Tuffy’s great day…Wednesday in Bird World

10 April 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Spring is here and the geese continue to fly in. The songbirds are quickly following! The Prairies are waking up from a not-so-bad winter.

This pair of Geese kept their eyes on me while I read my book and sipped some mint tea at the nature centre. It was a perfect afternoon to fall asleep in the warm sunshine.

The Blue Jays – now six – are coming to the garden and have difficulty deciding which peanut to take when there is a big pile! It is incredible how long they ponder the selection if Dyson is not rushing them. The squirrels and the Blue Jays have arranged to take turns at the feeder.

This is the one!

After the other birds and squirrels are gone, the Black-capped Chickadees arrive for seeds. They are making a nest in a Blue Spruce tree in the front garden to my sheer delight.

Dyson and the kits are now moulting. Everyone survived the winter. It feels so good to see all of them.

‘The Girls’ are fantastic and I will get some new images tomorrow for you.

Did Tuffy figure it out? Did Mum Sally position herself so that her little one could get on one side away from Ruffy? We won’t know, but both happened and Tuffie got most of the breakfast on Tuesday!

‘H’ reports: “At 0820 Harry brought a whole fish to the nest.  The usual feeding scenario took place between the siblings.  Tuffy got a couple of quick bites, then was beaked by Ruffie.  Over the next 20 minutes or so, Ruffie made sure that Tuffie could not eat.  Tuffie had been slowly moving around to the other side of Sally, and at 0845 Tuffie started to receive more bites from Sally.  Ruffie appeared to be thinking about acting tough, but ultimately decided to let Tuffy eat.  Tuffy had a private feeding for the rest of the meal.  There was a break for a minute as Sally was alarming due to an intruder, and both osplets pancaked, but then the feeding of Tuffy resumed.  Tuffy had eaten at least 110 bites of fish by 0901, and then he moved away from Sally.  Sally finished the fish.”

Harry brought in a second headless large fish at 11:24. Tuffy was in a bad position and did not move up to eat at the beginning. Sally was hungry and fed herself and Ruffy. At 11:28 after scooting around, Tuffy got in position and Sally gave him a bite of fish. Tuffy moved a bit and returned, had some more bites before Ruffy approached and Tuffy backed away afraid of being beaked.

‘H’ reports: “Harry brought a headless fish at 1122.   Tuffy automatically moved away instinctively to avoid being attacked by Ruffie..  Ruffie was fed.  Tuffy did try to approach the feeding a few times, but shrank away after getting the ‘stink eye’ from Ruffie.  At 1130 Ruffie backed up to PS, and Tuffie got one bite.  Ruffie returned to eat.  At 1132 Ruffie went out of her way to move across the nest and beak Tuffy even though Tuffy was nowhere near Sally.  Tuffy got a bite of fish at 1135.  At 1136 Ruffie was full and moved away from the table.  Then Tuffy ate until 1142, when he started refusing Sally’s offerings.  Tuffy was crop dropping at 1145, then he ate some more.  More crop dropping by Tuffy at 1147, and by 1148 Tuffy  was just too full to eat any more and turned away.  At 1150 Ruffy returned for a few more bites, but quit at 1153.  Sally finished the fish.  Tuffy ate at least 53 bites of fish at this meal.

At 1514 Harry delivered a small-ish whole fish.  Tuffy did not initially make a great effort to get to the table, nevertheless, Ruffie beaked and harassed him.  And, while Ruffie was eating she took the time to pivot and harass Tuffy a few times.  By 1532 the fish was gone.  Zero bites for Tuffy.”

Tuffy is aware of Ruffy’s every move and chooses not to be beaked. Instead, Tuffy will move away. He will return and get a nice private feeding.

‘H’ catches us up at Moorings Park: “At 1602, less than an hour after Harry delivered the last fish, he dropped off a headless fish.  Ruffie should have been full from her last recent meal, which would have favored Tuffy’s chances of eating…but, it didn’t work out that way.  Ruffy blocked every attempt made by Tuffy to get up closer to Sally’s beak.  The fish was gone by 1624.  Tuffy did not eat.Wow, good for Harry, he brought the third fish in two hours time… a nearly whole fish at 1715.  Tuffy started to get bites at 1718, and ate a total of 14 bites before Ruffie beaked him.  By 1724, Tuffy was back at the table, and was eating freely beside Ruffie.  Tuffy ate 59 bites by the end of the meal and then Sally found 5 scraps to give to him.  Total for Tuffy = 64 bites.

Total bites for Tuffy so far today: at least 227 bites of fish.

That was not the end of Harry’s fishing. ‘H’ has a last report for us unless Harry brings in another fish!

“At 1822 Harry delivered a large headless fish (6th fish of the day).  The osplets ate side by side for the entire meal.  I did not count bites for Ruffie, but it really seemed that Tuffy had more to eat than Ruffie.  Total bites of fish for Tuffie at this meal = at least 121.

Total fish bites to Tuffie so far today = 348.”

Tuffy having bites of fish this morning:

‘A’ brings us news of Angel and Tom: “After a no-show day on 8 April (related to the eclipse?), we were graced with a brief afternoon visit from Angel and Tom today. She arrived at 4.41.39pm, with Tom flying in soon afterwards (4.42:22pm). Interestingly, neither brought any nesting material with them. Angel just stood in the middle of the nest, surveying her surroundings. Tom stood on the side of the nest, watching her intently. She clears any fallen debris out of her nest bowl. Tom seems fascinated by that nest bowl. She then moves a couple of sticks. Again, Tom watches her every move, giving her actions his absolutely total attention. After Tom flies off at 4.43:39. Angel remains until shortly after  4.45pm, flying off at 4.45.1The behaviour was interesting today. There was no nest-building material brought in, and the only nest arrangement that was done (by Angel) involved moving a couple of items that had fallen into or over the nest bowl since their last visit on 7 April. Before she left, Angel did a big rouse, which began with her feathers slowly standing up a bit, until she look like she was wearing a puffer jacket. Then the rouse. Then the gradual lowering of the feathers back to their usual ‘flat to the skin’ positioning. It was fascinating to watch. Searching as we are for any sign that Angel is going to give us an egg at any moment, I am wondering whether this puffed-up eggy’ look she has is just my imagination, and whether the fact that they have finished the building phase and are only lining the nest bowl with bark etc (6 April and 7 April) or moving things that have blown or fallen down over the nest bowl. So that should mean that eggs MUST be nigh. Surely. We wait, talons crossed. Speaking of which, how absolutely exquisite are Angel’s ‘nails’? She must be at the nail salon every week to have them looking like that. So perfect. She is such a miracle of nature. I give thanks every time I get to see her on cam. And what a handsome, healthy falcon Tom looks this season. I cannot wait to see him being a mature dad this time around. “

How many would have liked to have transported either or both of the NCTC or Hanover eaglets to the nest of Shadow and Jackie?

Morning diamonds pouring down on the dreams of these two Big Bear Eagles.

Jackie partially buries the eggs Tuesday morning.

The time passes so quickly and Lady and Dad are working on that nest in the Sydney Olympic Forest!

Meanwhile, in the UK, Threave is wishing for their first egg.

At Dunrovin, Swoop arrived and Harriet was not there. She is late. Will she return this year?

Swoop waits…

Geemeff writes excitedly: Now all three, Prince, Garry LV0 and Affric 152, are back – the Lochenders soap opera continues! —– This is the old nest of Louis and Dorcha at Loch Arkaig.

We need to be ever so thankful for those little eaglets that did survive this year. So many nests failed alongside the many tragic moments. ‘J’ has been keep track of the Bald Eagles and this is the tally this morning:

Overview Chicks:
111 eggs
67 chicks
2 died
1 got killed by sibling
2 got killed by dad
1 rescued
3 fledged

No chicks this season:
Big Bear still incubating 3 non-viable eggs
Chippewa Falls both eggs did not hatch
Dulles Greenway abandoned
Hanover died within hour, killed by it’s dad
KNF E1 abandoned due to Anna’s death
KNF E3 abandoned due to Andria’s death
NEFL one lost in nest, one abandoned
Pittsburgh Hayes crushed egg
Sauces crushed egg
Two Harbors nonviable egg

Deb Stecyk and what happened on Monday.

Thankfully everything is positively fine with Claire and Irvin’s new arrival at US Steel.

So far all is well at Fort St Vrain and their new arrival in Colorado, too.

The pair at Decorah North have thermal down and don’t look anything like those little cutie pies in the golden sun last week – and thank goodness for that. They are growing and doing well.

The trio at Little Miami Conservancy are – so far – doing fantastic. Quietly think of the effort these parents have to make to feed a family of five!

Viper at Bluff City is huge! Mum Frances protects the only surviving chick (siblicide) in the rain and is well-fed as it gets its juvenile plumage.

Franklin flew in with a big fish dinner around 1831 for Frances and Viper.

Leaper and Jersey are doing well. How long ago was it when we worried that little Jersey would survive? Well, a change of fortune at Duke Farms certainly changed that – juvenile feathers coming in nicely now.

A comments: “Watch the 10.45am (9 April) feeding from Duke Farms today. Mum brings in a nice fresh whole fish and Jersey is at the table when she arrives. He stays there without any sign of submission. He just sits up at the table, waiting for mum to prepare a bite. Leaper lumbers up beside him and he does not move. He does not duck his head or even lean away. He just waits for his food. Leaper sits nicely beside him. When the first bite is ready, mum offers it to Jersey (she has moved the fish slightly to one side so that Jersey is favoured) and he takes it without any hesitation. Not even a glance to check on Leaper’s mood or position. It was MAGNIFICENT. This nest is a triumph for our wonderful mum. It made me SO happy. “

Just look at those crops!

In Scotland, Louis is making certain that Dorcha is well fed and strong for the new breeding season.

Good thing for all that fish – watch this stick display in fast motion.

News coming from Paula in the Forum at San Jose City Hall Falcons from ‘AE’:

Here is the video!

https://fb.watch/rlvtNO9nhS

Incubation time has been going smoothly most days with an occasional floater coming thru but nothing of a concern so far. :-). Monty has really matured into a really great mate for Hartley. He comes in fairly early to give Hartley a break from all those overnight hours of incubation duty. Hartley takes full advantage of her breaks and at times is very hard to find taking her breaks. This morning I was lucky enough to capture her as she flew up to the cam 2 bar that attaches it to the roof of the City Hall building. Sometimes we will find a bit of her tail feathers to let us know she is up there OR finding the shadow of the full bar may give us a clue.

Have a wonderful day!
—
Paula A.
Forum Moderator

Archie’s has a nap while waiting for his turn to incubate the eggs at The Campanile.

At the Achieva Osprey nest, it has been noticed that one of the eggs has collapsed and is now bean-shaped. We will have to wait and see if any of the eggs are viable and what will happen to this one. My understanding is there is no obvious pip – the shell just began collapsing over the course of the day.

That egg is clearly crushed this morning.

Everything and more you wanted to know about Osprey eggs. I had hoped to find more information on these collapsing eggs. Is it humidity or is it something else?

There is a new streaming cam at the Port of Ridgefield Osprey platform. It is run by Clark Public Utilities in Washington State.

Good news at Abernathy.

The water is beginning to thaw in Finland. Ospreys returning soon.

Bradley and Mum were seen eating fish together at Delamere. I continue to marvel at this wonderful year at Port Lincoln and the fact that brother Ervie is often seen with Bradley, Gil, Mum, and Dad, too.

Congratulations E23. You have now passed the 100 day mark and are 101 days old! What a fabulous season you, your Dad M15 and your new mum, F23 gave us.

Fraser Point kiddos have so many bugs in their nest but they are doing fine.

Maya continues to be monitored at Rutland Water. Please send her positive wishes.

We are in agony when any of our little raptors die. Imagine the beautiful Hen Harrier chicks stomped to death in their nest or shot from the sky after fledging. This happens consistently near the grouse moor hunting estates in the UK. When will society have enough of this killing simply to protect the sport of grouse hunting?

New laws are coming into place, but will they be enough? And will the law provide the kinds of sentences and fines to finally deter this medieval practice?

I want to close with a rescue. You might have seen it, but it makes our hearts warm and glad when a human reaches out and gives a second chance to one of raptors and that is precisely what happened to a Bald Eagle.

The news comes from World Bird Sanctuary: On 3/23/24, a fisherman noticed 2 Bald Eagles floating in the Mississippi River. One was making its way to shore and flew off once it reached land. The other appeared to be drowning, struggling to keep her head above water. The fisherman was able to haul the bird up onto a bank and called Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) for help. MDC picked up the exhausted eagle and transported her to our hospital for care. Upon arrival, the eagle, now patient number 24-120, appeared near death. She was limp when picked up from the transport box, unable to even hold her head up. She was suffering from hypothermia and was soaked down to the skin from her swim in the river. Her breathing was wet and heavy. In this condition, the stress of being handled for an exam could be enough to kill her so our only treatment option was to provide her with heat and oxygen support and hope she survived the night.

24-120 was placed into our eagle oxygen therapy unit and propped up in a support of dry towels to both absorb some of the moisture and put her in a more comfortable breathing position. In the morning, we were delighted to find her standing and alert. An exam showed bruising to her left wrist as well as to the top of her head and her face around both eyes. The pattern of bruising makes us suspect that it was from impact with the water and that head trauma from the impact likely contributed to her inability to swim to shore.

24-120 recovered quickly and was ready for release after 2 weeks in care! It was windy at release time but 24-120 was up for catching the breeze to gain altitude. The MDC officer who picked her up was able to be there to open the door and send her on her way back to the skies! We are so grateful to fellow organizations and individuals who care about our bird species and help make our mission possible. This bird would not have survived without the fisherman who pulled her ashore and the MDC officer who rapidly responded and transported her to our hospital.

Thank you to everyone for being with us today. It was certainly a good day for Tuffy. I hope that you, like me and ‘H’, are beginning to feel that this nest is turning around and that the little one who longs to live so much will thrive!

As always, a first big thank you to ‘H’ for her diligence in keeping up with Tuffy. Thank you also to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, AE, Geemeff, H, J, MP’, Moorings Park Ospreys, Window to Wildlife, FOBBV, Gaye Kelly, Threave Ospreys NTS, Kitty Carlyle, Red Wing, Deb Stecyk, Gracie Shepherd, Jenna Dorsey, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Little Miami Conservancy, Bluff City-ETSU, Duke Farms, Geemef, Paul-San Jose City Hall Falcon Cam, JB Sands Wetlands, SK Hideaways, Osprey Camera Blog, Clark PUD, Jeff Kerr-Abernathy, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Port Lincoln Ospreys, SW Florida Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore, Oakhum Nub News, World Bird Sanctuary, and The Guardian.