Jubilation as lovebird Louis comes home to roost
Louis the overdue osprey has delighted his online fans by finally appearing back on his Lochaber nest.
The bird, once dubbed an “avian influencer” by The Scotsman newspaper was over a fortnight later than expected and was feared dead.
Woodland Trust Scotland has been operating live nest cameras at Loch Arkaig Pine Forest since 2017, with support from players of Postcode Lottery.
Laura Chow, Head of Charities said: "It is amazing to see Louis back for his tenth breeding season at Loch Arkaig Pine Forest.
"Our players continue to support Woodland Trust’s live nest cameras, which have allowed people all over the world to follow this feathered family for almost a decade.
"Watching Louis grow from an awkward novice into a dependable dad, raising the next generation of ospreys with his first female Ailsa and more recently Dorcha, has been incredible. I can’t wait to see what 2026 brings for these much-loved birds."
Woodland Trust Scotland’s George Anderson added: "There was absolute jubilation when he appeared on Friday evening.
"His mate Dorcha arrived back on April 4 and has been rebuffing the attentions of a male half of Louis’ age.
"They will wait for an established mate but only for a couple of weeks. She may well have warmed to that toyboy this weekend if Louis hadn’t arrived in the nick of time."
In previous years, the birds have returned between March 28 and April 11. Louis came back on April 2 last year, so April 17 was significantly overdue.
It is possible he was delayed by bad weather on the way or is just feeling his age. Louis is not ringed, so his origin is unknown. He appeared to be a novice when first seen in 2017 so he is estimated to be 12-15 years old now - the age range when many ospreys start to fail.
The Loch Arkaig livestreams can be viewed at a dedicated page on the www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/&source=gmail&ust=1776674245204000&usg=AOvVaw3fTiUjeeSUidEGSBq9P1uq">Woodland Trust website.www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/&source=gmail&ust=1776674245204000&usg=AOvVaw3fTiUjeeSUidEGSBq9P1uq">
George Anderson said: "There is no doubt that watching the ospreys online during Covid helped many people’s mental wellbeing.
"The online audience soared from 60,000 to 400,000 during lockdown. Today it runs at around 100,000. A lot of people are very relieved to have Louis back on their screens."
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