6 March 2025
Good Morning Everyone,
Jackie and Shadow made the Top 7 in The Washington Post!
Send all your good energy. Those eaglets will need some fish! And all your love to our Big Bear Family as those tiniest eaglets ride out the storm.
I I didn’t plan to write another post until Friday, but the storm hitting Big Bear is on everyone’s mind. While there are thousands of feathers to keep the adults warm and a brood patch to transfer body warmth to the eaglets, we still have concerns. The forecast predicts 8 to 12 inches of snow will fall in Big Bear Valley. We worry there may be insufficient food in the nest and that the eaglets could get damp, leading to respiratory issues. In other words, like with out own human children, we are worrying about everything at this nest. It is our focus despite many other nests having little ones arriving daily. We dared to imagine that Jackie and Shadow might have eaglets and when the two hatches happened, we continued to pinch ourselves to check that reality. We love this family dearly and want nothing to happen at this nest if we could just put a protective dome around it!
Eaglets fed as the storm begins. https://youtu.be/pya2z6Uq3h8?
As you may have noticed, birds often anticipate changes in the weather that meteorologists predict later. For example, Shadow sensed the approaching storm and brought at least three fish back to the nest. While the chicks need frequent meals of small flakes of fish to thrive, the adult birds also require food. However, feeding the chicks becomes challenging when the weather worsens. As the winds and moisture intensified, Shadow decided to reduce the feeding of the eaglets. SKHideaways caught this behaviour on video: https://youtu.be/_65FdR8LblI?
At the Captiva Eagle Cam, Dasher and Dancer are doing very well. Connie and Clive have been, as nothing short of what expected, exceptional parents.
Everyone is printing stories. These eaglets are so loved. They have brought joy to so many. We wish them good health, big crops, and delighted parents.
At the West End, Makaio might not be happy with the female that has come to the nest. Still the pair are roosting in the tree. Of course, she is no match for our dear Thunder! We will wait to see what truly transpires at this nest, but my instinct tells me we will not see eaglets this year.
NE Florida‘s Bodie has been in ignored with all of the celebrations coming out of the Big Bear Valley. She is a big girl. (Not tested just my feeling). A squirrel was brought to the nest and Bodie quickly to it to her spot to try and feed. She is doing precisely what she will need to do in the wild! And what a gorgeous, gorgeous eaglet she is becoming with those shiny, slick ebony feathers. And look at that beak and jaw. She is quite incredible and we should never forget the great joy we felt when she hatched. Another moment that we had to pinch ourselves to know it was real.
Several precious feedings for the triplets at Duke Farms before the rain began to fall. Dad has lots of fish on that nest just in case there is considerable snow or rainfall. Well done, Dad.
Two beautiful eaglets at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands are doing quite fine. Almost every sign of any natal down is now gone. They eat, gain strength in their wings and legs all preparing them for a life off the nest.
At Johnson City, BC26 is a cutie pie.
Oh, goodness. They are all cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are each precious. They deserve a safe habitat and safe food.
Kisatchie National Forest E3: The two eaglets have their thermal down and are losing their baby plumage which will soon be placed by that gorgeous shiny black plumage of the juvenile. Continue to send good wishes to this family so that there are two eaglets safely fledged and healthy parents to bid them farewell.
Many are wagering on whether or not F23 and M15 are planning a second clutch. They have been back at the nest working hard.
What about second clutches? I decided to see what AI would say about it and this is what came up in terms of likely statistics:
- In another study, 27.3% of failed first clutches resulted in a second clutch.
When do second clutches occur?
- Second clutches are more likely to occur if the first clutch is lost early in the nesting season.
- Eagles usually don’t lay a second clutch if they’ve incubated for more than about two weeks.
Other factors
- A successful second clutch depends on the availability of enough food for both the chicks and the parents.
- The gonads must not have completely regressed so that reproductive hormones can be released to enable ovulation and fertilization.
Examples of second clutches
- In 1997-98, the parents began a second breeding attempt in February 1999 that produced two nestlings.
- From 2006-2019, streaming cams observed eight instances of double clutches.
Elfruler gives us some really good insights into second clutches:
We need to continue to remind ourselves of the deadly effects of HPAI. The testing and disposal of the bodies is paramount of understanding what happened. Digging shallow graves to bury dead owlets, as in Florida, is not acceptable. Carrion eaters dig them up and then more are ill and die. We must be super careful and vigilant in order to try and half as much damage to our raptor population as possible.
Calico wants to thank everyone who purchased one of her cards. She believes that each of us can make a difference—no grand gestures required, just caring. Next Monday, Calico will send Darcy’s Arc a cheque for $325 to help feed feral mothers and their kittens. She could not have done this without your generosity. Thank you so much.
Darling Calico cuddled up with my night shirt. Precious, precious girl.
Brock comes to the window and taps to let me know if the food and water dishes are empty outside OR if he would prefer another flavour! Brock has developed a taste for the ‘better’ cat food. Seeing him trusting us enough to ask for a different meal or more water is sweet. He has now taken to relaxing on the deck after he eats, taking in the warmth from the sun. We adore him.
We have been going for drives, sometimes short and often accompanied by a walk or feeding the chickadees. It has been quite icy and this evening I am suffering from a wee tumble taken at the English Gardens a couple of days ago. There is nothing to replace being outside – the wide open spaces and the blue skies. The deer were everywhere.
While I wait for the geese to arrive in Manitoba – and we are heading out tomorrow to see if we can get a first glimpse – Geese are arriving in Decorah, Iowa and finding their nest!
At the Campanile, a peregrine falcon did land on the ledge to check things out. I miss Annie!
At Two Harbours,Chase and Cholyn, who are both 26-27 years old, have been breeding together for 22 years. Will they have an egg this year? and raise a chick? We wait. https://youtu.be/O03rYESEzl8?
We remember Kumi, one of those remarkable green flightless parrots, the Kakapo. The population is now down to 243 with his death.
Kākāpō Recovery says:
REMEMBERING KUMI: Kumi hatched on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, 19 March 2005. His mother Margaret-Maree was discovered in 1985 is still alive. His father was Sass who died in 2010 after signs of old age, 30 years after he was discovered. At just five weeks old, Kumi was injured by another kākāpō. While receiving treatment he earned the nickname ‘puku nui’ (big belly) due to his size and appetite. Then, in 2019, he became the largest kākāpō on Pukenui/Anchor Island, topping the scales at 4kg (8.8lbs). At this weight, male kākāpō in breeding condition become almost spherical in shape because of their fat reserves and large ‘boom sack’. Kumi was known as an excellent boomer and for making an immaculate bowl. His efforts were rewarded, and his bloodline will continue through his seven offspring. One of his chicks with Kuia is Marian, the first-hatched grandchild of the famous Fiordland bird Richard Henry. Marian was successful herself in the last breeding season, making Kumi a grandad to three. Kumi would have turned 20-years-old on the 19th March. He was found deceased under a yellow silver pine, not far from his bowl. There were no obvious signs of injury or cause of death, but his age, location and the timing indicate it could have been the result of a fight with another male kākāpō. A level of mortality is to be expected in any wild population, but each loss is a reminder of the vulnerability of the critically endangered kākāpō. With the next breeding season predicted next year for the first time since 2022, we look forward supporting the growth of the population again soon. Until then, we will continue to monitor the manu [birds] through remote technologies and annual health checks. Thanks to our treaty partner Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and National Partner Meridian Energy for their ongoing support of our programme. Public donations and symbolic kākāpō adoptions via our website also contribute directly to the health and vitality (mauri ora) of this critically endangered species. Supporters with current Kumi adoptions were contacted via email yesterday – thank you for your support. 
Thank you so much for being with us and for caring so much for our wildlife. Please take care. We hope to see you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, streaming cams, and articles that helped me to write my post today: ‘B, J, H’, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, Window to Wildlife, Los Angeles Times, IWS/Explore, NEFL-AEF, Duke Farms, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Johnson City ETSU, Kistachie National Forest E3, Elfruler, The New York Times, Raptor Resource Project, Maria dk, Kakapo Recovery
