30 December 2023
Good Morning Everyone,
There is news – not a huge amount – there is worry and there is hope. Between now and when the largest group of eagle eggs hatch, Bird World will be pretty quiet. So, two things before I forget. I still want to hear from you. Send me your personal best moments of 2023 in Bird World. Let me know by late on the 31st as I will post them on New Year’s Day. You can add a comment or send them as an e-mail message to maryannsteggles@icloud.com My plan is to rank them and put in some comments with only initials. The list is growing nicely and is very interesting! So please, join in. Second, New Year’s Day is the day that I host the family. In order to get ready for their arrival and to work on the list for publication, I am going to take Sunday off. I want that list ready with some illustrations if I can find them for us to welcome in 2024. So remember – I won’t be here on Sunday! But watch SW Florida. There could be a bobblehead or two.
The girls continue to be fine. I am overwhelmed. I could not pick a single highlight of the year in Cat World – getting Calico’s trust was incredible, the thought of losing her only surviving kitten was almost the death of me and then – Hope found us! There she is with Hugo playing in the conservatory on Friday. I cry every time I think of all of that. The bitter moment was the loss of dear dear Lewis.
Worries continued on Friday for Anna at the KNF-E1 nest. The hope is that the rushed request from the toxicology reports for Andria will get back in time to provide some insight into what ‘might’ be happening to Anna. Still, let us continue – if she is alive when this is published – to send her positive healing energy. It sure has been a rough start to the Bald Eagle season in the US.
Here are the laws that govern what is happening at the KNF-E1 nest:
Maybe some good news? I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up or bring them down. We just wait and see what happens with Anna.
Anna continues to fight – and she has been caught on the canopy camera flying by Baiba. Everyone lives in hope that she has overcome any ailment.
We are officially on hatch watch for M15 and F23. One egg has a pip and the shell on the other egg is crushed – we have seen these hatches before, they just take a bit longer. Humidity comes to mind but I am not an eagle expert (always remember that – my area is osprey behaviour).
Interesting activity at the NEFlorida Nest of Gabby and V3 (and V1?).
Beau cuddles with Gabby on the nest!
Issues with a sub-adult intruder at Johnson City.
Scout continues his visits to Bella at the NCTC nest.
At Port Lincoln, two fish came in before noon, Gil was the victor but never rule Brad out…there will be more fish and when he is hungry, he is going to do a good snatch!
Brad is waiting patiently to see if Gil is going to leave any of that fish.
Some gutting news actually.
Land purchases are attempting to help the population of other species.
Great work being done by our rehabbers and the public who call in injured wildlife.
The search for the Buff-breasted Buttonquail continues.
Wondering what to do with that holiday tree?
Thank you so much for being with me today. Stay tuned to SW Florida! Take care everyone. See you on Monday!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, H, J, L, SP’, KNF-E1, USFWS, James Nesta, Baiba, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Gracie Shepherd, Carol S Rifkin, AEF, Deb Stecyk, Sara A, PLO, Bart M, Bird Guides, APCH, The Guardian, and the David Suzuki Foundation.
As we pass the baton to 2024, thank you, all, for all your words, both bird and otherwise. May you, and your good friends here, be blessed with good health, (and eyes) sound mind, cheerful spirits, and abundant love. See you all on the other side of New Year’s passing. 🥳🎆🎇
Thank you so much. All the very best to you as well.
Thank you Mary Ann for the updates and photos. The kittens are so cute and I enjoy the new news and pictures of them. Thank you !
Prayers for Anna. Hope she will be ok. 🙏❤️🦅 we love you Anna.
Good luck with the hatches for M15 and F23. And good luck for Gabby and V3 too.
May all who need prayers get answered.
Have a good Saturday and take care Mary Ann!
Linda
It is exciting for the hatch at SW Florida. Hope both are alright and we have two healthy beaking eaglets soon! Best to you and your family for the new year, Linda.
Thank you very much for the kittens’ energy and photos! I was very happy to hear the story of Missy and Hugo 💝.
The events at KNF are heartbreaking and I still keep Anna in my prayers.
Have a nice New Year! I hope next year is great for birds 🙏
Happy New Year Akane. I wish that the eagle year was starting off better. I recall the first year that Anna and Louis had an eaglet at KNF – the first time for ever so long and how happy we were. Then to have Alex and Andria join them was just special. What a heart breaking year it is. It appears that Alex has left the nest with F1 and that the intruder was part of a mated pair that have taken over E-3. I fear that Anna is grounded or worse…they looked and could not find her. I just cannot believe what is happening – what is it that is affecting the female eagles and not the males? Breaks my heart. Hugo is very lucky. Dyson was here today eating peanuts with her kits. She is very healthy.
Happy New Year! Mary Ann.
I thought it was a very happy thing to have the usual sight. I hope the result of the autopsy will come out soon. They seem to have found Anna! I’m so happy I could cry.
Thank you for telling me about Samson! I’m glad Samson is doing well 😊
I was so happy they found Anna and then, like someone dropped a building on us, she was so sick and in such misery. HPAI is a terrible disease and it is spreading like a wild fire through the SE US right now. We must treasure those that survive it! Little E23 and then C10 and C11. Send positive wishes!