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:
GO LOUIS! Lean mean fishing machine!
today 19th June:
03.49.37 Fish number one, small whole trout
03.56.59 Fish number two, another small whole trout - 7 minutes 12 seconds N2N between F1 & F2
04.07.04 Fish number three, another small whole trout
04.15.39 Fish number four, large whole trout, flapping - 8 minutes 19 seconds N2N between F3& F4
04.51.25 number five, large whole flapper trout looking surprised
06.10.10 Fish number six, headless trout
And best of all - absolutely no fighting! Not with the first, second, or any of the six fish. Just calm.
03.49.37 Fish number one, small whole trout - no fighting!
03.56.59 Fish number two, another small whole trout
7 minutes 12 seconds Nest to Nest time, from departing after delivering F1, to arriving with F2
04.15.39 Fish number four, large whole trout, flapping
8 minutes 19 seconds N2N between F3 & F4
Four fish in 26 minutes and 2 seconds from F1 arrived at 03.49.37 to F4 arriving at 04.15.39 - amazing!
04.51.25 number five, large whole flapper trout looking surprised.
And still no aggro at all from the chicks this morning!
No aggro! Six fish in 2 hours and 20 minutes!
What a day!
Nest One 11.30.20 Garry LV0 drops in, flying in from his perch on Pole Tree.
Comes empty-taloned, doesn’t do any nest work, just stands quietly for a few moments
11.32.40 Garry departs, flying off eastwards to the right.
Geemeff said:No aggro! Six fish in 2 hours and 20 minutes! What a day!
WOW!!
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
What a boy and it is only early afternoon, I wonder what the total will be today?
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.