be concerned about Louis who may be feeling his age or is ill. His fishing success has plummeted and he is spending long hours perching. He is not himself. We hope he will recover from any illness but it is a worrying time. There isn’t anything practical way we can do to help him as he is mobile. He no longer has the pressure of feeding the chicks though so hopefully that will allow him to recover from whatever is ailing him.
Nest One midnight visitor:
00.42.41 A glowing shape looms out of the darkness looking huge.
It's just a tiny spider going about its business very near the nest cam lens.
Incy Wincy pootles about spinning, for a few minutes, condensed into 30 seconds in quicktime.
11.13.28 A Hoodie appears lower left of the nest
11.13.48 Dorcha arrives on perch immediately followed by the Hoodie, right side of nest, must have gone underneath and up
11.14.50 Dorcha gives a little cry and departs leaving Dyson* poking around for scraps
11.18.50 Dyson’s doing the housekeeping, moving branches, finding a few fish scraps
11.34.15 Dyson departs
*Forum names - when there's one Hoodie it's called Dyson, two are Dyson and Henry, and three is Dyson, Henry, and Hoover!
Ringed intruder on Nest Two - it's Garry LV0!
13.07.20 Osprey seen flying in the foreground
13.07.36 Osprey flies right to left across cam view
13.08.26 Ringed intruder touches down and away again immediately - it's Garry LV0!
(zoomed)
Fascinating! Garry bringing sticks to Nest Two - grapevine’s been busy, maybe he thinks this nest and female is available - who knows?!
14.59.25 Garry LV0 arrives on Nest Two with a stick
14.59.44 An Osprey approaches from the left giving warning call, and Garry departs hastily, taking his stick with him
14.59.46 Dorcha lands, chipping loudly, as Garry flies across the cam view from right to left with his stick then back again from left to right
15.00.24 Dorcha departs, flying to the right in the direction Garry was going
15.07.07 Garry lands on Nest One still clutching his stick! Took him seven minutes to get there from Nest Two. He finally puts his stick down.
15.09.06 Garry departs heading back in the direction of Nest Two. Is he after Dorcha?
Nest Two Plenty of action on & off the nest involving Dorcha, Louis & Garry LV0
LizB unpicks the action:
13.37.03 An Osprey flies in from the right and lands in the Scots Pine tree, just to the left of the front perch.
Alarm chips heard, Osprey moves onto neighbouring branch
13.46.18 Osprey on SP tree flies onto next branch
13.46.49 osprey flies off before coming in to land on the nest - it’s Garry LV0
13.48.53 While Garry is on the nest another osprey lands in the SP tree - it’s Louis. Garry alarm chips at him
13.49.44 Garry leaves, Dorcha arrives three seconds later with moss. Louis is still in the pine tree
13.49.54 Garry does a fly past
13.50.21 Garry lands on the nest while Dorcha alarm calls at him. She immediately sees him off and he circles round in front of the nest.
13.53.29 Dorcha leaves and appears to dive bomb Louis on the pine tree, but maybe just flying over to join him. They both fly off. More alarm chipping heard
Louis brings a late upper for Dorcha!
20.09.35 An Osprey appears lower right of the nest
20.09.40 Dorcha arrives, fish calling
20.11.11 Louis arrives with a good size headless trout
20.11.29 Louis departs
20.11.42 Dorcha departs with her fish
Some stills of Garry and Dorcha earlier on N2.
14.59 Garry has landed with his big stick.
Dorcha flying in, Garry leaves
She’s not happy. Garry can be seen flying behind her from right to left.
Still clutching his big stick.
©️WTS
Geemeff said:20.11.11 Louis arrives with a good size headless trout
Nice to see Louis catching bigger fish and making sure he’s had some first before passing over to Dorcha.