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
  • 13.08.50 Garry LV0 arrives

    13.09.28 Leaves 13.12.46 Back again, staying a bit longer this time

    13.25.04 Garry leaves again

    13.26.54 Returns with a stick, tidies the nest and does some nest cupping

    13.29.03 Garry leaves and doesn't return - no sign of the Dark Female

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  • 18.08.40 Louis does some coy mantling and Dorcha checks him for hidden fish

    18:48:50 Louis does a bit of nest-scraping

    18.51.32 Both birds suddenly fly off having been watching something

    18.52.06 Dorcha returns, still fish calling

    19:28:18 Dorcha leaves for the night

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  • Daily summary Thursday 11th July 2024

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    The big news of the day is the safe arrival of our chicks at their new home in Valencia and they are now sporting their new yellow Darvic rings. The submissive chick is 1JR and the dominant one is 1JW, and they looked cosy together in their nest in the photo posted by Woodland Trust Scotland on their social media channels, link in the bonus section. Their parents spent time together today on the nest before an unseen intruder caused them to flee, Louis did a little nest-scraping and a fair bit of coy-mantling but still didn't bring any fish for Dorcha, although we don't know what fish exchanges might be taking place off-nest. Garry LV0 visited Nest One bringing nesting materials and doing a bit of housekeeping, but there was no sign of the Dark Female. it would be good to see him with a mate, perhaps they are connecting off-nest. The weather was settled today, the sun broke through a few times, and the forecast for tonight is partly cloudy with light winds.

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    Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 23.32.11 (03.36.07); Nest Two 23.26.04 (03.40.16)

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    Today’s videos:

    https://youtu.be/CscB0UbvO3c N2 News update - chicks safe in Spain and have been ringed 09.00

    https://youtu.be/hT20jh6SGBU N2 Dorcha & Louis together on the nest but no fish 09.56.50

    https://youtu.be/RQNxDQEbg5s N1 Garry LV0 visits but no sign of the Dark Female 13.08.50

    https://youtu.be/VS4q1tY2vks  N2  Dorcha & Louis spend time together until scared off by an intruder 18.08.40

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    Bonus photo - our chicks in their new Spanish nest:

    https://x.com/WTScotsocial/status/1811382187171758498

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    Bonus song - The Osprey Song - performed by the Juniors at Hurst Lodge School:

    https://youtu.be/KoOQK6ejuXY

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    Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

    https://youtu.be/NlWKFq-pDyU  N1 Get up now or I'll kick you! 2019

    https://youtu.be/HiCN2VDBqnk N1 Our very own WTS George interviewed live on BBC Breakfast 2020

    https://youtu.be/cEaL60HJzls  N1 Furiously flapping fish doesn't get away 2020

    https://youtu.be/CNIM2qr6JP8  N1 Blue 152 & Prince return yet again to Nest One 2021

    https://youtu.be/Ru6t2HVRXYU N2 Dorcha in the nest with the chicks 2021 (thanks to LizB)

    https://youtu.be/GlRI7_GJluw  N2 The nest is getting crowded: Louis drops and goes 2022

    https://youtu.be/FpGi61XiX-A  N2 Late night fish supper 2022

    https://youtu.be/UTEZmj4j_u4 N1 Affric's fish calling, Garry follows and tries to mate 2023

    https://youtu.be/47cCoZV8Ll8  N2 Dorcha arrives with a twiggy stick, chick gets in a flap 2023 (quicktime)

    https://youtu.be/8DYpWypp4Uc N1 Garry's saved some fish for Affric 2023

    https://youtu.be/OSiAPBo5554  N2 Sky high mating 2023 (zoom)

  • Footage of the Spanish aviary, with 1JR in the second half

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    Woodland Trust Scotland tweets on X.com (Twitter) with footage of the Spanish aviary where the chicks are being looked after until they fledge.

    The aviary sides will drop down and the chicks will be able to come and go as they test their wings.

    They'll continue to be fed until they leave on migration.

    The second half of the clip shows the submissive chick 1JR.

    I brightened and sharpened the footage which was taken through the aviary mesh.

    Many thanks to the RDWF and Valencia translocation project for sharing this footage.

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  • nest One

    06.34.00 little birds arrive - Great Tits, I think. Hop around checking out any food items

    06.38.32 A visit from a pair of little brown, speckled birds, possibly juvenile Robins, who share the nest with the Great Tits

    06.42.42 The last one departs

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  • Nest Two

    09.29.21 Garry LV0 arrives with a stick. Sits looking gorgeous on the side perch keeping a lookout for passing females. Where are they?

    Here is a desirable male, good fisher bird, own nest - ready for the taking!

    09.57.50 Garry departs

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  • Good to see the chicks settled in their aviary in Spain with their new roommates. Slight smile They’re looking well. Their weight was so low when they first left the nest. 

    I just can’t understand why Garry is still single either! He tries so hard. Two hearts

  • Dear Garry - good looking, great nest, and provides fish too - come on females..!

    It's fabulous seeing the chicks' new surroundings, and to have 1JR walk right in front of the camera looking nicely plump for a lovely close-up is just wonderful. Some people still think removing them was wrong - well, I think we would have have three dead chicks this year without WTS seeking advice and being granted a licence to remove.

  • Dorcha arrives fish-calling, Louis arrives but brings no fish

    09.02.36 Dorcha arrives, fish calling

    09.31.10 Louis joins Dorcha with some moss for a present!

    Neither of them have hollow crops so they have eaten recently

    09.56.17 Is an intruder nearby? Both Dorcha and Louis are watching something overhead

    09.58.21 Louis flies off, Dorcha keeps shouting

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  • N2 Dorcha does her exercises before leaving 

    12.16.37 Dorcha is alone on the nest, fish-calling.

    She starts stretching her amazing wings and doing gentle exercises. Still calling! But gets no answer.

    12.18.21 Dorcha departs

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