24 March 2022
Good Morning Everyone,
Can you believe it is the end of the week? The days fly. It is so lovely that the weather is becoming milder here in the Canadian Prairies. The sky was blue again today, and the winds were brisk, but the temperature was quite nice. I hope to finish a survey of the nests in my neighbourhood before all of the appearing buds turn into leaves. It is an area – nests – that I am not entirely familiar with so I am hoping to learn and if I find anything useful, I will be sure to share it with you.
Four Chickadees were flitting about in the garden this evening about an hour before sunset. This one (above) was smart. It spent a lot of time at the suet cylinder instead of taking one Black oil seed, breaking it, and returning for another.
The chickadee was not the only one interested in the new suet cylinder. We can always count on Dyson! So, so good to see her out and about on a nice day. Dyson will probably finish that entire cylinder by Friday evening or Saturday morning!
The kittens were happy to ignore everything in the garden and play with one another on their big cat tree.
Tim Makrill, the Director of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, has tracked down all the missing information and some excellent images of Blue KW0, the female Osprey that found herself in Barbados, not Scotland. It is a great read. Thanks, Tim! And thanks, Geemeff, for sending the link to me. I might have missed it this morning.
I am certain that each and every reader continues to check on the Es. You must be delighted at the change in confidence in E22 since he branched. On Thursday, the little one got the White Ibis that M15 brought at 0821. He plucked that bird like a pro!
E22 mantling his prey.
E21 will share some of that bird of 22’s.
Lady Hawk caught the delivery of the Ibis, the chase by an intruder, and E22’s amazing grab on video for us.
And then Dad arrives with a fish a few hours later. E22 is up on the branch but jumps into the nest, getting the fish before 21 can even figure out there is prey (well, almost).
The scramble for the fish.
22 is on a roll but, 21 is getting hungry. Hoping for prey for both equally, actually. They are in their 11th week. It will not be long until they fly.
E21 has made it to the porch. Oh, I hope that these two are careful with that GHO about.
The fourth fish delivery on the 23rd went to E21! M15 is really feeding the babies on Thursday! There will be at least two more deliveries before the day is over. M15 continues to amaze me.
Moorings Park Ospreys. Sally and Harry continue to be incredible parents for these three-week old osplets, Abby and Victor, who hatched 18.5 hours apart. Abby has not stopped beaking Victor or shaking him by the neck and Victor has not stopped getting his revenge. Both are eating and growing. That is what matters. There were six fish delivered on the nest on Thursday.
Looking carefully at the osplets, you will notice that Victor and Abby are getting the beginnings of feathers. They are not ready to do any self-feeding but the pair are starting to peck at the fish.
‘A’ reports that both Abby and Victor ate their Friday breakfast like little ‘eating machines’ especially Victor. Some dominance but Sally and Harry are incredible parents. Just incredible. This nest is good!
All three of the Dulles-Greenway eaglets are doing fine today. DG3 seems to have not suffered any ill effects from being out of the egg cup for over 5 hours on Wednesday.
Can you find the ear of DG3? That little black dot to the left of the mouth. It will be covered with feathers before fledge.
There is sad news coming out of Decorah, Iowa, today. This is the Decorah North nest.
A view of the Decorah nest later in the day.
It was a bit of a soggy day at Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest. Just look at the size of those two eaglets! They both have good thermal down and a few dandelions left. My goodness. Did we blink?
Clown feet time!
This has been a superb eagle nest to watch this year. Both eating well and growing. You can see their feathers starting to come in, too. They still have the white-lined mouth. Watch for this to change to yellow.
Today is hatch watch for Liberty and Guardian. Gary says the second egg at this nest should, based on past history, that the egg will hatch Saturday-Monday. Here is his explanation looking at the data for the Redding nest.
We are also on hatch watch for Nancy and Beau at MN-DNR and for Bella and Smitty at NCTC. We could have several hatches on the same day!
It is raining in Ithaca, New York and there are no eggs in Big Red’s nest – yet!
Oh, how I wish the Achieva Credit Union streaming cam had a better zoom on it. There are three little osplets being cared for and they all look to be faring rather well – from a distance!
Rose and Ron continue to take turns feeding the eaglets at the WRDC nest in Miami. They are both doing just fine. Indeed, if you watch carefully they are beginning to reach back and preen. Fat little bottoms and ute little tails. Ron is doing a wonderful joy keeping the fish coming to the nest and helping Rose feeding and brooding.
You may recall that Trey, the only eaglet of Anna and Louis, was struck 16 times by an owl the other evening. Here is a very informed response as to why this might have occurred from Steve Shively, one of the Rangers at the KNF.
A gorgeous sub-adult/juvie eagle visited the nest of Gabby and V3 today. Could this be Jules or Romey? The head development indicates a bird of approximately 2.5-3 years. Fledglings do return to their natal nests! Samson certainly did and we are happy with that result.
Thanks to everyone that joined in the Cal Falcons fundraiser. Oh, they surpassed their goal. Well done! Despite the fundraiser saying the funds go to the Regents, I understand they are then earmarked for the falcons. (It was the same way at the University where I was a professor and administrator).
Thanks to ‘L’ for her note another egg arriving at First Utility Osprey Platform today at 14:38:41.
Sunnie Day has the laying of the third egg on video. Apparently the first egg has failed, so after this third egg, there are two good eggs in the nest.
Ervie’s tracker is working. Here are his latest exploits. We know this great third hatch of 2021 is doing well. Indeed, if my memory holds, only two fledglings from Port Lincoln are confirmed to be alive and well – Calypso from 2019 and Ervie from 2021. Both are in the Port Lincoln/Eyrie Peninsula area. There could be others, not spotted but it seems strange that no one has seen Bazza or Falky or DEW.
It would be reassuring if all levels of government would make respect for the environment and all living things a priority. With that in mind, Audubon has published an article on the lobbying going on to stop the Willow project in Alaska. Every time I read about oil and gas in Alaska, I think of those beautiful Bald Eagles that go up there or live there for the salmon. Think Glacier Gardens. Please let your representatives know that you do not support this project before it is too late.
Ever wonder where the ‘Crossing over the Rainbow Bridge’ came from?
If you travel to areas of the Iberian Peninsula or Alsace, look up! The White Storks have the most enormous nests in some of the most exciting places!
There is good news coming from the Karula National Forest Black Storks. Karl II is in Turkey! He crossed the border. Kaia is near Khartoum and Waba continues his foraging in Sudan.
Karl II.
Kaia.
That is a mix and a mash of things happening in Bird World. We have a little more time with 21 and 22 before they fledge but not long. What a very bittersweet moment that will be. Let us all hope they visit the nest for 4-6 weeks, learning from their super day, M15, how to navigate the world. How can they not succeed?
Thank you so very much for being with me today. Take care. Looking forward to having you with us again soon!
Thank you so much to the following for their notes, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that helped to form my blog today: Geemeff, ‘L’, A’, Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Vijay and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Moorings Park Ospreys, Dulles-Greenaway Eagle Cam, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Rose Swailes and Decorah Eagles Love Nest FB, Duke Farms, Gary and FORE, Cornell RTH, Achieva Credit Union, WRDC, Tonya Irwin and the KNF Eagle Cam Fans, Bird Cam Network and NEFL-AEF, Cal Falcons, First Utility Ospreys, Sunnie Day and First Utility Ospreys, PLO, Audubon.org, Lorig Basmaijan and New England Nature Enthusiasts, and Looduskalender Forum.
What an exciting, incredible, amazing journey Scottish 2022 juvenile female Osprey KW0 has had – from Clyde Muirshiel to Bawdens Irrigation Pond in Barbados! Lovely to see photos of her on ringing day in June last year. Just an unbelievable story but true – well done Blue KW0, well done Mary Ann for breaking the story, and great detective work by Tim Mackrill.
Thank you and thanks to an army of people who helped with this – including yourself! It takes an international village. I am glad KW0 is safe and I hope she has a long and happy life in the Caribbean. We can now get a hybrid species!!!!!!