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
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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:
Sky TV interview 3 July 2024:
20.40 Sarah Jane Mee, presenter of UK Tonight, talks to Woodland Trust Scotland's Jill Donnachie about the translocation of the Loch Arkaig Osprey chicks
Copyright Sky TV
Daily summary Wednesday 3rd July 2024
Today was much calmer than yesterday in terms of bird behaviour - Garry LV0 paid an early morning visit to Nest One, chattering away to himself, but didn't come over to Nest Two, so Dorcha and Louis didn't have to do much alarm calling. The Hoodies were in evidence again, but not when the big birds were on the nest. Dorcha arrived on the nest in time to meet Louis bringing a good sized headless fish - she left with it and he stayed to do some housekeeping including moving quite a big branch - hopes rise cautiously that he is on the mend. With WTS George taking a well-earned break, WTS Jill stepped in and gave a great interview on Sky TV about the translocation of the chicks. The weather was very unsettled, even the excellent camera lens coating couldn't keep up and there were 'camera diamonds' on screen fairly often. However, the weather also gave us a beautiful rainbow over Nest Two, tonight's forecast is for light rain showers and a gentle breeze, with a slight chance of sun and perhaps a little rain tomorrow, so we might see more rainbows.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 23.56.32 (03.31.18); Nest Two 23.47.16 (03.41.23)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/vpUK8HVFXCo N1 Garry LV0 chatters away to himself during an early morning visit 05.56.22
https://youtu.be/LLCSoyakFkU N2 Dyson and Henry Hoodie visit the empty nest 06.03.55
https://youtu.be/mj01V9rxF-w N2 Osprey flies from left to right under the nest 07:33:45 (slo-mo zoom)
https://youtu.be/5Pd8r2nronw N1 A little songbird visits for a few seconds 07.46.40
https://youtu.be/2V3SGgPo6Sw N2 Rainbow over the nest 10.48.14 (time lapse)
https://youtu.be/nkSCLuDYS2A N2 Louis brings a fish for Dorcha then does housework 12.49.01
https://youtu.be/uD0cwQ6ddHs N2 Louis arrives and stands quietly for a moment before departing 17.24.23
https://youtu.be/8SVETWUeZOQ Sky TV interview with WTS Jill Donnachie about the translocation 20.40
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/Ez7olfMrWrI N1 Vicious attack on Aila by the older chick 2019 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/oxqjbIS503w N1 Aila brings a stick and stands on the chicks 2020
https://youtu.be/6Z0gTYpMdQo N1 The chicks play pick up sticks 2020
https://youtu.be/_HPoEFUBjq8 N2 Chicks have a go at self-feeding 2022
https://youtu.be/Mcwe1E2Oa4I N2 Louis delivers a fish straight onto a chick's back! 2022
https://youtu.be/6Ap9Tva5Qg0 N1 Garry attempts mating, it appears to be tolerated 2023
https://youtu.be/6Ap9Tva5Qg0 N1 Little birds hopping around 2023
https://youtu.be/aCMsNj40CRk N2 Fish number two, dumbrella dad attempts to shelter the chick 2023
https://youtu.be/Qy3R8Fld46U N2 Despite wind and rain, Louis brings a third fish 2023
Nest One
09.34 Garry LV0 arrives, does a bit of nest work then just stands quietly, preening from time to time.
Looks like it didn't work out with the female called Aida.
Probably too late for any strange females to drop in now, unless he catches them heading back down south again towards the end of the month or early August.
10.27.46 Garry LV0 departs
09.35.02 Dorcha arrives, fish calling. Lands on the high perch, stays for ten minutes, no response
9.46.13 Dorcha flies off, still fish calling
11.22.45 Garry LV0 returns with a clump of moss.
He does some housework, a bit of nest scraping, but mainly stands quietly looking around and preening occasionally
12.13.36 Garry departs
12.07.40 Louis arrives but without fish.
12.08.14 Dorcha lands shortly and he coy-mantles, she thinks he has a fish and chunters at him. This goes on for a few minutes
12.18.59. Louis flies off, Dorcha remains. After a while she flies up to the high perch and stays there a while before jumping back down again, calling softly all the while
12.26.11 Dorcha leaves, still fish calling
13.17.50 Louis returns, chipping, with empty talons, still no fish
13.20.22 Louis departs, flying lochwards
13.47.37 A Hoodie lands on the right down below the nest
13.47.51 It hops up on the nest as a second lands on Dorcha's high perch
13.49.51 The first one flies away
13.51.26 The second one flies away
17.12.33 A little bird flies in and perches on the centre perch, quickly followed by a second which perches on Dorcha's high perch.
17.13.20 The first bird hops down and disappears under the nest
17.14.21 The second bird flies away
17.14.32 An Osprey lands on the high perch - it's Dorcha
17.16.52 She jumps down onto the nest, pecking around for fish scraps
17.18.51 Dorcha departs, flying towards the loch then circles round and flies to the left