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:
Some stills of Garry and Dorcha earlier on N2.
14.59 Garry has landed with his big stick.
He carried that stick a long way - then took it all the way back to Nest One! So funny. If he's got an eye on Dorcha, she's not interested. At least for now..
Come on Louis, you need to get well soon..
Daily summary Tuesday 2nd July 2024
Today was the first day waking up to the reality of an empty nest. However, Woodland Trust Scotland spokesman George tells us the chicks are reported to be doing well after a warm, dry, peaceful night with plenty of fish. They have been initially assessed as two males, although a more thorough assessment will take place in due course when they are ringed and satellite tagged. Questions were raised on the forum as to the feasibility of continuing to feed the chicks on the nest rather than placing them in the translocation programme - WTS gives the reasons why that's not possible, details here: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=15244841. It might have been thought that activity on the nest would tail off now but Garry LV0 stepped up to provide plenty of interest by intruding not once but several times on Nest Two. He even brought nest furnishings. If he does fancy Dorcha as a potential mate, both Dorcha and Louis have other ideas and there was much flying on and off, alarm-chipping and hasty exits. Once Garry had left for the night, Louis turned up with a good size late night supper which was eagerly seized by Dorcha. No improvement in the weather, it's deteriorating if anything, with a forecast of heavy rain and light winds tonight, and rain all day tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 23.44.17 (02.50.32); Nest Two 23.34.00 (03.23.23)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/xLYMFTjW5IQ N1 Incy Wincy spider's midnight visit 00.42.41 (quicktime)
https://youtu.be/PcbM4KE7w-I N2 Hooded Crow intrudes on Dorcha 11.13.28
https://youtu.be/W32p5HJcb5A N2 Garry LV0 intrudes 13.07.20 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/Q9R-mWtaQiw N2 Action N2 involving Dorcha, Louis & Garry LV0 13.37.03
https://youtu.be/lgNojG-NglE N1 & N2 Garry LV0 brings a stick to N2 then takes it to N1 14.59.25
https://youtu.be/qghrnyyuS00 N2 Louis brings Dorcha a late fish supper 20.11.11
Bonus read - visiting Loch Arkaig and the Dark mile that gave Dorcha her name:
https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/speanbridge/locharkaig/index.html
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/QnUp0ySNSEc N1 Ouch! chick plucks out one of Aila's feathers 2019 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/WOpkQEPtVPY N1 Record early morning fish arrives 2020
https://youtu.be/_CNzBPg2JAQ N1 Folk arriving at the nest - it's the ringers! 2020
https://youtu.be/ncw7cbwZo3c N1 The chicks show dad their new jewellery 2020
https://youtu.be/OksogGU5rUc N1 Unringed female Osprey visits Nest One! 2022
https://youtu.be/IjdTejlSovM N2 Louis brings a late night snack 2022
https://youtu.be/nmsla8-RSfQ N1 Affric's not happy as Garry arrives with a stick not fish 2023
https://youtu.be/aqSLp22W8Xo N2 The chick gets up close and very personal 2023
https://youtu.be/8tXeUJS5kWw N2 Louis tries to get a fish tail but Dorcha grabs it off him 2023
https://youtu.be/VadFOWNYgfM N2 Yet more food! Fish number five arrives 2023
https://youtu.be/gLFln6JjbeQ N2 Louis pays a late evening visit 2023
10.48 A beautiful rainbow over the nest this morning
12.49 Louis brought in a good sized headless fish for Dorcha.
©️WTS
Nest One Garry LV0 chatters away to himself during an early morning visit 05.56.22
05.56.10 A bird is seen flying towards the nest from the knolls
05.56.22 Garry LV0 Garry arrives, looks around, starts to make chipping sounds - more like encouraging sounds rather than defensive, but who is he talking to?
06.12.48 departs to the left - westwards
Dyson and Henry Hoodie visit the empty nest 06.03.55
06.03.55 A Hoodie appears bottom right of the nest
06:04:00 That one moves up and another Hoodie lands on the nest.
One perches on the centre perch while the other pootles around looking for scraps.
06.06.30 One departs
06:07:38 The second one departs
An Osprey flies from left to right under the nest (slo-mo zoom)
07:33:45 an Osprey flies from left to right under the nest and disappears out of sight underneath the logo in the green tree belt.
Well spotted by Shelly - even in slo-mo it's quick.
Nest One A little songbird visits for a few seconds 07.46.40
07.46.40 A little songbird pops up on the left hand side of the nest.
It potters around for a few seconds before disappearing underneath the nest
Rainbow over the nest 10.48.14 - 11.00.57 time lapse speeded up x10
Louis brings a fish for Dorcha then does some housework
12.48.45 Dorcha lands on the nest calling
12.49.01 Louis delivers a very large headless fish to her, she grabs it immediately
12.49.18 Dorcha departs with her fish, Louis stays to tidy the nest, moving some quite large branches and doing some nest cupping
13.08.56 Louis departs
Louis returns and stands quietly for a moment before departing
17.24.23 Louis arrives. He's not carrying anything, and just stands quietly looking around, he doesn't do any housework this time.
17.25.48 Louis departs, flying east towards the loch.