A rollercoaster season in 2024: triumph, tragedy, and plenty more! Loch Arkaig Osprey cam highlights

Thanks to Woodland Trust from whose livestream I took this clip. Check out their live cameras on Nest One & Nest Two supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery at www.woodlandtr...
This is the highlights video for 2024, Season Eight for the Loch Arkaig Ospreys. 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 expect to see them back next year.
2024 season:
Louis arrived 15.18.38 Thursday 28 March
Dorcha arrived 14.21.27 Saturday 30 March
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 not right Saturday 29 June
Chicks1&2 are removed to a translocation programme 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 23rd 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
Louis is a father of thirteen, six with Aila, seven with Dorcha
2017 Lachlan JH4
2018 Pine Marten stole the eggs
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 1JW, 1JR (d) (Spain)
2023 season:
Louis returned 2 April
Dorcha returned 9 April
Reunited 10 April
Only one chick Ludo LY7 hatched 31 May, fledged 19 July
Dorcha last seen 17 August
Louis last seen 24 August
Ludo LY7 last seen 25 August
Garry LV0 last seen 26 August
Ludo sighted in France 24 September & 8 October
Garry LVO sighted in Senegal January 2024
2023 highlights Nest One: • Lochenders! 2023 seaso...
2023 highlights Nest Two: • Family of three in 23:...
2022 highlights: • Nest Two in 22: Loch A...
2021 highlights: • Loch Arkaig Osprey Cam...
2020 highlights: • The good, the bad, and...
2019 highlights: • Talons and tantrums, f...
2018 highlights: • Loch Arkaig Osprey Cam...
2017 highlights: • Loch Arkaig osprey cam...
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.
2017 A nest cam is installed on a refurbished Osprey nest. 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 and Alder LW4. This is designated Nest Two, no one takes up residence on Nest One.
2022 Woodland Trust install a nest cam on Nest Two. Louis & Dorcha return and raise two female chicks to fledging: Willow LW5 and Sarafina LW6. Still no residents on Nest One.
2023 Louis & Dorcha return, and raise one male chick to fledging: Ludo LY7. No residents on Nest One but male Garry LV0 spent a lot of time flirting with Affric 152 despite her mate Prince still being around.
Woodland Trust nest cams were installed by Wildlife Windows in Arkaig Community Forest, funded by The People's Postcode Lottery and operate on wifi provided by Comms West.
If you're enjoying the view from the Arkaig OspreyCam, please consider becoming a member of the Woodland Trust, buying from the shop, or donating to help preserve their home in the Arkaig Community Forest, any amount will come in very handy and be put to good use:
www.woodlandtr... (donate)
www.woodlandtr... (membership) shop.woodlandt... (shop)
Disclaimer: My youtube channel isn't monetised, I make no profit from my video clips of the ©Woodland Trust OspreyCam and comply with the Woodland Trust's terms & conditions. I'm a member of the Woodland Trust but not affiliated with them, just a private individual who enjoys following the #ArkaigOspreys.

[@GeemeffGeemeff]

This is the highlights video for 2024, Season Eight for the Loch Arkaig Ospreys. 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 expect to see them back next year. We wish them and all Ospreys on migration fair winds and plenty of fish. With many thanks to Woodland Trust for allowing me to record from their livestreams, and to People's Postcode Lottery who sponsor the Osprey cams.

[@user-wu8zy8mv3c]

Thank you so much for this wonderful update. Fair winds to all our beautiful ospreys & stay safe till next year ❤😊

[@6699Jackie]

Thankyou Geemeff for sharing your wonderful videos. I hope Louis and Dorcha have safely arrived wherever they have gone to ❤

[@GeemeffGeemeff]

I hope so too, I hope Louis recovers fully over the winter from whatever ailed him, and comes back stronger than ever next year with Dorcha.

[@CarolBradley-l8z]

Thanks so much Geemeff. I only started viewing Lock Arkaig part way through the season so there's lots here I haven't seen. Once the chicks were translocated I started viewing the Poole Harbour osprey webcam and what a difference good weather and abundant fish made! Glad to see there was no fighting amongst the chicks and all 4 fledged successfully. Here's to a better season at Loch Arkaig next year

[@rajah274]

Some weepy moments there but you definitely covered the joys and tragedies of the year. Safe journeys for Louis, Dorcha and 1JW to their Winter homes. Looking forward to starting all over again next year. Thank you so much for all your work this past year Geemeff.

[@sarahmarks7082]

Thank you so much Geemeff 😁 and the Woodland Trust 😁 Yes indeed triumphs 🌟 tragedies 🥺😭 🥰 I hope Louis and Dorcha are okay 😘 and that we'll see them this spring 🍀 And that Gary finds a mate 💕

[@GeemeffGeemeff]

I'm going to do a separate highlights video for Nest One, with dear old Garry as the star, of course. But first I'm taking a break for a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed for Garry for next year!

[@CarolynFWallace]

Thank you Geemeff… so much work and the result s perfect! It was a roller coaster of a year, wasn’t it! Looking forward to something a little more gentle for my nerves for next year!

[@mirabell9362]

Thank you so much Geemeff for this, it filled in some bits I had missed.

[@honjam]

Thank you, Geemeff. As always, your compilations have been entertaining and informative. Sadly, as you say, there have been several unhappy downs this year, but we have enjoyed the ups, and look forward to many more next year.

[@pandaloverglasgow]

Thank you for all your hard work putting together this compilation. Still some very sad moments to watch. We can only hope that both Dorcha and especially Louis make it back to Loch Arkaig in 2025 and the nest sees some happier times. Enjoy your time off Osprey watching and have fun.

[@alanwhale4521]

Thank you for the work that you have put into this compilation. It sums up the season succinctly and includes some detail that I had missed.. Fingers crossed for next year.

[@brigiddubhe]

Thanks for your superb highlight/summary/informative videos - perfectly complimented the live coverage. What a season it's been!

[@GeemeffGeemeff]

Glad you like it, I didn't want to dwell on the negative events but there were so many of them, unfortunately. Hoping next year, Season Nine, will be a happier one.

[@catherinereading4967]

Thank you Geemeff , it certainly was a hard season this year. Fingers crossed for a safe return next spring and a long life to the surviving translocated chick.

[@JimmyJinky67]

Thanks pal.

[@GeemeffGeemeff]

👍