Tuesday in Bird World

3 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It is our area’s first day of school – always the day after Labour Day and, for parents and children, it marks the end of summer. The weather certainly doesn’t indicate the end of summer and crisp air. It was a sunny, hot 26 C on Monday. Everyone was enjoying the last holiday before our Thanksgiving, which is in mid-October (unlike the American one, which is in November).

We went to check on the fields north of the City. Migrating birds depend on leftover grain from the harvest. In the evening, these fields could be full of Canada Geese and gulls fattening up for their long trips. Twenty-five flew over our garden this evening at 1930.

In this same area are quarries—old and new. The old ones, now long deserted, have filled with water and are home to ducks, geese, the local deer, which are here year-round, and all other types of wildlife. They are quiet spaces away from humans, leaving the animals to ‘do their thing’.

It doesn’t look very secure, but there are security guards around 24/7 that can arrive quickly if notified.

‘The Girls’ had their party. The marking of having Calico and Baby Hope as part of our family for a full year still brings tears to my eyes when I think of dear Calico living in the cold winter, having been dumped by her former family. It just hurts me to my core, even though I know she is happy, healthy, and much loved now. She is also safe, and we are triple-checking that garden door so that she doesn’t run out until the locksmith can get here. The four have brought more joy to us than can be imagined. Hugo Yugo will be a year old, and in late November, we will celebrate her year with us. She is not the tiny kitten that arrived. She is still the smallest but also the ‘boss’ of everyone else.

There were hard treats (some healthy for teeth), squeeze treats, catnip, several small new toys with a Halloween theme, and a new scratch post. The top hits were: catnip, squeezy treats, and the scratch post. They can certainly make a mess of things very quickly!

Baby Hope and Hugo Yugo were the first to check out all the goodies. Within seconds, Hugo Yugo had claimed the catnip that was inteded for Calico!

Missey was over at the new scratch post marking it before you could blink while waiting for the squeezy treats.

Calico decided that the catnip was truly hers and Hugo Yugo needed to scat!

Then Hugo Yugo wanted the scratch post!

Baby Hope didn’t like all the bother on the table and preferred playing with the stick toy and little frilly things.

Calico was the last to leave the party enjoying the reclining aspect of the scratching post and the catnip.

They seemed to have a good time. They have given such joy and comfort this past year. Life could never be the same without them and I thank my lucky stars every day (many times a day) that fate sent them my way. ‘J’ says, “Happy Einzugstag!!. That’s what I call it, “move-in-day“. Congratulations to all of you for finding each other to build a new family!!!”

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Calico Approved: With four cats and a complete dislike for cat hair and cat food (it almost makes me sick), I am always on the look out for the perfect thing to remove cat hair. I think I found it today! It was my present from the party!!!!!!

It worked so well. 10 Paw Prints!

Moving on to our birds – eagles continue to arrive, geese are flying south, falcons are incubating in the Southern Hemisphere along with the Ospreys.

Heidi has worked really, really hard on this video summary of Mispillion Harbour in Delaware. These summaries are so difficult. Hours and hours of footage and no professional equipment. So bravo, Heidi.

Please go and watch her efforts, give her a thumbs up and subscribe to her channel. She deserves every like she gets! This nest, and it is a wonderful one, has been overlooked until she started monitoring it. Thank you so much. https://youtu.be/IOTOSegZTsU

Moving over to Montana –

Video on how they track the Montana Ospreys that are ringed:

https://youtu.be/lFQUgAXcF88?

Poor Diamond tried to get in the scrape and the wind was horrific. Xavier watched his mate struggle. https://youtu.be/SMFeIZ1hrM8?

Geemeff has created a summary of the entire season at Loch Arkaig for The Woodland Trust – and us! Thank you, Geemeff, for all the video summaries and your dedication to this nest and sharing all with us. We look forward to another season next year with dear Louis an Dorcha!

Daily summary Monday 2nd September 2024

Back to wet and windy weather so no activity on either nest, no change expected tonight or tomorrow. The nights are lengthening rapidly, today’s cam switchover times are: Nest One 21.04.58 (05.43.42); Nest Two 20.57.16 (05.51.13)

Here is the synopsis for Loch Arkaig’s 2024 roller coaster Season Eight: 

Louis arrived at 15.18.38 on Thursday 28 March 

Dorcha arrived at 14.21.27 on Saturday 30 March 

First Egg laid 11.13.47 Sunday 14 April 

Second egg laid 05.55.52 Wednesday 17 April

Dorcha is injured in an Eagle attack 11.08 Friday 19 April

Third egg laid 02.26.08 Saturday 20 April

First chick hatched 06.16.48 Wednesday 22 May

Second chick hatched 22.26.15 Wednesday 22 May

Third chick hatched 16.36.10 Friday 24 May

Sad death of little Chick3 approx 19.02 Sunday 16 June

Louis last seen Wednesday 26 June 

Louis returns with fish, uninjured but definitely not himself Saturday 29 June

Chicks 1&2 are removed to a translocation programme Monday 1 July

Chicks ringed with Spanish yellow Darvic rings: C1 – 1JW & C2 – 1JR  Thursday 11 July

Sadly 1JR started having seizures and succumbed to a heart condition Tuesday 23rd July

FLEDGE! The surviving chick 1JW found his wings and flew 3pm Thursday 25 July 

Dorcha last seen on camera on Nest One 11.19.43 Saturday 27 July

Louis last seen on camera on Nest Two 13.31.18 Tuesday 30 July

And the regular visitors:

Garry LV0 last seen 13.35.57 Wednesday 22 August (first seen 9 April)

Affric 152 last seen 15.09.07 Saturday 17 August (first seen 10 April)

Prince last seen 09.24.01 Saturday 29 June (first seen 1 April)

Today’s videos: none

Bonus guide – Meteorological Autumn started yesterday, WT explain the tell-tale signs showing nature gearing up for the next season:

https://woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/08/first-signs-of-autumn

I mentioned Finnegan as new Dad of the Year and, of course, forget another amazing Dad who helped raise four. Archie! ‘B’ writes, “You know, I have to agree with you that Finnegan gets a “New Dad of the Year” award.  It has been so amazing to see Finnegan arrive at Hellgate, completely displace Louis, and be such a wonderful mate for Iris and super dad to Sum-eh and Antali.  But what is also amazing is that in any other year Archie would be the runaway New Dad of the Year, showing up for Annie at Cal and being such a great dad to Aurora, Eclipse, Sol, and our dear Nox.  It has just been a really good year for new dads all around!”

It is hard to believe but those little sea eaglets are doing wingers and have pin feathers. What is it with time? It is passing so quickly! Soon they will be scampering all over the nest! https://youtu.be/trE2K9UQTSA?

There is some really sad news coming out of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. There is a possibility that the entire family is no longer with us. I had thought that I had seen Dad on the nest, but it turns out it was the intruder as there was no federal band (that was the Wednesday). This is so very, very sad.

Black MS – was banded in 2002 at the nest off of Kings Point Road just north of HWY 7 and Carver Park Reserve in Hennepin County, Minnesota. In 2024, he is 22 years old.

Both juveniles and at least one adult (if not two – both Beaumont and Hope) are at home on the Newfoundland Power nest on Snow Lane.

Want to know how important it is that fishing be regulated to support wildlife and not industry? No Menhaden came into the Potomac. Few, if any, of the Colonial Beach ospresy survived. They starved to death. It is a sobering read and please do sit down with a cuppa and write to people in power and let them know that you care before the ospreys are starved out of existence.

Virginia is fighting for its wildlife. The contacts are in the file below. Please help them!

Iris is still with us. She was on the nest fish calling a couple of times on Monday. Antali was fish calling late afternoon.

Nesting Bird Life and More caught Finnegan delivering a magnificent fish to Antali. https://youtu.be/0UiClVDZq2c?

Aran is still delivering fish to two fledglings at Glaslyn. Elen and one juvenile have departed for migration.

News from the Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross at Orange. Mark those calendars!

I did not catch them on rewind but Pa and Missey were at the Berry College Eagle nest making nestorations Monday morning.

Jolene and Boone were caught by Sara A making nestorations at Johnson City: https://youtu.be/bFvDiI8-HIY?

Beau has been at the nest. Observers have noted some scratches, etc., to his feet due to territorial protection. Gosh, I wish him and Gabby could cut a break this year.

Annie and Archie have been courting around The Campanile. https://youtu.be/wS94ETIf-14?

At the Dunrovin nest, beautiful Junebug on the perch and a huge fish comes to the nest!

C16 at the Charlo nest with a huge crop later in the day.

At Sandpoint, River has been on and off the nest all day according to the local observers. The camera is offline.

Pam Breci caught up with Niagara Bee ospreys:

White YW is still at Foulshaw Moss but all fledglings and Blue 35 have departed. He should be heading south shortly.

Thank you so much for being with us today. We are glad to have you here. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, H, J’, Heidi Mc, Montana Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Olympic Park Eagles, Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch, Newfoundland Power, Virginia Osprey Foundation, Nesting Bird Life and More, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Holly Parsons, Sara A, Dunrovin Ranch, Charlo Montana Ospreys, Sandpoint Ospreys, and Pam Breci.