First egg at Loch Arkaig…Sunday in Bird World

26 April 2026

Hello Everyone,

Louis and Dorcha have their first egg of the season! Oh, how we worried Louis would not show up from migration. He has worked hard on the nest and helping Dorcha get into fit shape for the eggs and chicks.

Geemeff has it! https://youtu.be/gyonJzbicJE?

A bird sitting in a large nest made of twigs and branches, located on a tree on a hillside with rolling mountains and trees in the background.

I love this on the Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre Guides: “No fishing is permitted at Loch of the Lowes at any time of year to protect its wildlife and rare underwater flora.”

This would stop all the lines and hooks, protect the environment, and focus on what is important – the wildlife and flora.

A rope that is being used to connect broken habitats has finally been used!

‘Cries of delight’ as Sumatran orangutan filmed using canopy bridge to cross road for first time. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/25/first-footage-endangered-sumatran-orangutan-using-canopy-bridge-cross-road-hope-species-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

And we have another good news story!

https://protectthewild.substack.com/p/victory-network-rail-to-reopen-nesting

Want to see some goslings jump? Check out Heidi’s post and then go to the streaming cam at Captain Mac’s. Sorry, no ospreys this year. Perhaps that is a blessing.

A bird sitting in a nest made of twigs, with several eggs visible nearby. The image is black and white with low lighting.

If you love forests as much as we do, here is a good 57-minute listen called The Scaffolding of Life by Suzanne Simard. I hope you can open it:

The Scaffolding of Life – with Suzanne SimardDownload

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 25th April 2026


Today was another settled day with good weather, plenty of fish, and no intruders. Garry LV0 brought two fish for Aurora 536 taking his tally to twenty eight, and Louis delivered four fish to Dorcha, taking the nest tally to twenty two. No eggs yet, perhaps that will give Dorcha or Louis a chance to get rid of The Stick before their first one’s laid. Louis nearly succeeded today, moving it into a much better position braced against the cot rails, however it didn’t last long there and is back where it started out today. Woods and trees are vital for the wellbeing of people and wildlife, and Woodland Trust would like our help to get candidates in the 7th May local UK elections to recognise this, details in the bonus section.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/C6JlW4GSqPw N2 Fish number one arrives in darkness 04.46.56 

https://youtu.be/b4bJxNuY108 N2 Louis takes fish two away as Dorcha’s full from fish one 06.21.45

https://youtu.be/qDutCUsKDwk N2 Has the problem of The Stick been solved? 06.29.30

https://youtu.be/A-kCWWsZcj0 N1 Aurora arrives and gets Garry’s fish on his second visit 12.54.56

https://youtu.be/PqfKPjRUajM N2 Louis’ third fish is a whole trout which Dorcha seizes eagerly 16.49.34

https://youtu.be/hS0Xg5e4rhg N1 Aurora tidies the nest while waiting for Garry to return fish two 17.43.15

https://youtu.be/jP_jPU3ZW2c N2 Louis coy-mantles over fish four before Dorcha tugs it off him 18.11.33

Bonus action – Please join Woodland Trust’s e-action to urge candidates in the May 7 elections to recognise the importance of woods and trees for people and wildlife:https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/protecting-trees-and-woods/campaign-with-us/elections/     Check how your council is doing: https://www.natureemergency.com/

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/F65FJe4xMHc  N1 Louis visits the nest shortly after the ringed female 2021

https://youtu.be/0swlIF7VWuM  N1 Woodpecker and Blue Tit visit 2021

https://youtu.be/6frCvYMt4a0  N2 Louis is too busy mating to notice Dorcha’s new egg 2022

https://youtu.be/OVCVE1wwydU  N2 Louis sees his egg and takes over incubation for the first time 2022

https://youtu.be/15WD6z9hROg  N1 It’s last year’s intruder from N2: LV0 visits N1 for the first time 2023 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/0-quAK2Ju1Y  N1 He’s back! Garry LV0 arrives 2024

https://youtu.be/EQN51E_PIO4  N2 Unringed intruder Osprey seen off by Louis 2024 (real-time with slo-mo repeat)

https://youtu.be/1TGdaSB0t04  N2 Female Chaffinch looks tiny perching next to Dorcha 2024 (zoom

https://youtu.be/jGh2w8AI_WA  N1 Garry LV0’s second fish is the season’s first flatfish 2025

https://youtu.be/_pNEypf6mYU N1 A Hoodie arrives and flies off the perch to chase an Osprey 2025 (zoom) 

https://youtu.be/8iv8nJJBeF8  N1 Blue 536 eventually comes for Garry LV0’s third fish 2025 

It looks like Keilder Forest has more eggs! Congratulations.

Egg 1 for Nest 5A

All is well for Iris and the New Guy 2 (is that the right number?). Fish delivery!

An Osprey stands on its nest made of twigs, with its wings partially spread, in Missoula, Montana. The background shows a train passing by and green hills.

There was mating at the nest, but it was so quick and no fish that I thought it might have been you know who. Someone tell me I am wrong.

A hawk landing on a nest made of twigs and branches, with a parking lot and trees in the background.

All is good at Achieva. Jill continues to deliver fish in the evening and sometimes in the mornings if Jack doesn’t deliver. The babies are doing well. Fingers crossed. Look closely. Little is getting its tail!

Jack was in with an early fish!

A young hawk standing on a nest made of sticks, surrounded by greenery and trees. In the background, a residential street and parked cars are visible.

Big Red rolls the eggs and Arthur arrives to take over incubation.

A red-tailed hawk sitting on a nest with one visible egg, surrounded by twigs and branches, on a balcony ledge.
A red-tailed hawk sitting on a nest made of twigs atop a building, with a view of the street and trees in the background.

Lots of self-feeding with Winken and Blinken at Moorings Park.

Three ospreys are gathered on their nest, with one standing and two others foraging on the nest floor. In the background, a body of water and greenery are visible.

SK Hideways caught Jackie filling up the kids before the big snowstorm hit. https://youtu.be/ZHZwUvD7SEw?

It hit. Remember that eagles actually do better in cold weather – as long as they have a food source – than in the extreme heat.

A bald eagle perched on a snow-covered nest with branches surrounding it, set against a snowy landscape.
Two bald eagles standing on a snowy nest in a tree, with a snowy landscape in the background.

Lots of incubation going on. Most of the UK osprey nests have a full clutch but there are some just starting with eggs. We wait to see what happens at Locch Arkaig 1. We wait to see if Iris will lay eggs this year.

Meanwhile in San Jose, Monty and Hartley are busy bees feeding four.

A peregrine falcon caring for its hatchlings in a nest at San Jose City Hall, captured in black and white.
A peregrine falcon feeding its chicks in a nest at San Jose City Hall.

Milda feeding her two white-tail eaglets at her nest in Durbe County, Latvia. Aren’t they cute? It is so windy at that nest!

A close-up view of a sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) standing in its nest, surrounded by twigs and branches, with a forested background.

All over Europe storks are incubating eggs. It is wonderful.

We had a very quiet Saturday. I have marked Thursdays and Saturdays off our calendar – no appointments, no visitors for Don, nothing but the regular animal feedings. No cleaning. Easy meals. No screen time. This probably sounds quite silly, but the other five days of the week are full – and they are really nice. Ann is amazing with Don and keeps him busy – talking and walking. I am forever grateful to her. Tolu keeps him squeaky clean, and Melissa now looks after the house. Tomorrow, Toby goes for his groom. He loves to get in the water and the mud. His hair is VERY curly in spots and wavy in others, and it tends to get matted in certain areas (under his ears!). We have been to Pineridge, and we might just go back today. I promised Toby a ‘car ride’. His eyes and ears perk up when I say ‘car ride’. I love it. We are fine, and I am establishing some boundaries to maintain a good balance between activity and quiet. Last evening we had a video chat with our granddaughter in Australia. She is eloping in July, and her best friend is arriving any moment to celebrate her birthday. She is happy, and that makes me happy, although we do miss her terribly.

Have a good week. Take care! See you soon.

Thank you to Geemeff and SK Hideaways, to ‘PB; who keeps me informed about all goings on at Achieva, to those who post on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch these birds. I am also grateful to Emergence Magazine, Kielder Forest, and The Guardian for reporting on environmental issues and what is happening where they are.

Published by maryannsteggles

I went to the UK as a Commonwealth Scholar in 1990 and received my PhD from the University of Leicester in 1993. After three decades of university teaching, I retired to devote my time to the study of raptor behaviour. I am particularly interested in Ospreys and am working on a long term project on third hatch survival and siblicide in these raptors. My blog is a result of a fascination with my local wildlife and the desire to encourage others to love and care for birds! I live on the Canadian Prairies and prior to the pandemic travelled a lot. I am questioning the use of aviation fuel at the moment as we all strive to help our planet. My early research was in politics and art including British public statues exported to Southeast Asia and Vietnam Resistors that contributed much to Canadian ceramics. Books and articles were published on those subjects over a period of 3 decades. Now I am working on books for children so they can learn about the challenges our raptors face.

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