Monday in Bird World

5 January 2026

Good Morning Everyone,

As one of you recently told me, it has been one heck of a week. Ten days, actually. It seems like forever. Thank you for all your letters of support, the virtual tea and scones, and just being there.

Little Toby is really on the mend. He got to go out for a nice walk today to do his ‘business’ and then get a treat! Here is he is in his little red jumpsuit! On Monday, Toby is going to grace the 5th floor Ward North of the Victoria Hospital. I hope he brings a lot of joy to everyone including his ‘Daddy’.

Toby is just so much better. The hospital is ‘working’ on Donald.

This morning, someone posted an image of a tuxedo cat being hit by a car just a block away. Was it Brock? Toby and I looked and called on our walk. Then, Brock showed up at the feeder. He has a slight limp in his front left leg, but being so very independent and strong, he would not allow me to hold him or get him help. So send him good wishes.

The babies of Gabby and Beau are doing well.

A great video from SK Hideaways on Beau and his little NE33! https://youtu.be/DZBMVvi5tp8?

I constantly worry about our eagle families, especially when a bird or waterfowl is brought to the nest as prey for the babies. ‘AR’ sent some news about Avian Flu: “I found some new research on bird flu and I am sending the link :

https://scitechdaily.com/fever-proof-bird-flu-variant-could-fuel-the-next-pandemic

Here in Florida, we are still losing birds. In Lakeland Florida, the resident swans are dying, we have lost 12 so far  🙁 Lakeland is closer to NEFL than it is to SWFL, so I have been checking in daily that the babies are alright. “

There is good news out of the Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian. Oh, don’t we love good news?!

Arthur was spotted Saturday on Ferris Akel’s tour and today Suzanne Arnold Horning got a photo of Big Red – so all is well at the Cornell Campus.

Oh, I am so tired. Ann and I decided that visiting at the hospital makes you more tired than running a marathon. I hope all of you are well and that 2026 will straighten itself out if it is wrecking havoc with you as well.

My reports will continue to be short for awhile til things settle down. Please take care. See you tomorrow.

Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch our favourite raptor families, to SK Hideaways for their videos, to ‘AR’ for sending me the article on Avian Flu and reporting on what is happening near the NE Florida nest of Gabby and Beau, to Suzanne Arnold Horning and Woody for chasing down our favourite Red-tail Hawks.