Thursday with Wensi

6 August 2026

Hello Everyone,

I don’t know how you feel but having Wensi fledge and then return to the nest just made my Wednesday. Today, Wensi has been fed on the nest, spent time on the pole in the river, and is perfecting her flying skills.

If you missed the hour-long talk about this year at Hellgate Canyon, Dr Ericke Green stated that he believed that Wensi is a female. That made me so happy. Iris’s DNA – strong survival DNA along with luck – has kept her alive for more than thirty years. Indeed, counting from the time Iris first bred on the hydro pole at Missoula before the nest where she is currently, meant that thirty is the youngest she could be. It is more likely she is thirty-three or thirty-four. My goodness. Dr Green also assured people that the fish that Clarke had brought to the nest were sufficient for Iris to remain healthy during the incubation and hatch periods. You might have noticed those huge fish recently. As the waters get warmer, Clarke is bringing in suckers that weigh 3-4 lbs, much more than he weighs. Everyone agreed that Clarke is an incredible fishing partner for Iris. He has also brought in Mountain Trout.

At any rate, I hope you enjoy these screen captures from today:

Clark brought in a very early fish for breakfast before the day gets hot.

Still eating nearly 40 minutes after they began feasting on the fish.

Amazing Clarke. He bonded with Iris last year but it was too late to breed. He also brought Iris fish last year. So glad he returned successfully this year. He is an incredible Dad.

Wensi continues to practice her flying to and from the pole on the river.

I wonder what Wensi is saying to Mama Iris.

What a magical year it has been. I really suggest you watch this amazing osprey family and smile. We never know what will happen next. We know that Iris’s favourite return date is 7 April, so I know that all eyes will be on this nest in 2027. I pray both she and Clarke return safely.

Sadly, the second chick from Colonial Beach that was electrocuted did not make it through its surgery. This is the chick that was electrocuted on the pole.

‘PB’ reports: Blackbush 8/1/26 FLEDGE 8:27:17 for one of oldest chicks. “6:39:50 the amazing fisher dad delivers headless flounder for breakfish. Mom feeds all 4 chicks together. 7:32:16 the chicks watch mom tidying up the nest. lots of hovering going on….8:26:40 The chick that is about to fledge looks back at all its siblings to say “watch this”.”

Jackie has now undergone surgery, including a bone marrow biopsy. Ojai Raptor Centre is trying desperately to find what is making our girl sick. She came out of the surgery fine.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 6th August 2026

It was a very slow fish day today – no fish arrived on camera on Nest One, although Aurora had a nicely rounded crop, so Garry’s tally remains at one hundred and ninety four. Louis only brought two fish, taking the Nest Two tally to three hundred and eighty one, Juniper got the first and Amber the second, and Dorcha had to fend for herself. There were one or two intruder alarms but no one caught on nest cam, apart from an intruder so small Aurora didn’t notice it – a Willow Warbler paid a brief visit to Nest One, and the only other item of note was Amber flying around with a chunk of wood caught in her talons until she landed on the nest and managed to free herself. After some overnight rain, the weather was settled today but it’s raining heavily at the time of filing this report (half past midnight) and heavy rain with light winds is forecast to continue through the night and tomorrow, with a low of 12°C and a high of 16°C.Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/iHiyC7yBkWM N2 Nest’s empty when Louis arrives with the first fish so he waits patiently 08.16.15https://youtu.be/sBTb1u_A2vU N2 Amber flies with a chunk of wood stuck in her talons 08.41.25https://youtu.be/bqwpslScm7w N2 Dorcha’s calls aren’t answered so she departs leaving Amber still calling 11.16.49https://youtu.be/e4uGZcg5Dfo N1 Aurora doesn’t notice a little Willow Warbler paying a visit 17.21.18  (zoom)https://youtu.be/AN4rUYXz-aU N2 Finally! A second fish arrives, and Amber steals it off Juniper 18.59.01https://youtu.be/wEFctw2jz1g N1 Aurora gets fed up calling in vain and departs 19.31.09 Bonus watch – An 

Osprey-eye look at a migration route from Perthshire to Africa:https://youtu.be/bu_fiEUCti0y

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

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Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care of yourselves. See you soon.

Thank you to Pam Breci and Geemeff, to the owners of the streaming cam at Hellgate Canyon (The Montana Osprey Project along with Cornell Bird Lab) and everyone who posted information on FB. I am very grateful.