Branching at Glacier Gardens…Friday in Bird World

28 August 2026

Good Morning,

With all the ospreys migrating and eggs being laid in the Southern Hemisphere – along with those little white balls of goodness at the WBSE nest in the Olympic Park in Sydney, there isn’t a lot of news.

That said, it is easy to forget that there are eaglets still in the nest, and Patience – Glacier Gardens 10 (GG10) branched this morning! She is 86 days old, and her sibling, Compassion, is 84 days old. Dad Prosperity brought in a fish to celebrate the milestone in his eldest eaglet’s life. [Note: The average age for Bald Eagles to fledge in the far north is longer than it is in the southern parts of the US].

It is a beautiful morning. The birds have been fed, and we are awaiting our monthly subscription, which I presume will arrive on Monday. They have eaten more than anticipated, which is going to make me reexamine what type of seed to use and how much to put out! It is one thing to get peanuts, and it is another to have the squirrels cache them despite having food year-round!!!! We had lots of peanut plants in the garden this year.

The Ojai Raptor Centre posted on FB that they are still waiting for test results and will combine them with necropsy results, etc., and issue a final statement once all the dots can be connected. That way we will have a clear indication (we hope) of what caused Jackie to be so ill during those days, weeks, or months.

At the Peregrine Falcon scrape at Great Spirit Bluff, Elaine and Newmann are pair bonding. Don’t forget to watch that fabulous couple at 367 Collins Street – how many eggs will be laid this year? four? And then there is Diamond and Gimbir – but, as always, I miss Annie. Thankfully, we have Monty and Hartley who seem to have the most characterful little eyases at San Jose City Hall!

SK Hideaways catches the laying of egg 3 at Collins Street: https://youtu.be/INETWMjvFjo?s

News from The Osprey House Environment Centre – where one seemingly healthy chick with a nice ‘ps’ remains for George and Hope:

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 27th August 2026
Today was all about fish! While Steve Quinn and WTS George were presenting the very interesting webinar on fishy stats and forest restoration this evening, super fisherbird Louis was still delivering fish and equalling his all-time record by bringing nine fish in one day. That record had stood since 18th June 2020, the year when there were three chicks and an adult female to feed. This time there’s only one chick, Juniper 8P7, to feed, plus a couple of cheeky Hoodies who sneak in and steal fish whenever they can. Louis’ hard work means the Nest Two tally takes a massive jump to four hundred and seventy. The day ended with a visit from a Barn Owl to Nest One. The weather was settled today and should remain so overnight with a low of 13°C but changing to drizzle by morning then generally cloudy and cool for the rest of the day with a high of 18°C.
Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/PDk0fe7j1WA N2 Two fish in under ten minutes but Juniper nips Louis! 06.03.10; 06.12.56https://youtu.be/9G213H8liYI N2 Another fish, another nip when Louis brings number three 06.44.11https://youtu.be/naLGFy9qp2s N2 Hoodies steal fish as Juniper departs with fish three 07.07.42https://youtu.be/f5F_6aGoCOY N2 Louis brings fish four and doesn’t get nipped! 07.44.49https://youtu.be/IrKzeQrhQew N2 Juniper flies with a fish in each foot 08.15.18 (zoom)https://youtu.be/5d9SiX1s90A N2 Dedicated dad brings a fifth fish for his chick 11.23.14https://youtu.be/GxH_iG_oD5w N2 Juniper uses fish six as a pillow 12.36.23https://youtu.be/4EJeTjlPNs8 N2 Fish seven arrives before Juniper has finished fish six 17.38.27https://youtu.be/2fdYDARzjcE N2 Juniper returns with fish seven to get fish eight from Louis 20.27.28https://youtu.be/-_UzPpLHMx4  N2 Super fisherbird Louis brings record-equalling fish nine! 20.43.54  https://youtu.be/BFXxBb_S1F0 N1 A Barn Owl (Strix aluco) pays a visit 22.51.44

Louis is incredible. Amber hasn’t been seen in a while, and we hope she and Dorcha are well. Juniper is certainly reaping the benefits of being the only osplet at home.

It is nearing the end of the season at Loch Arkaig and I want to thank Geemeff for always sharing her report with us. She is off on an adventure for a bit.

Over 80% decline in ospreys in Stockton, NJ:

https://stockton.edu/news/2026/nest-cams-help-stockton-study-declining-osprey-nest-productivity.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawT-eT5wZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAGJyaWQRMWdwVmJ5cDRIejJsOHZ6RmpzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe3AIwJNfU683_ysAM0ebylkGf2d5p3YVlLr73pCpqYDrHElBywdVxsYl-1SY_aem_5YpA7s1aVaqp2vu4zUWSVg

In Manitoba we still have ospreys at the nest and eagles and reports are coming in from Nova Scotia about successful nests. That is wonderful. Once I get some compilation of that I will share it with you.

Wensi fish calling this morning:

I’ll also be away for a few days. Don had a rapid decline yesterday and has gone into the hospital. I am going to use this time to recharge my batteries. I will be back with you next week. In the meantime, please do take care of yourself. Remember to put out water for migrating birds and turn off your lights. If you can, put out food. The birds need it! We’ve destroyed much of their habitat.

Thank you to Geemeff, all the owners of streaming cams, and the individuals who post information and images on FB. Otherwise, we might not always know what is happening to our dear raptor families.