Snow’s nest is still holding by a miracle….late Wednesday in Bird World

27 May 2026

Hello everyone, from a very hot Canadian Prairie that is due to get hotter. Ann kept Don and Toby inside. Friday is to be 34. I think that sounds like a walk at the mall!!!!!!!!

Allow me to take a deep breath, and before we get into the lawsuit in Florida about Scrub Jays, I want to say that by some miracle, the branch that broke on the Traverse City Bald Eagle nest in Michigan, fell and caught itself on the tree adjacent, and is supporting that tilted nest. How long it will hold, we do not know. I hope it is long enough for Snow to fly. We need a good three weeks. The average is 10-14 weeks. So, right now, Snow is 6.5 weeks old.

A bald eagle and a younger eagle perched on a nest surrounded by pine trees, with the sky in the background. The timestamp shows 9:42 AM on May 27, 2026.
A close-up view of a large eagle's nest located on a tree branch, with an eagle standing inside the nest. The background features a calm body of water and partly cloudy skies.
An osprey sits on its nest, which is located high in a tree near a body of water. The nest contains young chicks, and the scene is set in a partly cloudy sky.
Two eagles, one adult and one juvenile, perched on a nest surrounded by trees near a body of water.
A large bird resting on a nest made of twigs and grass, surrounded by a natural setting. The scene captures a partly cloudy day, with a view of a blue sky in the background.
A young bird sitting in a nest made of twigs and grass, overlooking a body of water. The setting is partly cloudy with visible weather information displayed in the corner.

Now, back to the Endangered Florida Scrub Jays. We have a detective in our midst, and ‘R’ was able to find out the following information which should really bring a light to the threat to the birds!

“I searched for this, and got the following: 

Yes, it appears Colosi knew (or should have known) about the protected status before buying.
Key facts:
• Purchase date: March 2024. 
• Habitat plan: Charlotte County’s Scrub-Jay Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) was approved in 2014 — a full 10 years earlier. It’s been public policy since then, with clear rules and fees for building in designated areas. 
• Public records: The county’s property records for his specific parcel note that “Land value may be adjusted due to scrub jay habitat.” It’s also visible on the county’s GIS maps (a public online tool)

Did he actually know?
• Colosi and his lawyers (Pacific Legal Foundation) have not directly said whether he was aware of the restrictions when he bought it. When journalists asked, they avoided answering.
• Critics and local observers point out it’s hard to miss: the restrictions are on maps, in public records, and part of standard real estate due diligence in the area. Many people assume he bought it anyway, possibly betting on a legal challenge.
This is a classic “buyer beware” (caveat emptor) situation. The restrictions were already in place long before he purchased the 5 acres. He’s now challenging the fee system as unconstitutional rather than claiming he was blindsided.”

I love this type of deep digging and finding the true facts. Thank you, ‘R’. I hope that there are lawyers representing Scrub Jays. They have represented ‘trees’ why not birds and rivers? I must look into this. Gosh I wish I had the time I had before Don’s dementia entered my world.

A respected scientist recognized.

Email announcement from BirdLife International regarding Dr. Stuart Butchart's election as a Fellow of the Royal Society, highlighting his contributions to conservation science.

We are all pulling for Dewey Beach. Last year, the only surviving osplet died on day 50, five days from fledging, due to starvation. This year only one egg hatched and this little sweetheart has woven itself into our hearts. Dad is finding little fish, sometimes a nice sized Menhaden. Please keep sending positive wishes that this single osplet survives and flies. Now the question I have is this: When does Omega Protein start taking out all the fish?

Found out: Omega Protein’s menhaden reduction fishing in the Chesapeake Bay typically begins in May. For the 2026 season, operations are set to ramp up significantly in June. 

An osprey nest with a parent osprey feeding its chick, with an adult bird visible in the background. There are two eggs in the nest among twigs and grass.
An osprey is feeding its chick in a nest containing two eggs, with a waterfront restaurant in the background.

Chick 3 has arrived at Kielder 1A nest.

Full complement at Nest 1A

Fundraising at Poole Harbour. Looking for a beautiful osprey print?

Artwork featuring a detailed illustration of ospreys in their natural habitat, created by wildlife artist Bruce Pearson to celebrate the nesting of the Carey Ospreys.

Myrtle, the female whose five eggs were destroyed by two different males, has returned to Loch Garten and is being courted by a pale male.

An osprey nest with one bird perched and another flying above, showcasing a natural environment at Loch Garten.

‘PB’ reports that there are four osplets at Steelscape in WA. They note that the older two are already fighting! Send them positive wishes. Mum is trying her best to feed all including little 4.

Please be sure to go and vote for the name for NewGuy2 at Hellgate Canyon. Iris’s great mate needs a name!

​​Help name Iris’s mate! Vote on your favorite name by June 2, and you could win free enrollment in Bird Academy’s Hawk and Raptor ID course. Vote here 👉 https://hubs.la/Q04hFrKD0

A nest of hawklets for Big Red and Arthur!

A red-tailed hawk is perched in a nest with two fluffy chicks, surrounded by twigs and branches, against a backdrop of greenery and urban streets.
A nest with several fluffy red-tailed hawk chicks resting inside, perched on a metal railing, with a view of a tree-lined street below.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 27th May 2026

No rain, no intruders, just sunshine and plenty of fish today. Louis delivered two fish for Dorcha, taking the Nest Two tally to ninety, while over on Nest One, Garry LV0 delivered three fish to Aurora 536, taking that tally to eighty five. Aurora actually refused the second fish but took the third one eagerly, perhaps she’d worked up an appetite following her encounter with a Great Tit which startled her so much she fled the nest. Safe to say, the tiny passerine was also startled – the size difference is stupendous. Another dry night of clear skies and light winds is forecast with a low of 9°C overnight, continuing tomorrow with sunny intervals, a gentle breeze and a high of 25°C. At the time of filing this report (00.30), Cam Two is still on day mode. This time next week we could have our first hatch! Fingers crossed these calm conditions continue.

Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/kiZWFWC-Z1U N2 Louis delivers a very early breakfast 04.48.25https://youtu.be/q7tXL9-lePA N1 Garry LV0 brings elevenses 11.07.27 https://youtu.be/zqn2ekT6_a0 N1 Aurora’s not interested in the second fish 15.07.16https://youtu.be/_0Lt0-0fHzE N2 Louis arrives with a teatime trout 15.44.22https://youtu.be/hRAXavzJk9Q N1 Aurora is startled by a passing passerine and flees the nest 17.15.39 (slo-mo repeat)https://youtu.be/jnSHJWFcXRY N1 Aurora doesn’t ignore fish three – she seizes it immediately 19.35.13
Bonus read: For those interested in technical details, here’s the consultation on the management of Clunes and Arkaig Forest:

https://forestryandland.gov.scot/living-and-working/communities/land-management-plans/active-plans/clunes-and-loch-arkaig-forest-land-management-plan-consultation

Monty and Hartley certainly have their hands full with these four boys. Thanks, SK Hideaways for capturing some of the antics: https://youtu.be/gJPOZNVVLf4?

The trio at the nest of Maya and Blue 33 are now in the Reptilian Phase. Big ones in food coma and Maya feeding the third hatch. It looks like the final egg is a Dudley.

An osprey stands near its nest on the edge of a water body, with three fuzzy chicks nestled in the nest surrounded by sticks and twigs.

One of those short reads that is so informative – think White Storks and how people love them. They bring luck and my friends and readers in Poland and other parts of Europe treasure these beautiful birds and pray that they will make a nest on their home!

Country diary: A jaw-dropping bounty of wildlife – and a reminder of what Britain has lost | PolandDownload

‘PB’ sent me a note at a time when I really needed a renewal in trusting humans to help. A female White Stork whose eggs were hatching lost her mate. The community takes turn feeding her just like they did at Mlade Buky.

A stork standing on a nest made of twigs atop a pole, with clouds in the background.

Good night Bety and Bukachek.

A view from a stork nest overlooking a small village at dusk, featuring two storks, one standing and one sitting, with rooftops and mountains in the background.

Little Golden Eaglet safe under Mum in Estonia.

A golden eagle sitting on its nest with two white eggs, surrounded by trees and foliage.

Black Stork Nest 3 in Estonia has 3 eggs.

A stork standing in its nest with two eggs, surrounded by trees and foliage.

Toby says ‘enough is enough’. It is time to play fetch! How can I resist those eyes?

A black and white Cavalier King Charles Spaniel sitting on a brown mat with a toy in front of it. The background includes wooden decking and potted plants.

There is a second hatch at Pont Cresor! Yeah for Aeron Z2 and Blue 014.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care. Stay cool and hydrated if you are in a region that is hot like it is here. See you soon!

Thank you to all my contributors – to SK Hideaways and Geemeff for their videos and reports, to ‘PB’ for keeping me up to date on several nests, to the folks that are literally with their will power and that supporting branch miracle holding up Snow’s nest, and to the others who wrote reports and posted them on FB and to the owners of the streaming cams who let us view these incredible bird families. Thank you to all! We are so fortunate.

Published by maryannsteggles

I went to the UK as a Commonwealth Scholar in 1990 and received my PhD from the University of Leicester in 1993. After three decades of university teaching, I retired to devote my time to the study of raptor behaviour. I am particularly interested in Ospreys and am working on a long term project on third hatch survival and siblicide in these raptors. My blog is a result of a fascination with my local wildlife and the desire to encourage others to love and care for birds! I live on the Canadian Prairies and prior to the pandemic travelled a lot. I am questioning the use of aviation fuel at the moment as we all strive to help our planet. My early research was in politics and art including British public statues exported to Southeast Asia and Vietnam Resistors that contributed much to Canadian ceramics. Books and articles were published on those subjects over a period of 3 decades. Now I am working on books for children so they can learn about the challenges our raptors face.

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