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
  • Nest One

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    13.05.37 Affric 152 lands, Garry LV0 follows and attempts to mate. Both watching the skies above.

    13.08.35 Garry alarm chips while Affric calls quietly, still sky watching

    1313.13.16 More alarm chips on and off from LV0 as he continues to look up. Affric still fish calling

    13.15.15 Affric spots something and alarm calls, she looks as if she's going to fly off but just flies to the front perch - Garry does actually leave

    13.15.31 Affric leaves, alarm calling as she goes and catches up to Garry in the distance - they both fly east towards Bunarkaig

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  • WendyBartter said:

    Have watched the set-up story now with all the great footage plus the story of Louis, Aila & Lachlan ... such an amazing feat and so interesting to see how it was all constructed in that forbidding terrain ... many thanks Geemeff for all your hard work too in keeping us updated on the comings & goings often in such an amusing way Blush  Please let them all be safe and come back next year!Fingers crossed

    Thank you Wendy, glad you enjoyed my posts. It's an amazing story - well done that Woodland Trust person who had the brilliant idea to install the nest cam. 

    Fingers and talons firmly crossed that Louis and Dorcha,and maybe even a grown-up chick or two, come back safely next year.

    Affric, Garry and Prince are still here, wonder for how much longer? But then, Affric's chick has only just fledged.

  • Nest One

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    15.21.22 Affric 152 arrives quickly followed by Garry LV0

    15.21.29 Garry lands with a crash on her back, can't really call it a mating attempt . She shrugs him off and keeps fish-calling

    15.41.45 Garry departs, flying over the right-hand knoll

    15.42.41 He returns, attempting to land on Affric on the left hand perch, but she lifts her wing and shrugs him off and he slides down onto the nest

    15.43.03 Garry leaves again, and doesn't return

    15.48.24 Affric departs, flying westwards to the left

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  • Nest One

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    15.50.01 Garry LV0 returns alone and lands on the front perch. He sits there quietly or a while, no sign of Affric

    16.08.10 Garry leaves, flying to the left, westwards

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  • Nest One Affric arrives alone and calls in vain for fish

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    17.23.22 Affric arrives, fish calling, and perches on the centre perch.

    17.32.59 Doesn't get an answer so does a squirt and flies off!

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  • Nest One Where's Affric? She's missing out!

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    20.26.49 Garry LV0 arrives carrying the remains of a bright red trout. Where's Affric? She misses out on a free meal.

    He looks around, waits for a few moments but no one comes

    20.27.41 Garry LV0 departs, flying to the left, westwards, out of cam view.

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  • Name        2024          last seen *          (first seen*)

    Louis                       30/7   13.31.18          (28/3)

    Dorcha                    27/7  11.19.43           (30/3)

    Garry LV0               12/8   20.27.41          (9/4)

    Affric 152                12/8   17.32.59          (10/4)

    Prince                      29/6  09.24.01          (1/4)

    RDF**                      21/7 11.47.05            (7/7)

    Aida                         8/5   08.49.32          (28/4)

     

    * on nest cam

    **RDF = really dark female

  •  Nominations are now open for £5k grants for Climate and Environment charities - please nominate Woodland Trust. You can nominate both the English and Scottish branches, I've listed them below, just copy and paste into the search field.

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    Nominations close this Friday 16th August. Thank you! Evergreen treeDeciduous tree

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    https://climate.movementforgood.com/#nominateACharity
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    294344 - THE WOODLAND TRUST

    SC038885 - The Woodland Trust

  • Daily summary Monday 12th August 2024

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    Garry LV0 and Affric 152 had a busy day today, hopping on and off Nest One multiple times. Garry tried his luck but got nowhere, and ironically, after fish-calling for most of her time on the nest, Affric wasn't present when Garry did turn up with a plump juicy fish. He took it away again and she lost out. No activity on Nest Two, although thunder and lightening around 08.30 did make both nest cams shake and hiss momentarily. There shouldn't be any problems tonight, the forecast is for clear skies and a gentle breeze, maybe the Perseid meteor shower might show up on nest cam. However it's all change for tomorrow, with heavy rain and a moderate breeze (make that strong winds at the top of the nest trees) forecast for tomorrow.

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    Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.13.43 (04.57.35); Nest Two 22.22.41 (05.00.53)

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    Today’s videos:

    https://youtu.be/csO3lrb-qgY N1 Garry and Affric are alarmed by an unseen intruder 13.05.37

    https://youtu.be/cdetJmrEd_w N1 Affric 152 shrugs off Garry LV0's mating attempts 15.21.22

    https://youtu.be/93Tf6cfsq2Q N1 Garry LV0 returns alone and perches quietly before departing 15.50.01

    https://youtu.be/Zz5MF4QI0Ic N1 Affric 152 returns alone and perches quietly, has a squirt and departs! 17.23.22 

    https://youtu.be/l2actnz1EJo N1 Garry LV0 returns with a fish but Affric's not there 20.26.49

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    Bonus good deed - nominate Woodland Trust for a £5,000 grant, closes this Friday 16th August:

    https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=15712372 

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    Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

    https://youtu.be/ygryqbjrqpQ  N1 The second coming: Aila's reappearance after a 4-day absence 2019

    https://youtu.be/nX_d7r6hPfI  N1 Vera does her pre dawn exercises 2020

    https://youtu.be/lAHCuokJZ9U N1 Doddie and Vera enjoy a quiet chat 2020

    https://youtu.be/Mya-HGmOiuA  N1 Beautiful Aila brings another fish 2020

    https://youtu.be/Ys-E2CXlXmI  N1 Vera doesn't want fish so Captain lucks out 2020

    https://youtu.be/_oQBYv6mj0Q  N2 Noisy Sarafina gets the fish to herself 2022

    https://youtu.be/gL_WHrv_GDQ N2 Three second fish handover from Louis to Dorcha 2022

    https://youtu.be/K6MOZkpMChE  N1 Affric and Garry pay a dawn visit 2023

    https://youtu.be/a3EINpSUrlg  N2 Ludo arrives squeaking and gets the second fish 2023

    https://youtu.be/HzzQWKKMeLQ  N2 Scarecrow: Dorcha sees off a Hoodie 2023

    https://youtu.be/Fh_aG8K3088 N2 No one comes for fish number five so Louis takes it away 2023

    https://youtu.be/cQivGnHzWbQ N2 Dorcha and Dyson beak to beak 2023

  • Two of the under-nest residents, a Robin and a Wren, explore Nest One

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    08.23.18 One of the under-nest resident Robins pops up from underneath on the right hand side and flits around the nest

    08.23.37 The Robin disappears underneath on the left

    11.13.03 The Robin pops up again briefly, disappearing a few seconds later as movement is seen

    11.13.30 A Wren pops up from under the nest on the right hand side and hops around busily, going in and out of the branches

    11.14.16 The Wren disappears under the nest again

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