Happy Canada Day!

30 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

It was the 4th of June 1969 that I flew across the border between the US and Canada with my then two-month-old son, Cristofre. As a university student at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, I was been part of various anti-Vietnam War groups as well as others protesting for civil rights and women’s rights. Several of my closest friends died during the early part of the Vietnam War and i was determined that my son was not going to drop bombs or napalm on innocents. I have never looked back. Canada has been our home now for what? Fifty-seven years!!!! I was 20. I have never been more proud to be Canadian than this year. Our system is not perfect but when it is urgent or a sheer emergency, it works! My province has beautiful areas – vast tracts of wildnerness and lakes. I cannot say that the city where I reside is gorgeous. It has its moments. But my little plot and the street I live on make up for all the deficiences.

We have had huge storms. Last night Toby had his Thunder Jacket on all night. The lightning and wind were incredible and our street has lost a lot of tree limbs.

Coming out of Europe. A goshawk attempted to take an osplet off the Polish nest. It clung to the nest and was pushed over, but was not taken by the hawk. The osplet was rescued, and I believe it is in good condition.

Ringing is taking place across the UK. This is a great article by Caroline Woodley on UKOsprey Information FB on the importance of ringing and the three generations that were ringed today – and we know because of the family tree and the Darvic Rings:

Elen and Teifi’s chicks:

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 30th June 2026

As forecast, it was wet today with the occasional dry spell, and set to continue, with drizzle, light  winds and an overnight low of 13°C, changing to heavy rain, gentle breezes and a high of 18°C tomorrow, with the sun breaking through around lunchtime. Louis brought three early fish then after a fourteen hour gap he brought another two, much smaller than the family would have liked and left them competing for scraps. In fact, while Chick1 was struggling to down the tail, Chick2 reached over and pinched it right out of its beak and proceeded to swallow it with aplomb. Those five fish take the Nest Two tally to two hundred and nine, and Garry’s single delivery to Aurora takes the Nest One tally to one hundred and forty-four. Garry and Aurora continue to incubate their unviable egg but are starting to leave the nest for longer periods.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/b4Z-1D_fMmY N2 Early breakfast for the family 04.05.28

https://youtu.be/sMdZ2yhecmc N2 Second breakfast – this one’s so fresh it’s still flapping 04.43.43

https://youtu.be/Jx2eBor5rZch N2 Dorcha and chicks don’t get up when Louis brings fish three 06.02.32

https://youtu.be/8izHPpleTj4 N2 Dorcha & chick remove an offending item 10.06.18

https://youtu.be/rXA7WzQTgQE N2 Let me help you with that – chick steals the tail of fish four 20.16.25

https://youtu.be/UD6KTcpJkGo N2 Another tiny tiddler arrives – fish number five 22.30.30

You’re invited to join the lively community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, free and everyone’s welcome:   

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Great news coming from ‘PB’ and Achieva:

Some are enlightened.

More about the crisis impacting ospreys in the NE. Today Omega Protein was along the New Jersey shores.

Menhaden Defenders

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Navesink River, Monmouth County, New Jersey Osprey Survey

“As founder of Menhaden Defenders, I’m always looking at how healthy forage fish populations support the wildlife we love. One of the best indicators is right above us: ospreys.

On June 15, with Ben Wurst, Senior Wildlife Biologist with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and leader of New Jersey’s Osprey Project, we surveyed 25 osprey nests on the Navesink River in Monmouth County. In addition to looking at the Osprey around each nest, we used a GoPro camera mounted on a pole to reach up and get a view into each nest to look for signs of use, presence of eggs, chicks, or nothing, all added to the spreadsheet.

We found 19 occupied nests, including 12 active nests with eggs or young. Ten nests held 22 nestlings, ranging from hatchlings to about four weeks old. In some nests with three chicks, we saw asymmetry, or an asymmetric brood, where younger nestlings lag behind older siblings. This can be a sign of food stress. When food is scarce, older chicks often dominate feedings, forcing younger siblings to cower and increasing the risk of brood reduction.

Ben and his team also work each year with volunteers and citizen scientists to monitor nests and remove dangerous litter like fishing line, plastic bags, balloons, and other debris. Ospreys are telling us something about the health of the Navesink and the larger coast. We’ll be going back in a few weeks to survey again, and we are very concerned about the survival rate of the chicks we saw. We are seeing these signs of food stress from Raritan Bay to Cape May in colonies that have been productive for years but may now be struggling to breed at levels needed to sustain the population.

Protecting menhaden and other forage fish helps protect the entire coastal food web. Both organizations survive on donations from people like you to continue working on this serious situation.”

Thank goodness the situation is drastically different in the UK. On Mull Island, they are now seeing ospreys – remember, the UK is reintroducing/re-establishing ospreys that were made extinct by humans!!!!!!!!

All three Ps have now fledged. Big Red and Arthur are busy keeping track of them and feeding.

Video by Cornell Bird Lab: https://youtu.be/5s6IMdmmbak?

The little tiny osplet, #4, at Blackbush in Prince Edward Island is still alive. This chick is determined and the male is doing a good job of getting fish in.

At the NCTC nest, RJ fledged. Congratulations Bella and Scout.

The two osplets at Coeur de’ Alene, Idaho, look great.

There are still two at Osoyoos. It has been hot there.

Iris and Clark’s baby is getting some beautiful feathers.

Clark is very smart. He has been bringing in some large cot rails to keep this rather energetic youngster on the nest.

Dudley becomes a pillow for the only surviving chick at Charlo Montana whose crop is about to burst.

There are still two at Cowlitz PuD but gosh that little one is so thin. Please wish for fish.

The trio at Clark PUD are doing so well.

The only surviving osplet on the nest at Great Bay is doing well. One died and the other fell out of the nest and went to a rehabber. I am unclear of its status.

It is sure hard to tell who the little four is at the Poole Harbour nest of CJ7 and Blue 022. They have yet to be ringed.

Beautiful evening at the Rutland Manton Bay nest of Blue 33 and Maya and their trio.

Thank you so much for being with us today. We are doing better than people would think! We are spending the day with our son tomorrow, so you will definitely not be hearing from me until Thursday. Please take care.

Good Night from All of Us:

Hugo Yugo and Missey

Cheeky Hugo Yugo.

Baby Hope and Calico.

Darling Toby.

Thank you to everyone for their contributions to this blog – to Geemeff for her daily summary of Loch Arkaig, to PB and those who write and post information and images on the various FB groups, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives of these families.