Wednesday in Bird World, updated

UPDATE: THE BALD EAGLE UPDATE IS FOR MATILDA THE EAGLE NOT CONNICK…CONNICK’S UPDATE IS ABOUT WHAT HE PREFERS TO EAT. APOLOGIES FOR ANY CONFUSION!

24 May 2021

Good Morning Everyone,

Gosh, it has been a challenging year. Every day we have to take a deep breath. Whether intruders or predators, weather-related events, too many chicks hatched/siblicide/lack of food, climate change and droughts, or human-created issues, our feathered friends have not had it so easy. Indeed, as the Memorial Wall grows for 2023, it would appear that this year will top the list of deaths on streaming cams. I am particularly concerned about the growing number of threats by GHOs this year. The owl that stuck Loch Arkaig was a Tawny Owl, not a GHO. Still, we do not give up! We make phone calls when needed to help endangered wildlife, and we do something as simple as putting out a bowl of water for migrating birds. Donate when we can and volunteer if it is possible. There is always hope, and the joy of saving even one life is stupendous.

Of course, there are then the kittens who simply make me melt when it has been a rough one.

Missy is tired after a busy day of watching birds and squirrels.

Lewis in his favourite chair at the end of a hectic day.

It is always good to start out the day with something positive and a volunteer at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey keeps me updated on Connick. Below is the official posting and this is a little bit of insight into Connick’s character. She says, “Connick loves his red meat and turns his nares up at fish nowadays, has settled into his new routine and continues to get stronger every day…and stay tuned for official updates from Audubon CBOP!!!!

If you wish to help with Connick’s treatment, food – that expensive red meat – please donate. A little gourmet with all the quail, pheasant, rabbit, etc. I am always asked which are good places to send donations – as little as $5 and as much as one could or want to – every dollar counts. No one is doing the wildlife rehabilitation to get rich, not a chance. It is their love of the raptors that keeps them all going to help our feathered friends. Go to https://cbop.audubon.org

The donate button is at the top right corner in bright orange.

You can always count on the Cal Falcons to give you a giggle if the day isn’t going well. Annie and Lou are incredible. They are also flying around with prey luring the eyases to the windows with the thought of flying but one chick doesn’t want its sibling to be in that window!

I sat and listened, walked away, stared at the screen hoping that the power company or the animal rescue, Save the Animals, would have the proper permits to go up the nest at Patchogue and clean it from monofilament line and other human debris. The four osplets are alright, albeit I worry about the younger two daily but mostly that tiny third hatch that is either 10 or 12 days younger than Big. We hope that this situation is resolved quickly. Everything takes long when permits are required and, at present, we are fortunate that no osplet is tangled.

There is no big agency for advocating for Osprey like the eagles have in the American Eagle Foundation. This is a shame.

Save the Animals Rescue. 631-736-8207. Their e-mail is: info@savetheanimalsrescue.org.

Still there.

Still there this morning. More phone calls needed. Even more human debris has blown on the nest this morning.

This evening I was contacted by ‘M’ who has spotted baling twine on the osprey platform of the Boulder County Fairgrounds Osprey at Longmont. Baling twine is as lethal as monofilament line – just ask Dr Ericke Green who deals with the Montana Osprey nests around Missoula and the Clark-Fork River. So, here is the e-mail for the department in charge of the nest for the County: posinfo@bouldercounty.org The local wildlife rehabilitation centre in Longmont is the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Their phone number is 303-823-8455. If you have free US calling, give them a ring, please.

It is the same as Patchogue. Until I see that human debris off that nest, we should not give up alerting anyone and everyone! Thank you.

Everyone is also waiting word on the status of DH17 after he fledged. This was the latest posting from the AEF that I have seen. Please note that DH17 was not on the ground but the posting implies that it was not seen either. DH17 has been heard on the microphone of the camera and there is a fish on the nest. Send your best wishes to River and 17. They deserve a good ending.

Deb Stecyk has DH17 calling on a video.

There is, of course, good news that will outweigh the terrible year we have had. E22 was still at the nest on Tuesday morning. What a beauty in the nest tree as the sun rises over Fort Myers. When we knew Harriet was missing at the beginning of February, no one believed that M15 could fledge two beautiful eaglets. He did, and we must remember and celebrate this outstanding achievement. It is simply not easy – not easy, indeed.

Lady Hawk caught E22s activities during the day. He is definitely trying to catch some fish out of the pond. Thanks, ‘A’.

The other good news of the day is that there are several first hatches with healthy chicks. Idris and Telyn welcomed what will be Big Bob once the others have hatched. What a fine little osplet that one is! The time was 17:10 on the 23rd of May.

Idris delivering one of his whoppers to Telyn for her and the chick Wednesday afternoon.

First bites of fish! Hardly out of the shell. Incredible. There is good DNA at this nest and it is a good nest to watch. As far as I know, there are no GHOs in Wales. That is something to celebrate as we have seen the tragedies at Lake Murry and also the harassment of Louis and Dorcha and the loss of one egg at Lock Arkaig on Tuesday because of owls.

There has also been the first hatch at nest 4 of Mr 69 and Mrs 69, the oldest breeding pair of ospreys at Keilder Forest. This little one was literally just out of the half shell and Mrs 69 was giving it fish! Talk about experienced parents.

An adorable double feeding at Llyn Clywedog by Dylan and Seren for their two hatches.

The three at Manton Bay continue to thrive under the excellent care of Blue 33 and Maya.

Loch of the Lowes is still looking good. Last fish of the day on Tuesday.

At 1326 Diane brought a big fish to the Achieva Osprey platform and Middle ate really well and then Big had some. Always one day at a time but Middle still has to fledge, Big is flying well, and fish, despite the drought and low water in the canals, is coming to the nest.

It is nice being the only one home when Mum brings in your tea.

‘H’ reports that there was a big surprise at the Osoyoos Osprey Platform after the cam came on after being down for a few days…there are two eggs! Is this Soo and Olsen? I do not know for certain but I plan to call them that!

When I first started watching Red-Tail Hawks I became aware of the number of nests around the many squares in New York City. One of those was Tompkins Square and there are three eyases there once again in the nest after a hiatus of several years.

https://youtu.be/kSpSCfT4S8c

At the nest of Angel, there were four feeds by 1600. This included a rabbit and a Meadowlark. That little one can now ‘hork’ bird’s legs…as ‘A’ notes, it appears Tom continues to empty all of the Meadowlark nests in the area.

Everything is good at the nest of Big Red, Arthur, and the Ms as well.

Everyone is preening!

Lots happening…there is some cheering that Iris laid her third egg today, five days after the second, which the Raven ate on the 18th. She was calling Louis. Typically, she covered it with grass and went fishing – she returned to the owl pole with a whopper. I hope the Raven comes quickly and dispenses with it, and that is it. It possible that it is not viable. Iris is using her precious calcium to make food for Corvids. Louis will not care for her – and he will stop coming once Star’s eggs hatch in about a week. Let’s not fool ourselves. She deserves a proper holiday.

Red Wing has her fish caught on video.

The fish continue to come for Abby and Victor at Moorings Park. Sally and Tom are incredible parents…these two never wanted for anything. Such a calm nest to observe.

There has been a second hatch at the Carthage TN Osprey nest this morning and the couple in Newfoundland at Newfoundland Power have three eggs. Jackie and Shadow are working on their nest and Dr Sharpe will be banding the chicks at Two Harbours on Saturday the 27th.

Thank you for being with me and for taking the time to advocate for the two osprey nests in need of cleaning. Please send positive wishes to all of the nests and to DH17 and River who will get connected I hope. Take care. See you tomorrow!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘L’, ‘M’, Audubon CBOP, Cal Falcons, PSGE Patchogue Osprey Platform, Boulder CF Grounds and Boulder County, AEF, Paul Kolnik and Bald Eagles 101, Deb Stecyk and Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Dyfi Osprey Project, Keilder Forest, CarnyXWild, LRWT, LOTL, Achieva Credit Union, Osoyoos Ospreys, Bruce Bolton and Urbanhawks.com, Window to Wildlife, Cornell RTH, Montana Osprey Project, Red Wing and Montana Osprey Project, and Moorings Park Ospreys.