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:
https://youtu.be/OX4_U4q4U4U N2 Dorcha returns to the nest after the chicks have been taken away 15.11.38
15.11.38 Dorcha makes a lightning fast touchdown on the empty nest, her first visit since the chicks were taken, and departs almost immediately, grabbing a bit of fish as she goes.
16.42.30 Dorcha lands on the nest for a second, flies off alarm-calling.
16.43.15 Returns to the high perch
16.46.25 Dorcha seen flying towards the logo
17:21:42 Dorcha drops down, grabs a large piece of fish
17:21:47 Dorcha departs
STV news item about the translocation of Woodland Trust Scotland's Loch Arkaig Osprey chicks to Spain due to Louis having difficulties fishing.
Copyright STV (https://news.stv.tv/)
19.56.59 Garry LV0 arrives bringing moss
20.24.44 Garry departs, flying left towards the solar panels and disappears out of view
19.58.52 Dorcha arrives back at her perch, calling
20.00.44 Louis arrives with a fish, a whole trout, which Dorcha jumps down and takes, then flies off with it while he looks around the nest for the chicks.
20.01.08 Louis departs leaving an empty nest as the chicks have been taken away to join a translocation programme.
WT Update - Monday 5pm
All went well this morning and the chicks are now with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation.
Lewis, the licensed raptor worker who has conducted all the visits to the nest these last few days, handed them over at the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge.
We will update you further when we can, but we don’t have time to respond at the moment to all the numerous comments that have been made today.
The Foundation team are going to be very busy this next few days so we don’t want to keep contacting with questions. They are a small and focused organisation so please don’t swamp them with direct queries. They have a job to get on with. In the longer term though we hope to keep tabs on how the duo are getting on.
A detailed post can be read here:: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=15225467 for background on what led to the decision to take the chicks out.
We appreciate not everyone agrees with the decision. It is fine to say what you feel but please remain respectful to each other. There is no point in back and forward rows about this.
Daily summary Monday 1st July 2024
The 8th season for the Arkaig Ospreys effectively ended today with the removal of the two chicks from the nest to join a translocation programme which will see them go to Spain. Louis brought an early fish this morning which gave the family their final opportunity to be together, and this season's tally ends at two hundred and fifty five fish. Woodland Trust Scotland spokesman George says: All went well this morning and the chicks are now with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation. More information on the reasons behind the removal can be read here:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=15225467. LizB provided another one of her valuable off-nest reports to inform us that Louis & Dorcha were perched together while the raptor team were doing their work. The removal of the chicks is such an unprecedented event that it made the STV evening news, and there was much lively debate on the forum. Dorcha returned to the nest several hours after the team left, but only stayed long enough to grab some of the extra fish the team had placed there, and to see off the Hoodies who were also interested in grabbing some free fish. Although Louis returned this evening with a fish for Dorcha, that and subsequent fish will not be included in the count. Steve Q says: there is no value in the data of any fish brought to the nest post removal of the young. Garry LV0 paid a visit to Nest One bringing moss but spent his half hour there just perching quietly. It rained during the morning and cleared up in the afternoon, tonight's forecast of light cloud and light winds suggests it should remain dry tonight.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 00.15.26 (03.29.30); Nest Two 23.57.38 (04.03.48).
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/Q_HakxODigs N2 Final family gathering for the 2024 Arkaig Ospreys 04.53.34 (freezeframe)
https://youtu.be/7EOiOedhNo0 N2 The chicks star on STV news 19.30
https://youtu.be/12Pe__3E3eo N1 Garry LV0 arrives bringing moss19.56.59
https://youtu.be/y2RIy-5tqEQ N2 Louis brings a fish but only Dorcha is there 20.00.44
https://youtu.be/0v65YxWPJvw N2 Two Hoodies appear and steal fish from the empty nest 20.04.34
Bonus read - the removal of the chicks makes the news:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scots-osprey-chicks-bound-spain-33146033
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/ZRHifLlSzEI N1 Avian hokey cokey 2019
https://youtu.be/Q2qqawpS5k8 N1 Little squirt! Osplet has good aim 2019
https://youtu.be/eRcI7aFhrQY N1 Morning exercises by the three chicks 2020
https://youtu.be/NUUtpW6MwyM N1 Dinner for dinos 2020
https://youtu.be/nnRoyL3yNCI N1 Aila nearly gets nipped by restless wriggling Osplets 2020
https://youtu.be/5YqSPtDGXpU N2 Dances with branches 2022
https://youtu.be/8vsoUCLzfsA N2 Dad brings breakfast and mum and chick tuck in 2023
https://youtu.be/KpFFq5mAXZE N1 Skydancing heard before Garry arrives with a twig 2023
https://youtu.be/5XbTSiCgThM N1 Affric holds on as a storm passes over Nest One 2023
https://youtu.be/hLJofyZpBWo N2 Dreich, drookit, and blowing a hoolie - the storm hits Nest Two 2023
and also this on BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/.../c7274g1dzxeo
Sad to see Dorcha back at the nest, looking agitated and alarm calling as she took some fish. Good to see though, Louis bringing her a fish later on. Then there’s Garry still tending to empty N1. Thank you for all your dedication to this nest Geemeff and detailed updates. Not the best of years but there are still some chicks in the area and hopefully will make it through to migration.
Gosh, this nest is making the news far and wide. I guess we don’t normally know the identity of the translocated chicks and to have come from a nest that’s been featured before is News.