23 February 2022
Good Morning Everyone!
As I write this, it is 1900 on the Canadian Prairies, and the temperature has risen to -20 C from -29 C this morning. Frigid temperatures such as this will prevail into late Sunday. With the strong winds, this Arctic front is bringing us wind chill temperatures of -45 C. Did I mention that humans should hibernate? Or that I am thrilled to have central heating? And fluffy warm socks?
First up, the name of the new male falcon at Cal Falcons is Lou! It makes perfect sense!!!!!!!!! A woman and a scientist, and Annie’s partner in life. Let’s hope that Lou will be around for some time so that Annie can stop having to break in a new partner. She has had 3 in a year. Berkeley Edu explains the connection!!!!!!!!!
“Lou is the current mate of Annie, Berkeley’s longtime female falcon, who lost her previous mates — Grinnell and Alden — in 2022. The name is a nod to Louise Kellogg (1879-1967), a Berkeley alumna who was the partner of Annie’s namesake, Annie Alexander (1867-1950). Alexander was an explorer and naturalist who founded the UC Museum of Paleontology and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology.”
Good Morning Everyone from the Es…. look at them. How adorable and healthy. ‘A’ mentioned to me the sharp beaks and that these sweet innocents could take my arm off if they wanted. True. The Es should be the size of nice turkeys by now thanks to the persistence of M15.
Still, couldn’t you just stare at those sweet faces all day? Now we have to watch carefully as it will get much more difficult to know who is who.
M15, you are incredible. Working hard to prepare these babies to fly free.
Watching Dad fly over?
There were several food deliveries at the SW Florida eagle nest by M15 on Wednesday up to mid-afternoon at 14:06. There was the first one at 08:27 when 22 figured to walk around to the left side of Dad so he could eat some fish. Good strategy. Then at 11:13:28. It looks like another around 12:54 when 22 grabs half a fish and spends the next ten minutes horking it. Then there was the 14:06. All in all, both have eaten well, and we should applaud 22 for figuring out some good strategies to go along with his very proficient snatch-and-grab technique.
At 12:57, 22 gets the last of the tail down.
At the same time, it must be pointed out that E22 wing flapping ON THE RAILS at 11:44. Yes, seriously. Can we use the word ‘dare devil’?
22 eating at the end of the 14:06 delivery. He gets a lot of fish during this meal. M15 obliged by moving the fish about as well, which always tends to help 22. At the same time, M15 is trying to get 22 to step up and eat. He will need to be brave, really brave, out in that world of eagles.
M15 knows what goes on at the nest. He watches and he must be proud of 22 today.
Prey item 6 came in around 17:03:19, and the ‘black-taloned’ female was above watching. She had already eaten an entire fish that M15 brought in around 16:12. She landed in the nest, gave M15 a flap to leave, and ate the entire fish. It took about half an hour. The Es stayed submissive but kept on about their business. She ate and ate and had a huge crop after. She did not harm the eaglets.
Meanwhile, Dad went to get another meal for them. M15 and R-23-3 may be forming a partnership. We will wait and see. I hope, if this is the case that she is strong and formidable.
16:39. Finishing up.
At 16:42, after eating, look at her crop! She is an opportunist.
This time she only hovered over M15 while he fed the eaglets. Both 21 and 22 got food. She did not get in the nest, and M15 seems to have dismissed her. She flew away.
17:03
She returned. There is a lot of confusion over the identity of this female and whether or not it is the ‘black talon’ one or the one without an inury. The angle makes it difficult to see the top of the toe but, there does appear to be damage to a toe if you look carefully…the black park looks like the flesh part not the black talon.
And is this an attempted mating? M15 is no stranger to mating. Remember Harriet kicking him all the time? This female does not move her tail over, and M15 is near the head. There appears to be no connection. It looks like he just jumped on her back for a second. Perhaps to get her moving? I wonder.
Guarding the territory together.
Humans are still dropping off food at the nest or hiring courier services to pick up fillets of salmon and leave them at the base of the nest tree!!!!!! Can you believe this? No wonder the additional raptors – that could put the family in harm – are hanging around the nest tree!!!!!!!! Salmon. Gracious. This food has also drawn carrion eaters to an area they did not know existed. Now they do. Donate the money to CROW but do not put the SW Florida Eagle family in long-term danger. Killing with Kindness.
Everyone knows I love cats and I am a day late because of the time difference. My apologies to our friends in Japan. Yesterday was ‘National Cat Day’ in Japan. I have seen these cats at the stations. They are marvellous. So today, I am slipping in a little ‘cat’ to the newsletter in celebration.
In Brittany, they are topping off trees to encourage Osprey nesting! What a concept – helping our raptors instead of tearing their nests down. Love it.
https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/environnement/un-premier-nid-de-balbuzard-pecheur-en-foret-de-rennes-des-arbres-etetes-pour-favoriser-le-retour-du-rapace-8446484. Plus d’informations sur https://www.francebleu.fr.
A new phase has arrived at the Royal Cam nest on Taiaroa Head. SP chick has been left alone in the nest, with no parent, today. It is the post-guard phase. It is also raining. I found that this always made my heart sink, and yet they do so well. I wonder how much gardening SP will do? And let us all hope that no visitors torment the wee one.
SP will now wait for the parents to return with food. If there are issues, it is comforting to know that Ranger Sharyn and her team do supplemental feedings!
The little one did not have to wait long until Mum was home with a meal. Easing Sweet Pea into the post-guard stage. Brilliant. L fed her chick, stayed with her, left, returned, and left again. She is easing her baby into being alone. Letting SP know she will return.
The weather at Big Bear continues to be cold and windy. Jackie is rolling and keeping the eggs warm—no indication of an official pip call. My heart is beginning to ache for these two, and wanting to be wrong. Wanting a pip.
Such commitment. Everyone is hoping for a miracle.
Happy Hatch Day to two Kakapo!
Decoys can also be used to lure waterfowl to safe enclosures!
Angus and Florence could give us some funny moments during the 2023 breeding season. So far, Angus has shoved Florence off the nest, making her dangle from one talon. Then he worried about what he had done and tried to help, or so it appeared. Then there are eight fish…I wonder what else is coming our way?
Gary gives us an update on why there might be only one egg for Liberty and Guardian this year at the Redding Eagle nest.
Sunnie Day posted one of those good news stories, and I wanted to share it with you. They saw they got help when they couldn’t untangle the eagle, and then 50 lbs of fish came in to help feed the raptor. The generosity of kind people. It exists.
Do you live within driving distance of the Kistachie National Forest in Louisiana? Would you like a guided tour of the area and a chance to see the nests with a scope? Check it out!
The voting has closed for the name of Annie’s ‘new guy’. Annie has even voted. Which name did she choose? Well, of course, it had to be Lou.
Thank you so very much for joining me today. Take care! See you soon.
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Thank you so much to the following for their notes, observations, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that make up my newsletter today: ‘A’, ‘H’, Cal Falcons Cam, Berkeley.edu, SWFL Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, WGCU, Japan: The Government of Japan, Francebleau.fr, NZ DOC, FOBBV, Kakapo Recovery, Archipelago Research and Conservation, WRDC, Gary and FORE, Sunnie Day FB, Blackland Prairie Raptor Centre, and US Forestry Service.
Thanks Mary Ann! I like the name for The male falcon. Lou ❤️ Hoping they have a good season.I like the photo too! Thanks for all the pics and info today. I guess we will always wonder what happened to the other male from last season. 🙏 Hope he is ok wherever he may be. Hopefully the little eaglets 21 and 22 will be ok. 🙏💕🙏💕. M15 is doing his best ❤️🦅🙏
Have a great evening Mary Ann and we look forward to the next Newsletter
Linda
Oh, yes, let us hope that Annie and Lou have a wonderful and peaceful breeding season. She sure deserves it! I do miss Alden!!!!!! M15 is doing great in the circumstances. He seems to have gotten rid of that female. Let us hope she stays away. Thanks so much for your comment, Linda.
I am SO glad they chose the name they did for Annie’s partner. To be honest, I found them all fairly uninspiring names, as names go, but the ultimate winner, surely, was the only logical choice. It made perfect sense to recognise and honour not just a woman excelling in a scientific discipline but also an important relationship, both of which were somewhat unorthodox at the time.
I was very interested in that ‘mating’ display by M15. Perhaps he is easing into some sort of relationship with this female. I doubt either is in a ‘fertile’ period but maybe M15 is trying to cement a pair bond, perhaps for short-term convenience so he can feed the Es relatively undisturbed, perhaps as a long-term strategy for retaining the territory. Either way, he wants her to be a little less aggressive, and perhaps this is one signal that she has other options with him.
It does seem like he is, and it also looks like she is doing security duty while he feeds the eaglets – yesterday, the 27th. So all of this is very interesting! How lucky are to be able to sit back with our tea in our comfy chairs and watch all of this unfold.