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
Sadly, 1JR started having seizures and succumbed to a heart condition Tuesday 23rd July
FLEDGE! The surviving chick 1JW 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
.
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 One
13.05.37 Affric 152 lands, Garry LV0 follows and attempts to mate. Both watching the skies above.
13.08.35 Garry alarm chips while Affric calls quietly, still sky watching
1313.13.16 More alarm chips on and off from LV0 as he continues to look up. Affric still fish calling
13.15.15 Affric spots something and alarm calls, she looks as if she's going to fly off but just flies to the front perch - Garry does actually leave
13.15.31 Affric leaves, alarm calling as she goes and catches up to Garry in the distance - they both fly east towards Bunarkaig
WendyBartter said:Have watched the set-up story now with all the great footage plus the story of Louis, Aila & Lachlan ... such an amazing feat and so interesting to see how it was all constructed in that forbidding terrain ... many thanks Geemeff for all your hard work too in keeping us updated on the comings & goings often in such an amusing way Please let them all be safe and come back next year!
Have watched the set-up story now with all the great footage plus the story of Louis, Aila & Lachlan ... such an amazing feat and so interesting to see how it was all constructed in that forbidding terrain ... many thanks Geemeff for all your hard work too in keeping us updated on the comings & goings often in such an amusing way Please let them all be safe and come back next year!
Thank you Wendy, glad you enjoyed my posts. It's an amazing story - well done that Woodland Trust person who had the brilliant idea to install the nest cam.
Fingers and talons firmly crossed that Louis and Dorcha,and maybe even a grown-up chick or two, come back safely next year.
Affric, Garry and Prince are still here, wonder for how much longer? But then, Affric's chick has only just fledged.
15.21.22 Affric 152 arrives quickly followed by Garry LV0
15.21.29 Garry lands with a crash on her back, can't really call it a mating attempt . She shrugs him off and keeps fish-calling
15.41.45 Garry departs, flying over the right-hand knoll
15.42.41 He returns, attempting to land on Affric on the left hand perch, but she lifts her wing and shrugs him off and he slides down onto the nest
15.43.03 Garry leaves again, and doesn't return
15.48.24 Affric departs, flying westwards to the left
15.50.01 Garry LV0 returns alone and lands on the front perch. He sits there quietly or a while, no sign of Affric
16.08.10 Garry leaves, flying to the left, westwards
Nest One Affric arrives alone and calls in vain for fish
17.23.22 Affric arrives, fish calling, and perches on the centre perch.
17.32.59 Doesn't get an answer so does a squirt and flies off!
Nest One Where's Affric? She's missing out!
20.26.49 Garry LV0 arrives carrying the remains of a bright red trout. Where's Affric? She misses out on a free meal.
He looks around, waits for a few moments but no one comes
20.27.41 Garry LV0 departs, flying to the left, westwards, out of cam view.
Name 2024 last seen * (first seen*)
Louis 30/7 13.31.18 (28/3)
Dorcha 27/7 11.19.43 (30/3)
Garry LV0 12/8 20.27.41 (9/4)
Affric 152 12/8 17.32.59 (10/4)
Prince 29/6 09.24.01 (1/4)
RDF** 21/7 11.47.05 (7/7)
Aida 8/5 08.49.32 (28/4)
* on nest cam
**RDF = really dark female
Nominations are now open for £5k grants for Climate and Environment charities - please nominate Woodland Trust. You can nominate both the English and Scottish branches, I've listed them below, just copy and paste into the search field.
Nominations close this Friday 16th August. Thank you!
294344 - THE WOODLAND TRUST
SC038885 - The Woodland Trust
Daily summary Monday 12th August 2024
Garry LV0 and Affric 152 had a busy day today, hopping on and off Nest One multiple times. Garry tried his luck but got nowhere, and ironically, after fish-calling for most of her time on the nest, Affric wasn't present when Garry did turn up with a plump juicy fish. He took it away again and she lost out. No activity on Nest Two, although thunder and lightening around 08.30 did make both nest cams shake and hiss momentarily. There shouldn't be any problems tonight, the forecast is for clear skies and a gentle breeze, maybe the Perseid meteor shower might show up on nest cam. However it's all change for tomorrow, with heavy rain and a moderate breeze (make that strong winds at the top of the nest trees) forecast for tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.13.43 (04.57.35); Nest Two 22.22.41 (05.00.53)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/csO3lrb-qgY N1 Garry and Affric are alarmed by an unseen intruder 13.05.37
https://youtu.be/cdetJmrEd_w N1 Affric 152 shrugs off Garry LV0's mating attempts 15.21.22
https://youtu.be/93Tf6cfsq2Q N1 Garry LV0 returns alone and perches quietly before departing 15.50.01
https://youtu.be/Zz5MF4QI0Ic N1 Affric 152 returns alone and perches quietly, has a squirt and departs! 17.23.22
https://youtu.be/l2actnz1EJo N1 Garry LV0 returns with a fish but Affric's not there 20.26.49
Bonus good deed - nominate Woodland Trust for a £5,000 grant, closes this Friday 16th August:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=15712372
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/ygryqbjrqpQ N1 The second coming: Aila's reappearance after a 4-day absence 2019
https://youtu.be/nX_d7r6hPfI N1 Vera does her pre dawn exercises 2020
https://youtu.be/lAHCuokJZ9U N1 Doddie and Vera enjoy a quiet chat 2020
https://youtu.be/Mya-HGmOiuA N1 Beautiful Aila brings another fish 2020
https://youtu.be/Ys-E2CXlXmI N1 Vera doesn't want fish so Captain lucks out 2020
https://youtu.be/_oQBYv6mj0Q N2 Noisy Sarafina gets the fish to herself 2022
https://youtu.be/gL_WHrv_GDQ N2 Three second fish handover from Louis to Dorcha 2022
https://youtu.be/K6MOZkpMChE N1 Affric and Garry pay a dawn visit 2023
https://youtu.be/a3EINpSUrlg N2 Ludo arrives squeaking and gets the second fish 2023
https://youtu.be/HzzQWKKMeLQ N2 Scarecrow: Dorcha sees off a Hoodie 2023
https://youtu.be/Fh_aG8K3088 N2 No one comes for fish number five so Louis takes it away 2023
https://youtu.be/cQivGnHzWbQ N2 Dorcha and Dyson beak to beak 2023
Two of the under-nest residents, a Robin and a Wren, explore Nest One
08.23.18 One of the under-nest resident Robins pops up from underneath on the right hand side and flits around the nest
08.23.37 The Robin disappears underneath on the left
11.13.03 The Robin pops up again briefly, disappearing a few seconds later as movement is seen
11.13.30 A Wren pops up from under the nest on the right hand side and hops around busily, going in and out of the branches
11.14.16 The Wren disappears under the nest again