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.
We’ll all have empty nest syndrome soon. Most of the ospreys have flown to their winter homes and left us to watch the peregrine falcons, the WBSE, and the Bald Eagles! I don’t know about you but watching Mum at Port Lincoln incubate eggs isn’t all that exciting but I do love seeing Dad bring her a fish in the morning.
2026 osprey breeding performance was the worst ever recorded for the Chesapeake Bay is published:
More and more organizations and people are supporting the reduction of the amount or the entire stopping of industrial fishing of Menhaden.
I am so pleased.
The takeaway from the report: “The 2026 breeding season was the worst productivity year ever recorded for osprey in the Chesapeake Bay. Average productivity in waters above 5 parts per thousand (ppt) salinity (N = 769) was 0.25 young/pair. On a global scale, the annual breeding performance required to maintain a stable population ranges from 0.8 to 1.3 young/pair. Only pairs nesting within tidal fresh waters (N = 168 nests producing 1.04 young/pair) exceeded the breeding performance threshold required for population maintenance. Eighty-one percent of all pairs nesting in waters above 5 ppt failed to fledge any young. Of pairs that did produce young, 70% were single-chick broods. The 2026 results extend the ongoing trend of productivity decline throughout saltier regions of the Bay.”
Unless something is done, ospreys will go extinct in the region.
A few of the nests that still have ospreys:
C22 and Charlie are still at Charlo with Charlie delivering fish. Mostly at Roger’s Place.
I really haven’t reported on the nest of Bruce and Naha at Seaside much this season. Bruce is still there bringing fish to one of the fledglings.
Wensi has not been seen since 6 September at the Hellgate Canyon nest or owl Pole. Iris still appears to be in the area.
Photo of fledgling Elsi starting her migration from the Dyfi osprey nest. Thanks so much! She is gorgeous.
Aran may still be at Glaslyn today. He was there yesterday. It was raining, not a good day to fly!
Dad was still at Boulder County Fairgrounds.
In Australia, SE38 is still doing well! Look at that crop. SK Hideaways has the feeding on video. It was an eel! https://youtu.be/qMUP6PbcjOg?
We woke up to a rainy, cold 8°C day. We needed to turn on the heating last evening. Toby certainly doesn’t mind going out to do all that ‘business ‘, but I found bundling up to go for a walk a little daunting after such hot weather only a few days ago.
We spent part of our afternoon at the hospital. Don moves so fast in the wheelchair that they are considering putting a seatbelt on him so he doesn’t hit something and fall out. The team at the hospital (his doctor, nurse, physiotherapist and social worker) are starting to formulate a plan for Donald. They are good and quite considerate of everything, including safety, which is paramount. For us, he now requires two strong people to lift him. If that continues, he would not be able to come home and would have to go into long-term care. If, however, he were to need only one person to lift him, they would provide me with a care worker for a 12-hour period, including getting Don to bed and getting him up in the morning, giving medications and giving him a nightly shower. I can sleep and not worry about him! We would also get one of those fancy hospital beds with a warning system that lowers and rises and goes up and down every which way. A nurse would come weekly to check on his bladder issues. This would be ideal. I am prepared for either scenario.
Thank you so much for being with us. Take care. I will be back in a couple of days.
Thank you to SK Hideaways, everyone who posted information and images on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch our bird families. I am, as are my readers, forever grateful.
Get the tissues out. I have a story from the hospital today. Ann and I always try to be there for at least one meal. She likes to go at noon, and I prefer arriving at 1630. It takes Toby and me about thirty-five minutes to get across town, and added up, the later time means Don will be ‘full’ (he eats well for me, and I always take a green salad and fresh fruit to wind up the hospital meal) till morning. There is no cookie cupboard at the hospital, although there is a box of homemade ginger cookies that Jaine made on his chest of drawers there – he doesn’t remember, so that is good, as he won’t try to get out of bed and fall trying to get one. (Visitors give him one). Toby and I left this evening. I reached over, kissed him goodbye, and told him, ‘I miss you’. He said back immediately, ‘I am always here’. I whispered, ‘I missyou at home’. Don squeezed my hand, raised it to his lips and kissed it. I held it together until Toby and I got home, broke down, and just cried. This has to be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life…We still don’t know the future. It is simply one day at a time, but underneath all of this is a strong foundation of love.
If you have a loved one who has dementia (not talking about Alzheimer’s – they are so different), remember that they ‘know’ things. They might look like they are snoozing, but they are listening… they feel, and they know. The proteins in their brain are changing, but that brain is intact, not dying.
Tomorrow is my youngest grandson’s birthday party, and Toby and I will stop in at the hospital on the way home. I will not be posting tomorrow, but will be back on Monday or Tuesday. I am including the video listing from SK Hideaways. Please take a look at the wonderful work they do! Also, news from Geemeff.
SK Hideaways Videos Week of 6 September 2026
367 Collins Street Falcons ~ Melbourne ~ F24 & M24 Courtesy Victorian Peregrine Project South Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibsohQ14cY North Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNKk0ivuWe4 M24 Arrived Too Early F24 Sent Him Off to Fetch Breakfast ~ 2026 Sep 10 M24 arrived empty-taloned before sunrise. F24 was rather unimpressed and sent him off. When he returned 2-1/2 hours later with large prey, mum was delighted to see him. We then got to enjoy his egg lullaby as he situated himself for his morning incubation stint. Video: https://youtu.be/jnpk9Y1gLz8
FalconCam Project ~ Diamond (~13 years) & Gimbir (~2 years) Courtesy FalconCam Project, Charles Sturt University NSW (http://www.csu.edu.au/special/falconcam/) ~ Australia Box Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv2RtoIMNzA Ledge Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuZaWzhXSAI Tower Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQxrTGgNu4M Egg#3for Diamond & Gimbir ~ Pro Parents Make it Look Easy ~ 2026 Sep 10 Relieving Gimbir of egg duty, Diamond arrived with a full crop and had a quick delivery of egg #3. Gimbir returned with prey and dashed (not shown), then returned for his first 3-egg incubation stint. Well done, you two! Video: https://youtu.be/51MYA5NH1jg Diamond Lays Egg #2After Chat with Gimbir ~2026 Sep 7 In my story, Gimbir stopped by the nest box with a huge crop. After some brief bonding, Diamond informed him she felt egg #2 coming soon. She mentioned that it might be nice to have a snack beforehand. Gimbir didn’t quite get the message, found a scrap for himself, and departed. Diamond already had a sufficient crop herself, so was ready to go. She delivered egg #2 at 23:24:32 with minimal fuss. Wishing Diamond and Gimbir successful hatches. Video: https://youtu.be/r1UjuD3pQ2s
Shadow & Kaydee Nest DanceHe Bows Out First ~ 2026 Sep 11 Shadow and Kaydee spent about 8 minutes in the nest together. The changing interactions are fascinating. It is early days. We watch, learn, and trust the eagles. Video: https://youtu.be/I3wJZ_a33NM
Shadow & Kaydee Evening and Morning Rendezvous ~ 2026 Sep 9-10 RememberingJackie on 1 Month Mark of Her Passing❤️🩹 After spending the entire day as a perch potato on Twin Pines, Shadow retired to the Roost Tree. Kaydee came along a bit later and did a nest check before joining him. In the morning, they exchanged greetings and perched on the Lookout Snag for a short time.
In addition to continuing to observe the dynamics between Shadow and Kaydee, I took a moment in this video to honor Jackie on the one-month mark since her passing. Jackie will always be the heart and soul of the Big Bear Valley eagle community, setting the foundation for the resurgence in eagle life that has developed since her birth in 2012. Jackie remains in our hearts today and always. Video: https://youtu.be/QiFZ5UeWe6c
Shadow & Kaydee Meet at Dawn ~ Ravens Wake the Neighborhood ~ 2026 Sep 9 While they roosted separately overnight, Shadow and Kaydee met up at dawn. They watched each other across the habitat before coming together on the Lookout Snag for a half hour. They then resumed their off-season adventures. Video: https://youtu.be/TzJPFak8rnM
Shadow’s Day ~ Stunning Horaltic Poses ~ Rain Shower ~ 2026 Sep 7 After few sightings of Shadow the day before, we were grateful to see him for a good, long time today. He started the morning on the Lookout Snag, then perched on Twin Pines for over 3-1/2 hours. While there, he displayed not one, but two spectacular horaltic poses. Lucky us. Video: https://youtu.be/rbCoC-8tp5s
Cholyn’s Day of Bliss ~ Chase Hillside Haven ~ 2026 Sep 10 Cholyn spent the morning on a favorite oceanfront perch taking in the brilliant, sparkling Pacific. She enjoyed it so much that she returned in the afternoon before visiting the nest. Chase settled on the cactus perch in the afternoon. The lovebirds watched each other across their habitat before departing on their evening escapades. Any view of Cholyn and Chase is a gift. Forever grateful to Two Harbors cam ops. Video: https://youtu.be/Onz4H40gONQ
Iris was still eating fish at the Owl Pole today – this is the latest she has ever stayed. Let us all send our Queen of Ospreys much love and good wishes. May she eat loads of fish, get healthy, migrate, and return to us next April along with Clark.
Isn’t she amazing. Look at that size of fish! Go, girl!
Geemeff writes: “Woodland Trust forum member CraigB made this tribute to Louis via chatGBP, and is happy for it to be shared:”
Geemeff says: Greetings from Komodo! Interrupting my Dragon watching to tell you Loch Arkaig’s 2024’s lone survivor 1JW has returned to his translocated home in Valencia and has been seen nesting!
WTS George posted: I received a message from Itziar on the Spanish team regarding 1JW, our 2024 chick who was translocated to Valencia: “He has been seen on many occasions at Pego Oliva Marsh, interacting with this year’s birds and spending time on one of the artificial nests that we have built. Unfortunately, the nest that he has been using is far away from any areas of public access so is impossible to get any photos. We haven’t seen him for a few days so maybe he has begun his migration, in which case we await his return next year, and hopefully he’ll find a mate! As it’s still early September, we’re all still watching out in case he’s still around.”
Geemeff says: That is such great news after the disastrous year of 2024 that was Season Eight – the weather was foul, chick3 didn’t last long and the other two nearly died of starvation and hypothermia as Louis wasn’t able to fish in the unrelenting cold and rain plus got ill as well, and the chicks were too big for Dorcha to cover properly. Then Woodland Trust sought and received permission from Nature Scot first to try hand feeding at the nest, and when that wasn’t enough, for the remaining two to be given to Roy Dennis to join that year’s cohort of Scottish translocatees to go to Spain as part of the reintroduction programme that’s been running successfully for some years. The chicks were ringed in Spain, Yellow 1JR and 1JW, but 1JR succumbed to a heart condition leaving only 1JW. Who went on to fledge and it seems, go roaring on to return from migration as a two year old and claim a nest! What a survivor he is. Another example of the benefits of ringing, or banding as it’s called across the pond – we would never have known of his success without his Darvic ring giving an incontestable identification.
Geemeff has had a great adventure, and maybe they will allow me to share a couple of images – life is for living; always remember that. I wish I could have gone on this trip with them.
Take care, everyone. I will be back in a few days.
Thank you to SK Hideaways, Geemeff, and The Woodland Trust for the great news. I am always grateful, as you are, to the owners of the streaming cams for letting us see our birds and their lives.
The weather is much cooler. 15 C. It really feels like fall. The first Starling to return! Toby and I are cleaning up the garden. Ann and I now take turns, alternate days, going to the hospital. Don fell again yesterday. The nurses could not get there in time when the bed alert sounded and found him sitting cross-legged on the floor. It has now been 17 days. He is improving in some ways but his body is giving out. I am preparing myself for the fact that he might not return home. At the moment he needs constant care and watching and it takes 2-3 people to lift him. I am only one! We will do whatever is best for him.
Tobby’s grooming had been neglected. That is all fixed. He is so soft. Don kept rubbing and rubbing him yesterday at the hospital. No more neglecting. Paws and the behind are so important to keep clean. Our vet suggests washing their paws and drying the well (so as not to get anything nasty growing down deep) every time they go out for a walk.
On everyone’s advice, I have returned to a hobby that I love – photography. I love the new R7 camera with the 100-400 mm lens. Just the perfect weight. Let’s see what some of those first images look like!
One of the Blue Jays shot through the conservatory window. I am going to build a hide in the garden. I can only imagine how this might look if it wasn’t shot through glass.
Mushrooms are growing all over the neighbourhood. It has been so wet!
The Starlings have returned – more and more to fill up on cat and dog kibble!
A blurry image caught with my iphone.
Toby and I spend a lot of time sitting on the bench on the deck. I hope the birds and squirrels will get used to us sitting here so I can photograph them.
Iris is still home. If she is still at Hellgate Canyon on Sunday, she has broken her historical record of 11 September being the latest she stayed in Montana.
Images from Iris’s Cafe!
Aran was still at Glaslyn, but Idris has left on his migration!
Daisy from the Loch Doon nest in the UK is still in France:
It feels like only yesterday that we were waiting for all to arrive. Now they are gone on their long journey along the flyway, through France and the Iberian Peninsula, across the Strait of Gibraltar, and down to Senegal and The Gambia.
Sightings are already being reported.
Looking good at the WBSE nest in the Olympic Park Forest in Sydney.
Osprey House Environmental Centre posted some incredible images of George and Hope’s only surviving chick. Look at those feathers.
The Ps are catching their own dinner!
Seasonal news from Dunrovin posted by Sheila Staley on Osprey Friends FB:
9/22/16 Dunrovin
“It looks like the 2026 season is over, although Swoop may still be in the area fueling up, he hasn’t been seen on the cams. This has been a fun year, with very little drama, there was some sibling aggression but it didn’t last long. A couple of highlights was when Swoop feed the chicks and when he caught a fish so heavy he had to swim to the river bank. Winnie was still nervous with some of the ranch activities but seems to have been more comfortable/calmer than in the past. Before her last visit on the nest, Winnie was out of site for a few days, then she made a few appearances a couple of days before she was last seen. Spangle left after Star kept keeping him from the nest. Star owned the nest for the remainder of the season. Swoop provided his girl with plenty of fish. Star was last seen flying toward the river. Hoping for safe travels for all the Dunrovin Ospreys and look forward to seeing Swoop & Winnie in the Spring of 2027.
Stats:
Return Dates:
Swoop – 4/10/26
Winnie – 4/13/26
Eggs laid Hatched Fledged Notes
5/2/26 6/9/26 8/4/26 Star (OE4), female
5/5/26 6/10/26 8/2/26 Spangle (OE5), male
5/8/26 not viable
The chicks were banded on 7/22/26, named on 8/2/26, the gender was determined by the bander.
Last Seen:
Winnie – 8/21/26
Spangle – 8/23/26
Swoop – 9/8/26 *likely around 9/9
Star – 9/9/26 10:05am
Videos of some highlights:
Swoop feeds chicks
Spangle fledges
Star fledges
Video of Swoop’s big catch and swimming to riverbank”
Oh, how I wish every nest would post this information and keep it in an archives.
Raptor Monitoring Scheme in Scotland, Annual Report. Osprey nests are up!
I’m an environmental activist and osprey lover. I am also a Canadian and as everyone knows – I want this Canadian company out of The Bay. Save the ospreys!
More ways to have your voice heard on this matter:
Screenshot
Please do not use rodenticide! This happened in an area close to where I live.
On a happier note, Hope is doing a great job despite George in Australia.
SE38 continues to get nice crops from the feedings by Lady while incubation continues at 367 Collins Street and at Orange with the falcon families and at Port Lincoln with the ospreys.
There is a lot more news, but that is it for us today. Take care, everyone. Wish that Ervie finds a mate this season for next year – and that Dad continues to get some fish to Mum at Port Lincoln. Do you ever wonder if the raptors just want to retire from raising families?
A big shout out to SK Hideaways for their Big Bear video! Thank you to everyone for their posts on FB today and for the owners of the streaming cams – we will be forever grateful to you for allowing us the opportunity to witness the lives of our beloved birds.
I want to wish all my readers who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah starting tomorrow a very happy New Year’s celebration.
It was hot for September. 27 C today with a gentle breeze now and again. The children are all back to school as of Tuesday, the day after Labour Day. The Blue Jays are currently enjoying a late-day feed on peanuts. I can see Junior at the big table feeder right now, with a grey cat walking around the lilacs. Toby will take care of that. He always allowed Brock once he was trained, but he gets rid of the others. I am always afraid they will attack the birds – all are well-fed pets!!!!!!!
Toby and I were home today. Ann was at the hospital, and Don continues with physiotherapy and occupational therapy. It is a long road ahead before he’s strong enough to come home. I am going up tomorrow and Toby is going to the groomer. Poor little guy. He loves to run outside but he gets burrs in his lovely long feathering. He likes his baths and his feet soaks but he really is due for a clipping.
We lucked out today. One of our neighbours gave us some lemon cucumbers and there is a beautiful bouquet from Oak Knoll Farms. Both put a smile on my face. Have you ever tried a lemon cucumber? If not, you are really missing something delicious.
Oh, we know that the world has turned upside down in terms of raptors when we get to hear from our friend ‘A’ who writes to us out of Melbourne. This news sadly found its way to the Junk Mail folder and I only found it today. We will be looking for more lively commentary as the season progresses.
“The top news is that dad arrived on the ledge at the Collins Street scrape, looking perfectly healthy, just before 6pm Melbourne time (8 September). This is of course a huge relief to everybody.
Not sure whether you caught this piece of news but our albatross chick is on his way to Chile. He was a strong healthy lad and should have a good chance and we wish him godspeed and lots of fish.
Of course, being me, I’ve spent a lot of time watching the Olympic Park nest and counting the bites SE38 is getting. As if I wouldn’t be! SE37 really is a Zoe. I can handle a bit of sibling rivalry, but this is so vicious and occurs even when SE37 can barely reach over her crop to attack her younger brother. Lady is the only reason the little one is still alive.She has been wonderful, taking so much time and effort to try and feed her younger hatch. He is terrified of SE37, and it is sad to watch him cowering as Lady tries to coax him to lift his head and eat.
He has learnt to creep up the nest to mum, where he sometimes arrives in time for some bites but often does not. He has had a few good days followed by two or three bad days and I’m wondering whether things will improve or get worse as SE37 gets more and more gigantic. It really is hard to watch. I find myself skimming over the footage and studying the feedings but it’s a depressing watch most days.
Gimbir is absolutely adorable and is making a wonderful dad in this, his second season. He is devoted to Diamond and very keen to participate in all things paternal, which is so cute.”
Correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t believe Diamond has ever fledged three chicks. This could be a first.
Iris is still at Hellgate Canyon. There is even an Iris coffee shop now run by the students. According to Dr Greene, Iris flew by the window along the river during the opening!
Lucille Powell caught Iris:
Teifi, mate to Elen at Glaslyn, is still home as is Dinas in the Glaslyn Valley.
Jeff Kear carried the latest Dyfi migration report. Note that Idris remains enjoying his fish dinners to himself. No doubt these males get tired and out of shape, just like the females, and need some ‘me time’.
So grateful to Suzanne Arnold Horning for keeping up with the Ps, where at least one is still on the Cornell Campus with Big Red and Arthur.
We still have ospreys in Manitoba. Why would they leave – the water is still open and there are plenty of fish in Lake Winnipeg and various other ponds around the City of Winnipeg – some people even stock places with fish for them!
Hearings are currently underway about the lack of Menhaden. As you know, I am a Canadian, and I am not happy that it is a Canadian company (or any other international company, even one from the US) sucking Menhaden out of the Bay. Let’s hope people finally stand up for wildlife and shut down industrial trawler-based fishing! Save the Ospreys.
This isn’t nice.
Our local wildlife rehabilitation centre has been busy.
A great turn out to Jackie’s Memorial:
Take care, everyone. We will see you again soon!
Thank you to everyone who contributed images and information on FB – and a big shout out to ‘A’ from Melbourne. Lovely to have your commentary back. We, of course, are grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these bird families!
Toby and I have not been home long. We visited with Don’s psychiatrist (what a great doctor) and stopped to give Ann some raincoats for her two dogs, Lucy and Daisy, and Toby’s old stroller. It is too tiny for our big boy – he is long from head to tail and long in the legs and clocks in at 30 lbs. Then we went to the hospital. Ann said that Don had eaten all of his lunch, but Toby and I decided to stop and get him an egg-mayo sandwich and a container of fresh pineapple chunks. Don sucked them up like he was a Dyson vacuum! The nurse was a little put out with me saying he wouldn’t eat his supper, but he only ate 25% of his supper last night. Their lunches are good, but the evening meal is not so much.
Poor Toby needs to go to the groomer.
On the way out, two ladies in wheelchairs spotted Toby in his new stroller. They lit up and wanted to see him. I opened the top so they could pet him – needless to say animals and nature are good therapy.
I don’t like the algorithms that track what I write or search for on the Internet. Or my phone, which tracks everything that I do for someone else (who would care what I do?), but I found a story about what some good tech is doing by a young NZ woman who writes a blog *shit you should care about*. Maybe we can get robots to clear all the plastic from the ocean and find a way to cool it at the same time. German engineers are working!
Autonomous robots are cleaning the seafloor
Luce writes: If we’re gonna be hell-bent on building robots, let them help our oceans! German researchers at the Technical University of Munich built Smart Grapple, a diving robot that uses onboard sensors and cameras to tell trash from marine life on its own, then grips and lifts junk, car seats, tyres, fishing nets, up to 250kg, without a human diver risking their life for it.
I love it.
Dear Aran, formerly Mrs G’s partner then Elen’s at Glaslyn, has a new partner and they raised one chick this year at a private platform of Friends of Osprey in Wales. Kathryn Keir has kept everyone informed, and Aran is still here. Appears Mum and chick have now both departed for their migration. Next year there will be a camera as Aran is sooooo loved and everyone was distraught when Teifi displaced him. But, it worked out! Aran never got along with Z2 Aeron at the Pont Cresor nest which is very close to Glaslyn.
Another place that the lack of Menhaden had a devastating impact:
The trawler fishing must stop! Otherwise, there will be no ospreys in this region. None. Worse than the DDT crisis of the 1970s. That was fixed. Seems no one has the backbone to do the right thing and stop the fishing completely.
News from Tweed Valley:
Our thoughts continue to be with the people living in line of these hurricanes – and, of course, the wildlife.
Iris is still home at Hellgate Canyon! Maybe Clark and Iris will get a chance to fatten up since it appears Wensi has set off for southern locations.
It appears that the latest Iris departed on 11 September 2014. Let’s see what she does this year.
SK Hideaways caught Shadow and Kaydee and the early morning ravens at Big Bear. Don’t you feel like things are getting serious? https://youtu.be/TzJPFak8rnM?
SE38 continues to do well. There were lots of big crops yesterday. 38 is starting off right today.
And the Royal Cam Chick, Awheo has fledged!
Thank you so much for being with us. I hope to have time tomorrow to catch up with the comments! Take care, everyone – and if you have not signed up for the Glaslyn fundraiser being organised by Mary Cheatle, please check it out! (And, yes, I am on the list! – fingers crossed). You can contact Mary via FB Messenger if you want to take part.
Thank you to everyone who posted on FB today with information and messages – I didn’t have the time to check all of the nests. Thank you to those who own the streaming cams that make it possible to watch our bird families, and to SK Hideaways; as always, thank you for your videos.
It is a beautiful day! It is my day ‘off’ from hospital visits. toby and I are supposed to clear out the winter coats today. We will see. The weather is so nice. The sun is shining through cotton-ball clouds, and a brisk breeze is blowing.
Toby and I had a long, gentle walk. He loves to go to the little park at the end of the street in the mornings. A lady is always doing Tai Chi, and another is with her toddler. Toby loves toddlers!!!!!!!! It seems that the little girl also anticipates Toby’s arrival. It is so sweet. She always starts clapping her tiny little hands when she sees him crossing the street.
The Blue Jays are so busy – along with the squirrels – caching peanuts. I love that the Blue Jays call when they fly into the feeder, announcing their arrival. I am watching them from the conservatory – there is nothing like the garden animals to lift one’s spirits!
Hopefully, in a week or so, I will have some really good images of them for you. Last year I sold my professional camera and five telephoto lenses. The D850 was simply too heavy, and adding an 800 mm lens on top of that, well…you get the picture. I thought the P1100 would work well, but I am finding I have to use a tripod to capture the fine detail in the feathers, and it is not always convenient to carry a heavy tripod. Well, at least it isn’t for me as I always have Toby and Don with me. I am hoping to change that, so I take one of Ann’s days and use it to go photograph wildlife. I am realising how much self-care is important since the last time Don was in the hospital. So another hint to everyone out there caring for someone – and I know many of you are – you must take time to do something fun for yourself. Whatever that is, you need to do it. You cannot take care of another person and not become resentful if you do not also care for yourself. that means special little treats – they could simply be a visit to a local dessert shop, the most luscious-smelling shower gel, allowing yourself to have someone clean your house (here it is a necessity with four cats and Toby), flowers, chocolates, or used camera equipment to get you outside looking at the flora and fauna. One day I mean to write a post simply on what I have learned, in the hope that it is of value to you at some time or another. I knew nothing when I started this journey with Don – nothing. We have learned together by the seat of our pants, and it has paid off. I do not know when he will be strong enough to come home – remember, the hospital thought he was an invalid! He is now getting physiotherapy and is really being hydrated. You also have to watch that. If we are not properly hydrated, we can present as delusional when we definitely aren’t. Of course, you need to do this at home, too. I found something nice: sparkling water mixed with watermelon juice and apple juice. It’s been very refreshing on days when our days have decided to stay hot.
The good news is that Don was in a wheelchair today, using his feet to go up and down the hall. He heard Ann and started waving and saying, ‘Hi, Ann.’ Ann telephoned me and put the phone on speakerphone, and Don and I had a full conversation for ten minutes. I cannot tell you the last time that happened. We recorded that conversation and sent it to his doctor. I will see him tomorrow- I am wondering if blood thinners help??? I think it is the only change in his medications. We will see. But the news is good – one day at a time.
I put the word out to a camera company in Canada that sells excellent used equipment and found a used Canon R7 with fewer than 8000 shutter clicks. In other words, it is like new. The cost of the camera and the telephoto lens (also used but like new) is less than a new camera body. I am very pleased. I always recommend checking with reputable shops or even the companies themselves for refurbished, like-new, previously owned equipment. Canon Canada does that, and I am certain it is the same everywhere.
So, little M24 at the 367 Collins Street scrape flew in late yesterday like he hadn’t been away, causing everyone to worry beyond belief! I wonder if he is dealing with intruders?
Well, that is a huge relief.
Viki has updated news for us on the only osprey to fledge from St. George’s Island in Maryland. I want to add that this single family, out of a possible 20+ nests, survived ONLY because they were fed by a compassionate human.
“I believe Junior stopped by this morning and called and retrieved the fish I threw!!! He started to eat on the nearby branch but by the time I returned from putting the fish bag to the freezer he’d headed out somewhere with it. It might be him still sleeping in the very few remaining green boughs in the loblolly copse to my north (where New House 1 is being built).
Mr. Perfect is still in the copse as well, since I don’t see him securing the nest for the winter, I feel he remains so to watch over the construction diminishing his copse. But these are the only two I’ve heard or saw on my walk this morning.
I’m convinced the trawlers need to stop to save the osprey. And believe humans have harmed the Chesapeake watershed to the tipping point. I moved to this island in 1986 and see a tremendous loss of trees, land, turtles, birds, ducks, otters, foxes …. the list goes on. I believe the heron rookery is gone.”
Connie Dennis, the founder of the Nova Scotia Osprey FB group, posted this article this morning. Thanks, Connie. Please note the area at the bottom. Please send a comment asking them to stop the gillnet and industrial trawling of ospreys. Tell them about the osprey nests you have watched that have failed! We have to fight this – I am embarrassed that they are a Canadian company, but that might work in our favour in protecting the ospreys right now, speaking as a Canadian.
Elsie is the only juvenile still at Dyfi and Idris is being a fantastic dad, as usual.
Will Elsi break a record? She is 105 days old. The record appears to be 110. See data chart below – thank you Emyr Evans and team.
This is only part of their data and I wish we had this for every live-streaming nest!
Look at these images of her. She is gorgeous.
Mary Kerr has posted some amazing images from the Pont Cresor nest at Glaslyn. There are many more on their FB page. Have a look.
SE38 continues to do well – look at that crop!
Now this is interesting!
Toby is rubbing my arm, wanting attention. Just like a toddler.
Thank you for being with us. Please take care – see you soon.
Thank you to everyone who posted information on FB along with those great images, to the owners of the streaming cams we are very grateful. If not for them, we would not know anything about these amazing raptors. I am so grateful to Viki for keeping an eye on her osprey family and helping them survive.
It’s raining – again. We had 114 mm of rain, and some large commercial and apartment buildings near where I live had more than 60 cm of water in their basement. My daughter still does not have power after the storm hit last night. I was lucky. I have power and no water or sewer in my basement (I finally checked). Toby and I went out for a last walk. Toby just amazes me. He is smarter than many humans that I know.
He wanted to be in bed with his ‘daddy’ today. Don is doing well, but he will have to do a lot of physiotherapy to get him strong enough to walk again. Please take a page out of the phrase, ‘If you don’t use it, you will lose it’. Besides nature being good for our mental health, walking is essential to keep us moving!
Thank you for all your good wishes. They keep me going.
There is concern growing for the male mate of the female incubating four eggs at 367 Collins Street in Melbourne. This is the message from Victor Hurley:
C22 is still at Charlo! Then Charlie must still be home, too.
Iris is still home, too! One of the individuals saw her and posted it on the website so we would know she was still around.
Idris continues to deliver to the girls at the nest. I was only able to catch Elsi on the nest today for two fish (flat – flounder?).
Fish are still being delivered to 0U0 by Dad at the Usk Valley nest in Wales.
Frankie and Angel are on migration and a pine marten visits the nest.
Viki sends news on Junior. “After calling and calling last Friday and watching Dad retrieve a fish (two times in the course of the day) to eat himself, but NOT retrieving any fish I threw for him to take to his chick, Junior finally left the nest, and no one has been in it since.
Dad tried with every unretrieved fish I threw to show Junior how to fly over the fish – but Junior wouldn’t get off that nest. Until finally we all gave up and left. Then he did too.
Junior never tried to retrieve a fish that I threw for himself, so I’m not so sure that the live fish I saw him with a couple times didn’t actually come from Mom or Dad. I don’t know.
Dad was still flying about this morning – Monday – and also the male of the nest next door (Mr. Perfect) is still guarding his territory which is being completely disrupted on shore by new home construction – but no Junior or food calling since Friday.
So, I am assuming the best !!!”
I think this is good news from Tweed. I worried about Christopher, but both juveniles (his sister is Kirsti) seem to be doing well and fighting like siblings! Both have protected the nest from intruders who want their fish.
Thank you so much for being with us. Toby and I are going to watch a movie and relax. Take care.
Thank you to everyone who posted information and images on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us glimpse into the challenging lives of our raptors. I also want to thank Viki for her great reporting and for keeping an osprey family alive so that their one surviving chick could live and migrate. She is my hero.I am always grateful to SK Hideaways for their great videos.
This posting will be short. It has been an eventful morning. It looks like we might have another storm and rain coming, too. Last evening, in less than an hour, we got 114 mm of rain. It flooded so many streets, underpasses, and basements. The sky is growing darker. It is quite warm and humid and the garden looks like a tropical rainforest instead of a normal prairie urban lot.
The good news. I spoke with Don’s new medical doctor at the hospital. After observing him with me and Ann and our family and friends, the hospital team has determined that the absolute best place in the world for Don is at home. We have done everything right, enriching his life well beyond most could ever dream of in a care facility. They are beginning physiotherapy to get him mobile and I will have a portable ultrasound machine to determine if his bladder is full and his brain can’t talk to his bladder. I will have access to a nurse to come and rectify that situation until such time as his prostrate can be removed. What a relief – and what help. We are elated. This also means that my cleaning out goes into high gear! I will not be posting tomorrow but I wanted to let you know as my heart has skipped so many happy beats with your love and support.
Second, Diamond has laid her second egg of the season. I believe that SPO has the best content so here it is in full and you should consider signing up for their newsletter if you do not receive it already.
The good news keeps coming from Orange, New South Wales. Diamond has laid her second egg of the 2026 peregrine falcon breeding season, just two days after producing her first at the Charles Sturt University FalconCam nest.
Diamond laid egg #1 at 7:25 a.m. on September 5. Egg #2 followed on September 7, growing the clutch to two and keeping her remarkably close to the roughly 60-hour interval that is typical at this nest.
The second egg adds another happy turn to a weekend that had already delivered plenty of action. After Diamond laid her first egg, Gimbir arrived, inspected the newest addition and then took off after one of the sulphur-crested cockatoos that had followed him toward the nest.
Gimbir Meets His First Egg
Gimbir arrived at the nest about an hour after Diamond laid the egg, apparently with sulphur-crested cockatoos helping hurry him along. Once inside, he had his first opportunity to see what had changed.
There it was in the gravel: the pair’s first egg of 2026.
For Gimbir, this breeding season has already involved courtship, food deliveries and plenty of time around the nest with Diamond. Now all that preparation had produced something very real. Diamond’s first egg had arrived. The quiet introduction didn’t last long. Those cockatoos were still around.
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Cockatoos Turn the Celebration Into a Chase
Sulphur-crested cockatoos are a familiar part of the skies around Orange, and they certainly weren’t giving the new father much peace that morning.
After his visit with Diamond and the egg, Gimbir left the nest and went after one of the cockatoos.
Suddenly, the morning had everything. Diamond had laid the first egg. Gimbir had come in to inspect the newest addition to the nest. And moments later, the peregrine tiercel was back in the air on the tail of a cockatoo. It was a wonderfully fitting start to the next stage of the Orange falcons’ season.
A Long Wait Ends for Diamond and Gimbir
The first egg had been building toward this moment for some time. Gimbir has been bringing Diamond food and spending increasing amounts of time around the nest. Diamond, meanwhile, has repeatedly worked the gravel scrape where the pair’s eggs are laid.
Those little signs have now become an egg. For Diamond, laying it was no small task. Egg laying requires considerable physical effort from a female peregrine, and the close confines of the nest make that effort easy to see. Once it was over, Diamond finally had the first member of her 2026 clutch resting in the scrape. And she was not be finished.
Diamond Lays Her Second Egg
Diamond didn’t keep Orange waiting for long. Her second egg arrived on September 7, two days after the first. Eggs at the Orange nest average about 60 hours apart, with recorded intervals ranging from roughly 46 to 75 hours.
With two eggs now resting in the scrape, attention turns to whether Diamond will produce a third. The FalconCam Project had expected another egg or two after her first, so the 2026 clutch may still grow. If Diamond follows the same general rhythm, another egg could arrive within the next few days. For now, though, Diamond and Gimbir have two.
Two Eggs Change the Picture in Orange
Only a few days ago, the signs were subtle: Gimbir bringing food, Diamond spending time in the scrape and the pair strengthening their bond. Now there are two eggs in the gravel.
Diamond’s first egg officially began the next stage of the season. Her second has made the possibility of another Orange peregrine family feel much more tangible. There may still be another egg to come. After Diamond completes the clutch, the long incubation watch begins, followed by the hope of hatching later in the season.
And Gimbir? The new father has already brought food, checked on the first egg and chased a cockatoo away from the neighbourhood. His 2026 parenting résumé is getting colourful very quickly.
I hope each of us has found time to relax and enjoy the weekend. These past weeks I have made some ‘resolutions’. The last time that Don was in the hospital at the end of December, I wore myself out going every day because the nurse said that I was the only ‘thing’ that calmed him down. He was quite mobile at the time and would walk up and down the hall with his little bag wanting to come home. It broke my heart so I was there twice a day. This time, things are different. And this is something I want to explore. He is not mobile. So what happened? I learned that wearing yourself out is not helpful either to you or the person you are caring for. Remember to always following the airline directions: put on your oxygen mask first! So, this episode, I have tried to make certain that there is someone to visit and help every other day – I am there on the other days. His visit went well with his friend today and everyone is taking fruit and Ginger Ale – hydration and soething familiar. He drank so much liquids at home and was never dehydrated so this is to help combat that at the hospital!
Toby needed a new stroller. He grew out of the little one. I really do hope he is finished growing. He turned 17 months old yesterday. I think we can even go to the market!
Hope has discovered it is a ‘safe’ place. Hugo Yugo (darn that orange cat) woke everyone up, attacking her around 0300. Toby took great exception to what was going on and probably woke all the neighbours up with his barking. (Toby rarely barks, but when he hears a cat howling in pain or someone is at the door – or always he will bark at the door when we are leaving for a walk).
There are so many tributes to Jackie – some are good, and some aren’t. I am really looking forward to SK Hideaways video highlighting Jackie’s life. I am encouraging a tribute to the Channel Islands eagles, especially Chase & Cholyn. These eagles often get overlooked and we have to remember they have been together for more than two decades!
SK Hideaways Videos, Week of August 30, 2026 367 Collins Street Falcons ~ Melbourne ~ F24 & M24 Courtesy Victorian Peregrine Project South Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibsohQ14cY North Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNKk0ivuWe4 Mum Gives Camera “The Look” as She Lays 4th Egg PLUS Dad’s 1st Peek ~ 2026 Aug 30 Mum welcomed egg #4 with occasional glances at the camera. We apologized for the intrusion, but extended heartfelt congratulations. Dad arrived in the pre-dawn hour to give mum a break. This should complete their clutch and begin the countdown to hatch, which is typically 30-35 days. Video: https://youtu.be/3lP6i-JjETw
Shadow & Kaydee’s Evening Nest Meet-Up & Tug-o-Stick Before Roost Time ~ 2026 Sep 3 Shadow and Kaydee met up for some stick shuffling, a little bumping and beaking, plus tug-o-stick shenanigans. They once again retired to the Roost Tree for the night. Video: https://youtu.be/QYcg4SWqlBM
Kaydee Returns to Nest for 2nd Night, Shadow Follows ~ Flirty Antics Ensue ~ 2026 Sep 1 Kaydee returned to the nest for the second night in row, but unlike last night, tonight she had company. Shadow joined Kaydee on the nest, where they shuffled sticks, bumped beaks, and chortled. Kaydee was more flirty than Shadow, but he wasn’t too resistant to her attention. We cannot know what will happen when nesting season begins toward the end of the year, but watching Shadow and Kaydee during this transitional time in both their lives is a gift and fascinating. Video: https://youtu.be/zrLbwsGKqDs
Kaydee Shuffles Nest SticksMeets Shadow on Roost Tree ~ 2026 Aug31 Kaydee spent some time exploring the nest tree canopy and bowl before meeting up with Shadow on the Roost Tree. They shared a perch briefly, before Kaydee retired to a lower perch overnight.
Sydney WB Sea Eagles ~ Australia ~ Lady, Dad, SE37 (hatched 13 August), and SE38 (hatched 14 August) Courtesy Sea-EagleCAM@BirdLife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park (https://www.sea-eaglecam.org/video.html) Nest cam also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw4pdgy3-U0 SE38’s MASSIVE Crop3 Days in a Row PLUS A Dual Feeding by Lady & Dad ~2026 Sep 4-6 Over the course of 3 days and an increase in food brought to the nest, SE37 grew less aggressive and SE38 grew more confident. There was a marked difference in SE38’s appearance and behavior in this time, not to mention a bulging crop. Cautiously optimistic SE38 has turned the corner. Video: https://youtu.be/j4u9wW6l8og
Lady’s Persistence Gets SE38 a BIG Meal ~ Finally ~ 2026 Aug 31 It has been a rough few days for sea eaglet SE38. At 17 days old, the subordinate eaglet has struggled to get food due to sibling SE37’s dominance. But on this evening, SE37 was very full and mum Lady was very persistent. The result was that SE38 got a very good feeding and went to bed with a full crop. Here’s to more days like this one. Video: https://youtu.be/gjJ01khy2fA
Two Harbors Eagles ~ Catalina Island, CA ~ Cholyn & Chase (28 years old; mated pair for 23 years) Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI Cholyn & Chase Chortle& Chillby the Seaside ~ 2026 Sep 3 While Cholyn and Chase have been on summer vacation, we’ve missed seeing them regularly, so today’s sightings were a special treat. In the morning Chase met up with Cholyn on her seaside perch. Later cam ops found her on the cactus perch. Every sighting a gift. Video: https://youtu.be/pIqjY1b2vDk
I am so pleased that there are videos of the Australian raptor families. SE 38 has had huge crops for the last three days! No worries there.
The last of the chicks at Glaslyn migrated. Teifi got to eat a fish – finally – in peace and quiet.
Beau and Gabby are really finishing off their nest, and it is only the beginning of September! I wonder when the first egg will be laid. Will it be November or earlier, with this being a year of high heat on the planet? Bald Eagle Live Nest Cams has them working hard on video: https://youtu.be/2FM-2ZToL3E?
Idris is still delivering fish at Dyfi. The girls are now 101 days old – the first time that two fledglings have remained at the nest past 100 days before migrating.
At Poole Harbour, Blue 6T8 had really kept her dad, Blue 022 busy with fish. She was last seen early this morning and then poof – gone?
Alan Stewart’s book on a killing of a man walking his dog:
I’m going to say good bye. It is nearly 1700 and we are expecting rain and storms this evening. Toby and I have recycling duty to get finished.
Take care everyone. Have a good start to the week. See you soon.
Thank you to SK Hideaways for those great videos, to the owners of the streaming cams we are always grateful as you allow us to get upset stomachs, buy too many tissues, and jump for joy at the events in the lives of our bird families. Thank you to Raptor Persecution UK for their meticulous reporting on raptor persecution in the UK. I just wrote to Alan Stewart and ordered his book, Prelude to Murder. While it involves a murder of a human, the individual in prison is possibly responsible for the poisoning of raptors on that estate in Scotland.
Toby and I are relaxing after an excellent two-hour visit with ‘his daddy’ at the hospital. I am happy to report that his psychiatrist was chatting with me at nearly 10 pm last evening, concerned about his hydration and electrolyte balance, and giving me tips on how best to care for him in the hospital. What an amazing doctor. Toby and I took fresh fruit, a Ginger Ale (great for the salt and sugar needed), and some chocolate Tim Bits (doughnut holes). Don and I showed them how he works with me, and he was not agitated when I left. I believe the antibiotics are working, but they now understand that he was not an invalid at home, and that I am more than capable of looking after him and keeping him calm. They are going to get a physiotherapist to work with him – and, well, I am feeling so much better. Thank you again for all your letters, your concern, and your support.
Many of you will recognise the name ‘Pam Breci’. She reports on many Osprey nests and loves our fish eaters so much. Please send her warm wishes and virtual hugs. She lost her father today.
The good people trying to defend the cessation of industrial fishing in and around the Chesapeake by a Canadian company are saying this is not a drill. It is time to step up. Read about the plight of the Ospreys from Connecticut to Long Island and step up to help as if their lives depended on it – because that is precisely what is at stake.
A heartwarming story I found online this morning. It aligns with stories of resilience in wildlife. This time, with the helping hand of some compassionate humans.
“A captive-bred peregrine falcon released at Point Loma in 1986 could not catch a pigeon. She flew into a wire. Sea gulls attacked her. A falconer named Dan Brimm spent months driving to the coast and feeding her by hand because she recognized his car and came whistling in from over the ocean every time he showed up. She was one of 12 peregrines released at Point Loma between 1982 and 1988 as part of a program to restore the species to Southern California. The other 11 left. She stayed because she could not feed herself.
The female had been released in June 1986 by the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group as part of a joint restoration program with the Peregrine Fund. Five months later she was found injured on Pacific Beach, where gulls were attacking her. According to Brimm, she had flown into a wire badly enough to sever a muscle, and the gull attack left a permanent scar around her right eye. After rehabilitation she was released again in June 1987.
Around that time Brimm and his wife had seen Cats. The battered falcon reminded them of Grizabella, the worn-out character who returns after years away. “We named her Grizabella and resurrected her,” Brimm later told the Los Angeles Times. Keeping her alive after release remained a problem. Brimm said she never managed to catch a pigeon, so he and others continued feeding her for months. When they appeared, she recognized them and sometimes came whistling in from over the ocean.
Brimm began tossing quail for Grizabella to catch. This she learned extremely well. “She’d never miss,” he recalled. The humans then began leaving longer gaps between meals, sometimes withholding food for as long as three days to encourage her to hunt independently. Eventually Grizabella disappeared. Her last known sighting was in September 1987. Nobody reported seeing her again for more than a year and a half.
On April 14, 1989, biologist Mark Pavelka found a peregrine nest beneath the eastern end of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge. Four days later he could see four nestlings. San Diego County had gone 39 years without a documented breeding peregrine, after DDT and other organochlorine pesticides had helped drive California’s population down by more than 95 percent. By 1970, only two known nesting pairs remained in the entire state.
Photographs of the bridge female showed three details Pavelka could use to identify her: a federal aluminum band, a dead radio transmitter still attached to her leg, and the scar around her right eye.
Grizabella had made it.
Her mate was an unbanded, unusually pale male. Their nest was not much of a nest at all. It sat about 90 feet above the ground on a bridge support tower, on a ledge only 12 to 14 inches wide. Grizabella had scraped a depression into roughly an inch of pigeon droppings and accumulated dust. After Pavelka brought Brimm to meet with California Department of Transportation officials, the portion of the maintenance catwalk nearest the nest was closed.
All four chicks reached fledging age, although their first attempts at flight were rough. Two males fledged successfully on May 14. The only female collided with a San Diego trolley but suffered only superficial injuries and was returned beneath the bridge. Two days later another young male missed a landing on the tower, slid down its concrete face and broke a wing. He was sent for rehabilitation. The fourth chick, another male, fledged on May 20. The three youngsters remaining at the bridge were fed by their parents for several weeks and appeared to reach independence.
Source: Mark A. Pavelka, Western Birds, 1990, “Peregrine Falcons Nesting in San Diego, California” / Rich Roberts, Los Angeles Times, December 22, 1990 / Linda Roach Monroe, Los Angeles Times, April 1989.
Our lovely couple at the scrape in Orange:
Great news is coming out of Orange. Diamond laid her first egg of the season at the Charles Sturt falcon cam on Friday! Congratulations, Gimbir and Diamond.
Did you know that 2025 was the first time Jackie and Shadow fledged two chicks? Her first known chick was in 2018. Jackie and Shadow were again successful in 2026, her last year.
Juveniles appear to be heading for migration at Kielder:
These portable barbecues should be banned everywhere. We have certainly had firefighters trying to save entire communities in Canada that were victims of wildfires that were started by humans.
Idris is still delivering fish at Dyfi!
Wensi is at the nest – apparently she is very loud when fish calling, according to the neighbours who live near the river!
Loch Arkaig 2 appears to have gone quiet – Dorcha, Amber (not seen for some time), Jupiter and now Louis are on migration (or so it appears).
It’s a gorgeous day, and Toby and I are going to spend some much-needed time working in the garden. We’ve neglected many things over the last two weeks. The rain and the humidity have added to a ‘tropical growth spurt’ in both shrubs and weeds!
Please take care. We hope to be with you again soon.
Thank you to everyone who contributed images and information to the various FB groups that I have shared with you today. Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams, SK Hideaways, The Guardian, and I especially want to thank everyone working so hard to stop the industrial fishing of Menhaden. We need to be diligent everywhere, not just in the NE of the US. Companies are scooping up fish and contributing to the depletion around the world.
