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
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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:
15.30.25 Fish number two, big whole trout
15.30.41 Louis departs, 16 second handover
The chicks line up and eat voraciously, Dorcha hardly gets any
Geemeff said:Hello Glider, glad you're enjoing my posts - feel free to put some up yourself, I don't have time to take photos, just the videos, but I do miss seeing lots of stills of the nests.
Yeah I know what you mean about the time Geemeff, sometimes so much can happen on a nest in a day that it takes hours to put it altogether. I’ll pop on a photo when I can.
17.08.47 Fish number three, headless trout.
Forum member Brenda J says: "I’ve noticed the last few days that Dorcha continues shouting at Louis until he’s away from the nest. I think she did this previous years when the chicks get to this size. Whether she’s telling him to go immediately and get more - or saying this is our fish now go away! I’m not sure."
17.09.42 Louis departs, and the fish is finished shortly afterwards
Here’s fish #3, Louis has started on it already.
17.08 Fish incoming!
Dorcha takes it from Louis
17.09 and continues shouting at him. The chicks are waiting patiently.
©️SWT/Arkaig
Lovely, Glider! I especially like the fourth one at 17.09.04 - Louis just stands there looking handsome while Dorcha's fierce face with open beak shows her displeasure.
The mask of politeness slipped momentarily..
13.01 The chicks are moving around, stretching, flapping their wings.
One chick leans on the other, who decides it's not having that, and a fight breaks out.
C1 is soon cowed, and retreats, head down.
23.05.25 Fish number four, whole large trout - Dorcha grabs it immediately and starts tucking in, the chicks initially aren’t interested
23.05.49 Louis departs
23.07 The chicks start moving over for a share of the fish
Geemeff said:Lovely, Glider! I especially like the fourth one at 17.09.04 - Louis just stands there looking handsome while Dorcha's fierce face with open beak shows her displeasure.
Yes, Dorcha does look a bit grumpy whilst Louis is quite refined!
Daily summary Monday 24th June 2024
The day started out a bit soggy but soon improved, and Louis had a bit of a lie-in after yesterday's midnight fish, not turning up until lunchtime with today's first fish. He followed it up with three more, taking his tally to two hundred and forty six. Dorcha had fun with a stick but was left hungry as the growing chicks devoured most of the fish, however the arrival of a large 11pm fish supper meant she didn't end the day hungry. The nest seems to be getting a little crowded now that the chicks are mobile and stretching out their suddenly long wings, perhaps that's why one chick took a pop at the other and a short sharp fight broke out. There was much discussion on the forum about which chick is which as it's getting very difficult to tell them apart. Garry LV0 turned up on Nest One again today, bringing nesting materials and doing a bit of nest scraping. Is this a frustration eyrie? Whatever his motives, it's good to see him. Tonight's forecast is light rain and light winds, luckily, although the chicks are too big to fit under Dorcha, their preen glands are coming through and they're starting to get some waterproofing.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 00.15.51 (02.48.23); Nest Two (03.32.32)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/Alfrd7novqE N1 Garry LV0 arrives early and does some nest prep 06:15:01
https://youtu.be/fs7pwvQ359g N2 Fish number one, small whole trout, chicks queue politely 12.45.07
https://youtu.be/iQA9jIPeDsE N2 Fight! Is the nest getting too crowed? Chicks have a pop 13.01
https://youtu.be/opTBHM-Q3jk N2 Dorcha brings a stick and hangs it round Chick1's neck 14.28.44
https://youtu.be/ryxHF_M71io N2 Fish number two, big whole trout, Dorcha gets hardly any of it 15.30.25
https://youtu.be/45KVDHPY0x40 N2 Fish number three, headless small trout, soon finished, Dorcha's still hungry 17.08.47
https://youtu.be/Ijm7ts7aZGk N2 Fish number four, whole trout, Dorcha tucks in immediately 23.05.25
Bonus read - Flights, Camera, Action! Postcode Lottery discuss their sponsorship of the nest cam:
https://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/postcode-hub/news/flights-camera-action
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/ArAamS1fRzQ N1 Ouch! Bad-tempered Bob1 pecks Aila in the eye (2019, slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/fT6FvDGs30I N1 Is that a chick snoring? (2020)
https://youtu.be/Gp2lut-Uwg4 N1 Golden goddess: Aila at sunset (2020)
https://youtu.be/wZd7bvRqhOY N2 Dorcha drops the fish tail chasing Crows (2022)
https://youtu.be/2cdE4bMAN_M N2 Dorcha senses the presence of a Hoodie under the nest (2022 zoom)
https://youtu.be/b_KmDWwbjOc N2 Sleepy Dorcha rests her weary head on the chicks (2022)
https://youtu.be/cnrmWr6Mc1M N1 Fish for Affric from LV0 2023
https://youtu.be/ivJXSVb4nAs N2 Lovely waggly wing wave 2023
https://youtu.be/_x3tC69zmB4 N1 New pair Affric & Garry looking settled 2023 (quicktime)
https://youtu.be/_8Z0ryX0F5Q N2 Fish supper arrives and the chick has a nibble 2023
09.29.00 Fish number one, large whole trout
09.29.22 Louis departs, 22 second handover.
Dorcha dishes out to the chicks and there's very little left for her