Update on Loch Arkaig Ospreys

 

Update on Loch Arkaig Ospreys

                                            Five-week-old ospreys

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

For reasons beyond my control, I have not been watching the Loch Arkaig ospreys (hatched and reared by Louis and Dorcha) recently, but had an opportunity to catch up today.

The last time I looked, the third osplet, known as ‘bobs’ when very young, because their heads bobble and wobble about, died. It became very cold and wet and could not reach its mother for shelter. In addition, it was bullied and ragged by its older siblings, could not feed and died.

 Louis has been raising chicks since 2020, first with Alia, who failed to return in 2022, and latterly with Dorcha. Louis has always been a very good provider, bringing in several fish a day, but recently his performance has given cause for concern. There is no knowing whether he is ill or there is some other reason for his inability to feed his family. The growing six-week-old osplets need regular and larger feeds or they will fail.

Woodland Trust, which manages the nest webcam, became increasingly worried that the two healthy osplets might starve to death and so arranged for them to be relocated to Eastern Spain. It is not usual for them to intervene, but they decided it would serve no purpose to allow two strong chicks to die, so they were moved at the beginning of the month, on Monday 1^st July.

Spain is trying to reintroduce ospreys and is in the second year of a five-year project near Playa Santa-Ana. There is no guarantee of success, but at least the osplets will have a better chance of survival.

It has been a poor year for ospreys, the bad weather being a key factor, with many nests facing difficulties. The hope now is that Louis and Dorcha will be able to build up their strength, ready for Dorcha to migrate later this month or early in August.

Louis, if he has recovered, will follow in late August or early September. He is thought to be about 11. Around 70% of osplets do not survive to breeding age, at three. The oldest ospreys live to between 10 to 15 years, so Louis is reaching a grand age. The oldest recorded wild osprey lived to over 30.