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:
Nest Two) ReallyDarkFemale (RDF) and Louis:
11.28.36 Louis lands
11.28.45 RDF lands (first seen 2021 on N1 and recently on both nests)
11.31.24 Louis departs
11.32.38 RDF departs
11.35.55 Louis returns, chipping
11.36.08 RDF returns
11.42.53 Louis departs
11.47.05 RDF departs
12.36.07 Garry LV0 arrives with some moss, flying in from the west near the solar panels
12.36.34 Affric 152 arrives, from the same direction. He coy mantles and she checks under his wing for fish
12.43.53 Affric departs, flying off to the right, eastwards
12:43 57 Garry departs in the same direction.
What is going on with all this nest and partner swapping business?!!!
They have a very big fruit bowl for dropping their keys into..
Nest One
13.20.19 Garry LV0 returns, bringing a tiny clump of moss. He does a little nest work including trying to cut that long grass at the front of the nest (furthest from the nest cam)
13.23.30 Garry departs, flying directly to the right and out of cam view.
17.56.37 A little songbird pops in and out of the branches and sticks underneath the nest, trilling away merrily.
It's a Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
17.58.02 It disappears underneath the nest
12.27.51 Dorcha lands on the nest calling 13.06.09
Something does a flyby behind the nest, from right to left. Looks like a Wood Pigeon, Dorcha doesn’t seem worried
13.23.20 Dorcha gives a quick alarm call and flies up to the high perch, calls again
14.05.56 Dorcha departs, flying off from her perch lochwards to the right
15.34.26 Louis arrives with a little call, carrying a stick
15.36.42 Departs after a bit of nest work
19.58.57 Garry LV0 arrives with a fish, stands quietly with his fish held in his foot, just looking around.
No female arrives to take it from him
20.00.09 Garry departs with his fish