LOCH ARKAIG - THE WOODLAND TRUST - June 2024 - February 2025

Nest One:

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05.15.16 An Osprey appears from the right and lands on the centre perch - Affric 152.

She stays on the perch for a while, then drops down to the nest.

05.18.19 A second Osprey arrives - Garry LV0.

He mantles, moves to the left perch, back into the centre and does a bit of nest tidying.

05.27.01 Affric suddenly departs in a hurry flying towards the gap between the knolls, Garry also leaves flying to the right pursued by a third bird - Prince maybe?

Too distant even for zoom.

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05.52.29 Garry LV0 lands with a stick but doesn't stay long

05.52.39 Departs and flies towards the solar panels, disappearing out of sight to the left.

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No Ospreys but various other birds seen on, over, or near Nest One:

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08.33.40 three birds seen in the distance on the left 08.34.29 A distant bird flies from the left, lands in Pole Tree

08.35.11 A grey & white bird (Wood Pigeon) flies from the left, turns, flies directly over the nest

08.36.36 A white bird flies rapidly across cam view from right to left

08.36.39 A little bird (CoalTit) flies in from the right, lands on the edge of the nest

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Daily summary Tuesday 6th August 2024

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No activity at all on Nest Two, today's action all came from Nest One, where Affric 152 turned up at dawn quickly followed by Garry LV0. However the pair fled the nest when a third Osprey appeared in the distance - Affric's mate Prince, perhaps. Garry returned a little later with a stick but didn't stay long. A few hours later birds were seen in the distance on nest cam and a Wood Pigeon overflew the nest. It rained pretty much throughout the day, and more rain forecast for tonight and tomorrow.

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Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.23.05 (04.07.43); Nest Two 22.22.22 (04.27.15)

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Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/jMtQ4kDsEIE N1 Garry LV0 follows Affric 152 before a third Osprey makes them flee 05.15.16

https://youtu.be/bzEL4MZcwk0 N1 Garry LV0 returns with a stick 05.52.29

https://youtu.be/FzFbWLsw1xI N1 Various little birds on, over or near the nest 08.33.40

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Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/quq4dMy7OzY N1 Butter fingers! Mallie drops her fish 2019

https://youtu.be/ajka-bL_n_0  N1 Size matters! Tiny song bird visits Vera 2020

https://youtu.be/oQYlVSvMSe4 N1 Aila brings a fish and stays for dinner 2020

https://youtu.be/FNRVFoNuZz0 N2 Crow steals a bit of Willow's breakfast 2022 

https://youtu.be/kZ4clzNC3kU N2 Osprey flyover and a fish-stealing crow 2022 (slo-mo zoom)

https://youtu.be/xcwsmz86WzE N1 Unringed visitor to Nest One 2022 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/hOGYbsvwPWs N2 Louis brings a flatfish, Willow gets it 2022

https://youtu.be/xAWm_H5HSqo N2 Good mum Dorcha allows Sarafina to have fish number five 2022

https://youtu.be/nSRB5bTgSv0  N2 Ludo is startled off the nest by Dorcha who then steals his fish 2023

https://youtu.be/D7mXIuEFLpg N1 Affric 152 waits in vain for fish 2023

https://youtu.be/do5LB22B_4c N1 Ironically Garry brings fish shortly after Affric leaves! 2023

https://youtu.be/YlWzoD5SCNg N2 Louis saves his fish from a marauding Hoodie 2023

https://youtu.be/Bzc7A866Xlw N2 Ludo LY7 gets some leftover fish from dad 2023

Daily summary Wednesday 7th August 2024

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No action whatsoever today, not even a visit from a little bird. It's not yet the middle of August, but with night cam switching on ever closer to 10pm, and staying on until almost 5am, and no chicks flying around demanding fish from Louis, the season feels suspiciously like it's over for this year. Affric152 and Prince should still be around as they have a young fledgling to look after, and with luck we might even see their chick testing his wings on or near one of the cam nests. Garry LV0 was the last one to leave last year so perhaps he'll do that this year too but it does seem as if the star pair, Louis & Dorcha, have already headed south. With the weather being wet and windy today, and more of the same forecast for the next ten days, moving south seems the sensible thing to do.

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Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.21.45 (04.41.53); Nest Two 22.14.31 (04.49.20)

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Today’s videos: none - not even a visit from a little bird!

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Bonus read - a free ebook by W. H. Majoros Season with the Osprey:

https://www.billmajoros.com/ASeasonWithTheOsprey.pdf

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Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/hQXYIA9xPrM  N1 Aila brings a large flat fish 2020

https://youtu.be/OyMVk0LlCzE  N1 Louis brings a fish and gets pecked by Vera 2020

https://youtu.be/_5B50icDzn0  N1 Doddie flies off with both fish leaving none for Vera 2020

https://youtu.be/bMn6zaT7MHs N1 Captain gets the fish, Vera loses out again 2020

https://youtu.be/b5WlBmzYbrw  N1 Aila's still babying her grown-up offspring 2020

https://youtu.be/nIuBy5ocEko N1 Three little songbirds on unoccupied Nest One 2022

https://youtu.be/nVVUNWwdB-U N2 A clump of moss, a crow and Sarafina: mum steps in 2022

https://youtu.be/wiN0fI9KNiU  N2 Hooded Crow attracted by fish does a flypast of the three females 2022

https://youtu.be/JJQmPvbzZ64 N1 Garry brings moss and a Jay visits 2023

https://youtu.be/SY2pbxLF5ko N2 Persistent Hoodie invades as soon as Ludo leaves 2023

https://youtu.be/4rHpMbzNnc0 N1 Affric & Garry spend time together but no fish 2023

https://youtu.be/E_31iJySQMM N2 Dorcha grabs the live flatfish as soon as Louis brings it 2023

Nest One Coal Tits and Robins on the nest in the absence of any Ospreys

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07.29.42 A pair of Coal Tits appear in the branches bottom right, one moves onto the nest, flits around then flies off to the left

07.30.07 Second Coal Tit moves onto the nest

07.30.24 Disappears off the nest cam-side

07.34.19 The two Coal Tits return, flying onto the centre of the nest

07.34.44 Both fly off to the right

11.28.45 A Robin appears from the right, flies onto the nest, perches on the left

11.29.05 Flies off out of sight to the left

12.22.54 The Robin, or another one, flies onto the nest from the right

12.23.18 Flies off out of sight to the left

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Well,  I think we have seen the last of Louis and Dorcha this year - we wish them fair winds and plenty of fish until they return safely to Loch Arkaig next spring.

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

they survive and return next season with Louis restored to full health!  Thanks for keeping us all updated Geemeff, a grand job!

Oh Wendy, I do hope so - migration is so perilous, and we're not sure how Louis is doing, if he's fully recovered. He was looking quite hollow-cropped on his last appearance.

Fingers firmly crossed!