Collins Street eyas dies from heat…late, late Saturday in Bird World

10 October 2026

Good Evening Everyone (or Good Morning depending on where you live),

It was 24 degrees C on the Canadian Prairies this afternoon. Quite unbelievable to see people in shorts and T-shirts doing yard work in the middle of October! But the weather is ‘dire’ in many places. While Winnipeggers are gloriously enjoying the heat, the drought, causing water levels in our northern region to drop dramatically, should be a concern. That water fuels the hydroelectric dams that provide our energy. In Melbourne, that same heat killed one of the little floods at 367 Collins Street.

Dr Victor Hurley made this statement: “”Well, it is quite sad to confirm what we all already know. One of the nestlings has died. Sorry, I have been in the field out of phone range all day to report sooner. From a brief review of the tapes it appears the nestlings spread out in all directions and this overwhelmed F24’s ability to keep on top of things. With one in the gutter (a new occurrence for this year) and one at the extreme end of the nest box, F24 suffered from the “Vegemite Syndrome”, which is just a matter of being spread too thin! From my experience, that far corner gets really hot with no air circulating and these nestlings are too young to efficiently moderate their own body temperatures. If this one did in fact die from heat stress it will be the first out of 78 since 1992 to succumb this way. It was a short life and it filled us all with joy whilst it was here. The adults now have three young to focus their attention on and I am confident they will have this in hand through to fledging. Remember everybody to be kind to each other and continue to marvel at this wonder of nature unfolding in high definition, live streaming before our very eyes.”

F23 continues to work hard to keep her three surviving eyases cool in the Melbourne heat – and herself! I wish this end of the ledge would be covered.

SK Hideaways did a really good video – . https://youtu.be/bLMyQZJEjEU?

Hurricane Isaias hit the Gulf Coast and headed inland, bringing heavy wind and rain, including to the area of Beau and Gabby’s nest south of Jacksonville in Palm Court. Reports said flocks of birds were caught in the eye of the Hurricane.

All appears to be well at the nest this evening.

SW Florida appeared to be fine.

How do birds survive hurricanes?

AI Overview

Birds survive hurricanes through a combination of sensory early warning, behavioral shelter-seeking, and high population resilience.

Sensory Detection & Avoidance

• Barometric Pressure: Birds sense steep drops in barometric pressure, shifting winds, and infrasound, alerting them to an approaching storm hours or days in advance.
• Behavioral Shifts: Many migratory and land birds detect the low-pressure system and wait out the weather, fly around the edges of the storm, or ride favorable winds away from the core.
• Riding the Eye: If caught mid-flight inside a tropical cyclone, some birds manage to stay within the relative calm of the storm’s eye until it reaches land or dissipates.

Hunkering Down & Cover

• Land Birds: Forest and songbirds seek shelter by hunkering down close to the ground, deep inside dense thickets, native evergreen brush, or cavities in large trees.
• Tidal Marshes: Marsh birds rely on dense marsh grasses to block high winds, though they remain vulnerable to rapid flooding from storm surges.

Post-Storm Threats & Population Resilience

• Post-Hurricane Scarcity: Direct mortality during a storm is often lower than the long-term impact. Stripped fruit, broken branches, and destroyed vegetation create food bottlenecks, forcing survivors to disperse or wander into new habitats.
• Ecological Resilience: Research published via ScienceDirect and the US Forest Service Research and Development shows that many coastal and forest bird populations possess strong short-term resilience, absorbing heavy seasonal mortality and bouncing back through local survival and regional immigration.

Some good articles – have a read and educate yourself. We often worry so much about our feathered friends when severe weather advisories are announced.

While this article focuses on Caribbean birds, it is an excellent read:

This is migration season. Cornell Bird Lab published an article on the impact of hurricanes on migrating birds:

Gimbir and Diamond continue to rotate incubation duties with Di commanding the majority of the time. We continue to wait for the first hatch at Orange, Australia.

Viewers were concerned about the lack of food at the Olympic Park WBSE nest in Sydney. SE37 had the small bird that came in but 38 had nothing. We get used to this as the chicks get older but it is never easy! I always worry on the weekends when there are so many people around the water where the eagles have to hunt – in Sydney, but also elsewhere. It can be highly problematic for the raptors. This makes me more grateful for many sites in the UK that prohibit human activity (or limit it) during breeding season from April to the end of September.

The cam operator gave us some great images of these magnificent eaglets with their stunning plumage.

In the UK, there are some very late migrating ospreys but they are having trouble getting the fish they need! What is stopping them?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/09/country-diary-a-passing-osprey-needs-to-eat-but-the-local-terns-wont-let-it?CMP=share_btn_url

I am glad to get letters from you that were in the path of the hurricane telling me that you are alright. It is always a worry!

Toby and I were at the hospital today. Don had just gotten up and was eating his breakfast at 10:30. They had saved it for him – so he had breakfast, ate the big salad that I brought, and then had his lunch! If you have loved ones in hospital, I really encourage you to take fresh fruit and salads. At least at the hospital Donald is at, they do not get those things. Bananas are easy to handle but today, Donald was not shaking so much and he held his own tea cup with even spilling a drop and ate his meal by himself. It was fantastic! After we spent time trying out some new clear Japanese crayons. Notice the Cavalier tea towel – we used it like a bib. There is a ‘Toby’ blanket waiting for him for tomorrow. It is amazing what you can get images printed on these days!!!!

Donald is fortunate. Ann and I are always bringing his National Geographics to him, creating situations where he needs to work on his eye-hand control or strengthen his arms and legs. There is someone every day. So many on the ward seem to have no one even come to visit nevermind provide any type of enrichment. So again, if you are looking for a way to enrich your life and that of others, think of volunteering – grab some crayons and colouring books, take people in wheelchairs outside for some fresh air, bring some music, get them singing – whatever you are good at. I promise you that you will make that person’s day so much better.

Thank you so much for being with us for this brief check in. Send good energy to the parents at 367 Collins Street – may there be lots of prey and shade for the wee ones. Take care everyone.

Thank you to SK Hideaways for their video on the events at 367 Collins Street, to those who posted information on FB including Dr Hurley, and to the authors of articles on raptors and hurricanes. We are always grateful to the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to watch these incredible creatures – even when it is challenging for both them and us.