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 One
07.22.56 two little birds pop up on the left, a pair of Great Tits (Parus major).
One leaves quickly and the other spends a few moments flitting about checking for insects before flying off underneath to the right.
Daily summary Friday 23rd August 2024
More rain overnight last night with strong winds, and a misty morning today. No Ospreys appeared on either nest, just a pair of Great Tits on Nest One, but we were treated to footage from Spain of our one surviving chick, 1JW, looking magnificent and defending his fish with a short sharp warning nip to another Osprey who attempted to get some of it. This all bodes well for his upcoming migration journey, and explains his informal nickname of 'Jaws'. Also sent through by Fundación Migres were photos of Pean JH3, the Loch Arkaig Osprey who fledged from a private nest in 2017 the same year that Aila & Louis fledged their first chick, Lachlan JH4. Pean's untimely death on a faulty power line in 2018 inspired Itziar Colodro Sainz from the Fundación to campaign successfully for modernisation of the local grid at the translocation area of Marjal Pego-Oliva Nature Reserve, which has subsequently saved many birds. More here: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=15815194 and here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-46952452. The wet weather will continue all week, with the possibility of thundery showers tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.32.40 (05.19.49); Nest Two 21.24.56 (05.26.39)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/cuNHwXdx6jE Video footage of 'Jaws' 1JW defending his fish in Spain
https://youtu.be/Cxnfg-UCmUk N1 Pair of Great Tits visit 07.22.56
Bonus new partnership initiative between WT and Sainsburys also means more food and homes for wildlife:
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4349695/sainsburys-woodland-trust-launch-agroforestry-initiative
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/WJEkMbcEdjc N1 Captain and Vera chatter to each other in rare harmony 2020
https://youtu.be/fK6OcJnAN_U N1 Confirmed: final sighting of Captain 2020
https://youtu.be/Pd-g9MEghug N1 So many fish, Vera ignores the fresh Silver Tourist 2020
https://youtu.be/W_tbe-gCkHs N2 Big bird, little bird, and a rainbow 2022
https://youtu.be/OLTCUuSdxqw N2 Harassing Hoodies get Sarafina's fish 2022
https://youtu.be/wR3q19ooSvI N2 Willow's turn to get a fish 2022
https://youtu.be/5k5OPMIcPMU N2 Tree Creeper creeps around 2023
https://youtu.be/YCBrtvH0N-E N2 Finally! First fish only arrives at suppertime 2023
https://youtu.be/zSj0-mjMtME N2 Ludo departs leaving fish2 behind 2023
Nest One: A pair of Great Tits visit, yesterday's pair back again?
07.05.40 A Great Tit pootles around, is joined by a second
07.06.21 Both depart, disappearing underneath again
Daily summary Saturday 24th August 2024
Wet and windy, and not an Osprey in sight. A pair of Great Tits visited Nest One briefly, and apart from the valiant spider attempting to defy the weather and build its web, that was it for today on either nest. There's sufficient light for about 16 hours on day cam daily, and the weather forecast for the Inver Mallie area which includes both nests is wet and windy for at least another week - it's still August but it already feels very autumnal.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.32.10 (05.20.53); Nest Two 21.30.30 (05.29.30)
https://youtu.be/G0P_EDGq-Rk N1 Pair of Great Tits visit briefly 07.05.40
Bonus early bird retail opportunity - Woodland Trust Christmas cards on offer until 30th August:
https://shop.woodlandtrust.org.uk/christmas-cards
https://youtu.be/VvGqTSgSxyA N1 Lots of little bird action on the nest 2019
https://youtu.be/JakqjqeE_s0 N1 While the big birds are away, little ones play 2020
https://youtu.be/9UT98bV0-I0 N1 Migrated? Not yet! Louis brings a fish and Vera's still here 2020
https://youtu.be/dY8R3Lbd4sg N2 Lovely to see the sisters sharing a peaceful breakfast 2022
https://youtu.be/Qw_cT02Erk4 N2 Poor Louis is rounded on by Sarafina 2022
https://youtu.be/72zu6_K4oXY N2 A flurry of feathers as several little songbirds visit 2022
https://youtu.be/lYfeOl0_oJE N2 Willow drops in for a quick visit 2022
https://youtu.be/8kBEq0lUOac N2 Three fish in under 22 minutes (06.00.34; 06.08.22; 06.22.04) 2023
https://youtu.be/vkusuZVcYPU N2 Hoodies hoover up all the fish 2023
https://youtu.be/-QRtjvZ5UyQ N2 Louis brings a huge live trout 2023
https://youtu.be/qoaMma5b9H8 N2 Up close with the Hoodies - too close for Ludo's comfort 2023
https://youtu.be/1U65cIBGD34 N2 Louis brings his final fish before departing for this year 2023 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/7H8w3syAD-g N2 Ludo leaves with his fish as the Hoodies move in 2023
Blast from the past: Farewell to Ludo - final visit to the nest 2023
This day last year was the final sighting of Ludo LY7 on the nest. He waited but Louis didn't appear, and at 10.03.38 he flew off towards the Scots Pine. For a moment it appeared as if Ludo might land on the Scots Pine but he carried on going, and disappeared out of sight in the green belt below.
Daily summary Sunday 25th August 2024
Another day with no activity, unless you count the spiders - both nests now have a resident spider who looks spectacular on night cam, appearing huge and spinning a gigantic web. It was as wet and windy as forecast with just the odd moment here and there of sunshine stealing through, no change expected tomorrow. This time last year we saw Ludo LY7 for the last time on nest cam, and off-nest reports from LizB informed us she'd sighted an Osprey with fish in Louis' perch tree for several hours in the late afternoon which was probably Louis sticking around, but of course, there's no need for him to do so this year, and he hasn't been seen since 30th July. It would be lovely if Garry LV0, last seen a few days ago on the 22nd, popped in if he's still around.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.26.30 (05.26.20); Nest Two 21.24.45 (05.35.29)
Today’s videos: none!
Bonus reintroduction projects - a David Attenborough video explaining the highly successful Rutland translocation:
https://youtu.be/BR2M1Jgvess
and a news item about the new Irish Osprey project:
https://belfastmedia.com/dulra-let-s-make-the-osprey-a-symbol-of-the-lough
https://youtu.be/TTmvRC-3PAs N1 A look at WT's first Arkaig Osprey chick (thanks Scyllabub) 2017
https://youtu.be/idf9B5_pLEE N1 Faithful dad Louis brings remaining chick Rannoch a fish 2019
https://youtu.be/B6pyLsLP-yM N1 Ouch! Let go! That's not a fish! Poor Louis... 2020
https://youtu.be/GcXVQJK-Jzk N1 Careless! Vera drops her fish over the edge 2020 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/bfudUTcq5xw N2 Both chicks want Louis' fish but it’s Sarafina who wins 2022
https://youtu.be/JymyTuotO6I N2 Fast delivery but Louis still gets grabbed 2022
https://youtu.be/HND1sodpKns N2 Sarafina arrives too late - and Willow's not for sharing 2022
https://youtu.be/pRLsj6nkSzM N2 Farewell to Ludo - final visit to the nest 2023
A truly tragic event - police appeal for info after the tragic death of an Osprey, shot on the Inglorious Twelfth, the opening day of the frightful grouse-shooting industry. Ospreys look nothing like the gamebirds, and are fully protected. If that idiot can't identify what he's shooting, he should not be allowed near a gun. And if he did know - cut off his trigger finger, confiscate gun and gun licence and vehicle, impose the maximum fine and gaol sentence.
OK, maybe the finger-cutting is a bit extreme, but for goodness sake, throw the book at him or the estate owner - licenses came in force this year - take theirs away!
I think it highly unlikely that Louis and Dorcha would have been in that area - but LotL birds might fly that way.
https://www.scotland.police.uk/what-s-happening/news/2024/august/appeal-for-information-following-death-of-osprey-in-perthshire/
Daily summary Monday 26th August 2024
No activity at all again today on either nest, but from Police Scotland comes the disturbing account of an Osprey having been shot on the Inglorious Twelfth ie the traditional start date on 12th August of the grouse-shooting industry. The unfortunate Osprey had to be euthanised. All the big news outlets have taken up the story, and the link to the police appeal is in the bonus section. Weatherwise today had more dry patches than forecast, but heavy rain is expected tonight.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.21.13 (05.28.48); Nest Two 21.13.27 (05.37.43)
Bonus read - police appeal for info after the tragic death of an Osprey, shot on the Inglorious Twelfth:
https://youtu.be/LJD9XyxF-7Q N1 Raucous but ravishing Rannoch preens herself 2019
https://youtu.be/af7Kpru3XR8 N1 Louis delivers a whopping great flatfish 2019
https://youtu.be/aA1KOaL35VY N1 Vera's still here! Flies over from Pole Tree to get the fish 2020
https://youtu.be/uUYasv8HDus N1 Musical fish! Fish number six keeps coming and going 2020
https://youtu.be/KMq49udxeQc N2 Super fisherbird Louis delivers his 500th fish! 2022
https://youtu.be/Fqn0BpHnSYk N2 A veritable flock of little birds visit the nest 2022
https://youtu.be/8vHjoM58vpk N2 Sarafina is very excited to get the fish 2022
https://youtu.be/Am97Y5zCuh8 N2 No luck for Dyson and Henry Hoodie 2023
https://youtu.be/QzMO6C4nmoc N1 A veritable flock of Great Tits flit around 2023
https://youtu.be/PP634mwiLrM N2 Juvenile Bullfinches investigate the nest 2023
https://youtu.be/dPISZBtIzYo N1 He's still here! Garry LV0 touches down 2023 (zoom)
Name 2024 last seen * (first seen*)
Louis 30/7 13.31.18 (28/3)
Dorcha 27/7 11.19.43 (30/3)
Garry LV0 22/8 13.35.57 (9/4)
Affric 152 17/8 15.19.07 (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
Blast from the past - shortly before 7am on this day in 2020, a dangerous intruder showed up on Nest One. Fortunately no one was home and there was nothing to steal, unlike in 2018 when a Marten stole all three eggs and ended the season abruptly.