Welcome to Loch Arkaig Ospreys season 9
Will both Louis and Dorcha return to Nest 2 ️ ️
Will Osplets fledge safely on Nest 2
Will someone take up residence on Nest 1 MAYBE...
Will any of Louis' chicks with Aila and Dorcha be sighted
Link to previous thread:
Loch Arkaig June 2024 - February 2025
2025 season:
Dorcha arrived 14.04.19 Wednesday 2 April
Louis arrived 19.47.44 Wednesday 2 April
Affric & Prince landed on Nest One 11.47.48 & 11.48.02 Tuesday 8 April
Garry LV0 arrived 09.27 58 Wednesday 9 April
First egg! 17.52.55 Wednesday 16 April
Blue 536 arrived 10.53.46 Friday 18 April
Second egg! 12.56.16 Saturday 19 April
Third egg! 10.30.10 Tuesday 22 April
Hello Aurora! WTS name Blue 536 Monday 5 May
Season's highlights 2024: A rollercoaster season in 2024: triumph, tragedy, and plenty more!
Season Eight for the Loch Arkaig Ospreys was a strange roller coaster of a season with unrelenting bad weather plus Louis going AWOL for days, probably due to illness, leading to a lack of fish deliveries and ultimately the deaths of Chicks 2&3. But Chick1 survived to fledge, thanks to Woodland Trust arranging for a placement on a translocation programme under the auspices of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Fundación Migres in Valencia, Spain, and Louis & Dorcha are still strongly pair-bonded, and we are thrilled to see them both back safely this year for Season Nine.
Key facts:
Louis arrived 15.18.38 Thursday 28 March
Dorcha arrived 14.21.27 Saturday 30 March
Garry LV0 arrived 09.35.01 Tuesday 9 April
First Egg laid 11.13.47 Sunday 14 April
Second egg laid 05.55.52 Wednesday 17 April
Dorcha is injured in an Eagle attack 11.08 Friday 19 April
Third egg laid 02.26.08 Saturday 20 April
First chick hatched 06.16.48 Wednesday 22 May
Second chick hatched 22.26.15 Wednesday 22 May
Third chick hatched 16.36.10 Friday 24 May
Sad death of little Chick3 approx 19.02 Sunday 16 June
Louis last seen Wednesday 26 June
Louis returns with fish, uninjured, but clearly not not well Saturday 29 June
Chicks1&2 are removed to a translocation programme, both assessed male Monday 1 July
Chicks ringed with Spanish yellow Darvic rings: C1 - 1JW & C2 - 1JR Thursday 11 July
Sadly 1JR started having seizures and succumbed to a heart condition Tuesday 23 July
FLEDGE! Surviving chick 1JW found his wings and flew 3pm Thursday 25 July
Dorcha last seen on Nest One 11.19.43 Saturday 27 July
Louis last seen on Nest Two 13.31.18 Tuesday 30 July
Garry LV0 last seen on Nest One 13.35.57 Thursday 22 August
Garry LV0 sighted in Senegal 22 - 23 December
Nest One: A Tawny Owl pays a twilight visit
21.51.08 A shadow is seen in the rapidly falling darkness - it’s a Tawny Owl. It lands on the centre perch then hops onto the nest, and from there up onto the camera post
21.52.01 The owl hops back down onto the nest and then on to the branches on the right side
21.52.40 The owl departs.
I lightened and brightened the clip the better to see the owl in the twilight gloom just before night cam came on.
Daily summary Saturday 26th April 2025
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While most of the action was on Nest One today, over on Nest Two, Dorcha tracked a nearby Cuckoo and used her special voice to get rid of a Hooded Crow while waiting for Louis to bring fish. He did, but only delivered one today, so his tally now stands at fifty two. Garry LV0 by contrast brought three fish for Blue 536, taking his tally to twenty one, although he did tease her by showing her the second fish then immediately flying away with it. But he brought it back within ten minutes, neatly opened and ready to eat. He made several mating attempts which she broadly tolerated, but more practice and more fish is needed. Blue 536 brought nesting material for the first time and spent a little while arranging things which is a very promising indication of ownership, even if she promptly knocked some of it overboard. The day ended with a visit from a Tawny Owl in the twilight gloom right before night cam switched over. The forecasted rain didn't really happen, just a bit of light drizzle, however, heavy rain is expected tonight and tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.55.56 (04.58.22); Nest Two 21.54.14 (05.04.18)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/AICx1fFZx4o N2 A Cuckoo calls very close by 08.02.10
https://youtu.be/rMpsosLakXg N2 Dorcha uses her Crow voice to see off a Hoodie 08.46.00
https://youtu.be/LLlIN3DpMHM N1 Blue 536 receives a delivery of trout from Garry LV0 09.11 02
https://youtu.be/jKuX-s0QRtE N2 Dorcha flies off into the distance with the first fish 10.16.52
https://youtu.be/uUleqJXiBhw N1 Blue 536's stick and Garry LV0's fish go flying on and off! 15.13.39 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/lUn6MQVfpeM N1 Blue 536 gets a third fish from Garry LV0 19.08.49
https://youtu.be/o0i-471GSIE N1 A Tawny Owl pays a twilight visit just before night cam comes on 21.51.08
Bonus watch - fabulous long lens footage of Affric 152 & Prince's nest at Bunarkaig from Chaddie (April 2024):
https://youtu.be/3Ds4iVdXs58
https://youtu.be/fkGjDtlJMMI
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/aDk_oSfFyJA N1 Aila lays egg number two 2019
https://youtu.be/TR0ZAmEuEvU N1 Aila lays egg number two 2020
https://youtu.be/A0Fql5tp3Zw N1 Dad's turn! Louis is finally on egg duty 2020
https://youtu.be/YWOgNITPfXc N1 Ringed female Blue 152 visits again 2021
https://youtu.be/OZBLR7uszwo N2 Very early breakfast but no more fish for Dorcha 2023
https://youtu.be/kh92z7IRnCw N1 Three Ospreys fighting over the nest 2023 (super slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/r9ckJWn_V3I N1 Aerobatics as Garry LV0's involved in a chase 2024
https://youtu.be/G-DaqLc2tcE N2 A thirteen second handover of fish number two 2024
Nest Two 05.51.44 Fish number one, well munched trout.
05.51 Dorcha’s on the nest, it’s wet and windy and she’s keeping the eggs protected.
05.51.44 Louis arrives with a small snack, less than half a fish. Dorcha takes it, she’s pleased to see any size fish as she only got one fish yesterday and that was at 10am. Louis settles down on the eggs ensuring they’re not uncovered for long.
05.53.00 Dorcha leaves with the fish.
Nest One 11.14.44 Fish number one, headless trout
11.14 Blue 536 is on the high perch, she jumps down as she sees Garry LV0 approaching
11.14.44 Garry lands with the first fish, a headless trout, which she seizes immediately
11.15.01 Blue 536 departs with her fish, Garry LV0 remains, beak feaking (cleaning his beak) and checking the state of his nest
Nest One 16.35.01 Fish number two, headless trout
16.15.49 Blue 536 lands on the centre perch
16.30.04 A bird flies right to left low down in the near distance, she tracks but shows no alarm - Garry LV0?
16.30.28 She jumps down, starts calling
16.35.01 Garry arrives with another headless trout, second today, which she seizes immediately
16.35.52. Blue 536 flies off towards the solar panels - Garry stays and tracks a distant bird flying left to right above the knolls
Nest Two Fish number two
16.58 Dorcha’s on the nest, calling - her calls get louder
16.58.46 Louis arrives with fish number two, a headless trout - Dorcha grabs it then gets tangled in sticks as she moves to the nest edge
16.59.21 Dorcha untangles her feet and departs with the fish as Louis settles on the eggs
536 and Dorcha got practically the same fish there!
The weather looks terrible. Hope it quickly passes over.
It's due to continue through tomorrow afternoon. The only good thing is the owls won't fly, so Dorcha's safe - on this day in 2020, Aila was struck by a Tawny, and on this day in 2022, Dorcha was also struck - just 20 minutes after laying her second egg!
Daily summary Sunday 27th April 2025
Quiet today on both nests, just a routine day - both females called for fish and took them quickly away on delivery to their nests, and both males brought two fish each, taking their respective totals to 23 (Garry LV0) and 54 (Louis). The weather was wet and windy as forecast, and it's raining as I file this report (22.15 GMT+1). The main difference between the nests is that one has a long established pair, currently incubating three eggs, while the other has a new couple in the early stages of pairbonding. Season Nine is off to a good start, fingers crossed it continues. The overnight forecast for the Inver Mallie area (https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2646094) is light rain and a gentle breeze continuing through tomorrow afternoon.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.44.03 (04.54.09); Nest Two 21.44.00 (05.00.50)
https://youtu.be/3hwN14iQOV4 Nest Two, fish number one 05.51.44
https://youtu.be/emNgeo_CV3A Nest One, fish number one 11.14.44
https://youtu.be/tghASM3eMek Nest One, fish number two 16.35.01
https://youtu.be/7RE-LA7Pdwo Nest Two, fish number two 16.58.46
Bonus guide to 'nature's fireworks' which are out early: George WTS advises where and how to visit Scotland's best bluebell woods - but please don't leave the path!
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/travel/14704931/scotland-bluebell-woods-top-spots/
Blast from the past, this day in previous years
https://youtu.be/q_WwmwEsYBA N1 Louis won't let Aila have his fish 2019
https://youtu.be/p3aqIV2VHuo N1 Owl attacks Aila 2020 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/OsGsdpzZVdY N2 Owl strikes Dorcha as she guards her egg 2022 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/2RPYImn6HsQ N2 Egg number two for Dorcha 2022
https://youtu.be/AtdFILU2Sm0 N2 Owl attacks minutes after the second egg 2022 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/E2U7-JML07w N2 Egg number three! 2023 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/jT3MesYLieY N2 Hooded Crow intrudes on Dorcha 2023
https://youtu.be/-JTu8Cr1Guo N2 First fish does a flypast before landing 2024
https://youtu.be/MfQttkWT3Uk N1 Garry LV0 leaves Nest One and perches on Pole Tree 2024
https://youtu.be/B-zPWF3ZiJg N2 Takes two to tangle: Loch Arkaig Ospreys bump into each other 2024
Nest Two 12.21.53 fish number one, headless trout
12.21 A wet bedraggled Dorcha is on the nest, looking around
12.21.53 Louis lands with fish number one, a headless trout
12.22.10 Louis starts making warning calls
12.22.23 An Osprey is seen flying left to right in the distance, disappears off screen under the logo
12.23.13 Dorcha departs with the fish, Louis settles on the eggs
(zoomed)