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.
Thank you so much for your good wishes. The cats are very good healing therapy and I am getting there. Indeed, I thought Covid was over til last evening when the dizziness and nausea returned. Hopefully in the next couple of days.
We woke to lightning and heavy rain this morning. The conservatory was lit up like a Halloween pumpkin. It did not bother the kittens as much as it did me!
Missey and Lewis have been enjoying a ‘cat video’ with squirrels and birds!
Hope and Calico prefer watching the ‘real’ things when they are not napping!
Lewis has been having fun with some new little crochet toys full of catnip. He remains the sweetest thing except for Missey’s food or Calico!
There is a second hatch in progress at Orange as I am writing this! That first little one is sure strong. Remember: the chicks will not be able to ‘see’ clearly until about 5 days from hatch. Oh, if there are to be three let them all be strong and healthy with lots of prey this summer so Xavier doesn’t have to work so hard! Will it be a year for Cicadas? Does anyone remember Izzi and his ‘Cicada popsicles’?
Poor Xavier. He has come in with breakfast for Diamond and wee eyas one. Now he is wondering if he will have to sit on the ledge all day?? How is that second hatch progressing?
There it is and already the new hatch is being encouraged to take a bite of prey.
Diamond is tired. She has been going at this for 48 hours – rubbing the eggs around in the pebbles helping to get that shell off a little quicker, if possible, without hurting the little one. So happy these two are close in the time they hatched. Now, the big question is: will there be three?
There is much hope for these two hatches at orange. Both of the chicks are very, very strong this year – each reaching up and wanting food right away when offered. Isn’t it lovely? A remarks, “Oh my goodness! Number two isn’t even dry yet and it’s up and begging for food. And EATING several mouthfuls. It’s not even half an hour old. I’m so glad this one is a strong one. I like a strong younger chick. Now we hope the third egg remains as a pillow and football! Amazing. Such a strong chick.”
V3 has been at the nest tree in The Hamlet waiting for Gabby. Are those new battle wounds?
‘A’ remarks, “V3 spent a lot of the morning in the nest tree this morning. Later in the day, both V3 and Gabby spent the early evening doing nest work together. See from about 06:40pm onwards. According to our BOTG, they are perched and tucked together again tonight in the lumber yard. It is so good to see them working together on the nest. V3 is showing quite a few fresh wounds on his feet, so has obviously been defending Gabby and their territory whether or not he has been at the nest tree. Over the past two days, he has spent the majority of the time on or near the nest tree and has obviously decided the time has come to make a stand. It may be that he has been successful in persuading A2 and A3 to move along. We do hope so. These two need to get on with their season.”
At the nest of M15, our fabulous dad and his new mate are getting on with things – restorations and bonding!
Lady Hawk catches the action between M15 and his new lady.
Shadow and Jackie were up at the crack of dawn working on their nest.
A new male has been coming around Bella at the NCTC nest. Smitty has been missing since the 21st of September.
Tonya Irvin has some concerns about Anna at the KNF-E1 nest.
WBSE 31 and 32 – oh, so adorable. Getting bigger and stronger by the day.
Looks like that promised rain in Melbourne is going to materialise and help keep our falcons a little cooler! Sure liking those temperatures for the coming week.
Liznm gives us a good look at one of those magnificent prey deliveries at Collins Street!
Mum is still waiting for Dad to bring in a fish for breakfast at Port Lincoln. I find this a bit discouraging – it is after 1000. Let’s hope the pace and quantity of the fish drastically improves once those eggs hatch.
This month’s Condor Chat from Ventana Wildlife Society.
Audubon has released its study of summer heat and shorebirds.
Thank you so much for being with me today! Check out the two new hatches at Orange. If you are feeling ‘blue’, they will put a smile on your face.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, streaming cams, and articles that helped me to compose my blog this morning: ‘A’, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, FOBBV, Deb Steyck and the NCTC, Tonya Irvin and Raptors of the World, Sydney Sea Eagles, Lizmn and 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, PLO, Ventana Wildlife Society, and Audubon Florida.
Sunday was a beautiful day on the Canadian Prairies. The garden temperature went to 24 C and was 21 C at 1730! The little songbirds were having a joyous time flittering about in the birdbaths. Calico and Hope watched from the Conservatory window.
Calico went out into the main house with Missey again today. Everything went well. These two get along and are not a threat to one another. Calico is quick and she got into the kitchen and Lewis darted at her. It was not as horrific as I imagined but, I am still not quite ready to handle a big confrontation. Hopefully the lingering dizziness from the Covid will be gone by tomorrow and we can give Lewis a go at being a gentleman.
Meanwhile, Calico is still in full Mamma mode so she is also a little rough at the edges. She immediately goes into protective mode if either Missey or Lewis appear to be getting near to Hope.
Calico is producing much milk for Hope, and our little lass got caught in the act! Hope is three months old today. She has been with us now for an entire month and I finally figured out how to ‘catch’ her without causing undue trauma. She went into a tiny padded ‘tent’ tonight. It is perfect. She needs her worming medicine so tomorrow we are going to accomplish that. At the same time I will give her some different tasty treats – that gooey chicken that comes in a tube – to get her to think only of yummy snacks and me. The way to Hope’s heart is directly related to treats and playing.
Hope is almost as big as Mamma but, I can tell when I pick up Calico and hold her close (she still loves being held and having our cheeks rub one another) that she is gaining weight. That makes me so happy.
There is good news coming out of Bird World. As I write this Sunday evening (20:13), there is an indication that the second chick at Orange is hatching! ‘A’ writes: “We can hear chirping from the second egg at Orange and several keen-eyed observers believe they can see a pip. Certainly, there is peeping on the box camera that is not coming from the chick that has been born. So chatters and mods alike are fairly confident that eyas number two is on its way. This was a very quick hatch – Indigo was the fastest ever at this scrape until this one, which I believe may have been faster (I’m not certain on that, but it was certainly a relatively quick hatch). The chick looks very large – some are saying it hatched because it could no longer fit in that egg! It was more a case of bursting out than breaking out.
Diamond tried to feed the sweet little thing at three hours of age, at which point it was still exhausted and barely able to lift its head in response to mum’s gentle urgings. (It did manage to lift it though – it’s a strong little person – but of course was not interested in eating yet.) Mum is just a little overexcited I think.”
A very contented Xavier perched on the ledge while his second chick hatches. Oh, the fact that these two could be so close together is a blessing.
The first feeding of Diamond and Xavier’s baby.
And another…
The other good news coming on Sunday is the return of V3 to the streaming cam at the NEFL Bald Eagle nest of Gabby. ‘A’ caught up with some of the intrigue coming from the chat, “There is good news from NEFL, where V3 and Gabby were both seen at the nest tree during the day after Gabby had spent the night (it rained heavily pretty much all night and she was absolutely saturated) perched on Wallenda (in the nest tree). Our BOTG confirm that Gabby and V3 are perched and tucked for the night at the lumber yard tonight. This is such happy news. I think we are all rooting for Gabby and V3.”
Oh, let us hope that V3 and Gabby are left alone to raise a family this year.
Things are also going exceptionally well at Fort Myers. What a delight it is to see M15 with a new mate and a new beginning. He was everyone’s hero last year raising E21 and 22 from the beginning of February when Harriet disappeared. There was concern that M15 might lose his territory that he shared with Harriet without a mate – remember all those females? So it is heartwarming to see him working on a nest with his new mate.
Lady Hawk put together a compilation of images for us of the season beginning.
Mum and Dad waiting at Port Lincoln and Melbourne.
SE31 and 32 continue to grow their beautiful juvenile plumage. They are much more sturdy on their legs and we should be looking for branching shortly.
There are a couple of other things that I want to share with you. Geemeff sent me links to two videos. One is a short news blast about Tarzan, the logging horse, working with its handler at Lock Arkaig to rid the Caledonian forests of the invasive American Spruce trees. I love this quieter and more gentle to-the-land approach to solving the problem of non-native species.
The second is the third and final part of a series on wildlife in Scotland – the challenges and the solutions being undertaken. There are Ospreys!!!!!!!!!!! I hope that while we are in the middle of nest building or incubation you enjoy these.
A memorial service was held for Su and Otto, the long term resident Red-tail Hawks at Syracuse University on Sunday.
Lastly, two prominent male Bald Eagles are missing. Smitty, the mate of Bella, at the NCTC Bald Eagle nest, has not been seen since the 21st of September. The Dad at Pittsburgh-Hayes has been missing since 7 September and I will sadly be adding him to our Memorial Wall in a few days. Please send positive thoughts to both families.
Pip watch at Orange now for the second egg.
Thank you so much for being with me this morning. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my newsletter this morning: ‘A, Geemeff’, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Geemeff, Sydney Sea Eagles, 367 Collins St by Mirvac, PLO, and Red-tail Hawk Tales.
Gosh, we watched that big beautiful Harvest Moon as it welcomed us into the month of October. What a view through the roof of the Conservatory!
As I write, it is 25 degrees C, a gorgeous fall day with blue skies and vibrant yellow leaves poking their way through the window frame. The Blue Jays are visiting the table feeder, and Dyson has been scurrying about.
Hope reminded me that Uncle Claudio said to use the ‘Marigolds’ on the upholstery, and the cat hair would come right off. Marigolds are rubber gloves used for washing up. They have little prickles on the underneath that work wonders lifting cat hair. Rub the gloves in circles. Incredible. Thanks, Uncle Claudio!
Hope also likes to help sweep up, but I’m not sure she would care for hoovering. She had such fun with the little broom this afternoon. She will not allow me to stroke her unless she is distracted. Hope will also come up close if Calico is sleeping on my lap. If I pretend to be asleep on the couch, she will come and sleep on my leg. It is slow going, but we will get there! I wish she had been found as a wee kitten, not a 9-week-old, very independent lass.
Things with Covid – the sore throat is gone. The wobblies have passed, and I no longer have a temperature. The Covid test is still showing positive, but things are beginning to look up, and this will pass in a couple of days. You need to take care. There are now reports of Covid cases almost everywhere (did they ever really cease? No). Make sure you are prepared. Did I mention throat lozenges? Aspirin or related products to reduce fever? Nothing tastes good, but you must eat to maintain your strength. So, have things that are easy to make and might make you want to have a bite. Who cares if you eat soup, biscuits (cookies), Ice cream, and frozen dinners for a week? Whatever motivates you. I did find oranges were one of the real treats once my throat quit hurting.
The kittens and I listened to Ferris Akel’s tour today while cleaning. There were some nice waterfowl and wading birds on Saturday.
There were Cormorants.
The first thing I will do when I am negative is to go and see the geese landing on their way south! Can’t wait. Maybe there will be a Cormorant or two with them.
The latest announcement from the SW Florida Eagle nest:
The view Saturday night at Fort Myers.
The weather was not good at The Hamlet. Gabby was alone on the Walleda Branch all night. Where is V3? My heart aches for our girl.
Fish continue to be delivered to Lil’Arb at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Nest – three came in by 1200 on Saturday! The fishing is good, the weather is fine – no reason to take off. This Dad is amazing – what a change from an inexperienced Mum. This fledgling is getting a right good start to his migration.
Cheeping can be heard on the microphone at Orange! Turn your volume up in the ledge cam (not the side like this image), and – well, we are almost there! Xavier and Diamond must be so excited.
Xavier really wanted some egg time and he tried to convince Diamond to leave and let him but, no way. The couple appeared to chat and listen to the eggs. They know their baby/babies are almost here. In fact, Diamond is acting a wee bit suspicious as I finish up the blog this morning. Fingers crossed.
Birdie Cam got these adorable falcons and their egg time competition on video!
‘A’ writes: “”This is the cutest event of the day at Orange, given the hatch probably won’t occur until after midnight so will be tomorrow’s cutest event. At 11:42:45 this morning (Sunday 1 October), Xavier put up a phenomenal three-minute battle for the right to brood the eggs. (He must know that his egg time is fast running out and his precious eggs will soon become open screeching little beaks, though he adores them as well of course.) At any rate, I have NEVER seen him put up such an effort to win the right to brood eggs. And he very nearly won! Well, technically he did win, but then Diamond had a stern word to him and shortly before 11:46, he decided that perhaps he had better get up and retreat. But the effort he made to actually get onto those eggs in the first place truly has to be seen to be believed. I am certain there will be internet video posted of it – I am looking for it now. But it really was fantastic, and illustrates perfectly why we all adore this sweet little falcon so very very much. He is a one-off.”
It is possible that something is happening with the egg on the left after 1500. Or. perhaps we are all just seeing things because we want to!
At Sydney, the Sea Eagles are jumping and flapping all over the nest.
‘A’ notes, “At WBSE Dad brought in a headless medium-sized fish soon after 11:44 and although SE31 tried to steal it from him, he retained control of it and fed the entire thing to SE32. Right at the end, when SE31 pushed right up to Dad’s beak, SE32, who ate lying duckling style throughout the meal, had his eye on a line below SE31 – he was ready to grab for that fish tail the moment it became accessible. He was like lightning, grabbing and turning away with his prize in a single movement, then horking down the tail with any remaining flesh attached. Dad picked up a small leftover piece and fed that to SE32 as well, finished any remaining flakes himself, and left SE32 with a nice crop and SE31, for once, disappointed. The new self-feeding regime has left SE32 with a bit of a dilemma, as he is not large enough or aggressive enough to beat his sister in a battle for the prey, whereas he was fine with sitting and sharing at the table. So until he improves his ability to win the prey, retain it and self-feed effectively from it, he will be losing out on his share of the food. So that fish was a nice bonus for his day.”
32 waiting!
Gosh, it is a beautiful view at Superbeaks. That saturated colour is gorgeous. I’m looking forward to this year. Thank you to everyone who introduced me to this nest last year!
Sticks are being moved at Big Bear. Jackie and Shadow have been working diligently. What a relief to see these two together, no intruders, bonding and working for their future – oh, please let them have one nice healthy eaglet this year.
Thunder visited the West End nest on Saturday gazing out over the water. She is lovely.
Connie and Clive have been working on their nest at Captiva.
Trudi Kron reports that Nancy and Beau have been working on their new nest, across the road from the one that collapsed last year, killing their surviving eaglet. It is not known if the Minnesota DNR will be able to install a cam so that we can watch their activities for the coming year.
Martin and Rosa weren’t seen on the Dulles-Greenway Nest when I was checking but the camera crew caught the squirrel who is nesting in the lower part of the nest with its little one!
The heat started at Melbourne after 0900 when Mum began to pant heavily to try and regulate her temperature. It is a cooler day, only 19 C – on Sunday in Melbourne. Rain is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday after the heat rises again on Monday to 28 C.
Keeping an eye on Mum and Dad2 at Port Lincoln. Still a ways until we will have pip watch here on the barge.
The latest map of our Black Storks from Karula and their migration. Thanks Maria Marika!
Too many species are facing extinction. What can we do? Lots. We will talk about that when I am feeling better, but each day, you can help the birds and the wildlife where you live, those birds out your back door that bring you joy with their song. Could you put out water? For drinking. For baths. If you can afford it, put out food for them. It took me a while, but I finally found farmers in my province who deliver Black Oil seed right to my door. They even have a fantastic seed mixture. By cutting out all of the people in the middle, the savings I have made means that I can continue supporting the hundreds of birds that come during the day to the garden. More and more farmers are diversifying. Many discovered the farm-to-table movement during Covid 19. They can get more money for their products and offer their customers savings. Could you check it out? It could change your birding life. [If you live in Manitoba and would like to know the contact information for local delivery by farmers providing bird seed, send me an e-mail: maryannsteggles@icloud.com].
Thank you for being with me this morning. So excited for what is happening at Orange. Xavier just be sooooooo excited. Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my newsletter this morning: ‘A’, Ferris Akel, Nancy Babineau and SW Florida Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, MN Landscape Arboretum, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Birdie Cam and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Sydney Sea Eagles, Superbeaks, FOBBV, IWS/Explore, Window to Wildlife, Trudi Kron, Dulles-Greenway, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Maria Marika, The Guardian, and Western Australian SeaBird Rescue.
I hope you are all well – and, please, stay that way. New masking restrictions are coming into play in various provinces in Canada as this new Covid variant takes hold. I slept almost all Friday curled up with Calico in the conservatory. Oh, what a loving cat she is. I wouldn’t take a million dollars for her and Hope! Or Missey and Lewis. Several have written about wanting to adopt Hope. I could never separate her and Calico. Their story makes me believe that magical things can happen.
The pair of them continue to play like kittens, and we count the days until I am well and can manage the four to ensure their lives together, living in the open, are safe for all. They all deserve it. Hope watched the Blue Jays cracking open the Black Oil seeds at the table feeder and the leaves blowing across the garden and deck. We have started a new book – new to them anyway. The Meaning of Geese. I read it in the winter and came to love the Siberian geese in parts of the UK. As our geese fly in to fatten up and head South, it is a good reminder of how wonderful these birds are. I hope they like it!
We are heading to the 1st of October in Orange, and we are on ‘pip’ watch for Diamond and Xavier. Should the first laid egg be fertile and viable, we should be seeing some action soon. We are holding our breath.
I will raise many eyebrows, and some of you will yell at me, but I hope that Diamond and Xavier have one strong hatch. Let’s see another Izzi in this scrape – not a strong first hatch and a weaker second one with feather development issues.
Keep your eyes on Orange.
Elain did ‘Highlights of Prince Manaaki’ for all those missing that cute little bundle of fluff who turned into a Royal Albatross. Loved watching him garden!
Expecting to see one of the Sea Eaglets interested in that parent branch shortly.
‘A’ has been watching them but had missed the singing, “I found the sea eaglets ‘singing’ with their parents the most adorable thing. Thank you so much for drawing my attention to that. Of course, as it happened at 05:25 and was not something that I picked up while scrolling through the footage, I would have missed it otherwise. Aren’t they looking beautiful? As I have mentioned over the past fortnight, the world beyond their nest has been fascinating to them, especially SE32, and I am truly hoping this will make them less fearful of the currawongs and crows. They are both much larger birds than the blue jays that bothered Angel.
It is hot in Melbourne, and it is not even 0900. Why didn’t someone do something about the sun on that scrape? or remove that scrape box altogether?
A noticed this, “Poor mum is doing the morning shift at Collins Street and she has been panting since before 9am. Tonight, our clocks go forward an hour, meaning the shadow will not hit the scrape until an hour later than it is currently doing, and this will gradually get worse as time progresses. Today, mum is absolutely baking. It is SO hot out there. I hate to think of what it will be like in three or four weeks time when those babies have natal down rather than thermal down and the parents are going to have to shade them for at least three hours each day. Not sure how dad is going to manage that when he is already having problems brooding the four eggs (though he is valiant in his efforts and always finds a way somehow).”
The sight of the eyases almost roasting last year still haunts many of us.
It is going to be 30 degrees today, which means it will be a lot hotter on that ledge. Sending out positive thoughts to our lovely Melbourne Couple.
At Port Lincoln, the oldest egg is now 24 days old. We still have a ways to go before hatch!
Egg dates: 6, 9, and 12 September.
Looks who is back fishing at Delamere.
A rallying call to vote for the Peregrine Falcon as Australia’s 2023 bird of the year. Remember go to The Guardian to vote!
A really quick check at some of the Bald Eagle nests – almost without exception, the Bald Eagles are busy readying their nests for next season.
Pepe and Muhlady paid an early morning visit to Superbeaks.
Jackie and Shadow returned after 1800 to work on their nest at Big Bear Lake on Friday.
Baiba catches that first stick delivery by Shadow in video.
Life is still – seemingly – unsettled for Gabby at NE Florida. No confirmation of who came to the nest on Friday.
Raining hard at ‘The Hamlet’ and no one knows who is on or off the nest.
Anna is still having trouble with her injured leg at the KNF nest that she shares with her mate, Louis.
Connie and Clive are working on their nest at Captiva. Wishing them a good year.
Checking on our Black stork family from Estonia, Karl II and Kaia almost took the same flight path – like almost identical – to get to Bursa, Turkey.
Kalvi is in Bulgaria.
Waba continues to fish on the Danube River in Romania.
The RSPB’s State of Nature (in the UK) report is out and it makes for some very grim reading. The main threats to wildlife are: “The changes in the way we manage our land for farming, and climate change were the biggest causes of wildlife decline on our land, rivers and lakes. At sea, and around our coasts, it was as a result of unsustainable fishing, climate change and marine development.”
Do you have a garden? Do you have friends or relatives that do? Have they given away all the cucumbers and zucchini they can to their friends and still have more? What about that kale? Wildlife Rehab Centres always need fresh vegetables for their patients. Your local wildlife rehab clinic will be so grateful for the food gifts.
Thank you for being with me today. Cameras will be turned on Saturday at SWFlorida! Go and watch M15 and his new mate kick off a new season. Take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, photos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me: ‘A’, Charles Sturt FalconCam, Elain and NZ DOC, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, PLO, Pam Hewstone and Friends of Osprey Sth Australia, The Guardian, Superbeaks, FOBBV, Baiba and FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, Tonya Irvin and KNF E-1, Looduskalender, and the RSPB.
Thank you for all your wonderful ‘get well’ notes.
Thursday was worse. I thought things would be better, but the day started much worse. I am doing what the doctor orders – drinking lots of water or tea and sleeping as much as possible. Thankfully, there is not much happening in Bird World. In Winnipeg, the Snow Geese are arriving! The Canada Geese are leaving. The Robins continue to fly through. Migration is going both ways.
The hardest thing about being sick is seeing Calico watching me from the glass door, wanting more stories! Oh, that kitten – she still is a kitten (hard to believe with what she has been through), and she loves to curl up on my lap and listen to a good book. You can tell which ones she likes. It must be the author’s words – she prefers one to another. We have now finished five books in the last month. Today marks a month and three days that Calico has lived in the house. On 2 October, Hope will have been with us for a month. She listens to the stories but prefers to play. It is lovely. Cannot imagine life without the four of them, 16 legs and how many bags of litter a month? And I’m not too fond of cat food. It is just too funny. Hope loves sardines. One good thing about having Covid is I cannot smell them.
It rained, and the wind was blowing leaves everywhere. The Blue Jays were in the garden along with Dyson and Little Red. Hope and Calico spend time atop their ‘tent’ enclosure. Hope enjoys looking at what is happening outside. Missey and Calico have a truce, and there is no more animosity at the glass door. Even Lewis has calmed down. As soon as I am up to it, they will all be inside the main part of the house together.
‘L’ asked me how I taught Hope to do the High 5s. I didn’t. She taught me!
Hope’s eyes remind me of Missey’s!
Hope is so healthy. Look at those fat little legs. Calico still lets her nurse. You might be able to tell, but dear Calico is putting on a little weight. She no longer looks starving and sunken in with her bones being the most significant thing you first see.
Lewis is a big boy. He doesn’t know it, but he will get a new toy – a reward – if he can be gentle when Calico enters the living area with Hope in a few days.
No more growling or hissing at the door between Calico, Missey, or Lewis. It is lovely.
Calico is a gentle soul. I cannot imagine anyone dumping this wonderful kitten in the cold of winter.
Hope, Calico, Missey and Lewis have decided that instead of making pumpkin pie with our little pumpkin, we will put peanut butter in holes and leave it out for the squirrels. Want to join us? You could do this with your children or you could do it after you have your Halloween pumpkin. Just load up a bunch of holes with peanut butter!
I have been so sick or busy that I missed it. Voting time for The Guardian’s favourite Australian Bird. The Peregrine Falcon is in 8th place so far. Check it out; pick your favourite. You can vote every day! You do not have to be Australia, but there are funds to help with conservation, so please go and vote.
This will just warm your hearts. SE31 and 32 join in the morning duet with Mum and Dad. Oh, I used to love to sit and watch SE26. 26 loved to sing the duet. It was so beautiful.
Watching these two and this beautiful family is so bitter sweet. I wish there was so solution to the Currawongs.
They are becoming very interested in what is happening outside the nest.
It doesn’t get much sicker than this. The migrating birds are not protected in places like Malta because of politics. So, vote with your wallet. Refuse to travel to countries where there are laws to protect migrating birds and those laws are flippantly disobeyed by the hunters. Malta. Lebanon. There are others but those are on the top of my list today.
I wept for my friends in Latvia. They work so hard to try and build the small numbers of birds in their country to something significant, and then to have that beautiful fledgling of this year blown out of the sky for no reason other than someone could aim a gun and pull a trigger for fun. It makes my blood boil.
The end of the season at the Royal Albatross Colony as only 4 are left to take off to the skies and the open sea. Cornell did a short you tube video on what you can expect for September-October.
The Snow Geese might be flying over Minnesota to get to Canada and further north but Dad is still at the Landscape Arboretum in Minnesota bringing fish to Lil’ Arb.
Look who was home today! Jackie and Shadow. What a delight to see these two working on their nest together. It is such a relief to see mated pairs return together to their nests uninjured.
Cali Condor has it in a video.
At the Pritchett Farm, M15 and the new female continue to bond and work on their nest. The season looks promising. Please send out positive energy so that these two can start their lives together in peace.
Things continue to ‘feel’ unsettled at the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest. There have been visitors to the Northeast Bald Eagle nest. Unconfirmed. V3 did not visit the nest on Thursday. Gabby was briefly there. Unknown was on the nest later.
Gabby is not happy. Has your heart dropped down to your ankles yet? Will this be a repeat of 2022?
We all love the underdogs that survive, and Flaco is one of those. This Eurasian Owl escaped from its cage at the Central Park Zoo and is now enjoying a life of freedom. Bruce Yolton follows him for us daily as he finds food and survives in the wilds of New York City! Bruce has recently posted some good (and short) videos about Flake’s activities. I hope you are enjoying them.
New York City has hired specialists to help deal with its rat problem, especially since the pandemic. The worry has been the use of rodenticides. We must all remember that Raptors are the solution – the answer to problems with rats and mice. Falco loves this great big rat (it looks like that to me because of the tail).
Well, we are nearly there. It can take as long as 72 hours from a the sighting of the first pip (little chip in the egg) to the eyas being fully hatched. All eyes are on Orange!
At Port Lincoln, Mum gets off the eggs, very excited. Dad2 is flying in with the second fish of the morning – a headless offering which will give Mum a nice round crop. We get a good look at the eggs!
I am holding my breath. This nest has broken our hearts more than once. Will there be a change with the new lad? Will he be a sufficient provider for all the chicks to survive? We wait.
For those new to watching Ospreys develop, the Manitoba Osprey Project put together an informative and concise sheet on what to expect. It will help you as you watch these adorable little dinosaurs. You can click on any of the tabs for the Montana file below to find out other information.
Remember. The Port Lincoln Ospreys are Eastern Ospreys. The Montana Ospreys are Western. Eastern Ospreys do not migrate. Western Ospreys do (for the most part – exceptions are in the warmer climates of the southern US). Western Ospreys vary in their dates for fledging, but many studies indicate a date of 52.8 days after hatch (51-54 days). The average fledge date in Australia is 69 days (Kangaroo Island studies).
Mum looks pretty comfortable at 367 Collins Street. It is nearing noon on Thursday, and she does not seem heat-stressed. This is good. We should be able to enjoy the Orange hatchlings for a bit before focusing on the white fluff balls hatching on this ledge high over the CBD in Melbourne.
Last, let us check on the status of migration for Karl II and his family. This year’s fledgling, Kalvi, is in Bulgaria on the 28th.
Waba (2022 fledgling) is in Romania fishing at the Danube River.
Karl II is in Turkey!
Kaia is also in Turkey!
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please keep your eyes on the scrape of Diamond and Xavier at Orange! Pip watch is soon. Take care.
Thank you to the following for their notes, articles, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘Geemeff’, The Guardian, SK Hideaways and Sydney Sea Eagles, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Birdlife Malta, Cornell Bird Lab, MN Landscape Arboretum, Cali Condor and FOBBV, FOBBV, Saunders Real Life Photography, NEFL-AEF, Bruce Yolton, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, PLO, University of Montana, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, and the Looduskalender Forum.
Wednesday afternoon I was feeling so poorly that I wasn’t even certain I would make it to send off even a smidgen of a newsletter. Covid is making its way around the world. This new strain is everywhere. My tip is to make a little preparation kit – ensure you have a good working thermometer, cough drops (my throat was the first sign), whatever you use to bring down a fever, and pet food if you have pets or birds. Pick up those free Covid testing kits. Get in some easy-to-make comfort foods however you define them. I promise you that you will not feel like eating anything, so make sure you have some things that will spur you into eating. Put cold bottles (glass) of water in the fridge. Drink them, and drink lots of tea! With lemon and honey, I scraped some fresh ginger, which helped the throat. But most of all, sleep. Permit yourself to fall asleep at any time of the day.
Hope cannot get enough play time. She doesn’t understand why my energy is so low! Right now she would rather fly around the conservatory – over the table, under the chair, up to the top of the cat tree, down to the purple chair – she has a route. Oh, what energy! Our little butter ball kitten isn’t a butterball anymore.
The kittens have not liked this. There has not been the usual 5 or 6 story times during the day which also include little snacks and treats. But, I tell them that things will be back to normal soon!
One of the bright spots of the morning was looking out and seeing a beautiful sunflower, one of the last growing, a present from the birds and squirrels. This beautiful yellow flower could not have opened up more opportunely!
‘J’ sent a note saying that there are beautiful pictures of the Centreport Eagles on FB – better than on the live cam. Check them out. Schwartz was interviewed about the return of the Bald Eagles to Long Island.
Ervie continues to do some long flights during the day. Oh, Ervie. Boston Island was far enough!!!!!!!!
Ernie’s older sister, Calypso, is taking fish to a nest. Everyone is hopeful that this might signal that her and her mate will be thinking about breeding next season.
Hartley and Monty didn’t want to be left out of the bonding videos! This coming season will be their second together. Can’t wait.
Rosa has checked out the new Dulles-Greenway nest after the old nest collapsed at the end of the breeding season this year. It looks like one or all of the three juveniles from last season have been around the nest at one time or another.
It was raining on the Sydney Sea Eagles when they woke to a new day. Several hours later, everything was starting to dry. ‘A’ remarks, “In Sydney, the sea eaglets are miserable. Soaking wet and not enjoying it. They woke early, shortly after 5am, and SE32 began gnawing at nestovers (there appeared to be a leg bone involved). He was getting lots of small bites off the bone and was getting great practice at self-feeding, but not enough to challenge SE31 when the breakfish arrived around 06:15. She claimed the headless fish immediately, leaving SE32 to closely watch her as she self-fed.”
‘A’ continues, “Today was a learning day at WBSE. SE32 started the day shortly after 5am, self-feeding on what looked like a leg bone. He was pulling off lots of very small pieces but at least he was learning. Two part fish were then brought in by around 7am, and SE31 ate most of both. SE32 did manage to steal a fish from his sister a couple of times, but continually tried unsuccessfully to swallow it whole, so she always managed to steal it back. He did get a couple of bites in the process, at one point holding a part fish down really well and pulling several large bites off it, but his sister was more accomplished and is self-feeding like an adult. Then, at around 10am, mum brought in half a fish and tried to feed SE32, who proceeded to steal the fish from mum but then lost it to SE31. Eventually, around 15:12 a nice fish was brought in and SE32 was fed most of it. SE31 tried to push in about eight or nine minutes into the feeding but mum was very determined to feed SE32. I am convinced she was trying to ensure SE32 got fed (she had tried to do that with the part fish around 10am but he had been a little too ambitious, stealing and then quickly losing it). Poor little eaglets were absolutely soaked from before dawn today. It was miserably wet in Sydney.”
Our first-time Mum at the MN Landscape Arboretum nest lost two osplets, and well, she could have had the one survivor die as well, but she figured it out, and Dad is making sure that their only baby is fit for migration. Six fish on Wednesday. Six. What a Dad. One beautiful survivor. It reminds me a bit of Hope. If Calico had only enough milk for one, Hope was the survivor – the Mini.
There has been a fledge and a return at Osprey House in Australia. Nine weeks and 2 days old. Two self-feeding, one fledge. Doing well.
At the Charles Sturt University Falcon scrape in Orange, Australia, ‘A’ notes, “At Orange, poor Xavier has just lost the argument over the eggs and has reluctantly got up and left at Diamond’s insistence. As is usually the case, Diamond has returned with a respectable crop. Oh Xavier is SUCH a handsome falcon. The moon is almost full tonight – 98.3% apparently. It will be 100% at three minutes to eight tomorrow evening (Friday 29 September) in eastern Australia. Diamond is silhouetted in the moonlight. We are within two days of pip watch. I cannot believe the time has gone so fast. Again, I hope no more than two of those eggs hatch. There is still a while to go at Port Lincoln (at least two and probably two and a half weeks). Collins Street is about a week ahead of Port Lincoln, so perhaps ten days till pip watch.”
Remember. Falcons and hawks develop much faster than eagles and ospreys. Here is an image chart for the development. You can compare the images to the eyases at Orange.
Falco is continuing to live around the area of Central Park where he escaped from his enclosure at the zoo. Bruce Yolton tracks the urban hawks of NYC in his blog. Here is his latest short video on this beautiful Eurasian Owl who has defied the odds and survived.
Some information on Eurasian Owls – maybe you have never heard of them!
The general rules of spotting an injured bird! Please don’t give water or food unless told to do so. Get a box with a blanket and air holes. Dark and safe. Keep warm. Get to the clinic asap.
Remember: If you can pick up a raptor, it is ill and/or injured. Get help.
‘H’ brings us up to date with what is going on at Captiva!
The Captiva Eagle Cam went live yesterday evening (if you don’t already know).
Also, the Captiva Osprey cam was struck by lightning, and may not be up until November. This is a link to a short video from Conner explaining a few things about the Captiva nests cams.
Looks like there is some action at the WRDC nest this morning. Thanks, ‘H’. Love watching them move around those big sticks for the rim!
Protecting nature. It isn’t being well cared for where I live. The public has to let its voice – no matter where you live – be heard. We are heading for a provincial election on the 2nd of October. Will anything change?
Would you happen to know what the American Flyways Initiative is? If not, educate yourself as to why these major migratory routes and all the land and water along them need protection (and improvement to habitat).
Think Mini. Think all of the ospreys, hawks, and other raptors and songbirds that you love. These flyways are the transport corridors from their winter to summer homes and we must protect them.
Tonya Irwin has issued a long correction on FB stating that the female who was injured on the E1 nest with Louis is not Anna. I hope that this is not a ‘bad’ sign for our beloved female.
Thank you for being with me today. Take care, everyone! Stay safe
Thank you to everyone for their notes, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me write my newsletter this morning: ‘A, H, JJ, J’, CBS NewYork, PLO, SK Hideaways and the San Jose CH Peregrine Falcons, Dulles-Greenway, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, MN Landscape Arboretum, Osprey House Environmental Centre, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, CDN Peregrine Foundation, RSPB, Bruce Yolton, The Peregrine Fund, The Global Bird Rescue, HeidiMc and the WRDC, The Free Press, and Birdlife International.
Oh, it was a lovely fall day on the Canadian Prairies. The windows were flung open to let out all the stale air. Watching Hope listen to the sounds of the birds in the garden was incredible. She watches every leaf that flies over the conservatory’s roof – she wants to play. What a happy little kitten she is. Today is day 14 – it has been two weeks since Calico’s spaying. Had I felt better, Hope and Calico would have begun the second round of integration into the household on Tuesday. I don’t want anything to go sideways, no hiccups, since I am not on top of my game with this Covid. Calico, Missey, and Lewis had learned to live together. Calico is protective of Hope, which can potentially cause a problem. But soon….I continue to think of the osplets on the nests. There is enough space, enough food, and enough attention for all of them. Enough toys and treats! There will be an uncomfortable few days, and the pecking order will be established and life will settle into a routine.
Hope. She is nothing short of a Mini-Calico with her black tear in the left eye, a single spot of white on her black, and her lovely disposition. I will bore you and I am sorry but I cannot look at the two of them without feeling a little overwhelmed – in a good way – that Hope found us and Mamma and baby were reunited.
As the sun was setting on Big Bear Lake, Jackie pays a visit! So very nice to see you.
Mini did not come to the Patchogue nest on Tuesday that I am aware. Many wonder why she has not migrated. Migration depends on a food source and it is obvious that Mini still has plenty of fish in the area to eat. There are rumours that the bay is full of Snapper and other fish. Why would she leave for something uncertain? Eat up! Get fat! Then go.
This might be of interest to you. Many North American Ospreys from the NE US fly over Cuba beginning in mid-September. This article points out that there are also large numbers in October.
There has been ongoing worry about Karl II, the patriarch of the Karula National Forest Black Stork Nest Ian Estonia. His tracker stopped transmitting in Ukraine. This happened last year in an area where the cell service was disrupted because of the war. Now, Karl II has sent data!!!!!!! He is alive. Oh, thank goodness.
The time has flown by. We are approximately three days from the hatch at Orange!!!!!!!! We will enjoy these little fluff balls before things start to crack at Melbourne.
While Diamond and Xavier wait for their three eggs to hatch, Annie and Lou are doing some serious beak bonding in The Campanile in California.
The might Mum, F22, at Collins Street.
SE31 and 32 – gorgeous. The plumage. They are working those wings, self-feeding, and getting ready for their fledge in October.
Dad taking his turn incubating while Mum returns from her break anxious to get back to her three eggs.
Ervie went over to Boston Island. He certainly seems to be exploring lately. Wonder what he had in his picnic?
Anna, who was injured, and Andria are at their nests at the Kisatchie National Forest Monday night.
An Osprey landed on the perch at Achieva where it seemed to be drying its wings in the wind.
At least five fish were delivered to the fledgling at the MN Landscape Arboretum Nest on Tuesday. Dad and Lil’ Arb are still around. The weather is good, the fish seem plentiful, and why not? Just like Mini – eat the fish where you are before flying off to points unknown!
It appears that Coco has left the Sandpoint nest and she and Dad, Keo, are on their way south.
Beautiful morning at Superbeaks. If you haven’t, add this Eagle nest in Central Florida to your watch list.
Exciting news of the Black-browed Albatross being spotted in the UK. This is an extremely rare event.
Thank you for joining me today for a little snippet of the happenings in Bird World. We continue to monitor those few nests that still have juvenile Ospreys being fed by parents and, of course, are getting ever so excited about the lead-up to hatch at Orange. For me, though, the big event will be the sight of a tiny osprey in the nest at Port Lincoln. Those little ones with soft grey down and black eye lines melt the heart. Is it OK to hope we might have a better year with this new Dad? Only time will tell.
Take care everyone. Stay safe! See you soon.
Thank you so much to the following for their posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my newsletter today: FOBBV, Journal of Raptor Research, Looduskalender, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam at Orange, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Sydney Sea Eagles, PLO, Tonya Irwin and KNF Eagle Cam Fans, Achieva Credit Union MN Landscape Arboretum, Sandpoint, Superbeaks, and Yorkshire Wildlife.
One need not look at the calendar to know that fall is completely with us on the Canadian Prairies. Leaves are turning on all of the trees, squirrels and Jays are rushing to store food. The air feels and smells different.
Every one of the garden animals has been accounted for but one and sadly the latest Hedwig (rabbit) was hit by a car on the lane in front of my house last evening. I found the darling thing this morning.
Dyson looks particularly good. Taken with my phone when I went to fill up the table feeder – she isn’t afraid. She waited and posed. Little Red was running around. He has officially moved into the wood box in the house built for him in the spring of 2022. Yippeeee. Better late than never. He only has to go a few feet in the winter to get more peanuts!
Dyson wishes all her friends in Japan and Asia a joyous Tsukimi (Moon Viewing Festival), lots of delicious rice dumplings and Moon Cakes.
The Blue Jays are still coming to the feeders. Many do not migrate remaining on the snowy prairies along with the Black-capped Chicadees and sparrows. We wait to see what these four will do.
Lewis wants nothing to do with the new cat tree. He prefers the box, and Missey prefers the blanket that wrapped some furniture at one time or another on the top of the bins and the wicker basket.
Calico looks stronger every day. She is filling out a bit but a sweet gentle soul she is. Did I tell you we dropped all of our other projects for a few weeks to write a book for children about Calico and Hope? It will be a fundraiser for the mobile Vet clinic that works in my City to provide affordable spay and neutering, vaccinations, deworming, etc. for those persons wishing to trap and release or adopt the community cats.
It is also hoped that the book will offer a lesson for not ‘dumping’ pets.
Are you missing Mini? I sure am. You never ever forget these amazing survivors.
Patchogue tops my list for the most incredible osprey nest this past season. The adults raised four – four to fledge – at a time when a substantial number of clutches from Long Island up through the NE were entirely lost due to weather events (especially that storm in June) and overfishing. Thank you, Isac, for reminding us what a spunky fourth-hatch Mini was!
Well, shock of shocks. Mini visited the nest for about a minute at 1258 Monday. Oh, my goodness. How wonderful it is to see you!
Violence. Disregard for life of any kind.
What kind of person would deliberately shoot any raptor never mind, one of the most endangered species on our planet – the California Condor. I had been out playing with Hope and Calico and had not looked at my e-mail (one of the benefits of taking a few days off is you realise it can wait!). Then I did. A note from Geemeff, and below it is my copy from Kelly Sorenson. I am beyond understanding this.
Gabby was at the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest Monday morning.
V3 returned to the nest with what could be new wounds at 1745.
The eagles are working on the Pittsburg-Hayes nest. Look at those rails! This is a nest to envy!
There’s at least one juvie at the Dulles-Greenway nest of Martin and Rosa.
Looks like C15 and Dad might have finally left for their migration fro the Charlo Montana Osprey platform.
Ospreys are gone and the Canada Geese are enjoying the Boulder County Fair Grounds nest.
Trudi Kron gives us a good look at the injuries that Anna, the mate of Louis, at the KNF-E1 nest near Alexandria, Louisiana has sustained. It looks like they are healing. Send good wishes for all those floaters wanting a nest to scat!
Lightning fills the sky around the Superbeaks’ nest of Pepe and Muhlady.
Everyone hopes the new male at Port Lincoln will be a great provider and that the long-running heartache at the PLO barge nest will end. That said, this morning, Mum got impatient waiting for a fish and caught on camera is a female incubating eggs catching a fish.
‘A’ brings us up to date: “At Port Lincoln, the fishing is going well. Three yesterday (one caught by mum) and dad has caught at least two so far today. As always, mum is allowing him far less egg time than he would like. Guesses regarding timing of the first hatch are between 15 October and 18 October, so we have at least three weeks to wait there. So all attention is now on Orange and of course on our adorable sea eaglets in Sydney. They are gorgeous.”
There are still juvenile ospreys near their nests in the UK that have not left for migration.
Dad is still bringing fish to Coco at the Sandpoint nest.
Dad delivered at least four fishing starting at 0705 and going until 1500 on Monday at the MN Landscape Arboretum Nest.
Suzanne Arnold Horning spotted Big Red on the Cornell Campus on Monday! Looking good, Mamma.
The eaglets at Sydney Sea Eagle nest in the Olympic Forest are ever more steady on their feet.
The date that is predicted for the first egg to hatch at the scrape of Diamond and Xavier is 1 October. That is less than a week away!
‘A’ reminds us: “The countdown is on at Orange. Only four days until pip watch. There is a very pesky scout bee (or bees) that has been bothering the falcons for the past two days, buzzing constantly into, around and out of the box. I think it is really starting to annoy Diamond. Xavier made a lunge at it yesterday as if to eat it but missed (as he was on the eggs so had limited reach!) and today, it continues to irritate all. Apart from that, all proceeds smoothly at this scrape. The couple had another of their early morning bonding sessions today (05:20) but this time there was a changeover and no-one fell asleep mid-bonding. It’s so sweet the way he arrives so early and sits on the ledge to keep her company. For some reason, she allowed him an hour of early-morning egg time, so he’s happy. He’s had a couple of lengthy stints this morning.”
To prepare for what is coming – and the falcon chicks grow rapidly compared to eagles and ospreys – here is a guide to their weekly development with pictures.
Annie and Lou visiting the scrape at The Campanile of UC-Berkeley on Monday.
Almost all of the Royal Albatross chicks have fledged. We now await the arrival of this year’s adults who will be breeding.
Remember – if you have to just tie your wrists with a ribbon! Don’t start up the mower, the weed whacker, the leaf blower. Use that time to go birding and let the insects living in the leaves have a home.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care! See you soon!
I want to add that I tested positive for Covid on Sunday. I am feeling a bit rough. Thankfully there is not a lot going on in Bird World. I will continue with the newsletter but the content might be smaller for the next week while I recover.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, photographs, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H, Geemeff’, PSEG, Isac and PSEG, Ventana Wildlife Society, Open Verse, NEFL-AEF, NEFL-chat, PixCams, Dulles-Greenway, Charlo Montana, Boulder County, Trudi Kron and Bald Eagles 101 Superbeaks, Bart Molenaar and Friends of Osprey Sth Aus, Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Info, Sandpoint, MN Landscape Arboretum, Suzanne Arnold Horning, Sydney Sea Eagles, Charles Sturt FalconCam, Outside My Window, Killarney Today, Holly Parsons and Albatross Lovers, and Cal Falcons.
I did not go anywhere exotic. I rarely left my home and garden, and it was a joyful week – full of time with Hope trying to socialise this bundle of joy, calming and reassuring Lewis, petting and reading to Calico and Missey, and writing two articles. There was also time to do what was intended – begin writing up the report on the 2023 Osprey breeding season data forms, focusing on the deaths and why they occurred. I needed the cats to balance off the sadness. Sometimes, you can see the birds waiting for their mate to return, and they don’t. Or the babies starving on the nests because society has yet to understand our need to care for them. If we are to survive, the birds, the animals, and the insects need to as well. As I mentioned before the break, the cats have taught me to live in the moment, enjoy, be thankful, and not dwell on the past or the future so that it wrecks ‘the now’. Still, there is an obligation to do what can be done to make the lives of those around me – the neighbourhood community cats, the garden animals, or the birds – as good as possible. Having travelled the world many times, missing what is right at one’s doorstep is easy. For me – now – ‘there is no place like Home’. I am as joyful watching the Blue Jays flit into the little covered feeder for peanuts as I would be walking along the waterfront in Kuching or Penang.
There was also another cat tree to put together. Poor Missey has been looking out a small window with bins full of birdseed stacked one on the other and a wicker basket with a blanket at the top. But this cat tree is nothing like the solid one I have had for two decades. It was obnoxious to assemble with the holes and screws not always lining up easily. Tip: If you have the funds and know someone handy with wood, get them to build you a solid one out of good plywood. You can take it to a local upholster to get it covered. At the end of the day, Missey prefers the wicker basket on the bins. Of course. My house looks like I have opened a cat daycare centre at times. Too funny, but it is driving me a little nuts, so there will be some consolidation this week!
Before checking what happened while I was away, Geemeff sent me a link to the BBC1 programme on Birds of Prey. Ospreys are about halfway through the 57 minutes, and the couple is Brodie and Asha from Loch Garten. But don’t just skip ahead because you will miss the most beautiful landscapes, and the images of the raptors are extraordinary. Enjoy.
Saturday: Mini shows up at the nest and spends about an hour. She looks good. She is putting more weight on that leg. It was windy due to Hurricane Lee’s outer bands. She hung onto the nest tight. This image of Mini is going on a mug. I want to see this magnificent bird every morning and wish her well. Thanks, ‘H’ for the alert.
Mum L came to feed Manaaki. She looked for him twice. Bittersweet moments for these dear parents.
Upcoming announcement:
Sunday: It seems that a nest of Ospreys is causing trouble for some organisers of a Green Man Festival in Wales. Let us hope that this does not result in any harm to the platform or any birds.
Ervie travelled and might have met his sister, Calypso.
Ron and Rose began making changes to their refurbished and refortified nest in Miami-Dade County.
PG&E put up a new pole and nest for ospreys in the SF Bay Area. We need more of this!
Many Ospreys are still in Canada and have not started their migration. Lucky is well known in the Newfoundland Virginia Lake area.
Sea Eaglets enjoyed another ‘eel meal’.
Monday:
Mini visited the nest again Sunday evening at 2018 (17 September). It was already dark. Her leg looked to be bothering her. I wonder if the water has been rough and fishing hard? Mini will be 4 months old, 123 days.
My Mini mug arrived. She and I will have morning coffee together. The screen capture images work well for digital printing on items. The company I used said it was not a high enough resolution, but I told them to print it anyway. The image turned out lovely.
This will be the last sighting of our dear girl. She has come to the nest to say goodbye. Soar high for decades, dear one. May your crop always be full, may your leg heal, and may you thrive. You gave us such joy and showed us what determination can do.
Thunder and Akecheta were together at the West End.
Gabby arrived at the NE-Florida Nest early. She looks out on her territory and its uncertain future. V3 was last seen on the 16th of September. He has been missing for two days now.
Tuesday: Black Storks flying over the Straits of Gibraltar.
Hope is growing and changing. She is no longer ’round’.
Calico loves her cuddles and still wants a story whenever I am with them. It is such a great way to get them used to your voice.
Cuddle time with Mamma and Baby Hope.
How did Avian Flu or HPAI impact the breeding season? News from the BTO gives us insight.
Has HPAI impacted breeding raptors?
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been in the news because of its all too obvious impacts on our breeding seabird colonies and wintering goose populations. However, the disease has affected a wide range of bird species, including birds of prey. Because raptors tend to be more dispersed and often inhabit remote locations, there has been concern that the impact of HPAI on these species could have been underestimated.
BTO Scotland staff Mark Wilson, Anthony Wetherhill and Chris Wernham were commissioned by NatureScot to examine Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme (SRMS) data for any evidence of an impact. The team compared SRMS data from the 2022 breeding season with equivalent data from previous years, assessing whether there had been significant changes in reported numbers or breeding success of raptor pairs, and whether any of the changes detected were likely to be caused by the HPAI outbreak.
The analyses provided strong evidence for declines in breeding success consistent with impacts of HPAI on the productivity of Golden Eagle and White-tailed Eagle in 2022. These impacts were evident in most of the Scottish regions where these eagles breed but, for both species, they appear to have been greater in areas where pairs had access to coastal and marine habitats, indicating a possible link to predation and scavenging of infected seabirds and waterfowl.
Other factors that could explain the differences observed between 2022 and other years, particularly in breeding success, include variation in weather, prey availability and survey effort. Of these, the weather recorded in 2022 may have contributed to the observed differences but seems unlikely to entirely account for all of them.
The work, which has been published as a NatureScot report, highlights the valuable role played by coordinated monitoring of our raptor populations.
BTO, e-mail of 19 September 2023
And in Melbourne…
At Patchogue, a local enthusiast and lover of Mini, Isac, said on Tuesday when he went checking, “just saw an osprey crossing from the creek to the lake and have a fish in her talons. I think this our lil 4”.
Do you live in Alabama?
M15 and F1 are getting serious. Androcat brings us the action.
It is a beautiful poem to the Welsh Ospreys…completely written by AI.
Black Storks on the move. No data from Bonus and no new data from Karl II.
One of Atlantic Canada’s favourite male Ospreys, Lucky, is still providing fish to his chicks.
The fledgling from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest was still home.
CORRECTION TO INFORMATION I WAS GIVEN: The male at the Arboretum nest is not 21 years old. Here is the correct information: “This male is G/B MS….a five year old that was hatched in 2018 on a nest in Carver Park.”
RUTLAND WATER, home to many ospreys but my fav male Blue 33 and Maya fledged their 250th Osprey chick in 2023. Congratulations. The event is being celebrated widely and there is even a BBC Radio Programme on the 22nd of September.
Mini has not returned to the nest since Sunday the 17th. That was three days ago. A local believes they saw Mini fishing.
SE 31 and 32 are getting more steady on their feet.
It’s scandalously hot on F22 at the 367 Collins Street nest. Question: Last year, we witnessed the effects of the hot sun and heat on the eyases. So why was the scrape not taken down in that area or, instead, why wasn’t a shade put on it like at the other end?
Thursday: Mark Avery gives us a brief update on Bird Flu in the UK.
“In 2023, up until 17 September, 46 species have tested positive. The last month has seen just one addition – 4 Pheasants in Moray. Here’s the list: Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Fulmar, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Barnacle Goose, Canada Goose,Mallard, Teal, Moorhen, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Kittiwake, Roseate Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Razorbill, Guillemot, Puffin, Curlew, Ringed Plover, unspecified heron (!), Grey Heron, dove/pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Pheasant, Red Grouse, Sparrowhawk, Goshawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Reed Warbler and Carrion Crow.”
What is happening at the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest of Gabby? V3 has not been seen in some days and I fear that the tragedy of Samson has beset a potential mate for Gabby. Will there be a clear partner before breeding season in 2023? or will all be lost due to territorial disputes?
Friday: New studies on migration with relation to Black-tailed Godwits and Red Knots reveals much about how young birds travel to their winter homes.
There has been chaos at the scrape of Diamond and Xavier due to the persistent presence of a young female falcon. Diamond has engaged with the female, and as of today, Friday, the nest is calm and back to normal. We need Diamond safe. She is not a youngster and she is incubating eggs.
Here is the video of that moment! This must be very unsettling for Diamond and Xavier.
Lotus and Mr President have been photographed together at the Washington Arboretum Bald Eagle nest.
Ervie is exploring more territory.
The Pritchetts are getting ready for a new season with M15 and his young and beautiful new mate. I hope that they have many successful years – even a decade – together raising little eaglets that spend time at the pond.
Saturday: Ervie is flying inland.
Gabby has been working on the nest with the new visitor. There has been no sightings of V3 and the AEF says they have not seen any fights on camera. There now could be two suitors. ‘As the Nest Turns’ has begun. Poor Gabby. The AEF is labelling them A1, A2, etc. Gabby prefers the smaller A1 and not A2. Hoping that V3 was just run out of the territory but, what a way to start the year.
Now Anna has been injured. She returned to the KNF E-1 nest – limping with a head injury. None of this is good…. but let us hope it is all minor with Anna.
Jackie and Shadow have been seen together in the tree on cam 2. I still love the diamonds that appear on the nest when the sun is just rising at Big Bear.
SE31 and 32 have changed significantly over the past week. Just look at that plumage. My friend, the late Toni Castelli-Rosen, loved the plumage of the White-Bellied Sea Eaglets. The two are much more steady on their feet and they are flapping their wings. Beautiful eaglets.
Dad has been working on the ND-LEEF nest. The new female has also been present. (Home of ND17, that wonderful third hatch survivor that went into care at Humane Wildlife Indiana – finally!).
Eagles at Duke Farms.
Calico has come out of her operation in fine form. She has been playing like a kitten for the past 3 days, and Hope loves it. They both seem to have springs on the pads of their feet. What joy it is to see Mamma and Hope play together. After, they can often be found sleeping side by side on the top of their makeshift tent where they can look out at the garden animals.
The bells will be ringing in New Zealand as the first two Royal Albatross have returned for the 2023-24 breeding season!
This short article explains this much-anticipated event.
‘A’ is very excited and provides more details and a video explanation of the ringing. ” Meanwhile, the official ringing of the bells in nearby Dunedin to welcome the returning toroa will occur this Monday, 25 September, at 13:00 local time (in the US on Sunday 24 September at 3pm Hawaii time/6pm PST/9pm EST). Here is a brief explanation of this beautiful tradition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uanfnBN6OPI&t=36s. How adorable is the little girl?”
Sunday: Lady and Dad reinforce the side rails as SE31 and 32 become more active in the nest!
Ervie got home safely!
Speaking of getting home safely, V3 has returned to the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest of Gabby. He is a little worse for wear in places. Will Gabby show up? Will V3 take the prize? We wait.
Pepe and Muhlady are working on their nest in Central Florida as are many other eagle couples throughout North America.
Akecheta was visiting the West End nest.
This is disgraceful! You can look no further than the driven grouse estates. This is precisely what Hamza was referring to when discussing the persecution of the Hen Harriers in Scotland!
Thank you so much for being with me this morning as I ate back into Bird World. I hope each of you had a good week and are enjoying the crisp autumn air. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my newsletter over the past week: ‘A, H, Geemeff, L’, Geemeff and BBC1, PSEG, Sharyn Broni, Conservation Without Borders, The Sunday Times, PLO, WRDC Pam Kruse and SF Osprey Cam with Rosie and Richmond, Ian Winter and Ospreys of Newfoundland and Labrado, Sydney Sea Eagles, IWS/Explore.com, NEFL-AEF, Birdlife, BTO, Karen Lang and Orange, Australia Peregrine Falcon, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac Alabama Coastal Briefest. Androcat and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Dyfi Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, Looduskalendar, Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch, Mark Avery, Inatra Veidemane and Bald Eagles in the USA, Hakai Magazine, MI McGreer, Karen Long, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Katie Phillips Conners, Tonya Irwin and KNF-E1, FOBBV, ND-LEEF, Duke Farms, The Royal Albatross Centre, Superbeaks, Sharon Dunne and Royal Cam Albatross Group NZ, and Raptor Persecution UK.
