16 May 2022
The sun is trying desperately to brighten the sky. The leaf buds are half way open and there is a tinge of green on all the trees in the neighbourhood. So nice after the long grey white brown winter which seemed to go on forever. The flood waters in my province are finally receding but the cost to the wildlife is unknown. I do hope to see some goslings but how many nests were destroyed by the rising waters will always only be a guess.
I want to thank everyone who sends me news items that demonstrate that we have a long way to go in our fight to make our planet safe for our dearly loved feathered friends (and others). News has come to me this morning from ‘S’ about the toll that wind turbines are taking on the eagles – both Bald and Golden. What an avoidable tragedy!
The ESI Energy Company, Inc. has pleaded guilty to violating the Migratory Bird Act in its killing of at least 150 Bald and Golden Eagles.
The story was carried by all the major US news agencies. Thank you ‘S’ for bringing this to my attention.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/04/06/150-eagles-killed-wind-turbines/9492311002/
The simple solution is to paint one blade black. “An eagle eye has two focal points (called “fovea” [singular] or “foveae” [plural]) one of which looks forward and the other to the side at about a 45 degree angle. These two foveae allow eagles to see straight ahead and to the side simultaneously.” A study by Jesper Kyed Larsen, Environmental Expert at Vattenfall (Netherlands Energy Company) says, “Painting one blade of a wind turbine rotor black resulted in 70 percent fewer collision bird victims. That has to do with the way birds perceive the moving rotor of a wind turbine.”
So why is this easy solution not being undertaken? Why is this taking so long?
Some US States have outlawed balloons because of the damage that they do to the waterfowl. ‘L’ writes about a story that broke in Florida after 90 balloons were popped and tossed into the water? How many waterfowl will wind up in the care of the local wildlife rehabilitation clinics? This is precisely what happened on a yacht in Biscayne Bay. Will fines and public shaming help to stop the problem of the balloons? And do we really need to have balloons to have fun? or to mark the site of a celebration?
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/2nd-arrest-after-viral-video-shows-popped-17171599.php
The two osplets on the nest at the practice field at the University of Florida in Gainesville are waiting for their breakfast.
As I write this, it is now past 11:00 and the two chicks are still waiting for a fish to appear.
As all of you know, ‘R’ and I have been trying to solve the mystery of the lack of fish coming to this – a fact that saw the third hatch become a victim of siblicide. Every possibility had been examined with no conclusions other than multiple factors might be causing issues including the amount of algae in one close lake and the encroachment of dormitories and parking lots taking up part of Alice Lake. This morning ‘R’ caught the camera panning around the campus. There had been a question about whether or not Dad had another nest.
So who is on this nest? Is this a second nest of Dad’s?
The mystery continues.
Still tracking what is happening at the nest of Richmond and Rosie on the old Whirley Crane in San Francisco.
Everyone was expecting the first egg to pip or even hatch by the 15th of May.
Rosie was rolling eggs and the camera is zooming in to see if there is a pip.
That looks like old fishing nets on the nest. Makes me nervous just like fishing line and baling twine.
Is anything happening? It is very hard to tell.
Everything is fine at the platform of Blue 33 (11) and Maya at Rutland today.
Iris. Iris has, perhaps, had a suitor landing on the nest. One day she called for a fish and he did not bring her one. The next day she fought him off. Yesterday she did let him land but she isn’t friendly. Oddly, Louis doesn’t seem to be around. If only this new male would bring Iris a fish!
There is a chunk of fish on the MN-DNR nest of Nancy and E1, Harriet. We can assume that all is well so far there today.
Beautiful close ups of DC9 at the National Arboretum nest of Mr President and Lotus.
The two eaglets on the Dale Hollow nest are restless this morning. We are within the early part of a fledge window at this nest.
So many of us are really going to miss the triplets at the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta. What a joy Kana’kini and her two brothers have given us this year. But hates off to Akecheta. He sure stepped into the role of Dad in a big, big way!
The wee eyases at the Cal Falcons nest cuddled up with one another. They are waiting for their breakfast.
Cal Falcons reports that the eyases have reached a milestone in their development:
Oh, those five eyases at the Manchester, New Hampshire scrape are growing. Unbelievable!
The falcons on top of the tower in Oudenaarde in Belgium have an amazing view! In the image below you can see that while the chicks are seemingly alone, there is an adult close by. This would be the same with all the other falcon scrapes that we watch.
Big Red was up early – just as the sun was beginning to shine over Cornell’s campus at Ithaca – feeding the Ls. Notice how the eyases’ gorgeous contour and wing feathers are starting to grow.
Gosh, I continue to enjoy watching the Goshawk, Alla with her chicks. Here is a short video clip of a feeding this morning.
Bukachek and Betty have been taking turns incubating their eggs in the Mlade Buky nest in The Czech Republic. Some of the interference with the nest has stopped. Looking for pip watch in about a week.
That’s a wrap for this morning. The truck has arrived to start taking apart a very old garage/shed that has been the ‘penthouse’ for Little Red. By mid-June, if all goes well, there should be a greenhouse/conservatory taking its place. Can’t wait. The birds are not happy with the workmen being here – indeed, the birds are not happy if I am outside other than to fill their feeders!
Thank you for joining me today. Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams an/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Cornell RTH, Cal Falcons, MN-DNR, LRWT, UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, DHEC, NADC-AEF, Mlade Buky White Stork Nest, Peregrine Networks, Montana Osprey Project, Explore.org, SF Bay Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon.
Thanks Mary Ann for this newsletter a d for all the pics and links.
Have a great afternoon and evening!
Hope to see you soon again!
Linda
Hi Linda, I am behind in answering all your lovely comments. You are always welcome. It is such a pleasure checking on and writing about the birds. Thank you for always being there to support the birds! Today was a good day for some and some still want some fish!