Sunday in Bird World

28 May 2022

Good Morning,

Saturday was the perfect day to go to the Nature Centre. There was a light drizzle and the temperature dropped to 22 C. So many species of birds – 18 of them – in a short distance not counting all the waterfowl. But the pleasant surprise was the few little goslings that have hatched walking around from the forest to the water.

I was very impressed with the enlarging of the wetlands area of the centre. I need help understanding ‘why’ allowances are being made in the US vis the Supreme Court to potentially decimate wetland areas while others are working so hard to create them. (All photos today were taken with my phone).

This is part of the new area beyond the path above. It is gorgeous.

Walked around the corner and there they were – I gently explained that I would not hurt the babies and quietly walked away.

The goslings are under Mum.

Empty goose/duck basket. I wonder if it was theirs?

Little Reds everywhere.

It was simply a gorgeous day to get outside and I hope that each of you is able to spend some time listening to birds, smelling the rain, or sitting in the sunshine this weekend.

Seven fish were delivered to the Severna Osprey Platform on Saturday and Little Bob only got a couple of bites. It appears that the Little one’s suffering has ended during the night. A typical case of siblicide. I am relieved that this wee chick’s suffering has ended. There are times when I wish Ospreys behaved more like Storks. Starving to death and being pecked and thrown about is awful…no matter what species does it.

Sacha Dench’s open letter about Bird Flu and all matters conservation. Thanks, Geemeff!

https://mailchi.mp/conservation-without-borders/flightoftheosprey-11612492?e=095bff0265

There is good news coming in about WBSE30! Thanks ‘H’

The first hatch for Llyn Brenig happened on Saturday, the 27th of May!

Patchogue Osprey platform has four osplets. There is plenty of fish, the Mum seems to feed and feed and there is no aggression. Little Mini is so tiny and yet they are all lined up eating and in another feeding, Mini is right there by one of the eldest. What a wonderful surprise…oh, positive energy for this to continue!

E22 was at the nest tree and down splashing in the pond and playing on the pipes and bricks around the edge of the pond. What a delight this eaglet has been! And what a treat she has been there for so long. Stay!

Telyn is supervising Idris feeding his two osplets on Saturday at Dyfi. Adorable. Dyfi is celebrating! “This week Telyn broke Glesni’s five-year record, successfully hatching her sixth brood in succession.”

Dad is doing a good job!

Telyn feeding the Bobs.

Here is the family tree at Dyfi.

The plumage of RTH5 at Angel’s nest is quickly changing. The hawklet is quickly getting better at standing and walking on the nest. Just look at this healthy chick.

Angel fed RTH5 squirrel until its crop was about to pop and then Angel gave baby a lesson in horking. RTH5 is watching absolutely everything Mum is doing – and learning. Down goes that squirrel.

A good little ps off the nest!

I have been introduced to a new nest with three osplets on the Outer Banks by one of our readers, ‘S’. All three appear to be doing well!

Here is a link to this camera:

https://www.youtube.com/live/0zYnizjB5qo?feature=share

Four little bobbleheads at the Forsythe Osprey Platform. There is a fish there for them. Fingers crossed. A family of six is a real burden on the male. Let us hope there are lots of fish and few intruders!

‘A’ has alerted me that there are four eggs at Steelscape’s Osprey platform in WA. Gosh, how many nests are there, with four this year? Here is the link to the Steelscape camera. Please note that I have never watched this streaming cam, the Forsythe, or the Severna, and I do not know what the history is on these nests. I am concerned about Severna, and any nest with four is hard. Patchogue is doing well…let us hope it stays that way! And these, too.

https://www.youtube.com/live/O2kA0HsfB8k?feature=share

If you are aware of any Osprey nests with three or four eggs or three or four hatches, please send an e-mail to maryannsteggles@icloud.com or make a comment. I would like to follow them if I do not already have them in my data forms. Thank you!

Continued praises for M15 and his role in making certain that E22 gets prey!

The only eaglet for Chase and Cholyn at Two Harbours in the Channel Islands was banded by Dr Sharpe and Amber on Saturday, the 27th of May. It is a boy! Here is the video of their arrival, retrieval of the eaglet, the banding and the return. This baby is a bit of a cheek!

I love how Dr Sharpe hugs this eaglet close. This is the very last eaglet he will band on the Channel Islands. He is retiring. I wonder what nest was his first? Must check. Chase and Cholyn have been breeding there for over two decades. I wonder.

What a lovely man and his sheer devotion to the reintroduction and continuing care for the Bald Eagles of the Channel Islands will never ever be forgotten.

https://youtu.be/Vne8xURBG44

I am only aware of one fish coming on the Achieva Osprey nest by 1700 and that was early morning. Middle ate and then Big took the fish and ate. The time was immediately before and after 0800.

Typical for Achieva, fish came in later in the day. Indeed, as with falcon nests, prey deliveries generally occur in the morning and evening, with few in mid-day heat. Big got the 19:21 delivery but Middle was working on a piece of fish caught in some mesh on the nest. Yes, more human debris!

‘M’ sent me an article on the issues that debris on nests can cause. This can be disturbing although we really should see and understand the horrible deaths these twines, meshes, and fishing line can cause.

http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/blog/2018/09/26/documenting-the-presence-of-plastics-in-osprey-nests/

Three well fed Bobs at the Manton Bay nest of Blue 33 and Maya.

The two osplets for Laddie LM12 and Blue NC0 continue to do well…the fish are coming in and they are decidedly entering the Reptilian Phase like the chicks at Manton Bay.

Any pips for Louis and Dorcha at Loch Arkaig? The first egg normally hatches on day 38 or 39 which is today. If that does not happen then the egg kicked out of the nest during the Tawny Owl attack was egg 1. Egg 2 normally hatches on days 35-36.

All is well with Big Red, Arthur, and the Ms who are growing like weeds.

The third hatch came to the Foulshaw Moss nest in Cumbria for White YW and Blue 35. Here is Dad feeding the brood!

Blue 35 feeding them a couple of hours later. This is a fantastic nest. I will have to find the statistics but the second year returns for this couple are quite commendable.

My friend ‘T’ knows how I feel about intervention – which goes against many laws. I do not hide my belief that we should be more pro-active. So she sent me a good story today. I will share it in her words. I don’t think she will mind! “A simple Russian man named Dmitry is responsible for the webcam in the nest in the Russian town Kaluga. I saw him in one video a day ago or so. He explained that parents began beating the fifth chick. He has five days difference from the first chick and only appeared May 21st. So Dmitry put the stream on limited access, so people who don’t want to watch cruel moments won’t see them. He added that they don’t help birds and we are there only observing nature. And while he was away for a few minutes, female wounded little chick’s neck while shaking him and left him at the edge of the nest. So Dmitry’s heart couldn’t take it. He took that little chick from the nest and we all hope now that little guy will survive.” He got antiseptic for the storklet and found some worms for him to eat. So far he is doing well. (The blue is the antiseptic).

Thank you ‘T’. The little storklet is much stronger today and can move his neck and open beak talking and wanting food. My European friends love their storks. They allow them to live on their chimneys, they feed and care for them when they are injured or elderly. It warms one’s heart. Storks bring luck to anyone who cares for them..

The three Cal Falcon fledglings of Lou and Annie were together on top of Evans Hall on Saturday morning.

Some Falcon facts: The life expectancy of Peregrine Falcons is 6-7 years. That said, a ringed male in the US died of natural causes at 17 years; a female in Montreal lived to be 18; another died in Alaska at 19. Some live as long as 20-25 years. The mortality rate in the first year in North America is 70% compared to 46% in Scotland. There have been several studies to determine if the brood size has any bearing on the parents’ longevity. The males are stressed from hunting prey and keeping intruders away, while the female has stressors from egg production, incubation and nest defence. In North America, broods of three or more halved the life span of the adults. In the Arctic, the opposite was true. Only extremely healthy adults had large broods of chicks. Interesting!

There has been a little concern about the San Jose City Hall Osprey nests with Hartley and Monty. The only chick has a nice crop this morning. It is unclear to me why Hartley was pulling on the eyas other than to get it back to the egg cup to brood it where it would be warm and safe. Will keep an eye!

The Guardian featured a story about ospreys on Saturday the 27th. Fantastic! There is one misleading statement…the chicks are not the last to leave the nest. Traditionally, it is the male! Mum goes first.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/27/country-diary-the-osprey-is-low-in-her-nest-shes-incubating-eggs?CMP=share_btn_link

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Take care everyone. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

I want to thank everyone who sent me notes, images, articles for the videos and streaming cams, FB Posts, and tweets that helped to make up my blog today. I am very grateful to each! ‘A’, ‘A’, Geemeff, ‘H’, ‘M’, ‘SK’, ‘S’, ‘T’, Australian Raptor Care and Conservation Inc, Conservation without Borders,Llyn Brenig, PSEG, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Dyfi Osprey Project, Window to Wildlife, Outer Banks Ospreys, Forsythe Osprey and NY Conservancy, Steelscapes Ospreys, Carol Rifkin and NEFL and SWFL Eagle Cam Watcher’s Club, IWS/Explore, Achieva Credit Union, Conserve Wildlife NJ, LRWT, LOTL, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Cornell RTH, Polly Turner and Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys, Russian Kaluga Stork Cam, Cal Falcons, and The Guardian.