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
  • Sunday 30th June:

    The last dinner with Dorcha

    20.22.04 Dorcha picks up a final piece of fish left by the fish fairies this morning, and the two chicks take note and start begging for food.

    This is their last supper as tomorrow they will be taken off the nest and put in a translocation programme.

    This is the best outcome given the ill-health of dad Louis preventing him from providing sufficient fish, and Dorcha being unable to both protect them and provide fish as well. 

  • Sunday 30th June:

    20.58.35 Mum Dorcha and the two chicks are on the nest. They've all eaten well thanks to the fish fairies making a big delivery, and dad Louis bringing a fish as well.

    Not much happens, the two chicks are peaceful, looking around occasionally, no fighting, with mum standing guard over them.

    What they don't know is that this is their last day together - tomorrow the chicks will be taken away to join a translocation programme, and eventually move to Spain.

    Louis is not well, and Dorcha can't both protect them and fish for them, so this is a very good outcome.

  • Daily summary Sunday 30th June 2024

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    Today brought news of a bittersweet ending to the season. The carefully researched and calmly thought out decision has been made by Woodland Trust Scotland to remove the two chicks and put them into the translocation programme in the care of Roy Dennis. They will ultimately help to found a new breeding population of Ospreys in Spain. Today's videos have a certain poignancy as we know that this is the chicks' last evening on the nest - they leave Loch Arkaig tomorrow. However with Louis only able to provide half of one fish today, this is the best outcome for our family. Louis will have time to recover, and he and Dorcha can spend the rest of the season pairbonding before leaving, probably a bit early, on migration, and then we expect to see them return next year to start again. The fish tally effectively ends today at two hundred and fifty four, but doubtless statto Steve will continue to record any subsequent fish brought to the nest by either of the adults. The fish brought by the 'fish fairies' ie the licensed raptor experts only counts in that it almost certainly saved the lives of the two chicks. No action on Nest One, weather reasonably settled today with the odd moment of sunshine, but tonight's forecast is for light rain and light winds, and more rain tomorrow. They're off to sunny Spain, Viva España!

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    Woodland Trust Scotland's statement in full:

    https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=15225467

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    Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 00.20.20 (03.19.51); Nest Two 23.23.29 (03.56.16)

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    Today’s videos:

    https://youtu.be/vD6PgwUW6c0 N2 Dominant chick attacks submissive one despite all the fish available 08.16.00

    https://youtu.be/i3mLfTb3FCk N2 Intruder or Dorcha grabbing some free fish? Looks like Dorcha 09:16:48  

    https://youtu.be/DOl24pZXxzo N2 Louis arrives with his first delivery of the day, headless big trout 09.35.33

    https://youtu.be/ShR7Kb12D_c N2 Submissive chick gets a calm exclusive feed 19.25.27

    https://youtu.be/W7mIANPajv4 N2 The chicks enjoy their last dinner with Dorcha 20.22

    https://youtu.be/6Q7UEkwIG5M N2 Chicks spend a calm final evening together with mum 20.58.35

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    Bonus read - info on the Spanish translocation project which is the outcome for our chicks:

    https://lamarinaalta.com/en/llegan-a-su-nueva-casa-en-la-marjal-pego-oliva-doce-polluelos-de-aguila-pescadora-desde-escocia/

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    Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

    https://youtu.be/YqWAn-A_hak  N1 Louis accidentally bashes his Osplets with a big stick! 2019 (slo-mo) 

    https://youtu.be/Qa3rDc1yAMA N1 Synchronised squeaking as the family tuck into breakfast 2020 

    https://youtu.be/U4C_1fwrqMs  N1 Louis brings another late night fish 2020

    https://youtu.be/ti4s_8NESx0  N1 Chick on chick aggression 2020

    https://youtu.be/mhJADT2jbOY N2 Sticky situation! 2022

    https://youtu.be/m5UUDLgZKww N2 Another intrusion by an unringed stranger (2022)

    https://youtu.be/WSc14CAe1c0 N2 Alarm calls as an Osprey flies under the nest (2022)

    https://youtu.be/vWMeMD2ouYk N1 Garry arrives with a headless BT, Affric grabs and goes 2023 

    https://youtu.be/VqeiBS8t1kw N2 Fish number two,the chick eats the eyeballs 2023

    https://youtu.be/xFT1WiVjWTA N1 Affric wants another fish, Garry has other ideas 2023

    https://youtu.be/JmXsSd1g_o0  N2 Find the gap! 2023

    https://youtu.be/ccZI-yEihy8  N2 Louis departs for the night from his perch on the Scots Pine 2023

  • The final family gathering..

    04.53.34 Louis lands with a small whole trout, Dorcha arrives seconds later

    04.54.50 Louis departs, not knowing this is the last time he will see his family

    freezeframe on the family portrait

  • Some stills from the delivery from Louis this morning.

    04.53 There was no rush.


    04.54


    Louis releases the fish 


    Dorcha picks it up

    The chick to the left pecks at the fish


    Louis leaves with Dorcha preparing for the feed


    04.57 Dorcha gives a piece to the chick to the right


    Then mostly concentrates on the other chick


    04.59 After a couple of minutes, Dorcha stops and looks at the fish


    then walks away. The feed is finished.

    05.00 The chick to the left is still hungry and tries to self feed for a couple of minutes , claiming a few morsels.

    05.02

    05.04 The chick has given up on the fish and does some wingercising.


    ©️WTS

  • Bye bye little chicks..

    11.06 Cam back on - empty nest

    10.36 Dorcha and Louis seen perched together a little way from the nest

    10.14 Cam goes off

  • I took some snaps before they left. The weather turned very wet.

    08.40 Dorcha sat with the chicks.


    09.51

    09.56 She got up to leave 


    10.02 Two drookit chicks.


    10.15 Last image of the chicks before they left on their new adventure. Two heartsTwo heartsTwo hearts

    ©️WTS

  • Bittersweet ending but good to know the chicks will be well looked after!

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • That's  so true, Wendy. Looking at today's fish delivery from Louis I thought how thin he looked. Hopefully  he will gain strength and put on weight before he leaves on migration. With no chicks to feed it could be sooner rather than later.

    Thank you Geemeff once more for your brilliant resumes. It will all be such useful reference material.

    The chicks will be ringed before they leave Scotland, so I imagine they will have blue rings on the left leg as usual. They are I think going to be tagged, so I hope we get updates on them in due course.

    Birdie's DU Summaries 2018   https://www.imagicat.com/

  • According to the report by George the 2 chicks will be ringed with Spanish rings and fitted with trackers.

    Richard B