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:
Was that a successful mating attempt? (zoom)
05.26.51 Louis and Dorcha are on the nest, she's calling for fish
05.28.30 Louis flies upward and settles on her back and they conjoin for a serious mating attempt - looked successful.
05.28.32 Louis departs. Dorcha remains, standing quietly on the nest
FISH !!!! FINALLY!!! Louis brings Dorcha a headless trout.
The last fish was delivered at lunchtime on 5th July (https://youtu.be/rX4DKIlw6dM)
15.28.10 Dorcha lands, fish calling
15.31.07 Louis brings a headless trout
15.32.16 She flies off with it. Louis stays to tidy the nest
15.43.15 Louis leaves. Dorcha can be heard calling off cam
Glider said:Super news that 3 young ospreys have been ringed in the area this year. Sad that others have perished. Like you’ve said before Geemeff, our 2 could’ve/would’ve perished as well. Instead, they are thriving in Spain with a future ahead of them.
Super news that 3 young ospreys have been ringed in the area this year. Sad that others have perished.
Like you’ve said before Geemeff, our 2 could’ve/would’ve perished as well. Instead, they are thriving in Spain with a future ahead of them.
It has been a bad season here and in the States for Ospreys - our chicks are dying of starvation due to cold weather and hyperthermia while in the States they're dying of starvation, dehydration, and heat stroke.
No wonder there is more siblicide than usual, you can't blame the stronger chick for seeing off rivals to get all the food. It's quite amazing that Poole Harbour are raising four chicks, let's hope the goshawk keeps away.
Photos of the solo Bunarkaig Osprey chick on ringing day 13 Jul 2024 © Liz Bracken
This is the sole survivor on the Bunarkaig Nest, a dead sibling was found in the nest by the licensed raptor expert Lewis Pate.
Liz Bracken, Woodland Trust volunteer who lives in the area, took these photographs which are her copyright.
I have reproduced Woodland Trust Scotland's tweet on X.com which reproduced her photos in the public domain.
The chick has been assessed as male. No Darvic ring number has been released.
The parents are believed to be Affric 152 and Prince, who visit Loch Arkaig Osprey Nest One from time to time.
This nest produced a male chick Fishy LV7 in 2022, but failed last year, reason unknown.
15.31 Louis’ afternoon fish delivery to Dorcha as posted by Geemeff above.
It was half hidden with his tail. His feathers are looking a bit ragged.
Dorcha moves in to take the fish.
She then guards her fish, Louis mantles.Getting ready to leave.
Off she goes with her prize.
21.27 Later tonight, they are on the nest together, Louis sitting.
©️WTS
They looked lovely together in the sunset especially with the volume down!
Great screenshots, Glider. Thank you.
21.21.59 Louis arrives on the nest with a stick
21.22.24 Dorcha also arrives, they spend time together as the sun sets (they leave and return, edited for length)
22.05.49 Louis flies off
22.06.57 Dorcha also departs, probably for the night
Louis returns unexpectedly!
22.09.00 Louis returns unexpectedly with another stick. He places it awkwardly and fiddles with a few of the other furnishings
22.10.14 he moves a few bits of bark out of the nest cup and settles in
22.11.04 He stands up
22.11.18 He departs, flying right towards the loch
Daily summary Sunday 14th July 2024
A very interesting day today! We were given photos taken by LizB of the Bunarkaig chick during ringing yesterday, footage of the translocated chicks in Valencia, including ours, wingercising getting ready for lift off, and Louis brought Dorcha a fish on Nest Two. The first fish he's brought since 5th July, and only the fifth fish delivery since the official fish count* stopped at 10am on the day the chicks were removed to join the translocation programme on 1st July. Are things getting back to normal? Difficult to say, but he and Dorcha have been spending time together and carrying out courtship rituals including coy-mantling and attempted mating, and today they had what looked like a proper tail-up mating attempt. No action on Nest One except for the busy little spider with its web visible in today's sunshine. The forecast for tonight is misty with light winds, and dry with sunny intervals tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 00.14.09 (03.45.20); Nest Two 00.17.11 (03.54.45)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/F2O6Qu9bv2E N2 Dorcha arrives early, Louis arrives a little later but without fish 04.30.14
https://youtu.be/-w9xcZQB1ZA N2 Was that a successful mating attempt by Louis? 05.26.51 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/map5PyIWzDs Wingercising ready for lift-off: Arkaig chicks in Spain 13 July and WTS tweet 14th July
https://youtu.be/f3L7h59FXrQ Bunarkaig chick photos from LizB 13 July and WTS tweet 14th July
https://youtu.be/D2j9GKFPeTs N2 Finally! Louis brings a headless trout 15.31.07
https://youtu.be/dH2QtdR1ffY N2 Louis & Dorcha spend time together as the sun sets 21.21.29
https://youtu.be/w_VHNBuj340 N2 Louis returns unexpectedly with a stick 22.09.00
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/8-UEqGP3qmA N1 Lachlan JH4 wingercising 2017 (thanks Scyllabub)
https://youtu.be/I3Au3ekFkFw N1 Aila keeps calling although she's just got a flatfish 2020
https://youtu.be/WoCXdBB6Tn0 N1 A flurry of feathers: not much room on the nest! 2020
https://youtu.be/qOT_UCpmxRA N2 First glimpse of the newly ringed chicks 2021 (thanks LizB)
https://youtu.be/WOz_SacwJdo N2 Fish number four rides piggyback before actually landing 2022
https://youtu.be/KVbFAH9IzKA N2 Lovely Louis brings moss and takes fish 2022 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/jlkuL6tB9O4 N2 Dorcha brings a veritable plank 2023
https://youtu.be/xUkCgojfddk N1 Affric fish-calls, no response, gets fed up and departs 2023
https://youtu.be/H2WevXGiy48 N2 LY7 contemplates the world from the very edge of the nest 2023
https://youtu.be/3J1FliAvRek N2 Mumbrella: Dorcha protects her chick 2023 (zoom)
* The official fish count ended at 10am on 1st July with a total of 255 (Louis - 254; Dorcha - 1)
5 Fish brought to the nest since then (all Louis):
14th https://youtu.be/D2j9GKFPeTs (15.31.07)
5th https://youtu.be/rX4DKIlw6dM (13.20.39)
3rd https://youtu.be/nkSCLuDYS2A (12.49.01)
2nd https://youtu.be/qghrnyyuS00 (20.11.11)
1st https://youtu.be/y2RIy-5tqEQ (20.00.44)
Early breakfast for Dorcha courtesy of Louis!
04.24.12 Dorcha arrives, giving a few soft calls
04.25.55 She flies up to her perch, and remains there perching quietly for half an hour
04.50.42 She jumps down and starts calling loudly
04.51.00 Louis arrives with a whole smallish trout, still flapping feebly. She grabs it and keeps calling
04.52.30 Dorcha leaves with the fish, Louis remains, and does a bit of nest tidying and scraping
04.55.45 Louis departs, flying lochwards
Another update on our chicks 1JR and 1JW
Twelve fishing eagle chicks brought from Scotland have arrived at the Valencian Marjal de Pego-Oliva Nature Park, in a project that continues with the support of the Migres Foundation. It was started in 2019, after in 1981 the species disappeared in this area of the High Marina. Itziar Colodro, of the Migrants Foundation, traveled to Scotland to return with the birds, which hatched between 4 and 6 weeks ago. Two of the twelve chicks arrive preceded by a great fame in the world of ornithology. They've garnered a lot of attention because they were followed via a webcam in their struggle to survive. In Scotland, the last year has been one of severe cold, wind and rain. "These chicks were at risk of dying." I had to try to save them and now they're perfect," explains Itziar Colodro. The chicks will acclimate to their new environment and learn to fly in this wetland. In the Green Mountain of Pego-Oliva Marshal, the Ministry of Environment of Ajuntament de Dénia the Migres Foundation, the Foundation Ajuntament de Pego , Ajuntament de Xàbia ,@TAG , Iberdrola and Ajuntament d'Oliva have insisted on their commitment to promote this project. The second phase is the reintroduction of this species to the cliffs of Cape Sant Antoni Marine Reserve (Montgó Nature Park). . . https://www.facebook.com/FundacionMigres . .