14 February 2024
Hello Everyone,
It is the middle of the week. ’The girls’ hope that the week has been kind to you and that you got some nice little treats along the way. They were hoping that Valentine’s Day might have something special in store for them – and I did. It isn’t what they were expecting! Dental Wipes. Yes. Only Missey will let me trim her nails and brush her fur and teeth without bother. Brushing Calico’s teeth is like trying to kiss an enraged lion. So, Dr Green suggested dental wipes. The container reminds me of those Clorox cleaning wipes. You pull up a sheet, twist it around your finger, and attack from back to front. It was recommended that I cut one sheet in 4s and do all the girls – and it worked. Now, if this and the chewy stick toys keep us from having a dental cleaning in a year or two, it will be worth it. The wipes must taste good. No one complained! They got a few dental treats after as a reward and we have a special Valentine’s Day story for later today.
Meadow and Swampy are doing great. It appears we have gotten past the bonking stage. Abby fed those two so they couldn’t hold another fish flake. Mum managed to clean up some of that piled-up prey, as well. What a wonderful relief. Swampy and Meadow are lookin’ good.
Early morning and Jackie is calling to Shadow. There is prey on the edge of the nest and both continue to be ever so careful around those precious eggs. 15 days til hatch. Wonder how many people will be watching? 8500? 10,000? This is the most watched Bald Eagle nest – and people around the world are hoping for a big miracle this year that will test Shadow’s hunting abilities!
Jackie and Shadow continue to make the news!
The day for Bella and Scout started out with a blizzard on Tuesday. The snow tapered off during the day and began to melt at the NCTC Bald Eagle nest. The nest is 75 miles NW of Washington, DC, in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia along the Potomac River.
No eggs yet for Irvin and Claire at the US Steel Bald Eagle nest in Pittsburgh. Ever wonder how Irvin got his name? The nest is located at U. S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
They are on egg watch at the Pittsburgh-Hayes Bald Eagle nest. But no egg as of 1700 Tuesday.
Fish dinner all day long or R6 at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose.
R6 wants to play with Rose.
E23 self-feeds on the bunny after being fed by F23. E23 is six weeks and one day old today.
Getting a plucking lesson.
The little eaglet at JB Sands Wetlands still has most of its soft down. Growing thought. Much easier to spot in that nest!
Bonnie and Clyde, the Eagles not the GHOs, of the Cardinal Land Conservancy have their first egg!
The West End camera of Thunder and Akecheta is now up and running again.
Too much bonding? New Male has trouble getting out of scrape?
Hartley and Monty have eggies on their mind, too.
The Wakefield Peregrines are getting active.
The recent court cases in Scotland have made people sick beyond belief at the non-custodial sentences handed out for the killing, selling, and laundering of Peregrine Falcons and their eggs. People are fighting to save the species while those profiteering from it are laughing.
The author of the article below remarks, “In early 2021, Police Scotland had begun an investigation of its own, after reports of a man bragging to friends about how much money he was making from taking wild peregrine falcon chicks.
High-status racing falcons can sell for up to £250,000 in the Middle East, according to the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). The UK exports more live raptors than any other country, and the United Arab Emirates is the largest importer.”
Giliath is all about town. He would do well to follow Ervie and Dad!
Lewis loves bones and he should be excellent at incubation and rolling those eggs once they arrive. Way to go Lewis!
At the Captiva Osprey nest, we have Jack and I think it is Lady Friend #7. But I could be wrong! It feels like a revolving door on this nest!
It doesn’t matter how big or old they are, eaglets still like to be fed by Mum. Cal and Lusa are not except at the Captiva Eagle nest of Connie and Clive.
The Dahlgren nest of Jack and Harriet is back .
Here is the link:
Arthur has been busy bringing sticks to the nest he is fixing up for Big Red. Expecting eggs after the middle of March.
‘L’ sent me a link to a great image of Flaco, the Eurasian Owl, venturing out around Manhattan.
This is making many uneasy. The lowest recorded number of wintering birds in Spain in 40 years.
For my parrot and budgie readers, here is a new article on some viruses that are threatening the health of one parrot, the Orange-bellied. They are considered to be critically endangered.
These gorgeous parrots live in the South of Australia and Tasmania but only breeds in Tasmania, as I understand it. Here is eBird’s description: ”Small grassy-green parrot that feeds on the ground. Bright green and yellow with blue wings and yellow lower belly with a central orange patch, yellowish throat, and thin mid-blue line between eyes. Compare Blue-winged Parrot (olive-green), Rock Parrot (duller olive-green) and Elegant Parrot (yellow-green, more distinct yellow patch in front of eye). Migratory, breeding in tree hollows on button grass moors in southwest Tasmania in summer, and wintering on saltmarsh in coastal Victoria and South Australia. Critically endangered and the subject of substantial conservation efforts. Calls include a soft buzzingchatter and a high-pitched, thin “ziiiit.”
The Government of Tasmania states : “The OBP is one of the most threatened birds in Australia. The wild population, measured at the start of each breeding season, did not exceed 35 birds between 2010 and 2018. According to the criterion of the Recovery Plan, the wild population is neither stable nor increasing. The wild population is not viable without supplementation from captive bird releases to the wild. Recent breeding seasons have provided some hope with 77 birds returning to Melaleuca in 2022, the largest number of returns recorded in over 15 years!.”
“The OBP breeds only within Southwest Tasmania, with the known breeding population concentrated in the Melaleuca region. Birds typically begin to arrive at Melaleuca in late September. Nests are occupied from mid-November and nesting occurs in artificial nest boxes, or where available, hollows of eucalypt trees (typically Eucalyptus nitida). Pairs do not mate for life. The female stays in the nest for several days before the first egg is laid and clutches average 4.6 eggs (range 1–6). Only the female incubates the eggs during the 21-day incubation period. After hatching, the female remains on the nest for 10 days, being fed by the male. After the 10 day brood period, the chicks are fed by both parents before fledging at four to five weeks of age. Fledglings are fed by both parents until the adults depart on the northern migration in February–March. The fledglings typically depart between March and April. Juveniles are also individually colour banded (using leg bands) from nest boxes each year which forms the basis of population studies.”
Sometimes, there are big bonuses for charities. Conservation without Borders is seeking your help to get them an injection of much-needed cash! Make sure you vote. I will post the link as soon as I have it available.
Thank you for being with being with us today. Take care. Have a wonderful day and we will see you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, graphics, streaming cams, articles, and videos that helped me to write my blog this morning: ’L, J’, Eagle Country, FOBBV, Kristen Hulk, NCTC, PIX Cams, WRDC, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Carol Shores Rifkin, JB Sands Wetlands, CLC, IWS/Explore, SK Hideaways, @wfldperegrines, The Guardian, Raptor Persecution UK, PLO, Gracie Shepherd, Window to Wildlife, Bridgette Schwurack, Dahlgren Osprey Cam, @CornellHawks, Manhattan Bird Alert, BirdGuides, Government of Tasmania, and Conservation without Borders.
