Wednesday in Bird World

7 June 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Today’s nest report is a little scattered. Lots of information on birds in rehab, some funny moments, and some sad ones.

Let’s start with something fun. That little eyas at the San Jose City Hall scrape broke free today!

The Bald Canyon Eaglet with the hook and line in its GI tract will be undergoing surgery today. Please send your warmest wishes to Alo and continue to educate people on the dangers of fishing tackle – line, hooks, and lead weights.

Then there is the human rubbish…

We need to educate people..not just children. Air guns have no place in animal cruelty. This poor Osprey had, “It had three airgun pellets in its body, a fractured le wing, a ruptured right eye and flesh wounds.” Parents have to teach kindness but they also have to model it.

Sometimes I take a deep breath and hold it when I can’t see Mini on the Patchogue nest immediately. But there he was eating and flapping its little wings and walking on its feet, not its ankles today.

0801 – eating

And a PS. Mini is trying to anticipate the next fish delivery and be up close to Mum. It has been a few hours and he is hungry.

There were not as much fish at Patchogue today but Mini did eat in the morning and at 1902 was up there getting fish as well.

Right up at the beak!

There was another fish delivery after this one. I cannot tell who got what…Mum was blocking the view. It was 2006. Still, the Big ones kept eating and I could not see Mini. Then after the fish was finished, Big went ‘over’ Mini. I continue to say this is ‘not good’. Mini remains too small and the Big sibling is really showing its dominance as it requires more and more fish. I remain very concerned for Mini – but always hopeful of a miracle.

There are plenty of fish at PSEG Oyster Bay but is the little one getting its share? The oldest is moving into the reptile phase. I hope this nest stays calm!

There is nothing sweeter than a newly hatched osplet – and nothing worse that a hungry Osprey fledgling (like Big and Middle). The three at Barnegat Light are doing fine so far. But they are small and cute.

The Only Bob at Cowlitz appears to be doing well. How many times do I wish there was only one spoiled, well-fed chick at each nest?

‘A’ asked me if there are more than three and four chick osprey nests this year, and the answer is yes. When all of the ospreys have migrated or fledged and left their territory (September), Claudio and I will crunch the numbers. At that time, we can tell you the % of 2, 3, and 4 chick nests, % that fledged, the % that died and how they died. We will also know the DNH rates. I will share that information with you, but there are more nests with larger broods. I cannot say if the death rate is higher, but it ‘feels’ like it is.

At Glaslyn, Aran has been feeding the chicks under the watchful eye of Elen.

The trio on the nest of CJ7 and Blue 022 in Poole Harbour are thriving. Lots of fish. Lovely kiddos.

The Achieva Osprey platform is simply heartbreaking. The first hatch, Big Bob has taken all of the fish and Middle is hungry – so hungry that calls have been made to the local wildlife rehab clinic. It is difficult – or as ‘R’ says, ‘it breaks your heart’ to watch one bird eat and eat and eat and one get nothing.

At the Severna nest, Big is also exercising its right to all fish but Middle is getting some – because Mum is still feeding. She does not always do what I want her to and turn around and feed her second hatch but he is getting some fish.

On Tuesday, the third hatch osplet at the Patuxent River Park I nest in Maryland died in care after being removed from the nest for sibling aggression/starvation.

Laddie LM12 has delivered a big fish to the Loch of the Lowes nest and Blue NC0 and the two chicks went to bed with full crops. Relief. I do so worry about this nest that should be thriving -. He had earlier delivered two fish. The eldest ate the first and then the second got some of the second delivery.

Ferris caught a Doe and her fawn on video…not a raptor but lovely.

What impact does the haze and fine ash from the Canadian wildfires have on ponds and fishing for the Osprey? This article in The New York Times talks about the fires and their impact outside of Canada but…what about our birds?

Big Red has ‘something feathered’ she is plucking. I really do not want to think about it but, it looks like a small Blue Heron. Don’t hold me to that. Chicks are excited and Big Red is looking good. (All of the cameras are hazy from the fires in Canada).

It is 2041 and Big Red is just beginning to feed the trio. They have grown so much and we will be waiting for fledge watch far too soon.

SK Hideaways caught the trio chowing down! Big Red’s kids are never hungry. They all eat – you will never see the type of food rivalry that you would on an Osprey nest.

If you have been watching the story of the two Red-tail hawklets in the Bald Eagle nest, there is a sad update. I am so glad that these eaglets were not RTH5 or any of the Ms.

Angel and Tom’s RTH5 is growing and you can see similar plumage to the eyases of Big Red and Arthur. This little one will be fledging shortly, too. RTH5 will also have a name in the morning when I post this blog. Angel brought in a small Cotton-tail bunny for a late night dinner for her and the chick.

Angel has arrived with the prey and RTH5 spots her on a branch below.

Confirmation of the prey item when Angel flies to the nest.

Tom was on the nest earlier, feeding RTH5. He has turned into a good mate and parent.

E22 might never leave the Southwest Florida Bald Eagle nest. S/he is right at home having hatched in the nest, played in the pond, and caught its first fish there. Why would it leave? Right now there is no pressure from M15 or any potential mate of his. But, we never know and every second must be appreciated as if it were the last —- precisely the way that we should live our lives. Nothing is promised. So enjoy this amazing fledgling…you might remember that, at one point, we worried E22 would get enough to eat! M15 was an incredible parent. He did well by his last two eaglets with Harriet…better than many nests with two adults to care for the young.

Kathryn has been helping me observe osprey nests this season and sadly, the first two did not do well. She is also aware that I am looking for examples of osplets going into care, surviving, and fledgling – to try and convince some organisations that intervention can help, that Osplets do well in care – at least in the US. Seaside Seabird Sanctuary showed a short clip of two little osplets doing well…Thanks ‘K’. Know of any others? Have you seen any posts? Please let me know. Thanks, everyone.

Right now I would like to see Middle at Achieva having a big bowl of fish.

Karl II and Kaia looking after their four storklets in Estonia.

Oh, I love storks…the four of Bety and Bukachek were wanting some fish! or worms.

The chicks learn from their parents and mimic their behaviour. Sadly, Murphy’s eaglet is hopping and not trying to fly so, the pair will need to be separated and the eaglet placed with an adult who can fly. Thanks, Murphy! You were a great Dad. Gosh, he is going to miss his eaglet.

‘H’ reports that R5 has returned to the WRDC nest! Fledged/fludged on the 4th and returned on the 7th. Lovely. Great video of that reunion with Mum and R4. Love the squeeing and the chortling.

‘H’ reports on several other nests: “Patuxent 1:  1156 fish delivery, Big almost immediately launched an attack on Middle, but it didn’t last that long.  But surprisingly, when the feeding began, it was entirely peaceful.  Go figure, another nest with some aggression, but not at the feedings.  Also surprising, #1 didn’t really try to eat very much, laid down part of the feeding, even though it did not have a big crop and they had not been not recently fed.  Middle’s crop was 3x the size of Big’s at the end of the feeding.  After the feed, Middle remained alert, and Big laid down.”

Patuxent 2: Difficult to see feedings as view is often blocked. “Feeding from 1610 to 1731, huge fish.  Little was intimidated by ‘the look’ and stayed back. Middle and Big ate.  At 1619 Little tried to approach and was bonked.  At 1624 Little started to eat with Big’s blessing.  1628 Big and Middle backed away, Little had a private feeding to 1636.  At 1638 Little beaked Big, big mistake, lol.  But that brought out the beast in Big, and Big then went after Middle, and came back and went back after Little again.  By 1646 Little was back at the table.  All three ended up with large crops.”

Thank you for being with me…for all the nests that continue to struggle with aggression or lack of fish, send your positive wishes their way. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my newsletter today and a big shout out to ‘L’ who kept in touch with the rehabbers in St Petersburg on Tuesday about Middle at Achieva. ‘A’, ‘H’, Kathryn, ‘SK’, SK Hideaways and SJCH Falcons, IWS, The Friends of Island Beach State Park, BBC news, PSEG, Barnegat Light and Conservancy C of NJ, Cowlitz PUD, SW Florida Eagles, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Achieva Credit Union Severna Park Ospreys, Ildiko A Polk and Patuxent RP Osprey Nest, LOTL, Ferris Akel, The New York Times, Cornell RTH, SK Hideaways and Cornell RTH, Birds of Prey and Doug Gillard, Window to Wildlife, SK Hideaways and SWFlorida, Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, Eagle Club of Estonia, Mlade Buky, Patuxent River Park, World Bird Sanctuary, and Heidi McGru and the WRDC.