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

Welcome to Loch Arkaig Ospreys season 8

Will Louis and Dorcha return to Nest 2?  White check mark

Will someone take up residence in Nest 1? X

Will any of Louis' chicks with Aila and Dorcha be sighted? X

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:

2016 Woodland Trust acquire the Loch Arkaig ancient Caledonian rainforest remnant and manage it in partnership with Arkaig Community Forest. An Osprey pair is seen.
2017 A nest cam is installed on a refurbished ancient Osprey nest. The old pair don't return but a young male Louis and a young female Aila take up residence and raise one male chick to fledging: Lachlan JH4.
2018 Louis & Aila return but a Pine Marten steals all their eggs.
2019 Louis & Aila return and raise two female chicks to fledging: Mallie JJ0 and Rannoch JJ2.
2020 Louis & Aila return and raise two male and one female chicks to fledging: Doddie JJ6; Vera JJ8 and Captain JJ7.
2021 Louis returns but sadly Aila doesn't. Louis takes up residence on a new nest with a new mate Dorcha and they raise two male chicks to fledging: Aspen LW3 & Alder LW4. This is designated Nest 2, no one takes up residence on Nest1.
2022 Woodland Trust install a nest cam on Nest 2. Louis & Dorcha return and raise two female chicks to fledging: Willow LW5 and Sarafina LW6. Still no residents on Nest 1.
2023 Louis & Dorcha return, and raise one male chicks to fledging: Ludo LY7. No residents on Nest 1 but male Garry LV0 spent a lot of time flirting with Affric 152 despite her mate Prince still being around.
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Louis is a father of thirteen, six with Aila (2017-2020), and seven with Dorcha (2021-)
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In hatch order 2017 - 2023:
2017 Lachlan (JH4)
2019 Mallie (JJ0), Rannoch (JJ2)
2020 Doddie (JJ6), Vera (JJ8), Captain (JJ7)
2021 Aspen (LW3), Alder (LW4)
2022 Willow (LW5), Sarafina (LW6)
2023 Ludo (LY7)
2024 males 1JR, 1JW (Spain)
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Highlights:
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2023 Nest Two highlights 
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2023 Nest One highlights 
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All captures in whatever format are copyright Woodland Trust - with many thanks for allowing captures from their nest cam livestreams.
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Osprey cams funded by People's Postcode Lottery
  • WendyBartter said:

    Terrible wind, could scarcely believe my eyes, poor Dorcha & chicks Persevere

    It was ironic that the forecast specified 'light winds', Wendy!

    Makes me wonder what they'd call strong winds - tornado, perhaps?

  • Anything stronger could have decimated the nest entirely ... gulp!!

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • 17.39.58 Fish number three, headless trout

    17.40.29 Louis departs, 31 second handover

    Both chicks have full crops but line up anyway, and are happy to share the fish as Dorcha dishes it out

  • Fish number four, tiddler snack

    19.55.54 Fish number four, tiddler trout. Dorcha takes it, the chicks aren't interested

    19.56.01 Louis departs

    19.56.20 Louis returns with a clunk, as if he were up on the camera pole

    19.57.23 Louis leaves again

    19.59.18 Dorcha downs the tail

  • Dorcha uses her scare-crow voice

    19.23.00 Dorcha keeps looking around, on alert

     

    19:23:13 A Hooded Crow flies from left to right and perches on the Scots Pine Dorcha keeps watch and uses her special barking-tone crow-voice

     

    19.23.43 The Hoodie leaves the Scots Pine and flies in the direction of the nest - Dorcha watches and uses her crow-voice again

     

    19.24.00 Dorcha relaxes a little having seen off the Hoodie

     

  • Daily summary Friday 21st June 2024

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    Today started with atrocious weather not matching the overnight forecast. The 'light winds' ended up blowing poor Dorcha completely over, showing off her underfluffies and giving her a bit of bother righting herself again, while the 'light rain' soaked the chicks too big to fit completely underneath her now. But things looked up when Louis arrived with a tiny breakfast and proceeded to feed one chick while Dorcha fed the other from last night's remnant, giving a cosy scene of domestic harmony. After Louis had had a quick go at removing the remains of chick3, Dorcha succeeded, flying off with the sad bundle and disposing of it in the forest. Bye bye little bob3 - gone but not forgotten. Louis brought four fish to the nest, taking his tally to two hundred and thirty one. The Hooded Crows were interested in the nest but Dorcha scared them off with her special crow voice. No need to scare off the little Robin who visited Nest One today as there were no other vistors. Tonight's forecast is light rain and a gentle breeze - let's hope it turns out that way as the family could use an undisturbed night tonight with the prospect of disturbance by the Red Arrows doing a flypast tomorrow.

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    Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 23.47.27 (03.12.07); Nest Two 23.10.54 (03.55.16)

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    Today’s videos:

    https://youtu.be/WERbYCv-hTw  N2 A gust of wind blows Dorcha completely over 02.50.08

    https://youtu.be/gXy_08Aum1E  N2 Fish number one, trout tail-end 05.36.12

    https://youtu.be/hHXYtXsSXnQ  N2 Simultaneous feeding by both parents 05.44

    https://youtu.be/oE5jRyFGIpg  N1 A cheeky Robin visits 05.47.13 (zoom)

    https://youtu.be/DDlOGyMil1A  N2 Warning - graphic: Dorcha removes the dead body 08.50.30

    https://youtu.be/DahvNKRdcZk  N2 Fish number two, large live trout - C1 refuses to be prevented getting a share! 14.48.00

    https://youtu.be/QLyDm0Wwygw  N2 Fish number three, large headless trout, the chicks share happily 17.39.58

    https://youtu.be/Gd2KYCoS5YY  N2 Dorcha uses her crow-voice on a nearby Hoodie 19.23.00 (zoom)

    https://youtu.be/cuMv-BAPvxQ  N2 Fish number four, tiddler snack, Dorcha wolfs it in 4 minutes 19.55.54

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    Bonus action - if you're near London and fancy dressing as a tree, Woodland Trust wants you tomorrow:

    https://x.com/geemeff/status/1804283965270012389

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    Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

    https://youtu.be/dMSX41ilEWY N1 Bob3 unwisely attacks Bob1 and is severely punished 2019 (slo-mo)

    https://youtu.be/4NuK-piiMIQ  N1 On edge: adventurous Osplet wanders a bit too close, mum takes charge 2020

    https://youtu.be/8zTUfiR4Kg0  N1 Oh poo! Synchronised squirting 2020

    https://youtu.be/ueug1mnixBE  N1 Chicks fight, mum moves out of the way 2020 (slo-mo)

    https://youtu.be/jbHh2h0h4h0  N2 Louis drops the fish as he goes 2022

    https://youtu.be/QGLfl9w6bug  N2 Battling bobs have a bash 2022

    https://youtu.be/TvuGHqiM79c  N2 Dorcha throws a stick over the younger chick 2022

    https://youtu.be/EtId8vXnQaA  N2 Dad's been to Nestbase but mum's bemused 2022 (Artistic Ospreys)

    https://youtu.be/f7khlqE0vDM  N2 Stickgate! 2023

    https://youtu.be/tJWT9yQlrKU  N2 Mum squashes & bashes, chick gets cross 2023

    https://youtu.be/mH07mCCV0xo  N2 Mum and chick work together to tidy the nest 2023

    https://youtu.be/29zjMxxlvjA  N1 LV0 wants payment from Affric for the fish 2023

    https://youtu.be/M-jHiFV3RYQ  N2 Louis delivers a huge Silver Tourist 2023

  • 04.19.55 Fish number one, headless trout

    Dorcha's body blocks the feeding, both chicks were up to get food but can't see if both are eating

    04.20.15 Louis departs, 20 second handover

  • 06.47.28 Fish number two, small whole trout

    06.47.46 Louis departs, 18 second handover

    The chicks gather round but one chick is more interested in preening and wing-stretching than eating, although offered bites by Dorcha

    06.53.30 Dorcha downs the tail

    06.54.08 A little bird hops onto the left side of the nest, stays a few seconds. Think it's a Coal Tit

  • 07.57.38 Garry LV0 visits, flying in from the right (east) and lands on the nest.

    Stands quietly, doesn't do any nest prep

    08.00.16 Departs flying towards the solar panels and out of sight to the left (west)

  • 15.05 Not long now until we might see or hear the Red Arrows on nest cam - Loch Morar to Loch Lochy is nearest us

    Depart Prestwick Airport – 2.55pm

    North of Suachrie – 2.57pm

    Balochroy – 3.03pm

    Crachan – 3.12pm

    South of Loch Morar – 3.17pm

    Loch Lochy – 3.22pm

    Kinch – 3.28pm

    Forres – 3.32pm

    Arrive at RAF Lossiemouth – 3.33pm

    UPDATE - they went south of Loch Eil instead, so we didn't see or hear them on nest cam