Category Archives: American Eagle Foundation

Clive is alive and that amazing female at 367 Collins…Wednesday in Bird World

16 October 2024

Greetings from Nova Scotia!

Oh, what a ride. There were big storms in Atlantic Canada and our plane spent 45 minutes flying over the Atlantic Ocean waiting to see if we could land at Halifax airport or if we needed to divert ourselves elsewhere. We were late, but finally arrived and the bed at the airport hotel felt really, really nice. The pilots and the flight attendants had a great sense of humour. When we landed they said, “Welcome to Quebec!” Paused for a long time and then said, “Just kidding”.

It is particularly beautiful here this time of year. The Canadian Sugar Maple trees are bursting in shades or red, orange, and orange-yellow. This almost perfect leaf welcomed us to our temporary home.

Our cottage is about a 3-minute walk from the beach. There are still birds feeding in the fields, such as Greater Black-backed Gulls along with Crows, long-tailed ducks and other shorebirds are at the beach. I arrived with my camera, but no battery. It was charging, silly me.

The shore birds come to feed as the tide goes out.

It is 10 C and we made a small fire in the wood stove to take the chill off. Every where we drove, you could see new stacks of wood ready for winter.

Coming from a rapidly growing Canadian city that has been a construction site for several years, driving through the rolling hills with all the fall foliage is calming. You feel like you are part of nature, not alien to it. If we did not have our tiny enclave in the city with all the animals and birds, I think I would lose my mind. As you can tell, I might want to wiggle my nose and transport all of them here – along with The Girls! We have certainly noticed the ‘For Sale’ signs more this trip and have paused to take a look. One little brick house intrigued us. Several miles away was a sign about the Nova Scotia government raising the level of the dykes built by the Acadians to accommodate climate change and higher tides. The little brick house was on land below sea level inside the dykes. Sad to think this could all be under water one day, completely gone.

The pickers were out in the pumpkin and squash patches today and the apple trees are also being picked. All over little stands are selling one thing or another. Take what you want, and leave the money in the tin. The old honour system works well in a place where most people keep their doors unlocked. I hope to have photos of this for you sometime during the week.

Let’s skip over to some of the latest news in Bird World before I sign off. Thank you to everyone who sent in news items.

Morning news.

Window to Wildlife posted this image and they are 99% sure it is Connie and Clive. What a relief after seeing Clive ride out Milton in their nest! Thanks, J.

We have all held our breaths when chicks go their own way and in the wrong way. The female at Collins Street is awesome. She reached down and grabbed it. Have a look! https://youtu.be/BBb2m5Uj8sY?

Liberty and Guardian are home!

There is a CrowdFunder under way for Iris’s new camera. If you want to take part, check it out quickly as there is a deadline to contribute.

‘J’ sent news about our little green flightless NZ parrots, the Kakapo:

Latest counts from Hawk Mountain:

I am so proud of Heidi. She is taking a hawk identification course and is down at Cape Henlopen counting migrating birds as often as she can! Here is her latest news:

Using my binoculars I witnessed two more eagle/osprey chases this past Saturday at the Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch platform.  There is an old WWII observation tower to the west of the platform.  The remnants of an osprey nest is at the top of the tower.  The ospreys using that nest fledged one chick this past season.  Turkey vultures occasionally hang out in small groups on the tower, so the hawk watchers have named it the ‘TV tower’.  But, I mostly see the local bald eagle pair perched up there.  

On Saturday morning, the two resident bald eagles were perched on top of the TV tower, when an osprey carrying a fish approached the beach from the east.  The osprey had just crossed over land, when one of the baldies flew from the TV tower and gave chase to try to steal the O’s fish.  It chased the osprey back out over the ocean, and the osprey eventually dropped its fish… splash!  The eagle dropped down to the water, but did not come away with the fish.  The eagle casually flew back to the tower.  I sometimes think the eagles are simply trying to harass the ospreys, and they are not really hungry for the fish, lol.

Later in the afternoon, the eagles were again perched on the TV tower, and one of them chased another osprey carrying a fish.  This chase occurred a little further inland.  It was a spectacular chase that lasted at least a full minute.  It was like watching a pair’s synchronized ice-dancing competition, where the skaters precisely mimic each other’s movements.  Awesome…Two very large birds, with huge wings, and the eagle a little larger than the osprey.  The osprey and eagle were very close to one another as the osprey swerved and swirled all over the sky, and the eagle following the osprey’s movements precisely!  It was amazing to see.  At one point the eagle’s talons actually made contact with the osprey’s talons, and I heard a faint ‘clack’!  That osprey was so fast and agile, and it was determined to hold on to its catch.  Lo and behold, the eagle finally broke off the chase.  Yay, go osprey!  The osprey seemed quite unperturbed and casually flew off to the north, likely looking for a spot to perch to enjoy its lunch.  I could just picture the osprey smiling.  Well… I was smiling, lol.

This is enough to make you very sick and concerned for the raptors – even in trained hands!

Prominent falconer & eagle breeder Andrew Knowles-Brown guilty of welfare offences relating to ~90 eDownload

At Port Lincoln, Wilko is full and Kasse is being fed. Both of these osplets are looking good.

And we have news of older brothers Ervie and Giliath. Both are well and doing their own osprey thing. Bradley and Shultzie are often seen on the same perch so relief. I had been wondering about Giliath.

Despite the excitement about the four hatches at Cowbootie, it appears that one of the little ones, the fourth hatch, might be struggling. It was not up wanting food yesterday. I will continue to monitor the news coming out of South Australia.

The whole family was in the Olympic Park Sea Eagle nest. SE33 was really flapping its wings. It won’t be long. I wish they would stay longer and longer and get so strong so they would ignore the Currawongs who will attempt to escort them out of the forest.

Sweet little Xavier brought a starling in for breakfast for Yira and Garramma.

Everything looks great at 367 Collins Street in Melbourne. Lots of prey and an extremely attentive Mum. In fact, Mum is out hunting with Dad to provide more and more prey for the triplets as they are in a period of rapid growth and need.

At NE Florida Gabby and Beau have both been sleeping at the nest.

Jackie and Shadow were both at the nest in Big Bear the other day. Looks like Jackie was there for a moment on Tuesday.

NestFlix Memories caught M15 and F23 working on their nest. F23 is one beautiful eagle. M15 picked well. :)). https://youtu.be/KuKpaczG-Rk?

Good News for migrating birds. Thanks, Geemeff.

https://abc3340.com/news/offbeat/avian-enthusiasts-try-to-counter-the-deadly-risk-of-chicago-high-rises-for-migrating-birds-bird-collision-monitors-migrating-flocks-animals-skyscrapers-high-rise-buildings-ecologist-ecology

In Africa, Jean-marie Dupart counted 230 ospreys using his motorbike in Senegal in a 130 mile stretch of beach between Dakar and St Louis.

Thanks for being with us today. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to everyone for the news and to the following for their notes, posts, videos, images, charts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H, J, Geemeff’, SK Hideaways, Julie LaLima and FORE, Montana Osprey Cams, Kakapo Reovery, Hawk Mountain, Raptor Persecution UK, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Olympic Park Eagles, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, NestFlix Memories, abc334o news, Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys FB.

Gabby and Beau are home…Monday in Bird World

14 October 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It is Sunday morning at 1000. The three Blue Jays are dashing in and out caching peanuts this morning. We have spread the nuts out in four different places so that there is less fussing. The Red Squirrels have the small square feeder while the Blue Jays and Crow are sharing the large one. The Grey Squirrels are on the deck. In the middle of all of this are the Starlings who have decided that they are really enjoying the solid suet cylinders more than the ‘Superior’ birdseed. They all seem happy and energetic. The rain from last night has given way to blue skies and fluffy cotton ball clouds that are moving rapidly to the South. ‘The Boyfriend’ appeared right on time. He is going to be ‘dewormed’. That is the plan for our return from the Maritimes. De Worming The Boyfriend. We will also build him a new winter home complete with lots of straw and a heat lamp. Winter feels like it is approaching fast! Today is a day for wool socks and jumpers.

We had our Thanksgiving dinner earlier in the week with my ‘bestie’, but we are sneaking in another little meal, just the two of us and The Girls and ‘The Boyfriend’ before we head to Nova Scotia. Everyone deserves a special treat. We are likely on our way as you read this. We are so grateful for everyone: the animals, our family and friends, and you, as I said yesterday. We feel blessed. Thank you so much for your good wishes for our Thanksgiving and holiday. So appreciated.

Just remember, there will be no blog on Tuesday. We will be travelling to our digs for the week.

The streaming cams that have nests with chicks are doing very well. The Sea Eaglets will be fledging soon, and we must send positive wishes to chase those Currawongs away from them when they fly. That is the only major event that will be happening while I am away. Of course, we hope all those birds not seen on camera since Milton sped through Florida will be seen soon – including Clive, Gabby, and Beau.

Feeding time for Mamma Kestrel. https://youtu.be/vU2cwxeq_kw?

Neither Beau or Gabby have been seen on camera at their NE Florida nest since Milton passed through until late Sunday evening. What a relief to see them. The last time we saw Gabby was when she brought in sticks last Tuesday.

At SW Florida, it is full speed ahead for M15 and F23 as they make that nest as cosy as possible.

Thunder and Akecheta were at the West End nest in the Channel Islands on Sunday checking it out.

Look at Kasse’s fat little bottom and that cute tiny tail. (More about this family later).

Good reasons to participate in an annual bird count – the Christmas Bird Count will be coming up in about ten weeks! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/14/aussie-bird-count-2024-geraldine-hickey-australian-birdlife?CMP=share_btn_url

Honestly, even with their pin feathers coming in, can we imagine more cuter chicks?

Pin feathers on the go at 367 Collins Street, too. And breakfast came early!

Heidi caught a feeding on video – and there are so many feedings. These little falcon dads are incredible. https://youtu.be/xqEGJsmCfFY?

The sea eaglets are getting ‘too antsy’, hopping about the nest, on and off the branch, and looking out to the wider world.

Some news from Ranger Judy Harrington:

Oh, the first flight for 33 is getting so close. I just held my breath.

‘A’ gives us the report from Sydney’s Cam: “October 14: Again, there was some unknown disturbance during the night – SE33 was alert, with wings out. SE33 spent a lot of the night sleeping standing. Early morning duets with the young ones joining in, then eagles away. At times in the early morning, there was a very noisy flock of Rainbow Lorikeets close by the nest – youngsters standing and watching. Then calling together, reacting to lorikeets. At 10:15, one eagle was seen down on River Roost, Eaglets were resting, lying in the nest. At 10:34, Dad brought in a scrap of fish, which was grabbed and mantled by SE34 but stolen by SE33, and self-fed. When Lady brought some leaves, SE33 mantled over his prey and kept it. Mid-afternoon there was a big storm, and all enjoyed the feeling of rain on their wings. By 5pm, the sun was shining again. Dad brought in a late gull at 17:57, which was taken by Lady and fed to the eaglets. Maybe a little self-feeding with scraps. At last light, Dad came to the nest – false alarm, not prey – followed by Lady.”

SK Hideaways caught 33 and 34 doing some magnificent posing. https://youtu.be/7h51yn8bvf8?

The wind is blowing at Port Lincoln. Mum looks to Dad, who is on the ropes, hoping that a fish will be coming soon.

Mum is still waiting for fish for the Wilko and Kasse – and, of course, herself.

Dad came in with a huge Sheepshead (I think that is what it is) for the chicks the evening prior (see top image below), but they are still waiting on Monday in Australia. Mum is trying her best to just sit on them so no unpleasantness but Wilco is getting impatient.

‘A’ remarks: “
I’m writing because dad has just brought in a very late fish at Port Lincoln (it’s nearly8.30pm there) – those IR lights must really be helping (I know they helped that night heron that was fishing off the barge). This is probably a good thing, as there was only one fish brought in today, and it didn’t arrive until after 4pm. The littles behaved themselves, and mum gave a saliva feeding to keep the osplets calm at lunchtime. The fish dad brought in 8.20pm was a big one, minus its head, and mum was hungry herself so had a good dinner, as the kids were in food comas from their late afternoon feedings. “

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care. See you in a few days!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A’, Charter Group, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore.org, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Olympic Park Eagles, Judy Harrington and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam.

Two at Port Lincoln as Milton gets closer to the Florida nests near Ft Myers and Tampa Bay…Tuesday in Bird World

8 October 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

There are not a lot of images today. Apologies all around. You will recall that I have been battling the fact that my allocation of media is at its limit. I have just discovered that there are over – hold on – 50,000 unattached files starting in 2017. I have been deleting them 20 at a time. There must be a more efficient way to do that!

For now, though, most of us have only one thing on our minds and that is Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida and our beloved birds (and friends) there. They are watching and expect Milton to make land fall at Tampa Bay as a category 3 or 4. Despite this slow down, it is going to be catastrophic for this area of Florida that does not normally get hit directly.

Before we even think about Milton, we need a smile and that comes from Annie and Archie who have returned to The Campanile to bond! https://youtu.be/iwBATgGYDHg?

It is difficult to sit and watch knowing that Hurricane Milton is going to tear through Sanibel possibly destroying the Captiva Osprey and Bald Eagle nests. The only – and I do mean ‘only’ – silver lining to any of this is that there are no eggs or chicks on any of the Florida nests yet. The Barrier Islands will get hit first and no doubt, the impact of this hurricane might well be much worse than Ian a couple of years ago. Our thoughts today are with the people and wildlife of Florida as Milton changed quickly from a category 1 to a category 5 hurricane in the blink of an eye. https://youtu.be/AdTp1XgG4Rg?

Many of the wildlife rehabilitation centres have no place to take their animals. They have more than two hundred patients, some because of Helene. They are in direct line of Milton and their buildings will not take the 160-200 mph winds. Good people are staying with their clients and this is beyond sad. CROW is on Sanibel. There might not be anything left of the homes on the Barrier Islands, according to the discussions on many of the weather channels Monday evening.

It is raining at Fort Myers on Monday.

It is raining at Captiva. I am expecting Captiva to get hit by Milton about the same time or slightly before Fort Myers.

Wind and rain begins Monday evening at Captiva. It is coming down harder and harder.

Captiva Eagle Cam. Have a good look at both of them so we can compare after.

The winds are starting to pick up at Achieva Osprey platform in St Petersburgh.

Gabby was at the NE Florida nest in the early morning hours of Monday. I do not know if Beau is on the LOP (Look Out Perch).

At the Olympic Sea Eagle nest, ‘A’ writes: “At WBSE, we still have two eaglets lying duckling style, side by side, on the nest. They are such adorable nestlings, soon to be fledglings. They are getting along famously as usual – I remain absolutely convinced that we have two brothers here. They have had virtually no bonking at all – a little enforcing of pecking order for a few days but nothing vicious and never anything that prevented either chick from eating. So as usual, Lady and Dad have done a sterling job of making a mockery of this ‘obligate siblicide’ rubbish that is written about WBSEs. Now, we await with great trepidation the post-fledge fate of these gorgeous eaglets whom we have come to adore. My heart just sinks at the thought. But be positive. This might just be the year. ” “Ooh, I hear honking. That must be the WBSE tab and yes, sure enough, a bird has been brought to the nest. Dad is calling for Lady, not wanting to feed the nestlings but not prepared to leave them to fight over the food. Lady is on the perch branch, not responding, and Dad is very confused about what to do. Eventually he begins preparing the food. Now, he has taken it to the bottom of the perch branch, from which vantage point he continues to glance at Lady. The eaglets have no clue what is going on. Nor do I. (I’m pretty sure I have the parental IDs correct – you know I’m often unsure about these two.) Dad sidles up the branch towards Lady and she moves away, further up the branch, and then flies off. Dad is left preparing the bird on the perch branch. We wait to see whether he feeds it to the eaglets, eats it himself, leaves it for the kids to fight over, or some combination of the above. “

Report from Sea Eagles sent by ‘A’: “
October 8: An early duet just after 5am, then several more. Both eaglets were flapping and jumping. At 6:58 Dad brought a gull chick, quickly grabbed by SE34 & mantled over. 34 fed until SE33 managed to steal it after about 20 minutes. Lady took over when she came in around 8am. She returned with a small fish at 8:43, followed by Dad with a gull chick. Lady took over feeding from both prey, with SE33 grabbing the gull wing and trying hard to take it, but Lady stood firm and kept feeding. A magpie was swooping them as well –with both eaglets alert and watching. At 12:38 Lady brought a gull chick, fed very briefly, then took it to de-feather on the branch, but dropped it as she fell off the branch. She managed to get it from the ground – most unusual – and at 13:22 fed a little more again. Lady brought a bream just before 5pm and fed both. Then more, when Dad brought another gull chick at 18:17, which Lady took off to de-feather. She was still eating it herself at 6:45…. They have had plenty though today.”

‘A’ was really hopeful that Diamond would leave that third egg out of the egg cup, but later, she moved it back and began incubating. Many of you will be screaming at Diamond – I know my daughter and ‘A’ are to get over and feed that second hatch. We have seen this before. The second chick’s neck seems to grow after a couple of days or it learns to jump to get that food. Fingers crossed. ‘A’ reports: “At some feedings, Diamond just cannot be bothered reaching for the younger chick’s beak, especially if it is behind its older sibling, and continues to encourage the older chick to eat and eat, even after it has collapsed once or twice, while the younger chick begs and begs for food, its little beak wide open. She is annoying. And then, while she waits for the older chick to snap out of its food coma, she eats herself! I am not overly concerned about this because there is plenty of food and eventually, at most feedings, the little one does get fed. But I am SO glad there is not a third chick, especially now there has been Ca time gap of over two days since the second hatch. I really would hate to see a tiny third chick try and attract enough attention from Diamond to get fed properly in its first five days or so. But they are getting frequent feedings so I am sure that both chicks will be adequately fed. I am merely reiterating what you and I know already – that Diamond really is not temperamentally up to raising three eyases. She should be perfectly fine with two, as she has been every other season I have watched. But the little one was still begging for more food at the end of that feeding, with Diamond ignoring it completely to eat for herself, then left the box with the remainder with the youngest still chirping for food the whole time she is gone.

Life is good at Collins Street. https://youtu.be/MEiouJqyTUA?

Feeding time for the kestrels: https://youtu.be/9yG3wqXojKI?

This morning there were small birds on the branches of the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest of M15 and F23. A pair of horses could be seen in the pasture. It was also relatively calm at Captiva as Milton moves in on Florida.

There are two at Port Lincoln. There has been some notice that the second chick has not eaten or did not eat as well as expected. Is it tired from hatching? We will just have to wait and see. The obs board shows that Wilko, chick one, has been fed twice and that the second hatch, once.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please send all positive wishes to everyone in Florida. Take care yourself. We hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H’, SK Hideaways, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, KHOU 11, NEFL-AEF, Olympic Sea Eagle Cam, and Charter Group Bird Cams.

2nd hatch at PLO, Cute Australian Bobbleheads…Monday in Bird World

7 October 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Sunday was a bit nippy. 9 C. The 40 kph winds were whipping the trees about with the leaves falling at an alarming rate. It is now 1100 and everyone is in the garden. Three Crows eating peanuts and suet. Three Blue Jays doing the same. Then there are the 18 or so European Starlings trying to grab some mealworms in between the Jays and the Crows. At least in our garden, they are not bullies. Everyone seems to wait their turn like planes lined up on a runway. Since the spring we have not been able to see the little birds very well as they have been hidden in the lilac bushes with their thick leaves. Soon all of those lilacs will be bare.

The bird feeder workshop was quite fun. The young woman leading the few of us that dared to show we lacked some essential skills was wonderful. She discussed every aspect feeding birds from seeds to feeders and for me, how to breed my own meal worms. Yes, we will call it Hugo Yugo’s Meal Work Farm!!!!! I don’t think Calico would want anything to do with bugs and worms! You need a transparent plastic bin (ugh, plastic), some paper towels, bran, and some starter meal worms. This tub has apparently been going at Oak Hammock Marsh for fifteen years. There are hundreds and hundreds of meal worms. I will keep you posted – I have everything but the breeding stock of worms.

Then we had a tray that showed us what to feed birds, different seeds for different species. Two things she noted should not be fed: bacon grease and peanut butter. Both of them will stick to the feathers of the birds and prevent them from flying. The bacon grease melts at a lower temperature than suet which should only be used in the winter. So don’t be tempted to use it. Popcorn – do not salt or butter – and best not on strings. Just air pop it and put it on your tray feeder! Some seeds can only be purchased at specialty bird shops while others can be bought at your local feed and seed stores. Calico says to always check prices -. We get some seed from a local farmer and others at the feed and seed. Our specialty bird feed store is at least twice as expensive. With the number of birds we feed, we need to find good quality food at reasonable prices.

And like magic…another feeder for the garden!

In the fields adjacent to the marsh, the geese were feeding. There were all four species that come to this area of the Canadian Prairies present – Ross’s Geese, Snow Geese, White-front Geese, and Canada Geese.

Florida hasn’t cleaned up after Hurricane Helene and already Milton is on its way to hit Fort Myers. Again, we can only be thankful that the raptors do not have any eggs or chicks in those nests. This will be the largest evacuation of Florida sine 2017 as Milton prepares for landfall. Milton appears to have the potential to impact all of the nests in Florida from Miami to Jacksonville. Stay safe everyone.

A different view of the Olympic Park Sea Eagles from cam 4. Lady is hunting for lunch! https://youtu.be/UIO6-eJBsGA?

Lady worked hard for prey.

Xavier tried to feed his chicks! Poor Guy. He is such a sweetie. Diamond is one protective falcon female!!!!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/rSGA_ATc7IE?

‘A’ reports that it is time to name the chicks at Orange! “Thought you would want this info in your blog as soon as it dropped. Here is the link for voting. They will choose the top two names from the voting (and the third egg, if it hatches, will get the third most popular name). 

Here is the link to the home page (they want people to go through the home page to vote, not just go straight to the voting page, so that’s the link I’m including): https://science-health.csu.edu.au/falconcam and select the News section (if you want to go straight to the voting page, which they prefer you not to do, it’s https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSVVrghyPtbulRzJAR8GxNyv-kK66jKHowKKqg4OdXxfO0JQ/viewform?pli=1. 

The name choices are: 

Bidhi (big)

Birrang (high, faraway, blue sky)

Birrgun (swift)

Bumbi (smoke)

Garrama (hunter)

Ghuda (shiny)

Gindhay (playful)

Magarra (pretty or bright)

Marrung (cunning)

Nanan (fast)

Yira (sharp)”

So did Mum tell Dad to go and get a fish or put in a phone call to the fish fairies? He flew out right after a little chat. 🙂

OMG. Ervie’s little brother or sister is so cute…and Mum had such a time getting it back under her after its feeding!

Heidi reports: “The second hatch at Port Lincoln occurred prior to 15:19 on 10/7.  The second baby was first seen out of the shell for a split second in a very fuzzy cam view at 15:19 (screenshot).”

The triplets are eating well in Melbourne!

Heidi got that morning feed by Mum on video! https://youtu.be/M-AMx425fZc?

Beautiful eaglets.

Lukin is the name of the little White-tail eaglet at Port Lincoln. He is 50 days old today and is standing and walking on the crane nest quite steadily.

Beau was on the LOP and Gabby was there, too. They are in the area of Milton. Send them good wishes – like I know you will to everyone.

It is raining in Fort Myers. The ground is absolutely saturated.

The nest is really a beauty. F23 and M15 have been working particularly hard and those cot rails are getting perfect. I wonder what it will look like after this hurricane? https://youtu.be/mOMRW5Ff8yw?

Brown Pelican caught on the Captiva Osprey cam where it is also raining and winds are gusting. Milton is not set to make landfall til Tuesday.

Sleeping kestrel chicks – six of them! https://youtu.be/aP6eWWocNcM?

The Black Storks are making progress on their way to Africa. Some have arrived. You can follow their journeys on the interactive BirdMap.

Calico’s Tip for the Day: Go for a walk! Or, if you can’t, sit outside in the sunshine. It will do you more good than you can imagine!

‘Nature is free, and the best kind of medicine’: is this the perfect walk for improving mental healtDownload

As most of you are aware, my husband has Lewy Body Dementia. Getting out in nature is essential not only to HIS mental health, but also mine. Taking part in simple activities, like building a bird feeder, is also key to one’s well being. It was not rocket science. Pre-drilled holes, but it helped with confidence. So if you know of someone who needs a boost, see what is happening at your local wildlife centre and take them! Sign up for a morning bird walk, build a bird house, learn to identify raptors. Life is truly beautiful – live it! Our dance card is full – every day there is something even if it is a trip to the local farmer’s market for their final event. The local honey is divine. Fantastic in tea or on toast.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Send warm wishes to everyone in the path of Milton as Florida prepares to get hit again.

Bird World is so exciting with all the new babies. Watch the cams, check them out, rewind to see the wonderful feedings. Watching falcons is so much different than ospreys. Now that we know that the fish fairies will visit Port Lincoln, we can relax. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H’, Oak Hammock Marsh, CNN Weather, Olympic Park Eagle Cam 4, SK Hideaways, Falcon Cam Project, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Heidi McGrue, Olympic Park Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, Charter Group of Wildlife Ecology, BirdMap, and The Guardian.

Falcon chicks everywhere…Friday in Bird World

4 October 2024

Hello Everyone,

‘A’ writes: “At 14:27 mum gets up a little and allows us to see the third egg shell completely cracked in half. There is a very damp chick still squashed inside the eggshell as mum tucks the hatching chick underneath her. So the official hatch time will be very shortly afterwards. By 14:30:30, the shell is completely separated and we can see two distinctly separate halves. So I would probably put the official hatch time at around 14:30 on 4 October. And then there were three on the ledge. “

Heidi caught their feeding! https://youtu.be/RAg7mEspJzo?

‘A’ sent this video – very short – when there were two! https://youtu.be/DWdRwiDYyPU?

Several of you are traveling on some great adventures right now. My family and I wish you wonderful times and a safe return to your home.

Thursday was a bright sunny day but it was decidedly fall with the nip in the air. It is a time for apple galette, pumpkin loaf, robust stews – comfort food. The birds in the garden seem to be eating more as the days get colder. Certainly the solid suet is not sitting too long til it needs to be replaced! ‘The Boyfriend’ stares at me while he waits for his dish to be filled!!!!!!

Missey didn’t care. She just wanted lots of brushes on Thursday and some chicken and rice.

One of the most exciting sightings in Manitoba is that of a family of Red-headed Woodpeckers. Seen last year for the first time and again this fall- it is quite the rarity. They must be breeding up north somewhere. No one is saying the precise location for their protection.

“Red-headed Woodpecker” by Greg Schechter is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

All About Birds describes the Red-headed Woodpecker: “The gorgeous Red-headed Woodpecker is so boldly patterned it’s been called a “flying checkerboard,” with an entirely crimson head, a snow-white body, and half white, half inky black wings. These birds don’t act quite like most other woodpeckers: they’re adept at catching insects in the air, and they eat lots of acorns and beech nuts, often hiding away extra food in tree crevices for later. This magnificent species has declined severely in the past half-century because of habitat loss and changes to its food supply.”

Their territory is here. I notice that the breeding grounds are in the Southern part of our province. So the woodpecker family is locating itself north. That is interesting. I need to find out more!

Here are some Cool Facts from All About Birds:

  • Cool Facts
    • The Red-headed Woodpecker is one of only four North American woodpeckers known to store food, and it is the only one known to cover the stored food with wood or bark. It hides insects and seeds in cracks in wood, under bark, in fenceposts, and under roof shingles. Grasshoppers are regularly stored alive, but wedged into crevices so tightly that they cannot escape.
    • Red-headed Woodpeckers are fierce defenders of their territory. They may remove the eggs of other species from nests and nest boxes, destroy other birds’ nests, and even enter duck nest boxes and puncture the duck eggs.
    • The Red-headed Woodpecker benefited from the chestnut blight and Dutch elm disease outbreaks of the twentieth century. Though these diseases devastated trees they provided many nest sites and foraging opportunities for the woodpeckers.
    • The striking Red-headed Woodpecker has earned a place in human culture. Cherokee Indians used the species as a war symbol, and it makes an appearance in Longfellow’s epic poem The Song of Hiawatha, telling how a grateful Hiawatha gave the bird its red head in thanks for its service.
    • The Red-headed Woodpecker has many nicknames, including half-a-shirt, shirt-tail bird, jellycoat, flag bird, and the flying checker-board.
    • Pleistocene-age fossils of Red-headed Woodpeckers—up to 2 million years old—have been unearthed in Florida, Virginia, and Illinois.
    • The Red-headed Woodpecker was the “spark bird” (the bird that starts a person’s interest in birds) of legendary ornithologist Alexander Wilson in the 1700s.
    • The oldest Red-headed Woodpecker on record was banded in 1926 in Michigan and lived to be at least 9 years, 11 months old.

We have hatches in Australia and some new excitement on the screens.

If you missed it, the hatch for Diamond and Xavier. Such a cutie pie with its little pink beak open for some food. https://youtu.be/hh-GWZg5z00?

Breakfast for Diamond and Xavier’s wee one.

Xavier ready with more prey!

Pigeon dinner at 367 Collins Street.

M15 and F23 are working hard on that nest. Reliable. Not drama. Or let us hope not. https://youtu.be/juoU94qAxA8?

With the return of Beau, work on the nest at NE Florida seems to be stalling. Let’s hope that changes. The chat moderator notes: “Beau returned on 8/24 and Gabrielle on 9/1. Last year’s “visitor” 24E1, showed up mid-Sept and Beau disappeared for just over 2 weeks. Beau reappeared yesterday, a bit scuffed up but lookng good.”

Gabby followed Beau to the nest Thursday evening. Looks like they are settled for the evening.

It is raining at Port Lincoln. Mum is really wiggling around in that nest. We should have a hatch anytime. Gosh – we are going to be busy. Hatches at Melbourne, Orange, and then Port Lincoln with the sea eaglets getting their legs and wing flapping.

There was a hint of a hole in one egg but nothing confirmed.

Heidi has been monitoring PLO and writes. “All night on 10/4 we were observing for a possible pip.  There was a dark spot showing up on one of the eggs in IR lighting.  But, the spot never changed in size or shape, there was no cracking around it, or edges of shell seen.  So, it may just have been a spot of dirt.  No pip could be confirmed during the daylight hours of 10/4.  They are now in darkness w/IR lighting in the evening 10/4.  I’m going to continue to monitor throughout their nighttime hours 10/5.”

Heidi and I both agree that it is not looking good for egg 1 and that could be the case for egg 2 as well according to the historical hatch of 34-36 days. Here are the dates of the eggs:

Egg 1 laid 8/26, 0357.   10/5 = 40 days.

Egg 2 laid 8/29, 0547.   10/5 = 37 days.

Egg 3 laid 9/1,  0529.    10/5 = 34 days.

Just look at how big the Growing Home osplet is today!

I hope that all of the albatross chicks on the headland have fledged. There was at least one still there a couple of days ago. Please keep everyone in this area of New Zealand in your warm thoughts.

What does it feel like to see the last few birds before they head off on an epic migration?

Country diary: The last redstart till spring | Birds | The GuardianDownload

Oh, my goodness, what fun. Feeding time at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Toronto. You can sign up and watch all the action! https://youtu.be/rPUrZascFnE?

Do you know what a Loon’s foot waggle is all about?

Weather is causing some havoc as the winds are blowing at such a speed the migrants cannot cross The Straits into Africa.

Calico’s Tip for the Day: Make Halloween Safe for Everyone. A lot of children have allergies. Many have weight problems. Calico suggests that instead of giving out candies that you check out options like stickers, glow sticks, fancy erasers, funny pencils and cute things that you find or collect over the year.

Calico also reminds everyone against decorating with the fake spider webs. Birds get caught in them as do other wildlife. Please ask your friends and neighbours to be kind to our feathered friends during this time of fun. Thank you!

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you so much to the following for their notes, posts, videos, announcements, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, J’, Heidi McGrue, Guardian Australia, Openverse, All About Birds, SK Hideaways, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Androcat, SW Florida Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, Port Lincoln Ospreys, The Royal Albatross Centre, The Guardian, Toronto Wildlife Centre, Loon Preservation Society, SOS Tesla.

Two Hatch in Melbourne!…Beau Returns…Thursday in Bird World

3 October 2024

Good Morning,

The European Starlings are really enjoying the meal worms. The Blue Jays are sorting through the peanuts for the best ones, and everyone wants a bath. It was a glorious fall morning in the garden with the animals and birds that I love so much.

Birds having a bath; Starlings eating meal worm treat.

Hope watching the Starlings.

Starlings devouring the meal worms.

Missey watches them, too.

Calico doesn’t care.

There is a hatch, on Wednesday, at the Melbourne CBD 367 Collins Street scrape. The penthouse falcons! Congratulations! We should be seeing the other two little fluff balls shortly.https://youtu.be/VRfLhA-E7cg?

And then there were two! Close together in hatch times. Fantastic.

Those two little fluff balls are getting some breakfast bits.

Wiggly Dad takes care of the chicks! https://youtu.be/TxPGlZ6lBWc?

The other big news is that a bit of a ragged Beau has returned to the NE Florida nest after having been away for a fortnight and a day. 24E1 has not been seen since Tuesday morning at the nest. Gabby was there at 1000 on Wednesday morning. It is 5:34pm on the cam and as far as I know, Gabby has not been at the nest since his return. Oh, dear.

Beau made it through the hurricane. Are the missing feathers because of that along with the fresh blood on his tail or has he been in a fight? and with whom?

Gabby did return and she did find Beau. His feet are not in as bad a shape as the rest of him. They were down in the nest together working away. It is better than anything on Netflix. But, let us hope that this nest calms, that whichever of the males Gabby picks is up to the task of fatherhood this year, and that all hatchlings fledge.

The AEF welcomes Beau back to the NE Florida nest: https://youtu.be/fl13dy61pMs?

I don’t think I have ever been so mad. See the post by Brian Collins below. Forestry England has observed ospreys at Llyn Clywedog for years. John Williams has kept accurate records on the fish delivered, and we now understand that a family of two adults and three osplets eat on average 480-525 fish, medium ones, from time of egg laying to migration. Ospreys cannot carry huge fish – think a Brown Trout. Of course, many other people keep track of fish deliveries, type and size and amount. This information should be clearly available to all. But, Goodness me. That is only about 1000 lbs of fish. A drop in the bucket compared to Omega’s takings. We also know that adults died and that starvation deaths were regional. So that the starving osplets in the Bay are specific to the overfishing of the Menhaden.

Geez. This ASMFC smells fishy.

Collecting data on our nests can be very overwhelming. For Heidi and me, because we were looking at mortality rates and causes, the emotion connected with watching ospreys starve to death when help could come has often been simply ‘too much’. Right now I have data on more than 60 nests that need to be entered except that it is lacking key information – the day the eggs were laid, the hatch dates, details on weather or dates of death, even fledging days. I am getting there slowly and hopefully we will have a good indication of the % that died from starvation and/or siblicide or predators in 2024 from over 566 osprey eggs. Bear with me. My goal is to get this together before the end of November!

I will put out a call early for information for the 2025 season. I am looking for detailed information on the nests that Heidi and I do not normally cover including those in Europe and in particular, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Germany. If you watch a particular nest on a regular basis, we would appreciate hearing from you as to dates the adults arrive, the date eggs are laid, hatch, and the date of the first flight. If chicks die or eggs do not hatch, all information is important. Thank you!

Elfruler has sent out a posting that they will be cutting back on what they are posting in terms of nests for similar reasons – being overwhelmed and nests with poor cams and little information. This is part of the letter that they sent out to readers: “

Bald EaglesNest Watch UpdateBy elfruler on 10/02/2024

After reflecting long and hard over the last few months, I have determined reluctantly that it is time to retire the yearly Nest Watch page on my website.  I began that page with the 2019-2020 season as what seemed like a logical extension of my comprehensive collection of statistics on eggs, hatches, and fledges on eagle nest cams since 2011.  But I am finding that maintaining the page has become exhausting.

Is Ervie out scouting for a female? And how many female are there? Do we need a translocation for all these males??? Ervie was everyone’s all time favourite – the little third hatch that took on big Bazza and Falkey to be kind of the Port Lincoln territory til Mum and Dad thought he might need to move a little further away.

I found some old video footage of Ervie having a dust up with Bazza and another of Ervie catching his infamous puffers. At one time we thought they might seriously injure one another. Enjoy.

We wait and hope for Xavier and Diamond at Orange.

Diamond isn’t getting up for Xavier’s prey offering! https://youtu.be/hw8kTwnYso8?

Holly Parsons is hearing cheeps…maybe by the time I get ready to post this blog Thursday morning there will be a visible pip for Xavier and Diamond.

A look at the eggs at Port Lincoln. We could have a pip any day.

Bella and Scout have been working on the platform below the NCTC nest.

Foggy morning at the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta.

M15 and F23 are working diligently on their nest. https://youtu.be/0NTNNvhzgDY?

Our favourite GHOs, Bonnie and Clyde, are back at work, too. Clyde is busy delivering food to Bonnie! https://youtu.be/ZO9dQSqPinM?

More fish for those adorable sea eaglets for breakfast. https://youtu.be/ht8N6kMNlKg?

Judy Harrington is bringing us up to date on those cutie pies.

Looking at that wing span!

Smile. This osprey patient was returned to the wild!

Thank you to everyone for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘J’, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Brian Collins and Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, Elfruler, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Holly Parsons, Falcon Cam Project, NCTC Bald Eagle nest, IWS/Explore.org, Androcat, Nesting Bird Life & More, Judy Harrington and Olympic Park Sea Eagles, and Florida Wildlife Hospital.

Eagles returning…Wednesday in Bird World

2 October 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Gosh, Tuesday was a bit nippy on the Canadian Prairies. Fall blew in, literally, Monday morning and is hanging around. The low temperature overnight was 5 C and 15 C is our high. Picture this: A wool jumper from Sweden, heavy wool socks, and some dense denim and the furnace is on. Tomorrow, some Birch will be delivered for the wood stove to drive off the chill of these early fall evenings. This morning it is rainy and damp. The Starlings are pecking at the solid suet feeder while I sneeze and cough – the first of the ‘seasonal change’ colds that happen annually. No sign of ‘The Boyfriend’. He is hunkered down somewhere warm and dry.

Tuesday was the day that I finally got the letter off to EarthJustice about the Menhaden industrial fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. It introduced the problem to see if they are interested in taking on a legal challenge to stop the fishing. It was nice to have the respite time to sit and think through this and do some data entries of osprey nests that are not on streaming cams. So tomorrow will be a good day to head off to the nature centre for a walk. So much nicer than those hot humid days of summer.

Those Canada Geese are probably flying in to sleep earlier each night as the days get shorter and the temperatures get chillier. We are set to go back and check on the geese on the evening of the 5th of October – and then I signed us up to build birdhouses on the Sunday. That should be fun!

The latest news in cat world is that The Boyfriend has either trained me or I have trained him to be ready for breakfast at 0900. He is always waiting. Sometimes peeking in the garden door (staring at Baby Hope) or sitting on a stump. Today, he got an extra treat since it was so cool – a big tin of sardines. ‘The Girls’ do not like them! Of course, Calico loved them when she was an outdoor kitty and a big dish of those very stinky fish is what lured Baby Hope into the trap to come inside. Think they would go near them now? Not on your life. Too funny. Too spoiled. And very much adored.

All of the garden animals are caching food in a frenzy now. Little Red even jumped on the back of a Crow today! They are brave those reds – the greys not so much.

The Florida Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers are overcome with birds and other animals in need. It is the same for Tennessee.

Continuing on with the Menhaden…some agencies are just useless.

An unusual patient in The Netherlands.

I am seeing an Osprey at Captiva, but there does not appear to be that fish bone in the leg. Not Jack?

At the NE Florida Nest of Gabby and 24E1, the couple are working tirelessly on getting that nest sorted!

One of the questions on the NE Florida chat had to do with eagles bonding for life. Do they break up? Now sit back and think about this. Ma Berry left the Berry College nest. She was seen in Alabama. Pa then took Missey as his mate. What others can you think of? Send me your list!

Still waiting to see if Holly Parsons caught a glimpse of a pip at Orange or if it was something from the nest attached to the egg. We are in hatch range, 34-36 days. Oh, I so hope we have a lively little one this year. One is good.

Lady came down from her branch to join SE33 and SE 34 in the nest. Looks like they might be getting a wee snack.

A good look at that nice fish Dad brought to the eaglets yesterday. https://youtu.be/M5T5dQOG_PM?

One eagle working on the Duke Farms nest on Tuesday.

Poor thing. Its toes are caught in the shell of the turtle.

32 year old Bald Eagle Ambassador Dies.

As many of you are aware, there have been concerns about the Achieva Credit Union Osprey Platform in St Petersburgh, Florida for a number of years. This past winter the hatchling slipped through a hole in the nest that was part of a drainage system and died. Hurricane Helene has caused much damage in Florida and this nest is not a priority. For many of us, it is because there are no eggs and no chicks yet. It is not clear what work the Tampa Bay Raptor Centre undertook in the winter of 2024, if any. The platform needs a real overall – the drainage system needs to be amended so that no eggs or chicks fall through. There needs to be two perches. A predator baffle needs to be installed. The adjacent tree must be trimmed or critters can climb it and get on the nest. That is just a beginning. I was informed today that the Audubon Society erected the original platform. They are at Clearwater. This is their e-mail address:

cas@clearwateraudubonsociety.org

If you feel so inclined, please write to them. There are many, many priorities in Florida right now, but this platform needs to get on their radar because of the timing of the breeding season coming up. Maybe someone will be hear by and can lend a hand. I always say it is worth asking. All they can do is say ‘no’, but they might say ‘yes’. I will be sending them a note today or tomorrow. Thank you.

Ospreys do rebuild nests. So do Bald Eagles and they can do it in record time. It is the overall structure of the nest and the issues of predation that need to be addressed not the mess on top, but that would be nice, too.

We have also seen PSEG clean out the nest at Patchogue. The ospreys did the best they could with the upside-down material they were left with.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the Achieva Osprey platform looked like the one on Lori Covert’s property on Captiva? I wonder if Window to Wildlife might like to take the Achieva platform on as a project of theirs?

Connie and Clive were both at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest Tuesday.

Frances and Franklin are working on the Bluff City nest. Boone and Jolene lost their tree but this tree and nest seem in pretty good shape.

Migration count to date at Hawk Mountain, PA. I wonder how much Hurricane Helene impacted the weekly total??

Vinny, the Black Vulture, has been hanging out at the Little Miami Conservancy Bald Eagle nest.

Black Vultures are large raptors. They are exquisitely black, with just the tip of their under wings clad in a gorgeous silver.

How big a problem are Black Vultures to cattle ranchers? Purdue University did a study.

Black Vulture Ecology and Human-Wildlife Conflicts – Dr. Pat ZollnerDownload

Calico’s Tip for the Day: Do you love crusty bread? We love it and Mark Bittman’s No Knead Bread is often baking away in my great grandmother’s cast iron lidded pot. The problem is cutting it. Calico will tell you that it seems every time I bake bread or bring a baguette home from the boulangerie, crumbs get all over the kitchen floor. She knows that it happens right after I clean the floor, invariably. My Japanese knives do not cut the bread correctly – they cut everything else so thin but make a mess of bread. So, Calico has been reading Wirecutter again and we now have a very inexpensive knife with a serrated edge that has made my life so much easier!

Calico says you can thank her later, but remember – crusty bread!

Why We Love the Mercer Millennia Wide 10-inch Bread Knife | Reviews by WirecutterDownload

Thank you for being with us today. Take care. Stay safe. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘MP, Dierenambulance Den Holder, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Olympic Park Eagles, Nesting Bird Life & More, Duke Farms, Missouri Department of Conservation, Back to the Wild, Castilia, Ohio, Achieva Credit Union, ETSU-Bluff City, Hawk Mountain Migration, Little Miami Conservancy Bald Eagle Nest Cam, Brian Collins – Menhaden, Little Fish, Big Deal, and Purdue University.

Tuesday in Bird World

1 October 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

There was a ‘stand off’ at the garden door between Baby Hope and ‘The Boyrfriend’ yesterday morning. I had not been out to replenish his dish and he was telling us that it was time for breakfast! Baby Hope was not impressed.

My goodness. Fall arrived with a surprise on the Canadian Prairies. It had been so warm, and then strong winds came during the night, and now – it is crisp, like a lovely fresh apple! The skies on Sunday morning were a golden pinkish apricot. The Starling flooded the big tray feeder scattered with mealworms, and there were THREE Blue Jays – Mr and Mrs Junior and this summer’s fledgling with the crooked tail. It survived! What a joy to see – it was like my eyes were fooling me. There were two, and then there were three. What happiness.

We continued our decluttering on Sunday while, at the same time, switching out summer clothes for winter ones. The house was built in 1902 at a time when closets were either tiny or non-existent. The Japanese cabinets are 1.2 metres or 4 feet; they do not hold a lot. But, in truth, how much do we really need?

Meals will switch now to more comforting things. Tonight we are going to try and remember how to make sweet potato slices with Maple Walnuts and Goat cheese. It is simple – if I remember it correctly – and delicious. Cut the sweet potato into thick slices and baste with margarine, olive oil, or butter while baking at 350 degrees until tender. Meanwhile, take the walnuts (or pecans) and toss them with a bit of cinnamon, sugar, and maple syrup. Put on a try preferably lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 20 minutes. Cool. To serve, put the tender potatoes on a plate. Scatter with the candied walnuts and crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy!

The farmers are harvesting and, traditionally, they would be finished for our Thanksgiving, which is the second Monday in October. Nothing to do with pilgrims, etc. – it is a day of thanksgiving for the bountiful crops of the land.

Bird News is thin today.

Gabby and 24E1 were at the Northeast Florida Bald Eagle nest and then heavy rains began. I do adore this male. Gabby obviously does, too. I also really liked Beau, but it seems that Gabby, for the moment, feels that he is the one to protect her and her babies and to take care of them. I hope nothing happens to him!

Posted by the AEF Monday evening:

In Port Lincoln, all eyes are on the eggs of Mum and Dad as pip watch approaches.

There are no confirmation pips on the cam at Xavier and Diamond’s yet.

Sea Eaglet spreads its incredible wings at the Olympic Park Nest. https://youtu.be/Lp2w8wyD28g?

Nice fish lunch for the Olympic Park sea eaglets! https://youtu.be/K8ovnAeaKPY?

Jackie and Shadow made a brief visit to the nest in Big Bear. https://youtu.be/A_pQRMQBcSM?s

There is a little eyas in that flower pot!!!!

Geemeff sent some news items – some will make you smile while others will simply make you more than angry.

G: This still has me gritting my teeth:

https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/man-kills-osprey-idaho-retaliation

but more stopping off spaces for Ospreys makes me happy:

https://www.devonairradio.com/news/exeter-and-east-devon/ospreys-fly-in-one-year-on-from-otter-estuary-breach

And this is something to smile about:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgl3p877njo.amp

At one time, the use of feathers in millinery and in haute couture, caused birds to become nearly extinct. Did you know that feathers are still be used in the fashion industry? One designer is working to stop the practice!

Stella McCartney preaches Peace and Dove in mission to save birds | Stella McCartney | The GuardianDownload

Is it possible to have a town with more parrots than human residents? Have a read!

Parrots overwhelm Argentinian town with screeching, poo and power outages | Argentina | The GuardianDownload

Calico’s Tip of the Day: Wash that Pumpkin. Do not put any bleach on the pumpkins. It is harmful to wildlife. Deer, squirrels, even some birds love to eat the pumpkins. Keep them healthy!

This is what our Ospreys need – Menhaden. Little fish for ospreys and stripped bass, not supplements!

MenhadenDownload

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, images, videos, stories, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff’ NEFL-AEF, American Eagle Foundation, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Eagle 22, Nesting Bird Life and More, Nazz Debz and Orange Peregrine Falcon FB, The Guardian, BBC, Devon Air News, Brian Collins, Chesapeake Bay Programme, and Family Fun.

Sunday in Bird World

29 September 2024

Hello Everyone,

Sunday morning. Baby Hope is the protector of the realm this morning! She decided that there was no way that The Boyfriend would come into the house after he had breakfast. He now arrives at 0900 and 1700 for ‘wet’ food. There are two of them. One has white on both sides of its nose – this one – and the one who is quite skitterish has white only on the right side.

Greetings from a sunny and HOT Saturday on the Canadian Prairies.

Every bird spent some time having a bath today! Water is so essential when it is hot even more so than food! And it has to be changed and filled lots of times a day.

Years ago we had a neighbour, Alf. Alf kept a journal throughout his life, no matter where he was, including being in a British submarine during World War II around Sri Lanka. He always included everything about the weather, who he saw, what he did, and the major news events. Alf was amazing. Every morning, he went swimming with the high school team at 0700. He rode his bicycle up and down the lanes near our town, often picking blackberries and bringing us a pail. Many years after he retired, he started studying German and Russian. On New Year’s Eve, he was always at the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. Alf taught us so much during the time I lived near him while reading at the University of Leicester. The fates worked in my favour in 2003. I was able to visit with Alf a few weeks before he died. He began to feel unwell during the morning swimming and died peacefully in the ambulance en route to the hospital. Alf never married. I think his neighbours were his family and he certainly treated us that way. I want to take a page out of Alf’s playbook and start tracking the garden animals in a properly bound journal. I might even force myself to learn how to draw!

Lately, the digital world has been giving me a headache. The sorting of the photographs, information. While I cannot imagine not being able to find information quickly compared to ordering articles and books through inter-library loan, I want to slow down and pick up a journal and see what was happening in the garden last year on this date. Analog. Today, I would write that the European Starlings returned. Did you know their beaks are not correctly shaped for eating most seed? They like unshelled peanuts, meal worms, and soft suet. On Saturday we picked up the Starlings’ favourite suet and today their meal worms should arrive. What perturbs me is the fact that so many people are highly selective in the birds that they want to feed. Yes, Starlings are an ‘invasive’ species. They can’t help that some humans introduced them into North America. And personally I think they are stunningly beautiful and they are not more aggressive in the garden than the Jays or the Sparrows. In fact, the most aggressive animals are the squirrels. There are more entries on a search engine for bird food to prevent Starlings from wanting to eat at your feeder than what they like to eat. Oh, that irks me.

Saturday evening was amazing. It was so warm. The geese were busy feeding at the fields on the way to Oak Hammock Marsh. They had a presentation on the geese that come to the marsh and then we went out to see the murmurations of the Rusty and Brewer’s Blackbirds (the Red-Wing and Yellow-heads left on migration several weeks ago). We get Canada, Cackling, Snow, White-fronted, and Ross’s geese and the morphs. Tonight there were Blue-winged Teal, two Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese and a speckled breast White-front juvenile. Tens of thousands of geese did not fly in at once like they would have had the weather been colder. They need to eat more than they need to sleep. Most will come to the safety of the marsh at 0100 or 0200 and go out feeding again around mid-morning.

Oak Hammock is a combination of wetlands, the marsh, and the Tall Grass Prairies.

What is unusual at the end of September are the number of mosquitoes!

The Trumpeter Swans at a distance. One overwintered about 2 km north of the wetlands at the site of an Artisan spring.

The colours were so beautiful and the water was as smooth as glass.

It was just the perfect night.

In the UK, those amazing Pink-footed Geese are arriving from Iceland and Greenland.

Country diary: The annual spectacular of noisy, feathered visitors | Birds | The GuardianDownload

We need to know as much about Menhaden as we can. They are critical to keeping the ospreys in Chesapeake Bay alive. https://youtu.be/2Tvq8W8QtLM?

After Helene. Gabby and 24E1 continue work on their nest.

Still wet at SW Florida.

It is raining in Ithaca, New York at the nest of Big Red and Arthur.

It is always nice on a Saturday listening to Ferris Akel’s tour. Today, there were some excellent waterfowl, including gorgeous Great White Egrets, Blue Herons, and Gallinue.

And some female Wood Ducks!

It was the start of a beautiful day at Big Bear Valley.

The cameras picked up a person walking their dog close to the nest tree.

A sub-adult Bald Eagle is working on the US Steel nest of Claire and Irvin in Pittsburgh. https://youtu.be/zmF87AzhDPU?

WingsofWhimsy caught the visit on video. https://youtu.be/mdcE0Oq_A_M?

There was an adult Bald Eagle at the Duke Farms nest on Saturday!

Boone and Jolene’s nest in Johnson City, TN was destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Let’s be grateful no eggs or chicks were in that nest.

Do you know about the streaming cam to the nest of the Sooty Falcon? https://www.youtube.com/live/mhZtCdEuRe4?

eBird describes the Sooty Falcon thus: “Slim, long-winged, long-tailed falcon that is built for long-distance migration. Adults are all gray, while juveniles have pale, spotted underparts. Breeds on cliffs along the coast or in the desert. During migration and winter, spends most of its time on the wing, and can be seen over any habitat. Quite social, and often seen in loose flocks of dozens or more. Adult is very similar to the dark-morph adult Eleanora’s Falcon, but Sooty is paler gray. Immatures also very similar, but immature Sooty has an unbarred tail without a rufous tip. Much longer wings and tail than Peregrine Falcon. Larger and lankier than other falcons.”

They are seriously cute.

“Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor), Allée des Baobabs near Morondava, Madagascar” by Frank.Vassen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The Peregrine Fund describes the challenges these falcons have: “The Sooty Falcon is categorized as Vulnerable. Some of the threats this lovely falcon faces including habitat destruction, especially in the form of human developments cropping up at important breeding sites, and disturbance. Feral cats also pose a threat to this falcon.”

Those cute little Olympic Park Sea Eaglets had some fish for lunch! Not a bird. Gosh, these two are little darlings. https://youtu.be/JiVqBbKBKX0?

Pip watch for Xavier and Diamond!

Thankfully these two are not going to fledge in the next week!

The first pair of White-tail Eagles are breeding in Northern Ireland in 150 years.

White-tailed eagles: First breeding pair confirmed in Northern Ireland in over 150 years – Raptor PeDownload

There are no plans for anything to happen to the Achieva Nest. I wrote to the Tampa Bay Raptor Centre and bucket trucks are in high demand right now and the ospreys will need to rebuild their nest on their own.

It is relatively quiet in Bird World right now. Instead of taking a full break, I will be writing a shorter blog until we get the hatches in Australia.

Take care of yourselves. We will see you in six days.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, announcements, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J’, Oak Hammock Marsh and Ducks Unlimited, The Guardian, The New York Angler, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Bald Eagle Cam, Cornell Red Tail Hawk Cam, Ferris Akel Tours, FOBBV, PIX Cams, WingsofWhimsy, Duke Farms, eBird, CarnyXWild, OpenVerse, Nesting Bird Life & More, Ildiko Pokk, ETSU-Johnson City, and Raptor Persecution UK.

Saturday in Bird World

28 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I am starting to put all of the things that excite me or late updates here at the top. On Friday evening 24E1 brought Gabby her first fish gift of the season. She devoured that fish. I know that many have been cheering for Beau. Beau is not at the nest. 24E1 is and Gabby appears to be more than happy with him. His toes are ‘not that bad’ and actually appear to be healing. He is perfectly capable of protecting the nest, taking care of Gabby, and we hope providing for her and their eaglets, if that happens.

Gabby was working on the nest. She knows he is coming. Look at the delight on 24E1’s face when Gabby accepts the fish!

Friday was the most glorious day. There was a clear blue sky. Not a hint of a cloud! There was a nice breeze and the temperature was 22 C. As I write, the European Starlings have come in to try and get as many meal worms out of the nut cylinder as they can. Little do they know that I ordered them 22 lbs of meal worms. They will be here on Sunday.

Mr Crow got into the action, too!

It was Open House at Wildlife Haven. The Director said they wondered if they were taking a huge risk having the event so late in the month, but, no. It was fabulous. Last year it was 15 September and wet and cold. The vet who is doing her internship for a year as part of a project through the University of Guelph was amazing. I learned so much! And I asked a lot of questions for all of us!!!!!!!!!

First up a little bragging. I never win anything. And today, by putting the feather to the raptor (12 different ones), I won the book prize. It is a marvelous volume that I will enjoy.

We got to visit with one of the GHO ambassadors. It was found at the bottom of the nest. The parents would not feed it and then it was discovered why. It was born with only one eye and its beak was crooked so it could not hunt or survive in the wild.

Isn’t this owl a sweetie?

The volunteer with the GHO sent me over to Rick who was hosting a display on Kestrels. He does videography as well as taxidermy. I learned so much about how long it will take to get my Cooper’s Hawk approved for ‘stuffing’.

That is the female Kestrel on the top. She is larger than the male. Rick has a blind and monitors a small population of these raptors. He says the females are ‘fierce’. The males not so much. Want the territory protected? Call the female!!!!!!

Patients are brought to Wildlife Haven by Conservation Officers, Volunteers, and the general public. At intake, they try to get as much information as possible so that the patient can be returned to its territory on release. The goal is always to get them back to the wild. Next is the examination room where there is a host of machines such as an x-ray to try and determine what is needed.

Tess said that the centre is lucky. It has all of the facilities needed including a surgical centre so that raptors with broken wings can be put on the mend and not euthanised.

There are oxygen rich incubators if needed.

Cages for animals awaiting diagnosis. They are using stuffies so that the real animals do not get stressed.

A stuffie stands in for the Bald Eagle who did have wing surgery and is in one of the larger areas awaiting transfer to the flight pens.

The sub-adult Bald Eagle that had the surgery.

You have all heard about imping. Replacing a missing feather with another which is glued in place. According to Tess, you can only imp 2-3 feathers if you want success. Most of the raptors have many more feathers missing either their primaries, tail feathers, or both. She did say that in Manitoba, most of the hydro poles are insulated so that the birds are not electrocuted. She has not seen an electrocution from a power pole.

As I walked around I took notice of all the things that are needed in case you are feeling like making a donation. Those clean old towels are needed all the time! Dawn detergent. Bleach. All manner of stainless steel or plastic container that could be used for feeding animals. Look on the shelves below! If you clean out a house for someone moving (or otherwise), please consider donating items to your local wildlife rehabilitation clinic. They go through gallons of bleach and Dawn!!!!!!

Those old clean towels and sheets are always needed. If you are feeling ‘flush’, a good laundry set is always wanted.

One thing we haven’t thought of – bees wax paper. They use it for bandages for turtles! You can put the beeswax paper on the incision or wound and it actually keeps it from getting infected. They can use these for a fortnight without changing them and they are removed easily with a tongue depressor.

There is a turtle in there with a beeswax bandage under that leaf.

Majestic, the Ambassador Bald Eagle.

It was a great event. The new vet tech is fantastic. I said that at least twice. Her goal is for every animal to live in the wild. She said that the area of wildlife rehabilitation veterinary science is relatively new compared to large animals or domestic pets. One aspect that she is keenly interested in is the resilience of the animals. Can a turtle live in the wild with only three legs? Why not try it? Monitor them. The answer is, ‘Yes, they can’. What about a raptor with one leg? It was not that long ago that the wildlife would be euthanised. Now, some wildlife vets are ‘sticking their necks out’ to see precisely who can live with what injuries and thrive. I highly recommend that you seek out your local clinic and find out when they have Open House!

‘MP’ suggests that it is the right time to get that platform at Achieva fixed before the new breeding season starts. I sent a note to the Tampa Bay Raptor Centre to see if they could help. It is possible that there are so many animals in need that this could still be low on the priority list. The platform needs a new perch if not two of them. The dish needs proper drainage but with the ability to not allow eggs or nestlings to fall down and die or break. Was the tree trimmed to stop raccoons? What about other predators?

Oh, goodness. Falcons are the cutest! Don’t you love how they talk to their eggs?!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/qjh2vn1-vh4?

The Royal Cam chick’s name is Kiwa. Just lovely and the meaning is perfect.

Gabby was in the nest on Friday.

No one at the Newfoundland Power nest…it seems they have all headed south.

‘J’ reports that both eagles have been seen at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands eagle nest.

The Bluff City Bald Eagle streaming cam is up and running. The nest appears alright.

The wind is still blowing reasonably strong at Pa and Missey Berry’s nest in NE Georgia.

If you missed the live Ventana Wildlife Chat live, here is the recording. https://youtu.be/yLBrKSws3Zg? This month focuses on “…the Condor Crew highlight the arrival of our condor “rookies” in San Simeon, while our new interns, Rachel and Griffin, offer a glimpse into the developing personalities of these young birds. We also share some exciting nesting and flock updates, including a video of wild-hatched condor chick 1315 being fed by his dad, and Bucky (1087)’s release date from Oakland Zoo.“

What an adorable family. The Olympic Park Eagles in Sydney.

You still have time to guess the day and time the first egg will hatch at Port Lincoln. Put it under the streaming cam in chat! A big thanks to Brad M for keeping us great historical records and organising all the information including the daily log of nest happenings. It is invaluable. The link is at the top of the chat.

‘PB’ reports that the Seaside Bird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, Florida, suffered substantial damage due to flooding.

‘J’ sends us Rita’s Fun Fact Friday: Rita the Bald Eagle

sSpterdoon87ihlf6la3h00533ha05t9g47l4h9a9ma1u23h7m94guh82g9l  · 

Time for Fun Fact Friday! Enrichment for good health! It is very important for any facility that takes care of birds and other animals to provide an environment with lots of enrichment to help them thrive. For a raptor, like Rita, having various perches of different heights with different materials covering them helps to keep her feet healthy, and the wood provides a good surface for her to “feak” her beak to keep it clean and sharp. Being able to bath in her bath tub and having a water mister helps with feather conditioning. A variety of prey items, some of which can be placed in containers that require her to use her foraging skills, is very stimulating. A few examples that simulate foraging in the wild are to place prey items in a floating bowl in the bath tub to be “fished out” or to freeze the prey in ice blocks, or put it in egg cartons or cardboard boxes with holes cut out so the prey is still visible are all great ideas. This allows the eagle to “hunt” and tear at the container to get to the prey. Another idea was to provide a sisal rope toy that the eagle could flip around and stomp on like it would do with sticks or prey in the wild. There are lots of ideas for enrichment online. When researching ideas, I came across a YT video of an eagle that was given a carved out pumpkin! That’s a great idea since Halloween is coming up and the stores will have pumpkins! Those caregivers carved holes in it and stuffed it with prey items sticking out so the eagle could forage for its food. With that idea in mind, I brought a ball for Rita, and Kelly and Laura put fish in for her to pick out! She had such a funny expression when she first saw the ball. Kelly and her team are always striving to provide the best of care for Rita with enrichment in her environment and diet that can help her thrive. They are the bestn and your support can help provide some stimulating enrichment for Rita! Thank you! JK  #ritathebaldeagle

The Hawk & Owl Trust withdraws from the Hen Harrier brooding scheme!

Hawk & Owl Trust withdraws from hen harrier brood meddling sham – Raptor Persecution UKDownload

Friday evening we took a quick spin over to The Mint. On our way to Wildlife Haven, we noticed hundreds of geese feeding on the grass at The Mint. I wondered if they would return to the pond at night for its security.

That did not happen. There were a few geese in the pond along with some ducks, but not many.

Is it because of this?

Calico’s Tip for the Day comes from ‘Everything Gardening’. Get yourself a nice cuppa and sit back and leave the leaves alone.

Missey and Hugo Yugo wish you a fantastic weekend. They want you to take care of yourself. Get outside if you can. Listen for the birds. Pet a cat! And be back with us as soon as you can.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, MP, PB’, Wildlife Haven, SK Hideaways, NZ-DOC, NEFL-AEF, Newfoundland Power, Achieva Credit Union, Berry College Eagle Cam, ETSU Bluff City, Olympic Park Eagles, Raptor Persecution UK, The Canadian Mint, Winnipeg, and Everything Gardening.