23 March 2026
Hello Everyone,
It was a blue-sky, fluffy-clouds, -1 C day on the Canadian Prairies. Sadly, the warm weather on Friday meant that all that melting caused ice today. We tried walking at the English Gardens, but turned back and instead walked Toby down every aisle of one of our larger pet stores that carry duck and lamb hearts. He got to sniff up a storm!
The week has not been without its challenges. Don’s condition continues to deteriorate. We are in the early stages of late Lewy body dementia, and Don is sleeping more than he is awake. This change began this week. We have an appointment with his doctor on Wednesday. This sudden change has, however, given me a chance to sit quietly in the warm sunshine with Toby, a type of stillness that was simply beautiful.
There was a shimmer of gold in all of this, as my neighbour, who Brock has adopted along with her porch chair, has found me a cleaning lady. The Girls and Toby create more hair than a shedding Highland cow despite daily vacuuming and mopping. I am so grateful – I want to enjoy the time, those very conscious times, with Don and the animals and not spend it constantly cleaning. Oh, gosh, we should all wish for that.
SK Hideaways has sent us their videos for the past week. It is quite the undertaking- I sure don’t need to check on any of these nests.
SK Hideaways Videos Week of 15 March 2026
AEF-NEFL Eagles ~ Palm Coast, FL
🦅 Eve and Kai 🦅 A Day in the Life🌿 Before Their Grand Adventure💙 (2026 Mar 21)
As fledge day approaches, we fans are feeling the empty nest anxiety that comes after investing months rooting for an eagle (or falcon or osprey or…) family. So I wanted to capture a day in the life of this beloved family. Gabby and Beau have raised two beautiful eaglets ~ Eve and Kai, who are now 11 weeks old. Fledge could happen at any moment. While we’re excited to see Eve and Kai soar and explore, we will miss them when they’re gone.
Eve hatched on December 31st
Kai hatched on January 1st
Video: https://youtu.be/CeUxQWwidwY
Courtesy American Eagle Foundation/NEFL Eagle CamOps https://nefleaglecam.org/
Nest Cam 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87cnI6_7zlg
Nest Cam 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsPgJhq84mk
Cam 3 (Approach view) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Z0AgmT1eo
Channel Island, California Eagles
Sauces Canyon ~ Santa Cruz Island, CA ~ Audacity & Jak
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Sauces Canyon Eagles Cam Ops
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnTsOesC6hE
Audacity Lays SIXTH Egg 🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚 Keeping Hope Alive 🐣 (2026 Mar 16)
The amazing 20-year-old Audacity has laid her SIXTH egg of the season. Continuing to send positive thoughts for a hatch.
Video: https://youtu.be/wNi3gZssQJA
Two Harbors ~ Catalina Island, CA ~ Cholyn & Chase
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops
Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ
Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI
Cholyn & Chase Bid Their Broken Egg a Fond Farewell 💔 (2026 Mar 17)
It was an end no fan wanted to see. The last egg in Cholyn and Chase’s clutch was accidently punctured and ultimately broke. While we anthropomorphize their “feelings”, because we’re human and that’s what we do, I believe they did mourn this loss in their own eagle way. It was a poignant and touching sight to see. In the end, they came together like they always do.
Video: https://youtu.be/8vmMpnkNsh4
West End Eagles ~ Catalina Island, CA ~ Unnamed Female & Lee
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | West End Eagles Cam Ops
Nest Low Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfuqjSNXZ14
Other Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmmAzrAkKqI
Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kad6O4nF6bg
Soon-to-be-Named Female & Lee Bond from Tors to Nest to Meadows (2026 Mar 20)The soon-to-be-named female and Lee continue to bond. On the tors, in the nest, in the meadows, and everywhere in between. How lucky we are to watch the progression of this budding relationship.
If you would like to vote for the female’s name, go to iws.org/nest-adoption-challenge. Voting is open till March 24th at 5 p.m.
Video: https://youtu.be/-xN0H2uQ97M
Prospective Young Dad Lee First Confused then Caring About 1st Egg (2026 Mar 15-16)
4-year-old Lee seemed a little dazed and confused when his new mate revealed an egg. He went away to “process” overnight and returned in the morning with dad hormones on full display. We look forward to watching this story unfold.
Video: https://youtu.be/WVDHKRApfxQ
Female Lays First Egg ~ Likely First Ever (2026 Mar 15)
They say this female is probably 5 years old; the male, Lee, is known to be 4 years old. This is likely the first egg for either of them. It was sweet watching her dote on the egg.
John Bunker Sands Eagles ~ Combine, TX ~ Mom, Dad, and JBS24
Courtesy John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Eagle Cam
Eagle Tower Camera 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wdo7BzUU_g
Eagle Tower Camera 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDb2KqvvyQ
JBS24 is a superstar at 7-1/2 Weeks! Pro-like self-feeding gulps & big wingers (2026 Mar 18)
At 7-1/2 weeks, JBS24 is self-feeding and wingercising like a champ. Awaiting breakfast, JBS24 found (and gulped down) lots of leftovers and showed their beautiful wings for the camera with some impressive wingers.
Video: https://youtu.be/dFpVyYpSWps
San Jose City Hall Falcons ~ San Jose, CA ~ Hartley & Monty
Courtesy San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcon Cam
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBSxPjy5sow
Ledge Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pp9TisLmLU
Roof Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQLhmV6bP6o
Hartley & Monty Produce 4 Eggs for 3 Years Running (2026 Mar 19)
Hartley laid egg #4 just after 1 a.m., making this the third year that she and Monty have achieved such fruitfulness. Monty visited a few hours later and then they took a few moments to celebrate by mating. Surely they’re not going for 5 eggs this year! 🫢
Video: https://youtu.be/IiCPIjLE0mw
Hartley & Monty Welcome Egg #3 🥚🥚🥚(2026 Mar 16)
Like clockwork and with minimal fanfare, Hartley laid egg #3. Monty paid a short visit before leaving to let Hartley rest up. Will there be a 4th in a couple days? Stay tuned.
Video: https://youtu.be/HGoXF8QGpd8
I am so glad that so many of you are taking the time to enjoy and closely monitor the birds that populate your area. ‘A’, our narrator of all birds Australian, writes, “I have been deeply involved in my own garden birds – I thank you so much for reminding us all that the birds we should start watching are the ones that visit us and need our friendship. When the summers regularly reach 40C+ the bird baths are not just a decoration in the back yard! Today, those sweet little squeaking fluff balls, the native mynahs, were having the most wonderful time in their bird bath (theirs as I have mentioned in the one a metre off the ground – the crows use the deeper water bowl on the ground). The little mynahs get SO wet that they can sometimes hardly fly up to the clothesline to shake their tail feathers and preen. I love how they perch, six or more at a time, around the rim of the bird bath and then take it in turns to fling themsselves into the water and flap acrsos to the opposite rim. They like to get their undersides as wet as possible. TOO cute.The crows stand in the middle of their dish and lie down, then flap wildly, throwing water all over themselves a well as soaking their undersides to get as wet as they possibly can. The fledgling crow has hung around its parents twice as long as the magpie fledgling did – the crow is still here, being incredibly loud and demanding. Its poor parents are still shoving food into its beak just to shut it up. It’s almost impossible to tell the parents from the youngster from appearance – only behaviour really identifies who is who.”
Reading Ping’s article and ‘A’s narrative of her garden brings such joy to me. As I always say, if everyone took care of the birds and animals close to them and stood up for those who cannot, this planet of ours would be a much richer, more diverse, and happier place.
Please do not think that our feathered friends have an easy life. They do not. Wildlife are under attack everywhere.
‘She gave her life to protect the richness of Congo’: inside the deadly assault on Upemba wildlife park https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/22/upemba-national-park-drc-militia-assault-rangers-killed-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url
At Achieva, Jack has been delivering fish and according to Barbara Snyder, a keen observor of this nest, we are nearing pip watch.
Audacity has laid egg number 8. Oh, I really hope that one of these eggs is successful. Poor darling. She wants to be a mum so badly and well, after Betty Lou, I don’t blame her. BL was a fantastic fledgling.
Angel was caught on camera at her nest on Saturday. No sighting of her on Sunday. Here is the link to the camera: https://www.youtube.com/live/owbN1538yoU?
At the Moorings Park nest, wee three finally got some fish late in the day. Everyone had been concerned. It was a relief.
Tired and full.
Thank you so much for being with us. Keep your eyes on those cameras – ospreys are arriving everywhere, the last of the older eaglets are ready to fledge, and we have pip watches coming! It is going to be very busy.
Take care of yourself. We hope that you have a wonderful week.
Thank you to SK Hideaways for those marvellous videos and to ‘A’ for sharing her garden birds with us. I am always grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to view the lives of these magnificent creatures and to those that post news on FB, as well as the newspapers that keep us up to date on critical issues regarding our planet’s wildlife.
In large part due to Earth’s enormous size, there is a general obliviousness, if not a willful carelessness, towards the vast natural environment. There’s a continuance of polluting with a business-as-usual attitude. Societally, we still discharge pollutants like it’s all absorbed into the environment without repercussion.
Also, here in the Far West, if the universal availability of a renewable energy alternative would come at the expense of the traditional ‘energy’ production companies’ large profits, one can expect obstacles, including the political and regulatory sort. If something notably conflicts with corporate big-profit interests, even very progressive motions are greatly resisted, often enough successfully.
It all must be convenient for those fossil fuel interests — particularly when neoliberals and conservatives remain overly preoccupied with vocally criticizing one another for their relatively trivial politics and therefore divert attention away from some of the planet’s greatest polluters and pollution, where it actually very-much should and needs to be sharply focused.
Not that long ago, the United Conservative Party government of Alberta, Canada (via its Utilities Commission) suddenly announced its decision to delay, or “pause”, all approvals for new renewable-energy infrastructure for about seven months, citing concerns over logistics and potential end-of-life clean-up costs. Yet, the same government fails to force fossil fuel companies that have left behind major contamination sites in Alberta to clean up after themselves as they formally agreed to do.
So-called conservatives generally do not mind polluting the planet most liberally — unless, of course, it happens to blacken their own backyard. And many drivers of superfluously huge and over-powered thus gas-guzzling vehicles seem to consider it a basic human right, perhaps because it’s an extension of their phall-c ego. It may scare those drivers just to contemplate a world in which they can no longer readily fuel that extension, especially since much quieter electric cars are for them no substitute.
Worsening matters is the large and growing populace who are too overworked, underpaid, worried and rightfully angry about food and housing unaffordability for themselves or their family, to have the vital-energy left to criticize big industry for the environmental damage it causes/allows, especially when not immediately observable.
P.S. We know that obstacles to environmental progress were formidable pre-pandemic. But Covid-19 not only stalled most projects being undertaken, it added greatly to the already busy landfills and burning centers with disposed masks and other non-degradable biohazard-protective single-use materials.
Thank you so much for your very informed and timely comment. I am more than horrified at what humans are doing to our planet where it is environmental or downright blowing it up. In Manitoba, concerns for employment seem to outweight environmental issues and I am speaking of Churchill. Jobs, the economy, building bigger houses, taking up habitat and farm land, I could go on and on and I know you could, too. Few incentives for alternative energy sources – I am looking at solar for our house. Etc. The wildlife are neglected -. Can you hear me screaming?