First. A reminder if you haven’t already marked it on your calendar. Iris’s favourite day to return to Missoula is 7 April. We are less than 48 hours away.
They are returning from migration but the osprey season officially kicked off today (IMHO) with the arrival of the first egg.
It was Maya (unringed) and Blue 33’s first egg of 2026 and it happened around 1805.
Blue 33 flies in to have a good look.
There are two cameras. The rails are so high on the nest this year we might only see little heads for some time.
On the Canadian prairies, it was raining and then it started snowing a bit and everything is brown and grey. No beautiful sunshine. Toby was so filthy from our walk that he had another bath – he is so good in the tub. Tomorrow he will have a mobile nail trimmer arrive to shorten those claws. In the meantime, it is damp to the bone weather here in Winnipeg. I hope it is much nicer where you are.
Check out the darling bobble heads at Big Bear and Achieva. Wink has brought in a huge fish to share with Peanut, who has repeatedly defended itself and the nest against that persistent owl. Storks are returning to Europe. One was on the nest at Mlady Buky the last time I checked. Remember, Milda is on eggs, and by the end of the month, I hope to see the cutest little white-tailed eaglets on that nest in Latvia. Fort St Vrain has a second hatch happening with pip watch on the third and only egg remaining (first two broke) going on for the ND-LEEF eagles in South Bend, Indiana.
FSV56 looking at Mum. What a beautiful sight.
Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams – without them we would not be able to look into the lives of these birds and witness these little bobblehead miracles!
It is pitching down rain and Seren, Blue 5F has arrived home. She is now in the trees sheltering from the storm with her mate Dylan. Tears of joy!
And another famous osprey is home – this time a grandfather!
I am writing this late Saturday with the hope and anticipation that Sunday will be a less dramatic day! A call has gone in to the people who installed the locks in our doors. They will be out on Monday with recommendations on how to ‘know’ if Don is getting out of the house. There are locks and devices to go over door knobs, but I have opted to have them tell me my options. An alarm system sounds best. It doesn’t need to be monitored. In Canada, that is often the most costly part. I am also going to get a digital door opener for all the doors. Then I don’t have to worry about keys. One set has already gone ‘walkabout’. My goodness…dear little Toby did get his reward. A nice piece of tenderloin and a bath after our last walk. The sidewalks are flooding and are like a slush cone. He was dirty and wet, so it seemed like a good time to try our first shampoo. (Normally, the groomers do this. He was incredible. He just stood on the mat in the tub and let me shampoo him!!!!!!!!!! He had such fun with the towels and loved being rubbed dry.
I have a feeling that this little puppy is gold-plated underneath all that fur. Whatever power in this universe sent this baby into my life really knew what they were doing. Indispensable.
Toby’s fur is quite long. He has had to wait a month since his last blood event to get groomed. That will be 11 April. He was so good in the bath, I wonder if he will let me trim him??? We have a lovely woman coming to trim his nails on Easter Monday, and she will show me how. Toby is a bit anxious about the groomer since she had to shave the matts off his tummy from when he had to stay at the vet’s for 4 nights in December. Poor baby. He might not look like he is show ring ready if I trim him but if it keeps his anxiety down, it will be worth it!
The Rod Stewart look! And he’s getting his Grinch feet.
White YW is one of my favourite UK ospreys. He and his mate, Blue 35, are at the Foulshaw Moss nest in Cumbria.
Samson also returned to the Borders Osprey platform. Rosie Shields writes,
A very quick note as it’s late and I’m not long back home but I had to share the good news that Samson arrived back today, some 2 weeks earlier than last year. He’s already brought sticks to the nest and has engaged in some crow bashing. I don’t have any photos as yet because the camera is throwing a small temper tantrum but, if I throw enough money at the system I’m sure it will work eventually!!
Luckily, we had just finished doing some repairs to the nest following the severe battering it and the tree got during the various winter storms but Samson will no doubt not be satisfied and will furnish it himself in his own inimitable style.
I’m delighted and relieved that he’s back. All eyes to the skies for Augusta now.
Windy and cold at Poole. Beautiful CJ7.
Blue 33 and Maya are already thinking about babies even in the cold wind.
This wind might blow in more ospreys to the UK. Let’s hope.
Fru Rauer, the Norwegian osprey of some renown, is on her way home. She has a sat pak and her location will be announced the beginning of the week.
Everyone saw the pip at Fraser Point for Cruz and Andor. It is now 2128, and there is some concern about activities at 1922 at the nest. It is unclear whether the chick has hatched or if there was a problem. We will find out in the morning. Fuzzy head now seen.
We are on pip watch for Irwin and Stella at the US Steel nest in PA.
JBS24 at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands is getting a lot of air under those beautiful wings. The eaglet looks really good. Do you remember worrying about whether or not 24 would survive after 25 suddenly died? I do. So happy for the parents that they have one splendid eaglet nearing fledge.
I am delighted that Richmond’s new mate has been named Wendy after the ‘Wendy Welders’ at the Richmond Shipping Yard. In World War II, my mother was one of those women!
There are ospreys – two of them – at Steelscape in WA.
Thank you for being with us. Keep your eyes os the screens! Second hatch at Decorah Hatchery and first for Irv and Stella. My reporting of the US Bald Eagles will slow as the UK and European ospreys arrive. Even with everything going on in the house at times, I am going to try and see if Heidi and I can get back near our record of monitoring 500 osprey eggs this season. So take care, let me know of any sightings!
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Thank you to everyone who posted images and information on FB groups and to the owners of the streaming cams, we are forever in your debt. We would not be able to enjoy these amazing bird families without you.
Oh, my goodness. I can’t keep up. Everyone knew this week was going to be a madhouse but we have osprey arrivals, eggs being laid, pip and hatch watches, hatches, fledges – and you name it. It is absolutely wonderful.
Jack and Jill have their first hatch at the Achieva Osprey platform in St Petersburg, Florida. Please send them extra love – they need it! There is a lot of competition for Jack’s fish from other species and that platform has not given us much confidence. I hope this year goes wonderfully well for this couple – send the love!
Thanks, MP, for alerting me and sending the images. Time: 15:46:41
If you have not watched Tim MacKrill’s presentation on osprey migration, I urge you to do so. You will learn so much! Then you can teach others. https://youtu.be/wlJoNyKapfc?
Dad might have brought in a huge male Tilapia to the Moorings Park nest, but these three are now well into the Reptilian Phase, and they are not having that feeling of ‘love’ with one another – at least not when it comes to food! You might see some unhappiness once in a while. Hopefully, this will all settle down once they get their juvenile feathers.
They can be nice.
Nice evening at Pitkin!
Heidi reports that both ospreys are at Seaside – Bruce and Naha. They have a chat and there is a great observation board to check out current and historical information.
Thanks for being with me. Please take care. See you on Monday if not before. Have a great weekend.
Thank you to ‘MP’ for the notice and images for Achieva, for Geemeff for reminding me about Tim Mackrill’s talk and now it is archived, to all who posted notices on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to partake of the lives of these wonderful birds.
We are in the midst of an unexpected blizzard, while thousands of miles to our southeast, it is green, and geese are enjoying the grass on a golf course. Thank you, ‘L’, for letting me share this lovely image of spring! We love our geese, but there is no place for them here, and yet, many arrived several weeks ago! The ponds have frozen, but there remains some open water in the two rivers that wind their way through our City. It is supposed to warm up beginning tomorrow, but I will believe it when I see it. We were not expecting this much snow today!
It doesn’t look like much, but the snow is blowing and accumulating so quickly! The lad who shovels or us thought snow was finished – he is going to get a real surprise! It is more than 30 cm deep on the walkway he cleared a few days ago, and is within 45 cm of covering the large bird table feeder. Unbelievable.
Toby loves it. He bounces through the snow if there is even a whiff of a ‘cat’ in the garden. My plan is to have a tall wooden fence built to match the one constructed a few years ago. I had not planned to put a fence on that part of the property, but the theft of dogs in our City has become quite troubling. Of course, ‘the cats’ – distinguished from ‘The Girls’ – come in from that back corner, so it is important to close it in. Toby loves his sisters, ‘The Girls’. He plays with them, but those that make their way into his outdoor territory will be ousted unless they are Brock (who now still spends 99% of his time at the neighbour down the street)!!!!!!!!!
I hope, after all these years, that each of you knows that I love all animals, but there is a special place in my heart for Big Red and Arthur, the late Annie at The Campanile, and ospreys. I have posted this song before, but I want you to get in the mood. Osprey season is starting in the UK – and has already begun in the US. Here are those wonderful school children with the Osprey Song (2011): https://youtu.be/KoOQK6ejuXY?
At the Lake Murray Osprey platform, Lucy has laid her second egg with a new mate. Please, please put up the owl defences for this family Lake Murray!
Company for Brutus. Storms are tearing down eagle and osprey nests around the US including an osprey nest that Penny Albright monitored near Sanibel that lost two chicks when the nest collapsed. These eaglets made it through…
Blue 25 has made another visit to Blue 33 and Maya’s nest at Manton Bay – Blue 33 normally arrives a few days prior to Maya, and Blue 25 enjoys his company! Geemeff caught her time on the nest: https://youtu.be/HU_XGU3NTro?
We have an osprey at the MNSA Osprey nest in Oceanside’s Jay Cool platform.
“WYL greets his chick upon returning to the nest in New Zealand. The adult male arrives from a foraging trip over the Pacific to feed his growing chick at the Plateau nest site. As the chick gets bigger, the parents will take longer foraging trips to collect enough food for both themselves and their chick.” (Cornell Bird Lab)
Peanut defended the Winter Park Florida nest against a RTH! Nestflix Memories (Gracie Shepherd) caught it on video: https://youtu.be/cQksMDubVEc?
Tonight, Wink is taking now chances. She is right in the nest with Peanut if that GHO returns – and, of course, it will – they never give up! Wink is an incredible mother – I am truly amazed and thankful for her diligence.
Gabby with her babies, Kai and Eve, at the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest in Florida. Best keep a close eye on these two – they could fledge before you blink.
At the Johnson City nest of Boone and Jolene in Tennessee, snow arrived. Jolene kept those two babies warm and tried to feed them at the same time. Like Wink, she is an experiened and an exceptional Mum.
Huge crop on JBS 24. Mum and Dad are delivering food and leaving it for self-feeding on occasion.
Harry and Sally are up there in my list of osprey parents. Three babies, three little fat bottoms. Large fish coming in and Harry on guard as it appeared there could have been an intruder around today during a fish delivery. If you haven’t been watching Moorings Park, then check out this osprey family. It is a success story – and believe me when I tell you that there will be few such stories in the NE USA this season unless a miracle happens.
Rutlands Lagoon 4 nest is trying to keep the Egyptian Geese from laying eggs while everyone waits for the ospreys to arrive. This is a second nest with a camera amongst several nests at Rutland Water. AI says: “Based on 2025/2026 sightings, the Lagoon 4 nest at Rutland Water is often occupied by male 359 (a 2021 Rutland-born osprey) and female 3H9 (a 2023 Rutland-born osprey). They have been observed investigating the nest and strengthening bonds. Note: 359 and 3H9 are a distinct pair from the main Manton Bay pair, Maya and 33(11).”
I am getting impatient – and it is a tad early – for Maya and Blue 33 to arrive at Manton Bay.
At the Whitley Crane nest known as the Golden Gate Audubon Osprey nest, Richmond has worked and worked. There is a new female at the nest with him. I do not believe Rosie will make an appearance. Why do I say this? Well, when Aila did not return, Louis moved his nest to another location when he bonded with Dorcha. We often think animals and birds are not intelligent. If I have said it once, I will say it again million times, my teacher about raptor behaviour, the late Laura Culley, taught me that they are smarter and use higher levels of intelligence and communication that humans have lost.
I noticed in one of the chats – it was the Winter Park Florida chat – that someone noted that ‘animals have feelings’. Dr Mark Beckoff and Dr Jane Goodall taught us this. There are several good books out there. I urge you or anyone who is interested in the behaviour of non-humans to read any or all of the following.
Saddness at the Two Harbours as Chase & Cholyn lose their last egg. SK Hideaways has it on video: https://youtu.be/8vmMpnkNsh4?
Big Red and Arthur have snow on their nest at Cornell University.
Suzanne Arnold Horning caught Big Red relaxing on the lights!
Cameras are now live at the Poole Harbour nest of CJ7 and Blue 022.
We have an osprey at Threave. Is it Black 80?
At Achieva the third egg was laid on the 25th of January. Can someone who is watching this nest tell me if Jack is delivering enough fish to his mate? I did not see deliveries today, but I might have missed something.
In fact, start checking out all your favourite UK and European nests as the cameras are being turned on faster than I can keep a list.
The Pitkin County Osprey nest in Colorado is live.
I have such a soft spot for this White-tail eagle in Durbe County Latvia. Milda. Her current mate is Zorro. There was sorrow and now Zorro has proved to be a good mate and provider.
April 7. Hellgate Canyon. Iris’s favourite day to return to her nest in Missoula, Montana. Count the days – 20. Less than three weeks! The snow has melted.
There is evil in the world. I cannot imagine how anyone could harm an animal and yet, every day I find myself telling people not to give their kittens away to anyone. Russell Mason beat a Goshawk to death – how in the world can someone do this?
Large estates, with no eyes around in Scotland (and elsewhere), allow many horrific things to happen to our beautiful feathered friends. What can be done to stop this?
The Cornell Bird Lab gives us hope that people around the world are increasingly engaging with nature and birds. Yes, there are incredibly vicious people anywhere in the world that will harm birds and other animals, but there are more, I hope, that love and help them.
Thank you so much for being with me today and for your patience, as my posting is often irregular. I had hoped to keep to Fridays and Mondays til the UK osprey season began, but every day there is something new and exciting! I will continue to post at the oddest of times, sometimes two or three times a day as news comes in. As you can imagine, my life is anything but routine. We do have a schedule, but it all depends on my husband’s mood, which can vary. I am impatiently waiting for spring to arrive. What I miss most is reading. Yes, we have story time, but it isn’t the same as sitting quietly on a park bench with squirrels dashing around, the wind gently blowing, with a good book in my hand, reading in silence. So, no promises other than there will always be a Monday blog, often coming out late Sunday, until we have osprey chicks on the nests in the UK and Europe.
Thank you to everyone who created videos, wrote informative FB posts, to Raptor Persecution UK for keeping us informed, and to the Cornell Bird Lab for continuing to support education. I remain forever grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to venture into the challenging lives of our feathered friends. To all my readers who are now long-time friends, I appreciate your support. Your letters and comments mean the world to me.
Oh, we hope that you had a lovely weekend – and were able to get outside and hear some birdsong! It is much warmer here. That is fantastic but it has meant that the walkways are icy, something that is difficult to deal with when Toby is so enthusiastic about being outside. He wears his boots with a skid pad on the bottom and they help him not to slip and slide. We have our boots with the big grips. Still, one worries a bit about falling so the walks have not been that long.
The skies are a cold, light grey. The leafless trees set against the sky like those Victorian shadow images we used to cut out of paper remind us, however, that it is still winter even if the European Starlings are getting their breeding plumage. I will be glad this year when the cold is all over. There is something that brings the spirit up when you can open the windows and walk down the street, not dressed like you are going on a Polar Bear expedition! But, I am not really complaining. The furnace is no longer churning out heat and there is the huge promise that the UK ospreys will be home in 5 weeks and on top of that Big Red will be thinking about laying her first egg. The days will speed by.
The Girls and Toby are fine, and so far, all of the regulars have made it through the winter that comes to the garden. We had thought that perhaps one of the Blue Jays was missing, but no, it appeared. What joy we had that morning. Brock makes his rounds and he was here at 0900. No doubt he will head down the street to have some food at Jane’s and sleep on her cushion. He showed up at her door when she got home from the symphony last night. I think he was watching and waiting for her to get home! You must be able to feel my excitement that he has another place to go for food and safety.
There are still 33 or more European Starlings coming to eat cat and dog kibble. As I noted earlier, their plumage is changing and some are now in breeding plumage. I hope that their nest in our lilacs and the back trees are successful this year. I adore them. Many people reject the Starlings and the Sparrows…I cannot imagine a day without their different songs. It is time to be equal in our treatment of the birds as most species, including these two, are in decline in various locations. Guardians of Nature just posted this image on FB as a reminder to us:
SK Hideaways Videos Week of 1 February 2026
Channel Island California Eagles Livestreamed nests: ~ Fraser Point ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Cruz & Andor ~ Sauces Canyon ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Audacity & Jak ~ Two Harbors ~ Catalina Island ~ Cholyn & Chase ~ West End ~ Catalina Island ~Resident in flux Sauces Canyon Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Sauces Canyon Eagles Cam Ops Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnTsOesC6hE
Audacity Lays Egg #3 ~ Back to 2 Eggs After One Broke ~ Then Back to 1 Again (2026 Feb 6) Pretty much on schedule, Audacity laid her third egg with little fanfare or labor. After accidentally breaking one two days before, she and Jak once again had two precious eggs to tend. Best wishes for a fruitful outcome. Sadly, that egg broke just two hours after it was laid.
Audacity Accidentally Pierces Egg ~ Cleans Up Before Jak Arrives (2026 Feb 3) Audacity accidentally pierced one egg in the middle of the night. She simply stayed present, cleaned up the egg ~ taking in vital nutrients in the process ~ and appeared to revert to delayed incubation of the remaining egg. Keeping good thoughts for a replacement egg in a couple days. Video: https://youtu.be/b2cBALaGn08
Cholyn & Chase Share Sunset Rendezvous (2026 Feb 5) Cholyn and Chase are getting a lot of egg-making practice lately. Will she late earlier than her typical late February-early March timeframe? Only Cholyn knows for sure. Video: https://youtu.be/uZ9JOIGjHxQ
Cholyn & Chase Have a Frisky Morning ~ Twice (2026 Feb 2) With nesting season in full swing, Cholyn and Chase have frequent early morning rendezvous. Despite their 28 years of age and 23 years of “marriage”, they remain quite frisky at this time of year. So much so that they mated twice on the nest in less than 40 minutes. Will Cholyn surprise us with early eggs? Video: https://youtu.be/wMs45lc_3XA
West End Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | West End Eagles Cam Ops Nest Low Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfuqjSNXZ14 Other Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmmAzrAkKqI Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kad6O4nF6bg Aerial Food Fight ~ Aerobatics ~ Nest Misses ~ SEDs Together 🤗 The current West End couple had an active day, starting with a spectacular aerial food fight (shown here at regular speed and slo-mo). The wind made for some fancy flying, including swooping nest approaches. At day’s end, the couple met on the night perch. Video: https://youtu.be/7b1wjDO5EWYFOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear, CA Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear ValleyNest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz Jackie and Shadow Defend Nest and Territory from Multiple Intruders 2026 Feb 7 The past few days have brought a number of unwelcome visitors to Jackie and Shadow’s habitat, which is not unusual at this time of year. They fiercely defended their nest and surrounding area from both adult eagles and ravens. Wishing them all peace and safety as they sort themselves out. Video: https://youtu.be/HMSdUZnPKM8
Tandem Feeding for Fluffballs JBS24 & JBS25 (2026 Feb 4) 10-day-old JBS24 and 9-day-old JBS25 are lucky little fluffballs. Mom and Dad have been filling them to the brim all day every day. Tandem feedings are common here and a joy to watch. Here, Mom and Dad feed both eaglets and even each other a little. Video: https://youtu.be/ge017VDe7mo
Thank you so much, SK Hideaways.
The eaglets at the Kistachie National Forest Bald Eagle nests have been named. Tonya Irwin posted the results:
Gabby and Beau’s babies have been named!
While these two are exploring what is outside the rails, E26 at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest of M15 and F23 is now standing on the rails!!!!!!
In Wales, there is an osprey platform near the one at Glaslyn. It is known as Pont Cresor. The male is Z2, Aeron, one of Monty’s sons. His mate is Blue 014. They have successfully raised chicks. Friends of Osprey installs osprey platforms on private property within Wales. They often will not reveal the location for good reason. They are now adding a camera to the Pont Cresor nest. This is fantastic.
Mary Cheadle announces this:
Here’s the other notice with more information.
Z2 Aeron’s brother, Z1 Tegid of the White Egg, is also breeding in Wales. Monty’s legacy lives long and strong in others as well.
Oh, I am getting itchy osprey talons. How lucky it is that Penny Albright gets to spend her winter watching osprey! She is posting some great images on FB, too. Thanks, Penny!
Jack and Jill have been at Achieva in St Petersburg, Florida. No eggs yet.
It won’t hatch – the single egg at Frenchman’s Creek. Mum continues to come to incubte during the day but stays away at night so as not to be killed by the GHO. In fact, she was pulled off the nest the other evening and survived. Poor thing. I wish that egg would break.
Heidi reported on that owl strike:
So far all is well with Sally and Harry at Mooring’s Park. There are three eggs. Hatch watch begins on March 1.
Beth Lorenzo posted that the Pink Shell osprey nest in Florida has three eggs: Congratulations on three eggs! This is the first time I’ve seen three (2/5): does anyone happen to know when the third was laid? No big deal; I just want to write a date in my records.
Eggs are normally laid at 3 day intervals but we have seen some at 2 days and some at 4 or 5.
There is no shortage of food in the nest of Owlvira and Hoots!
The eaglets on the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest are doing very well. The chat says: “Mom and Dad’s eggs were laid on Dec. 18 and 21. JBS 24 hatched on Jan. 25, while JBS 25 hatched on Jan. 26.”
Positive wishes for Jak and Audacity who still have a single egg to incubate. Two of the three eggs laid have broken accidentially. And hum that tune ‘All We Need is Love’ but say ‘All We Need is One!’. That got us Betty Lou. One egg is manageable. One egg is easier to cope with when there could be issues of a thinner shell. Keep sending this couple love.
Thank you so much for being with us today! Please take care of yourself. Go outside. Smell the fresh air (I hope it’s fresh), pause. Listen to the birds and read a good book. Bake some scones. We did today – SK Hideaways recipe. They were delicious. Draw, write an old friend. Think of something lovely. We will be back by the end of the week and we hope you are able to join us.
Delicious. If you would like the recipe, let me know.
A tired Toby.
Thank you to all those individuals who voted on the names for the eaglets at the Kistachie National Forest and the NE Bald Eagle nest of Gabby and Beau. Thank you to SK Hideaways for being so kind to send me their weekly list of videos, and to all those who posted information on FB and the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to watch the lives of these amazing birds.
It’s Sunday, not Monday. I have the week’s videos from SK Hideaways, and it is a wrap of a review of what is happening in Bird World.
We have been under an extreme cold warning for more than a week now. It is currently -35 (Saturday night). The vets have said that if it is too cold for humans then it is decidedly too cold for dogs to be outside. Their paws can freeze and crack! There is no evidence that frigid cold causes arthritis but dogs with arthritis suffer pain because of constrictions if they are out in this cold. Toby, hopefully, will never have arthritis, but his little incident the other day means he needs to stay inside. We have played a lot of fetch – he loves it – but he discovered that he also likes to play ‘fish’ with the Girls! We were decluttering the pantry as part of an overall downsizing of all our stuff and we found a fishing pole toy with feathered ends. Oh, all of them had such a good time. It was wonderful!
I have not spent as much time on the computer watching the nests as I did a year ago. This has not been a bad thing! In a recent blog, the lovely, talented cookbook author Mimi Thorisson said, “Over the years, living on this planet has taught me something important. It is imperative, from time to time, to detach slightly from the social world and enter a phase of semi-hibernation. It is healing. It is comforting. It brings you back to yourself.” I hope that each of us is taking time to watch the birds and animals outside – I often add that they are such an important part of my life that I have felt paralysed to move to a different house. Our day begins, as it always does, with breakfast in the conservatory and a ‘count’ of the visitors to the nest. Another count occurs around 1530, along with continuous checks on Brock’s dish. These birds and animals bring such joy to my life, along with The Girls and Toby, who have proven to be loyal companions. So, please, embrace the wildlife that is around you. Do what you can to improve their lives – a dish of water, some food. It all helps.
The second eaglet on the Winter Park nest in Florida has been receiving both food and attacks from its older sibling. The size and age difference along with food availability are key here.
Send good positive energy for lots of prey – the parents have to eat, too!
Research indicates that siblicide on Bald Eagle nests is 5% or less – meaning that it is rare. (The osprey mortality rate is often higher than 17% in the nests we have monitored.)
Here is a good article on various Avian Siblicide to help you understand which raptors are more likely to have one nestling kill another. It is very informative.
SK Hideaways sent their videos for the week of the 18th for your enjoyment.
Channel Island California Eagles Livestreamed nests: ~ Fraser Point ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Cruz & Andor ~ Sauces Canyon ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Audacity & Jak ~ Two Harbors ~ Catalina Island ~ Cholyn & Chase ~ West End ~ Catalina Island ~Resident in flux
Two Harbors Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI Cholyn & Chase Do Nesting Season with Class ~ Mating & Fish Gift (2026 Jan 23) Chase has embraced nesting season with much enthusiasm as he continues to woo Cholyn with fish between mating activities. 22 years of “wedded” bliss and romance is still very much alive for this royal couple of Catalina Island. (2026 Jan 23) Video: https://youtu.be/2OEWiuQ9ZxM
Chase Wants Eggs ~ Tests Nest Bowl as Cholyn Watches + Mating (2026 Jan 20) Despite the fact that Chase “knows” that Cholyn almost always lays eggs at the end of February or early March, he’s trying to hurry her along by showing her how comfy the nest bowl is and frequent mating. Here, Chase lays in the nest bowl 3 times to Cholyn’s zero times. Cholyn seems to give him a “what’re you doing?” look, but in her typical Cholyn way, just goes with the flow. Always in sync even when it means humoring the other. Video: https://youtu.be/SZZAkQ0D9z8
Cholyn & Chase Nesting Season Kickoff ~ 2x Mating & Fish Gift (2026 Jan 18) Cholyn and Chase had their official nesting season kickoff ~ at least from where we could see them. They mated in the morning, then Chase brought Cholyn a nice fish for lunch. They had long conversations off camera and then returned to the nest in the late afternoon to mate again. Here’s hoping for a fruitful season for this beloved couple and royalty of the Channel Islands. Video: https://youtu.be/bNEHHlGDCQ4
Couple ID Markers & More Mating ~ Need Nestorations to Seal Deal (2026 Jan 22) The new West End couple (aka masked and unmasked; and VE1 (male visitor) and VE2 (female visitor)) continue to take steps towards being a bonded pair. While they have accomplished mating quite well (!), they have not embraced the nest repairs that would indicate their intentions to start a family this season. It’s early, though, and things can change (as they always do). (2026 Jan 22) Video: https://youtu.be/acrvEOup90E
Masked Female & Unmasked Male Mate for 1st & 2nd Time on Camera (2026 Jan 21) The visiting eagles have been at the West End for about 2 weeks and seen together most days. While mating sounds have been heard off camera, this was the first (and second) observed mating. So the bond is there, but will they remain here to lay eggs and raise chicks? Stay tuned for the next episode of As the West End Turns. Video: https://youtu.be/Z1z28PuQFTs
FOBBV Eagles ~ Big Bear, California ~ Jackie & Shadow Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley
Morning Chortle-Snortles & Shadow’s First Incubation Stint (2026 Jan 24) Jackie laid her and Shadow’s first egg late the previous day, so this morning was Shadow’s first opportunity for some incubation time. From what we have observed, he really, really seems to enjoy this part of nesting. So much so that he took his time heeding Jackie’s fish calls. Video: https://youtu.be/jcIPh9l19aQ
Shadow delivers FEEESH ~ Jackie Stumbles on Nest Rails Trying to Collect (2026 Jan 24) When Jackie saw Shadow deliver a whole, big fish (aka feeesh) from her perch on the Cactus Snag, she squealed with glee and made a beeline for the nest. As it turns out, she and Shadow have constructed such a robust fortress, that Jackie stumbled trying to get in the front door. She, of course, did prevail and enjoyed her meal with gusto. Video: https://youtu.be/nTcUFmY6Dxw
JACKIE & SHADOW WELCOME FIRST EGG OF SEASON! (2026 Jan 23) A quick labor for Jackie as she laid the first egg of the season. Shadow quickly came to meet his egg and seemed pretty smitten already.
The Bald Eagle nest on Farmer Derek’s property in Kansas has its first egg.
Rose and Ron have two gorgeous eaglets with so much juvenile plumage!
Quinn is the cutest little eaglet over at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive.
Girri is flying strong with Diamond and Gimbir. This is just incredible. How many years have we followed this nest, hoping for such an amazing outcome? This is wonderful – a strong, big female.
Duke Farms’ female looking at the trio of eggs she has laid.
SK Hideaways caught Shadow delivering a fish to Jackie as she has been incubating their first egg of the season. https://youtu.be/nTcUFmY6Dxw?
There are no concerns at the nest of Gabby and Beau. NE32 and 33 are growing strong with their thermal down and pin feathers. Lots of food and great parenting make a difference – Beau and Gabby are well-bonded, experienced, and work together like a nicely oiled machine. (Watch them using cam 2: https://www.youtube.com/live/hQrJv_Dt4tY?
At the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23, E26 is getting those gorgeous deep black juvenile feathers. Doing so well!
Anna II is a valiant mom in the cold and rain of Louisiana. Not much nourishment for everyone – let’s wish for a sunny day tomorrow.
Jack and Jill have been seen at the Achieva Credit Union osprey platform in St Petersburg, Florida.
Gimbir, that cute Dad that fathered the dynamic Girri, is getting his adult plumage!!!!!!!
My lad and lass – besties forever.
It’s 2:46 minutes long. There is a bit of a pause in the middle but stay to the end. I hope these two make you smile.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Thank you for your e-mails and your comments. It is so nice to know there are others out there who love our feathered friends and who will do anything to make their lives better! I am sorry if I am not able to answer the comments or your e-mails as quickly as I did in the past, but I do appreciate each and every one of them and will, I promise, get around to responding!
We will be back on Friday, if not before – depending on action in the nests.
Please take care of yourself. We look forward to having you with us again soon.
We all owe a great debt to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to monitor the lives of our raptor families. I am indebted to all those who create videos (which takes a lot of time), such as SK Hideaways, and to the authors of the FB posts and the articles that I have included in my blog. We learn from one another, and I hope we share what we know with others. Thank you all. My blog would not be the same without your contributions.
The calm before the storm on Wednesday night. It is nearing 2000 and the blizzard that is to hit us is slowly beginning. Brock was outside eating, and I hope he filled up and will tuck himself in for the duration, wherever his bolt hole is. His heated mat is to arrive on Sunday, but with the weather, it and all other deliveries in the Canadian prairies could be disrupted. I really want to see if he will spend some time in that large dog kennel with the heated mat.
The lights on Melvin’s tree. The wind is calm but it will get up to 90 kph.
We will sleep nicely and wake up to find out what happened!
Do you know these oranges? The Satsumas. They differ from the easy-peel. A totally different shape with a thick, loose skin and the most delicious taste. They were initially only grown in Japan. Now, an area in California also grows them, as do other regions of the Pacific Northwest and Florida. When I was a little girl, we dreamed of having a big Navel Orange in our holiday stockings. Now I only dream of these!
About every three or four months I check to see ‘who is reading Bird World’. For a long time, the top two countries were the United States and the United Kingdom. Not so anymore. All the People’s Republic of China needs is 50 more viewers, and they will top the list!
Some of you will know that I spent several weeks each year teaching in China, outside Beijing. I have also travelled extensively along the Silk Road, from one end to the other. I love the people, the country, the art, particularly the ceramics and lacquer, and the food – most especially that from the North!
I hope to learn more about the raptors in Asia and to share that with all of you so please send links!
The big news is the perfect fledging of Girri. My goodness, that was one strong female falcon! I wondered if she saw either Gimbir or Diamond, or both, as she flew out because she was vocalising so loudly. Yesterday I identified the adult that brought the Galah in as Gimbir. Cilla Kinross says it was Diamond – so apologies. I am corrected.
The other news is that there is a pip at SW Florida.
That pip was getting bigger Thursday morning. Look close. F23 is very restless. She knows that baby is coming! You can see the beak. It won’t be long now.
For those new to my blog and new to watching Bald Eaglets develop, here is what you should expect to happen:
The baby eaglets will grow very, very quickly. From tiny helpless bobbleheads with fish and prey droppings all over their face to adult size in 10-14 weeks. You can almost see them grow right before your eyes and if you blink, they will have fledged!
The eaglets hatch with their eyes open (unlike peregrine falcons). They have some down but cannot regulate their body heat. They are entirely reliant on their parents (unlike ducklings). That white down will change to a woolly grey down, like thermal underwear, and they can then regulate their body heat. Pinfeathers will then begin to emerge on their back and on the wings. They will learn to feed themselves and perform wing exercises by hopping around the nest. Then they will branch – they will hop to a nearby tree branch before their first flight, which will take place anytime between 10 and 14 weeks. Fledglings should return to the nest and remain with their parents for approximately a month, during which they learn to hunt.
We are also keeping an eye on Dade County. Heidi noted in the chat, “1st eggs for Rose: R4 pipped at just under 36 days, R7 pipped at 37.75 days. R6 was deemed to be egg #2 of that clutch.” “Egg #1 is ~ 35days +20.5 hrs”
The blizzard came in a flurry overnight. The wind was so bad that the snow piled up in the strangest of places. Brock’s feeding area was completely covered with snow, up to the conservatory windows. The walkways are clear! It is still blowing, and some people do not have power. We are just fine.
I always worry about Brock because I do not know for 100% where he sleeps. Can he get out? Did the snow block him in? His food is waiting for him.
We have the second egg for Louis II and Anna II at KNF-E1 nest in Louisiana on Wednesday.
New Window to Wildlife streaming cam: Winter Park, Florida. Mum has only one eye. There are two eggs laid on the 4th and 7th of December. Check them out.
Boy, that looks like another deep nest bowl.
In Tuesdays Winter blog, I posted an article by Raptor Persecution UK about the suspicious killing of satellite tagged White-tail Eagles. The Police are now investigating. Will they discover the killers? Will the courts actually provide penalties that will stop the killing of innocent raptors in various parts of the UK?
“The RSPB is offering a £10,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. Dr James Robinson, RSPB chief operating officer, said: “The RSPB is shocked with this news, so much so that we are offering an overall reward of £10,000 for information that leads to a conviction in these cases. Eagle tag-data is so precise that the point of death and any subsequent movement of the tag will be known to investigators, so we urge the public to come forward with information. Raptor persecution has no place in modern society, let alone threatening such an important UK government-backed reintroduction scheme like this.”
We are beginning to slow down. The blizzard reminds you how nice it is to not go out in the crowds. Nellie arrives on Sunday! It is hard to believe that for those celebrating Christmas we are now one week away. I hope that you are having fun preparing and that you have heeded the call not to go out and buy and buy. Find something special you can do for someone – they will remember that generous gift of your time forever.
Take care everyone. We will see you again tomorrow. Just think. There will be a baby eaglet for M15 and 23. I cannot wait.
Thank you to Heidi for her great data collection, the owners of the streaming cams, Raptor Persecution UK, Elfruler, and The Guardian.
It is so nice to have you with us today. Everyone sends you a big hello and a wish for a good start to the week.
Part of the week was spent packing away the summer linens for the fall and winter wool. It has rained – and then it rained some more. This is fantastic for the trees and shrubs and will help them during the dry cold of the upcoming months. The Girls continue to enjoy the conservatory, where, when the sun does shine, it is hot. Toby will soon give up his raincoat for winter boots held up by suspenders, along with a padded puffer jacket, hat, and jacket! He is quite the fashion aficionado! The neighbours must be chattering away behind their curtains about this very spoiled little pooch. They must think we have gone daft!
Brock continues to amaze me. Toby sends him scattering under the deck where he waits for me to get Toby inside and call ‘kitty kitty’. He then scampers out to eat his meal returning at least twice more during the day. I caught him sitting down a bit on the fence. Brock is looking pretty good these days.
The Girls are good. I will get some good images of them this week for you. We are all doing well. There are long walks with Toby around the neighbourhood and to several of our favourite parks. We are starting our third year with Anne and our fifth year of living with dementia. Either I am so used to the situation or things really are better than they were a year ago – I am not sure, but I am thankful for our days, which aren’t full of the kind of excitement some dream of, but they really are nice and comforting.
We woke up to yet another day of rain. Toby and I bundled up and cleaned out the bird feeders. The tray feeders now only hold corn kernels or peanuts as the moisture does not cause them to go off so quickly. All other seed is now in either covered feeders or in those cylindrical tube feeders. New suet out for the woodpeckers! Oh, I wish there were places to walk dogs inside when it is pitching down rain!!!!!!!!!!
A sadness fell over Bird World this week as it was acknowledged that there would be no little osplets on the Port Lincoln barge for Mum and Dad this year. The eggs were removed by Bazz Hockaday and sent to Adelaide for inspection to determine the cause of the nest failure. The eggs were fertile. There were little osplets, but for some reason, Mum determined that their lives were not viable and stopped incubation. In a post, Tiger Mozone, thought it was odd that incubation was stopped as some stay on eggs, hoping for 70 days!
The barge nest looks lonely.
This is the latest post from Port Lincoln Osprey:
What was curious to me was that later Ervie chose to visit the barge for one of the first times in ever so long. Will Ervie take over the nest one day?
Everything you ever wanted to know about osprey eggs and more:
There are many myths and scientific explanations when events don’t work out as anticipated. In this case, ‘everyone knew’ that rain would cause eggs to fail. But, does it? Not for this clutch in Maryland:
SK Hideaways Videos for the week of 12 October 2025
Introduction: I first fell in love with raptors in 2019 ~ Annie & Grinnell, the CalFalcons, at the UC Berkeley Campanile. All the videos I’ve created since that time stem from that love and my desire to learn all I can about these and other raptors. My mission is to inform, educate, and entertain viewers. I have never and will never monetize my videos. They are purely a labor of love that give me great joy to share with anyone kind enough to view them.
Two Harbors Eagles: Cholyn & Chase Perch on Favorite “Thrones” ~ Spend Day on Cam (2025 Oct 19)
Chase was spotted just after sunrise on the cactus perch. Later, Cholyn was on her low ocean view perch, where Chase joined her ~ a special treat for fans ~ as they chortled and spent time together. In the afternoon, a visitor, possibly a juvenile bald eagle, was chased around the territory, but soon all was calm. The late afternoon found Cholyn on another ocean view perch, where she watched the world go by till dusk and beyond. Catalina Island, California.
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies, explore.org, Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops
West End Eagles ~ Akecheta & Haku VERY Cozy on Tor in AM🌅Back Together at Dusk🏜️(2025 Oct 18)
Akecheta and Haku met on the far tor in the morning, sitting close as they observed their habitat. They spent the day (on camera) apart, both visiting the nest at separate times. Then, as dusk approached, they came back together on the night perch. While they didn’t remain there ~ owing to human disturbances off shore ~ it is likely they either reunited elsewhere for the night or will come back together in the morning.
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org
West End ~ Catalina Island, CA ~ Akecheta & Haku (2025 Oct 17)
Akecheta and Haku roosted together on the same perch overnight for the first time. They greeted the dawn with long, glorious chortles and then settled atop the far TOR (top of rock) on a sparkling blue sky, blue sea morning.
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org
FalconCam Project ~ Diamond & Gimbir (2025 Oct 17)
Gimbir made an early wake-up visit. When Diamond’s initial breakfast order went unheeded, she went out and gave him a few minutes of egg time. He came through later with breakfast, only he dashed out with Diamond, so she stashed the gift and returned. Finally, Gimbir gave her a longer break and she was able to get her breakfast.
Courtesy FalconCam Project, Charles Sturt University NSW Australia
367 Collins St. Falcons🪽Wee Chick Gets Private Feeding 🍽️ Big Chicks Want Their Share🐥🐥(2025 Oct 20, 6:14-10:36)
The smallest chick ~ presumed male ~ has been unable to scale the nest since entering the gutter a few days back. This “limitation” has gotten him private attention from Mum F24 ~ including brooding and feeding. The two bigger chicks ~ presumed female ~ decided they’d had enough and barged in on a feeding. The little one was unfazed, remaining steadfast at Mum’s beak. In the end, everyone got their fill.
367 Collins Street Falcons: F24, M24, 3 eyases (15 Oct 2025, 11:26+)
As is true every year, the chicks get fed up with the morning sun and venture towards the shade. Mum F24 is never ready for this transition, doing her best to corral the chicks and keep them in the nest. This hasn’t worked in the past and didn’t work today. There was a frantic hour or so with Mum trying to brood the chicks still in the nest and those who’d escaped. Eventually she accepted the inevitable and relaxed. We were also treated to a camera adjustment, which allowed us to see the three toddler chicks sleeping peacefully in the shaded gutter. (15 Oct 2025, 11:26+)
367 Collins Street Falcons: F24, M24, 3 eyases (14 Oct/17:39+)
When Mum F24 brought yet another large meal, the chicks’ crops were already bulging. But F24 was determined to feed them, regardless of how many times they fell into food comas.
Sydney WB Sea Eagles: Lady, Dad, Eaglets SE35 & SE36 (2025 Oct 15)
Yesterday was a day of special moments for the memory treasure chest. SE35 and SE36 are quite inseparable these days. They perched on the nest rim and SE36 “hugged” SE35 while they cuddled in the nest. SE36 also performed a spectacular horaltic pose. The family came together in the evening for a meal and just to hang out.
It is a concern that should be on all our minds: what will the world be like for our grandchildren? One photographer “Margot Raggett has spent the past decade raising money for conservation efforts around the world but now she feels nervous about the future. “It does feel like we’ve taken a backward step,” she said.
The wildlife photographer has raised £1.2m for the cause in the past 10 years through her Remembering Wildlife series, an annual, not-for-profit picture book featuring images of animals from the world’s top nature photographers. The first edition was published in 2015, when the Paris climate agreement was being drafted but, in the years since, efforts to tackle the climate crisis have been rolled back.”…..”“Compared to a few years ago, there was a desire for renewables instead of drilling for oil across the world. I think the importance of nature is something for us all to cling on to,” said Raggett.
Despite this, she has some hope. “I’m nervous but equally I’m encouraged by the fact that there are so many people that do seem to still care. I’ll do everything I can to keep my end of the bargain and keep fighting. And I know there’s lots of other people who feel the same, so time will tell, but we certainly can’t be complacent.”
In a timely reminder of how fraught the outlook is for wildlife at the moment, this year’s release, titled Ten Years of Remembering Wildlife, is being published alongside original and altered images of animals including polar bears, cheetahs and pangolins living in, and then scrubbed out of, their natural habitats.”
The images are intentionally meant to provoke us into thinking what life would be like if there were no animals, no birds. Can you imagine it? The book is a massive picture book which will be released on 11 November in North America at a cost of $100 CDN.
In another article, The Guardian looks at the peregrine falcons that have taken over an industrial site in the UK. I love these 350 word Country diary stories! And, of course, we all love the falcons.
Good news is that one of my favourite books by David Gessner is out in a 25th anniversary edition, Return of the Osprey. A Season of Flight and Wonder. Helen MacDonald, author of H is for Hawk(amongst others), has written a powerful foreword to the release that you will enjoy. If you have read this book years ago, it may be time for a reread! And when you finish, I suggest returning to Soaring with Fidel, too. MacDonald describes Gessner’s odyssey with the ospreys, “Perhaps all this makes Gessner’s quest sound dry. it is not. It is a gloriously gonzo, whole-souled pursuit. He wrenches at raw fish with pliers to see what it might feel like to feed like an osprey, leaps into water to try and catch herring in a manner as much like an osprey a human can manage. There is a transporting lyricism in this book’s pages, along with passages of raw horror and moments of glorious weirdness, as when Gessner imagines the female osprey delicately feeding torn pages of his writing notebook to her young” (xi).
The release gave me the nudge to write to David Gessner to alert him about the situation in the Chesapeake Bay region and osprey starvation. This was his response:
“Mary Ann,
Thank you. I’m on it! Three weeks or so I got back from a trip up the East Coast where I saw some of the usual osprey suspects including Bryan Watts, P. Spitzer, Joannie in Colonial beach, Ben Wurst and of course Alan. Like you, I’ve got menhaden on the mind. I’ve been swallowed up by school but am heading up to Cape Cod the last week of this month and plan on finishing a longform piece then. The folks at the Atlantic said they would take a look so that’s my first stop for the essay.
All Best, David”
I am really hoping that someone like Gessner can get the kind of attention needed to stop Omega from killing off the entire ecosystem – if it is not too late already for our ospreys. I need the hope of ten Jane Goodalls. Politics should not be a part of protecting our environment. Humans must recognise the damage we are doing and work mightily hard to correct it.
How much do you know about Chimney Swifts? Charles Brown has just finished a 45-year study and has done a video presentation on YouTube on that very subject: https://youtu.be/VnnPOaf1Dpc?
Things appear to be going very well for Gimbir and Diamond at the Charles Sturt Falcon scrape in Orange, Australia. Incubation continues without issue.
Gimbir is adorable and rather brave not bringing in the entire Eastern Rosella. Diamond and all of us – while clearly missing and never forgetting dear Xavier – are appreciating this young falcon and his food gifts for Diamond. Cilla Kinross gives us the latest…notice that nice crop of our little man.
F23 takes extraordinary care of her trio at the Melbourne CBD falcon scrape! I am more and more impressed with her. The chicks have now moved themselves to the opposite end from where they hatched, keeping out of the sun and the deadly heat of Melbourne.
‘A’ comments: “Oh they are the sweetest family. Little dad is adorable – he works so hard at bringing plenty of food for those ravenous babies. And mum is very efficient at keeping the littles warm and dry and fed and generally safe. My goodness, they gave her a run for her money once they discovered the gutter, didn’t they? Poor mum. She couldn’t work out what to do. And I loved dad’s solution. He just took one look at the chaos and got the hell out of Dodge. It was hysterically funny. Which of course is why I sent it to you. Those moments are just too precious – the way the birds think is on display, and it is truly fascinating. They DO think, and you can see them logically eliminating alternatives and coming up with new ones, then being forced to prioritise, which is always absorbing. For people like us, trying to understand the thoughts and emotions of their world is absolutely fascinating. While we may run the risk of anthropomorphising a little too much, at the same time it is obvious that birds definitely do have emotions.”
At the Olympic Park WBSE nest, we have branching! The currawongs have been relentless this season in their attack on the nest. There are days that I wish the WBSE would eat all of them!!!!!!
Lots of wingersizing!
These eaglets are so gorgeous. It is difficult to tell them apart, and it is getting to be that ‘sad time’ when they will make their way out into the world. We can only hope that they survive the Currawong attacks and make their way to the river roost of their parents, where they can be fed and learn to hunt.
Screen capture of the eaglets by SK Hideaways in their video.
It has not only been the currawongs that are causing mischief but also owls.
At the West End nest, Haku and Akecheta are getting accustomed to one another.
Akecheta watching Haku soar above the nest.
Oh, I have such a fondness for Akecheta. The year that he took such gallant care of the triplets just warmed my heart beyond belief.
There are, of course, so many others – M15 raising his two eaglets alone after Harriet disappeared, every one of Annie’s mates, dear little Xavier…I could go on and on. They really are special – our raptors. It breaks my heart that our environment is changing so quickly that many of them might not be able to adapt (of course, along with humans, too).
Chase and Cholyn are at home at Two Harbours in the Channel Islands.
Big Red has been spotted at some of her favourite spots on the Cornell Campus. Suzanne Arnold Horning knows our Queen of the Red-tail Hawks very well! Thank you, Suzanne, for always keeping us informed.
There is a tragedy underway in the area of the Panama Canal. The first-ever failure of the 2025 seasonal upwelling has occurred. This is critical for fisheries and coral reefs; widespread plastic pollution; and the ecological disruption of the Panama Canal, which is allowing marine species to invade freshwater ecosystems. These problems are impacting coastal communities and local livelihoods– and will ultimately impact seabirds.
Failure of seasonal upwelling
What it is: The seasonal upwelling is a natural process where trade winds push warm surface water away from the coast, allowing cool, nutrient-rich deep water to rise. This is vital for the marine food web in the Gulf of Panama.
The issue: For the first time in at least 40 years, the upwelling did not occur in 2025. Scientists suspect this is due to weakened trade winds linked to climate disruption.
Consequences: The lack of nutrient-rich water is stressing fisheries and could harm coral reefs. This event highlights how climate change can disrupt long-standing ocean systems.
Plastic pollution
The scale: Panama faces a major plastic pollution crisis, generating over 380,000 tons of municipal plastic waste in 2022.
Waste management: More than 88% of this plastic is not properly managed, with large amounts ending up in landfills, being burned, or polluting the environment.
Consequences: This pollution threatens marine ecosystems, wildlife, public health, and the local economy.
Panama Canal ecological disruption
The issue: The 2016 expansion of the Panama Canal has allowed saltwater to enter the freshwater Lake Gatun and facilitated the movement of marine species inland.
Consequences: Ocean species like snooks and lionfish are entering freshwater ecosystems, displacing native species and disrupting the food web. This also introduces new challenges for local fishermen who rely on the freshwater ecosystem for their livelihoods.
Other impacts: The expansion has also contributed to saltwater intrusion into the canal’s freshwater supply, which is a source of drinking water for a large portion of the population.
It is time to think of the birds that visit our gardens as winter approaches. Lesley the Bird Nerd tells us how to care for them properly in her video: https://youtu.be/Zi6iIGUGxpo?
Oh, I do love the Blue Jays in our garden. Junior and the Mrs and three of their fledglings are here all day long, and if the peanut tray is empty, you can hear them easily. Two Crows visit daily along with all the squirrels, red and grey, and an army of sparrows, a few black-capped chickadees, and some woodpeckers. The Starlings continue to visit around 1530 for puppy chow!
There are osprey nests that we can begin watching in the US that will have eggs after the new year. They include Achieva in St Petersburg, Florida, where Jill has been captured sitting on the perch, along with Captiva on Sanibel Island, Florida, Moorings Park, and Frenchman’s Creek – notice, all are in Florida, where the ospreys do not necessarily migrate and where there is the warmth and fish for them earlier than in the north.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care of yourself. There is a very nasty cold going around that is making people extremely tired. We will look forward to having you with us again next Monday!
I want to extend special thanks to SK Hideaways for their videos and for caring so much about our raptors and to ‘A’ for her commentary on the Australian raptor nests. Thank you to the individuals and owners of streaming cams, as well as those posting for various FB groups listed in Bold. The Guardian continues to publish informed articles on wildlife and the environment, as well as several others listed in bold. There is no way that a single individual can monitor all of the nests and keep up to the minute. I am grateful to all those who post in the various FB groups. These individuals so generously send me precious notes about their favourite birds to the authors of books that educate and inspire us, like David Gessner.
Before we start with our feathered family, ‘The Girls’ think it is high time that they get to say hi to you, too. Hugo Yugo is doing well. We hoped she wouldn’t grow, but she has. She is still the smallest and she can hold her own with all of the others. She is due for more dental surgery in less than two months. She is sweet, energetic, and will always be the first to get into trouble.
The next one to get into mischief will be Missey and it is almost always because of a plant. When she was little (with Lewis), they would want to sleep in the freshly watered soil of the house plants. It was quite odd. Here she is checking out the water in the dish. Is she missing nutrients?
Hope is almost as big as Mamma Calico. I am always amazed. They are inseparable. I have to place their food dishes right next to one another. If I don’t, Hope will not eat. She always waits til Calico is finished and then eats what is left. They nap together, and at night, they wrap themselves around one another. Hope will be two years old on July 1.
They are the joys of my life – a lot of work, but worth every minute of it!
Now, let’s check on what is happening in Bird World.
I want to begin with something uplifting – miracles. Don’t forget them! Bodie! Betty Lou. https://youtu.be/NkRWApbNAVE
What a week! I know that your hearts have been broken just like mine. If your love could sustain them, every baby and adult on every nest would thrive. You have so much empathy for each – and from your notes and comments, I know that these bird families are so close to your hearts – they are family. If your ideas and willingness to help would save them, there would be no danger. I am so proud of each of you. To everyone who has taken photographs of the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest, made phone calls, and contacted the local Audubon society, thank you. Being local is a big help. Clearwater Audubon installed the platform. It has withstood significant hurricanes better than many. Something has happened in the last couple of years to cause the loss of the chicks and the eggs. A very knowledgable individual needs to examine that nest from the top to the bottom, the environment around the nest, etc to try and determine what is causing this issue. No owl was seen in the footage or other large mammal like a raccoon getting up to the nest. The culprit was either too small to see, went under the nest (scaled the wooden pole and came up through one of the holes), or it is the holes themselves. The platforms MUST have drainage. Heavy rains would kill the babies just like those that killed the white storklets in Europe last year. The drain holes need non-rusting mesh applied to keep anything like an osplet or an egg from falling through them. There is lots to do and it is just the dedicated individuals working locally that might make this happen. You must get people to care and realise there is a problem. Two years in a row – . Sad.
As I write this, the second eaglet at Fort St Vrain has fallen off the rails – it could not have survived a fall from that height. We have lost the 4th and 1st hatches. The other two surviving eaglets are up under the rails. At 1709 nest time, the eaglets were still moving and appeared in food comas after being fed. Yes, the parents feed them, and there is food in the nest. The issue seems to be the heat. It is 28 C or 83 F and hotter in the nest area. Thankfully, it was cloudy today. I hope these two survive.
The eaglet on the top left of the nest is trying to get its talons from the branches. It might succeed.
Individuals below the nest can be heard but are they there to help? Who are these people? Might the adults not return? We wait. ‘PB’ has confirmed that temperatures will drop to 44 F. These two cannot thermoregulate as they are not old enough. It would be essential they both be under Mum to survive.
In terms of the temperature on the nest today, according to the local weather station, this is the hottest it has been in the area since they have been keeping records. That is 153 years! Please send them your best wishes. Temperatures are set to drop with rain on Sunday. These guys will need protection!
Mum is incredible. She fed the one eaglet and the other came out and now both are free. Tears and more tears of joy and relief.
‘PB’ sent me a note – both eaglets tucked under Mum safely!!!!!!!! What a relief for this family.
Wondering about the role of heat and how it is impacting these eaglets – as well as other species caught in these heat domes:
Extreme heat poses a significant threat to baby bald eagles (eaglets) as they lack the ability to thermoregulate effectively, particularly in the early stages of their development. Eaglets rely on their parents for warmth and protection from the sun, rain, and snow. When parents are forced to leave the nest for extended periods due to the heat, eaglets can be vulnerable to hypothermia or heat stress.
Here’s a more detailed look at how heat impacts eaglets:
1. Thermoregulation:
Eaglets cannot regulate their body temperature effectively until they develop down feathers, typically around 10-14 days of age.
Before this stage, they are entirely dependent on their parents to keep them warm and protect them from overheating.
Adult eagles can thermoregulate by panting and heat loss through their legs and feet, but eaglets lack these mechanisms.
2. Parental Dependence:
Parents play a crucial role in keeping eaglets safe from extreme temperatures.
They sit on the nestlings to provide warmth and insulation during cold weather and shade during hot weather.
When parents are forced to leave the nest for extended periods due to heat stress or other factors, eaglets are left vulnerable.
3. Vulnerability to Heat Stress and Hypothermia:
If eaglets are exposed to direct sunlight for too long, they can overheat.
If they are left in the cold without parental protection, they can become chilled.
Both heat stress and hypothermia can be fatal for eaglets.
4. Importance of Nest Protection:
Parents also protect their young from rain and snow.
They use their bodies to shield the eaglets from the elements, ensuring they stay dry and protected.
This protection is especially important during the first few weeks of life when eaglets are still developing their water-resistant feathers.
5. Environmental Factors:
Climate change is causing more frequent and intense heat waves, which can increase the risk of heat stress for eaglets.
Warmer springs can also negatively impact nest success, potentially reducing the number of eaglets that survive.
Changes in precipitation patterns can also affect the availability of food sources and create challenges for eagles raising their young.
Geemeff sends us the daily Loch Arkaig summary for The Woodland Trust:
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 12th April 2025 Another calm day today both weatherwise and at the nests, although the wind did pick up a bit. No intruders disturbed Louis and Dorcha at Nest Two, and no one turned up to visit Garry LV0 on Nest One, perhaps because he didn’t bring any fish. However Louis brought three fish to his nest, two small and one very nice trout, and his tally now stands at twentyseven. The Inver Mallie forecast, which includes the nest area, states light rain and gentle to moderate breezes tonight and tomorrow. Of course, with both nests exposed at the top of very tall trees, moderate breezes can still make the nests sway. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.13.13 (05.18.40); Nest Two 21.07.24 (05.30.05) Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/8Dt5eUk016I N2 Fish number one, small half trout 06.37.58 https://youtu.be/k1Udox-wXjA N1 Garry LV0 arrives, does some prep, leaves 10.14.39https://youtu.be/WnBqnbmXPlM N2 Louis snaffles a piece of the small second fish before departing 15.08.41https://youtu.be/Jb_uOUGFJZw N2 Deliverlouis! A very fine trout is delivered 17.46.45Bonus look: PaulineC’s latest watercolour of Louis & Dorcha (thanks Pauline)
Our #LochArkaig ospreys inspire some wonderful art. 🎨 We love this watercolour of Louis and Dorcha by Pauline Conley 👏 #ospreycam #arkaigosprey
Loch of the Lowes: Occupancy is being contested! Geemeff writes: “The complicated fight for Loch of the Lowes’ nest – there are SIX Ospreys in the battle!”
Kisatchie National Forest: At 9:15:16, KNF E3 fludged. He was up on a high branch, perch 4, flapping and, like many others, just slipped and went. There was some chatter about the eaglet hopping about on the ground. Ranger Steve searched for an hour and could not see eaglet so it is either hiding in the spring foliage or flew off. Parents were heard.
John Bunker Sands Wetlands: The oldest eaglet that fledged first has returned to the nest on Friday! Bravo! https://youtu.be/G_ls92wSBNU?
Just a note: Charlo Montana is still on Highlights.
Geemeff sends us: “A good news story – sort of, it’s a pity people have to clean up after others, but it’s very good that they do! Monofilament is a killer.
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, messages, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, J, PB, SP’, Fort St Vrain Eagle Cam/Excel Energy, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Rosie Shields and Border Ospreys, Kisatchie National Forest Eagle Cam, Montana Osprey Project/Cornell Bird Lab, The Guardian, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Birds of Poole Harbour, Explore.org, scyllabub, SK Hideaways, Kielder Forest
It is 0 degrees on the Canadian prairies. The sky is blue and peppered with a few wee cottontail clouds. We spent part of the day outside of the City watching geese fly overhead and deer near the woods. It felt so good.
The two Crows have been visiting the feeder. This morning they had a treat – pizza! There have been regular visits from the two Blue Jays along with the Red Squirrels, the Starlings, a few grey squirrels, and some sparrows. Several male House Finches have been visiting, too.
I am so grateful to see the Crows returning to the garden and the Blue Jays. Long-time readers will remember that these couples bring their babies to the garden when they fledge. It is quite entertaining especially the baby Crows who peck on the conservatory’s roof demanding more ‘cheesy dogs’!
Baby Hope relaxing in the sunshine in the conservatory. She was less interested in the birds than having a nap.
Hugo Yugo had other ideas – like leaping down to play fight with Hope.
They are certainly enjoying the warm weather!
About a week ago, some quotes from Jack Turner’s book, The Abstract Wild, were included in my blog. They focused on our lack of connection to nature and how we must regain a true and deep empathy and connection in order to truly help the wildlife.
One of our readers chronicled an event after reading those quotes that touched my heart. They wrote, “Deep connection with animals. That reminds me that I have a great little story for you. After months, I finally went to the cemetery on Monday. Only a short walk, but I was outside and it was sunny. On the way back to the bus station I passed a caterpillar crawling on the pavement. After a few more meters, it clicked, I sighed and walked back. Found some leaves to put him on and put him in a garden. I walked on and a lady was standing at a bus stop (not the one I needed) and asked me what I had just picked up. So I told her. She said she had thought something like that and that I am like her. She said something similar to your quote, people lost their connection to nature. We continued talking and agreed on every topic we discussed until her bus came, and we hugged goodbye!”
It reminded me of a period when I stayed in Udaipur, India. Many of my friends were Jain and are always careful not to harm anything in their path. Gentle souls, I recall.
After several days of tenseness on the nests – the fishing line and hook at Big Bear, SC1 almost killed by the sea pup corpse, and the death of KNF-E04 – we need a break. There are good things happening and it is so nice to read about them.
Ever wondered how the birds migrate from their winter homes to their spring and summer? And land on the same branch? Sometimes we can’t do it with the apps on our phone! Quantum Mechanics is the answer.
‘L’ sent me a note: “Isaac has spotted the osprey couple at Patchogue on their new nest!” Fantastic. Hopefully Isaac will provide frequent updates so we know when the osplets hatch and how this family, so dear to all of us, is fairing. (There is no camera as PSEG took down the old nest and did not install a new one on the new nest).
‘J’ sent a post from naturechat about the age of the juvenile visitor at NEFlorida with Bodie.
Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) are magnificent birds! They have inspired people from various cultures worldwide, including scientists, conservationists, and nature writers such as Aldo Leopold. Sandhill cranes are an ancient species, with the oldest fossil estimated to be 2.5 million years old. Their rich natural history includes spiritual and cultural significance.
One endearing aspect of Sandhill Cranes is that they are long-lived and mate for life, with pairs remaining together year-round for two decades or more. The oldest Sandhill Crane on record was at least thirty-seven years and three months old. This fact plays a vital role in our patient’s story.
In mid-December, The REGI clinic received several calls about a solitary Sandhill Crane near McDill Pond in Stevens Point. Sandhill Cranes in the area have migrated south by that date. This crane was languishing on a property. It had not been flying for weeks. It was hiding under a resident’s porch. The reports were concerning indicators that the bird may have a wing injury or lead or another type of poisoning. We suggested the crane be captured and transported to Raptor Education Group Inc. (REGI) for care. The property owner was due to be away; she alerted a UWSP natural resources college student to the crane’s dilemma. On December 21st, in below-zero temperatures, UWSP student Kayla Allred gathered a group of friends and family members and captured the crane. REGI volunteer transporters Randy and Anne Orlikowski transported the crane to REGI in Antigo.
REGI staff were prepared and waiting for the crane’s arrival. The large male was lethargic; however, we saw no apparent signs of fractures or injuries during the initial physical. We tube-fed him a liquid diet, gave him fluids, and let him rest for a few hours to recover from his capture and transport. Radiographs and blood work were negative for injuries or toxins. His physical exam revealed no concerns. Our work with wildlife must include the whole bird, not only what clinical tests offer as a diagnosis. Every medical concern was checked. He had no medical issues that we could prove, but we remained faced with a very depressed, healthy adult male with no injuries or abnormalities. When a patient is admitted, we request a history from the person who reports the bird. That includes questions about the bird’s behavior when found. Were physical movements regular or odd for the species? Could the bird be threatened by a dog or other predator, or what changed in the surroundings to prompt unusual behavior? Everything is a clue to the patient’s condition. Our adult male sandhill crane patient was hiding under a porch! Not normal behavior. The one thing that changed was that there were two sandhill cranes, and now he was alone.
Wildlife rehabilitation is a complicated field that requires knowledge of each species’ natural history, dietary needs, habitat requirements, and medical aspects in our care. Understanding that sandhill cranes have a long lifespan, The oldest Sandhill Crane on record was at least thirty-seven years and 3 months old. Once paired, they are together for life, two decades or longer for these magnificent birds. Youngsters migrate with their parents. They stay together as a family for about 10 months after hatch.
We realized our handsome patient was grieving the loss of his long-time mate. He had no will to go on without her by his side. While we do not know what happened to her, she disappeared in late fall. According to the property owner, the pair had been on the same property for at least ten years or longer. (If anyone in Stevens Point near Mc Dill Pond does know what caused her demise, please let us know)
We gave this patient supportive care. In cases like this, we do whatever works to help our patients recover. Massages around his head, neck, and face made a difference and perked up his sensory system. He started eating again. We moved him from a small enclosure to successive larger areas to allow him to investigate his surroundings. Slowly, he recovered and began behaving in a typical fashion; however, he had not vocalized during the three months we had him in care. We had cameras on him in the flights, and while he was exercising his wings and jumping as cranes do, we could not document vertical flight, which was necessary for his successful release back to the wild.
Spring was approaching, and we expected our local sandhill cranes to arrive home at any time. On Tuesday of this week, we heard loud crane vocalizations. At first, we thought it was our wild resident cranes announcing their return home. To our surprise, it was our patient in the flight jumping, flapping, and calling out with great excitement to whoever would listen. The following day, we moved him into a large outdoor enclosure. The enclosure has 12 ft. tall sides but a mostly open top, as it usually houses our resident flightless bald eagles. He would have to have an excellent vertical flight capability to fly out of the compound, which was the one aspect we could not prove in the enclosed flight building. The crane showed great excitement being outdoors again. He began acting like any other wild crane, probing the soil, chasing mice, and investigating the enclosure. He vocalized all day. Soon, the resident pair joined his happy sounds. The following morning, he ate well and was filled with more excitement and enthusiasm than we had ever seen in him. At about noon, a staff member observed the crane testing his vertical flight abilities, and then, with one effortless jump, he was airborne and took flight, gaining altitude until he was a speck in the sky. The event occurred so quickly that our staff forgot to take photos. However, they got another chance as the crane returned and circled our facility a few times before he headed out!
We wish this handsome sandhill crane the best in his future. We hope he finds another mate, but that is not assured in their species. No matter what, we hope he lives happily ever after.
Birds amaze and teach us every day. It is an honor to work with them. Their lives are complicated and mirror our own in many ways. This is not our idea of how they live; it is not anthropomorphic information but biologically sound evidence.
Thank you to Sharon, the landowner, and UWSP student Kayla Allred and the capture team she gathered after noticing his odd behavior and giving this handsome crane a second chance at life just when he thought his reason for living was over. The capture occurred in below-zero temperatures, with wind chills reaching -35 below zero F.
If you want more information on Sandhill cranes, please find a link below.
A quick check on some of our nests- all mixed up with no order at all today.
Blue IHI, the Rutland 2022 hatch, landed on the Poole Harbour nest this morning. (The nest of Blue 022 and CJ7).
Pont Cresor: Z2 (Aeron) and Blue 014 are reported to be back on the nest.
Foulshaw Moss: White YW has arrived back at his nest!
Goitzsche Wildnis, Germany: Zeus returned to the nest on Sunday the 23rd. We are waiting for the arrival of his mate, Fjona.
Brevard Osprey Nest, Florida. Three eggs.
NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest of Gabby and Beau: Bodie is stealing food from JV. These two are so good together! https://youtu.be/6OxI8s55jGc?
Dahlgren Osprey Nest: Two ospreys on the nest Sunday afternoon. LO and MO1 as identified by the chat moderator.
Kansas Bald Eagles: Kanza is doing very well. Second egg has not hatched (yet).
Fraser Point Bald Eagles: Andor and Cruz have their first hatch. It is deep in that nest bowl.
NCTC Bald Eagle nest of Bella and Scout: Two eaglets are doing well. They are simply adorable.
Mispillion Harbour, Delaware: Della and Warren have returned!
RoundhouseLoch Doon: Resident female named Angel has arrived on Sunday the 23rd.
Big Bear Valley: All is well with Jackie and Shadow and the eaglets. Thank goodness.
Threave Valley Ospreys: Two Ospreys on the nest!
Achieva Credit Union: Jack delivered the first fish of the day on Sunday after 1700. Oh, my goodness. I hope these deliveries get better.
Two Harbours: The second egg broke on Sunday. No one knows precisely what happened. Chase and Cholyn will be fine. Dr Sharpe was interviewed and says there is plenty of time for a second clutch and we should be checking back around the end of April.
Eschenbach: Hermine has not returned. Joan Castanyer reports: “Herbert seems to have made a connection with the new female. Days pass and Hermine does not return, although there is still some hope. But the thousands of kilometers of migration must have a benefit and the option of mating with a female is the most reasonable. However, in the afternoon Herbert seemed melancholic in the nest without his Hermine 😥.”
Sauces Canyon: Jak and Audacity’s baby is growing and strong. So pleased it is alright.
Cornell Red Tail Hawk Cam: On goodness. Isn’t Big Red, at 22 years old, just the most beautiful Red-tail Hawk?
Decorah North: Windy and rain coming. Waiting for the first hatch.
Researchers have noted that the plumage of some birds is getting duller. But why? Have a read!
Mini-Book Review: David Gessner, The Book of Flaco: The World’s Most Famous Bird
I recently completed Gessner’s captivating book about Flaco, the Eurasian Owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo in February 2023. Many of you likely followed his remarkable journey, either in person or through social media, as he adapted to life as a wild owl, skillfully expanding his territory throughout the year.
Gessner delves into the intense controversies that surrounded this extraordinary bird. For instance, the size of Flaco’s enclosure at the zoo, described as “the size of a department store window,” raised significant concerns. Questions erupted about whether more proactive measures should have been taken to recapture him and return him to the zoo. The debate over whether Flaco’s freedom outweighed the risks of safety was a poignant theme throughout his story, especially against the backdrop of the widespread use of rodenticides in the area.
Gessner compellingly introduces readers to notable figures who have delved into the concepts of ‘wild’ and ‘wilderness’, such as Jack Turner in his thought-provoking book, The Abstract Wild, and the writings of Henry David Thoreau. Despite living more than 150 years apart, Turner and Thoreau offer strikingly relevant insights into environmental and wildlife issues. It is refreshing to see how their perspectives resonate with contemporary challenges, bridging the gap between past and present. Gessner masterfully intertwines their observations with his own and the life of Flaco, raising profound and challenging questions about the impact of human activity on wildlife. His exploration urges readers to confront these critical issues with urgency and reflection.
I strongly recommend this book for its profound exploration of pressing wildlife issues. Gessner’s exceptional writing is truly captivating, making it nearly impossible to put it down. However, if you’re in search of a beautiful picture book about Flaco, you might want to look elsewhere. The book does feature a central section filled with coloured images of Flaco, captured by individuals whose lives were deeply touched by his presence, alongside dedicated photographers who meticulously documented his daily adventures.
You can order the book through your local lending library (since it is recently released it could take some time to receive a copy) or purchase it for $24.95.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, H, J, L’, The Guardian, ABC7, nature chat, Raptor Education Group, Inc, all about birds, Goitzsche Wildnis, Brevard Osprey Platform, NEFL-AEF, Dahlgren Ospreys, Kansas Bald Eagles, IWS/Explore, NCTC Bald Eagle Nest, Heidi McGrue and Mispillion Harbour, Roundhouse Loch Doon, FOBBV, Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Info (Threave Valley, Achieva Credit Union, IWS/Explore, Joan Castanyer an Eschenbach Ospreys, Cornell Red Tail Hawk Cam, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, The New York Times
