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
  • Daily summary Wednesday 26th June 2024
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    Well, there's not a lot to say - Louis seems to be having a rest as he only delivered one fish to the nest, and that was merely the remains of his large meal, and then spent the rest of the day perched nearby. Dorcha fed it to the chicks and got very little herself.  She kept calling over to Louis without response - will he spring into action and go catch a fish before the day ends? His all-time late delivery record, set just a few days ago on the 23rd, is 23.45.37 so there's still time. That one fish takes his tally to two hundred and fifty. No action on Nest One today, there was a bit of light rain overnight, and more expected tonight with a forecast of light rain showers and a gentle breeze.
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    Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 00.09.10 (02.06.06); Nest Two 23.34.54 (03.49.01) 
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    Today’s videos:
    https://youtu.be/AITavG2FXxw Fish number one, small trout remnant, Dorcha gets very little 11.51.50
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    Bonus read - BTO history of ringing (you might be surprised at how long it's been carried out):
    https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/bird-ringing-scheme/about-ringing/history-ringing
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    Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
    https://youtu.be/7yjPCfe3BBM  N1 Aila is alarmed and departs leaving her chick home alone (2017)
    https://youtu.be/weTByvoNmU0  N1 Little bird lands on the nest unseen by the chicks (2019, slo-mo)
    https://youtu.be/FePBgx3QZcM N1 The nest's getting pretty crowded so Aila perches for the night 2020
    https://youtu.be/Vbhk_9zm_cg  N1 The chicks start getting ready for lift-off (2020)
    https://youtu.be/xfmi6cOZFm8  N2 Louis brings leftovers for breakfast (2022)
    https://youtu.be/UolftDEfSiE  N2 Chick left alone with dad watches his every move 2023
    https://youtu.be/tAe5tiIbdh4  N1 Dramatic 15 mins with all three players in the love triangle 2023
    https://youtu.be/staRRldEFb8  N2 Carnival of the sticks: elephant feet on the nest 2023 (Classic Ospreys - Saint-Saëns, quicktime)
    https://youtu.be/Dn2-ZuLvotg N1 Affric finally gets another fish and it's not from Prince 2023
    https://youtu.be/XYwCiVtw5pE  N2 The family enjoy a quiet cosy time as the day draws to a close 2023
  • June 27

    There’s worry on the chat that Louis has gone missing. What are your thoughts Geemeff?
    The weather is terrible.

    14.30 The chicks’ feathers being buffeted in the wind. Dorcha left the nest at 14.24.


    Dorcha has been fishing, which is a first as long as I can remember?

    15.14 She brought a live eel to the nest.


    15.16 The chicks nearly got blown over the edge. First, the chick to the right of screen.


    Then the one to the left. It was lucky that it blew into Dorcha.


    Both back into position.

    ©️Woodland Trust

  • Hi Glider, I'm just back after being out all day, have been getting emails about this as I couldn't access the site.

    Very, very concerning about Louis - he's fished successfully in bad weather before, but yesterday he only brought that tail-end chunk, then perched on a tree nearby where Dorcha could see him but didn't move despite her, and the chicks, calling more and more frantically.for food.

    Good on Dorcha going off and catching an eel. The eel is a first for the nest, and bringing back food for unfledged chicks is a first for Dorcha.

    She did bring one fish in 2022, but that was mid August, both Willow and Sarafina had been flying for a while, and she merely dropped the fish on the nest and left - and we didn't see her again until last year. Her farewell I'm-off-on-migration gift.

  • Hi Geemeff, thanks for the info. Perhaps Louis is unwell or has muscle damage or something. We’ve seen it before with other birds and hopefully he’ll make a full recovery. Pray  Dorcha has done a fantastic job bringing in a meal for her young chicks going against her instincts to stay on the nest to protect them. Heart

  • Fingers and talons crossed that whatever ails dear old Louis is over soon - likewise the weather, which is absolutely atrocious.

  • 15.14.44 Fish number one, whole eel - delivered by Dorcha

    A first for Dorcha and the first eel for the nest

  • OMG! The chicks are nearly blown overboard in a gale (repeated in super slo-mo)

    15:16:18 First one chick is knocked off its feet, then blown towards the edge of the nest where there's a gap in the cot rails, but manages to save itself with lots of wing action, and moves back towards the centre

    15.16.23 then the second chick is blown over, and luckily blows up against Dorcha, whose body stops the chick being blown further.

    With Louis missing, losing a chick - or both chicks - overboard would be utterly heartbreaking.

  • Daily summary Thursday 27th June 2024

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    Midnight finally arrives to end a dreich day filled with worry over Louis - where is he? The usually reliable super-fisherbird hasn't been seen for over 24 hours, and concern is growing. He only brought a partial fish to the nest yesterday and Dorcha and the chicks are hungry. So taking matters into her own talons, Dorcha went off and returned with an eel which she proceeded to feed to the very eager chicks, once again, she didn't get much herself. Dorcha's fish (yes, eels are fish) takes the tally to two hundred and fifty one. Despite the official forecast the weather has been atrocious and at one point, both chicks were nearly blown off the nest in a violent gust of wind. What's described as a 'moderate breeze' and heavy rain soaking the nest and its occupants is set to continue until tomorrow afternoon when there is a prospect of some sunshine. As the chicks' plumage isn't fully waterproof as yet, Dorcha still needs to act as mumbrella to shelter them, which she can't do if she's off fishing. With luck, Louis will turn up tomorrow. No action on Nest One.

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    Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 23.38.27 (03.25.18); Nest Two 23.00.49 (03.57.48)

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    Today’s videos:

    https://youtu.be/BQMQTT_q0yg Dorcha goes fishing and brings back an eel 15.14.44 (zoom)

    https://youtu.be/lJMENKfuHSI OMG! Chicks nearly blown off the nest! 15.16.18 (super slo-mo repeat)

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    Bonus read - something different to think about, here's Woodland Trust's guide to foraging and what's in season now: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2021/06/foraging-in-june/

    https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/things-to-do/foraging/foraging-guidelines

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    Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

    https://youtu.be/K45u41D6zlI  N1 Midnight chick fight 2020

    https://youtu.be/lB9x_rg5mfk  N1 Aila wears an Eiffel Tower hat - then throws it away 2020

    https://youtu.be/ZpwTFmAeZss  N1 Osplets feed themselves while Aila watches an intruder 2020

    https://youtu.be/c-Np1yrrrlY  N2 Intruder Osprey full sequence 2022 (audio boosted, slo-mo, zoom)

    https://youtu.be/kTnD5iZwyT8  N2 Persistence pays off! Dorcha sorts a tricky stick 2022

    https://youtu.be/5GXLNowB4_A  N2 Bad-tempered bob2 has a go at mum 2022 (zoom)

    https://youtu.be/4Wv_FJSFrIw  N2 Antics with logs when Louis arrives 2022

    https://youtu.be/emLHtjnOSEo  N1 Garry finally answers Affric's calls but no fish 2023

    https://youtu.be/NCX9qSkiBtc  N2 Extra large late night fish supper arrives 2023

    https://youtu.be/8wwUVY5L_P8  N2 Louis returns and claims some fish for himself 2023

  • Sadly no sign of Louis this morning and Dorcha is silent, which means she can't see him in the area.

    Steve Q notes:

    Louis fish deliveries gradually declined in week 13 which ends today:


    Saturday - 6 Fish

    Sunday - 5 Fish

    Monday - 4 Fish

    Tuesday - 3 Fish

    Wednesday - 1 Fish

    Thursday - 0 Fish


    To see 6 days of consecutive decline is a very unusual pattern, actually I cannot see any similar trend in our 4 years of fish counting, particularly pre fledge.


    We can only hope he is lying low recovering from an illness, hopefully we will see him again over the next few days.


    The forecast has the rain easing a little over today, but not a great weather day, hopefully Dorcha will go catch a few fish when the weather allows.

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    08.28.32 Dorcha leaves the nest, maybe she's gone fishing?
  • Saturday - 6 Fish

    Sunday - 5 Fish

    Monday - 4 Fish

    Tuesday - 3 Fish

    Wednesday - 1 Fish

    Thursday - 0 Fish

    Aw poor Louis, you can see his struggle. Cry