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:
Who does a distant flash flypast of Nest One? It's not an Osprey.
13.32.33 A white? bird does a flypast in the distance
Wings look a bit short for a gull ... a Dove?
Who does a distant flash flypast of Nest One? (slo-mo zoom)
13.32.33 A white? bird does a flypast in the distance, it' not an Osprey
Coal Tits hop around Nest One followed by a Great Tit
15.16.10 Little birds hop up on the nest: Coal Tits (Periparus ater)
15.17.32 The last one departs
15.23.21 A single Great Tit (Parus major) arrives a few minutes later
15.23.36 It also departs
Daily summary Wednesday 17th July 2024
Louis & Dorcha are both still around and came to the nest this morning, Louis left around 8am and Dorcha around 9am. No fish were brought and neither one returned to the nest. Nest One had some avian visitors but none of them Ospreys, making for a quiet day on both nests. The season has a bit of a school's out feeling now and Cam2 switched to night mode before 11pm for the first time tonight, but fingers crossed we see Louis & Dorcha again tomorrow, and perhaps a bonus visit from Garry LV0 soon. The thundery showers didn't materialise, there was only a light sprinkle of rain causing a few camera diamonds which soon disappeared, but heavy rain is forecast for tonight.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 23.09.23 (03.53.39); Nest Two 22.55.35 (04.00.16)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/4wpfSlXahCc Louis & Dorcha meet on the nest but there's no fish 07.47.28
https://youtu.be/-M7049KwfMA Who does a distant flash flypast? 13.32.33
https://youtu.be/jDOUXZzLinI Coal Tits and a Great Tit visit 15.16.10
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/ck2Pg7Q5eLY N1 You little plucker! Aila has her feathers plucked out 2019
https://youtu.be/lgknSbXblXc N1 Louis brings a protesting pike 2020
https://youtu.be/iDqoJdLmn_k N1 Doddie gets high - helicoptering! 2020
https://youtu.be/h-Cl2LeaLKE N2 Early morning wingercising: getting ready for lift off 2022
https://youtu.be/JVDiG_6Oyuo N2 Dorcha is attacked by her chick 2022
https://youtu.be/g0lqwAW8cgo N2 Pesky persistent Hoodie 2022
https://youtu.be/KZglDL7mQK0 N2 Three females and a colourful sunset 2022
https://youtu.be/Rv9-ECCEcbE N2 LY7 is too busy flapping to notice the little visitors 2023
https://youtu.be/azPfrKSwNcA N2 Loud gunshot near the nest - Dorcha flees instantly 2023
https://youtu.be/vwRQv_1sNL0 N1 Affric follows Garry to the nest but he doesn't have any fish 2023
https://youtu.be/CwKUyPR_ync N1 & N2 Noisy RAF jets disturb the females on both nests 2023
https://youtu.be/AogYtfshRZU N2 Dorcha's unwieldy stick nearly knocks the chick off the nest! 2023
https://youtu.be/bgjYuutXOFM N2 Who's trying to touchdown on the nest, Louis or an intruder Osprey? 2023
Woodland Trust Scotland tweet 18th July 2024 plus footage of 1JR tucking in to a nice fish dinner.
https://x.com/geemeff/status/1813967601930023375
Footage courtesy of the Fundación Migres: https://www.fundacionmigres.org/en/
Nest One
04.53.20 A little bird hops up on the nest.
It's brown with no particular distinguishing marks - is it a juvenile Robin in protectively dull coloration?
04.55.00 It departs, sliding underneath the nest out of sight
(zoomed)
No doubt about the identity of this visitor - it's a Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
05.15.24 A Jay visits, and perches on the centre perch.
05.19.25 the Jay departs
No fish for Dorcha, just a failed mating attempt!
08.54.10 Flash flypast, left to right, by an Osprey
08.54.15 Louis arrives on the nest
08.55.08 He’s quickly followed by Dorcha, she fish-calls, he coy-mantles Very windy, strong gusts
09.02.30 Louis takes off for a mating attempt but merely lands on Dorcha’s back briefly and quickly slides off
09.03.11 Louis departs, hop-flying over the high perch on the left towards the camera
Dorcha’s still calling occasionally, Louis must be perched nearby
09.36.55 Dorcha departs, flying lochwards
10.43.32 to 10.53.50 Many little visitors - Bullfinch, Robin, Wren, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, maybe more
10.43.45 Movement in the branches left of the nest
10:45:50 A family of great tits arrives to rummage through the nest.
10:47:27 Bottom left, below the nest an interesting little bird appears. Dull orange-brown, black wings with white wing bars. White rump and black tail. It looks like a juvenile bullfinch. Perches in branch to left, under the greenery.
10:47:35 Juvenile robin arrives, bottom centre of nest.
10:47:48 Black wings, tail and white rump visible as the juvenile bullfinch flies away to centre.
10:47:52 Second juvenile bullfinch arrives bottom left, pootles around behind the branches.
10:48:36 Great tits and juvenile robin on nest together
10:52:14-10:52:52 wren arrives from right.
10:52:52-10:53:21 chiffchaff arrives from right of nest.