LOCH ARKAIG - THE WOODLAND TRUST - June 2024 - February 2025

Fish number three, nice big trout, C1 & C3 manage to get some 13.41.26

13.41.26 Fish number three, a nice big trout arrives

Aggro chick2 immediately rushes over to peck the other chicks and warn them off, then goes over to Dorcha for feeding

13.41.36 Louis departs C3 moves in under Dorcha’s body trying for a mouthful - aggro chick goes ballistic, Dorcha takes the food away.

13.46 Aggro chick2 is so busy beaking chick1 that C3 is managing to get some food

A pair of Red Polls visit Nest One

14.17.42 A pair of cute redpolls, you can just see their red caps. They might be lesser redpolls?

One perches briefly then leaves, the other one potters around and seems to find something tasty on the nest floor

14.19.15 the second one departs too

 14.36.26 A Great Spotted Woodpecker flies in and perches on the centre perch

It stays a few moments, departs, and returns, or maybe it's a second one, and also perches for a few moments before flying off.

(zoomed)

 N1 A Great Spotted Woodpecker flies in and perches 14.36.26

  N2 Fish number four, small lively trout,in the face of C2's aggression, C1&3 try self-feeding 17.03.23

  N1 A Jay perches on the high perch then investigates the branches 18.54.02

19.21.43  N2 Fish number five, a huge headless trout arrives, but C3 wants it all and determindly pecks the other two into submission 

Eventually even C2 is stuffed, and the other two get a good feed.

20.53.47 Fish number six, teeny tiny tiddler trout - no aggro, too small? C2 is either stuffed from the previous five fish or isn't interested in this tiny fish. 

It doesn't last long. Despite all today's aggro, C1 and C3 both have bulging crops, just not as big as the one C2 has - amazed she can stand up without over-balancing!

Daily summary Wednesday 12th June 2024

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Nest One was visted by several birds, none of them Ospreys. Perhaps that's just as well as the action on Nest Two was fast and furious - emphasis on the furious! Chick2 was extremely aggressive throughout the day, indulging in attacking and resource-guarding whether there was fish around or not. Chick1 was cowed into submission most of the time but chick3 is much better at standing up for itself. Louis made up for yesterday's slow-fish day by delivering six fish today, so despite the aggression all three chicks ended the day with full crops. C2 undoubtedly had the biggest. This takes his tally to one hundred and ninety two. Dorcha ignored all the argy bargy and just filled whichever beak presented itself, but the watchers weren't so easily able to ignore the aggression and a lively debate ensued, with gender speculation a popular topic, plus warnings for sensitive viewers to take a break from nest cam watching for a little while. The weather was settled, with plenty of daylight hours - as of filing this at 00.45, Nest One is still on day cam - and tonight's forecast is partly cloudy and light winds.

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Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One? (03.15.31); Nest Two 23.41.47 (03.43.31)

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Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/8w78Uy5FtFA  N2 Fish number one, small whole trout, fighting breaks out after it's finished 05.54.41

https://youtu.be/X670uBiI8vg  N2 Fish number two, whole trout, C2 attacks the others to get all the food 11.33.09

 https://youtu.be/1OrPesmMXjQ  N2 Fish number three, nice big trout, C1 & C3 manage to get some 13.41.26

https://youtu.be/hhe82fYjd5Q  N1 A pair of Redpolls visit 14.17.42 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/CsCA1C-82eU N1 A Great Spotted Woodpecker flies in and perches 14.36.26

https://youtu.be/U4IDlGc-h7s  N2 Fish number four, small lively trout, c1&3 try self-feeding 17.03.23

https://youtu.be/phiEEDCwf_A  N1 A Jay perches on the high perch then investigates the branches 18.54.02

https://youtu.be/6-jk8QhKxbI  N2 Fish number five, huge headless trout, but C2 wants it all 19.21.43

https://youtu.be/EHxbN2gHg0A   N2 Fish number six, teeny tiny tiddler trout - no aggro, too small? 20.53.47

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Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/t5fExtS-g24  N1 Louis is in charge and causes chaos 2020

https://youtu.be/5v3mXd8jiP0  N1 Middle chick syndrome? Bob2 pecks mum 2020

https://youtu.be/CJZtoG43aOQ  N1 A Jay (Garrulus glandarius) pays a visit 2021

https://youtu.be/jvf9PX74Ltk  N2 Three chicks home alone: size difference is striking 2022

https://youtu.be/VtqM02uMCck  N2 Careful with that ax, Eugenie 2022

https://youtu.be/0x2UY3d9nEs  N2 OMG littlest chick is in big trouble 2022

https://youtu.be/ZKENudlj1gI  N2 RIP little bob3 15.44 - 19.22 (full version, edited, zoomed)*

2022 https://youtu.be/3Tb7ULBiY-w  N2 Are the parents reacting to the loss of their chick? 2022

https://youtu.be/kkV6jT1ddEA N2 Mum keeps watch as chick wanders by the edge 2023

https://youtu.be/XC_XytW-0IA  N1 LV0 yo-yos on and off 2023

https://youtu.be/_FvG707X7z0  N2 Bob's all alone in a violent rainstorm 2023

https://youtu.be/gYHA-fUukN0  N1 LV0 won't give Affric his fish and departs with it 2023

*Sensitive content, some may not wish to watch

OWL ATTACK

01:46:12 Tawny Owl attacks. WT forumite Beverley describes it: "This caught Dorcha sound asleep. It knocked her sideways, but she immediately righted herself and surveyed the chicks (I presume to ensure they were unharmed). In fact, the chicks didn’t even stir. there was no sign that they heard anything, and they continued sleeping. After a few wary moments, Dorcha settled back down on the chicks and rests."

Video in real time repeated in super slo-mo.