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:
Louis returns and spends two hours on his nest (zoomed)
11.31.38 Louis arrives, landing on Dorcha's perch. He spends some time up there
12.24.10 he flies upwards then down onto the nest, doing a bit of nest cupping and moving some of the furnishings around.
13.31.18 Louis departs, flying out of sight to the left
Daily summary Tuesday 30th July 2024
The highlight of today was the welcome return of Louis, last seen on the 25th. He spent over two hours on Nest Two, perching on Dorcha's perch then flying down to do some nest cupping, before departing. Nest Two had another visitor - Affric 152 made a surprise visit, just a brief touchdown really before flying off again. No sign of Dorcha, last seen on the 27th, or Garry LV0, last seen yesterday. No visitors to Nest One although a Wood Pigeon did a fast flypast caught on nest cam. Itziar Colodro from Fundación Migres gave us an update on 1JW and safety measures in the translocation area, link in the bonus section. The weather was settled, tonight's forecast is a pleasant partly cloudy with a gentle breeze and a low of 9°c, and tomorrow promises to be dry and sunny with a high of 19°c.
Nice images of Loch Arkaig today posted by WTS earlier on X.
©️WTS
Nest One
compilation of recordings from 09.50.27 to 13.19.35 - various little birds visit, hopping up and down from underneath to the nest top and back again.
10.59.11 A juvenile Robin pops up from the branches underneath the nest and starts to fiddle with the nest furnishing, eventually taking away a small piece.
Nest Two
19.17.24 - a pair of small birds move around, on and under the nest.
I’m informed they are juvenile Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
19.23.30 they leave in a hurry
Daily summary Wednesday 31st July 2024
The big news for today is that there is no news! No Ospreys were seen on either nest today, and the only activity was visits from some little birds. Pleasant weather today, but light rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.55.17 (03.53.23); Nest Two 22.56.40 (04.13.37)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/0pQQIotNUsM N1 Various little birds visit the nest 09.50.27
https://youtu.be/dJAmVH178r8 N1 A juvenile Robin fiddles with the nest furnishings 10.59.11
https://youtu.be/irAW6knurFY N2 A pair of juvenile Bullfinches investigate the empty nest 19.17.24
Bonus read - why do Ospreys intrude on established nests?
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2022/05/intruder-series-ospreys/
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/Kd2L1Nz_I2E N1 Louis brings breakfast and gets another nip for his trouble 2020
https://youtu.be/57UvSSpDhJU N1 Aila makes a seven second appearance on the nest 2020
https://youtu.be/nh0nSXoL1G0 N1 Vera pecks Louis but it's Doddie who gets the fish 2020
https://youtu.be/xKkstvD5Sic N2 A fledge, a fish, and a crash landing 2022
https://youtu.be/S4bXOzEfa9Y N2 Aerial fight as Dorcha chases an intruder away from the nest 2022
https://youtu.be/yQyJt-gBLKw N2 Sarafina flies from underneath the nest and crash lands on Willow 2022
https://youtu.be/bh8rFF73NG0 N2 Hoodies give Ludo some bother 2023
https://youtu.be/txoV9kCv9EI N2 Ludo eats a whole live fish and swallows the tail 2023
https://youtu.be/YZ-M5ZUiWx4 N2 Dorcha looking fabulous flying past with a fish 2023 (zoom)
10.31.13 A couple of little visitors hop onto the nest. ID'd as Warblers. They don't stay long, one flies off almost immediately.
10.31.45 The second one leaves
13.07.21 Garry LV0 arrives - stands quietly on the nest, has an occasional preen
13.15.42 Garry departs, flying past Pole Tree and disappearing into the gap between the knolls
Woodland Trust would like us to sign the petition to save our Living Legends - get our ancient trees protected by law.
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/protecting-trees-and-woods/campaign-with-us/tree-protection-campaign/
Please share widely!