Ospreys back at Loch Arkaig
OSPREYS Louis and Aila returned to their nest at Loch Arkaig over the weekend.
After a winter spent in Africa, the pair have returned to the nest almost three weeks earlier than last year, with dozens of wildlife enthusiasts from around the world streaming the live webcam feed of the birds.
Keen osprey enthusiasts from as far a field as Canada and Australia have been following the activity of Louis and Aila as they carried out some necessary repairs to the nest this week.
In 2017, their novice year, they laid three eggs and successfully raised one chick, Lachlan.
George Anderson, of the Woodland Trust Scotland, explained that various ospreys started making brief appearances at the nest on Friday.
‘There appears to have been a bit of competition and it is tricky to work out who was who,’ George said, ‘but on Sunday morning Louis and Aila were firmly in residence and starting to titivate the nest with moss and sticks. We are looking forward to spending another glorious summer watching an osprey family grow.’
More than 200,000 people streamed the live footage of the nest last summer, a figure that might be surpassed this year. Two new osprey platforms were constructed ahead of this year’s season. These are not on camera and it is not yet known if ospreys have settled on them. Two more platforms will be built later in the year.
Loch Arkaig pine forest, one of the most significant remaining fragments of Caledonian pine forest, was bought last year in a partnership between the Woodland Trust and local group Arkaig Community Forest.
Live video feed from the nest camera can be viewed at woodlandtrust.org.uk/ospreycam. The live feed is also being shown in the shop window of the Lochaber Times.