28 April 2026
Good Evening Everyone,
Oren and Ruth have two little fluff balls.
They have four little eyases, pink beaks, pink toes…white fluff. They are readying to be able to see (it usually takes 4-5 days). Monty and Hartley’s little falcon babies are so cute. Each one is doing so well.
Audubon Florida has published their annual report. These summaries are very interesting and you can learn a lot! Take, for example, how hurricanes benefit some shorebirds: “When multiple hurricanes and storms in 2024 rearranged habitats across the Gulf Coast, the resulting expanses of bare sand created ideal conditions for beach-nesting birds, especially Wilson’s Plovers. Combined with a lack of major storms in 2025, our team saw encouraging results for many coastal bird species all around the Sunshine State, thanks in large part to the dedication of our incredible shorebird steward staff and volunteers.”
Check it out. We can all learn something and what is happening in one region might give some insight into what is occuring in others.
Ospreys have returned to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum platform.
Ospreys have also returned to a very sad nest at Collins Marsh in Wisconsin. It is on top of the roof of an old fire watch tower that was hauled in to the nature centre. This nest has always needed attention and I feel for these two because it looks as if there are no rails at all and the whole is sloping downwards. My wish would be that every owner of a streaming cam connected to an osprey platform make an effort during the off season to clean and refurbish – and strengthen the nests and the platforms.
I just want to call it ‘evil’. I am still trying to wrap my head around the mind of an individual who would shoot a mute female swan incubating eggs and then stomp on her eggs, leaving her life-long partner to mourn. Now, the poaching of Bald Eagles in Michigan. These inconceivable acts of abuse and violence against animals happen in every country. No region is immune. Some blocks away from where I live, but close enough for discomfort, a seemingly normal couple tortured and killed cats on the dark web for money. They were looking for a child to be next when they were caught. The cruelty by the individuals against the swan, the eagles, and the raptors in places like Scotland tells me that if a person would hurt an animal, what in the world would they do to a human? They have no heart.
There is great news coming from the Snow Lane Osprey Platform in Newfoundland, Canada – Beaumont has just returned. Let’s hope his new mate arrives safely!
We have egg number 3 at Lyn Brenig in Wales.
The female at Loch Garten returned today after a week’s absence and laid her first egg.
Things going very well with Andor and Cruz’s triplets after the return of Ryder who fell out of the nest by the IWS.
Beautiful eggs of Teifi and Elen.
‘PB’ sent me a note that USS 11 was returned to the nest along with some nice fish gifts! Congratulations. Well done.
Third egg for Samson and Augusta at the Borders.
Thank you so much for being with us today for this quick report. We hope that you are well and enjoying the beginning of your week! Take care. We will be back in a couple of days – unless Big Red and Arthur have hatches and we will be back sooner.
Thank you so much to ‘PB’ for her alert, to the owners of the streaming cams for allowing us to view the lives of our bird friends, to Jeff Kear at UK Ospreys FB for keeping me on my toes, and to all who post information and images on FB to keep us up to date on what is happening.
Hello Mary Ann and thank you for these updates. I had saw the post about the eagles. It’s a disgrace to our nation!
And about the swan I don’t know. That is absolutely heartless! I cannot even imagine about those poor cats. It is evil. I hope they catch the ones who are doing these evil to the animals. It is very scary for humans too. Prayers for all these be convicted for what they have done. So glad to hear more and more of our birds are returning.
See you here soon.