4 April 2023
Good Evening Everyone!
This is Wednesday’s blog coming out late Tuesday. Sorry for any confusion. I have a very early appointment tomorrow.
There is a wee bit of snow falling on the Canadian Prairies with a winter storm warning for my area for later this evening and throughout the night. It is a ‘Colorado Low’ that is being pesky!
The renovations, for now, are finished. We have been moving about bits, bobs, and large cabinets now that all the packing materials are out of the living room. We are all exhausted! Missy and Lewis are up in their big dog bed, sound asleep, not caring about storms, while the garden birds and squirrels are devouring as much food as possible. You can always tell when something is happening in the weather by watching the animals. Often they are more accurate than the local weather office. The peanuts are eaten in situ, not carried away for burial and retrieval later. The weather office says 35-30 cm of snow is a foot deep.
I did not get to check on the nests and much as I would have liked and also I have an early morning appointment on Wednesday so this blog will go out sooner than anticipated – as in Tuesday night.
Just coming in around 2100 on Tuesday. Connick has fallen out of his nest on Captiva Island. CROW called, and he is in a crate on his way to rehab. Connick will get the very best of care, and how lucky that his nest was so close to the clinic. Still, how sad for Connie and Clive. Connie had no chicks last year and the year prior, both died from rodenticide poisoning. Both will be grieving, not knowing what happened to their baby. —- Things can change so quickly in a nest.
Jerinelle Wray gives us a giggle about 22 and his love of water.
E22 sure does love the water. Just seeing him take his first drink was enlightening. Bet it felt good to get 11 or 12 weeks of fish juice off those feathers!!!!!!!!
Oh, it was close. Maya laid her first egg of the season at Rutland on the heels of the first UK egg by Blue NC0 at LOTL. We sure were wondering who would be first this year. Now we know.
Blue 33 was quickly there to see and lend support.
Once upon a time, I realised that raptor families are like human families in many ways. Some have nests in quiet neighbourhoods where they can raise their chicks in peace with lots of food, while others struggle with intruders, fishing tournaments, and loss of habitat and prey. I never quite know what to think when hungry chicks are in the nest, food is available, and the adult doesn’t feed that starving chick. Such is the continuing issue at the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest in St Petersburg, Florida.
In Virginia, it is a different story. Rosa and Martin are keeping three eaglets well fed as are Lisa and Oliver in PA Country!
Rosa feeding the three eaglets their breakfast.
Wow. Just look at those crops. It takes patience and a truck load of fish to be successful with three eaglets. The feedings take a long time. Well done, Rosa!
I missed getting an image of the little ones eating at PA Country Farms this evening. This nest is, however, doing very well also. So thankful.
Pittsburgh-Hays has two very healthy little eaglets.
There are now three eaglets at the nest of Mum and new mate, Beau – the Majestic at Denton Homes in Decorah, Iowa. They hatched on March 31, April 1, and it looks like the third hatched today. So cute. DH11, 12, and 13.
Dad came in with nesting material and has covered up DH13. Fingers crossed…don’t think he realised there was a third eaglet! Surprise, new dad!
Moorings Park is doing grand as well. We do have a lot of nests to be thankful for – and we should all rejoice in that since there has been so much misery.
Victor has survived Abby’s aggression and the monofilament line. That is something to celebrate. Things are going so well at this Osprey nest in Naples, Florida. We are all going to miss Harry and his visits, the midnight feedings, and just the sheer devotion of these two adults to Abby and Victor.
It is now official. Female Osprey LM6 has returned to Llyn Brenig to be reunited with her mate, Blue LJ2. When you look at the image of them in their nest, glance over to see the trees that have been torn apart in recent storms.
Both adults are back at Balgravies also.
A message from Dale Hollow:
There are two eaglets and another egg at Bald Canyon in the Channel Islands.
The two, much older, eaglets at Duke Farms are ‘robust’. They are so healthy, so well fed. There are only a couple of pricks of dandelions on their heads. Their thermal down is in and their juvenile feathers are coming. They are not cuddly cute anymore but they certainly are adorable and much loved by Mum and Dad.
What an absolutely great year it has been at this nest in New Jersey.
‘H’ writes: “Ron delivered a coot. For some reason, R4 held back, even though it last ate over three hours ago. R5 got a great feeding!” Fantastic news. Just look at the crop on that little one! Perhaps R4 as preparing a pellet to cast?
Only Jackie really knows what is going on. Is she feeling an egg? Jackie has been on the branch of the nest tree for most of Tuesday. Shadow has been on and off the nest. Now as I write this, Jackie is in the nest. Oh, is it possible? It would be brilliant for these two to have a replacement clutch. Shadow will be so excited.
The camera is not great but there are three very much alive osplets at the Venice Golf and Country Club platform! All are up eating. No one in submission. Smiling.
We are less than a week from hatch and on Tuesday, Annie left the nest at the Campanile to chase an intruder! Annie and Lou do not need this distraction. Definitely not.
Looks like Lou was having his lunch.
No worries. Annie returned about ten minutes later, but, gosh, it does make one’s heart stop.
‘S’ writes to tell me that the Manchester NH Peregrine Falcon scrape now has 5 eggs! FIVE. Can you imagine? The couple who have been here for 9 years had 5 eggs last year too – and fledged five! Wow.
That’s it for today. So much happening. We are now 6 days away from pip watch for Annie and Lou.
Thank you for being with me. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, streaming cam, videos, and posts that helped make up my blog today: ‘S’, ‘H’, Window to Wildlife, Jerinelle Wray and the NEFL and SWFL Eagle Watcher’s Club, SW Florida Eagle Cam, LRWT, Dulles-Greenway, PA Game Commission, PIX Cams, Denton Homes, Moorings Park Ospreys, Llyn Brenig, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, IWS and Explore.org, Duke Farms, WRDC, FOBBV, VGCCO, and Cal Falcons.
Oh, my heart sank to read that Connick had fallen. So glad to hear that he is the care of CROW! Hang in there, Connie and Clive!
Mine, too. He was apparently losing feathers so there could be additional issues causing this. Send best wishes. So sad for them.