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:
Daily summary Thursday 8th August 2024
A pair of Coal Tits and a Robin, or possibly two, took advantage of the absence of any Ospreys and spent a little time on Nest One. Nest Two had zero activity again. The rain and wind continued as forecasted, and no change expected overnight or tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.18.36 (04.49.42); Nest Two 22.09.31 (04.57.00)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/P5S76XoQiuE N1 Coal Tits and Robins visiting in the absence of any Ospreys 07.29.42
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/AIAdCPIubvI N1 Don't bite the foot that feeds you! Louis' difficult delivery 2019
https://youtu.be/zLddX6xt-i0 N1 Exit nest right pursued by Mad Mallie 2019
https://youtu.be/_byBlgH5F0c N1 Osprey antics as Mallie & Rannoch fight Louis and each other 2019
https://youtu.be/DHWUsnxCNhE N1 Vera is obviously better and pecks Aila 2020
https://youtu.be/Rpc2uq34oKU N1 Doddie and Vera fight for fish five 2020
https://youtu.be/OugBSDzamKo N1 Louis delivers a colourful Arctic Charr to Aila 2020
https://youtu.be/BBdVW_8z9rI N2 News! Both Louis' chicks have fledged and been named 2021
https://youtu.be/-x-PBjVIWRQ N2 Willow grabs fish two and flies off with it 2022
https://youtu.be/ZQ9uid57ZLc N2 A Sparrowhawk, a Hooded Crow and Sarafina all on the nest 2022
https://youtu.be/xLnSvyYalcA N2 A good look at Dorcha coming and going 2023 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/Ylyt2kQJkdU N1 A shadow flies over Nest One but it's not Affric or Garry! 2023
https://youtu.be/npgzBhJ8jJc N1 Garry notes unseen danger but still attempts mating 2023
https://youtu.be/-jdvLTKv3rE N2 Louis delivers fish number two, Ludo's ready 2023
https://youtu.be/qd5T_c7Pt_4 N2 Ludo does an involuntary helicopter in the wind 2023 (zoom)
Nest One: Another day where songbirds congregate in the absence of Ospreys
15.57.40 a songbird pops up on the left, quickly followed by two others.
They flit between the nest and the branches on the left.
Looks like two Coal Tits & a Great Tit.
15.58.18 The last bird flies off
Update on Osplet 1JW - I've been sent this, it's from David Warrington of Valencia Birding who writes:
This year's Osprey reintroduction project continues at Pego Oliva Marsh. All the birds have now been released and are beginning to explore their surroundings. Following and monitoring them presents its challenges, but that's a key part of the work at this stage. Last week we were delighted to welcome Ian Perks from the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation. Ian personally collected many of these chicks from their original nests in Scotland, often together with Tim Mackrill, Fraser and Justin. Other chicks were collected by Davie Anderson. The last time Ian saw these birds they were in transport crates leaving the Scottish Highlands, so for him to see them flying over the marsh was very special.
Photo of 1JW by Juan Mariano Quiles Garcia
With Itzy Colodro Sainz, Marc Estornell, David Izquierdo Acebes, Guillermo, Ian Perks, Emmanuelle Csabaï, Fany Jrd
22.45 Both cams still down - Nest One stuck at 20.54.51, and Nest Two stuck at 20.55.39
Daily summary Friday 9th August 2024
Same as yesterday - except it was some Great Tits and Coal Tits taking advantage of the absence of Ospreys and spending time on Nest One. Nest Two had zero activity again. However, we did get some news and a photo of 1JW in Valencia - he's doing well and enjoying exploring the Pego Oliva marshland, link below. The rain and wind continued as forecast today, with thundery showers expected overnight changing to light rain showers tomorrow. Both nest cams went down shortly before 21.00 and are still down now (23.00).
Link to 1JW update: https://walkingwithdaddy.com/osprey/?ht-comment-id=15689792
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One ? (04.46.23); Nest Two ? (04.57.16)
https://youtu.be/2PUZSP_N918 N1 A trio of songbirds visit in the absence of any Ospreys 15.57.40
Bonus money for Woodland Trust if you have a Sparks card - M&S explain their Sparks charity:
https://www.marksandspencer.com/charity
https://youtu.be/oNzCzAn0VeM N1 Stop please daddy! Louis pulls Rannoch off the nest 2019
https://youtu.be/11qAuMkDdL4 N1 Louis brings breakfast, all three are there but Doddie gets it 2020
https://youtu.be/8IC3e70LhTw N1 Temperature inversion seen from the nest 2020
https://youtu.be/sdVgKT4YE3I N1 Synchronised helicoptering by Doddie & Captain 2020
https://youtu.be/Jk-V4-DQZHI N1 Aila brings fish and gets pecked by Vera! 2020 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/9Moy1yWHtW4 N1 Juvenile Mistle Thrush pay an evening visit to Nest One 2021
https://youtu.be/291niuqJOvQ N2 Fish number five causes a screaming frenzy from all three females (2022) https://youtu.be/ORcpN6aPcSY N2 Hoodie lurks as Willow shows off her beautiful eyes 2022 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/vj0dVfDdwQI N2 Form an orderly queue! 2022
https://youtu.be/HT4f5n1Gss4 N1 Bullfinch lands after Affric departs 2023
https://youtu.be/xwkgVWCJ1aY N1 Garry LV0 brings a duvet of moss to Nest One 2023
https://youtu.be/aYN_ysUW3U8 N2 Ludo watches a parent chasing an intruder 15.25 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/raBkskKShcc N2 Louis is back! Looking good, and brings a fish 2023
https://youtu.be/7k-yZUR493k N2 Second fish today - number 350 for the season! 2023
1JW looks fantastic. So good that the Spanish project still give us updates with photos.
He's the saviour of this season. Someone commented it's a pity that Louis & Dorcha don't know they have successfully fledged a chick this year. But we know, and we're thankful for these updates.
How lovely to see him, flying high. another sucess story, great to be kept up to date.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Nest cams back up again this morning, Liz Bracken informed us there was internet outage in the area which caused the YouTube livestreams and the server as well to go out.
Nest Two
17.03.20 Little red bird lands on Dorcha's perch - it's a brightly coloured male Crossbill
17.11.11 The male departs
17.26.16 A greenish female Crossbill appears on the nest, seems to be finding seeds or insects to eat
17.28.35 An even brighter male Crossbill appears on the right, then flies up to the nest for a moment
17.28.43 The male flies up and out of sight
17.29.50 The female flies off in the opposite direction
(zoomed)