1H1 fledges at Rutland and other news in Bird World

Saturday. 2 July 2022

The fireworks in my City for those celebrating Canada Day at the historical meeting point of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers started around 10:30 Friday evening and – continued in what seemed private locations – until around 0200 Saturday morning.

In their studies, the Animal Ethics Board has found that fireworks can cause permanent hearing damage in wild animals and pets. They say, “The hearing of many animals is much more sensitive than it is in humans, so the explosions of fireworks are not only more disturbing to them, but they can damage their hearing more severely. Fireworks can emit sounds of up to 190 decibels (110 to 115 decibels above the range of 75 to 80 decibels where the damage to the human ear begins). Fireworks generate a higher noise level than firecrackers, gunshots (140 decibels), and some jet planes (100 decibels).” Zoos report that wild animals such as cheetahs have continued stress with repeated noises – something that causes phobias of noises in pets.

It is not only the noise. Fireworks release harmful and poisonous particles in the air such as fine dust PM10 that is toxic when inhaled. Here is an excellent article that provides much information on the damage that fireworks cause. It is a good read.

How fireworks harm nonhuman animals

I was also delighted to see another monofilament line disposal tube when I was at Wildlife Haven yesterday by the pond. I wonder if we can get our City to place these at fishing spots along the river? and actually have people clean them??

A wonderful conversation with a fellow bird lover caused a discussion about Imperial Eagles and weights of eagles and well – all things stork and eaglet! In the posting about Little Bit, the staff at Humane Wildlife Indiana stated that he weighed 2.7 kg or 6 lbs. In his study of Bald Eagles and in other research since, Northern Bald Eagles (Michigan and Alaska, Canada) are larger than those hatched in the South (Florida and Texas). In addition, fledglings are larger but lighter than their parent of the same gender. Because he survived on so little food, it is unclear what gender Little Bit is – I have always referred to him as a male because he is so tiny. At any rate, the conclusion is that he is 50% underweight and should be approximately 4.08 kg or 9 lbs.

So far over $2500 has been donated to care for Little Bit! The Notre Dame Eagles FB group is hoping that will reach $3000 by the 4th of July. That would be fantastic.

You may have tried to find the little storklets inside the vet clinic in Estonia but, they are not there and there is no camera. They were named Bonus, Janus, and Junior. Their nest was moved outside near the clinic. But, also, there are no storklets there. Bonus was moved to live with Karl II and Kaia in the Karula National Forest. Janus has been placed in the nest of male Eedi (no camera) and sadly, little Junior fell and broke its wing in many places. Here is the statement from Urmas:

Bonus has adapted to living with Karl and Kaia and their three chicks and just a moment ago I got word from ‘T’ that “a trail camera was placed next to the nest and its pictures show that the foster child has also adapted to life in the nest like Bonus.” This is excellent news. Now they can spend the last part of their nest life being with live storks, growing, fledging, and migrating. So happy for the team in Estonia.

“At night I brought back the chick to the outdoor nest in vet clinic. That is actually the same nest you watched, we moved it in whole from indoor isolator box outside. So the chicks knew the nest nearly 20 days already. If placed back the chick which travelled, I added some fish to the nest. As it was in darkness, they did not see the fish, but probably noticed the food in morning. It is speculation, but there had to be some accident in early morning. Maybe they started to fight for fish and smallest appeared in wrong position. It is only about 1m from ground, but for quite fat juvenile it could be too high, if to fall to the side, with opened wing… Nobody could enter there simply so to disturb the chicks, so it is not easily understandable accident, with that serious injury.
Today there will be another attempt to add fourth chick in natural nest.”

Bonus is well integrated into the family now. I am delighted for the team who worked so hard at interventions that would save Jan and Janika’s chicks. Two have survived. This is a feeding by Karl II showing how well Bonus and the other biological chicks are doing.

A conversation with a friend in France led me to return to check on the Imperial Eaglets whose nest is in Russia. They are so gorgeous and the two of them are big! Have you been checking in on them?

They are just getting their juvenile feathers. Have a look at their size in relation to the female. Beautiful – and two of them!

Big Red and Arthur’s Ls are really quite amazing. I am shocked at their flying skills – although I would like them to stop flying so low over Tower Road! They are also doing a lot of ‘hunting’ along the fence lines. Suzanne Arnold Horning took these images this morning. Thank you SAH for allowing me to share!

It is what we have been waiting for – a fledge at the Rutland nest of Maya and Blue 33 – those three big girls. It was 1H1 that took off and returned first! Congratulations on your first fledge of the 2022 season Rutland.

The departure was at 0534:

The return!

There are three growing chicks this morning in the Boathouse on Hog Island. Sadly, we now have to count them carefully after so many spills out of the nests this year.

Skiff.

Dory and the three chicks. They are now in the Reptile phase. Their plumage is changing and they will appear thin and lanky. It is often, during this phase, that they also begin beaking one another. It is a period of very rapid growth and they require lots of fish.

Osplets triple their body weight during the first 8 days and then during the next 4 days they will double that weight. In the Reptilian Phase which begins at about 20 days, the osplets will molt all their lovely light grey down and it will be replaced with the darker thermal down. Feathers begin to emerge and you will also see a lot of preening. I do not know if the growth and itchiness of the feathers causes osplets to get anxious and aggressive but on nests with lots of fish you often see some beaking before the juvenile feathers are really starting to emerge.

Dory and the chicks.

There are three chicks on the Fortis Exshaw Nest in Canmore, Alberta. Yes! The nest is holding. They were enjoying a nice fish when I checked in on them this morning.

The two at Osoyoos are also still on the nest and their feathers also appear to be changing into the Reptilian Phase. I watched one lean way over the side of the nest — a little scary. Fingers crossed for this family!

The two older osplets at the Mispillion nest are doing great! This is a nest that needs information – dates eggs laid, hatch dates, etc. These two have a full body of juvenile feathers. Fledge is not long off.

It is noon on the Canadian Prairies and it is a gorgeous blue sky day with bright sunshine. The three Blue Jay fledglings have more feathers and are so quick to get into the lilacs to hide from my camera and to eat the solid nutty cylinder – well, I would like to get a good look at them! At one time Mr Crow was taking exception to their presence on his turf but that seems to also have settled. Little Red is happily settled in his new tree home and the three little ones are as big as he is today. I might get some images of them today. Hedwig was here yesterday as was the wee baby rabbit who is now 3x the size he was when I first spotted him in the grass. This afternoon I am going to try and a new park for walking and bird watching. I hope to have some images for you later today.

Thank you for joining me. Take care everyone! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Humane Wildlife Indiana, EMU, LRWT, Mispillion Osprey Cam and DDNR, Explore and Audubon, Osoyoos Osprey Cam, Suzanne Arnold Horning and Cornell Chatters FB Page, Russian Imperial Eagle Cam, and Fortis Exshaw.