11 March 2025
Good Morning Everyone,
Oh, it was so nice over the weekend and now the bitter cold north winds of winter have returned on Monday. The sky is a grey white, the branches of the lilacs are bending, and the birds and outdoor animals have eaten and gone back into their cosy homes. I feel for them as I look at ‘The Girls’ who are running around a warm house with toys, dishes of food, and as many pets as they want. Snow is falling as I write.
There are lots of nice fish on the Kisatchie E3 nest and our dear little eaglet (EO4) has a full crop. Seems big sibling (E)3) is full and isn’t bothered. Nice.
There was a dual feeding at the E3 nest at 0906 on Monday. How nice.
Clyde sees the first hatch at the GHO nest on Farmer Derek’s property in Kansas. https://youtu.be/-UolvJjmz0o?
Life continues to be good on the Big Bear nest of Jackie and Shadow as another winter storm is approaching.
The twelfth feeding of the day at Big Bear. They are well fed and feisty – the two oldest it seems liking to twist one another around. I am not concerned. It is just trying to set the pecking order. Not easy sometimes! https://youtu.be/snXVpHwmsZI?
Boone has the nest loaded for what will be the only eaglet at Johnson City. Jolene is a fantastic mum. Things are going so well there. Look at those nice fish.
The Dukies are so cute. Just look at them all lined up so sweet.
A glimpse of the eggs at Decorah North!
Bodie sure is gorgeous. She has grown so big and tall. Ebony juvenile plumage. Spunk. Lots of good names for this vibrant girl.
It is Rita’s History Monday. Thanks ‘J’ for sending the post in!
There is good news coming out of Wild Heart Ranch. You might recall that they were fitting booties onto a Bald Eagle to help with its terrible talon. They also had Skylar. Skylar came in with a back fracture and a dislocated hip, he was neither suspected to fly today, nor land this well, nor perch. Annette expected Skylar to become an ambassador, but obviously now there is renewed hope for release. Good news all around at WHR.
Bullfinches are some of the most beautiful birds. I would love to have them in my garden!
The image is the male Bullfinch which the RSPB describes as, “The male Bullfinch is unmistakable with his bright pinkish-red breast and cheeks, grey back, black cap and tail, and bright white rump. The flash of the rump in flight and piping whistled call are usually the first signs of Bullfinches being present. They feed heavily on the buds of various trees in spring and were once considered a pest of fruit crops.”
Bullfinches face the following challenges to their lives:
Bullfinches face challenges like habitat loss, particularly of hedgerows and woodlands, and changes in agricultural practices that reduce food sources and nesting sites, leading to population declines.
Here’s a more detailed look at the challenges bullfinches face:
- Habitat Loss:
- The destruction of native woodlands and hedgerows has contributed to the decline in bullfinch populations.
- Intensification and improvement of agricultural practices may also have a negative impact, with less seed available during the colder months.
- Bullfinches require thick, healthy native hedgerows and woodlands for nesting, along with a supply of seed and flower buds in spring to survive.
- Food Source Reduction:
- Changes in agricultural practices, including the loss of arable weeds, can reduce the availability of food sources for bullfinches.
- Loss of trees and hedgerows in the wider countryside also impacts food availability.
- Predation:
- Bullfinches are vulnerable to avian predators like corvids (such as Magpies) and raptors (for example Sparrowhawks).
- Conflict with Humans:
- Historically, bullfinches were considered pests of commercial fruit trees due to their liking for flower buds, leading to licensed control measures.
- However, these measures did not seem to have a significant impact on the population, and bullfinches have since undergone a population decline.
- Other Factors:
- The bullfinch trade, driven by the desire for male birds and their singing prowess, can also negatively impact populations.
- Some traders estimate that as many as 80% of traded bullfinches die.
- Disease:
- Bullfinches can be affected by parasitic diseases like trichomoniasis, which can prevent them from swallowing food.
Should you be concerned about bird flu?
What is bird flu, and should you be worried about it?https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/mar/10/bird-flu-explainer?CMP=share_btn_url
Milda laid her 1st egg yesterday at WTE Cam in Latvia. Lizmn catches her on video rolling that precious egg. https://youtu.be/wFvr3ftDqk8?s
Cutest little osplet at Moorings Park.
One of the three eggs has broken for Andor and Cruz at Fraser Point. They still have two!
Oh, there is the first egg for Hartley and Monty! Rejoice!
‘J’ egg count: Fifteen nests with 3 eggs and one with four eggs. Unbelievable.
Fraser Point 2 left, Sauces 1 left, still no pip
I missed Ott Family – all 3 eggs laid in february, and Trempealeau just had its third (10 march)
- Bartlesville
- Big Bear 3 chicks
- Centerport
- Denton Homes
- Duke Farms 3 chicks
- Folfan
- Fort St Vrain FOUR eggs
- Fraser Point 1 broke
- NCTC
- ND-Leef
- Ott Family
- PA Farm Country
- Port Tobacco
- Sauces 2 broke
- Trempealeau
- US Steel
It is no secret that I love the birds – or any animal. It is also not a secret that I blame humans for the harm that has come to them. Now we have this! The right to kill migratory birds. Someone please tell me when all this is going to end? (It was tried before in 2017 and revoked).
Lloyd Brown has just posted this message: “The news everyone has been waiting for….
The live feed at the “R” nest is dead for the rest of this season. It will not be coming back up until after R7 and R8 fledge. We believe some animal (most likely a squirrel) has destroyed the cables to both cameras. If we were to try to repair it, we run the risk of endangering the babies lives. We will not do that! It is illegal for us to go near the nest for anything except a life threatening situation for the babies. No more live feed until after this coming May. At which time, we will be rebuilding the whole thing.”
The Ventana Wildlife Society does an enviable job in caring for the California Condors.
Thank you so very much for being with us today. Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, letters, articles, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J, MP’, Kisatchie E3 Bald Eagle Nest, Androcat, Farmer Derek GHO Cam, FOBBV, Duke Farms, Johnson City-ETSU, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, NEFL-AEF, Rita the Eagle FB Page, Wild Heart Ranch, The Guardian, LDF, Moorings Park Ospreys, IWS/Explore, RSPB, The Washington Post, Lloyd Brown, The Ventana Wildlife Society, SK Hideaways
