Dorcha and Louis’s chicks have names…Wednesday in Bird World

15 July 2026

Hello Everyone,

I took a day off. It was lovely. I decided to do some self-care, and before that, I sat and reflected on the simple things that make me ‘happy’. I love Organic Meadows Strawberry ice cream, and on these hot days there is nothing nicer. Taking Toby for a walk brings me such joy. Sitting in the garden listening to the birds and watching all the animals scurry about, eat, and bathe is marvellous. Last, having a luxurious bubble bath and tonight with candles and a decadent Bergamot and Hinoki mixture, I fell into bliss. I needed this day. Every once in a while dementia catches up with me, and I just have to shut it out. Today was one of those days. Running parallel with Lewy Body Dementia is Parkinson’s Disease, and I believe, perhaps wrongly, it is starting to roar its ugly head in Don’s body.

Today is Missey’s birthday. She is four years old.

Missey is with her bestie, Hugo Yugo, the ginger.

She will enjoy her very own tin of tuna this evening and everyone will have treats! I tried to find a cake mix for cats but all I could find was one for dogs.

At Loch Arkaig, the chicks have names: Amber and Juniper. I don’t mind saying that several individuals, including myself, suggested Juniper. So I am happy! Amber for the lighter chick and Juniper for the darker – like the berries.

The camera is down at Osoyoos or has been turned off. What has happened to that remaining chick? That poor little soul.

I have some concerns about the remaining chick at the Cowlitz PUD. I hope I am wrong, but the chick does not seem strong to me; rather, it seems to be protecting what energy it has. This has always been a difficult nest. Eagles have taken healthy chicks. Eagles take the fish from the osprey.

In contrast, the two at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum are doing amazing.

I have heard about the strange goings on at the Wetlands osprey cam. The female has been unwell and as ‘MP’ writes tonight: “I don’t know if you’ve seen this, but it is an amazing communication moment between chick and mom. Mom has been ill for a while and not able to feed chick, so chick has been self-feeding even though s/he too young. S/he’s been doing a good job though. Today, @09:14:47AM mom drops down from perch as dad brings fish in and chick and mom begin to communicate in a way I’ve never seen before. It certainly is a learning moment. If you can go to it soon, the time is timing out. Oh, and chick attacks mom because I assume is angry over he not feeding chick?”

I didn’t get to it until 0956 but later the chick, with a fish behind it with some bites out of the soft sides, was giving the female the what for on the perch. This chick is hungry. It is trying to feed itself and it needs more fish than it can currently eat – it is, however, managing to stay alive. Let’s wish this baby a lot of luck.

There was a fledge at the Birds of Poole Harbour on Tuesday morning.

At Dyfi, Ogwen fledged this morning! He was the male.

Highland Wildlife Rescue

OSPREY CHICK RESCUE

Update Parent reported on the nest this morning

Saturday began with an urgent call about 3 nestfall Osprey chicks that David had found on his morning walk.

Soaked and grounded after yesterday’s rainfall, the chicks had tumbled from their nest that had become waterlogged, which had resulted in a serious break in the structure, and then a full collapse.

The fall, of about 20m / 60 feet was significant and first we arranged for David and Melissa to return and uplift the chicks to go to fabulous vet Ella at Highland Vet Referrals & Emergencies with the full cooperation of the estate.

There, sadly, one chick was found to be badly injured so on welfare grounds he was spared any further suffering and euthanised. The other two had miraculously avoided any serious trauma and once dried, they perked up well. Ella kept us fully updated while we took advice from Brian about next steps. An Osprey expert on “the team” comes in very handy!

Without delay the sensational ornithology duo of Brian and Daniel kitted up and headed to the nest site where a phenomenal rebuild got underway.

With the two chicks cleared for return David and Melissa collected them to head back to their newly refurbished nest where Brian and Daniel got them back in situ with a combination of professional tree climbing skills and expertise as ringers.

Reaching out to colleagues, experts, professionals and friends is an essential part of our work. Collaboration, consultation and teamwork can create wildlife magic and these two lucky youngsters now have a second chance, with their parents in view and our entire team happy to have helped them get back up high, where they belong.

If you missed it, the adults have returned to the nest.

Look at Tiny! Thanks so much ‘PB’ for this great screen capture. That is some ‘sassy’ chick. I love this fourth hatch.

‘R’ wrote and asked me why I had not mentioned wildfires this year. So far, we have not had them because of all of the rain this year – indeed, even flooding but there are massive fires in NW Ontario. But there are horrific fires burning in the US and now in the Cairngorms in Scotland. The heat in France has caused fires. There was even a fire near to Geemeff in London. Wildlife have been impacted around the world due to these fires and the droughts – and even the torrential rains that flooded their nests and killed their chicks.

Geemeff Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 14th July 2026

Daily summary Tuesday 14th July 2026

Today’s big news is the naming of our chicks. From the hundreds of suggestions, the judging panel decided on Amber and Juniper, reflecting their colouration – therefore the golden chick 8P6 is called Amber and the dark chick 8P7 is called Juniper. Many thanks to everyone who participated in #2026NAME. The next big milestone for Juniper and Amber will be their first flight, which is probably at least ten days away – longer if dad Louis keeps bringing lots of fish and they get even bigger and heavier! It was quiet today, no intruders, apart from the RAF sending three noisy aircraft this time, noted by the family who didn’t otherwise react. Dorcha did react when Juniper got herself in a fankle when she got her wing stuck on a cot rail – mum came over and moved it for her, snapping bits off before repositioning it. Dad Louis brought three fish taking the Nest Two tally to two hundred and eighty four, and over on Nest One, Aurora 536 received two fish from Garry LV0, taking his tally to one hundred and sixty five. Aurora nearly lost the second, clattering the cot rails as she left, but did manage to hang on to it. The weather was settled, hot and sunny, and it’ll be misty overnight until about 7am, with a low of 13°C, then full sunshine for the rest of the day with a high of 28°C and light winds to help mitigate the high temperatures.Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/0i2fWOyh8Vg N2 Introducing Amber (8P6) & Juniper (8P7)! https://youtu.be/45eOSJgzJZg N2 Only the chicks are home when Louis brings fish one 04.26.27https://youtu.be/PhTsALMZJfU  N2 Juniper gets in a fankle! Mum helps out 07.17.24 

(zoom)https://youtu.be/NshvCOmoKuk N1 Aurora arrives in time to meet Garry with fish one 09.47.09https://youtu.be/ns35O-E_ZnU N2 Dorcha almost tips Louis over reaching for fish two 11.51.54https://youtu.be/zt4bXSjoHNk N1 Aurora nearly loses fish two as she leaves 18.25.55 (zoom)https://youtu.be/iMkDtr_2tmk N2 Louis brings fish three but looks like he could use a good meal 18.30.14

Bonus info – Woodland Trust is a partner of Riverwoods: 

The salmon need the forest. The forest needs the salmon. And Scotland needs them both:

https://www.scotlandbigpicture.com/riverwoods

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

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

DH3 suffered a wing injury and is in rehabilitation at SOAR.

The heat in the Usk Valley continues:

https://www.uskvalleyospreys.org/news/and-the-heat-goes-on?fbclid=IwY2xjawTE_ctleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEefviHRZ0MMNnIHvn0xNGAKDta0ebKzgwuUSh7LAxz_E5dtG-jX81hhwPfb8c_aem_lduwEi-2SEkmiGCUvurJQg

Iris is such an amazing mother. She has shaded her lovely chick in the hottest of weather and I do worry about her.

Tiny at Blackbush isn’t so Tiny anymore. Thanks, ‘PB’.

We now have an image of Ervie’s ‘girlfriend’!!!!!!!!

That’s it for today. Please take care, everyone. I hope to be back with you either later tomorrow (Thursday) or on Friday. It looks like there will be many fledges happening in the UK!

Thank you to Geemeff for her daily summary, to PB for those great captures of Tiny, to everyone who posted images and information on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch these wonderful bird families.