28 December 2023
Good Morning!
We are so happy to have you with us today! You will have a wonderful walk through memory lane on 1 January when the list of events that brought happiness to my readers is revealed. Your notes have brought tears to my cheeks and made me laugh – and remember things I had forgotten. You still have time for those who have not sent in what moved them in 2023. You can send me 1 or 4 (or more) moments during Bird World in 2023 that were so moving and meaningful. Please do so by late 31 December so I can compile them for New Year’s morning. I think you are going to be surprised in some cases -. You can send them as a comment or if you want to keep your list secret, send it to my e-mail: maryannsteggles@icloud.com Thanks so much!
Oh, I can tell you these girls must had some party Tuesday night! When I woke up Wednesday morning, there were toys everywhere. The chewy dental sticks were torn apart, and half of the ornaments on the twinkling tree were scattered about the floor. Interactive toys were upside down, and a small box of mince pieces that had been on the coffee table was on the floor.
I don’t think it was Calico.
I suspect that it was Baby Hope and Hugo! As I write this, I hear them tearing around, finding something else to get into. Hugo was incredibly tired most of the day, as was Hope.
Baby Hope wound up with a winky after all that fun.
Missey is always an ‘angel’.
Now on to Bird World…
Well, the rumour that there was a pip at SW Florida was just wishful thinking and then it wasn’t…there is a definite pip in one of those eggs Wednesday night.
Here is the video of the pip.
Wet morning at SW Florida. F23 not giving us any hints.
If you did tune in to the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive and could not see C10 and C11 – they did not fall out of the nest. Connie buried them! ’H’ sent me a note to warn me.
The mods think it is so the nesting material could dry out a bit. Great idea on the part of the eagles if that is the case – it will keep those kids form getting a chill in a damp nest.
That could have given someone a heart attack!
Everything turned out fine.
It was a bit breezy at Port Lincoln today. Sure going to miss these two. What a fantastic year it has been and it was all done to the fortitude of Janet, Bazz, and Fran to supply the fish for the family to see them through to fledge. It made all the difference in the world. I hope they go to sleep at night with a smile on their face! They certainly deserve it.
Dad was in with a small fish at 0813 and Brad got it! Way to go – we don’t need to worry about you anymore. You got this.
Bradley is certainly a looker.
Well, way to go Bradley. Mum came in with a nice fish at 1329 and Bradley took that one, too. Wow. I am impressed.
No doubt there will be more to add to the observation board…Bart still has to highlight that 1329 arrival. I am up and off early in the morning. You can check for later deliveries – and to see if Gil gets anything – by going to the YT live stream and look under the images for the observation board link.
SE31 still going strong. Just makes your heart beat a little faster to see one of those eaglets survive to be taught how to be an eagle by Lady and Dad down at the river. I wish our dear friend Phyllis – who loved these sea eagles so much- had lived to see this day!
Gabby continues to care for that egg. She’s got it back in a nest cup now.
Sue Dumas caught Akecheta and Thunder having a successful mating on Wednesday.
The eggs of Alex and Andria were buried today by one of the female visitors at the KNF-E3 nest. We all miss Andria and we will wish Alex well as he reorganises his life without her.
Dad and new female were both seen near the ND-LEEF eagle nest in St Patrick’s Park, South Bend, Indiana. Nice.
The eggs of the Royal cam couples at Taiaroa Head were candled today.
Here is the video and the thumbs up:
Holly Parsons posted a great little video clip of Marri chasing Xavier with Diamond watching from inside the scrape.
Since the arrival of the little book on the art and photography of Roger Tory Peterson, I have taken a keen interest in just how influential he was on all of us who love birds. Today, another used volume arrived in the post. Peterson Reference Guide to Bird Behaviour. Written in 2020 by John Richer, this richly illustrated volume covers most aspects of avian behaviour. There may be aspects that are out od date – the streaming cams are providing us with new information daily -, but still it will be a valuable addition to your library if you would like to understand more about the social life of birds, their brain and their senses, territory guarding and mating, etc. I know you are curious about all of those things!
If you do not know who Roger Tory Peterson is, please check out this YT video. Loaded with lots of information, it is 13 years old and might appear a little dated, but he was such an influence it is good to know who he was and his contributions to birding.
The sheer decline in bird numbers and the state of our planet can, most often, be bewildering, frightening, and overwhelming. I am grateful to ‘SP’ for sending me the following article with special mention of the closing lines, “The last paragraph really says it all “’This is how I personally cope with having these big imminent issues hanging over my head all the time, like climate change and destruction of the biosphere,” he says. “The more you zoom out, the more powerless you feel. So I think the best way for me to engage in life as an activist is just to influence things within the sphere of my control.’”
Attempts to restore seabird life to Atlantic Canada.
Thank you so very much for being with us today. Take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘H, J, SP’, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Amanda Lake, Toni Hoover, Window to Wildlife, PLO, Bart M, Chang Li-Dong, Jerinelle Wray, NEFL-AEF, Sue Dumas, KNF-E3, Kim Weinenger, Roz Young, Lady Hawk, Mercury News, Holly Parsons, Amazon, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels, and The Wandering Rook.
