8 September 2024
Good Morning Everyone,
It’s Sunday, and we are up early because———it is haircut day. Hugo Yugo is crying for food after having to sleep ‘only’ on the silk pillowcase, shoving me off at some point in the middle of the night. What a girl! And today, we will decide whether or not we make the trip west to Saskatchewan to see the Sandhill and Whopping crane migration. We had hoped to see them here, but our location is not right.
Saturday was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, and the wind was gusting a bit, helping keep everyone cool. It was 25 C. As we headed out to check on Pelicans and Cormorants and then the marsh, skeins (or wedges) of Canada Geese flew overhead. Their migration is underway. We will be heading out to two special evenings watching the geese land at dusk. I hope to get some good videos for you!
Did you know? “This corkscrew updraft is called a tip vortex, enabling the geese to save considerable energy during long flights. The V-formation may also enhance birds’ ability to see and hear each other, thus avoiding mid-air collisions.” (BirdNote.org)
That chevron or ‘V’ has brilliant science behind it. Do you know why geese and some other species fly in this formation?
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/gKY8woHV5YTPjEqN
The American White Pelicans are still here. At least a third of the Pelicans in North American come to Manitoba to breed during the summer.
There were Cormorants – at a great distance sunning on the rocks while the geese were paddling in the river!
At the wetlands, there were two Trumpeter Swans, Four American White Pelicans, a few ducks of various species including Green-wing Teals and Ruddies, and lots of geese. We also saw a juvenile bald eagle, a kestrel, and a hawk – I could not idenitfy the species.
Oh, I do not long for winter to arrive!
Geemeff’s daily summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust.
Daily summary Saturday 7th September 2024
No activity on the nests but lots of sunshine and an atmospheric sunrise and a colourful sunset today made for pleasant viewing. It’s nearly time when this comments page will close for the winter, but the livestreams will still be available on YouTube, for as long as the solar panels remain active – not always easy given a typical Scottish winter. In fact, just having the nest cams livestreaming at all in such a remote area is quite a feat, read more here: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/behind-the-scenes/. Grateful thanks to People’s Postcode Lottery for funding the Osprey cams. Forecast tonight is for mist and fog, then cloudy tomorrow and rain on Monday.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.01.49 (05.34.18); Nest Two 21.10.50 (05.47.07)
Today’s videos: none
Bonus read – the vital role of managing the Woodland Trust’s estate for wildlife conservation:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/vital-role-managing-woodland-trusts-estate-wildlife-sam-tarrant-z3spe
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/MLfW-peV_XQ N1 Lachlan’s first landing 2017 (thanks Scylla)
https://youtu.be/I0uoAC0dlUQ N1 Louis brings fish for Lachlan 2017 (thanks Scylla)
https://youtu.be/_FLrEFyGezQ N1 They’re gone: nest is empty except for a songbird 2020
https://youtu.be/aeXz-KzosR4 N2 Sarafina, Hoodies, Louis, a fish and a flypast 2022
https://youtu.be/MG1nx4CSbgE N2 Four types of little birds visit the empty nest 2022
https://youtu.be/o7A0pWVlZuk N2 Louis brings Sarafina a mackerel 2022
https://youtu.be/vp8aULxjQAY N1 Great Tit (Parus major) investigates the empty nest 2023
https://youtu.be/39uwe2TbACQ N1 Giant spider caught on night cam 2023
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
Looks like the Tweed Valley osprey nest is empty til the spring of 2025.
Did you know that loons can row with their wings?
If you head over to Rutland Water’s FB page, you will find their video summary of the year.
Here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/G_Tlv7-sxFM?
At Hellgate Canyon, Finnegan delivered an early day fish to Antali. Antali spent time on and off the nest hoping for another. Maybe he was fed off nest, too??
Antali is going to miss those fish deliveries. Mum brings one in for dinner. Today is September 8. This is, I believe, the latest day that Iris has stayed in Hellgate Canyon. Will she stay longer because of Antali and her own need to fatten up for migration?
C16 is also still home and getting some fish, too.
Two beautiful juveniles and at least one adult still at home at Newfoundland Power’s Snow Lane nest.
It was a bit of a ‘twittler’, but the Cowlitz PUD juvenile got a fish delivery! So Dad and Baby are still at the nest.
The Marder’s Osprey Cam always gives me a headache. You can’t properly rewind although there is a rewind function. There are still two juveniles at the nest and they are getting fish deliveries. This nest is on Long Island.
See what I mean.
Keo brought River a really super fish at 17:05. River has been on and off the perch and was seen diving and coming to the nest wet. Maybe this little one has caught a fish? or is really trying!
Note: Images of this nest could be disturbing to some. There is hunger at the Niagara Bee nest. There are two juveniles alive after one was presumably killed overnight on Friday. The raccoon fed on the juvenile’s body as did one of its siblings – presumably, that chick was very hungry! Another juvenile had a fish. The main predators of ospreys are Bald Eagles and GHOs in North America. We can other raptors in different locations. Raccoons are normally known for eating osprey eggs, not killing juveniles. We await news from Niagara Bee on what did happen – I do not want to speculate.
This nest needs a predator baffle installed asap.
Xavier and Diamond are hilarious. Their antics can put a smile on anyone. https://youtu.be/PPhBuxPVHIk?
Gabby was at the nest late Saturday. The visitor with the necrotic feet was also there earlier. The AEF cannot confirm that this is A1 from last year.
That is not Beau on the nest with Gabby, but the visitor with the necrotic feet.
I did not see an eagle at the Kisatchie Eagle E-1 nest, but there are sure lots of turtle shells!
Suzanne Arnold Horning found Big Red and Arthur. They are safe and well.
‘R’ sent us an article in their local paper about the decline in songbirds. Thank you! It is a growing issue internationally.
Look at the birds on the move. Let’s put out food, leave them water, and turn out the lights! If you are curious about how migration is going, please check out BirdCast. 367 million birds. Imagine.
Want to watch hawks migrate? If you live near PA, go to Hawk Mountain. If you live near San Francisco, go to Hawk Hill!
It is once again that time of year when I ask you to please leave the leaves.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We look forward to having you with us again soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, PB, RP’, Birdnote.org, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Loon Preservation Society, Rutland Osprey Project, Montana Osprey Project, Charlo Montana Ospreys, Newfoundland Power Snow Lane Ospreys, Cowlitz PUD, Marder’s Osprey Cam, Sandpoint Ospreys, Niagara Bee Group Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, NEFL-AEF, KNF-E1, Suzanne Arnold Horning, Standard Journal.com, BirdCast, All About Birds, and Shannon Marie for Serendipity.
Wow, I have never seen so many pelicans together before! And I never knew there that many Hawk Watch places. Thanks for the blog today. Hope songbirds are in your garden 😊♥️
Pelicans. We have Pelicans everywhere. They show up in the strangest of places as long as there are fish. I was very upset as there were people fishing so close to the pelicans that they could have caught them in their hooks. I phoned but the officers that are supposed to monitor these situatins are thin on the ground.