Thursday in Bird World

18 July 2024

Hello from Toronto!

A note: If you wish to order a signed copy of Pickles, please write to Connie Dennis at: ospreysofnovascotia@gmail.com

I have to say that having Hugo Yugo snuggle with me all night before I left just broke my heart. She was all big-eyed and rolling around wanting attention, and I was trying to make certain that Mr Crow and the ‘Garden Gang’ were watered and fed. Thank goodness for the generous granddaughter who will be stepping into our shoes and caring for them and all the plants while I am away. ‘The Girls’ have Gary as their ‘cat sitter’. We will see how they do. Most of the time, they prefer not to have a sitter!!!!!!!

It is a mini-break to see different birds and walk around familiar parks that I last saw in March of 2023. I love High Park for its old trees, its abundant black squirrels, and the duck pond. There is a little zoo, and tomorrow, I will take you with me when I revisit it. It is nice and cool. 20 C and hopefully the sun will wake up sometime!

Have a great day everyone! So happy to have you with us.

Let’s start our day with Jackie and Shadow – always a pleasure. No matter what life throws at them they just keep on going, getting their nest ready, playing with those big sticks and doing some amazing chortling.

And then there are Finn and Iris. What an incredible couple. And those two babies of theirs. Seriously gorgeous with that juvenile feathering coming in. Finn had breakfast for Iris and the kids early before the heat set in.

Many tell me that with all the tragedies this year the only nest that they are watching is Iris and Finn’s. Finn is decidedly reliable and my goodness what a year when that is needed. Fish is the only hydration that the ospreys get save for when they head to the river for a good spa moment. Those little ones stay cool because Iris protects them – many Mums do not do suh a super job as her. She is giving these babies her ‘all’ including making certain that they are fed before she eats. I think Iris needs to write Osprey Mothering 101 for some of our females.

I wish that Charlie could get more fish on the nest at Charlo Montana. It is hotter than hot! Lola is a great Mumbrella. Just look at her protecting her two surviving babies.

The oldest at Charlo Montana is being a bit of a crank pot about the fish arrivals. Understandable. It is hot and – please correct me if I am wrong – but they don’t seem to be quite as plentiful during this heat spell.

Lola is looking a wee thin. The females lose approximately 30% of their body weight during nesting season. I wonder if it is more during an extended heat dome like they have in Montana?

Only Bob at McEuan Park has a nice crop. No rewind so very difficult to actually catch a feeding. Mum is doing all the heavy lifting at this nest. Dad has not been seen in weeks.

Only Bob at Dunrovin Ranch has a full crop thanks to Dad Swoop and Mum Winnie.

Four antsy to fly osplets at Field Farm. That nest gets smaller every day with these big kiddos. These adults really did a marvellous job in raising FOUR when some could not manage more one. Well done, Mum and Dad.

At Clark PUD, Mum will be hoping that her Only Bob will leave her some fish!

Dad is busy delivering fish to waiting fledglings at Patchogue.

Dad has been getting some nice fish to Mum and Only surviving Bob at the Minneapolis Landscape Arboretum nest.

Dyfi Osprey Project in Wales is proud of their three fledglings this year! Congrats, Idris and Telyn on another remarkable season.

All three are at the nest and hungry. Looks like two have fish dinner with one hoping.

Menhaden report. All I have to do is look at all those boats taking the fish that our osprey require and my blood begins to boil over.

w-0qjq–0www 0EWfvcgrt,`93“““2`4Hopes are high for another osprey couple in South Australia this coming season.

We love our Swallows in Manitoba. They eat so many mosquitoes!

Geemeff’s Daily Report on Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:

Daily summary Wednesday 17th July 2024

Louis & Dorcha are both still around and came to the nest this morning, Louis left around 8am and Dorcha around 9am. No fish were brought and neither one returned to the nest. Nest One had some avian visitors but none of them Ospreys, making for a quiet day on both nests. The season has a bit of a school’s out feeling now and Cam2 switched to night mode before 11pm for the first time tonight, but fingers crossed we see Louis & Dorcha again tomorrow, and perhaps a bonus visit from Garry LV0 soon. The thundery showers didn’t materialise, there was only a light sprinkle of rain causing a few camera diamonds which soon disappeared, but heavy rain is forecast for tonight.

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 23.09.23 (03.53.39); Nest Two 22.55.35 (04.00.16)

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/4wpfSlXahCc Louis & Dorcha meet on the nest but there’s no fish 07.47.28

https://youtu.be/-M7049KwfMA Who does a distant flash flypast? 13.32.33

https://youtu.be/jDOUXZzLinI Coal Tits and a Great Tit visit 15.16.10

Watch the Loch Arkaig Osprey livestream 24/7 and join in the conversation here:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

‘H’s report:

7/17 Osoyoos osprey nest:  Once again, we found the live cam was down in the morning.  When it resumed at 1137, both chicks were hiding out in Soo’s shade.  The first delivery we saw was at 1415.  Olsen dropped off a fish tail… No, not the kind of fish tail that still has a lot of meat attached, but actually just the ‘tail fin’, lol.  I think Olsen may have forgotten how much of that fish he had already eaten.  One of the sibs gladly ate it.  “Thanks a lot, Dad!”   At 1524 Olsen arrived with a medium sized whole fish.  Both siblings ate peacefully during the 8-minute feeding.  The harmony during the meal indicated that they had most likely had a few feedings while the cam was down.  Good.  The last fish of the day was a small fish provided by Soo at 1627.  And once again, the chicks ate in peace. This evening, both chicks were doing some mini-wingers.  Osoyoos reached 100F on 7/17.  Weather forecast for 7/18: Sunny, high 100F/38C, light winds. 

7/17 Colonial Beach:  The fish count at this nest has dropped the past several days.  The area has been warm, averaging mid 90’s.  Today was 93-95F, sunny with 12-19 mph winds.  So has the weather been hampering David’s fishing success?  There were four fish brought to the nest, and three of them were from Betty.  The osplets are 22 and 23 days old.  Due to aggression from Big, Little has not had very much to eat for a couple of days.  David delivered a large headless fish at 0710.  Little was beaked right away, and then intermittently as Big was eating.  Big moved away from Betty at 0737, and Little was able to eat 13 bites before being beaked.  Big resumed eating.  At the end of the meal. Little was able to eat an additional 8 bites and the fish tail. Little had no discernable crop.  Eight hours passed before the next fish arrived.  Betty had taken it upon herself to go fishing.  Betty delivered large fish at 1410, 1535, and 1740.  Even though the fish were large, Big prevented Little from eating.  Big just ate and ate and ate, and intermittently beaked Little.  At the 1740 feeding, Little made his way over to the other side of Betty, and she fed him 3 bites of fish before Big leaped across in front of Betty to beak Little.  As the evening progressed, Little simply looked emaciated, and weak.  Little may not survive the night.  David and Betty are both thought to be first-time parents.  Because Betty has demonstrated fishing success, ‘Dorothy A’., the Mod on the chat stated: “Well I think it is fair to say that fishing is not the problem here.  It is a first time dad not knowing fully how it works!”   …. What a shame.

7/17 Forsythe osprey nest:  Larry fledged two days ago, and he seems to be having a blast.  He’s flying around that marsh like he owns it, lol.  Opal and Oscar are providing Larry with plenty of fish to fuel his adventures.

Thanks, Heidi.

‘PB’ sent us a morning look at Port of Ridgefield. They sure don’t want their one and only to fledge. Its crop is so full, it couldn’t get lift off if it tried. LOL.

Hartley and Monty finall get some quiet time!

I know you probably will not believe me, but it is time to begin thinking about ‘those birds down under’ that will soon be laying eggs and raising eyases – like dear Xavier and Diamond. I am always grateful that the Northern Hemisphere falcons have finished their season when the Aussies come into play.

Suzanne Arnold Horning continues to track down Big Red and Arthur’s Ns on the Cornell Campus. Word is they have avoided any and all disasters and are doing very well towards being totally independent of their parents.

Ever see a Laysan Albatross take its first flight? Probably not. Have a look at a video by our friend Hob Osterlund. This flight took place on Kauai, Hawaii.

Kristel had two prey deliveries on the 17th. One was part of a hare delivered by Mum, and the second was a Columbid – Kristel was so hungry. Columbid’s have red feet and are members of the pigeon and dove family. Kristel waseating bones before the prey deliveries. After she had a massive crop.

Thank you so very much for being with us today. Take care! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, H, PB’, Baiba, Montana Osprey Project, Charlo Montana, McEuen Park, Dunrovin Ranch, Field Farm, Clark PUD, PSEG, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Dyfi Osprey Project, Menhaden- Little Fish, Big Deal FB, Fran Solly, The Guardian, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, SK Hideaways, Nesting Bird Life, Suzanne Arnold Horning, Hob Osterlund, Eagle Club of Estonia, Looduskalender, Osoyoos, Colonial Beach, and Forsythe Ospreys.