Saturday in Bird World

23 November 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I woke to a note from Geemeff about the citizens, osprey lovers, of Montana filing suit against the fish hatchery killing ospreys! Well done. Let’s see how this turns out. Sure put a smile on my face.

Lawsuit blasts Montana fish hatchery’s bird-killing permit

A 20 year old osprey was photographed in Senegal today. Rutland’s 30 (05). Wow.

I have been living in Canada since I turned 20. So you will forgive me, if I got Thanksgiving wrong again. ‘B’ explains I almost got it and I am just rolling over laughing. How could one holiday be so complicated in figuring out when it is? ‘B’ wrote: “Hi Mary Ann —  Almost!  Actually, Thanksgiving is the 4th Thursday in November, which is usually the last Thursday in November, but not always.  If either the 29th or 30th is a Thursday, it would be the 5th Thurs of the month and would not be Thanksgiving.” Forgive this Canadian!

It is Friday a little past noon and the snowflakes have been falling. Right now they are dancing in the wind creating a beautiful white carpet for the green grass to show through. I wish a couple of Canada Geese would come and chew all this green grass up! They would enjoy it compared to the dead spikes at the park. Mr and Mrs Crow arrived in time to get a lot of peanuts this morning along with Junior and the Missus. They beat out the squirrels who strangely were not at the feeders when I opened the door! It is good to see them all safe – there is a count every day. I so wish Dyson and her kits wouldn’t cross the streets! The Boyfriend completely ignored the little house. So…do I go and get a lot of straw and try and find one of those kiddie pools and fill it and put it under the deck? He is sleeping there sometimes for when I call ‘Kitty, Kitty’ really loud, his head comes up from under the deck and he smiles at me. If he isn’t here, I wake up the neighbourhood calling him and within a couple of minutes, he is at the door.

If you live in the UK, there is a new radio series coming about famous people and their love of nature and wildlife. Did you know Kate Blanchett was a beekeeper? Gosh, I wish I could figure out how to get Radio 4. I am going to work on that this weekend.

With the snow arriving, it is time to think about feeding birds. In the summer they can often find their own seed, but here in the winter, no. Here are some tips from Audubon to get you going:

The new MN-DNR cam is getting a lot of publicity. All I can remember is the nest falling with that beautiful chick of Nancy’s (and wasn’t his name Beau, too?). https://youtu.be/YK6koLpwbLI?

Here is the link to the MN-DNR live cam: https://www.youtube.com/live/5tECFd82AZQ?

Yes, you are missing Bubba at Growing Home. Bubba fledged about a week ago and then the camera went off a few days later. The owner is finished building his house and that was what the crane was used for…but, did he leave the crane up so Bubba could return for a month or more like other fledgling ospreys? And might Jamie Durie put up a platform for the pair of ospreys? Heidi first alerted us to the issue.

Wow. The fish were far apart and Wilko and Kasse are hungry. I am so glad that Mum controls the fish and won’t let Wilko take it so Kasse has none. If it wasn’t for Mum, these kids would – well, I won’t go there. I am really hoping that Fish Fairy has a basket of fish today. They need a big feed!

Yesterday.

Waiting. Mum was so hungry she caught and early fish and ate it herself on the ropes. I hope the fairies come through.

Rain came. Wilko and Kasse still waiting for food.

They see someone coming.

Dad came through with ‘something’. Gosh, golly. They are excited, but how big is it?

Wilko is eating skin and there is another bite or so for Kasse (I think I have them right – hard to tell when they are wet). They need more food. This is just a snack. Mum starts yelling after the feeding is over. Then she flies off the nest. Gone fishing?

The latest Sea Eagle news from Ranger Judy:

There was a Currawong on the nest on Saturday.

Gabby and Beau woke up early, before the sun rose on their nest, and began work. Beau left, Gabby stayed and it looks like both have been coming and going on Friday.

It is entirely possible that we could have eggs before the end of November. (Grin. I didn’t say Thanksgiving!)

The Majestics were busy in Iowa!

Mr and Mrs North aren’t wasting any time at Decorah, either.

Franklin flew into a snowy nest early Friday morning at Bluff City – Tennessee.

Chandler was in early at Port Tobacco followed later by Hope. The couple have been coming and going with sticks.

I haven’t seen Liberty or Guardian yet at their nest in Redding today.

Very early visit by Shadow (I believe, but it is dark) at Big Bear.

Jackie and Shadow and their chortles. https://youtu.be/6Y7qUdAq5tw?

We love Jackie and Shadow and it is good to remember why Bald Eagle eggs do not always hatch. Jackie and Shadow raised a chick/s in 2019 and 2022 so they are not infertile. It is probably the high altitude where there nest is located and the weather in Big Bear.

More happy Moli moments on Kauai’. Thanks, Hob.

If you are looking for a GHO to watch, it is entirely possible that there could be a family raising chicks at the Hilton Head Bald Eagle nest. https://youtu.be/inlDOXtskYw?

Calico’s Tip for the Day: Calico has two exceptional tips for today. The first has to do with plants. ‘Tis the Season when there are a lot of fundraisers when the shops are stacked high with beautiful displays of poinsettias, some larger than my table. If you are getting something for yourself or a friend or family member, please be advised to avoid most of the ones on sale or in the fundraisers as they are highly poisonous to your pets!!!!!!!!!!!! You don’t want to give someone a beautiful poinsettia and have their cat wind up at the vet (or worse). So please be careful. Our vet says lilies are the worst, so check for them in those ready-made bouquets and get something else. Calico also wants to add Hibiscus to this list. If your cat eats the plant’s buds, they could get quite ill.

Her second tip is to save you money and to give the birds a really good healthy treat. You can make your own healthy suet for the birds with all kinds of goodies. You don’t have to purchase the industry made pre-packaged expensive ‘stuff’ at the bird store. Here is the recipe and it is thanks to Audubon. Calico is providing the whole article and be sure to notice that you should not defer to whole meal flour, use only white:

“I’d never seen a Pileated Woodpecker eat out of a person’s hand until 2002, when Carrie Griffis, a reader of my long-running nature blog, sent me photos taken on her back deck, where the huge woodpeckers were regular visitors. My first question was: “What are you feeding them?!” Carrie had made a homemade concoction she called peanut butter suet dough. I bought the ingredients and whomped together my first batch that week. The birds immediately took notice. More than 20 years later, I’m still serving a version of the recipe to a stunning array of species in my Ohio yard.

With this dough, I’ve developed years-long relationships with a pair of Chipping Sparrows, a Yellow-throated Warbler, a pair of Pine Warblers, and any number of woodpeckers. Nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, Blue Jays, and Brown Thrashers all clamor for more. I’ve even used it to help Summer Tanagers and Baltimore Orioles through harsh May freezes. It’s good stuff when made and offered with care. 

Through the years, I’ve learned a lot about the composition and use of this superfood. Followers of my blog, where I share my feeding observations, named it Zick Dough; though I didn’t create it, the name stuck. What I did do was pay close attention to the birds that consumed it, and my recipe has evolved to better nourish them.

It’s good stuff when made and offered with care. 

The current version leans on unmedicated chick starter, which can be bought in farm and feed stores or online and is loaded with protein, calcium, and other vital nutrients. Without it, the original recipe caused gout in my bluebirds when consumed in excess. A reader helped me out, noting that the mix contained too much fat and not enough calcium (something to be aware of with any homemade suet). Using chick starter as a base helps correct the deficiencies. Thus was born Zick Dough, Improved, also featuring cornmeal, rolled oats, lard, peanut butter, and flour.

Zick Dough, Improved is a crumbly concoction not suited for a typical suet cage. It is best provided in a small, covered feeder that will keep it clean and perfectly dry. I’m a big fan of Plexiglas domes, which I suspend over a hanging cup feeder. This helps keep squirrels and chipmunks away. To thwart bold but skittish European Starlings and House Sparrows, which will disappear your Zick Dough in no time, hang the feeder within a few feet of an active window. 

As with all suet, Zick Dough is a rich food and should be withheld in late spring and summer, when natural foods are readily available for foraging and feeding chicks. It’s best reserved for winter as a once-daily treat loaded with the energy and nutrition birds need. It’s wonderful during ice storms when fruit and insects are locked away, or in early spring when the weather turns vile for migrants. Home cooking for your feathery neighbors will quickly endear you to them. Don’t be surprised if they tap on your window for more. 

Recipe: Zick Dough, Improved 

Combine dry ingredients:

2 cups chick starter, unmedicated

2 cups quick oats

3 cups white flour (whole wheat spoils too quickly) 

1½ cups yellow cornmeal

Melt together in microwave:

1 cup lard (you can use vegetable shortening, but my birds clearly prefer lard)

1 cup peanut butter

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, slowly add the melted fats to the dry mixture while gently stirring or mixing on low until a dough forms. If too gummy, add a little more flour and cornmeal until soft, dry, and crumbly. Makes 12 cups, or 3.5 pounds. Store in mason jars in a cool place. 

Serving: Provide a half cup of dough once a day as a winter or early spring treat (in temps below 55 degrees Fahrenheit only). Place either on a dry, flat surface or, ideally, a small dish with a cover to protect from rain and squirrels.”

Now, Calico doesn’t mind if the squirrels eat this high energy food because she loves Dyson!!!!!!!

Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, recipes, hints, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘B,Geemeff, J’, E & E News by Politico, The Guardian, Audubon, MN-DNR, Heidi McGrue and The Joy of Ospreys, KSTP 5 News, Bart M and PLO Obs Board, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Judy Harrington and Olympic Park Eagles, NEFL-AEF, Denton Homes, Raptor Research Project/Explore, ETSU-Bluff City, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, FORE, SK Hideaways, Elfruler, Hob Osterlund, Hilton Head Land Trust