Category Archives: Australian birds

Monday in Bird World

24 February 2024

Greetings Everyone,

We hope that you have had a lovely weekend and got to spend some time with friends or outdoors in nature OR both. Sunshine, the sound of the birds, or the laughter of others can elevate a slow sad day to one full of light. Try it, please.

The days are growing longer on the Canadian Prairie, with daylight stretching until at least 6:00 PM! This is a thrilling reminder that spring is just 27 days away. Ospreys will soon be returning to the UK, and by now, many nests in the US will already have eggs. We are all wishing for their safe return.

The Girls have really been enjoying the warmer weather and longer daylight hours, too. I have noticed that they will only sleep on the back and arms of the sofa if there is a wee blanket.

This year, I am particularly invested in a few remarkable birds—after all, we all have our favourites. I am eagerly anticipating the return of Louis to Dorcha at Loch Arkaig, and I hope he arrives healthy and revitalized. Maya faced challenges in 2024, and I am determined to see her once again partner with Blue 33 to raise a family. Even though Laddie is sadly no longer with us, there is hope that Blue NC0 will find a new mate and create a family at Loch of the Lowes.

I am also excited to see CJ7 reunite with Blue 022. Their incredible bond has allowed them to raise four extraordinary osplets in 2024. Additionally, let’s not forget about Iris and Finnegan! Together, let’s energize the flyways between the southern coast of Texas and Montana to ensure Iris’s safe return, with Finnegan there to protect her and support her in raising another brood of chicks. Join me in sending our heartfelt good wishes! Join me in sending our heartfelt good wishes!

As we turn our attention to the present, the anticipation of this year’s hatchlings fills me with hope—true little miracles waiting to unfold. You may have your own favourites, but for me, the joy of seeing Jak and Audacity finally welcome an eaglet after so many years along with Jackie and Shadow, would make this season unforgettable just like it was with Iris and Finnegan last year or even Beau and Gabby this year. I can already envision myself sitting there, overwhelmed with tears of pure happiness and soggy popcorn.

It is going to be a great year. Can you feel it?

Last week, I shared an article from The Guardian that a reader sent me. The article highlighted the polar bear fur trade and mentioned that the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was actively involved in or supporting it. The reader, who had donated decided to reach out to the WWF to inquire about their position on polar bear fur and the claims made in The Guardian article. I am pleased to share the response from the WWF that they received.

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns regarding a recent article in The Guardian about WWF’s position on polar bear conservation. We believe the story mispresents our position and we are actively raising inaccuracies with the publication directly. To be clear, WWF does not support or promote the polar bear fur trade, as you can see in our response to the article (https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?13500441/Guardian-response-polar-bears).
 
WWF remains steadfast in our mission to conserve polar bears and their habitat, while respecting the rights of Indigenous communities. Our funds are directed toward scientific monitoring of polar bear subpopulations, developing non-intrusive tracking methods such as eDNA, supporting research on the impacts of climate change on polar bears, and advocating for the protection of vital polar bear habitats. This work is essential to the long-term survival of the species. 
 
We appreciate your passion for wildlife and for the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the conservation of polar bears and their habitat. 
 
Regards,
 
Nirilis
World Wildlife Fund

Donating is a very personal choice, and it can be disappointing when the values we care about conflict with the organizations we support. I’m glad to hear that our reader received a response to their inquiry clearing up the misinformation.

On another note, one of our readers has always dreamed of seeing polar bears in their natural habitat, and they are coming to Manitoba this November for that experience! That is so exciting.

Time to check on our nests. There is a lot happening! In fact, I will apologise for the long ‘list’ and I didn’t even begin to cover all of what is happening! Eggs are being laid everywhere. Just as soon as some of these eagle eggs begin to hatch, ospreys will be returning hoping to find their mates and get on with their breeding season.

I cannot find the live stream for Big Red and Arthur. Normally in the late fall they begin to check on their nest on the Fernow Light Stand. Is it the construction that is causing this? I must find out.

Cornell Red Tail Hawks: Ferris Akel caught Big Red on the scaffolding of the clock tower, one of her favourite spots on the Cornell Campus. It was 39 degrees F. Big Red will be 22 years old this year. She hatched 7 miles from the Cornell Campus in 2003 and was ringed that October. She has been raising chicks on the Cornell Campus for a long, long time. She was on streaming cam in 2012, but that is not to say that she did not start having chicks much earlier than that!

Ferris also found Arthur so all is well. Gosh, it is so good to see them.

Achieva Credit Union: Jack’s fancy nest attracted a new mate and their egg was laid Friday the 21st of February at 22:14. Congratulations!

Frenchman’s Creek: We have an egg! Now, it’s Sunday and we have two. Mum hit by a GHO over night. Can we send the owls on holiday this year?

Pine Island Ospreys: Egg 1 broke. Egg 2 is 40 days old. Looks like it is non-viable. With that audacious owl, I would be just as happy that those eggs simply break or turn into dried Dudleys.

Lake Murray: Resident pair have returned! Gosh, let us hope those strobe lights and mannequins do their job this year and are set up right when those eggs are laid to send a message to those owls.

Hilton Head Nature Conservancy: The two eaglets are doing very well.

Golden Gate Audubon: Richmond is looking for Rosie. She traditionally arrives between February 18 and March 9. Pray for her safe return.

Little Miami Conservancy: Betty laid her first egg with Baker coming to see on the 19th. Expecting egg 2 on Saturday. https://youtu.be/SuT8i49kEmo?

Sauces: The very first egg that Jak and Audacity is incubating is still holding. That egg was laid on our anniversary, the 2nd of the 2nd month. That means that today, that egg is 22 days old. We need another fortnight til pip watch. Oh, please make this their year!

NE Florida: 31 continues to be just the cutest little eaglet! https://youtu.be/6b25MPQhsus?

31 continues to melt my heart. As far as I am concerned, 31 was a miracle eaglet. Let’s see if we can have a couple more at Sauces and Big Bear. Wouldn’t that make this a fantastic year?!

Standing on those feet!!!!!!!!!

Beau turned out just to be the best Daddy 31 could ever have wished to have….

Leucistic Red-tail Hawk: Angel has visited the nest in Tennessee.

Fay Slough Eagle Nest: Has collapsed with all the rain. Dr Sharpe recently installed a camera there. No eggs. Eagles were working on the nest.

Captiva Eagle Nest: Dasher and Dancer are growing, self feeding and doing very well. https://www.youtube.com/live/ba3BD27eKRs?

John Bunker Sands Wetlands: Gosh, look at these two. They grew before our eyes. It has been a good year at this nest. https://www.youtube.com/live/ba3BD27eKRs?

Dataw Island Bald Eagle Nest: Skylar is doing well. Has been seen on camera really flapping its wings!

West End: Thunder and Makai have their second egg. It was laid on 20 February. A Raven took the first.

Durbe County nest of Milda: Milda, the White-tailed Eagle has been coming to the nest preparing for the next breeding season. Eggs should come in the next few weeks. Fantastic. https://youtu.be/YCxGI8aTJWA?

Gleeson’s South Australia Osprey Platform: Marie found herself inland and quite away any possible fish meals. The relief that spread through the Port Lincoln community when Marie turned and flew south to the coast could be felt in Canada. Even the fish fairies were ready with meals for Marie as she would have been super dehydrated.

Latvian Golden Eagles Spilve and Gristles: They are getting ready for an exciting breeding season. https://youtu.be/Faj0YrCBeOg?

University of Florida-Gainesville Osprey Platform: Stella has returned with a new mate. Talon disappeared with three osplets on the nest. Stella managed to keep one of them alive and Talon Jr fledged! Hoping for a better year for this new couple.

Big Bear Valley Eagle Cam: Already people from around the world are getting excited over the prospect of Jackie and Shadow having a wee eaglet this year. There are three eggs. https://youtu.be/u6LnJNYfmHc?

Jan 22, 25, and 28. Pip watch: 27/28th of February!!!!!!!! So what will you be doing on Thursday?????????????????????

Fraser Point: There are three eggs for Andor and Cruz, too! Eggs: 14, 17, and 20 on the Santa Cruz Island nest.

Bluff City ETSU: Franklin and Frances have two eggs being incubated. They were laid on the 26 and 29 of January. So let’s count. Egg 1 is 29 days old today. We should be expecting pip watch in a week – on 3 March. Mark your calendars.

Johnson City ETSU: Boone and Jolene’s first egg is three days older than that of Bluff City which means that we should be looking for a pip watch on the 28th of February or 1 March.

Port Tobacco: Chandler and Hope are another couple with a three egg clutch – 3, 5, and 9 of March! So many three egg clutches this year.

US Steel: Stella and Irvine again with three eggs. This is a first for this nest!!!!!!!!! February 13, 16, and 19.

PA County Farm: Oliver returned to the nest looking good. What a relief with growing concerns over HPAI.

Centreport Eagles: First egg on the 19th. Looking for the second on Saturday before posting this blog.

Notre Dame Eagles: Gigi and her new mate now have two eggs!

Duke Farms: Goodness me. Another three egg clutch. Is this an unusual year? Eggs laid on 17, 20, and 23 of January. Pip watch for the first egg is right now- Friday evening as I write this. Maybe by the time of posting we will have eaglets in New Jersey!

Decorah North: Mr North and Mrs DNF on the 11th and 14th of February.

Redding Eagles: Liberty and Guardian have no eggs yet in the new nest and many are concerned that the time envelope is running out due to the extreme heat of the spring.

Fort St Vrain, Colorado: No eggs yet.

Eagle Country: No eggs yet for Skye or Blaze.

San Jose Falcon Scrape: Monty and Hartley are pair bonding! https://youtu.be/KQhgeUzeU04?

EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT EAGLE EGGS AND MORE.

The first article comes from ‘EJ’ which fit perfectly with the ones I had gathered for us today. How long does it take to lay that egg?

Raptor Resource Project: Bald Eagle and Bird of Prey CamsDownload

Bald Eagle Clutch Size:

This is a summary:

The average clutch size for bald eagles is two eggs, though they can lay up to four. 

Clutch size details 

  • The eggs are usually dull white and unmarked.
  • The incubation period is about 34–36 days.
  • The nestling period is about 56–98 days.
  • The eggs weigh about 110–130 grams.
  • The female incubates the eggs by sitting on the nest to keep them warm.
  • It usually takes her 3–6 days to complete her clutch.

Clutch success 

  • Three-egg nests produce a higher percentage of fledges than either 2-egg nests or 1-egg nests.
  • The number of eggs lost far exceeds the average in some years, while in other years few eggs remain unhatched.

Elfruler wrote an interesting article on breeding success. Note the words they use.

SUCCESS RATES OF CLUTCHES AND BROODS | Bald EaglesDownload

It seems that there are a larger than average number of nests with three egg clutches for the Bald Eagle nests on streaming cams in 2025. What is it that determines clutch size?

Factors that affect clutch size

  • Age: The age of the female bald eagle is related to the size of her clutch. 
  • Season: Cold weather and the time of season can affect clutch size.For example, clutches laid later in the breeding season may have fewer eggs. 
  • Resources: The availability of resources, such as prey, can affect clutch size. 
  • Contaminants: Legacy contaminants like DDT can suppress clutch size. 

Clutch size of bald eagles

  • The average clutch size of bald eagles is just under two eggs. 
  • Successful pairs of bald eagles usually raise one, two, or occasionally three young per nesting attempt. 
  • Bald eagles may lay a second clutch if the first set is lost. 

Other information about bald eagle clutches 

  • The complete breeding cycle from the time of arrival at a nest to the period of fledgling dependency is about six months.
  • Bald eagles may move south in the fall in response to changes in weather conditions and prey availability.

The Peregrine Falcons are starting to pay attention to their scrapes and mates. At Wilmington, Stewart is impressing Bridgette with a nice dressed pigeon!

At Orange, Xavier and Diamond have both been to the scrape. Diamond hid a grebe and well, guess who found it? Cutie pie Xavier!

Where are our Cal Falcons?

At least one falcon seen at Great Spirit Bluff.

We need hope right now and Knepp Farm is giving us a good dose of it!

Stories of hope from near & far – KneppDownload

My bucket list includes seeing Pink-footed geese in Norfolk. Might 2025 be the year?

“Pink foot geese” by grievemere is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/22/young-country-diary-a-sky-full-of-geese-is-an-awe-inspiring-sight?CMP=share_btn_url

Bird says of these lovely geese: “Relatively small and short-necked goose with contrasting dark brown head and neck, small black bill with pink band near tip, and pink legs. In flight shows extensively pale silvery upperwings. Breeds in Greenland, Iceland, and Spitsbergen; winters mainly in coastal lowlands with farmland and marshy grassland. In main areas, occurs in flocks of hundreds or even thousands; elsewhere, singles or family groups can be found among flocks of other geese. Rare but increasing winter visitor to northeastern North America, almost always with flocks of Canada Geese.”

Pink-footed geese breed in remote areas of Greenland, Iceland, and Svalbard during the Arctic summer. They nest on cliffs, rocky outcrops, and tundra hummocks.

Breeding grounds 

  • Greenland: Remote areas of eastern Greenland
  • Iceland: Remote areas of Iceland
  • Svalbard: Remote areas of Svalbard
  • Novaya Zemlya: The Arctic Russian archipelago of Novaya Zemlya

One huge issue for these geese is the thawing tundra. Will this mean that they will spend all year in Iceland, Greenland, and areas of the Russian archipelago?

There are also threats to beloved parrots. What are they? Birdlife International says:

From the humid rainforests of South America to the deserts of Australia, parrots are found on nearly every continent – adding colour and life to ecosystems globally.  

But, did you know that parrots are among the most threatened group of birds in the world?  

Human activities pose the biggest threats to these colourful birds:  

  • Agriculture is impacting 78 species like the near threatened Jonquil Parrot. 
  • Exploitation by the pet trade is affecting 75 species like the critically endangered near threatened Palm Cockatoo. 
  • Logging is affecting 62 species like the critically endangered Swift Parrot.
  • Climate change is affecting 32 species like the endangered Black-billed Amazon.

The count down clock to the arrival of the UK ospreys:

OspreyInformation.UKDownload

‘EJ’ sends a nice read: https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/not-something-you-see-every-day-mu-raptor-rehabilitation-project-treats-rare-hawk/article_62d91008–f088–11ef–b40d–1f409f656370.html

Calico is checking shipping rates for her cards and will have her fundraising page up by Tuesday or Wednesday. She is looking for good shipping deals for those who have written to request cards from Europe and Asia! It is incredible how complicated sending items to others can be. Some couriers are keen competitors, and we hope to have this ready to launch by Wednesday. Thank you for being so patient. Calico is very grateful to all those who have sent notes wishing to support her fundraising.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care of yourself. Try to get outside. Read an uplifting book. Watch a silly romance-comedy. Whatever it takes. We look forward to having you with us again on Thursday.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, letters, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘EJ, Geemeff, H, J, SP’, WWF, Ferris Akel Tours, Achieva Credit Union, Frenchman’s Creek, Pine Island Ospreys, Lake Murray Ospreys, Golden Gate Audubon, Little Miami Conservancy, IWS/Explore, NEFL-AEF, Window to Wildlife, Fay Slough Eagle Cam, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Dataw Island, LDF, Fran Solly, University of Florida-Gainsville Osprey Cam, FOBBV, Bluff City-ETSU, Johnson City-ETSU, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, PIX Cams, PA County Farms, Centreport Eagles, ND-LEEF, Duke Farms, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, FORE, SK Hideaways, Elfruler, Wilmington Falcons, Falcon Cam (Orange), Cal Falcons, Knepp Farm, Openverse, UK Osprey Information, komu news, HDonTap

Thursday in Bird World

13 February 2025

Hello Everyone,

First up, before I forget. The Great Back Yard Bird Count is taking place from tomorrow through the 17th. Here is all the information you need to participate with Cornell and Audubon.

Great Backyard Bird Count – Join us each February when the world comes together to watch, learn abouDownload

If you live in the UK, you need to submit by the 23rd of February. Here is the information for you:

Every survey counts. Tell us what you saw by 23 February.Download

The Girls have asked me to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day. They want you to know they are grateful for your letters and how you care about them. Sadly, they cannot send you any candies! My best friend left a box for us, and I was going to share it with all of you. That beautiful little box was left on the dining table, lid secured. This morning, those little red balls of chocolate were all over the floor. They had a hockey game during the night!!!!!!!! I heard nothing. Thankfully, they did not eat any of the candy – it is, however, not in a state to share. I wonder which team won? Team Calico vs. Missey-HY.

The temperatures have been in the -32 C range. The sun has been out and strangely the conservatory has been warm. It is a joy to be out there watching all the animals who continue to grow in number as they discover that food is available once again. Their survival is phenomenal. Brock and Star were here today eating kibble under the feeder which was left for the Starlings along with their other food. Both seem to be doing alright despite the frigid weather. Still, it is hard not to ache for them and their circumstances.

Star is very pretty. She is on the bird feeder to get the sunshine and keep her feet warm. She was not interested in killing our feathered friends, thank goodness.

There has been one big worry in Bird World since my last post on Sunday. An owl (Barred?) visited the nest of Beau and Gabby, just like the visits at the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23. Gabby quickly flew down to the nest to protect 31. Still, this is not something that we even want to fathom.

While Ospreys are not a match for GHOs (their claws are meant for carrying fish and fighting with one another over fish), they are not meant for battling these larger raptors. The Eagles are another story. Even our local Crows gang up on the GHO that lives on the nearby golf course. They usher that owl right out of the neighbourhood. But, as you know, the owls are silent, and that little 31 sleeping alone in that big nest is problematic. Please send me some positive wishes.

This little 31 is a cutie with its dark charcoal thermal down and dandelion head. Look at the length of that beak!!!!!!! It was a magical moment when that egg hatched, and our joy just helped us get through the sadness at SW Florida.

Others shared my concern with the mailbox full of worry for 31. ‘A’ wrote: “Gabby returned to the nest soon after 4am – perhaps she realises that the pre-dawn is probably the most dangerous time of all, based on my observations of the GHO nests. They usually bring home something laor    rge shortly before dawn to feed their owlet/s. Or that’s what I have seen. So presumably Gabby is aware of that too. She was on the nest for that vital 90 minutes or so before dawn, which was interesting, and of course we still have our wee one. Mind you, it’s not so wee – if I hadn’t seen those GHOs knock the parents from their perches, I’d even wonder whether NE31 is too big to carry off now. But we know how strong those feet and legs are. They are phenomenal. Scary. So I will be watching with fear and trepidation for another week or two at least with that baby alone on that nest. It’s such an expanse too – like a damned football field – so that the owl would have plenty of room to swoop and then lift NE31 and spirit it away. There are no branches to interfere with its path or slow it down – it would have no obstacles at all. I hope I am worrying unnecessarily but seeing that GHO scoping things out was terrifying.”

That owl has returned and Beau and Gabby jumped into action. I just wish they would remain on the nest with 31 until it is large enough that the owl will go away and leave them in peace. https://youtu.be/ExITfywEw9M?

I am not as concerned if it is a Barred Owl and this is the reason: “Barred Owls are comparable in size to a Great Horned Owl (21″versus 22″) but their weight is considerably different as the average weight of a Barred Owl is 1.6 pounds, roughly half of the weight of a Great Horned Owl.” It would not have the flight capacity of the GHO.

‘A’ remarks: “Again this morning, Gabby has gone down to the nest shortly before 4am. The only explanation I think is that she is obviously aware that this pre-dawn period is the most dangerous time, so she is going to the nest early each morning. It does give me a little bit of comfort, though I still worry all day (I’m on the other side of the world, remember, so as it is 4:11am at NEFL it is 8:11pm here). Since lunch time, I have had the NEFL screen open and I check li’l nugget regularly – mainly to see whether that little lump of fluff is still on the nest or whether one time I will look in and see that nest empty. It is terrifying, especially with both the GHO and the barred owl aware of the nest and prepared to attack the adults let alone NE31. That is a very tempting meal, I suspect, well fattened, young and tender. Just right for a growing owlet or two. It terrifies me. Poor wee eaglet. It looks so helpless and alone. Gabby is there now, as I said, and baby has woken up for yet another preen. Beau is nearby, perched above the nest.”

We are all concerned about the levels of lead contamination in our raptors, and, in particular, carrion eaters such as Bald Eagles, Condors, and Vultures. There is currently a study in the UK to ban the use of lead ammunition. the following file has a video attached, ‘The Toxic Restaurant’ that is extremely enlightening.

“The Toxic Restaurant” – spoof video highlighting toxic lead ammunition sends BASC into meltdown – RDownload

News coming out of the other nests indicates that in about 36-38 days we are going to be particularly busy with hatches happening everywhere.

NCTC nest with Bella and Smitty: First egg laid in the original nest on Monday the 10th. Snow coming down Tuesday.

Redding Eagles with Liberty and Guardian: First egg of the season is expected any moment.

Kansas City Eagles Harvie and Ellie: First egg laid Tuesday.

Decorah North with Mr North and Mrs DNF: First egg laid on Tuesday. There it is!

Buddy’s Mom caught the action at Decorah North on video: https://youtu.be/NjVoqQTGJdw?

FOLFAN Eagles: First egg is believed to have been laid on Monday.

West End: Sadly, the image says it all. Still no sign of Akecheta or his tag anywhere.

Sauces: One egg of the three Audacity laid appears to be holding strong. Send good wishes! Could this be another miracle eaglet this year?

Duke Farms: We have seen this Mum completely buried with snow protecting her eggs. Snow again. Thankfully not so much.

Rita’s History Monday:

Birdlife Malta releases its year end report of the illegal killing of birds on or over its territory.

Hunting season ends as illegal killing of protected birds persists | BirdLife MaltaDownload

The latest from Port Lincoln:

Changeover at the Royal Albatross Colony. RLK returns to relieve GLG. https://youtu.be/I7rO2UK0WJc?

What a beautiful time this is when both parents can spend time with one another preening and bonding.

The cams are back up at Fraser’s Point and look – is it Cruz with that big crop?

A perfect read for lovers of West Africa and UK Ospreys!

My Seventh Day in the Gambia: Farewells and One More Blue Ring…Download

From the home of Murphy, news of their releases for this week.

This Weeks ReleaseDownload

At the Hilton Head Bald Eagle nest, George and Gracie now has two eaglets to feed!

The two eaglets at John Bunker Sands – JBS 22 and JBS 23 -are the sweetest little things.

As mentioned in my earlier post, it appears that F23 and M15 are going to be alright. It has been a fortnight and the two adult eagles have been seen at the pond and at the nest. I know that this is a huge relief for all of you.

The couple working on their nest on Wednesday.

It is certainly going to be easy to fall in love with these two little cuties at the Kisatchie National Forest nest of Alex and Adrian II. Just look.

R7 and R8 are growing like weeds at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose.

Gosh, look at the size of Dasher and Dancer! Clive and Connie have been working so hard for these babies.

Angel and Tom have been working on their nest. Love the pine cone.

It was a duck dinner so very French at the nest of Michigan Bald Eagles, Harry and Harriet. https://youtu.be/Hch_Q9oZs6U?

In five weeks we will be watching Ospreys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait.

For now, you can also watch deer! ‘H’ reminds us of the Brownsville, Maine deer pantry – and, yes, I do love these folks. They have 12 acres and my goodness how kind they are.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care of yourself. We will be delighted to have you with us again on Monday.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J’, NEFL-AEF, NestFlix Memories, Raptor Persecution UK, NCTC, FORE, Farmer Derek, Raptor Research Project/Explore, Buddy’s Mom, FOLFAN, IWS/Explore, Duke Farms, Rita the Eagle FB, Birdlife Malta, Friends of Osprey Sth Aus, Cornell Bird Lab, Root and Wing, World Bird Sanctuary, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Kisatchie National Forest, Window to Wildlife, Great Lakes Bald Eagle Cam

Late Sunday in Bird World

9 February 2025

Hello Everyone,

Traveling is wonderful. It is the getting there and getting home that are not! The snow did not hinder our arrival late Thursday in Montreal and the young man who removes the snow around our property has already visited twice. Temperatures have even managed to warm up in Winnipeg.

It is now Saturday – late afternoon. Provisions for the birds and cats received attention today. Their pantry is stocked full. Saturday morning saw only one grey squirrel at the feeders. Now I am watching Dyson eating peanuts in the small feeder with little red hanging out at one of the newly replaced nut cylinders filling up. The Sparrows have returned and here comes another Grey. I want to see all four of them along with Mr Blue Jay and the woodpecker family and the chickadees today. Then I will feel like the garden is fine. Oh, it is doubly fine. There is another little Red!!!!! Oh, goodness me. The animals are a worry.

The Girls were fine. They are well looked after, but it does not replace the almost 24/7 attention they get when we are home. There is no Story time or pets that last hours. Hugo Yugo slept in my armpit for almost the entire night snuggled in very tight. Right now, they are all on the table with me as I write to you.

Sunday noon. The Starlings have returned to the garden along with TWO blue Jays. I teared up. I haven’t had time to check their tail feathers, but I want to be hopeful that Junior and Mrs. are both here. Star is eating at the feral feeder, and Brock was here earlier. As I said, life is beginning to return to normal. It feels good. We have visited our Bestie and a new episode of All Creatures Great and Small arrives this evening! No, we are not watching the Superbowl.

Sauces. Audacity laid three eggs. Egg one is still intact. Fingers crossed for it and that she doesn’t wear herself out laying eggs. One good one, one hard shell fertilised egg is all they need. https://youtu.be/q16DyG2BW5E?

Duke Farms has its Bald Eagle cam up and running for all fans. Mum is incubating three eggs! Three. Oh, dear.

Foggy morning on Friday at the West End nest of Thunder. (I am now throwing the towel in yet…)

This is the banding video for the male, Makaio, who appears to have displaced Akecheta. Displaced not injured. That was a male without any bands! https://youtu.be/XkXWRimCl3g?

I just want to go to the West End camera and see Akecheta on that nest. It has now been 22 days since we saw him injured.

Fish was not on the morning menu at Captiva for Dasher and Dancer. Every time I see a bird on any nest, I hold my breath.

There are new variants of bird flu spreading in different parts of the world. The dairy industry in the US is now monitoring their milk after an outbreak of variant D1..1. “Genome sequencing of milk from Nevada identified the different strain, known as the D1.1 genotype, in dairy cows for the first time, the USDA said. Previously, all 957 bird flu infections among dairy herds reported since last March had been caused by another strain, the B3.13 genotype, according to the agency.”

New avian influenza genotype found in dairy cattle | American Veterinary Medical AssociationDownload

Virologists tell us that it is only a matter of time for when another global pandemic strikes. Right now, our thoughts are with our feathered friends and the hope that they survive.

At the present time, I understand that the American Medical Association is monitoring the Bird Flu spread as the CDC is not reporting.

Beau brought in a baby shark for Gabby and 31.

Wings of Whimsy gives us some very cute moments on the NE Florida nest: https://youtu.be/pMgtM4FABVg?

Beau and 31 cannot get any cuter! https://youtu.be/hiPkrogFEHI?

The two little eaglets at John Bunker Sands are so sweet. They seem to be doing very well.

Bella and Scout have been at the old NCTC nest. I wonder if Scout is going to step up and be a great dad this year? We can only wait and see.

This nest is 21 years old. The newer one is about 15 feet or 4 metres below, according to Deb Stecyk.

Heidi reports that Port Lincoln’s Kasse caught a fish! We won’t know if it was her first, but it sure is a huge milestone to celebrate, regardless.

The people of Virginia and around the Chesapeake are fighting for the survival of the ospreys and other species due to the industrial harvesting of Menhaden – a fish critical to the osprey diet. Please lend them your voice. Write to the current governor, Senators, politcians and bloody well vote like you care in the next election!

Port Lincoln is reporting the tracking of its osplets. I am including Ervie here! Ervie has been going to Mundy Point where Kasse and Wilko go for their baths. Interesting.

What these two eagles can get up to with their sticks! https://youtu.be/-bP8GlQQnIQ?si

Wisdom, the at least 74-year-old Laysan Albatross, returned to her week-old chick. How incredible. I sure hope this image doesn’t get scrambled! Apparently, screen cams don’t get jostled but if I take something from another site, weird things can happen. So if there is a problem, please go to the Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge FB page!

Wisdom is now out foraging and her mate is feeding and brooding their little bundle of joy. Does he know how famous his partner is?

Hartley and Monty are getting a jump on spring! https://youtu.be/zmuhQouwdqo?

Richmond is expecting Rosie to return from her migration any day now. Think Valentine’s Day! He has been seen on all of the light poles, but was caught on the Whirley Crane, on all the lights, and today on the one they used for their nest in 2024.

Are you looking for a gold medal award winning osprey tour while visiting the UK (or while living there)? Look no further than the Birds of Poole Harbour! who have just won gold in Dorset.

Osprey cruises run by Birds of Poole Harbour charity win gold in Dorset Tourism Awards – Raptor PersDownload

Bonnie is incubating two eggs at the nest she shares with Clyde on Farmer Derek’s property.

There are eagles at the new MN-DNR nest in Minnesota.

I will probably mention it more than once, but it appears that F23 and M15 are doing rather well. Fish delivery at the nest. Both seen at the nest tree. It has been a fortnight since E24 passed. Let us hope that the adults are fine and will live long and productive – and healthy – lives. So happy.

Looking for something to watch? You might want to find out about this documentary that is winning awards: The Birdwatchers. 13.40 minutes long. https://youtu.be/z7xwv3twYDI?

If you missed the January 2025 Ventana wildlife Society Condor Chat, here it is archived! https://youtu.be/Oq1xfog0xmQ?

The triplets at the Abu Dhabi Osprey nest appear to be thriving. Their gorgeous juvenile plumage is coming in nicely!

Jack and the new female at the Achieva Credit Union nest appear to be getting on rather well.

Thank you for being with me today. We are still adjusting to being home. Right now, everything seems to be going reasonably well here and in Bird World and Osprey season is, thankfully, not really underway. In a month, there could be arrivals on the UK screens of your favourite families and, for sure, within six weeks we will be seeing ospreys everywhere. My plan is to post Bird World news twice a week for the next fortnight – on Mondays and Thursdays. We will resume daily posts at the end of February. We always look forward to having you with us. Take care!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff’, SK Hideaways, IWS/Explore.org, Window to Wildlife, AVMA, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, Wings of Whimsy, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Deb Stecyk, NCTC Bald Eagle Nest, Heidi McGrue, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Midway Atoll, SF Bay Ospreys, Raptor Persecution UK, Farmer Derek GHO Cam, MN-DNR, The Birdwatchers, Ventana Wildlife Society, Abu Dhabi Osprey Cam, Achieva Credit Union

Thursday in Bird World

6 February 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

Oh, it has been a glorious time in Guadeloupe. We hoped to see more hummingbirds and today what a shock we had. We walked through a treed area and there on a branch sleeping was a Purple throated hummer. It is large, much bigger than any of the hummingbirds that visit our garden in Canada and, indeed, larger than a sparrow! The images are not so good – I only had my phone and I was so surprised to see this gorgeous creature.

There was also a Green Heron fishing in the pond with the Flamingos. Each day, there are new surprises.

We are at the airport in Port a Pitre. It id a really hot day! The AC in the departures lounge is working over time. We had the most amazing trip. Small little coves, private beaches, the rainforest. Lots and lots of fresh fruit, but I am dying for a big salad and some vegetables! It is snowing and blowing in Winnipeg. We will be home tomorrow afternoon late and it should be clear. We hope that all of you have had a good ten days. This is a beautiful island to visit if you ever get the chance!

Oh, so many are worried about little NE31 sleeping alone in that big eagle nest. Beau and Gabby are up on the branches ready to protect 31 and, thankfully, there does not seem to be any predators, such as GHOs, in the area.

31 is hot in the Florida sun!

Thunder has been hanging out with the new young male at the West End. The last time Akecheta was on the screen was when he was injured on the 19th of January. We wait to see because we have no knowledge of what has transpired since the cams went down almost immediately. I recall incidents at the NCTC nest where Bella and/or Smitty were injured and they returned after a period of time, once it was 21 days, if I recall correctly.

SK Hideaways shows us how their relationship has progressed: https://youtu.be/xL9wUkje1Pw?

If anyone has been worried about R8, Rose fed the youngest one an entire fish or so it seemed. The kids are doing good and it doesn’t seem that there should be any cause for alarm.

There is some concern over Southwest Florida’s M15’s eyes. Conjunctivitis is a symptom of HPAI. You might recall that E17 and 18 were removed for treatment for Conjunctivitis several years ago and returned to the SW Florida nest. Now, F23 and M15 would have HPAI. They ate the food of the eaglets; they shared the nest. I believe this was covered in one or both of the CROW releases. The incubation period is a fortnight, two weeks. R25 passed on 26 January. We will be approaching the end of the two weeks at the weekend. F23 was seen bathing at the pond on Wednesday and drying her wings. — I think they both look good, and like everything else, let us appreciate these moments. Everything turns on a dime in Bird World. Who would ever have predicted that our dear Akecheta would lose his territory? I still can’t believe it.

Other news. Hope has laid her second egg at Tobacco Creek and we have the second egg for Jak and Audacity at Sauces. Sadly, at least one of Audacity’s eggs has broken. Our hearts break for this couple. Oh, how I wish someone would place a fertile hard-shelled egg in their nest!

Hope’s second egg:

There is good news coming out of the IWS and Dr Sharpe. ‘T’ writes that Sauce’s fledgling is ‘​​Kaiannika (hatched in Sauces in 2019). She is the current female at the Empire Nest!! She had an eaglet last year.” Let us hope that she is successful again this year! That is wonderful news.

“MP’ reports that everything is going well at the JB Sands Wetlands. “The eagles at this nest are doing exceptional. You’ll see this family having lunch and dinner together most days. It seemed to solve the bonking with dad feeding one or both chicks. Sometimes mom lets dad think he’s helping a lot, and he really is. He is probably the sole reason the bonking has stopped.”

 At the Achieva Osprey platform, Jack built a gorgeous nest trying to attract a new mate. The following screen captures show their interaction. It is sometimes very challenging!

Two females fighting over Jack’s nest! Gracious.

Jack scaring off one of the females.

The female ousting Jack off the nest!

That sweet little Royal Cam chick getting fed by Mum! Need a break from the woes of the world, just check these gentle giants out!!!!!! https://youtu.be/zMNQfoxmENg?

Bart Molenaar sent me a note wondering if I had ever seen an osprey nest with two males and one female caring for a family of three osplets. I have not. I have seen falcon nests with several parents but not an osprey nest that I can recall (will check my files when I am home). Most often we see those male ospreys kicking the eggs out that might belong to another male. We most recently saw this at Iris and Finnegan’s nest when Finnegan ousted what he believed to be a ‘Louis egg’. The nest that Bart is referring to is a new one that showed up on his YouTube feed and it is in Abu Dhabi. There were originally four little chicks, but the smallest just didn’t thrive. They look to be between three and four weeks old with those lovely juvenile feathers coming in.

Fish delivery times according to ella on the chat: ​​Fish deliveries = 07:02:23, 8:56:02, 10:17:27, 11:11:06, 13:53, 14:25:55, 14:48:08, 15:49:03, 16:28:17, 16:45:54, 18:06

When you have two active dads you don’t need any fish fairies it seems.

This is the link to the live stream: https://www.youtube.com/live/XQt1PwvYrJM?s

Geemeff sends us an article on the oldest known modern bird at 69 million years. Wow.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2466965-ancient-relative-of-geese-is-the-earliest-known-modern-bird/

We also have news of Ervie. It is ALWAYS comforting to see his tracker working and to know that our favourite lad is doing well.

Thanks so much for being with me today. We have two full days of travel ahead and are watching a large storm that is brewing around Montreal. Hopeful that all the flights will go as planned. My next post will likely not be until Monday – giving me time to settle back at home and spend some hours with The Girls who will be demanding much attention. Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Bart M, Geemeff, J, MP, TU’, NEFL-AEF, IWS/Explore, SK Hideaways, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, Achieva Osprey Platform, JBS Wetlands, NZ DOC, Abu Dhabi Live, newscientist.com, Port Lincoln Osprey

Monday in Bird World

27 January 2025

Hello Everyone,

Fortunately, there were some beautiful moments on Sunday that helped ease the sorrow of losing E24 at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest, as well as the ongoing concern for dear Akecheta. As one of the chatters pointed out, his name means ‘fighter.’ We can only hope that he was able to utilize all the skills at his disposal so that when the cameras return, he will be there beside Thunder.

In fact, the Es were doing so well – meeting every milestone – and being so loved by M15 and F23 – that we were paying most of our attention to NE31 and to Jackie and Shadow. We never thought something would come out of ‘left field’ at M15 and F23’s nest. It reminds us never to take anything for granted!

E25 looks reasonably alert.

I will not be able to answer all of your letters today and I apologize as I know that everyone is grieving and is concerned by the odd behaviour of M15 and F23. Neither returned to the nest after E24 passed on Sunday. Heidi writes that F23 brought a fish to the nest this morning and E25 took a few bites. E25 should have been ravenous. I want us to prepare ourselves for the worst while hoping for the best.

I will not speculate as to what caused E24’s passing. The little one had a seizure prior to its collapse at 1841. It had been lethargic for a few hours.

Bird Flu is always one of the tragic diseases that comes to mind – and, again, I am not stating this is Bird Flu. HPAI is highly contagious and we should review aspects of it because it could impact our beloved raptor families this year. Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about Avian Flu and a case that had hit Estonia in the spring of 2021. That was the very first time that the Virologist, Thijs Kuiken, knew of HPAI happening outside the normal time of autumn.

The excerpts below were written on the 18th of January 2022. Even if this is not Bird Flu at SW Florida, it is good to remind ourselves that this deadly disease is still ravaging the avian populations around the world.

On 6 January, the CBC announced that hundreds of birds in Newfoundland, Canada had contracted the H5N1 strain of avian flu. 

What is extraordinary about this is that it is the same ‘highly pathogenic’ (HPAI) avian flu strain that killed the two White-tailed Eaglets in the Balkans last spring. The male had brought a stork or a crane onto the Estonian nest and the two chicks died as a result of eating it according to the autopsy conducted by Madis Leivits. Thijs Kuiken, Virologist from Erasmus University, Rotterdam said to me in an e-mail, ‘HPAI outbreaks in wildlife were restricted to autumn and winter, and had stopped altogether or were at low levels by the time spring arrived’. Kuiken notes that the incidence of HPAI is overlapping with the breading season of many wild animals that could have been impacted. Many chicks could have died. 

Going back to the Newfoundland issue, the question is: how did it cross the Atlantic? Kuiken is working with the Newfoundland Government to discover how this might have happened. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/avian-flu-newfoundland-labrador-1.6304817

Today it was announced that this same Avian Flu is responsible for the culling of swans in the UK including those that belong to the Queen.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-60025956

Of further interest is the fact that the same HPAI strain was discovered The in a bird shot in South Carolina in late December 2021. No region appears to be untouched. 

If you are interested in learning more about Avian flu and its impact, please read the following article by Dr Kuiken. It is very informative and can be understood easily without great scientific knowledge. 

https://thecorrespondent.com/831/the-next-pandemic-is-being-hatched-in-industrial-poultry-farms/1080687412200-1dda10f4

How will this impact the health of all wild birds in Europe and North America? What can be done? Some answers are in the article above. Perhaps it is time to really look at the factory farming of animals carefully and deliberately to a view of becoming more local.

Geemeff also sent me this very clear graphic that outlines how HPAI spreads.

It is hard to move on. There have been some shocking events already in Bald Eagle World that have hit us to our core. It is hard to put them in a box and celebrate the good, but we must do that. There are ways to halt the spread of Avian Flu and Thijs Kuiken writes about that in his articles. For now, though, I ask you to rejoice in the lives of the eagles that are with us, celebrate them, do not close your eyes because it is hard. To grive for these families – for Thunder as she might be mourning Akecheta – for F23 and M15 who have lost one of their children – is to show that you care. Cry. Kick the fridge if you must. It isn’t fair. Do whatever it is that shows your remarkable humanity. That is what makes the Bird World community special. We share in the triumphs and the losses day in and day out. I am so grateful for all of you because you care in a world that seems to be spinning crazily in the other direction. Hold on to that empathy. Send your love out. Mourn with these families.

NE31 is a darling. https://youtu.be/cIroMsxUKjs? The American Eagle Foundation has certainly been busy catching some of the sweetest moments at this nest.

Calico has been unwell and I found that 31 brought me a lot of comfort. There is something so special about new life and the hope that it brings to all of us, especially an eaglet that we so anxiously awaited to see for over two years!

Just look at those strong wings and fat little bottom. 31 has shown how strong it is from the moment it hatched and held its head up pretty high.

On Monday, NE31 was working its wings and pulling itself up higher in the egg bowl as Gabby was getting some fish for its snack. It will not be long until this one is clamouring out of that cup and up to the pantry! You will recall that Gabby gets them moving and up to the table as soon as she can. Food is a great motivator.

Right now, Gabby is on the big screen in our sitting room. She is looking up while 31 peeks out of her breast feathers. Relish ever precious moment.

Heidi reports that the deliveries at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose have stepped up! Excellent news. There are lots of fish dinners for the family.

It was a very welcome sight at the Captiva nest when a very large fish came. And then, the eaglet stood and walked over and went – ‘hey, I can feed myself!”

Each nest is passing milestone after milestone daily. Dasher and Dancer are working their wings and getting those Hulk leg muscles stronger and stronger as the dandelion mohawks disappear.

It can’t be easy walking around on that nest. But to stand and flap wings using the tips for balance is a real achievement. Both eaglets are doing this.

Dasher is determined to get some fish flakes off that head.

Fish at John Bunker Sands, too!

I am grateful that Ospreys only (well 99.9% of the time) eat fish. (Mind you I know all the issues, as do you, about fish, but…). Wilko who is 114 days old is enjoying a fish. Kasse is 111 days old today.

On Monday, Mum brought in 2 fish and Dad delivered 1. Kasse had two meals and Wilko had a single dinner – at least that is what we can see on camera. No doubt these two fledglings are following their parents and others to the fishing grounds as they get older.

Jack continues to work on his nest. And what an amazing nest he has made! Bless his heart. The bark is coming in to line the area for eggs.

At the Royal Albatross colony, the Royal Cam chick had made 3 star like pips on the egg and is making good progress towards hatch. The first pip was spotted on the 23rd of January, and the egg was removed to prevent a fly strike. A warmed dummy egg was placed with the Royal Cam chick’s egg in an incubator. Fly strike spray was used on the nest to prevent any harm to the chick once it is returned upon hatch.

It is a white grey day in Winnipeg. It feels like it could rain. New suet cylinders are scattered throughout the lilac bushes that extend about 10 metres along the east side of the garden. The tube feeders are full of black oil seed while peanuts slide off the table feeders. There is Alfalfa for the deer and this evening, I will literally dump a huge bag of Black Oil Seed and half a huge bag of peanuts. This should last the birds and squirrels til we return home. The Cat Sitter, Gary, will make certain that The Girls are fed and have plenty of play time. He also takes care of Brock, Star, and the two other cats that come to the feral feeder. That heated double bowl for wet food and water has been such a blessing for the outdoor cats this year. If all goes to plan, they will have a small shed with heat lamps and straw for next winter.

On Tuesday we fly to Montreal. Keeping with our motto of ‘Stay Calm’, we will spend the night there before getting on the flight to Guadeloupe. We arrive there late afternoon on Wednesday. Can you tell we are not rushing anything? My plan is to have a post for you for Thursday evening unless there are some significant occurrences in Bird World. Until then, be easy on yourself. Grieve and then celebrate. We are so privileged to get to know these raptor families. They touch us in ways that one never expects.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, graphics, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this afternoon: ‘Geemeff, Heidi, SP’, IWS/Explore, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, CBC, BBC, The Correspondent, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, Achieva Credit Union, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Port Lincoln Ospreys, NZ DOC and Cornell Bird Lab

Saturday in Bird World

18 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

The blizzard, being noted as a historic one for parts of my province, blew and blew in the early hours of Friday morning. I do not know how much snow came with it. There were gusts when I was out feeding the birds, and the neighbour’s house was sometimes invisible. It is now late afternoon. The sky is a beautiful transparent Wedgwood Blue as the sun sets, casting a golden glow over the Japanese garden area. The Starlings are still here, along with several dozen sparrows. Little Red and a couple of grey squirrels have been gathering peanuts all day. Mr Blue Jay – yes, Junior is in the garden – was here at noon. Even the Crows came to criticize the food that was left by the time they arrived! I did not run out of cheesy dogs since I had none! They had quit eating them and only wanted peanuts for so long. Now I wonder what they are craving.

Tiny fawn arriving to go around the side of the house to the garden.

These are European Starling prints leading to the cat dish with kibble.

Oh, goodness. Brock is here eating! I have not seen him for four days. Talk about anxiety. That coupled with Beau and Gabby kept me awake at times when I should have been sleeping. I wonder if he were locked in somewhere? We try to take a digital image of every cat that we see eating at the feeders each day. We can also track them if they come in through the front and the video camera catches them and says ‘pet’. I can then check and take a screen capture. Well, this is a relief. Now maybe that second egg for Gabby will begin to pip!!!!!!!!!!!

This was the word from the moderator at NE Florida Friday afternoon: “Today is day 40 for egg 1 and day 36 for egg 2. With delayed incubation, if egg 1 doesn’t pip by tomorrow it likely won’t. We still have 3 days for egg 2.”

Later Friday afternoon:

I have had more than a couple of dozen e-mails with a similar question: If Gabby’s eggs do not hatch, will she take another mate? The answer is ‘yes’. Eagles are known to mate for life. If their partner dies, they take another mate. We have seen this over and over again. F23 is the new mate of M15 at SW Florida, for example. Yes, if there is a period of unsuccessful breeding, they might take another mate. Still, Jackie and Shadow stay together and Gabby has hung in there with Beau. We will have to wait and see what happens.

Only the eagles know if there are any little cheeps in those eggs. Egg 2 is 36 days old as I write. There is still hope for it and I am sending out tonnes of energy on Friday to them, good energy.

At Pine Island, the GHO is very bold. Not only knocking off the resident ospreys, but sitting on the perch staring at the three eggs! There are also Bald Eagles in the area. I am more than concerned for this nest. I won’t mention it again, but the presence of such a bold owl eyeing three eggs and thinking future fat chicks just makes me ill. Reminds me of several nests from 2024 including the Boat House, Lake Murray, and Cowlitz (eagle) amongst others.

In our data forms for 2024, owls accounted for the loss of 13 chicks, while Bald Eagles killed 5.

They are so cute. What is that song about ‘I can’t take my eyes off of you?’

Eggs coming soon at the Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian?

At Port Lincoln, Mum should receive some type of citation for really providing the food this year. She has completely surpassed Dad in terms of her abilities and the light on the barge significantly helped her earlier in the season when she could dive and bring a fish to the nest quickly. Kasse and Wilko owe their lives to her efforts. Of course, we cannot forget the Fish Fairies whose dedication to this nest has ensured fledglings over the past several years.

This was the tally for Friday in South Australia.

Jack has been working hard on that nest at Achieva. I wish that someone would reach out and fix those drain holes so that the eggs and/or chicks would not fall through them to the ground below.

Sally and Harry were at the nest before the rains came to Moorings Park.

Do you think we will have a family at the osprey platform at Captiva this year?

The view at Boulder. We will soon be counting down the days til the Ospreys arrive. It is less than two months for some hope for the really early birds in the UK but more like 2.5 months.

Both Eagles are working on their nest at Ft St Vrain, Colorado.

Thunder and Akecheta early Friday morning.

Beautiful family at SW Florida. M15 sitting on the perch being vigilant to protect his family. Look at those sweet babies. Tears. M15 certainly got a good mate to replace the much loved Harriet.

E25 walks for bites of prey! https://youtu.be/2rTHwUQ99xg?

Alex and Andria II incubating eggs from a beautiful view of the lake at Kistachie National Forest E3 nest.

The Norths are working on their nest at Decorah.

Eagles at the new MN-DNR nest on Friday.

Drilling ban off the coast of New Jersey could significantly help wildlife.

Environmental Groups Praise Bird Delisting and Offshore Drilling Ban – Two River TimesDownload

New from Kelly Sorenson on the remarkable year for the California Condors in 2024. They continue to treat the Condors for lead poisoning despite their efforts to provide free non-lead ammunition. Iniko 1035 was just released into the wild after being treated for lead toxicity at the LA Zoo.

There is outstanding news in the first paragraph. Congratulations to everyone at the VWS! They have worked harder and harder to achieve those figures. Let us all hope that the growth in fledgling chicks and their survival continues.

While I am not happy with GHOs, it appears eggs are being incubated at the Owl Cam! I know that some of you love them. Here is the link to that streaming cam: https://www.youtube.com/live/pxMQgmeROEM?

Christian Sasse photographs thousands of eagles gathering! https://www.thedodo.com/daily-dodo/photographer-stumbles-upon-mysterious-gathering-of-1000-bald-eagles

News items from Geemeff:

Raptor monitoring volunteers needed:

https://www.abc4.com/news/everything-utah/calling-bird-enthusiasts-volunteers-needed-to-monitor-raptor-nests-in-utah

Good news for persecuted Hen Harriers – 2024 Christmas Satellite Tag Appeal smashes the target:

Hen Harrier Action 2024 Christmas Appeal Smashes Target Again

This Heron’s been fixed and is flying free again:

GREAT WHITE HERON FOUND FLOATING IN A CANAL SET FREE IN ISLAMORADA

The winds have stopped gusting Friday evening and tomorrow I hope to get out and get some deer pellets. They have much more nutrition than the vegetables, fruit, and peanuts I have been leaving out for the deer. It is supposed to be super cold with a Polar Vortex visiting us. Send positive wishes to Brock, Star, and all of the garden animals as they navigate winter!

Calico also has some good news. She has developed a line of cards featuring the birds visiting the garden and our province’s nature areas. She has partnered with one local group that helps feral cats and their kittens to raise funds to buy food for them. This local fundraiser will be taking place in February. More news to follow!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me write my post today: ‘EJ, Geemeff. Heidi, J’, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Pine Island Osprey Cam, Window to Wildlife, FORE, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Bart M and the PLO, Achieva Credit Union, Moorings Park Osprey Cam, Boulder County Osprey Cam, Fort St Vrain Bald Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore, Androcat, Kistachie National Forest Eagle Cams, Raptor Resource Project/explore.org, The Two River Times, MN-DNR, Kelly Sorenson and the Ventana Wildlife Society, The Owl Cam, The Dodo, ABC4, Florida Keys Weekly,

Thursday in Bird World

16 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Update: The female Osprey at Pine Island who was taken off her nest by a GHO is alright. She has returned to incubating her two eggs. Thanks, H!

Great News of the Day: Wilko caught his first fish off the barge. Oh, what a magnificent milestone. Now Wilko might have caught fish elsewhere, but this is amazing for us to be able to witness. These are the specifics from the chat: “At 7:58 Wilko caught a Fish! 7:58:08 he dives off cam, 7:58:46 he flies around, 7:59:01 he lands on the nest w fish in talon, 8:20 he takes it to the ropes, 8:39 he eats the tail.”

Wilko with his fish!

On Wednesday, Wilko had much more fish than Kasse. I hope she gets in there today. Wilko is already ahead with his own fish.

It was +1 C on Wednesday. It felt so good to go outside without our toques and gloves. We even had our lighter jackets on when we left to get our hair cut. My goodness. What a nice break for a couple of days. This weather will continue through today and we will see what happens on Friday. It is to be very windy and much, much colder on Saturday.

The blue sky has those lovely clouds that children make when they dip a cotton ball into white paint and put it on their paper. Lovely.

iPhone photos of one of Dyson’s kits and Star, the new cat at the feeder.

The best image we have so far of Star.

I am increasingly concerned about the eggs at NE Florida and continue to feel helpless about the Achieva platform. My friend ‘S’ is phoning people and I know of others writing to newspapers who have already tried to coerce some of the nearby rehabilitation folks to ‘listen’ to the situation.

A new book arrived today, Bernd Heinrich’s One Wild Bird at a Time.

I cannot wait to read it. As I shuffled through the pages in anticipation I came across the following paragraph which might prove useful to all of us:

Learning involves the ability to remember, a proven faculty for chickadees, which is useful in the winter when they store food in caches for later retrieval. And this faculty is not irrelevant to humans. Fernando Nottenbohm of Rockefeller University and his coworkers discovered that when birds learn to sing, and also when adult chickadees in the wild start to store seeds and exercise memory to retrieve them, their grown own brain cells accelerate, and when they stop those activities, nerve cell deaths follow. We were taught that humans start losing brain cells in our twenties and keep losing them all our lives. However, these findings about birds suggest that exercising our minds may create more brain cells at any time in life. (116-17).

I hear that Lori Covert is asking people to send in suggestions for names for the Captiva eaglets, C12 and C13. Goodness, C13 stole my heart. You can send in multiple suggestions. The naming starts on the 15th which is past and ends on the 22nd at 4pm Eastern time. Please use only gender-neutral names and send them to lcovert@covertmarketing.com OR @loricovert on Instagram. You should put Eagle Names in subject line. Winners will be announced on the afternoon of the 23rd. Good luck – everyone – and please take part for the fun of it. Show Lori how much you love those babies. Who knows? You could win. I know that many of my readers have had great names chosen for eagles! So proud of all of you.

Clive continues to be amazing at keeping his family’s pantry full to the brim. What an incredible eagle he is. Look at how big the eaglets are!!!!!!!!

The Es at SW Florida are really growing those blood feathers – look at the wings!

So tiny – those little eaglets of Ron and Rose compared to M15s and F23s.

The Real Saunders Photography gives us a dramatic moment at the SW Florida nest! https://youtu.be/1hzcIxnrCuM?

Rita’s History Monday:

Two deaths to report within the California Condor community in last December. They will be going on the Memorial Page soon.

Two Condors – including Iniko (1031) – released back into the wild after being treated for lead poisoning at the LA Zoo. That is Iniko flying free again. Thank you VWS and LA Zoo!

Another good story to end the day. Jackie and Shadow always bring me such joy. Thanks SK Hideaways! https://youtu.be/Cie8ZK-9liY?

Calico’s Tip for the Day: If you’re an Outlander fan and struggling to find the last half of season 7, you might be feeling a bit frustrated. I recommend searching for STACKTV online. In Canada, a subscription costs $12.99 a month (you can cancel after 14 days). Calico doesn’t earn any commission from this suggestion, but today she has certainly earned my gratitude for providing a much-needed distraction from Gabby, Beau, and what seems to be the Dudleys. (Come on, chicks—hatch already so I can have egg on my face!)

Checking on NEFlorida: Gabby is very restless tonight (Wednesday). I sure hope there is a reason!

If you are one of our Irish readers, please spread the word. White-tail eagle shot dead in Ireland.

White-tailed Eagle shot dead in Ireland – appeal for information – Raptor Persecution UKDownload

The female at Pine Island was attacked by the GHO again last night. Reminds me of Lake Murray.

Keep all living beings in your most positive thoughts as the fires rage through California.

Thank you so much for being with us today. The nests with eaglets are doing well as you can see. I am not sure my nerves can take waiting another day or two to see if we have the chance of a pip at NE Florida. So I am going to stop and go and read. Calico is wanting more and more story time and I am so glad to oblige her. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you so much to the following for their posts, notes, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Heidi, J’, Port Lincoln Osprey Cam, Bart M and the PLO, NEFL-AEF, B Heinrich One Wild Bird at a Time, Window to Wildlife, SW Florida Eagle Cam, WRDC. The Real Saunders Photography, Rita the Eagle FB, Ventana Wildlife Society, SK Hideaways, Raptor Persecution UK

Wednesday in Bird World

15 January 2024

Hello Everyone!

First up: Nothing new to report at NE Florida. Some sad and glad news at the end of today’s post.

A great news story comes to us from one of our readers ‘EJ’. I think we all need to start off feeling good about the world! The eagle was frozen in the snow at the airport – check it out!

Frozen bald eagle in Alaska saved in heartwarming rescue with ‘best ending ever’ | Fox WeatherDownload

Good Morning. We hope that the week has been treating you well. The temperature warmed up on Tuesday to -14 C, but, gosh golly, it felt cold walking into a wind that cut right to the bone! We are expecting an Alberta Clipper to hit our province starting on Thursday. We will see how much snow and winds it will bring, but then….hold on. The wind chill factor for Saturday is set to be -40 or -45 C. We plan to stay home and ride our bicycle that day.

‘The Girls’ have no idea how blustery it is outside. Meanwhile my heart pangs for those poor dears living rough. There were four at the feeder today: Brock, Star, Squishy (one ear frozen and permanently folded down) and that little black cat from the fall. I haven’t seen that one for a bit.

Calico joined Baby Hope watching the squirrels run around the garden.

Last night I started reading Bob the Robin out loud. It is part of my ongoing attempts to find ways to engage Don in the daily activities of the house. Calico loves story time and she was right there. Gosh, I adore this cat.

As I write, The Girls are playing with a tiny stuffed mouse in the Conservatory. Baby Hope is the champion of picking it up and running away then, dropping it to see who will come and play with her. You would be right if you guessed it might be Hugo Yugo. These two love to play!!!!!!!!

I must say that I pace when I think of Gabby and Beau and their eggs. The AEF will be the official pip callers. They have lots of folks with eyes on those eggs 24/7. Gabby is not giving anything away.

Beau wanted to take over incubation and Gabby said a definitive ‘no’. I am hoping that means that one of those eaglets is working to get out of that shell!

The Es got a rabbit for breakfast – oh, goodness. Poor thing did not make it across the road. I wish these eagles would stay away from the areas where there is traffic. Maybe some good soul moved that rabbit to a safe place for them. That is what each of us should be doing. https://youtu.be/JnAejA5XU7o?

At Redding, Liberty is on the nest. Can we expect eggs soon? We wait to see.

Oh, those two at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose. R7 and R8 lock beaks as fish is ready to be served!

The kids at the Captiva nest are changing quickly. Today you can see that dark charcoal thermal down that will help them regulate their own temperatures. Their pin feathers are coming in. That cuteness of a day ago is giving way to the ‘lanky’ look of a tall teenager (sorry for the stereotype).

They are also interested in pecking at the prey.

Eagle on the snowy ND-LEEF nest in South Bend Indiana.

Well, he is cute. His (or her) name is Skylar and he is the first hatch at the Dataw Eagle nest! https://youtu.be/wSZTtabDA5Y?

A visiting albatross got a sky call out of RLK at the Royal Albatross colony. The visitor wandered close to the nest with nothing happening and then smiled in the camera.

I love seeing RLK on the nest. OGK was my all-time favourite male in the colony. No one comes close to his endearing behaviour, sitting so long beside his daughter, Miss Pippa Atawhai. Gosh, I wonder how she is doing. At any rate, if you missed it, RLK is OGK’s son.

GLG has returned after 12 days of foraging to incubate their egg. RLK raises his head as he hears her. They will share time together and he will return to the sea hopefully to return safely.

Here is Cornell’s video of the visit. https://youtu.be/XverqezfBxI?

At the Port Lincoln barge, it is windy Wednesday morning. Both fledglings on the nest hoping for some fish.

This was Tuesday’s tally. Kasse got more – unless Wilko is off fishing. Maybe he has found a treasure trove of puffers!!!!!!!

Politics has no place when it comes to trying to protect our planet. And yet, politics is the biggest driver to either progress or hindrance. Unbelievable. I doubt if anyone working on behalf of creating wetlands ever thought that beavers were so controversial.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/14/no-10-blocks-beaver-release-plan-tory-legacy?CMP=share_btn_url

Wildlife adapting to what we have done to the planet?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/06/evolution-species-adapt-response-humanity-tuskless-elephants-natural-world-wildlife-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

We always need a smile and when I saw this posting I knew it had to go here today. Shadow.

Calico’s Tip for the Day: You can Save a Life. Please make this a habit. Snip all of these kinds of closures including those white tabs that come on some loaves of bread, the plastic that connects soda bottles, etc. So many birds feed at the landfill sites and they can die from our negligence. Please be pro-active!

Heidi is sending tragic news:
“We had been told a few weeks ago that there had been a GHO at the osprey nest this past fall.  At 21:25 on 1/14, an owl dragged F1 off the nest while she was incubating two eggs.  We can still see one egg, and it is believed that the other egg is under some nesting.  As of 03:00 on 1/15, F1 has still not returned to the nest.  I worry for the future chicks at this nest.”

This is not a good start to the osprey season in North America.

There is good news coming out of West Africa for the Rutland Ospreys.

Thanks so much for being with us today. Please take care. We hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Heidi, J’, NEFL-AEF, FORE, wskrsnwngs, WRDC, Window to Wildlife, ND-LEEF, HDonTap, NZ DOC, Cornell Bird Lab, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Bart M and the PLO, The Guardian, Neil Laferty and FOBBV, Rutland Osprey Project

Tuesday in Bird World

14 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

The Girls are the sunshine that brightens my day, that makes my heart beat a little faster, their presence helps me get through the day.

I was extremely happy to see that Persephone Books (Bath, UK) included mention of Raising Hare. Despite the fact that the focus was not on a bird, it was for me as well the most inspiring book – and the most well written and readable – of 2024.

You can change the subject and have Dani Connor Wild care for three Swedish red squirrel babies or someone else nurture little songbirds. The story is about caring and how nature gives it back to us triple-fold if we open our hearts.

Monday was day 36. Gabby’s gestation period ranges from 36.5-38 days with Samson. We are all very anxious.

Is there a tiny pip?

Still waiting very anxiously at NE Florida.

One of my oldest and closest friends lives in New Zealand. I was told that Christchurch is culling 1000 Canada Geese. It is a nice name for killing them. How angry am I? And now Geemeff sends me this:

“Fined $6,000 NZ (£2,700 GBP) ($3,350 USD) for destroying an entire colony of supposedly protected birds. He repeatedly drove a digger through the colony, killing chicks, destroying eggs and nests leading to the adults abandoning the area. No custodial sentence, and only a derisory fine. Come on New Zealand, you can do better than that – otherwise your so-called species protection is worth nothing.

Boy, do I agree with that sentiment BUT we must all get better. I don’t want my heart to break as Claudio, my partner on the International Data Osprey Project, recently told me was going to happen. More birds, more wildlife are going to die. It is getting hotter, water, food, land – it is all diminishing.

Shame on you New Zealand.

https://www.birdguides.com/news/man-fined-for-driving-digger-through-gull-colony/

They are the cutest little eaglets. Clive and Connie, you make gorgeous babies.

What a darling.

Full crops at SW Florida, too!

E24 has walked across the nest. What a milestone!

Oh, but we cannot forget what is happening at the WRDC nest…welcome you two cutie pies. https://youtu.be/H8yEaO_lhe4?

At Port Lincoln, Mum has consistently stepped up to feed her kids this year. Yesterday, she brought two fish to the nest, one for Wilko and one for Kasse.

Both had some fish! Yeah.

There is live streaming for Golden Eagles in Japan and the birds are coming to a snowy nest.

Jackie and Shadow have been adding soft materials for the egg cup in their nest. Can we send so much positive energy to this amazing couple in the hope that they have an eaglet to raise this year? https://youtu.be/dBqYv6Or7m4?

Liberty and Guardian are thinking that new nest is finished and ready for eggs! https://youtu.be/PMWeawllmXs?

Here’s the link to the streaming cam: https://www.youtube.com/live/gJWbhvtPC2g?

“Rainbow Lorikeet Closeup” by neeravbhatt is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

We fell in love with the Rainbow Lorkeets that visited Daisy the Duck when she was incubating her eggs on the WBSE nest in the Olympic Park forest.

Rainbow Lorikeet | Bird KingdomDownload

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/13/labour-ai-datacentre-growth-zone-water-shortages-abingdon-reservoir?CMP=share_btn_url

In other news, a mystery is killing off the beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets and Flying Foxes in Australia.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/13/australia-rainbow-lorikeet-flying-fox-deaths-mystery-paralysis?CMP=share_btn_url

If there is anything I have learned from the raptors, it is that they ‘just get on with it.’ Adversity does not hold them up. Right now, it is easy to despair and feel huge eco-anxiety while we watch California burn. It leaves us feeling helpless. I like the spirit in this next article and I hope that it speaks to some of you. We do just need to get out there and do something! Who knows what might happen.

I was in despair about the environmental crisis. Then I volunteered to clean up my local park. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/jan/13/i-was-in-despair-about-the-environmental-crisis-then-i-volunteered-to-clean-up-my-local-park?CMP=share_btn_url

Calico’s Tip for the Day: Join with Language Nerds and their poster and learn a new vocabulary this week related to birds. How many did you already know?

A reminder:

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, H, J’, Persephone Books, NEFL-AEF, Birdguides.com, Window to Wildlife, SW Florida Eagle Cam, The Guardian, Heidi Mc, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Bart M and the PLO, Eagle Cam, SK Hideaway, OpenVerse, Bird Kingdom, Language of Birds, Earthables

Monday in Bird World

13 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It was warm enough on the Canadian Prairies for me not to complain. The wildlife continue to come to the feeders – deer, rabbits, Crows, and all. It brings me much joy.

That first hatch for Ron and Rose is a cracker jack. I sure hope it is a male and the second hatch is – well, it would be perfect if it were another male. Precocious. Cute little button. By the time you read this in the morning, R8 will be out of that shell. Look at the progress at 1530. Wing out and mostly there.

Welcome R8.

They are now bobbleheads trying to get those eyes focused and get some fish. R8 looks like it is going to be a fine sibling.

SK Hideaways knows how much I adore Thunder and Akecheta. For a couple of years we wondered whether Thunder had picked a dud in that young male eagle. Now we know she knew better than us! He really is quite amazing. https://youtu.be/_q9mivhzDIw?

OK. It’s Monday and I am expecting to see some action at NE Florida!

F23 is leaving the kids alone more and more. They are way too big to fit under her to brood, but I hope with the GHO present she hangs around at night.

The Es like snake!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/h7Bc5-WJ7vs?

The Norths are out and about at Decorah in Iowa.

Check out that nest that Liberty and Guardian put together! Incredible team work when their nest tree finally collapsed.

Gosh. I wish I could give the nest at Captiva to Jack in St Petersburg! Hey Window to Wildlife. Would you like to make a deal with Achieva Credit Union to run the camera and maybe help the ospreys out with that mess? Jack and his new female would appreciate it. And, I consulted with my partner in crime and we both looked at our files and we are more than convinced that this is Tumbles from the head patterns. Remember the only two plumage patterns that do not change from pre-fledge til the osprey dies is the head and the underwing.

Poor Jack brings in sticks and the wind takes them off. He is trying to make crib rails and then there are those holes to deal with. My heart breaks for this potential family. I hope for a miracle.

More information has come in on SE’s 33 injury that led to him being euthanised.

We all miss Abby. Blaze is getting used to Skye.

The number of deaths of wildlife in the Southern California fires will never be known. It is a tragedy. They have also lost huge areas of habitat. The challenges that our raptors face in the future, including these Bald Eagles just hatching, is extensive. “The national symbol of the United States is projected to have only 26 percent of its current summer range remaining by 2080, according to Audubon’s climate model. However, it could potentially recover 73 percent of summer range in new areas opened up by a shifting climate. Its success isn’t guaranteed in the new areas—the majestic raptor will still have to find suitable food and nesting habitat.”

Bald Eagle | The Audubon Birds & Climate Change ReportDownload

Eagles are adapting by hanging around industrial farming. We saw this in Nova Scotia where there are thousands of eagles eating the dead chickens from the farms in the Annapolis Valley.

Climate change creates ‘win-win’ between bald eagles and farmers | Cornell ChronicleDownload

Will Bald Eagles migrate to different geographical areas to survive?

Climate Change Will Move Bald Eagles Away From Home | Outside My WindowDownload

This is so cool!

Wilko got the only fish on Sunday. Kasse got the first one on Monday!

Wilko and Kasse on the nest really hoping for some fish.

Cornell’s best bird photos of 2024. Stunning.

Macaulay Library’s Best Bird Photos 2025 | Living Bird | All About BirdsDownload

More information on that lynx that died after it was illegally released in the Cairngorms.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/11/one-of-four-lynx-illegally-released-into-scottish-highlands-dies?CMP=share_btn_url

News of the capture of the second pair of lynxes.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/10/two-more-lynx-spotted-in-scottish-woods-after-capture-of-another-pair?CMP=share_btn_url

Thank you so much for being with me while I sit on pins and needles waiting to see if we are going to have any eaglets at NE Florida! Take care of yourself. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Heidi, J, MP, SS’, WRDC, SK Hideaways, IWS/Explore, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Androcat, Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, FORE, Window to Wildlife, Achieva Osprey Cam, Eagle Cam, Eagle Country, Bart M and the PLO, Audubon, Cornell Chronicle, Outside My Window, Port Lincoln Osprey, All About Birds, The Guardian