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:
Louis brings nesting materials and does some housekeeping
16.25.52 Louis arrives at the nest with a stick, looking hollow-cropped
16.35.42 Louis leaves
17.19.14 Louis returns bringing more nesting materials, does some nest scraping
17.22.41 Louis departs
Daily summary Friday 12th July 2024
Today's main story is seeing footage of the Spanish aviary where our two 2024 Arkaig chicks are now living, and the big thrill of having 1JR walk right in front of the camera giving us a good look at him. He looks in great condition and holding his head up, not thin, weak and submissive as he was before removal, and ready to play his part in helping establish a thriving Osprey population in Valencia. Nest One had some little visitors before Garry LV0 arrived bringing nesting materials and doing a bit of housekeeping. Over on Nest Two, Louis did the same, bringing nesting materials and doing a bit of nest-scraping, although Dorcha let him know she would much rather have fish. The weather was settled and should remain so with tonight's forecast of light cloud and light winds, continuing through tomorrow.
.Blast from the past, this day in previous years:https://youtu.be/7TuZUUU01Zk N1 Fish arrives but Aila is reacting to an intruder 2020https://youtu.be/Wikzl0L2al0 N1 The chicks are too big for mumbrella 2020https://youtu.be/y9bWx04ZpDs N1 Silver tourist arrives but Aila keeps calling 2020
https://youtu.be/j9Q-6R_wTsA N2 Dorcha in hi-def close up 2022https://youtu.be/gQtZdZ87KiY N1 Is that Louis chasing away visitors? 2022https://youtu.be/mVPRbvjXYak N2 Meet LW5 and LW6: now we await the gender info 2022
https://youtu.be/bRudS4fVdnU N1 Affric's out of luck, Garry doesn't have any fish 2023https://youtu.be/l6BBOafiVbs N2 Dorcha aborts landing - is the eagle still around? 2023https://youtu.be/qVf3XW17uNY N2 Chick self feeds, moves around the nest holding a fish 2023https://youtu.be/s9fhcpnTL90 N2 Chick plays football with the egg 2023https://youtu.be/Iq1v2o1P-Yo N1 Late night mating attempt but no fish 2023
Sky Dancer!
03:56:53 The lovely sound of a male Osprey sky dancing is heard for some time, getting nearer and louder
04.00.17 It's Louis! He arrives on the nest and stands proudly.
Chest is concave so hasn't eaten recently but is strong enough to fly around displaying during his sky-dancing episode.
Mating attempt!
04.00.17 Skydancing is heard then Louis lands on the nest, and begins mantling.
04.01.06. Dorcha arrives, Louis continues coy-mantling
04.02.46 Louis moves over to Dorcha, flies up and makes a token mating attempt
04.02.55 Louis departs, Dorcha remains
04.03.26 Dorcha flies up to the high perch and sits there silently - Louis must have left the area
Another mating attempt:
09.06.21 Dorcha is on the nest moving branches around, then starts fish-calling
09.06.30 Louis arrives and attempts mating, the coy-mantles before doing a bit of nest tidying
09.11.57 Louis leaves, Dorcha remains
09.32.33 Dorcha flies off. Chipping calls heard a few seconds later
Daily summary Saturday 13th July 2024
Another day with little action, nothing on Nest One, and just a few early morning visits on Nest Two from Louis and Dorcha, neither seen on the nest after approximately 09.30. However, Louis spent some time sky-dancing before landing on the nest and making a couple of mating attempts with Dorcha along with coy-mantling. Of course, this is not to try for a second brood, it's much too late in the season for that, but the mating attempts and the coy-mantling all reaffirm their pair-bond and is a healthy sign of the strength of their relationship, their fourth year together. In other news, Chaddie14 provides this update on the Bunarkaig nest: Lewis, our local raptor man, was up in the Bunarkaig nest today and found one dead chick and one healthy, possibly male, chick which he ringed. All just as was expected, so all good so far for the one chick. So success for the probable resident pair Affric 152 and Prince this year following the failure of that nest last year - we wish the surviving chick and his parents all the best. The weather was settled, and tonight's forecast for the Inver Mallie area which covers the nests is light clouds and light winds, and sunshine tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 23.34.51 (03.31.49); Nest Two 23.22.11 (03.41.31)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/f4cyHgyr1-c N2 Louis is heard skydancing before landing 03.56.53
https://youtu.be/39BScubJvE0 N2 Louis affirms his bond with Dorcha with a mating attempt 04.00.17
https://youtu.be/kAKf8Ur1RrI N2 Another mating attempt by Louis 09.06.21
Bonus opportunity - volunteer with Woodland Trust:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/act/volunteer-with-us/opportunities
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/0Cl8FINNtoo N1 Ouch! Ungrateful chick! (2019)
https://youtu.be/ffII5_YiOdg N1 The chicks' names are revealed on BBC Breakfast (2020)
https://youtu.be/GP_us9LEcMw N1 Doddie JJ6 tackles nest furnishings (2020)
https://youtu.be/CGdPBqFGdz8 N2 Dorcha brings a very big stick (2022)
https://youtu.be/bN7HPh85yqs N2 Takes two to tangle! The girls are hooked! (2022)
https://youtu.be/e7hhGQs5TC8 N1 Fish please but Garry has other ideas, as usual.. 2023
https://youtu.be/UcwVIYkX9kc Ospreys and wildlife disturbances: BBC Breakfast 2023
https://youtu.be/LOk6dL2laVY N2 LY7 kicks the egg and gets in a flap preparing for lift off 2023
https://youtu.be/S68l64FV5oQ N1 Affric departs chased by another bird 2023 (zoom)
Update on the Bunarkaig nest and the private one at the western end of the loch:
WTS George says:
.Here are some pics by LizB of the male chick ringed at Bunarkaig yesterday
The remains of a sibling were found in the nest.
We understand there were also two females ringed at the nest at the far west end of Loch Arkaig.
Link to Liz Bracken's photos:
https://x.com/WTScotsocial/status/1812421162921500757
Wingercising ready for lift off! Valencia Ospreys including the two Loch Arkaig chicks 13 July
Woodland Trust Scotland statement 14th July 2024:
"We received some lovely video of the Scottish ospreys in Spain, testing out their wings yesterday (13th July).
The film is a phone video of the CCTV screen used to monitor the aviary.
You can see there appears to be four “nests” in separate sections, each with three birds. Not sure which are our two."
The Loch Arkaig chicks, assessed as both being male, were ringed Yellow 1JR and 1JW
The chicks are 53 days old today and they fledge anywhere from around 55 days old, so anytime soon.
Video footage: © Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation
Tweets: © Woodland Trust Scotland
Super news that 3 young ospreys have been ringed in the area this year. Sad that others have perished.
Like you’ve said before Geemeff, our 2 could’ve/would’ve perished as well. Instead, they are thriving in Spain with a future ahead of them.
Dorcha arrives early, Louis arrives a little later but without fish
04.30.14 Dorcha arrives on the nest
04.31.40 flies up to the high perch
04.41.05 gives a few brief call and jumps down onto the nest.
04.47.33 Louis arrives, starts mantling. Dorcha checks for fish and becomes vocal. Louis’ crop looks empty, Dorcha seems somewhat better.
Louis begins rearranging sticks on the nest, with Dorcha calling constantly for fish
04.53.55 Louis departs, Dorcha falls quiet and remains on the nest