2 May 2026
Hello Everyone,
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 2nd May 2026
In the early hours of this morning, Dorcha produced egg number three, most probably her final egg as she’s not one of those rare Ospreys who produce four eggs. Nest Two was calm today, no intruders and two fish deliveries, although Louis did take his time with the second, bringing it more than fourteen hours after the first. Louis’ tally rises to thirty five, and the nest total to thirty seven. Over on Nest One, Aurora 536 spent most of the day on the nest, although she did spend a block of more than three hours off the nest, leaving the egg unattended. She might have been perched nearby, it was in the early hours so we don’t know. Garry LV0 brought two fish, taking his tally to forty three, and he’ll need to keep up a steady supply as Aurora’s second egg is due tomorrow. At the time of filing this report (23.30), Louis is still on Nest Two incubating the eggs, looking unlikely to move any time soon although Dorcha is standing right behind him.
Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/XVLCnN4L_3A N2 Egg number three, with squeaking 03.12.24https://youtu.be/hTbtvizGGYE N2 Dorcha departs with her breakfast leaving Louis on egg duty 06.45.44https://youtu.be/bu4-o68r8fo N1 Aurora departs with her fish, Garry remains on egg duty 10.17.57https://youtu.be/bdwfME2osds N1 Aurora refuses Garry’s second fish 15.40.38
https://youtu.be/4MxkQbfIcns N2 Louis gives fish number two a tour before landing it 21.17.31
Bonus guide – Woodland Trust’s advice on visiting bluebell woods:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjpl597rjko
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/0Rw_H0C8-SE N1 Owl strike on unsuspecting Aila 2020 (Slo-Mo)
https://youtu.be/JJRPS8QYvpY N1 Lockdown Ospreys star on BBC Breakfast 2020
https://youtu.be/rwa2_9rR24Q N1 WT’s Dr Jessica Maxwell discusses the nest on BBC Breakfast 2020
https://youtu.be/1syQj_jjjxw N2 Golden variation: Dorcha is bathed in the setting sun 2022 (Classic Ospreys Bach)
https://youtu.be/efwVjBqAYpA N2 Gerroff and go fishing! 2023
https://youtu.be/bdcOT9JEGB8 N1: Garry LV0 brings moss, flies to Pole Tree then away 2024 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/GioCl06202I N2: Fish number one and only for Dorcha 2024
https://youtu.be/EKAjiNbY3A0 N2 Shadows seen near the nest at the time of the Eagle encounter 2024 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/WLLCALZOinI N1 Blue 536 gets the first fish from Garry LV0 the second times 2025
https://youtu.be/Cp3WkBSAZ_I N2 Intruder Osprey buzzes Louis & Dorcha 2025 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/vF0HagQMSb8 N1 fish number two but it’s B536 who brings it! 2025
Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam
‘PB’ continues to admire the fortitude of Jill, the female at the Achieva Osprey Platform, in St Petersburg, Florida. I don’t blame them. Jill is stepping up on the number of catfish she is bringing to the nest. As the two chicks get older, they require more food. She has to eat. Jack is not contributing nearly enough. We think of healthy osprey chicks. I look at nests like the Dyfi nest of Idris, Blue 33 at Manton Bay, Dylan at Lyn Clywedog, Louis at Loch Arkaig, or Blue 022 at Poole Harbour. Let’s think 7-8 fish a day. Nice big fish – not little twiddlers. Of course, there are others, White YW – I could go on and on. So the gold standard would be those 7-8 big fish, like Mullets, to make healthy fat osplets to fledge. I fear that like many of the eagle nests we have seen where the eaglets looked healthy but when taken into care were noted to be infested and ‘thin’ (Eagle Country a couple of years ago). So bravo to Jill. I wish we could drop some nice fish for her.
Others are abandoning their eggs. Severna Park in Maryland is one of the first on streaming cam. I want you to prepare yourself. There has not been an influx of fish falling into the waters. Better the eggs do not hatch than wee babes or fully feathered near-to-fledge chicks starve on camera. I warn you to brace yourself for what could be the most tragic year yet. I want to be wrong. If it is, It is sad and entirely unnecessary.
The Chesapeake Bay ecosystem is in a very dire situation. In its case, there are no Menhaden for the ospreys, the Striped Bass, the Tarrapins or others that fed on them to eat. I cannot comment on the neighbouring states, but we do know from images taken that Omega has been industrial fishing along the shores (within legal limits, but sometimes seen to use helicopters to push the fish out) of other states. Virginia is the problem. Want to change this? People have to care. So you have to elect people who really care about all living things, the balance of life on the planet, and are action, not all talk.
Look at how much Little has grown since it has had fish!
Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to Geemeff, to ‘PB’, to you the readers who care dearly about all the wildlife and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us witness the lives of these beautiful creatures.
