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 had an ‘Alberta Clipper’ hit southern Manitoba overnight on Wednesday, and when we woke up Thursday morning, all of the main roads surrounding the city were closed. They reopened at 0845, but many city streets were blocked. There is not a vehicle moving where I live. It is wonderfully quiet. What was different, also, was the traffic at the bird feeders. The Crows arrived – two of them – for peanuts. They were joined by five woodpeckers, 4 Chickadees, and 2 Blue Jays, the usual cohort of squirrels and sparrows.
I have been talking about the Crows and how I noticed that they have not been around the neighbourhood. It was worrisome. The other day, I saw one at the corner waiting for a neighbour to put out food. They were not coming to the garden. Today they are here. Oh, tears. Joyful tears.
Our City has marked diseased trees and sadly, their nesting trees are due for cutting. We are all hoping that they will find another tree. These trees were planted in 1902. They are huge and made a beautiful canopy once the leaves were fully out in the spring. It is so sad to see them needing to be taken down. There are others being planted in their place but it will be a decade or more before they are even a decent height, never mind 60 for 70 feet in height.
The Blue Jay in profile is the baby that slept with the ornamental birds in the garden last summer. It is here with its dad, Junior. These seem to be the only two Blue Jays still in the neighbourhood that did not migrate (or die).
The male Downy. Notice the red patch at the back of the head near the nape.
This is the male Hairy Woodpecker.
One of Dyson’s kits was enjoying peanuts, too!
It is one of the female Downy Woodpeckers eating the suet on the big table feeder.
As a result of the activity in the garden, I spent much time in the conservatory watching rather than on the computer – something that I ask all of you to do! It was so nice. There is no hatch news so it is simply the status quo so far.
Iowa got some snow, too, and the eagles at Decorah North were doing a bit of cleaning up.
The Hatchery Eagles stayed in the trees.
Sunny Florida on Thursday. At the nest of Gabby and Beau, Beau is really coming into adulthood. He is helping Gabby and has incubated twice on Thursday. As the hatch approaches, let us all send positive messages that this egg is viable and that Beau begins to bring prey to Gabby and their chick.
We do not ever have to worry about E23 not getting enough prey!
E23 tried to yank that rabbit out of the nesting material to eat it today. Our little eaglet is getting pin feathers and will soon have some dandelions as the thermal down comes in. You can also now see the ear.
Rose is not giving any hints at the WRDC nest on Thursday.
At Captiva, C10 and C11 are sleeping with the fishes.
Shadow brought in the first fish of this season on Wednesday!
Heavy rains caused flooding at the Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest on Wednesday.
SE31 continues to put smiles on our faces.
Changeover at the Royal Albatross Colony. Everything is OK.
Marri’s return to the nest and – some memories thanks to SK Hideaways.
In California, Monty and Hartley want one another’s breakfast!
The Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey in Maitland – one of our favourite wildlife rehabilitation centres – released its 700th eagle into the wild! This is where Bailey, the Osprey, is an ambassador and where Connick was cared for before going off to the Smithsonian as an Ambassador.
You are looking at the only breeding pair of Short-tailed Albatross at the Midway Atoll and they are feeding a chick. They also breed on Mukojima, Ogasawara Islands, Japan.
Pesky intelligent Kakapo do not like staying in their enclosure.
New comes about one of the Hancock Eagles from British Columbia.
Thank you so much for being with me today. We are anxiously awaiting a pip or hatch at both the WRDC and Berry College. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my blog today: ’A, H, J’, Raptor Research Project, NEFL-AEF, Jan Lester, SW Florida Eagle Cam, WRDC, FOBBV, Duke Farms, Window to Wildlife, Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey, The Guardian, Audubon, Friends of Midway Atoll, Robyne Hocking, and Hancock Wildlife Foundation.
Missey and Hugo Yugo wish everyone the best day ever!
Ah, yes, and ‘The Boyfriend’. He is hard to resist but he is terrified of me. He will (or one of the pair) will come to the door if the food dish is empty, but otherwise, they scramble if they think I am coming out. For now, he has two warm cat shelters – one on the deck and one below – and he is getting food. I don’t want to frighten him. In the spring I will see if he might become friendly.
Oh, it was such a gorgeous day on Wednesday. It was snowing! Beautiful white fluffy snowflakes fell, kissing the branches of the trees. Marvellous. It was a brilliant day to walk around the nature centre. The trails had not been cleared, and hardly anyone was there. It was ‘still’ and so peaceful. You could stay there and soak in all the calm nature sometimes offers.
You can see how much snow fell directly from looking at the bird bath in the garden and the little feeder house.
Pip/hatch watch has started for Ron and Rita at the WRDC nest in Dade County, Florida. The eggs were laid four days apart. Rose practised good delayed incubation. Hopefully, they might hatch closer together so that we can avoid any beaking/bonking and a much smaller eaglet in the second hatch.
Pip/Hatch watch started for Berry Eagles, Pa and Missey, on Wednesday. ”1st laid on 12/8/23 and the 2nd on 12/11/23. It’s been about 34 days since the 1st egg was laid. Bald Eagle eggs hatch after 34-36 days on average.”
Wednesday.
E23 is a feisty strong eaglet. M15 and F23 can be very proud.
Beau is finding his way.
Beau was also incubating this morning. ’A’ sent a note: ”After Gabby flew to a branch beside the nest and exchanging vocals with Beau this morning, Beau flew down to the nest and around 6:55 began rolling and aerating before eventually settling onto the egg around 6:57. Happy that he is safely doing his job, Gabby flew off at 7am, hopefully to get herself something to eat, and Beau has been on the eggs for half an hour now. He looks like such a proud daddy. I do hope he gets this parenting thing mastered in time, but he is still missing an important element: bringing food.” Thanks to the others who sent notes, too. We had a big snow and I was out shovelling so I had missed this.
Xavier and Diamond’s Marri returned to the scrape box on the morning of Thursday the 11th (Wednesday in NA). Isn’t she a strong and beautiful falcon? What a good feeling to see her.
Holly Parsons captured this great image of Marri before she flew out.
Helen Matcham got some great shots of Marri flying to the scrape.
At Port Lincoln, Gil picked off the first beautiful fish of the day. There will be five more deliveries. Unbelievable.
SE 31 caught another fish! ”January 11: Very early, our juvenile was on the river with no adults in sight. There had been a late report of them both at Burns Bay last evening at 5:30pm, so we assume they were there for the night. Then just before 7:35am this morning, SE31 was seen catching a fish, which she took to Mangrove Island to eat. Later, at 10:30am, both parents were seen at Goat Island. It was high tide at 10am and SE31 was seen making several attempts at ‘catching’ floating debris in the river. All good practice for developing her skills. Later, the adults were seen still at Goat Island. Around 4:40pm, SE31was heard whining on the island, then flew towards River Roost, still whining, though the parents could not be seen.”
I love seeing stories of the intelligence of birds. Every day in the garden the Chickadees also use branches or stones to break their seeds open.
We are getting ready for the season to open in California and it isn’t just the Eagles…remember all those falcons!
I missed it. Wednesday was National Save the Eagle Day. A reminder these majestic birds of prey – and, of course, others, were extinct, in some instances while others were critically endangered due to the use of DDT in the US beginning in the 1940s.
The girls were watching their bird video. Then ‘something’ happened by accident. Did Hugo Yugo step on the remote? All of a sudden it was a documentary about a Danish photographer, Morton Hilmer, in Norway, searching for osprey – yes, osprey – to photography. It is called The Impossible Shot – Amazing Bird Photography in Norway – 14 Days. Yes, he did get the shots. They are towards the end…The scenery is incredible especially for someone who lives in such a flat place as Manitoba.
Thank you for being with me today. Take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, Geemeff, H, J’, WRDC, Baiba, Berry College Eagle Cam, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Ursula Picard, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Holly Parsons, Helen Matcham, PLO, Bart M, Sea Eagle Cam, Leslie Westlake, The Guardian, Leanna Haboush, Jann Nichols, and Wildlife Photographer.
Oh, that -21 C was a bit brisk yesterday! It was still cold, -15 on Tuesday, but it didn’t seem quite so bitter. The Blue Jays and the Woodpeckers were out feeding alongside the squirrels and the sparrows. It is always reassuring to see them!
The male and female Downy Woodpeckers come and go to the feeder. They are enjoying that hunk of suet. This is the female. I could see the red feathers at the nape of her neck. Looks like a smudge in the image but you can see it, too.
‘J’ told me that they do not have Blue Jays in Germany. She loves them and I am thrilled that she ‘met’ these amazing Corvids through this blog. ’J’ found a video of a Blue Jay shovelling snow. I have seen the ones in the garden do this same manoeuvre to get to seed.
‘The Boyfriend’ was outside. Seriously. How could you not feed this lovable guy?
Missey was staring at him from the Conservatory table.
An affectionate moment between Missey and Hugo Yugo.
Another adorable face. Yes, she has me wrapped around her tiny, tiny paw.
Calico has signalled it is story time and Baby Hope is getting ready to jump up!
Calico is ready to hear about Pale Male.
If you do not know who Pale Male was, then get your detective hat on! You should be able to find the documentary for free. Thelegendofpalemale.net
Indeed, this is what the two Blue Jays have had to do for a few days in southern Manitoba.
In the UK, Swans ring bells for food!
C10 does seem to get the bulk of the food at the Captiva nest despite not being aggressive (lately) to C11. Regardless, though, both eaglets appear to be doing extremely well.
‘A’ sent in some observations of Captiva – warning some beaking discussion: “CE10 had a large breakfast this morning while little CE11 didn’t manage to get up to the table for quite some time, and when he did, he was ignored by Clive, who at that stage stopped feeding the kids and ate a large meal himself!! However, interestingly, CE11, who at that stage had prime position, CE10 having gone into a food coma, began to attempt to self-feed on the side of the fish Clive was eating. The fish had not been unzipped along that side, so CE11 had to peck through the skin, but there was a distinct dent in the side of the fish by the time he finished (he was quite persistent, continuing to attempt to self-feed for a minute or two, and getting some flakes of fish from the exercise, so it was an excellent first effort – he may need it, as ever since the slightly hungry day three days ago, CE10 has been a little more aggressive in ensuring first position at the feedings and CE11 has become a little less confident. Eventually, though, he generally gets fed, as this nest sees a large number of speckled trout thanks to Clive (he has already brought in a nice very big trout this morning, and of course there were nestovers there already). CE11 did get fed at the second feeding, shortly after 8am, and I’m sure will get plenty to eat later on as well. CE10 woke up with a large crop, which was refilled at the first feeding. CE11 had one too, but crop dropped fairly early on, waiting for some breakfast that didn’t come until the second feeding, and he could have eaten a fair bit more there as well. CE11 does start a lot of the bonking – it is worth noting, though, that CE11 has some avian form of restless legs syndrome. Since the earliest age, little CE11 has been flapping his tiny wings in his sleep. And now, for some reason, CE10 has started objecting to being woken up by CE11’s dreams of flying. Several recent bonking episodes have been started this way, with poor little CE11 getting woken from sleep by an attacking CE10, who has been annoyed by a random wing slap in CE11’s sleep. In one such episode early this morning, CE10 had hold of the front of CE11’s throat and was really twisting and tugging at it. I was quite concerned about the potential damage, given that it was the front of the neck rather than the scruff that was being twisted by a pretty sharp, vicious-looking beak, albeit a relatively small one.”
M15 and F23 prepared for the upcoming storm. Squirrel and fish on the nest to keep E23 well fed and they will hunker down if it gets bad.
There was a beautiful and tender time at the SW Florida nest when M15 joined F23 in feeding their only eaglet, E23.
Here it comes.
I am continuing to track the storm that is hitting Superbeaks harder than at Fort Myers. There is some concern that Muhlady has gone into labour and is laying the first egg of their second clutch. Here is the weather map. It is 1855 in Florida.
This is at Superbeaks.
Muhlady flew off the nest around 17:43.
The wind is blowing hard up at The Hamlet with Gabby incubating as the rain starts. You can hear the howling wind.
Later. The winds have picked up and Gabby is still protecting that egg. The nest tree is really starting to sway.
This is Fort Myers at the same time. It is windy there, too, but the rain has not come. It will be there soon enough but it looks like the bulk of the storm hit the central and NE areas of Florida.
Still rather quiet a few hours later for F23 and E23 in the nest at Ft Myers.
This is Abby at Eagle Country at the same time. The cam focused on the nest tree shows that rain is starting to fall but it does not appear to be too windy yet.
Abby hunkered down but things are a little quieter at Eagle Country.
The winds were blowing hard in the morning at the Achieva Osprey Nest. Jack and Diane had even lined the egg cup with bark and then…the strong winds blew Jack and part of the nest off! Those winds had calmed by evening. There were no chicks and no eggs and – well, that is sure a relief.
Thanks B. Snyder for capturing that horrific moment.
Cali Condor Jackie and Shadow at the nest. Oh, don’t we love the couple. I really hope they get to raise an eaglet or two this year.
Rotating eagles in the Kisatchie National Forest E1 nest.
At Port Lincoln, both Brad and Gil have had some fish before noon. The supplementary fish yesterday appears not to have been the one on the nest but one that got dropped in the water from the information on the obs board. My error. Apologies. Thanks ‘VS’.
‘A’ sends the report on SE31: ”January 10: No parents were seen on the river early when our watcher was there shortly after 7am. At 8am, SE31 appeared, flying from behind the island to move to River Roost. She may have been eating earlier – hopefully – though not seen. In the attached photo from early in the morning, she is possibly clutching something. At around 2pm, one adult was seen near Goat Island. No more day reports. In the late afternoon, at 5:10pm, one adult was reported at Burns Bay, honking away. The other may possibly have been there as well, and was confirmed shortly after. Then, at 5:30pm, SE31 was seen on the island.”
My addition: Just look at this magnificent sea eagle!
“At Orange, Marri was seen and heard today and Diamond was in and out of the scrape a lot as usual. Time stamps for the day are as follows: BONDING 06.06.36 X arrives for brief bonding RECAP 07.23.46, 15.42.00-15.42.15 Marri heard; Diamond was watching 14:41:16 fly down, 14:41:39 fly up & short scream, 14:49:03 another fly up & short scream; Marri involved?; 14.49.03 (?) Marri fly up; Marri screaming outside until 15:42:19; 17:37:50 Marri heard in the distance, then D flies out. Diamond was most recently back in the scrape around 20:35:28 and left at 20:42.” Thanks, A.
Humans. What can we say? Why would anyone do this?
We are getting closer and closer to the hatch of the Royal cam chick/s. This is what you can expect in the coming days.
There is a book coming out that I am very interested in because I spent much time at Belvoir when I lived in the UK. Simon Curtin has written, If You Build It, He Will Come – about the ospreys return to Belvoir after 200 years. Geemeff says, “In particular, the story of Blue4K, fledged at Rutland in 2013, who found a mate and bred for the first time in 2022 at the late age of nine years old. He was sat-tagged in 2018, and followed by Sacha Dench on the Flight of the Osprey expedition and successfully sighted in his winter home in Dobire, Guinea. The author adds “all my profits from the book will be donated to conservation charities so anything you can do to spread the word will help sell more copies when it is published on 27th February, and raise more money for good works.“ More to come when it is released.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care everyone. Stay safe. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, Geemeff, H, J’, SPO, Our Blue Planet, Window to Wildlife, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk, Weather Tracker, Superbeaks, NEFL-AEF, Eagle Country, Achieva Credit Union, B Snyder, FOBBV Cam, Cali Condor, Tonya Irwin, PLO, Bart M, A Place Called Hope, Kakapo Recovery, Ventana Wildlife Society, Simon Curtin, Sea Eagle Cam, and Holly Parsons.
It is -21C on the Canadian Prairies. The cold weather has arrived. It was a good day to wake up to hot coffee and warm cardamon rolls out of the oven. LOL. The girls didn’t care! They wanted breakfast and story time before I started my day. Calico now ‘walks’ me out to the conservatory sofa to read. It is too funny. The cats have me fully trained.
As you know, if you have read my blog over the summer of 2023, a large family of Crows lives in my neighbourhood. They bring their fledglings to the garden to get peanuts and for the bird bath, where they dunk their food and have baths. The numbers have decreased since the end of autumn, and I am worried about them. Today, I was happy, but simultaneously sad, to see a single crow at the corner waiting for another person who feeds birds. I know she specifically feeds the crows, but where are the others?
I have also been reading more about Crows, and if you are interested in the intelligence level of the members of the Corvid family include Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays, I have a book for you! It is called Bird Brains, and it is by Candace Savage. This is the latest edition from 2018.
I was impressed by the writing that drew me in and made the new findings on this amazing species’ intelligence level relatable. The photographs are top-notch. (Sorry about the glare from the light)
The introduction included mention of anthropomorphism. Put simply it is ascribing human traits to animals. if, however, you study the behaviour of animals, the apologies of individuals such as many on chat for doing just that will more than irk you.
Savage discusses the ‘ascription of meaningful intelligence to nonhuman creatures’ as problematic. She notes that at a point, scientists and researchers into behaviourist psychology who looked into memory, insights and thoughts stopped looking at nonhumans. Some had been tricked, and she noted that no one wanted to be embarrassed. It paused the subject of knowledge and intelligence…She notes that anyone who dared to state that nonhumans were intelligent was accused of the dreaded anthropomorphism. Savage’s entire book bunks the notion of ‘dumb animals’, stating that humans ‘have a lot invested in keeping animals dumb’ (19). Think about it – humans can treat animals any way they want if they believe they do not feel pain, have feelings, share emotions, solve problems, etc. Savage points to the research of many, including Irene Pepperberg from the University of Arizona, who concludes that Corvids are superbly intelligent, capable of identifying items by name, able to distinguish similarities and differences in objects, as well as ‘capable of acquiring complex vocal and nonvocal behaviours that many scientists believe are co-or prerequisites for referential communications’. Pepperberg, in her research, discovered that Corvids have the same cognitive capacities as primates. Indeed, their superior powers might be higher than primates (18).
If you are interested in avian behaviour and love the Corvid family or want to learn more about the intelligence of our feathered friends, this is an excellent book. It is well-written, wonderfully illustrated, and at a good price point.
One of my favourite Corvids, the baby Blue Jay from the summer, came to visit the feeder on Monday. Delighted to see it!
The girls are doing great. The plumbers were here again today – they will be finishing up tomorrow – and I could not ask for better behaviour. They all stayed out of the way of any danger!
Missey has a new sleeping spot. It is on top of one of the tallest cabinets – almost touching the ceiling – next to a carved cat on a skateboard that my late friend, Charlie Scott, made. Missey is very smart. What a safe place and out of the way of Calico. They do not always get along. I would say they tolerate one another.
Hugo Yugo and Calico slept on the cat tree together, ignoring the workers who dumped the vanity behind them piled with anything and everything.
I was so delighted when ‘AM’ sent me some beautiful images they had taken of Blake Kites near their home in Japan.
Nature Japan gives us some information on one of the country’s most beautiful raptors: ”The Black Kite or “Tobi” トビ as it is known in Japanese is a common sight in the skies throughout Japan. This raptor is thought to be the world’s most abundant bird of prey. Its numbers are healthy and is under no threat.
This bird can be mainly found in Eurasia, Australasia, Oceania and is a year-round resident here in Japan. You can see this powerful looking bird often soaring in the thermals high above coastal areas, rivers and lakes. I’ve also seen them in farming areas throughout the Kansai region of Japan. They are very graceful flyers that soar with ease and turn with precision.
Male and female Black Kites look very similar and are very opportunistic hunters. They prey upon fish, rodents, and other birds. They are also known to scavenge which is one of the reasons they are so successful a species. I have watched them dive towards the ocean plucking fish from the water and I have also seen them dive-bomb people at highway rest stops trying to steal their rice balls and bento box lunches.” Their only predator is the Eurasian Eagle-owl. “This powerful owl can easily pick off even adult Black Kites and can sometimes be found in northern parts of Hokkaido (common throughout Europe and other parts of Asia).”
Wilde Nature gives us the size variations for these birds of prey: “The Black-eared Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey, measuring about 45–55 centimetres in length with a wingspan of up to 150 centimetres. The distinguishing feature of this subspecies is the black patch of feathers on the sides of the head, located behind the eyes, which gives it its name. Its eyes are dark brown; its bill is short and hooked. The outer wing feathers are black, with dark crossbars and a mottled base. The underparts are pale brown and become lighter towards the chin. The body feathers have a dark shaft, giving it a striped appearance. The corner of the mouth is yellow, but the bill is black. Male and female birds look the same, but females are slightly longer with a larger wingspan.”
Black-eared Kites are opportunistic hunters and feed on various prey such as small mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles. They are often seen soaring high in the air on thermal updrafts, effortlessly gliding while searching for potential prey on the ground.
Thank you ‘AM’ for allowing us to share these beautiful images of the kites.
Look at this beautiful White-tailed Eagle that visited one of Finland’s Osprey (Selli Island) nests on Monday. Gorgeous.
Connie with C10 and C11 today. Note more dandelions are missing! There are pin feathers coming in along the wing tips.
‘A’ comments on these little eaglets: ”Speaking of having enormous appetites, so does CE10, who is absolutely massive in comparison to baby brother CE11. I am still not entirely sure that CE10 has the temperament of a female, but certainly she has the physical characteristics of one. Little CE11 seems to eat his fill most of the time, but she can eat SO much more. Today, both of them had very big crops mid-afternoon (of course CE10’s was larger), and then Connie came in and CE10 was fed the majority of a good-sized speckled trout! CE11 lifted his head from his afternoon nap and initially decided not to bother, but about 20 minutes later, he eventually got up and made his way to the table, by which stage you might have expected CE10 to have long since fallen into a food coma, but no, she was continuing to eat, so that CE11 still had to wait some time to get perhaps a dozen mouthfuls out of the entire fish. CE11 is definitely getting enough to eat, but CE10 is bottomless. She is making no specific effort to prevent CE11 from eating, and has not really done so at any point in their development. She eats and eats and eats, while CE11 is a confident eater but not a pushy eaglet at the table. Occasionally, when big sibling is asleep, CE11 gets a quiet private feeding, usually from Connie, but the size differential continues to grow between the two eaglets. Fortunately, there has been no real food shortage (except one day where there was an inkling of ‘hungry’ experienced on the nest). The bonking has been minimal throughout (and instigated often by CE11, who has been prepared to look his older sibling in the eye from an early age, despite the inevitable results). “
‘J’ has a reminder: Today is also Connick’s first birthday. Connie and Clive’s 2023 hatch will be the Ambassador at the Smithsonian. Maybe you will be able to travel to see him!
Changing before our eyes. Thanks for the close-ups, cam op.
Faxinating caught the whole fish drop to F23 for her and E23 today – we all cheer when the Dad doesn’t eat the head, but we also cringe when the fish flops everywhere. Not to cause alarm, but these live fish have killed eaglets and Osplets. (more on SW Florida below)
Tonya Irwin reports on the action at the Kistachie National Forest E1 nest that Louis shared with his late mate, Anna.
Not a lot of action at the nest of Beau and Gabby. I really hope Gabby is getting to eat enough. It looks like Beau is busy with the defence of their territory.
All is well with M15, F23, and E23 at the SW Florida Eagle nest after the earlier fish delivery. Dad stopped in before bedtime to feed the cutie pie some fish.
The Great Horned Owls are nesting at the Hilton Head nest it seems.
On their social media page, the Hilton Head Island Land Trust posted a short video of the male bringing prey and being in the nest with the female. You can see the two eggs.
Meanwhile at the nest of Bonnie and Clyde on Farmer Derek’s property in Kansas, it is snowing. No sign of the owls.
Just northeast of Kansas, in Iowa, the snow is coming down in Decorah, home to the Decorah North Bald Eagle family as well as the Hatchery Bald Eagle Family.
Snow was also coming down on the Denton Home Nest.
Baiba caught Blazer going after a squirrel coming up to the Eagle Country nest where he is incubating his and Abby’s eggs.
At Port Lincoln, Gil got himself a really nice fish off the nest. This is not just any fish – this is a delivery by the fish fairy at 0938.
The lads have been fighting for the fish and today Gil was the clear winner until…
Mum came in with a really large fish at 1344. The lads struggled. Gil had a nice crop – come on, Gil. Let Brad eat! Brad was hungry and got that fish and really enjoyed it. Well done, Brad.
‘A’ sends the report for the WBSE: “January 9: Early this morning, just one eagle was spotted at the river, moving between roosts. Just before 9am, SE31 was finally seen soaring high above the wetlands and the river. Then, at 9:15am, she was at River Roost with Lady, both flying back and forth a bit. At 9:20am, SE31 took flight, followed by Lady, up high, circling then off over Homebush Bay. Neither had returned at 10:15am. Just after 12 noon, SE31 was seen at River Roost, but no parents. But then we heard that at 11:06am, she had been seen catching a fish shortly after returning from her flight with Lady. At 4:30pm, one adult was seen at River Roost, and it then flew off to the west. Shortly after, at 5pm, both adults were spotted on the island, then SE31 was seen there as well.”
BirdGuides review of the week for the UK, including some unusual finds.
Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretative Centre is closed for renovations, but they have some online events for people living in my province. Want to know where to go birding? Check this virtual information session on the 14th of January from 1300-1400.
Thank you so much for being with me. Please take care everyone. See you soon.
I would like to thank the following who also helped me with my blog today: ’A, AM, J’, Nature Japan, Wilde Nature, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Window to Wildlife, Faxinating, Tonya Irwin, Carol Shores Rifkin, Hilton Head Island Trust, Farmer Derek, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Denton Homes, Baiba, PLO, Bart M, Eagle Cam, Bird Guides, and Oak Hammock Marsh Wetland Centre.
We hope you had a wonderful weekend, could breathe in fresh air, and maybe hear birds. I was at the nature centre on Friday and Sunday – the air was crisp, and there were Nuthatches, Chickadees, Woodpeckers, and a few Sparrows. And, of course, lots of squirrels – Red and Grey – running everywhere. Temperatures went down to -14 C Saturday afternoon.
The girls kept me on my toes at all other times!
Hope listens to the story about Red-tails in Love (about Pale Male in Central Park) from the top of the chair.
Missey was listening to story time from the top of the tansu or Japanese step chest.
Hugo Yugo and Hope were playing in the twinkle tree.
Afterwards, someone got a good washing from their Mamma! Hope follows Mamma Calico around and copies everything she does, including stretching out her back right leg when she gets up. It makes my heart skip a beat seeing them together and not worrying about them being out in the cold snow.
The news from Bird World is rather thin this Monday. There’s not a lot of drama as compared to December. Maybe this is a good thing!
‘A’s continued news of WBSE31 brings us all great joy: ”
It’s watching her soaring high in the sky that brings tears to my eyes. She seems to be doing so very well, and hearing of her first observed fish catch last week was just brilliant. I cannot imagine how Lady and Dad feel about all this – I suppose it’s just natural for them, but it’s a new experience, and they seem to be continuing to take good care of their girl. That, too, makes me so very happy, though of course we cannot know what it does mean to them.
Here is today’s report – there’s been a lot of rain in southeastern Australia over the past week or ten days, so most birds are keeping dry and the fishing would have been difficult I suspect.
January 8: Our early watcher reported one adult and the juvenile nearby on River Roost at 7:30am – then again later. A quiet morning. Both moved a little between roosts, but there was no hunting or feeding seen. Some light rain. Around 3:30pm, SE31 was on Mangrove Island but there were no adults in sight. A quiet day. The picture of SE31 in flight is from yesterday . A gull is “yelling” at her in protest as she passes.
Isn’t she just glorious? Look at that wingspan. And look at that gull – so close to her, harassing her. Whether it’s crows, currawongs or sea gulls, there are always smaller birds accompanying her when she flies, and she has simply learned to ignore the irritating little buggers. That’s a huge relief, knowing that she is above it all and can handle their presence.”
Deb Stecyk, a fellow Canadian that used to work with the Dave Hancock Wildlife Foundation, wrote a summary of the events at the NCTC nest of Bella and Smitty.
“The post season was going well for Bella and Smitty, both looked well rested after a busy nesting season. Jefferson had been gone for a couple of months and the adults were spending time on restorations and getting the nest ready for winter. Things were good at the NCTC nest.
Unfortunately, on Sept 22 Smitty went missing for an extended period of time, which brought various young males to the nest. There was fierce competition for this nest, which was common at this nest. The NCTC eagles have a long history of defending the nest from intruders. The area is rich in resources with the nearby Potomac River and forested area, attracting lots of attention from other eagles. The first floater/intruder male showed up on September 23. The intruder was the first of many that showed up at the nest. Bella and Smitty did their best to defend their territory but Smitty’s extended absence created an opening for other males. Smitty did return for brief periods in October and November and on one occasion he returned with what looked like blood stains on the left side of his face. It looked like Smitty had been in a fight with another eagle. There were four or five different males that visited during the fall all demonstrating interest in Bella and this nest. Sadly, Smitty was absent for weeks and/or days at a time providing the opportunity for displacement. We do not know what happened to Smitty it is a question that will stay with us for a long time. We assume he was injured and that is why he could not return to his Lady Bella.
After a few months one male stood out and his persistence paid off with Bella accepting him as her new mate. The new young male was later named Scout. Scout is recognized and identified by a patch of dark feathers at the back of his head. Based on plumage we think he is about 5 years old. The patch of dark feathers blends in with his mostly white head feathers. Eventually those dark feathers will be “flushed” out and replaced with white feathers.
Our hearts continue to miss Smitty, we watched him grow and mature over 13 seasons. There were many firsts at this nest as Smitty grew and matured into a handsome mate. A loving and devoted partner to Belle (2011 to 2018) and Bella (2018 to 2023), and an amazing loving Dad to his eaglets. Smitty you are forever etched in our hearts Thanks for the memories Smitty you are missed!
As the nesting season approaches we keep our fingers crossed that Bella and Scout will have a successful nesting season. Many firsts are once again underway for this new young male, which rings so many bells for those cherished past seasons with Smitty. It truly is bittersweet …. it’s the life cycle after all
Thanks, Deb, for that great report. Smitty is seriously missed, but we hope that Bella thrives with her new mate.
Some do not think that the eaglets are so cute when they have their Mohawks, when only a few dandelions are left on top of the grey thermal down, and when their feet and beaks seem to be disproportionately large – but, gosh, aren’t they gorgeous?
Jackie and Shadow are working in earnest on their nest in the Big Bear Valley. I wonder if we might be expecting eggs later this month?
Beautiful Gabby. Looking for Beau. Needs a Break. She has, save for a period of less than three hours, single-handedly incubated her precious second egg. How much has she eaten? How could she hunt in the short time she is off the nest? Is Beau stashing prey for her? If the egg hatches, will he help her? Too many questions.
Seriously. Too cute.
The egg tooth that E23 chipped out of the shell is still there. Soon – as the fuzzy natal down gives way to the thermal down – it will disappear.
A post showing the change in E23. How quickly we forget. Happy one week birthday.
An eagle in the trees at the Decorah Hatchery nest. Is snow on its way to Iowa?
At Port Lincoln, Dad came in with a fish at 0718. Brad took that one. Gil took the fish from Mum at 0948. Those were the only fish delivered to the nest up to 1400. The pair are on the nest at 1414 wishing and hoping.
At Orange, beautiful Diamond has been in the scrape sleeping on the Cilla Stones and looking out at her domain.
‘A’ adds: “At Orange, there has also been a lot of rain – Diamond came into the scrape today absolutely sodden and headed for her Cilla Stones. Marri was seen flying past the scrape this afternoon at 15:51:32 and was heard, squeeing very loudly, seconds beforehand, and again for several minutes from 20:37:39. There was also a gorgeous bonding session between Xavier and Diamond at 06:32 this morning. So all appears to be well for our girl at Orange and her wonderful parents. “
“Finally, at Taiaroa Head, the first hatch is approaching and ranger Sharyn Broni has given a little blurb on what to expect.
‘We are now 10 days away from visual checks of LGK and LGL’s egg at Top Flat. When hatching begins, the developing embryo moves into the air cell of the egg. Sometimes, sounds like scrunching can be heard as the membranes are broken through. There may even be a chick call. When the shell has a crack or pip in it for the beginning of hatching, we will remove it to the incubator. We hold the parents on the nest with a dummy egg until the chick has hatched. The nest will be sprayed with Avian Insect Liquidator* to ensure that flies are not living in the nest when the chick is returned.’
The live streaming camera for Milda, the White-tailed Eagle from Durbe County in Latvia is now operational. There could be eggs the end of March! Fingers crossed. Milda and her mate Voldis fledged two eaglets in 2023.
The decline of birds of prey, including vultures, in Africa could lead to human deaths. Why? Have a read.
Do you travel to Aruba? Here is a reintroduction story and a reminder to be mindful when seeing birds in the wild.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We look forward to having you with us again soon.
Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, streaming cams, and articles that helped me to write my blog this morning: ’A, J’, Deb Stecyk, NEFL-AEF, Window to Wildlife, BaiBai, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Laura Davis Nelson, Explore, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Biruta Lap, Aruba National Park Foundation, NZ DOC, The Guardian, and Audubon.
It was a sunny day albeit a little cooler today and the temperatures will be slowly dropping to the inevitable -27 or more C at the end of next week. There was a nice dusting of snow and if I had a wish it would be that we had a huge blizzard that stopped everything for a day. Snow is a good thing and we need it.
The girls had story time, and everyone was off in their little hiding spot, having a long afternoon nap. As it gets colder outside, Calico and Missey are sleeping more. Today, Hope and Hugo were piled in together. They tend to come out for several good romps now and then. Couldn’t live without them!
Hugo Yugo only ‘stops’ when she is asleep.
If Calico is by the end of the sofa, then you can bet that Missey is under it. It is hard to determine which one is afraid of the other. They seem to take turns. It is, of course, ridiculous – just like all that beaking or bonking by the little raptors. Lots of food, love, cat trees, perches and one thinks they have to be the boss. Can you hear me growling? Of course, Hugo Yugo is going to come flying through and scare the wits out of Calico. Go figure.
Calico is doing pretty good on her weight loss programme. When spring comes – hoping for snow but wanting winter to end in March and not May – Calico will have a padded halter and we are going to go for some walkies.
Another really good report coming about SE31: ”January 7: SE31 was seen early flying from behind to her favourite branch on the island, in the morning sun. Then at around 9am, she went for a long flight to the south, over the Sydney Olympic Park area, for about 20 minutes – exploring further each day. As always, she is escorted by chasers like ravens – the lot of a raptor. Later in the afternoon, at 6pm, she was on her favourite perch on Mangrove Island, with no adults seen. Then she took off again, towards Juvie Roost and out of sight from our observer at the boat ramp.” Thanks, ‘a’.
‘A’ reports on the falcons At Orange, “there was a late afternoon bonding session at 17:55:08. Marri was not seen or heard today (or yesterday). The last time she was positively identified was on 5 January, when she was seen and heard flying past the scrape. Of course, the same applies to Marri as to SE31 – the longer they are out there, the more invested we become in their longer-term survival. So with two days since Marri was last seen, we start to worry (at least, I do). There has been so much rain in southeastern Australia over the past couple of weeks, and there have also been storms at Orange, I believe. As I type, beautiful Diamond is preening on her ledge, preparing for bedtime.”
At SW Florida, F23 is finishing up the remnants of the Armoured Catfish and feeding E23.
M15 joins them while F23 eats some fish. Is M15 on alert?
This is one strong eaglet. At only six days old, E23 is out of the nest bowl!
Connie and Clive protect C10 and C11 amidst a big storm that hit the Barrier Islands on Saturday.
That storm hit the Eagle Country nest of Abby and Blazer, too.
It got rainy at Port Lincoln, too. Brad and Gil are soaked. Mum delivered a breakfast fish at 0733 but Gil dropped it. Mum retrieved it and took it to the old barge to eat all by herself. Good lesson!
There will be a total of five fish brought to the nest.
It is getting windy up near Jacksonville at Gabby’s nest with V3.
The second egg which Gabby is incubating was laid on the 23rd of December. Looking for a pip around the 27th of January at 35 days?
What the AEF mod at the NEFL Eagle cam said today re Samson: “RaptorLvr_AEFSamson has not been seen or found. He was by all accounts healthy when he disappeared. However, since they were so close to egg laying, we think something prevented him from returning to the nest.” More comments followed. ”RaptorLvr_AEF Samson and Gabby were a strong bonded pair with 3 successful clutches – very unlikely he would decide to abandon his nest.RaptorLvr_AEF While we never saw any other eagles in the area prior to Samson’s disappearance, eagles did show up within a day or so. They could have been out there out of cam view and we don’t know what went on.”
Guardian is at the Redding nest in California he shares with Liberty – restorations are being made. Wishing these two a much better year in 2024.
I want to go back to Anna and Andria for a moment. We will never know for certain what happened to Anna. It is a shame that Cody and Steve went to so much trouble to retrieve her – first to get help for her and second, to find out why she died – and she was incinerated and the cause will not be known. As ‘H’ reminds me – it isn’t for us, it is for the area. Is there something there. ’M’ is involved in veterinary medicine and is a technician. This is their thoughts on what MIGHT have happened to Anna. ”I thought the bird named Anna wasn’t acting like she had avian influenza. I think she was either poisoned with a metal like lead, etc. or had a neurologic disease like Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy (AVM). It affects water birds as well as raptors, including the bald eagle. It was first documented in eagles and American coots in Arkansas in 1994. In the field, affected raptors have difficulty landing on perches and will fly into objects. It is believed to be caused by a toxin produced by a cyanobacterium (a blue-green alga). This bacter–ium grows well on aquatic plants such as Hydrilla verticillata. Eagles become affected after consuming water birds, especially coots, which have fed on this plant. I noticed someone in chat at the nest cam said a coot was brought to the nest and consumed. This disease is often observed during the fall and winter months on or near water bodies with invasive aquatic vegetation. The only way to positively confirm AVM is by examining the brain for the presence of the characteristic vacuoles in the myelin sheath of the brain.”
Tiger Mozone says it is 70 days til the Ospreys arrive in the UK. We are on the countdown.
Raptor Persecution continues in the UK. I will be so joyful on the day that I can quit posting these monstrous intentional injuries and killings.
Translocation Project of Black-footed Albatross to try and stop their extinction.
A recent good book has arrived. The Backyard Birdwatcher’s Bible. 413 pages with illustrations that include gorgeous photographs, textiles with birds, drawings by Audubon amongst others, maps, diagrams. There is the Introduction which includes good tips on how to use the book to its full advantage along with an excellent glossary. Four chapters include Chapter One that discusses the origins of birds, various specie profiles along with feeding and attracting birds to your garden. Chapter Two says it is for beginners but it is full of detailed information from egg to fledge, migration, conservation, the history of bird watching. Chapter Three is specifically on how to attract birds including creating a bird-friendly back yard, making a bird bath, a bird cafe, nesting boxes, etc. Chapter Four is all about birds and their history in art, painting, sculpture, photography, design, and craft. At the end is a long list of additional resources and further reading. It is hefty and would be a welcome addition to anyone’s library.
I have to say that I am particularly impressed by the variety of illustrations that include the females. They are often difficult to identify in the garden because some books do not even acknowledge them. The information is concise and accurate with some fun things to try to bring birds into your life.
Thank you so much for being with me. Please take care. We hope to see you again soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ’A, H, M’, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk, Window to Wildlife, Gracie Shepherd, Eagle Country, SK Hideaways, PLO, Bart M, NEFL-AEF, Carol Shores Rifkin, FORE, Raptor Persecution UK, Holly Parsons, Amazon, and The Backyard Birdwatcher’s Bible.
I hope that the start to your weekend is a good one!
It was only -5 on Friday at the nature centre. It was a really good day for a walk. The Chickadees, the squirrels, and the woodpeckers were all out looking for food and enjoying the mild weather before – next week – when it is forecast to be -29 C. There were so many going for walks today. Happy. They were smiling and taking photographs. Sometimes, when it is frigid, we don’t want to get outside! So Friday was a good opportunity to walk in and have that quiet, peaceful time in the woods. Nature is healing.
Not a great shot of the woodpecker upside down at the feeder.
Snowshoes. The Ontario Heritage Trust gives us a good history of the snowshoe in Canada: ”Snowshoes are a practical mode of winter transportation, and they are also a symbol of practical ingenuity representing thousands of years of cultural history and adaptation to the country’s snowy winters. It is believed that snowshoes arrived in Canada during ancient migrations at least 10,000 years ago from eastern Siberia over the Bering Strait. In 1608, Samuel de Champlain provided the first written account of the First Nations using snowshoes to walk across the deep winter snow. Recognizing their value, Europeans used snowshoes for hunting and trapping, and for exploring the rugged landscape. In the mid-1800s, snowshoeing became a popular recreational activity, with clubs meeting for hikes and competitive races.”
The girls are fantastic. Every day – many times a day – I profess my great astonishment that these four girls are safe and sound. They bring me such happiness I cannot imagine life without them.
Today, my daughter sent me an article form the local news. Apparently feeding stray cats is illegal in my city. Well, who would have known? If I had not been feeding strays, I would not have Calico or Hope and the Boyfriend would be thin. My entire neighbourhood would be fined. Now how ridiculous is that? It seems that someone has thought so too so there is a move to strike that law and allow people to care for these needy animals. The girls and I intend to write in support of lifting the law that prohibits the feeding of feral cats.
Missey is rather ‘wild’ looking. ’J’ thinks she comes from a magical forest full of unicorns. I could not agree more. She is now 22 lbs. and is 16 months old.
Storytime and Baby Hugo decides which of the treats everyone is going to receive.
Calico listening to a chapter about the establishment of The Ramble in Central Park and all the birds that migrate there twice a year.
After story time, Baby Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope wrestle and run.
Hugo Yugo knows that Baby Hope is hiding under the tablecloth, ready to pounce.
There would not have been enough fines in the world to get me to stop feeding Calico — and I am so glad that someone rescued Missey and took her as a week-old kitten to the Humane Society – and that some kind heart took pity on Baby Hugo Yugo’s mother and brought her in to have her 7 kittens safely. These four beautiful souls are what rescue is all about.
There is not a lot of action in Bird World. In some ways this has turned out brilliantly for all of us as we can enjoy three little eaglets – both clutches at such different stages of development – without having to spend much time decided on which streaming cam to watch.
There is much relief at watching the SW Florida nest – no bonking! Just one very special little eaglet who has the complete attention of its parents – the super dad M15 and his new mate F23.
E23 is an eating machine…and F23 and M15 are fantastic parents. Food coma after a great feeding from Dad!
The variety of food coming to the SW Florida nest this year is quite incredible. Today it was an Armoured Catfish – but there has been rabbit, egret, fish. F23 is very grateful for the fish!
A nest full of fish and eaglets looking out to a beautiful world at Captiva.
My goodness the nest was really rocking for Rose at the WRDC Bald Eagle nest in Dade County. Thinking pip in a week?
It is always a good day when Jackie and Shadow are in the nest at Big Bear.
At Port Lincoln, it is wet. Bradley took the first fish delivery from Mum. Giliath had to wait for food today until dad brought in a headless fish at 18:09. He ate the entire thing in 15 minutes.
Look at Gil’s tracking! We all wish Brad could have had that extra tracker. It would have been fantastic to compare the two brothers.
At Orange: ”At Orange, Marri was seen and heard flying past the scrape yesterday (5 January). Diamond and Xavier had two bonding sessions this morning (05:39:30 and 07:24:45). Diamond spent a lot of the day surveying her territory from the ledge of the scrape.”
WBSE news of 5 January: “SE31 appeared from River Roost at 6:40am, then flew to the island. She flew around the bay then, just before 7am, attempted to catch a fish, with a splash. Shortly after, she was not eating, so must have missed (or dropped it). Neither parent was seen earlier, but at 7:45am, one adult was seen at River Roost with SE31, who was whining continually for food. Around 11am, we saw SE31 soaring way up high and one adult on River Roost. Then, at around 12:05pm, the juvenile returned, past the adult and into the mangroves below the adult. Lady took off from River Roost, then the other adult appeared from behind the island. Both then set off, hunting hopefully, at 12:22pm. We did not see SE31 or either adult when we left at around 1:30pm. Then, at around 5pm, SE31 was seen again, and set off on a long flight, over the river to Homebush Bay and over Meadowbank, then back to more familiar territory.”
The latest news from WBSE: ”January 6: Early in the morning, our observer reported one adult and the juvenile upstream of River Roost. Being Saturday, river traffic was very noisy. They were still there some time later. Then, at around 12:30pm, one adult was seen flying with a big fish, followed by an eager SE31. Around 40 minutes later, SE31 was seen sitting on a low branch on the island – had she eaten? Later in the afternoon, after a very hot day, none of the eagles could be seen from the boat ramp. Plenty of fish were jumping – come on SE31! “ Thanks, ‘A’.
At the Royal Albatross Colony near Dunedin, New Zealand:
Now this is the kind of news we want to read.
Oh, oh, oh. Moorings Park Ospreys are live!!!!!!!! Didn’t we have a great year last year with Harry and Sally. Look who is home. Oh, talk about a fluttering heart.
It is time to have some fun with some of those strange ‘bird terms’….Gorget, anyone?
Results of the Christmas Bird Count in Canada. Now, please make sure that you join Cornell and other groups for the Big Bird Day coming up in February. I will remind you again and again of the date as it approaches. All of this helps us understand what species are in decline, which are flourishing, and where. Then, we can ask why.
If you live near Threave, you might want to join in the fun! This sounds like a great experience…wish I was in Scotland.
Two more book reviews coming for Sunday, 7 January.
Thank you so much for being with me today. We should have a few more eaglets in a week and hopefully some more eggs. We are looking for hatches at the WRDC and Berry College. Take care all. We hope to see you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me write my blog today: ’A, H, J’, SK Hideaways, Vija, Window to Wildlife, Jenna Dorsey, WRDC, FOBBV, PLO, Bart M, Sea Eagle Cam, Ron Young, Fran Solly, Moorings Park, Living Bird Magazine, Audubon, and the National Trust for Scotland.
Hugo Yugo went to the vet on Thursday and she had an excellent report. Not a single problem and she is now a good weight for her age and she is getting some adult teeth. Vet Kate thinks she is going to be a super small kitten. It was nice to see Hugo Yugo with lots of energy while she was at the clinic – she is awesome.
Wrestling in the conservatory with Hope. Look at Calico’s face. She is so glad not to be a part of this action.
The plumbers were here all day. They are terrific and got all new drains and vents and a new WC installed, etc. Hugo found a pile of old towels destined for the clinic and she snuggled in. I think the vaccinations made her a little tired. All of the cats were so good. They were sequestered so as not to get outside and the best of the lot were Calico and Hope. Missey and Hugo Yugo were their curious selves. Hugo Yugo is getting nice little ginger tufts of fur on the tips of her ears.
All had a special late dinner to thank them for being so patient during the plumbing ordeal.
You need to be part of the Big Bird Count. Go to the Cornell Lab or Audubon and sign up! We need accurate counts of birds in winter to help understand declines and increases in populations. Thank you!
Looks like M15 brought in an Egret for lunch after the family had finished the rabbit.
Here is that Egret delivery by Faxinating.
F23 catches her own fish and brings it to the nest. M15 removes the Egret carcass. E23 is doing fantastic.
From the behaviour, it sure looks like C10 is a female at Captiva. She still rears her long neck and head and C11 still plummets down on occasion. Little male?
Gabby is on territorial protection duty it seems. Gabby is doing all the incubating as far as I can tell on Thursday.
Ravens and Jackie and Shadow at Big Bear. Video of the busy day at the nest at the end.
Looks like Mum at Pittsburgh-Hayes.
At Port Lincoln, Brad found some leftover fish in the nest and had a nice breakfast. Gil was not bothered.
They see Dad.
The day so far at Port Lincoln.
‘A’ sends us good news from the Parramatta River. We can all sleep easy. SE31 is really catching fish and providing for herself. It really is OK to sit there and cry your eyes out. We have been waiting for years to see this miracle happen.
Here is the latest: “January 4: The first report of our juvenile today was just after 7am, flying into Juvenile Roost. Then at 9am, she was seen catching a fish, then eating it. Wonderful sighting. At around 10:30am, she took to the air, joining an adult circling above, higher and higher and over Ermington. Then back again when a parent, we think Lady, brought in an even bigger fish – with the young one squeeing eagerly when going to take it from the adult. SE31 has eaten well today. Our juvenile is growing and gaining in experience, flying and soaring strongly, and now has been observed catching her own fish. Late in the evening, both adults were seen at Goat Island.”
The video of WBSE31 catching a fish!
‘A’ also reports: ”Thought you would want to know that BOK came in today (4 January) to relieve WYL. Such a relief to all. I am not sure whether they will replace the dummy egg with the real one again now – I presume they will.”
Diamond looking out as a falcon flies down from the tower. You can see them if you squint! (light grey form half way down Diamond’s chest in green area).
If you have cried over the plight of the Manatees in Florida, a new report is giving hope. Not raptors but I know many of you are concerned. We will take all the good news we can get the beginning of 2024!
Some good news I you are not a fan of wind turbines killing our birds.
“In Petit-Pressigny, in South Touraine, the PROJECT FOR EIGHT WIND TURBINE MASTS WAS REJECTED by the Versailles administrative court of appeal DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A BLACK STORK’S NEST NEARBY.”
We close on a bit of a sad and confusing/conflicting note. Anna’s body should not have been incinerated without being signed off. Also it only takes 2-3 days to get the HPAI rush results so what is going on? The author is right to be frustrated…good gracious.
On the plus side – we will soon be on pip watch for Dade County with Ron and Rose and Berry College with Pa and Missey! ’H’ reports that Superbeaks looks promising for a second clutch. Fingers crossed.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care. We look forward to having you with us again soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, H, J’, Cornell Bird Lab, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Faxinating, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, Baibai, PIX Cams, PLO, Bart M, Eagle Cam, NZ DOC, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Bird Guides, and The Guardian.
It is almost the last of the warm weather. We are beginning to dip. It is -12 C. Next week the forecast is for -23 on Friday. I know you will be wondering how on earth we stay warm, but we do! Insulated houses, jackets, boots, warm mitts/gloves, warm hats, triple pane windows, etc. It is, of course, bloody cold! And I tend to find it much nicer to have lots of story times with the girls than go out.
As I am writing this, Hope and Hugo are chasing one another all over the place. They are the best of playmates. When you look remember that both were the kittens of strays. Baby Hope, the Calico, was born on 2 July 2023 and Hugo Yugo was born on 2 September 2023. There is only two months separating them. Hope is almost as big as her mother. Hugo is very, very tiny. You can see this better in the second image. Still, Hugo Yugo is not afraid of anything and she loves nothing better than a play fight and tumble with Missey or Hope.
Hope likes to pose. She is so beautiful.
Precious Mamma.
Awhile ago I played with names. Never did change her name from Hugo because she was a girl but I have found myself calling her Hugo Yugo and she comes running even when she is busy in the twinkle tree when she hears it.
You can get an idea of how tiny Hugo Yugo is from comparing her head to the ornament below her.
We don’t have any new snow but Baibai caught the first snow for Jackie and Shadow on Wednesday. It is so beautiful.
The eaglets are eating, sleeping, and growing at Captiva. They are really at that ‘awkward’ moment, but so cute with those full crops. ‘Oh, just have one more bite!”
Beau did not completely bury the second egg when he was incubating and aerating. Beau will learn – he is learning. Gabby is back on deck.
Here is a video of that three hour incubation shift.
There is what all the fuss is about in Fort Myers! That little fuzzy cutie-pie of an eaglet of M15 and F23—-E23. They are finishing up that rabbit on Wednesday. This chick and its first time Mum have no idea how lucky they are…’Harriet-trained M15′ as a dad and partner. Wow.
M15 feeding F23.
M15 feeding his only eaglet.
Dad and the new female at the ND-LEEF have that nest that collapsed when Little Bit ND17 went overboard in tip top shape for a new season. They are north so the eggs will come later than the ones in Florida and the other parts of the south.
The female at Duke Farms is working with the new male on their nest. There are a lot of new pairs this year, did you realise this?
Pepe and Muhlady have a beautiful nest. Will there be a second clutch?
Abby and Blaze continue incubation at Eagle Country.
Liberty is so gorgeous in the sun at the Redding nest she shares with Guardian.
Some action at the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout.
It was a good day for Gil and Brad at Port Lincoln and that was just up to early afternoon!
One of my favourite Osprey couples is Blue 33 and Maya at Rutland Water. Blue 33 is Maya’s second partner. She how now broken Osprey history at Rutland by fledgling 37 chicks. Her and Blue 33 are considered to be a Super Couple because they have also successfully raised several clutches of four!
Annie and Lou were not impressed when humans entered ‘their’ territory.
Because I see the rivalry at my bird feeders, this article coming out of Audubon on the birds that win at getting seed turned out to be very interesting. I think you will be surprised, too.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care of yourself. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ’A, H, J’, Baibai, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk, ND-LEEF, Duke Farms, Superbeaks, Eagle Country, NCTC, Meredith Gertz, PLO, Bart M, Rutland Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, Audubon, Projeto Albatros, USFWS, Wiley Online Library, and Iberdrola.
It has been a ‘rough’ couple of days. It is going to take me a bit of time to get my head ‘cleared’. Thank you for your patience…we might expect ‘something’ to be coming, but it isn’t always easy to accept it, anyway. Darn difficult this one is!
Let us start on a positive note. I encourage everyone – and Culley would, too – to live. Just get out there in nature and find the joy that you might miss. My granddaughter always listens and today she was in one of our parks known for its chickadees. They come right up to you – was happy to supply the seed for her and her partner!
Our weather is to turn cold next week so this looks like a good thing to do before then!
Hope and Hugo have been into a lot of mischief lately. Hugo has just noticed the bird video. Hope would rather ‘pose’ – she is the only one that cooperates!
Remember. Hugo is not afraid to romp and leap on cats 10 x her size!
Calico wants a comfy duvet. And quiet. These two will eventually find her and leap on her.
Laura Culley. Falconer. Flew High on New Year’s Day 2024. She inspired me more than anyone else to follow my dream of researching avian behaviour and also studying falconry. I was not the only one, of course. Culley touched the lives of all who met her. She visited people in hospital with Mariah, she attended raptor exhibitions, and she was always willing to encourage young people to think about falconry. She was a remarkable woman whose beautiful hawk Mariah was with her for 30 years (I believe that is correct). She was a great ambassador and she always said that we are the servants to the birds. Not them to us. The birds always come first and they are of superior minds.
One of her favourite tunes. She shared it with many who came to understand falconry and her love for it and the hawks. She challenged anyone who would listen to watch the hawks and learn from them – to understand that there is so much disinformation. In fact, Culley loved the Cornell streaming cam of Big Red and Arthur for all the new aspects of the hawks life that were learned by all the citizen scientists watching. I recall one day her mentioning all of the facts that Sibley got wrong in his big book…it was easy to find them! She was brilliant.
The conversations that I had with Culley had to do with what do the raptors know. The first thing she taught me was that the raptors have been around for EONS. An EON is a billion years. They have evolved to a much more sophisticated level than humans. People asked if Big Red knew that one of her fledglings had been killed by striking the glass at Cornell and dying. Culley would say, ‘And why wouldn’t she?!’ Would Big Red know her eyases if they were in the territory. Back at you with ‘And why wouldn’t she?!’ Humans know their children – then why wouldn’t Big Red and Arthur. She delighted in how well the hawks communicated – something she observed through decades of raising her eight birds and working with others. She pulled back the curtain and helped so many to understand the minds of these amazing birds. Culley will not be forgotten! Not in EONS.
Laura took Mariah duck hunting in Wyoming. If you ever read that RTHs do not hunt ducks, that is rubbish. Laura bunked a lot of the myths associated with hawks and opened our eyes to their extraordinary powers. Mariah was a great duck hunter!
One of the chatters wrote, “And when we worried: why did Big Red leave the babies for so long; aren’t those little ones too close to the edge; isn’t that bite of food too big…….she calmed our fears. EONS, after all, taught Big Red so much we don’t know.”
Laura Culley cut through it all. She could spot ‘bs’ just like Mariah could see a rabbit a mile away. My only regret is that I did not get to help her with her manuscript – her 28 years with Mariah – due to the pandemic and then her illness. I hope – and believe – that someone else is doing this.
A reminder from Laura about life:
Rest in peace. Your work will be carried on by all those who loved you, Laura.
Did you know that there were relief carvings in the Babylonian era of hawks on fists more than 3000 years ago? If you carry your hawk on your fist while riding a horse, it is ‘falconry’ but if when walking it is called ‘hawking’. Falconry is believed to be one of the oldest sports in the world. It has endured throughout history because hawks were used to catch food for their owners. The males were originally called tiercels while the female hawks were ‘hawks’. We now think of tiercel as the third hatch which is often a male.
Seriously. E23 has been doing little wingersizers. This one is going to melt your heart into a pile of mush.
M15 is always the great provider – reminds me of some of those UK Osprey males such as Blue 33, Idris, Aran, Dylan, and Louis. Of course, Clive is, too.
The eggs is moved to the rim. Fish and Rabbit on the menu.
A fur fest. Wonder what E23 thought about all the plucking?
E23 covered in fur.
Love.
It is hard now to imagine what C10 and C11 looked like E23 a week ago! Look at their thermal down and clown feet and – wait – is one curious and pecking at that fish?!
‘J’ calls these ‘fish pillows’.
The nest is loaded with fish thanks to Clive – and C10 and C11 are now too big to fit under Connie. Good night, Captiva.
We are now about 85 days away from the first Osprey landing in the UK. hat should, if they safely return, Laddie LM12 at Loch of the Lowes (we believe his mate Blue NC0 died but we will wait and see) and Blue 33 and Maya at Rutland.
Hoping to see eggs at the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout soon.
Rosa and her new mate were at the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle Nest. (Is he a Beau, too?)
Beau takes good care of intruders around the territory while Gabby incubates and finds her own prey (or so it seems).
Beau injured protecting nest.
And to the shock of all, Beau is incubating Wednesday morning in The Hamlet. It is not known if the egg is viable, but let us hope that he is coming into a new mode of helping Gabby that it is!
Gil and Brad woke up to some damp weather. Waiting for breakfast. It must be grand when they are able to catch their own meals and are not dependent on Mum and Dad.
Dad came in with a fish at 1119 and Gil was all over it! Yesterday Fran and Bazz took their yacht out, and went around the barge for photos. They try to do this once a year according to the FB post. At the end of the screen captures are some of their images plus, an image of an osprey taking a dead fish from the floor of the barge that had fallen over. Another myth bunked.
Wisdom is dancing and well..an update from the Midway Atoll.
They are keeping an eye on one of the Royal cam couples and have put in a dummy egg in case the partner does not return. Fingers crossed.
Thank you everyone. Take care of yourselves. We hope to see you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, music, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’E, H, J’. Laura Culley, Heather Dale, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Laura Davis Nelson, D Morningstar, Window to Wildlife, Deb Stecyk, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, Jan Lester, PLO, SK Hideaways, Friends of Midway Atoll, and Sharon Dunne.
Thanks for the memories Smitty you are missed!
RaptorLvr_AEF While we never saw any other eagles in the area prior to Samson’s disappearance, eagles did show up within a day or so. They could have been out there out of cam view and we don’t know what went on.”
