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 arrive in Spain and are ringed Yellow 1JR & 1JW Thursday 11th July
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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:
Affric Blue 152 appears on Nest One 09.07 - first time since 20th May (zoomed)
09.07.24 Affric152 lands on the nest. Interesting!
09.07.51 She stands quietly then leaves flying to the right - eastwards
09.28.01 Affric returns, calls a few times, no answer
09.28.33 Leaves flying eastwards again
Update from Liz Bracken on the Bunarkaig nest where Affric (Blue 152) and Prince (unringed) are thought to be nesting since 2021:
Update from Bunarkaig (posted approx 2.30pm)
After seeing Affric/152 on nest 1 this morning, I decided to take the scope over to Bunarkaig to make sure all was okay over there. The last few times I’ve passed by I’ve not seen any sign of the chicks but then the weather hasn’t been great so I assumed they were probably just laying low.
The female was on the nest when I arrived but no sign of any chicks. After about 20 minutes a wing appeared, then a head, so one chick still there. The female stepped up onto the rim of the nest and I could make out a definite blue ring on her left leg.
About twenty minutes later she started fish calling and the male appeared with a nice sized fish which he dropped off and immediately went off hunting again, scanning the river mouth right over my head before heading along the river in the direction of Loch Arkaig. I had a good clear view of his legs and no rings were visible.
The female fed the chick, all the while fish calling until the male disappeared from her sight. There was no sign of a second chick, which presumably has died. The surviving chick looks big and possibly around the same age as our two were when removed from the nest. It certainly had the same wobbly stance when it tried to stand and stretch out its wings at the same time.
I still believe this pair is Affric/152 and Prince.
2pm on intruder around Nest Two - both Louis and Dorcha defending.
14.34.09 Dorcha lands on the high perch, calling.
14.36.20 Dorcha drops down to the nest and assumes a defensive posture
14.37.02 Louis arrives, they mantle together on high alert
14:37:37 Louis departs, Dorcha remains on the nest.
Louis & Dorcha defend as an intruder flies directly overhead
14.53.45 Dorcha is on the nest, mantling and alarm-calling
14.53.40 Louis arrives
14:53:49 Intruder Osprey flies directly over Louis and Dorcha
14.54.29 onwards both Dorcha & Louis defending the nest, the intruder flies in the distance
Nest One Dark female from the 7th after being chased off Nest Two, arrives on Nest One.
Garry LV0 appears and brings her a fish!!!
15.40.52 The dark female who was just intruding on Louis and Dorcha on Nest Two lands on Nest One
17.01.30 She starts fish-calling
17.01.55 An Osprey is seen flying in
17.02.04 Garry LV0 lands - and he's got a fish for her! She seizes it immediately and takes it to the edge of the nest
17.02.27 Garry moves over towards her and she flies off in a hurry with her fish
17.02.30 He follows her off
17.24.07 She returns without the fish
17.24.14 Garry arrives and lands on top of her in a half-hearted mating attempt
17.24.23 He flies away and she follows one second later. Interesting!
This was a special request:
Noctilucent clouds around Nest Two (Classic Ospreys: Pachelbel) 01.30 - 02.45 quicktime
Dorcha pays a final visit to the nest today
15.19.30 Dorcha arrives on the nest in a hurry - alarm-chipping and mantling, looking around warily.
No one is seen but from her reaction the intruder must be near
15.21.30 She quietens and stands calmly on the nest
15.23.06 She departs, and doesn't return
Daily summary Tuesday 9th July 2024
There was much confusing action today, at times difficult to unpick. The day started at midnight as so much light was provided by noctilucent clouds that the nest cams didn't switch over and remained on day mode. Dorcha arrived early on Nest Two, Louis was seen much later but only flew over her to land in the Scots Pine instead of joining her on the nest. Then Affric 152 paid two quick visits to Nest One after not being seen there since May. Later LizB checked the Bunarkaig nest, thought to be the home of Affric & Prince, and confirmed one adult had a blue Darvic and the other was unringed - which matches with Affric & Prince. Sadly only one small head was seen bobbing around, so it looks as if the second chick hasn't survived, with luck raptor expert Lewis Pate will be able to give more information when he does his ringing rounds. Back at Nest Two, Louis joined Dorcha on the nest to deal with a persistent intruder Osprey, the dark female who had intruded on the 7th. There was much alarm chipping, mantling and flying about, until the intruder left the area, only to turn up on Nest One, fish-calling, and who responded? Garry LV0! First he brought her a fish, which was eagerly accepted, and then he tried a clumsy mating attempt, which was less eagerly received, before both of them flew off the nest together. An intriguing situation - will Garry be successful this time? Fingers crossed for him. Weather was reasonably settled with some rain, and a colourful sunset ended the day, more rain expected overnight and tomorrow. No further updates yet on our chicks who are warm, dry, well fed and well looked after by the translocation project team.
Night cam switches on (no night / day cam switchover last night): Nest One 23.27.16; Nest Two 23.27.59
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/H3_8HTR1TVA Noctilucent clouds around Nest Two (Classic Ospreys: Pachelbel) 01.30 - 02.45 (quicktime)
https://youtu.be/8iBSJlP9nDAN2 Louis flies over Dorcha but lands on the Scots Pine 08.00.00 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/eXXkd-62nmk N1 Affric 152 pays two quick visits 09.07.24 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/VS2Xh41rUSw N2 Louis arrives to help Dorcha defend the nest against an intruder 14.34.07
https://youtu.be/_a3tynzyyS0 N2 Louis and Dorcha defend as an intruder Osprey flies directly overhead 14:53:49
https://youtu.be/EUNTzJWJ-EU N1 Dark female intruder lands on N1 and Garry LV0 brings fish! 15.40.52
https://youtu.be/W9aTTJjklwU N2 Dorcha pays a final visit to the nest today 15.19.30
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/kNS8mcuUH4U N1 The chicks star on BBC Breakfast: name suggestions requested 2020
https://youtu.be/mxe0htz8eTo N1 Second appearance on BBC Breakfast 2020
https://youtu.be/dRIWAvmfOzg N1 Is this seat taken? 2020
https://youtu.be/ettePXrIwQc N1 They're back again! Blue 152 and Prince return 2021
https://youtu.be/-0W3v_OJImA N2 Chick tries a quick nibble when breakfast arrives 2022
https://youtu.be/cvgM9Dw2P9Q N2 Dorcha gets pecked on returning from an intruder alert 2022
https://youtu.be/DuEMTYldUgU N2 Louis brings a very fresh flapping breakfast 2023
https://youtu.be/d-KqR_qZcs4 N2 It's a boy! and a new cam view 2023
https://youtu.be/cqKb9vZgYAY N1 Prince turns up but Affric gets rid of him 2023 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/K4EuB3tz7H0 N1 Prince returns and Garry does a flyover without landing 2023
https://youtu.be/YvE65EyfpxE N1 Second fish for Affric from Garry 2023
That was a very interesting day indeed Geemeff. So much happening. Loved the noctilucent clouds to music video too.
15.41 Here is the dark female on nest 1. Skydancing could be heard as she looked above, likely to be Garry.
She responded with soft calls.
15.47
She was on and off the nest a few times.
16.51 She was fish calling, she has a raspy voice.
16.52
17.02 Here comes Garry with his piece of fish.
The dark female quickly takes the fish.
Off she goes with it clasped in her talons.
Garry follows. They flew down then to the right then back past the left of the nest.
©️WTS
Fabulous photos, Glider! You got some wonderful freezeframes - she's very handsome, isn't she, and such distinctive markings. I wonder where she's from? First seen here in 2021, then not seen until two days ago. I do so hope Garry bonds with her, I would love to see him settled with a mate and nest of his own.
Perhaps we should leave naming her til later, so we don't jinx a budding romance (thinking of Aida). Actually, this one would suit the name Aida, very regal. But it won't be used again, more's the pity.
Glad you liked the noctilucent clouds video, it was a special request.
Last night's very colourful sunset seen from Nest Two
video starts at 22.00 and ends when day cam switches over at 23.27.59
1.5 hours condensed into a 3 minute time-lapse