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.
I happened upon an article in The Guardian about the ‘new’ analogue bag. New? Well, you think about that after reading this article. It is focused on what I have been asking us to do – spend less time staring at screens and get outside – even if this blog is about raptors that we watch virtually! Or read a book, learn to crochet, paint – get involved with nature. Anything but the darn phones. Staring at a screen is not living.
The author says, “There’s a new “it” bag – but this time it is not about a designer label or splashy logo. Instead, it’s what is inside that counts.
So-called analogue bags, filled with activities such as crosswords, knitting, novels and journals, have become the unexpected accessory of the season.
They are being championed by millennials and gen Z as a way to reduce screen time. Similar to a prep bag, the idea is that the bag or basket should
Play a game and see how many people you know can tell you what an ‘analogue’ bag is! I would love to hear what responses you received.
There was a time when I got up in the middle of the night to worry about Big Red encased in ice, to check on a chick I was concerned about, or to see if we had a hatch. My life no longer allows that—sleep is precious! And it should be precious for each of us. There are other things too – drinking lots of water, walking or moving about as much as one can, good food, listening to birds, etc. My grandmother was such an interesting woman. She grew up when everything you had you grew or raised, and then she lived a long life and saw the rise of ‘fast food’. She did like a fifteen-cent McDonald’s hamburger as a treat, but her real motto was to eat only ‘what is real’. There was always butter on the table, and she had a huge garden that she tended well into her late 80s. I recall, as a child, being fascinated by her chickens and loving to gather the eggs. She would definitely join the analogue group!!!!!!! A cake out of a box! I can hear her squealing and laughing now.
The weather has been grand and at 0 degrees C., I am getting Don and Toby out for some nice long walks and visits with neighbours and other dog walkers. It is essential to a good night’s sleep – fresh air is amazing.
I am going to just check in on a couple of nests.
Check out the video Heidi made showing those three-week-old cuties of Ron and Rose in Dade County. The wingers are priceless. https://youtu.be/Hm1SLp3ZzAM?
The second egg was pipping at Winter Park, Florida, on Monday. My ‘inbox’ comments suggest that this cutie pie gets the award for being the most precious little eaglet this season – it and its single-visioned Mum have won hearts and minds.
No second hatch as of Tuesday morning. Pip is progressing.
E26 is doing nicely – just look at those pin feathers coming in. Eggbert continues to get covered and brooded, covered and brooded. I love it when E26 uses that egg as a pillow.
Toby wishes everyone a great day!
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. Check out the Winter Park nest for a hatch later today or tomorrow. Dade County’s cam was down for a possible fishing line removal (it was suggested) and the NCTC cam of Scout and Bella is now up and running.
See you soon!
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams where I took my scream captures, to the authors of all the informative articles, and a generous thank you to those who post on FB and keep us informed of the latest nest news. Thanks Heidi for that cute video of Ron and Rose’s little ones.
I did not intend to post a blog today. The warm weather has energied all of us. We did a 4.3 km walk and then came home and dismantled the conservatory, scrubbed the floors, and rearranged the furniture. I wish Toby could do heavy lifting. He gets bored when Hugo Yugo wants to sleep and not play and now Toby is into tearing leaves off the tropical plants! What a mess they make.
We have our first egg at Duke Farms.
It is the time of year when some institutions offer honorary adoptions to support the essential work they do for our raptors. One of those is Ventana Wildlife, which manages the California Condors at Big Sur and Pinnacles. You could adopt – Redwood Queen, mother of Iniko (1031), who survived the Dolan Fire. Redwood Queen was the mate of Kingpin, who died, but she is now the lead condor in the flock.
Eagles at Decorah North.
Milda, the White-tail Eagle, was on her nest in Durbe County, Latvia on Monday.
I do love the eaglets – they are the cutest little things but my heart throbs at the sight of a tiny osprey or eyas.
I really ‘need’ Jackie and Shadow and Jak and Audacity to have at least one healthy eaglet this year. It would make 2026 so much better. Both couples are working on their nests.
Jean-marie Dupart counts ospreys in Western African along the coast of Senegal. We are so grateful for his diligence, dedication, and the sightings of banded birds. Thank you for your report. Gosh KA9 sounds like a familiar osplet…let me see if I can find out where it is from.
Of course, KA9 is a male that hatched at Llyn Brenig in 2022. Ringed 4 July 2022. Parents are LJ2 and LM6.
Screenshot
We did lots of walking and cleaned up the conservatory, moving furniture, etc. Then we made SK Hideaways’ scone recipe #2. Delicious.
Oh, I wish I were a little younger. I would open a facility for people with dementia where they had free access to gardens, animals, baking -. Most talk about the time for some things, but it doesn’t seem to happen in the free way that it should. Keeping minds and bodies busy is paramount.
I will share one of these with each of you virtually!
Thank you so much for being with us for this very brief blog. I cannot promise that there will be another til the end of the week or next Monday. In the meantime, please do take care of yourself.
Thank you to everyone who posted information on FB. We appreciate your generous sharing of information and videos. Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch our beloved raptor families.
Gabby and the babies are on the big screen this morning. Gosh, they are big! It is windy and looks like rain coming to their nest.
Late note: Colonial Beach osprey cam is now live. We have lost a condor. Ventana Wildlife reports: “We recently found condor Vincent (892) deceased in Big Sur. He was just starting to come into his own as a breeding adult condor, and we are heartbroken to lose him so early in his life and when it was looking like he and condor Kodama (646) were about to nest.”
Thank you for all your lovely notes and supportive comments. We have had a good weekend. The weather has not always cooperated, especially on Sunday when we had pounding sleet during our walk with Toby (yes, we do get out no matter the weather). Today it is warm and the lads are in for a long walk – at least 3.6 km. We need it! And I cannot tell you how uplifting it is to go outside, even if it is for five minutes!
We hope that you had a lovely weekend. Did you watch that little sweetheart at the Winter Park, Florida Bald Eagle nest? And did you remember to put in a name for C14 at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive?
The Winter Park eaglet is so cute!
The Winter Park female spent most of Sunday protecting her eaglet and 35-day-old egg from an intruder that was rather persistent.
It has been a gorgeous weekend. On Sunday, it will be 0 °C. We woke up to a fresh blanket of snow Saturday morning, and temperatures of -7 C. Toby was more than eager to get outside and go for a walk, and he was really excited when Miyoung arrived for haircut day. She is heading home to Korea for the New Year’s celebrations and to spend a month with her family. We are so very happy for her. It has been a true blessing to be able to count on her to come to our house, cut and style our hair in the conservatory, with Toby and the Girls looking on in awe. There should be more mobile units of all sorts – including dog grooming – for our ageing population. I have managed to figure out grocery delivery. Some people told me that they ordered too much because of the delivery charges – don’t do that. We want to cut down all waste, right? Just order what you need. The charges are a % of that, and you might be able to get free delivery by signing up for a service. Obviously, these conveniences are different wherever one lives! We have lucked out with the groceries, the snow removal, haircuts, and Ann. My next task is to try and organise friends and family to commit to coming one weekend afternoon a month. Those little breaks and Don’s ability to socialise with many different people make a huge difference. Keep that in mind if you or someone you know is in a similar situation.
Toby really enjoys his ‘Bully Sticks’ from Iceland. They help clean his teeth and are good at helping with the anxiety he is having. At the moment, he is wearing a sweater. The four days in the vet hospital matted his beautiful, long fur on his tummy. Poor Guy. He will go for a shave on the 17th.
Hugo Yugo got caught in Toby’s new car seat! You might recall that Hugo Yugo and Calico were quite interested in Toby’s stroller when he was a tiny pup. Well this very soft velvet carseat has caused a lot of commotion – no interest from Toby, however.
Missey has discovered a new spot to hide. I created a pile of wicker baskets – Toby chews on their handles – behind one of the sofas. Missey has taken it over. Toby can’t get back there and there is a nice window.
Baby Hope always sleeps on Don’s bed during the daytime. No one bothers her there and she does enjoy getting away from Calico once in awhile.
I might have missed it but I saw E26 getting fed ‘something’ dug up in the nest. I did not see a prey delivery on Saturday happen prior to 1600- but, please correct me. I want to be wrong. I know that road kill had been delivered and this looks like left over bones from it.
It was hot in Fort Myers.
M15 is OK. Flew in but nothing in his talons. Eaglets can go without food. E26 does not look like it is ‘starving’ – do not get me wrong but in the heat they depend on hydration from the prey. Fingers crossed for a nice whopping meal before bedtime.
Fish was on the menu for C14 at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive! Oh, how I love it when those eaglets get to eat fish.
It is so good seeing those two healthy eaglets at the Dade County Bald Eagle nest of Ron and Rose. There is also news that R5 has been photographed at a golf course at Palm Beach, Florida. —–Imagine if they had not received their bands we would never know. So happy about the survival of these eaglets!
These two are so big.
I had the loveliest note from ‘N’ and I wanted to share the Eagle Country news with all of you that they sent me: “Wanted to update you on the latest journey we are blessed with at Eagle Country. We have a pair of Great Horned Owls (Willow & Gus-EC announced names yesterday). We miss the eagles being at the nest of course but am embracing this opportunity to learn about more about GHOW with the incredible cams there. Skye has been seen on the river cams (we see eagles daily there) and was last seen Dec 16th maybe the 31st at the nest. She has failed to bond this season with one of many suitors that have been about. Blaze has not been seen in months this season
Love what Eagle Country has said “It’s been a beautiful reminder of why this place we call home is named Eagle Country. Country means the whole wild story, not just one chapter. Nature is wild. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
NE32 & NE33 Crawl to the Pantry + Gabby & Beau’s Seamless Changeovers (2026 Jan 6) NE32 is 6 days old; NE33 is 5 days old. They’re seeing more and moving more, including galumphing over to the pantry for snacks. Gabby and Beau are providing ample nourishment for these adorable, growing eaglets. Video: https://youtu.be/13nHkRpPt2Y
FOBBVCAM Eagles: Jackie & Shadow Fluffed Up Nest Ready for Pancakes & Chick-Proof Rails (2026 Jan 5) Jackie and Shadow have added fluff to the egg cup and built-up the rails around their nest. With Jackie’s fertile time occurring from January to April, we wait with giddy anticipation and hope for another successful breeding season. (5 Jan 2026) Video: https://youtu.be/E6xPBIEXv9k Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz
Two Harbors Eagles: Nest of Cholyn & Chase Cholyn Brings Lunch ~ Ravens Want It ~ Chase Shoos Peregrine Away (2026 Jan 8)After a brief morning chat at the nest, Cholyn and Chase departed to a secret hideaway. Cholyn later returned with a tasty fish, but had to defend it against a raven before consuming it in peace. Chase arrived as sunset approached to defend the nest again ~ this time a swooping peregrine falcon was the culprit. Both Cholyn and Chase made quick work of their respective unwanted intruders to get on with the next eagle task at talon. (2026 Jan 8) Video: https://youtu.be/2bUHUX55g-0 Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies, explore.org, Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ
Masked Eagle Takes to Nest ~ Visitor Perches On Hillside (2026 Jan 9) There was an eagle on the nest for the first time since 1 January. There is some discrepancy about whether it is Haku. I personally don’t think it is. What do you think? There was another eagle perched on the hillside as well. There have been no confirmed sightings of Haku since 1 January and none of Akecheta since 30 December.) Video: https://youtu.be/T3i1xbltjPU
Speaking of hanging around, how blessed are we that Girri continues to chase her parents, Diamond and Gimbir, for food, and that she’s such a strong flyer? Seeing reports on Girri just makes my heart beat bigger and warmer. Good weather and a big strong fledgling – what a difference.
The theft of the peregrine falcons in the UK:
“In the 90s, the UK trade in peregrine falcons was domestic, but it is now almost exclusively geared towards serving the market in the Gulf states. The UK exports more live raptors than any other country, and the UAE is the largest importer. “Over the past 10 years there has been significant growth in the falcon breeding industry,” said DC Steven Irvine, who has been investigating this trade.
Trading captive falcons is entirely legal, but what is not legal is the trafficking of wild birds into the captive trade. It is not known how many of those exported birds are wild caught, but police have identified at least some that are.” Read more…
It is now less than 60 days til we expect the first osprey to land in the UK. Who will it be? Seren Blue 5F at Clywedog? Blue 33 or Maya at Rutland? Blue 28 at Rutland?
Of you can’t wait that long, Moorings Park thinks they might have an egg this week – Harry and Sally are home.
‘A’ sends us a long commentary from Melbourne – thank you! “I was a huge fan of Beau when he was V3, as you might recall, and was thrilled when Gabby warmed to him (in her own time) and decided he was worth training. Beau was young and totally inexperienced at being a mate (and of course Gabby is one very demanding female). But he got there and look at who he is now. The most devoted of mates and a perfect dad. I adore watching the tandem feedings (where Beau usually feeds NE33 while Gabby feeds NE32, I have noticed, although occasionally it is the other way around), especially when he is feeding bites to Gabby that she in turn feeds to NE32, or vice versa.
What I do notice is that when Beau is doing a feeding on his own, he always makes sure that the food is shared between the pair, with a bite for NE32 and then a bite for NE33. These nestlings do have impeccable table manners, which helps a lot, but then I suspect the angelic behaviour at meal times is probably the result of knowing that they will each be given enough to eat so there’s no need for bonking. It just slows down their eating!!
I am so glad that Gabby found such a wonderful mate after losing Samson. She deserved Beau, and as I keep saying, I loved that he was patient with her and not pushy, allowing her to move on at her own pace. I think they did have a special bond. Something made Gabby chose V3 rather than V9 or V13 or even V14.
Suffice it to say that Gabby (and her nest) represented prime eagle real estate and there was much competition for both. It is interesting that a very young, inexperienced male should be the ultimate victor – it surely has to represent a choice on her part because otherwise, it would be most unlikely that V3 should successfully see off so many older, more worldly competitors to ultimately win her talon, so to speak. A true bald eagle love story.
And now look at the results. Super parents in a relaxed, happy, mutually supportive partnership. What a truly adorable family they are.
Meanwhile, the pair at WRDC are also adorable, I agree with you about siblings. I think they are a major plus on a nest, and was really amused to re-read the story of Bodie and Juvie at this nest. I truly believe that was a huge plus for Bodie, and it was so typical of this particular family that they adopted Juvie as their own. I wonder what the motivation was for that on the part of Gabby and Beau. Did they understand the bonuses in the situation for Bodie? Or were they simply reacting instinctively to a young bird begging for food, in pretty much the same way as the parents of Junior did when they brought in Malala, the red-tailed hawklet, to feed to their own chick as lunch but then adopted?
But I’m rambling. It’s a lovely sunny 18C day today with a cool breeze and a blue sky. There are still fires in parts of the state but some rain overnight and the halving of temperatures have helped the situation immensely. Everyone In the family is safe.
At Tataroa Head, the Royal Cam egg (laid on 6 November) is 66 days old today. The egg has been candled and we know that it contains a living creature that we presume to be a miniature northern royal albatross. That means we are less than a fortnight from pip watch. TOO exciting. I’m wondering whether the incubating parent is aware of the impending hatch – I’m presuming they can hear that a hatch is underway – and be reluctant to leave the nest during the hatch. Or whether the foraging parent has some way of knowing that a hatch is due and so hurries home for the hatch.
Of course it is possible that they are remarkably unconcerned about the whole process, given the fact that the rangers remove the egg as soon as a pip is detected and take it to hatch in a supervised incubator, leaving the proud parent carefully incubating a dummy egg that suddenly ceases to emit any sound whatsoever. I do have to wonder whether that distresses them in any manner (it doesn’t appear to do so and fortunately, but somewhat strangely to me, there is no information to indicate any of the bamboozled incubating parents abandoning the suddenly silent egg. Maybe they just accept the happy ending and/or have learned to trust the intervention of the rangers, whatever form it takes.
But to return to my point, the Royal Cam egg is due to hatch in 13 days (which is 24 January by my estimate). The egg takes many days to hatch, so I’m not sure what stage the 79 days takes us to. The pip? The hatch itself? I will have to look it up, but based on my memory of previous years, I think it means we should have a small damp fluffy person on 24 January. I will look it up to be sure but the timing of a hatch on day 79 is perfect – it’s two days before Australia Day.
I’m so excited. I do adore the early weeks of a baby albatross, and this nest is such an easy watch because of its isolated setting and the rangers’ dedication. Intervention? These birds get squid smoothies when they need nutrition, electrolytes when they need hydration, sprinklers when it’s too hot, supervised hatching of the eggs in incubators, and regular general health monitoring throughout, and of course all nests have one chick only and the albatross is the most gentle of birds, so a bit of posturing and bill clacking is about as aggressive a watch as it gets. The birds are just exquisitely serene, as you would be if you planned to spend more than half a century drifting around the world on air currents. Their entire life is a meditation.”
Thank you so much for being with us today. We will see you next Monday.
Thank you to those who post news on the various FB groups – what would we do without them?! And to the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to look into the lives of the Raptors, as well as news agencies and blogs that report on the atrocities that happen to our beloved feathered friends, such as The Guardian and Raptor Persecution UK.I am grateful to ‘A’ for her long commentary, to ‘N’ for writing in about Eagle Country, and to SK Hideaways and their amazing videos. Thank you all!
The sun is out, and the temperatures are unseasonably warm for the Canadian prairies. We are spending as much time as we can outside walking. Sometimes Toby goes with Ellen or us, sometimes Don and Ann take Toby for an extra-long walk. Yesterday, Don and Ann were at Fort Whyte, where they saw many deer and a single Chickadee. Today they are off to the Zoo! I used to spend these days rushing around, gathering things for the house or cleaning. The last few months have taught me that the precious hours when Don is with Ann are the ones when I should relax and care for myself. The house and the cupboards can wait. For those of you reading this today who care for others, I highly recommend that you just stop. No one cares whether your house is spotless or whether the cookies on the plate came from your oven or a box. They come to see you and your family. So, take time for yourself. Try and read that book that has been gathering dust. Sleep. Watch a good movie – but don’t do what I did and scamper around like a crazed chipmunk cleaning and stocking up as if a bad winter storm were about to arrive.
The fishing line on Connie and Clive’s nest at Captiva has been successfully removed! We can all breathe better today. Thanks everyone for your quick action! https://www.youtube.com/live/QY9q0YFJbsQ?si
Another little one is making its way into the world! And its Mum is the bald eagle with only single vision – how great is this. We know our wildlife are resilient. Wish this family the best.
Windows to Wildlife is asking you to submit names for Connie and Clives little CE14. Here is the FB posting – please participate. Come up with a really cute name!
Your ABC Bird of the Week is the Antioquia Brushfinch.
Great news coming out of the Kakapo Recovery Programme in New Zealand.
Thank you so much to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to be part of the lives of these amazing birds. They give us joy and bring hope amidst some dismal times. Thank you to those that did the posters and informative posts on FB. I am in your debt!
Take care everyone. I will be back with you again on Monday.
Gosh, it is going to warm up to 0 C. The ice build up that was causing so many people issues, including myself despite heating tape, etc., is melting! The sun is shining and the sky is a light baby blue. Toby is off on his walk with Ellen and right now our world feels calm. Cardamon buns are rising in the kitchen in preparation for a visit from Don’s cousin.
In Bird World, there is no news of Akecheta. I never give up on him. I like to think he is off looking for Thunder and didn’t take too much to Haku, preferring to keep his life and limbs intact rather than fighting all out.
The baby eaglets are growing like bad weeds – most of them do not have to share food, which is only a plus. Only Ron, Rose, Gabby, and Beau have to contend with the bonking sessions. I do love Gabby. When she gets fed up with the pair of them, she just sits on them. Mind you, they are pretty evenly matched, and from watching the cats in the house, it is good to get some ‘play fighting’ in before one gets lost in the world without the safety of the nest.
NE32 hatched at 1:00 am on December 31st 2025, NE33 hatched at 7:54am on January 1, 2026 according to the bot on chat.
Girri is doing just fine -. I don’t know about you but this is the happiest I have felt about the fledglings at the Orange scrape in years. Girri is going to triumph.
Well, the news coming out of the UK on the illegal sale of peregrine falcons to the Middle East should get everyone in an uproar.
He is panting heavily when he brings this monstrous catch up to the tower scrape. Darling Gimbir. He is such a sweetie. Look at those eyes. Diamond really does seem to attract some special males, doesn’t she? I do miss our precious Xavier a great deal, but I am very happy that Diamond has a devoted and very young mate. It shows that somewhere relatively nearby (presumably within 50km), there is a scrape successfully fledging young peregrines. Now that is a lovely thought, is it not?
Meanwhile, that pair at NEFL are outrageous. Lots of exercise at least. Poor Gabby and Beau – getting bonked by their own offspring. Feisty is the appropriate word at this age I suppose. But I really do hope they cut it out pretty soon and settle down.
At Chez A in Melbourne, it is 39C today and the temperature still climbing at 2.30pm (the forecast is for 42C) and it’s as much as anyone can manage. I do worry about the garden birds on days like this. I tell everyone that the best thing they can do for the birds (apart from growing trees and also nectar-producing shrubs for all our honeyeaters and parrots and so on) is provide them with fresh water in summer. When days are above 40C, everything in the garden needs water, including all the pollinators and other insects. It’s not just the birds and the cats. We’re all praying that no-one throws a cigarette butt out of a car window anywhere rural today – the fire danger is rated extreme. We lost over 100 people in a single day on the last really bad bushfire day.”
Big Red spotted. It is always a good day. She hatched in 2003 seven miles from her nest at Ithaca. She was ringed in October of 2003. She will be 23 years old this year.
A good news story.
The Royal Albatross are partying like it’s no tomorrow at Taiaroa Head in New Zealand! They are looking for future mates, dancing, and sky calling. It is fantastic. https://youtu.be/P5SyyM-f6rs?
All other eaglets that have hatched are doing well. No problems that I am aware.
Thank you for being with us today. We are doing exceptionally well. The sunshine brings both happiness and hope! Take care of yourself. I will be back with you probably on Saturday.
Thank you to those individuals who created videos or took photos and posted them online so that I might share them with you on my blog. Thanks, ‘A’, for your comments – stay cool! Thank you Raptor Persecution UK for bringing us the news uncensored when it concerns our raptors.
It is late Tuesday night. It was a warm day. Ann was here, and she took Toby and Don for a nice walk. Ellen had been here earlier, so Toby had two good walks! I did not get to making SK Hideaway’s Cranberry Orange scones, but that is on the list for this week. I have moved on from my disappointment with the health services and have pulled up the ‘boot straps’ and gotten on with life. Ann will be here more afternoons and Ellen will help with some dog walking. I spent a lovely afternoon with my bestie. It is Irish Women’s Christmas. Do you know this tradition?
January 6 was known as Nollaig na mBan – “women’s Christmas” when womenfolk across the country took a day off from their traditional domestic chores as a reward for all their efforts, and visited friends and family. The temperature rose dramatically by mid-afternoon before rain started around 3pm.”
We had lovely tea and conversation, and I forgot about the woes of the past weeks – like the eagles.
Speaking of eagles. Could we have ordered a more cute group of babies this year?
E26 seems to have a constant huge crop and is getting its mohawk along with that woolly deep charcoal—a prize for M15 and F23 whose love for this baby oozes out of that nest.
Beau continues to win the hearts and minds of everyone who watches the NE Florida nest. Could you think back to when Beau was V3? How did you feel when Gabby seemed to favour this young one who didn’t, at the time, seem to know which end was which?
Clown feet, mohawk, thermal down, and pin feathers at Captiva. All of the eaglets are growing quickly!
R9 and R10 have the same pin feathers, the same clown feet, the little Mohawks, and they are doing the cutest wingers. Ron and Rose are fantastic parents.
All appears to be well at the Superbeaks nest, too.
Huge winter storms are barrelling through North America raising havoc with our eagle nests – and their trees, many old, many with dead branches. Another suffered damage.
Good news coming from Redding and those following Liberty and Guardian.
An unbanded male eagle has been seen with Haku at the West End—no sighting of Akecheta.
Those caring for the Laysan Albatross on the Midway Atoll report that Wisdom, the oldest banded Laysan Albatross in the world at 74 years, returns frequently to the atoll. She did not, however, lay an egg this year.
Raptor Persecution UK continues to follow the illegal killings, charges, and court hearings in the UK for us.
I was delighted to hear from my friend whose son has been working too hard. He sat down by a lake, and there were ducks, and all the woes of the world slipped off his shoulders. I highly recommend that we all do this in the days and weeks ahead. The holidays are challenging for almost everyone for many varied reasons, but winter can be especially daunting. Try to get outside!
Now I imagine that in about 50 days we might see Iris land on her nest in Missoula. Just imagine. And then, sit back and consider that a fortnight earlier, the UK ospreys will start arriving home as well for their breeding seasons. I cannot wait.
Thank you so much for being with us tonight. I might not post again til the end of the week. No worries. All is good.
Thank you to Raptor Persecution UK, to the owners of the streaming cams where I took my screen captures and the authors of the FB posts. Without your keen eyes and sharing information, my blog would not be the same!
Dear Dyson.
Mr Crow waiting for Dyson to finish with the peanuts so he can have some!
Yes, did you notice? Two Mondays in Bird World. Alas, it has been a tiring week!
Don is home from the hospital, missing his brand new SuperPuff long coat, glasses, and runners. What does one say and do? You file a form and hope that they turn up! In the meantime, you carry on and try to find replacements! Don was safe, but no tests were conducted in eleven days, just assumptions made. Please don’t hesitate to ask me if I am happy. I am decidedly not. I need an ultrasound to determine if this is a prostate issue or something else. If it is a prostate problem, then what is it? Thankfully, they won’t be sending me a bill!!!!!!! And I won’t have to mortgage my house to pay for his care.
Toby was relieved that Don was home.
I will be calmer when the issue at hand is resolved as you can imagine.
Beau Meets Super Bobblehead NE33 and Feeds Super Snacker NE32 (2026 Jan 1) Gabby made Beau wait a while before letting him meet NE33, but when she finally did, it was a sight to behold. Beau was immediately smitten with his third offspring (his first being Bodie in 2025) and settled in to brood both NE32 and NE33. A short while later, NE32 let Beau know it was snack time and dad was happy to oblige. While NE33 was still tuckered out from hatching, the smell of fish did cause the little one to stir. The stirring too the form of much wobbling and falling from side-to-side ~ seeing as that big head isn’t quite yet cooperating. We’re sure they’ll both be super snackers by tomorrow. Video: https://youtu.be/DZBMVvi5tp8 NE32 HATCHES!12-Hour Lead-Up ~ Congrats Gabby & Beau! (2025 Dec 31) NE32 arrived after working to escape its shell for about 36 hours. We summarized the 12 hours that led up to NE32’s arrival. Congratulations to Gabby and Beau, and welcome to the world NE32! Video: https://youtu.be/i4lIg-u3yIc
TWO HARBORS EAGLES: Nest of Cholyn & Chase Cholyn & Chase at 27-years ~ Morning Check-in, Brunch on Nest (2025 Dec 30) At 27 ~ almost 28 ~ years old, Cholyn and Chase are still the lovebirds they were when they first paired up 22 years ago. They checked on their nest this morning, which is already in good shape for eggs, should they grace us with them next year. Later, Cholyn returned with a nice fish, which she took her time to enjoy. Every moment with this special pair is a precious gift. Video: https://youtu.be/GOApBZhGIb8 Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ
There is sad news coming out of FOLFAN. The ten-year-old nest tree collapsed during a storm. Oh, if only there were the resources to help support these old nests!
Incubation continues at the new Window to Wildlife Winter Park, Florida Bald Eagle nest and cam. The female is blind in one eye. Link in post.
The two surviving eaglets at Superbeaks are doing very well indeed and now have their fluffy white down Mohawks.
Gabby and Beau continue to do a magnificent job at NE Florida.
I wanted to get those videos of SK Hideaways off to you before the end of Monday. Please take care. My posts will be short – I have to be caregiver and nurse and we are still monitoring Toby for any issues. Send us good energy as we move forward.
Thank you to SK Hideaways, those who post on FB, particularly Bald Eagles 101, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to participate virtually in the lives of our beloved eagles.
As one of you recently told me, it has been one heck of a week. Ten days, actually. It seems like forever. Thank you for all your letters of support, the virtual tea and scones, and just being there.
Little Toby is really on the mend. He got to go out for a nice walk today to do his ‘business’ and then get a treat! Here is he is in his little red jumpsuit! On Monday, Toby is going to grace the 5th floor Ward North of the Victoria Hospital. I hope he brings a lot of joy to everyone including his ‘Daddy’.
Toby is just so much better. The hospital is ‘working’ on Donald.
This morning, someone posted an image of a tuxedo cat being hit by a car just a block away. Was it Brock? Toby and I looked and called on our walk. Then, Brock showed up at the feeder. He has a slight limp in his front left leg, but being so very independent and strong, he would not allow me to hold him or get him help. So send him good wishes.
I constantly worry about our eagle families, especially when a bird or waterfowl is brought to the nest as prey for the babies. ‘AR’ sent some news about Avian Flu: “I found some new research on bird flu and I am sending the link :
Here in Florida, we are still losing birds. In Lakeland Florida, the resident swans are dying, we have lost 12 so far 🙁 Lakeland is closer to NEFL than it is to SWFL, so I have been checking in daily that the babies are alright. “
There is good news out of the Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian. Oh, don’t we love good news?!
Arthur was spotted Saturday on Ferris Akel’s tour and today Suzanne Arnold Horning got a photo of Big Red – so all is well at the Cornell Campus.
Oh, I am so tired. Ann and I decided that visiting at the hospital makes you more tired than running a marathon. I hope all of you are well and that 2026 will straighten itself out if it is wrecking havoc with you as well.
My reports will continue to be short for awhile til things settle down. Please take care. See you tomorrow.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch our favourite raptor families, to SK Hideaways for their videos, to ‘AR’ for sending me the article on Avian Flu and reporting on what is happening near the NE Florida nest of Gabby and Beau, to Suzanne Arnold Horning and Woody for chasing down our favourite Red-tail Hawks.
Thank you again for your wonderful letters and voice notes of support. It has, indeed, been – as the nurse at the VGH said to me today – a really ‘bad’ week for me. Yes, it has, but I am not going to dwell on that. It has been a devastating week for many others. A person whom I care about tremendously held her husband’s hand this morning as he died. She has had a challenging week and she is strong. My body aches for her.
Keeping that in mind, I am fortunate! Yes, I am tired, but right now Toby is playing with his favourite Little Lamb Chop toy next to me, and he is not bleeding anywhere! He is eating and taking his pills, and I am hopeful that he will make a full recovery. Don is safe in the hospital. He had a bit of a backward moment today, and they are working diligently to find out what is causing his urinary problems. But, once again, I am lucky. The high taxes I paid during my working life mean that I will never see a medical bill. Don has a nurse right outside his private room door. He actually likes the food, and he has a team of specialists working to solve his health problems. Will he come home? Well, I do not know the answer to that question. The environment must be safe for the animals and me. It also has to be a place where he receives the care he needs. Only time will answer those questions, but no matter how many spanners got thrown at us this week, we weathered them as best we could, and we are fine.
This morning, I woke up to the most beautiful, fluffy white snow that had fallen overnight. Everything was so clean, and the birds were so happy. I wish I had taken some photographs, but alas, I didn’t think about it until Anthony came to shovel, and then that lovely landscape was altered, and it wasn’t such a good picture!
There is an article in The Guardian today that I want to share with you but first, if you missed it, I really want to alert you to two problems – health ones.
Water: You really need to drink water every day. If you don’t like the taste put in a slice of lemon, lime, or orange or even cucumber as my friend Lily Liu always did. Keep a bottle with you. I was told that 3 litres (or think 3-4 quarts) is good. My mother had this ‘odd’ notion. She was prescribed diuretics to pull the water off her body. (Her mother and her both died of congestive heart failure). She believed she shouldn’t drink water since she was taking pills to take the water off! It is, of course, the opposite. You must drink lots of water to flush those toxins out! If you don’t, you can appear to have Alzheimer’s or dementia when you are dehydrated.
Toileting: If you or I know someone who has the least problem with urinating, get them to the doctor and make that doctor listen. As we know from Don’s sudden and bizarre change of behaviour, he has some blockage and that caused toxins to build up in the system, which made him behave and act like he was delirious.
While we are not things about birds, I always want to pass along anything I can that will help you and your families.
Do you have a friend or family member who makes lists? Who values themself only if they accomplish what is on that list? An individual who has trouble relaxing? Many people make resolutions for the new year on how they will better their lives. I found this article today in The Guardian and I hope that it might have a few threads of truth that will help each of us in the new year.
In Eagle World, a serious issue is brewing. Where is Akecheta?
For those who do not know, our beloved bald eagle, Akecheta (A-61), is from the Catalina Island West End nest in California. His name means ‘Warrior’, and he hatched in 2016. Akecheta is known for his dramatic return after injuries and for forming a bond with the female eagle Haku in 2025, becoming a local celebrity among eagle enthusiasts. His previous mate was Thunder. He’s part of the island’s eagle repopulation effort, often seen with his distinctive blue wing tag, and has captivated viewers with his territorial battles and interactions with mates and rivals.
Akecheta has not been seen at the West End nest since 30 December. That is now an entire four days. I am not worried because we did see Akecheta on the mainland after his last disappearance. However, there is a young male eagle at Tor and it is not clear if it is Haku with him or not.
Katrina Salyards posted this on the Channel Islands Eagle Lovers (CIEL) FaceBook group:
“West End: Eagles Present: A fiesty juvie, VE1 (full white headed eagle with a white feather making a wing tip), and a new visitor seen the other day – VE2 (could be Haku….could be a second visiting eagle).
Eagles not seen today: Haku (thought to be seen 1/1) and Akecheta (last seen 12/30)
Bonding of our eagles: Awkward: 12/17, Haku was nippy: 12/18
Camera Visits on 1/2:
VE2 soaring up the tors: 6:39 am
VE2 soaring: 6:40 am
VE2 rouse: 6:50 am
VE2 FA TOR: 6:40 – 8:53 am
VE1 FA TOR: 6:40 – 6:42 am
VE2 RouseL 6:50 am
Juvie soaring around TOR: 7:08 am
Juvie Historical Nest: 8:17 –
VE2 flaps as they turn around: 8:31 am
VE1 joins VE1: 8:42 – 8:53 am
VE2 chortles at the sight of the VE2: 8:42 (visual only. No mic on FA TOR)
VE1 moves to join VE2: 8:43 – 8:53 am
Excited eagle vocals: 8:53 am
VE1 Soaring: 8:54 am
Eagle soaring: 8:58 am
Juvie FA TOR: 9:16 – 9:20 am
VE2 Eagle FA TOR: 9:20 – 9:21 am
Contact on far tor: 9:20 am
Juvie leaves FA TOR: 9:21 am
VE2 chases Juvie: 9:22 – 9:23 am
Juvie FA TOR: 9:23 am
Contact again: 9:28 am (with VE1 seen white mark on left wing)
They tumble over the back of the tors: 9:28 am
Eagle vocals off cam: 9:37 am
Two Eagles soaring: 10:03 – 10:04 am
Eagle flies off from Antenna Rock (Wray’s rock)” 9:58 – 10:13 am (unsure who this is as two eagles were soaring)
VE1 Camera Rock(wing white spot showing): 11:03 am
VE1 Soars: 11:05 – 11:06 am
VE1 FA TOR: 11:06 – 11:15 am
Second eagle flies up FA TOR B Hillside: 11:15 am
VE2 follows the second eagle: 11:15 am
VE1 with another eagle soaring: 11:15 – 11:17 am
Eagle Hillside of FA TOR: 13:44 pm
Eagle soaring: 13:44 – 13:45 pm
Sea Lions:14:39 +
Juvie Antenna Rock: 14:47 – 14:59 pm
Beautiful soaring: 15:17 pm
Disclaimer: Right now I’m in nest telling mode. As much as I have fallen in love with the eagles at this nest of the past year, we might be looking at a new couple this season. So I’m telling the story of who is currently here. Even if it’s not our beloved Haku and Akecheta, I will continue to tell the story of West End until I cannot anymore.
Ok new facts:
Fact #1: the nest cam will no longer be used as anything but a nest cam. Dr. Sharpe has asked specifically that it never move. It is too noisy and will scare away any eagle on the nest so it will no longer be able to be used as anything other than a nest cam. So we will have to depend on the other cameras handling the area. I asked and was told with the wind, they keep zoomed out so that people do not complain of being sick to their stomach watching. Tim is right, they do do this. I’ve seen it. This camera also has the wiper unfortunately so we won’t have a wiper anymore to be used for now unless Dr. Sharpe purchases another camera with a wiper.
Fact #2: Well bad news is, Haku was not confirmed today and Akecheta were not seen today. I’m unsure what to make of that I just usually roll with who is here hoping it all works out for the nest. Eagle cams are apparently (unlike what I thought when I showed up here just as Akecheta as battling last year) are full of anything goes.
Fact #3: It’s tough when the camera isn’t zoomed to see who is out there so I’m doing the best I can.
Fact #4: There was a juvie in the area who VE1 does not tolerate.
Fact #5: No one is interested in the nest or nighttime area…so not sure what that means.
Fact #6: I’m not sure and who to add to things so I’m just letting things roll until we get a solid bonded pair and for now I’m going with Akecheta and Haku as the current eagles until we see otherwise IE two bonded eagles other than them, building in the nest. Until then I’m going with these are all visitors and passing by. I’m not really sure how else to handle this. I had no idea this even happens at nests lol.
None of our eagles were seen today or confirmed. Instead the current stars are a VE1 with the white feather tipped left wing and a new visiting eagle which appears to be male…I’ll go with VE2 for now. No idea. The chat isn’t nicknaming as they are burned out from the questioning and the visitors and the changes. So I’ll just go with VE1 and VE2 as if I touch the nickname MV which is tempting. I’ll run into the questions about TNG being back.
Nighttime Perch = lower perch below the nest, TOR = top of the rock. There are Three: Antenna Rock, Middle Rock and Far away Rock. Antenna Rock AKA Antenna TOR AKA Turtle Rock: is the closest. It has the antenna and sound from the overlook cam on. It is shown on Overlook cam. Near it is Wray’s Rock (Rock below the TOR towards the back) and Eagle Rock(rock below the Antenna Rock TOR). Middle Rock AKA MID TOR: is above the nest. It has a small shelf AKA MID TOR Shelf, on the side where the hawk and eagles sit. It is shown on the WELC and WEC cams Far away rock AKA FA TOR: is the furthest away rock top. Popular spot for eagles and ravens. WELC means the west end low cam. This is now the nest cam. WEW was WEC and stands for West End Wide view, Attic Perch – perch between the nest and nighttime perch, Historical Nest = HN, BMID = back middle (there’s a hillside since Akecheta has returned that Haku and Akecheta use that is on the middle TOR just out of sight), BFA = back far away (there’s a hillside since Akecheta has returned that the duo has been using behind the far away TOR just out of sight), Camera Rock AKA CAM Rock: is the rocks the Overlook cam sits on.
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Daily Log:
Before the IR Light went up, an eagle was soaring up the rocks. This eagle matches Haku’s visual and is the same one we saw yesterday that we were confident it was her. We really need a nest/nighttime visit or a camera rock visit. What I will say is this eagle has the same neckline. We couldn’t see the tail today or anything on the head. That far away rock is horrible for iding…I miss tags and bands. As much as I hate to do this, I’m going to call it for now VE2. If we get a confirmation again, I will change it to Haku’s name. (Now I’m pretty confident it’s Haku but I’m basing it on scientists including Dr. Sharpe who claims bonded eagles do not arrive on a nest and take it over. Instead eagles singly travel to nests and remove the existing eagle and take over the female or male there. But…these two eagles seem really into each other so the whole thing just seems off that it could happen that quickly. So I just don’t know…One thing for sure when they are together on the rock, one is bigger than the other but a good bit and it’s noticable).
So VE2 comes up the rock and soars around off cam. When they return, they bring back a second eagle with them and they soar happily through the air before landing on the far away rock together really close almost on top of each other. Together they stand close and VE1 soars off but VE2 (this is another reason I think it’s Haku as she loves her rocks). VE2 roused and got a close up. They showed their lack of a white feather when they turned around in a circle to face the other way. The head looked with no markings but when we could see it outside the light from the front, there were slight markings of a mask. VE1 returned and we could see the happy chortles even if we couldn’t hear it. VE2 moved closer to VE1 and after a bit, they flew off to take to the skies. They soared down the rock and we could hear excited chortles a minute later.
Just a few minutes later, we saw an eagle soaring through the air then it was quiet.
Next we see a juvie fly towards the far away rock and land there on the side on a rock. (same rock as yesterday that the VE1 used and that the juvie used. I guess eagles like rocks). VE1 soared in and made contact with the juvie who then flew off. The juvie soared around the top of the rocks and VE1 flew off to chase the juvie around off cam. Then the Juvie returned to the rock. Again VE1 flies in and makes contact showing off her white feather then landed. The juvie didn’t leave this time so another contact was made and with this it looked like a miss on the talon lock then a talon lock as they tumbled. The juvie was seen flying off to the right after a minute or so.
As VE1 fly off, we could hear chortles off cam unseen.
All was quiet for an hour then two eagles appeared and soared through the air beautifully for two minutes.
The weird thing is, an eagle not the ones soaring, flew off Wray’s rock and flew around twice. It was weird to see a third eagle. It was too far away to see anything on it.
Then it’s quiet for another hour as fog rolls in and out. Next we see VE1 land on the camera rock showing off her white feather. It doesn’t stay long and flies off within a few seconds and soars over to the far way rock. A second eagle (unsure who) flies up to join the first eagle and VE! Flies off following the other eagle.
Then we see both eagles soaring in the air happily for quite a while then it’s quiet for hours. Fog and rain roll in…
Two hours later and a bit ore, we see an eagle fly up the hillside of the far away rock then land for just a second before soaring off screen.
We got to see some lions then we saw an eagle on the antenna rock. It was not recognizable. Then we saw some beautiful soaring before the night ends.
Night Haku and Akecheta wherever you are. Stay safe…it’s crazy out there. Night current visiting eagle;/s. Feel free to go visit elsewhere just don’t dive bomb anyone. Sweet dreams! We miss you on the nighttime perch! Akecheta try to make an appearance on that nest please.
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West End Weather 59F H-64F Humidity 84% Wind 8+mph E H-King tide 07:29 L-tide 14:58 Seas S 2-3’@ 5seconds Sea temp 62F Sunset 16:57 happy/safe Friday
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CURRENT EAGLES:
Haku: Haku is the female who appeared in West End territory 2 days after Thunder left (minutes after Thunder and Makaio’s last egg was consumed by a raven on 3/2/2025). She made herself right at home on the nest refusing to leave. Makaio seemed to know her and greeted her loudly as she flew into the area. Dr. Sharpe thinks she is 4 years old so plenty old to be a laying eagle. She got her name from a donator (SweetEagleDreams) who adopted their nest. Her name is Haku. Haku Haku means ‘welcoming hello to you’ in Chumash. The donor said, “when she suddenly appeared she looked at Makaio and said hello and we are welcoming her into our family.” It fits her perfectly! She is now mated to Akecheta as of 12/172025.
Akecheta: Akecheta AKA A-61 was banded back on April 29, 2016 and also tagged with blue tags labeled A-61. He was laid on Los Pinos Nest in 2016. His parents were A-45 and A-51. After travelling, he arrived in 2019 replacing Superman who had been Thunder’s previous mate. His first greeting from Thunder was to be chased off her nest. Then in 2020, Thunder and Akecheta mated and had their first eggs which were taken by ravens. He was displaced by intruders on January 19, 2025 when the camera went down. When the camera returned, he had been replaced by Makaio. He was seen in May at Lake Casitas. He has now returned to West End and is attempting to reclaim his territory displacing the current eagles. He has bands on each talon and has bright blue tags on each wing that are labeled A-61. He was named during the adopt-a-nest challenge and his name was chosen because in Sioux language it means “fighter” which seems to fit his personality beautifully. He left the first time on 1/19 and returned 9/22 night only to disappear again 9/25 in the morning. Then he was seen on the morning of 10/3 soaring with Haku! Akecheta was returned and has taken over the West End area. Welcome back Akecheta.
Eagles Status Unknown: Makaio last seen 6/3, Thunder last seen 2/28, and Bob last seen 10/9
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Basic Nest History:
The historical nest (pile of sticks on the top of the rock where the nest is below) was the original nest here at the West End area. It was used by Wray and Shenandoah who were together between 1991 and 2005. Diana mixed in with them for two years to make it a three eagle nest. Then between 2006 to 2013, Wray was with Superman until Thunder arrived. Thunder and Superman were together between 2014 and 2019.
In 2020, Akecheta replaced Superman. Thunder and Akecheta had 4 eggs (2 clutches), all taken by ravens. In 2021, Thunder and Akecheta had 3 eggs. All were taken by ravens. In 2022, Akecheta and Thunder had three eggs. All hatched. One banded D-23 AKA Sky, D-24 AKA Ahote, and D-25 AKA Kana’kini. In 2023, Thunder and Akecheta had two eggs. All hatched. One banded D-39 Starlight and E-40 AKA Scout. In 2024, Thunder and Akecheta had three eggs. They were not banded but were named Koa, Treasure and Sterling. In January 2025, Akecheta and Thunder were in the middle of nestorations when Akecheta was involved with an allocation with an intruder. He was injured and left the area while the cameras were down. No eggs resulted. In February 2025, Thunder and Makaio had two eggs but both were taken by Ravens. Haku and Makaio mated but no eggs were laid.”
Gracie Shepherd posted this image of the new pair, neither tagged, today:
Highlights are running on the IWS web page. I will be watching for more news and will pass it along as I hear.
The good news is that NE32 and NE33 are doing very well. Gabby is a seasoned pro when it comes to mothering.
I am tired and I am taking Sunday off. I will be back with SK Hideaway’s videos on Monday and any new news on Akecheta or the eaglets in the nests.
Please take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to The Guardian for their news and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us view the lives of our beautiful raptors. Thank you to ‘J’ who alerted me to Akecheta MIA and to the IWS, and those who posted information on FB about Akecheta, so that many who do not know his history can learn about his beautiful eagle. Please send Akecheta your best wishes.
It is a full moon night on the Canadian prairies with a temperature of -16 C. Tobby and Hugo Yugo are curled up beside me on the sofa along with a couple of ‘Little Lambs’, Toby’s favourite toy. Ann spent the morning with Toby while I went to the hospital to see how Don was doing.
I felt really ‘proud’ and happy when the nurse sat me down, hugged me, and told me how well I was taking care of Don. You don’t think it – or I didn’t – his clothes are always clean, and so he is. I feed him, for the most part, whole foods, giving in to a love of cookies that his mother created by her excellent (and constant) baking when he was younger. His bloodwork is good, and he is very healthy given his condition. I know that many have expressed concern about his discharge back into the home, but the root cause was not his dementia, but rather a serious problem with his bladder that the doctors have now repaired. He was very alert today, and after I had been there for about an hour, his oldest friend, Andrew, arrived, and you could hear them laughing several metres away. I slipped out quietly, knowing that his other friend from high school would be arriving shortly. Ann stayed home, monitoring Toby to make sure he didn’t start haemorrhaging again. Toby is getting stronger and more like himself. It was so nice having him snore in my ear last night – I will NEVER complain again about that! Sometimes he is so loud he could shake the roof off the rafters.
Thank you for all of your notes. I want to publicly pass on a big shout-out to Heidi and her video that was included on Day 11 – many of you have downloaded that blog so that you can watch her handiwork repeatedly. She is exceptionally talented, and I am so glad that our paths crossed in this lifetime.
The nurses have asked me to rest up for a few days, so my posts over the next 2-4 days will be shorter and less comprehensive. As most of you can tell, I have a real soft spot for Gabby and now for Beau after adoring Samson for so many years. Those two little scrappers in NE Florida are adorable. And like all of the other eaglets in the nests, they are adored by their parents. My goodness, I wish we could sprinkle this type of eagle love all over the planet.
Girri is one of those great events from 2025. Having sobbed our eyes out with the loss of Xavier, we thought Diamond would not have any chicks. Then along came Gimbir, and well, everyone thought he was too young and inexperienced to be a Dad. Well, were we wrong? Diamond and Gimbir gave us one heck of a strong female falcon, and here she is flying above the trees near the tower! https://youtu.be/ECUH1DwWGao? It just doesn’t get much better than this at the Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam project.
It’s not a raptor… but this is a story everyone should know about. China has footage of a Wild Siberian Tigress with five cubs in Hunchun. Northwest Tiger and Leopard Park. This is thrilling news! They normally have 2-3 cubs so five is rare and is a great conservation success. Here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/JaSsbkfC5N4?
The BBC reports, “Five Siberian tiger cubs have one very proud mum – she’s the first ever tiger known to have given birth to quintuplets in the wild in China.
The family have been spotted in Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which is one of China’s first five national parks and covers over 14,000 square kilometres – that’s around the same size as Northern Ireland!
It’s very rare for Siberian tigers to give birth to five healthy cubs, so it’s a big success story for the park, who say it’s likely that mum had the cubs back in June.” (27 December 2025)
It is all good for Beau and Gabby at NE Florida.
The AEF captured Gabby feeding Beau who then fed the eaglets with the food. How cute was that?
E26 is a massive eaglet. Want to bet we have a strong female here for M15 and F23 this year? Thermal down. Pin feathers. And quite enough food and more than enough love from Mum and Dad.
What a little cutie – the other only – at Captiva for Connie and Clive.
R9 and R10 are just adorable. Ron and Rose are doing a fantastic job at Dade County. Life is looking good!
One of my favourite all-time books about a human being changed by an encounter with wildlife was Raising Hare. Here is an incredible story about a Japanese island inhabited by Hares! Can I put it on my bucket list?
Time for Toby’s last medication. Oh, my dear darling little man. The sheer idea that I could have lost you is beyond my comprehension.
This week, I learned two significant things I would like to share with you, in the hope that one or both might help you in the future. If you know of anyone whose behaviour radically changes, from calm to agitated, please get them to the doctor to check for an infection. If you know or suspect they cannot pass urine, do not be shy about stating this. It is critical. Secondly, if you see any blood, watery or otherwise, in your pet’s vomit or diarrhoea, rush them to the vet. Do not sit around and twiddle your thumbs, I mean, rush. Toby’s life was saved because of quick action on my part and that of Dr Maryam.
Thank you so much for being with us today.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that let us glimpse the breeding seasons of our wonderful raptors. Without them we would never see the joyful moments shared by these parents and their chicks! I would also like to thank The Guardian for their constant reporting on issues about wildlife. Thank you Holly Parsons or that great capture, to Cilla Kinross for her post and to the China Daily for its story on the Siberian Tiger.
