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:
Another blast from the past - this day in 2022, Willow LW5 treated us to an extraordinary display of her wonderful wings.
(slo-mo with zoom)
Daily summary Tuesday 27th August 2024
A lot of rain, a bit of sun, and no visitors to the nests - the season appears well and truly over. However, LizB reports: "One osprey spotted flying west to east along Loch Arkaig yesterday afternoon. Possibly the Bunarkaig male heading back to the nest but no way of knowing." Perhaps we may yet have a final Osprey visitor before this comments page closes to end this eventful season.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.22.18 (05.34.50); Nest Two 21.20.17 (05.44.14)
Today’s videos: None
Bonus opinion: State-sponsored environmental vandalism or a good idea? What does WTS think?
https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2024/08/highland_phone_masts_-_conservationists_call_for_government_rethink-73774
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/OB6LtEsTwig N1 Is this it, dad? Rannoch gets a very small fish 2019
https://youtu.be/mOuak3yiihg N1 A fish arrives and departs under its own steam 2020
https://youtu.be/TT9PseXWqGM N1 Dangerous intruder: a Pine Marten visits! 2020
https://youtu.be/R-KhzHiFgLw N2 Willow's wonderful wings 2022 (slo-mo with zoom)
https://youtu.be/KD-1nkX6pkc N2 Hoodie cleaning crew move in 2022
https://youtu.be/beaeal1Hayo N1 Colourful little Redstart visits 2022
https://youtu.be/KHoE1Rzw2T0 N2 Lightning fast handover from Louis to Sarafina 2022
2023 confirmed final sighting videos of mum, dad, and chick:
https://youtu.be/3cZaW3JwsJE Dorcha Thursday 17 August 06.30.34 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/ObH3LWZUEdY Louis Thursday 24 August 15.50.34 (slo-mo zoom)
https://youtu.be/pRLsj6nkSzM Ludo LY7 Friday 25 August 10.03.28 (slo-mo zoom)
The story about the Osprey being shot absolutely makes my blood boil. There is so much persecution of raptors in the game industry. I really hope the police find the person responsible. I agree with what you said Geemeff.
On a nicer note, it was lovely to see Willow again, doing her twirl in the mist.
No gamebird remotely resembles an Osprey, and Ospreys are piscivorous so absolutely no threat to any gamebirds. This was a criminal act of raptor persecution, plain and simple. I don't hold out much hope the actual perpetrator will be caught, but perhaps some action can be taken against the grouse shooting estate.
Willow's twirl is a little bit of compensation!
Agreed Geemeff. I think we should just ban sport hunting altogether like Costa Rica..
Nest One
With no Osprey activity, there's time to look at other inhabitants of the nest. Penelope the spider, so named by forum member Beverley for her endless reweaving of her web in all weathers, appears tiny by day then transforms by night under infra-red cam to a hulking giant.
Daily summary Thursday 29th August 2024
Tonight's summary is fast becoming the norm - nothing to report except rain, wind, and no avian activity. Forum friends are drifting off and promising to return in spring, and season highlights videos are nearing completion. It's been a rollercoaster of a season, but one chick did fledge successfully in Spain, and we hope for another update on his progress soon.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.21.06 (05.34.42); Nest Two 21.10.24 (05.35.23)
Today’s videos: none!
Bonus update on the Irish Osprey translocation programme:
https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/0eefa-minister-noonan-releases-osprey-chicks-back-into-the-wild/
https://youtu.be/jsDHToe6rUM N1 Breakfast arrives for vociferous Vera 2020
https://youtu.be/yqjTp04jfSc N1 Vera does a flypast before arriving ready for Louis with fish 2020
https://youtu.be/-hi-VABn-l4 N1 Little songbirds visit the empty nest 2020
https://youtu.be/gYLmi9ILHEo N2 Cocky Corvid tweaks Sarafina's tail and steal her fish 2022
https://youtu.be/Q384cYlIOz0 N2 Louis does a flypast then waits patiently until Sarafina arrives 2022
https://youtu.be/Ni3VtPGi4Pw N2 Harassing Hoodies eventually cause Sarafina to flee the nest 2022
Always grateful Geemeff
Compare and contrast our two resident females:
Golden goddess: Aila 2017 - 2020 (Classic Ospreys - Chopin)
and
Golden variation: Dorcha 2021 - (Classic Ospreys - Bach)