I wanted to send this out separate. Please read this. And please write – no matter where you live. Migrating birds travel tens of thousands of miles in some instances and cover many continents. We need them and their habitat to be as protected as we can – and we all know that weather has caused decline along with loss due to human growth.
Important Announcement And Request For Public Assistance
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a plan to fundamentally alter the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to be interpreted differently than it has since its creation.
Currently, the ESA disallows harm of an endangered species (without mitigation to make up for the loss.) It defines “harm” as “take,” which currently means an act which actually kills or injures the wildlife. It is currently interpreted to include significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering.
Specifically, they would like to delete the definition of “harm” in the act. Removing this definition of “harm” means that they would NO LONGER CONDUCT ANY IMPACT STUDIES, as is currently required by The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA now REQUIRES federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of any proposed action prior to making decisions.
Removing the definition of “harm” which includes “habitat modification” from the ESA would NULLIFY THE ACT and everything it has done to save Bald Eagles and every other species it has protected, since it was signed into law in 1973. The cascading effects of this change would absolutely impact Jackie and Shadow, the rare plants in our valley, and all of the precious and beautiful nature that surrounds us in our country.
The public is allowed to submit comments to the agency. Comments are due by May 19th at 11:59 pm. We are asking each of you who is willing, to please submit comments using the link below. Many of us will be adding our voices against this detrimental and shortsighted decision. Keeping the ESA intact is of utmost importance, not only for Jackie and Shadow, but for all wildlife. This proposed change could prove to be one of the most harmful things we have done to nature in the last fifty years.
As we ask you to please comment, we want to caution that it is important to keep your comments polite, respectful, factual, and concise for them to have an impact. Please keep in mind that comments will be public. You can provide a statement anonymously but they do not guarantee that it stays that way. If nothing else, we urge you to read the public comments that have been submitted so far to understand what the change may do. And if you will, please pass this information along so that others can take action.
To make your voice best heard by the agencies and to maximize the impact of your comments, we recommend
1. State clearly that you are writing in opposition to the proposal.
2. Point out that the proposal essentially nullifies the ESA passed by the U.S. Congress in 1973. The proposal is counter to the purpose of the ESA to protect imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend.
3. State the fact that we cannot protect the species without protecting their habitats. Without the habitats, wildlife would go extinct.
4. If possible, add any other facts or observations that you personally see or have experienced regarding the impact the proposed changes would have on endangered species.
You can read all about the proposed change and comment here:
P.S. Thank you very much for your assistance and participation. We hope that many of us leave our comments on the government website and make our voices heard.
At the same time, we ask you to please refrain from political comments and arguments under this post. Let’s keep our focus on the wildlife and our role in ensuring their future on this planet.
Fire bans are in place. Wildlife is killed or displaced. It is way too hot for this time of year.
The lilacs that were planted some twenty-five years ago are blooming. This is about a fortnight early. The sky is filled with dust, and the goslings are hatching across the province. The urban raptors are seeking out water in places like my friend’s pond and at various bird feeders. Things just feel ‘weird’.
Check for shallow bowls, and please leave water out for all the animals. They need it desperately! It is life saving – more important than food!
Then we look at the weather forecast to come. What a roller coaster. Yes, did you spot it? Snow. Snow on the ‘long’ weekend -.
Tuesday took an unexpected turn. Toby had been scratching incessantly, and I initially believed it was a reaction to the shampoo. When I bathed him Tuesday morning – well, it was one of those spray foam baths for days when you don’t want to do the full meal bath deal – everything appeared normal with his ears. However, by Tuesday afternoon, it was clear that something was seriously wrong. Anne picked up on it right away as she has had Spaniels. Thankfully, when we phoned the vet’s office there had been a cancellation if we could get him right there. We grabbed everything and off we went in rush hour traffic with so many miserable souls because of the heat.
Oh, we love our vet. Everyone came out to see Toby. They are used to our Girls. They took swabs and ran tests, determining that Toby has a significant bacterial infection in his right ear, which the vet indicated is quite atypical for such a young dog. While he refrained from diagnosing Toby with allergies, he advised us to keep a close eye out for any recurring ear infections. That could indicate allergies.
Moreover, Toby will need regular monitoring for dental issues and any indications of a heart murmur. My heart goes out to this sweet bundle! These potential genetic concerns are alarming, but our love for him matches that for his sisters, and we are absolutely committed to ensuring he receives the best possible care. We will do everything in our power to support him through this.
Toby now weighs 2.0 kg.
In the image below he is NOT happy about having that sore ear poked and is ready to eat everyone alive.
Back home the pain killers have worked. He took the pills dipped in peanut butter. Go figure. And now, it is nearing 2300 and he is finally settling down for the second time. I might even get some sleep!
Back in Bird World…
‘PB’ kept me informed about the ringing at the San Jose City Hall Falcon scrape. Thank you!
Monty and Hartley were not one bit pleased about the presence of the humans with their babies.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 13th May 2025
Not much happened today on either nest – both males brought two fish to their mates, raising their respective tallies to fifty one (Garry LV0) and eighty five (Louis). There were some gusts of wind moving sticks around, Garry LV0 tangled with one on Nest One but wasn’t injured, and he and Aurora had to spread their wings at one stage to keep their balance while on Nest Two Louis merely looked puzzled when a stick went vertical on him. Dorcha appeared to be enveloped in a spider’s web overnight but that was just a trick of the camera. And that was it, with good weather today and same again expected tomorrow – the season is proceeding calmly, long may it continue.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 23.01.02 (03.41.33); Nest Two 23.09.36 (04.00.34)
Barnegat Light osprey nest: This spring has been quite unsettled at the BL osprey nest platform after Daisy did not return from migration. Many ospreys were interested in the nest and some were vying for Duke’s attention. Things started to settle down, and it seemed that Duke had found a new mate. But alas, the new gal left him for another guy, and she has been seen at the 20th street nest. Poor Duke. Along came a new gal, (temporarily named Miss Pretty), and they seemed to hit it off. Well… Miss P laid an egg on 5/13, and Duke could not be happier!
Venice Golf Club osprey nest: The three chicks had all been thriving. The second chick was seen trying to cast a pellet for a couple of days, and was unable to eat. Sadly, the chick passed away on Tuesday, at 40 days of age.
Ferris Akel posted a video of the Red-tail Hawks near to his residence, Betty and Barney. It is always nice to see more hawks! https://youtu.be/BgHH-Kp5Eyk?
Norwich Cathedral: Two chicks remain after the sad loss of the third Peregrine chick at Norwich Cathedral, which had hatched on May 5th. The high temperatures may have contributed to the chick’s demise, as young peregrines struggle to regulate their body temperature during the early stages of life.
Great Spirit Bluff: Gorgeous eyases enjoying many meals!
Raptor Resource Project gives us information on the falcons and the nest at Great Spirit Bluff.
No one wants them to take flight least of all their parents. Jackie slept so close to them on the nest last night. She knows. And these are such miracles. When there will next be little ones for her and Shadow on this nest is unknown based on all the challenges they face. They are showing us that we must savour every second of every day. You never know when you will say that last goodbye. KTLA 5 is anticipating that fledge. https://youtu.be/FOveSP9duOU?
Trempeauleau Bald Eagles, WI: T3 is beginning to take its first unsteady steps. Give that Mum a wonderful round of applause!
Eschenbach Ospreys: Our couple has four eggs! Joan Castanyer caught the moment of the fourth egg on video. https://youtu.be/_vS4PajS0DU?
Dunrovin Ranch: Swoop and mate have three eggs!
Snow Lane, Newfoundland: Hope is waning that the long time female resident, Hope, will return. There is a new female and Beaumont attempted to mate with her this morning.
Ah, so much happening and so little time today to cover it all. Iris did return to the nest much to the delight of everyone who was worrying so much that they needed antacids.
Take care of yourselves. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for the posts, comments, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, Heidi, PB’, San Jose City Hall Falcon Scrape, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Ferris Akel, Raptor Resource Project, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, Cali Condor, KTLA5, Lincoln Cathedral, Joan Castanyer, Dunrovin Ranch, VGCCO, Barnegat Light, Havre de Grace, Norwich Cathedral, Chichester Peregrine News, Snow Lane Newfoundland Ospreys Newfoundland Power
Set your clocks if you can and watch Monty and Hartley’s chicks get their bling this morning!
San Jose City Hall: Chicks will be ringed live on streaming cam today!
Thanks ‘PB’ for sending the announcement:
Hi all,
Zeka Glucs from PBRG here with some more details on the San Jose City Hall Banding Day. We are looking forward to banding the four chicks and reporting back to this group on check sexes and overall health. They are looking quite active for their age (~20-21 days today) so I expect they are developing well.
Tomorrow morning we will likely arrive to the roof at around 10:30am and then rappel to the nest ledge soon after that. We will be keeping the cameras running during the nest entry and try to arrange ourselves so that you can see the process of measuring and banding the chicks. Each chick gets one metal identification band per leg: a black band with a large alphanumeric code and a silver US Geological Service band which we will cover with temporary colored tape for more identification ease in the nest and during fledge watch. Once they are measured and banded we will be able to discern if they are male and female. Then we collect a wing feather clipping for contaminant stable isotope analysis and three newly emerged body feathers for genetics before returning them to the nest. During the nest entry you may see and hear the parents defending the nest. This is normal and expected, and quite convincing in person! We will complete our work as quickly and safely as possible, then leave the chicks in the nest box for the parents to discover are all well and accounted for so they can know that they successfully chased us off and can resume their job of parenting the young.
Thank you all for your interest and investment in this peregrine family. If you miss the live banding there will be a recording of the nest entry posted on youtube at a later date as well for you to observe.
Zeka”
Today’s blog is relatively short. It is the Full Flower Moon, and any full moon means that my life, as well as Don’s, is turned upside down for about four days. This is despite the fact that this is the last micromoon of the year. The others will be larger and more, thus, more concerning. The lunacy of ‘luna’ is quite real. Be gentle with anyone with mental health issues during this time.
It is also stifling hot on the Canadian prairies, and any plants left outside yesterday were rushed in and placed in a tub, soaked. It is expected to be a hot and dry summer. A wildfire broke out in a northern part of Winnipeg, and fires are burning throughout our province. The fire ban continues. We brought the dill and rosemary plants into the house, where it is cool. I cannot imagine what it will be like this summer. Perhaps it is time to get one of those enormous umbrellas!
I keep reminding myself- and you – that we have had some miracles this year. Several continue to unfold and we need to remember and rejoice in their struggles and survival.
Against all the odds, the female at White Rock has incubated her eggs, alone, and raised two eaglets so far, alone. The two are doing well and there is fish on the nest.
This is an incredible story unfolding and if there is no other news today, well, this is gold! The one is at the White Rock Bald Eagle nest. I have no images and the other at Trempealeau.
Trempealeau Bald Eagle Mum is doing amazing, too. These two really deserve some kind of gold medal this year!
More Miracles. Sunny and Gizmo.
Jackie knows it isn’t long now. What a beautiful year it has been for her and Shadow to be parents again. Monday night she slept in the nest with the ‘babies’. https://youtu.be/ff5x80cJdJ0?
Sauces: Another Miracle. Betty Lou is preparing for ledge just like Sunny and Gizmo.
NEFlorida: Bodie fledged. The nest is pretty empty without that big presence of her and her adopted sibling, Juvie.
Fort St Vrain: It isn’t over til they fly off the edge of the nest, but it looks like the two surviving eagles at Fort St Vrain will do just that.
Cornell Red-tail Hawk: I thank all of the stars that Big Red is still with us. Here she is with her two surviving O1 and O2 from this year.
Hellgate Canyon: The male visited the nest. I did not see Iris. She is off somewhere in the hills fishing and enjoying her summer without the need for little ones. If she returns next year and forms a strong bond with this male, then we may see another family. For now, Iris is living the spa life and this fellow is wondering where she is.
Rutland Manton Bay: Both chicks doing well.
Latvian Golden Eagle Nest: Two days ago, Spilve was feeding two of the sweetest little eaglets. https://youtu.be/2ANQ-FoirgE?
Black Stork Nest Jogdeva: The intruder ate the last two of the chicks (they were already dead as the female did not cover them). Sad ending what was hoped to be a return of the Black Storks to the area.
Worcester Cathedral: Due to the stress of losing two of their chicks this year, with one surviving, a decision has been taken not to ring the chicks as it could be too stressful.
Norwich Cathedral: Three beautiful little eyases.
Michigan State Spartan Scrape: Three eyases and one egg.
Tweed Valley 2: This amazing threesome, two females and a single male, are doing fantastic. These chicks will be truly blessed.
Geemeff Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 12th May 2025
An interesting day, with two fish brought to each nest by the respective males. However, Garry LV0 made Aurora 536 wait for the first fish, by showing it to her then flying off with it and not returning for several minutes. He didn’t pull that stunt with the second fish, she moved in and took it as soon as he landed. His tally now stands at forty nine. Louis brought the season’s earliest breakfast for Dorcha, and followed it up with a trout for lunch, and his tally rises to eighty three. He and Dorcha joined forces to see off an intruder Osprey who buzzed the nest several times but wasn’t given an opportunity to land, and the eggs are safely making their way towards hatching, we’ll be on pip-watch in under two weeks. The weather was sunny and settled and is forecast to continue like that for the rest of the week. Fingers crossed tonight’s clear skies and light winds don’t attract the owls who’ve been heard nearby. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.53.24 (04.05.00); Nest Two 23.05.18 (04.11.38) Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/ylEhZH07-eY N2 Season’s earliest breakfast for Dorcha 04.56.06
Oak Hammock Marsh: One of my favourite places to wander and look for birds of all species is set to reopen after an extensive refurbishment that has taken 2 years!
As I end this there is some concern that the second hatch at Venice Golf and Country Club is unwell. Heidi is keeping a watch. The symptoms sound an awful lot like Molate at the Golden Gate Audubon Nest of Richmond and Rosie. Molate did not receive a necroscopy so the cause of its death is unknown.
Eagle Country will be shutting down their cameras for maintenance very soon.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. If it is as hot where you are living as it is on the Canadian Prairies, please drink lots of water. Don’t go outside during the heat of the day and leave a bowl of water for the birds and animals outside. They will thank you for it. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their posts, notes, comments, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, Heidi, PB’, White Rock (Hancock Foundation), Trempealeau Bald Eagles, WI, FOBBV, NE-Florida, Lady Hawk, IWS/Explore, Cornell Bird Lab Red Tail Hawk Cam, Montana Osprey Project, LRWT, LDF, Liznm, Nesting Bird Life and More, Looduskalender Forum, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Norwich Cathedral, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Ashley Wilson Hawks and Falcons, Cali Condor, Oak Hammock Marsh, Eagle Country, Worcester Cathedral, SK Hideaways
It is a very, very sad day in Bird World. Not the Happy Mother’s Day that I hoped for all these beautiful birds that have raised so many amazing chicks and brought us such happiness. This morning Dory (Audubon Boathouse) was savagely killed by a GHO. She had just laid her third egg.
Heidi writes, “I loved Dory. Mom to Skipjack, Schooner, Sloop, Skipper, Harbor, and Grey. Sadly, three of her offspring suffered the same fate.”
Is there ever a possibility that knowing the owls are there and will strike that those individuals or organizations owning streaming cams will work together to set up methods that would keep the GHOs from harming the Ospreys? The osprey do not kill the owl chicks and eat them. They are no threat to their food supply. If people can go for a space ride for millions of dollars, cannot we come up with even a simple earthly fix to help our fish eaters? In this instance, this has been a long standing known problem and there are people who should have worked on solutions including red strobe lights!
Soar High Dear Dory.
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Happy Mother’s Day to Anyone who has ever cared for another living, breathing being! And It doesn’t matter how many legs it has!!!!!!!!!
I was fortunate. My ‘mothers’ were fascinating people. My mother has always wanted to be a registered nurse. She was the Valedictorian of her high school class and won three scholarships to three excellent universities in Oklahoma to realise her dream. All her father had to do was provide funds for room and board and her books. Well, ‘no’. She was a girl. She was bitter all her life. I was born eleven years after she had worked for the US Navy during WWII in Long Beach, California. When I was eighteen months old, she was offered a position she could not refuse, and the most wonderful thing happened. There was no daycare. My maternal grandmother cared for me until my early teens, so my mother could work. (She continued to work for many decades; it was in her DNA). While my grandmother let me do everything my mother would not allow me to do including braiding my hair (can you imagine it might straighten the curls??) and gave me this easy going sense towards life and a love of gardening and chickens, my mother spent her life making certain that I had the very best education that I could have and that opportunities she only dreamed of I did. My PhD was, in part, her desire that every woman on the planet be able to care for themselves. She was a ‘Tiger Mum’ in a sense! I am full of love and grateful to them because they gave me balance.
No doubt each of you will have a raptor Mum that has touched your heart this year in a way that was not thought possible.
I want to remember an amazing raptor mother who is not with us this year. We will never know what happened to her, but she will live on in our hearts whenever we think of the University of California at Berkeley. The Campanile will never be the same. My first Mum of this year is Peregrine Falcon, Annie.
Big Red has always been on the top of my list because she is the raptor on streaming cams that first touched my heart. She hatched in the spring of 2003 in Brooktondale, New York, seven miles from her nest on the campus of Cornell University. She has had at least two mates – Ezra and now Arthur.
Finally some sun for Big Red, Arthur, and the Os.
‘B’ swept me away because they included some of the most miraculous mothers of this 2025 season! They wrote, “Special to me are three moms who are once again mothers this year after each has had difficult years: Jackie at Big Bear, Audacity at Sauces, and Gabby at NE Florida. Also very special to me is Mrs. T at Trempealeau, who is working so hard (and doing so well) raising eaglet TE3 pretty much by herself.”
Here is ‘B’s list!!!!!!!
FOBBV: Mark your calendars fledge watch begins on 13 May or Sunny and Gizmo. Can you believe it?
‘A’ has Mrs T as a hero. She writes: “Since your blog alerted me to the plight of Mrs T at Trempeauleau, I have been keeping an eye on that nest. So tragic that she had to leave her eaglets in freezing rain – she has been doing such an amazing job with her surviving first hatch. This morning she left just as the skies were starting to lighten – and she was back within 15 minutes with a fresh fish for the wee one’s breakfast. She fed little T3 a couple of times during the day and there was no sign of Mr T, although I have seen footage of him removing a fish from the nest and flying across the river to the island, where he obviously has another nest, to which he delivers the fish (www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bp-_oilfqc). There has been speculation on the chat that this phenomenon will become increasingly common because of the larger numbers of eagles sharing territories. It’s a double-edged sword – yes, we want more eagles but not if it means they are competing for territory to the point where they hurt each other and cause eaglets to starve. We need to provide habitat for the eagles, not just increase their numbers without thinking about how the additional eagles will live.
But back to T3. It had a funny interaction with mum in the middle of the night last night – mum jumped down from the branch above the nest where she spends most nights and the eaglet went into nest defence mode like a little warrior. Stood up as tall as it could and pecked at mum!!! This interaction went on for several minutes – mum eventually bonked T3 back. T3 responded by pecking at mum’s breast feathers several times, still standing as tall as it could, flapping its wings occasionally for balance as it lunged forwards to peck its mum. That’s no way to treat your dedicated single parent mother on Mother’s Day T3! Especially when she’s come down to the nest for a snuggle on a windy night – she rarely joins T3 on the nest and the little eaglet, who has lost both its siblings to hypothermia, snuggles up to the trunk of the tree for warmth and comfort. Sometimes, it looks up at mum longingly – but when she did decide to come down, T3’s reaction made me wonder whether eaglets have far less acuity at night than adult eagles because it was as if T3 didn’t recognise Mrs T at all and was defending the nest against an intruder. It was very strange. Eventually, after a five or six-minute stand-off T3 snuggled down as if nothing had happened and Mrs T arranged some nesting material (she’d been bringing in fluff a lot during the day). Teenagers!! It’s a little delinquent. Here’s the footage. It’s just TOO funny: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnFmArd8jh0. “
‘VS’ said: “Love Naha at Seaside and Mum at Port Lincoln.”
Naha
Oh, yes, absolutely. Thank you.
Mum at Port Lincoln
Rutland Water: One of the finest osprey females, a super Mum, Maya, is right at the top of the list for more than two dozen people. Her and Blue 33 just had their second hatch of the season!
Geemeff Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 10th May 2025
Today on Nest One started with a visit from a male Tawny Owl, who perched and made an unusual call, perhaps trying to attract a mate. Later there was much excitement as Garry LV0 saw off a persistent intruder Osprey. The unringed female tried to land several times with Garry on the nest actively dissuading her, and then they had quite the aerial battle with much chasing and circling round both nearby and in the distance, all caught on nest cam. She did return and managed to land shortly after her epic encounter with Garry, but was very wary and then startled off the nest by a Jay rustling through the branches of the nest tree. Aurora 536 wasn’t around or at least not visible on nest cam during the female’s visit, but did turn up in the afternoon to get a large whole trout from Garry. That one fish took his tally to forty six, but he has a long way to go to catch up with Louis, whose two deliveries took his tally to seventy nine. The first fish he brought wasn’t much more than a tail end which explains Dorcha’s enthusiastic reception of the second, she even gulped a few mouthfuls on the nest before departing and leaving Louis to egg-sit. The weather was settled and sunny as promised, but in a change from the forecast, light rain is expected tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.51.44 (03.45.47); Nest Two 23.08.52 (04.07.40)
Bonus read – looking at those clouds of insects on the nests today, this study shows the amazing biodiversity of the Arkaig ancient Caledonian rainforest:
My top book recommendation for last year – and Calico’s too – was Raising Hare. ‘B’ sent along an article from The New York Times. Raising Hare was in their top 15 for 2025! Feeling delighted.
Just in case you didn’t see it, Raising Hare is on the NY Times list of the Best Books of the Year (So Far). One of 15 books on the list.
Cumbria Wildlife Nest 2: Two eggs laid very late in the season for the new couple. Fingers crossed.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care everyone.
I am going to be doing a very abbreviated blog for the next week or so. It is gardening time and with Toby and The Girls, there isn’t enough hours in the day to keep up. Geemeff and Heidi will be with us when they have news and I will be covering the hatches in the UK.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, Heidi, PB, VS’, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways, Cornell Red Tail Hawk, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, Trempeauleau Bald Eagles, IWS/Explore, LL, Seaside Osprey Cam, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Smith Rock Park Eagles, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Maryland Western Shore, Fostythe, Fortis Exshaw, Audubon Boathouse, Rutland Water, Cumbria Wildlife Trust
It is World Migratory Bird Day today. So what is WMBD?
World Migratory Bird Day is a special day to celebrate these incredible birds and help protect them. This year, we’re focusing on making our cities, villages, towns, and communities, from rural to urban, more bird-friendly. In 2025, WMBD will raise awareness about migratory birds’challenges due to human activities and expanding urban development. The campaign will advocate for strategic urban planning and conservation efforts that incorporate bird-friendly practices, making sure that our communities become havens for these remarkable travelers. The 2025 theme encourages action from all sectors, including national and local governments, businesses, community groups, and individuals worldwide.
What does “bird-friendly” mean?
“Bird-friendly” means making our environment safe and welcoming for birds. We can do this by planting native plants, providing clean water, and avoiding the use of harmful chemicals. By creating and protecting shared spaces, we can help birds on their long journeys and make our communities more beautiful and healthy.
What will you do to help migratory birds?
Good Morning. We hope that the start to your weekend has been a pleasant one! It was sunny on Saturday but there were cold gusts of wind that felt like they were strong enough to fly us to the Arctic. There are wildfires burning in Manitoba and we are on a fire ban. The two main ones were started by two men in their 40s. Tragic.
‘The Girls’ are no longer bothered a bit by Toby. They don’t even seem to notice him OR the fact that all of the toys they were tired of playing with are now in his toy basket.
Out for the count!
We had a lovely Friday. It was the first time that Karen came to help and it worked out brilliantly. Toby even got a ride to the park in his little push stroller! We visited the market and picked up a couple of hydrangeas and tomorrow we will get the rest of the plants purchased through a fundraiser for feral cats and kittens. It will be so nice to see some colour in the garden.
Dyson looks a little ‘plump’ and I wonder when we will have some new kits running around. The Crows are coming for their cheesy dogs again, the Starlings are still here along with the normal visitors including a very beautiful male Hairy Woodpecker. There is, however, sadly, a notable drop in the number of House Sparrows. I wonder what is happening? Is it the fact that our City continues to cut down trees that might have had nests? Shame on them.
The great news in Osprey World is that Blue 33 and Maya have their first hatch at Rutland Water!
Against the happiness at Rutland, there is sadness at Worcester Cathedral. I am so pleased that the chick has been removed to be tested.
Glaslyn: Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn has written a blog hoping to capture all the drama happening at the nest!
Manton Bay: First hatch of Blue 33 and Maya has eaten. Dad brought in a huge fish.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 9th May 2025
Today saw the welcome return of Aurora 536 spending time on Nest One after yesterday’s concerns of the pair moving to another nest. Of course, Garry LV0 and Aurora might still chose a different nest, however as Garry brought nesting materials as well as fish and Aurora spent a good deal of time either on Aila’s Perch behind the nest or on the nest itself and even did some very gentle nestorising, Nest One must surely be the front runner for this pair to take up residence. While it would be good to see more mating behaviour, Garry brought Aurora two fish today and didn’t tease her but allowed her to take them immediately, another encouraging sign of their increasing commitment to each other and Nest One. His tally rises to forty five, while over on Nest Two, Dorcha received two fish from Louis and his tally now stands at seventy seven. There were no alarms or disturbances today, allowing the Ospreys to enjoy the sunshine in peace, and this settled weather continues through tomorrow and all next week.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.53.10 (03.44.09); Nest Two 23.09.20 (04.15.58)
White Rock British Columbia Eagle Nest: The two eaglets have been given names: Miracle and Phe’nom (Phenomenal). Both eaglets were fed. They are ten days old today. The male, Scar, is not helping at all. Mum is doing it all!
Sydney Sea Eagles: Both Lady and Dad were at the nest on Friday.
Cornell Red-tail Hawks, Big Red and Arthur: Big Red removed O3 from the nest cup and put her deceased third baby at the side. https://youtu.be/p0L-EIu3JcM?
Hellgate Canyon: New Male brings Iris another fish! Looks like Iris is thinking this might be alright. https://youtu.be/7AnsSZB2Aj4?
San Jose City Hall: The Fab Four are doing positively fine.
Heidi’s Osprey Notes:
Thank you for being with us today. If you have a special ‘Mamma’ Bird you would like mentioned tomorrow, let me know! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my short post today: ‘Geemeff, Heidi’, Bird Friendly Day, Peregrine Falcons in Worcester, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Cornell Bird Lab, Montana Osprey Project, San Jose City Hall, Maryland Western Shore, Boathouse, LRWT
Toby has grown. He has legs! So far, he does not mind his collar and having his leash attached going about the house. He goes to his potty pads, twirling around like a ballerina, which is a good sign that something is about to happen. My son says I must teach him to sit and to behave on his lead. I do not doubt that this intelligent little man will be fine.
If I forgot to say, Hugo Yugo and Toby slept in the bend of my left arm Tuesday night. Calico was back on the conservatory table this morning and well, The Girls have settled into their ordinary routine and just don’t seem to be bothered by his presence this afternoon.
The weather continues to be ‘weird’. It is going to be 36 C next week. I have a serious problem with this because of the dryness and the fires. What about the birds? I have lived in Manitoba, on and off since I was a late teenager, and having a 36 degree C was something that was rare. Of course, that temperature has been more familiar the last four or five years but not until ‘summer’. Not the beginning of May. We will make certain there is plenty of water for all the outdoor animals.
Today, Mr and Mrs Crow began, in earnest, to eat the cheesy dogs, which tells me that they have either babies in the nest or are thinking about it! The Blue Jays are here in earnest, and Dyson took five peanuts this evening at one go! She has to be at least ten years old, and it is her.
My goodness. When ‘LS’ submitted her ‘Spark Bird’, I am not certain she realised how many people love Harriet and miss her so much. The fact that we will never know what happened to Harriet has left holes in so many hearts. People are pleased that M15 was able to raise their last two eaglets, E21 and E22, alone and that he was happy to find a new mate BUT everyone would like Harriet back! Thank you, ‘LS’ for taking us down memory lane – albeit full of tears.
Eleven people sent in the name Louis. You know who you are! No, not Iris’s Louis, but Louis from Loch Akraig, specifically Louis with his mate Aila, whom they met during the pandemic when the pair raised their triplets, JJ5, JJ6, and JJ7. 400,000 people are said to have watched the couple from the Loch Arkaig I nest that year. When Aila did not return, Louis moved the nest to nest 2, where he raised chicks with his current mate, Dorcha. I must admit that I was devastated when Aila did not return, and it did take me a while to warm up to Dorcha.
Big Red and Arthur: It appears that the last two eggs are pipping. O2 is taking some time and we have seen this many times this year. Wishing both those little ones a good hatch!
O2 has hatched!!!!!! Arthur has covered the nest with chipmunks and squirrels. O3 is on its way too and should arrive by today. What joy!
I love watching Big Red and Arthur raise their family. Arthur just fills up that nest with every kind of critter he can so that no one ever goes hungry. Big Red stuffs those babies and keeps them warm and cosy alternating brooding with Arthur. I cannot tell you how much I adore this Red-tail Hawk. She is, of all the birds on streaming cams, my ‘Spark’ Bird.
Someone commented about all the prey. Thank goodness for Arthur’s good hunting skills. The pantry is always full and in case of a bad weather day this is essential for these babies. Great parents.
Hellgate Canyon: The New Boy has finally brought Iris a fish!!!!!!!!!! Viewers around the world jumped up and down for joy and shed tears. It appears not to be Finnegan – I really hoped it was – but, a new male interested in our Queen and her nest.
Foulshaw Moss: White YW and Blue 35 incubating eggs. It won’t be long.
Jose City Hall Falcon Scrape: ‘PB’ sends us a screen capture of some very full crops! Monty and Hartley are taking superb care of these four. Brilliant.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 7th May 2025
Today’s main story is all about Aurora 536 – we received word today that she was ringed in Loch Fleet in Sutherland in 2022. This means she’s a three year old, and a good match for five year old Garry LV0 who was ringed in Loch Garry in 2020. They’re both young and healthy, he’s an excellent fisherbird and has a good nest with a well stocked loch nearby, and she appears to have adopted him and his nest. So everything has aligned for them to be successful parents – fingers crossed it works out as hoped. The Tawny Owl who visited Nest One this morning might find surprise occupants next time if the young pair produce eggs this season! Garry brought two fish taking his tally to forty one, and over on Nest Two, Louis’ three deliveries for Dorcha take his tally to seventy three. The weather was settled and the day ended with a colourful sunset best seen from Nest Two, and the forecast promises more settled weather and sunny spells tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.46.52 (04.23.21); Nest Two 22.56.24 (04.31.52)
I am so angry. There are some of us that wish we lived in Virginia and could make an impact on these decisions. The ospreys and their chicks are dying. We saw this in earnest in 2024. Have a read!
In case you haven’t heard the menhaden board met today at 1 PM to discuss area and seasonal protective options for Chesapeake Bay menhaden …the options the work group proposed concentrated on ospreys and their critical times for raising young for example May 1 through August 15 . Area restrictions were proposed by the WG for Chesapeake Bay and the mouth of Bay during the critical time periods.
Please be aware that Lynn Fegley, the director of DNR fisheries and Allison Colden , CBF’s chief scientist who was the Maryland representative on the work group sat in silence when the time came for them to make a persuasive presentation on the options that they favored, the benefits of the options and the benefits to Maryland. A few questions were directed to them about ospreys and striped bass and they gave very incomplete one might say incompetent answers. For example, they could not explain to the questioner the difference between the freshwater ospreys, successful breeding, and the saltwater ospreys that rely on menhaden to survive’s dismal breeding success. This is completely covered in Dr Bryan Watts’s scientific article titled a Tale of Two Bays , but they ignored these well-known sources or had never bothered to read them.
Lynn Fegley and Allison Colden are two very intelligent women who decided to sit mute during the  most important moment that we have ever had for Chesapeake Bay in so far as protecting its food supply. I am quite sure they had read all of the articles about ospreys and that they completely understand the ERP science it says when ospreys and striped bass are in poor condition it is menhaden over harvesting that is to blame. The ERP science was never mentioned. They both know completely, how our Maryland recreational, commercial and charter fishing for striped bass has collapsed but they did not discuss it. Their silence was deafening .
The question is why these two menhaden board leaders did not speak out to convince this board to adopt options to protect Maryland. When the time came for them to make a motion for the board to pass protective options to protect our bay’s food supply, they sat in silence. Because of the inaction of these two people today , there is nothing that is going to happen to prevent the starvation of thousands of osprey babies this season and nothing to prevent more of our charter fishing captains from going out of business and no hope for progress here to restore the bay’s food supply so millions our children could enjoy the bay the way it should be.
If you can find factual evidence as to why this disaster to Chesapeake Bay occurred I hope you will post it on this website so the public will know why this happened
By the way, the end result was this board abdicated its responsibility and kicked the matter back to “discuss” it again in August. You can be sure that in Virginia’s Pat Geer and his cohorts at Omega protein are celebrating victory, once again, tonight., I expect the advocates for menhaden reform are in shock over what happened today.”
Black Stork Nest in Poland: Two hatches on Wednesday!
Golden Eagle Nest in Latvia of Spilve and Gristlis: One egg has hatched. Still watching and waiting to see if the second egg will hatch.
Black Stork Nest of Kergu and Kerli: They are still incubating. The eggs were laid on: Looduskalender Forum listed when the eggs were laid:
1. egg on 21.4.2025, 00:06 2. egg on 22.4.2025, 23:35 3. egg on 24.4.2025, 22:41 4. egg on 27.4.2025, 02:02
Wild Bucovina Golden Eagle Nest 2: Eaglet was stuffed today!
Bety and Bukachek, Mlade Buky, Romania: Incubating two eggs (I think).
Glaslyn: Teifi and Elen have been at the nest. Individuals are observing Aran who is remaining in a familiar place and fishing for himself.
Ladies showing off their osprey eggs!!!!!!! Heidi’s Nest Notes are Visuals today! Love the labels – those really help. Enjoy!
Port Lincoln Ospreys: New has come in that Phantom is alive and well. Fran Solly writes,
“In what surely is the proverbial “needle in a haystack” search we were thrilled to find Phantom this afternoon and to see her with another bird. Phantom is the 2021 female bird from the Price Artificial Platform. She flew to Kangaroo Island shortly after fledge. In October 2024 her tracker stopped operating but locals reported sightings of her. Today we can confirm those sightings with these photos.”
Ospreys of Nova Scotia: Names have been chosen for Oscar and Ethel’s chicks by popular vote: Nova, Russell, and Sunny. Congratulations. Lovely names!
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their posts, comments, notes, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, PB’, Liz Bracken, Norwegian Ospreys, Cornell Red-tail Hawk Cam, SK Hideaways, Montana Osprey Project/Cornell Bird Lab, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Agrippina & Antares Peregrine Falcons, San Jose City Hall Falcon Scrape, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Menhaden- Little Fish, Big Deal FB, Bociany Czame Online, LDF, Looduskalender Forum, Wild Bucovina, Mlade Buky Stork Cam, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Dahlgren, Forsythe, Kent Island, Fortis Exshaw, Maryland Western Shore, Cape Henlopen, Port Lincoln Ospreys,
You are all truly amazing! I absolutely cherish your questions, and I want to apologise for not being able to respond to each one personally. Time often slips away from me, but please know that every letter and comment you send means the world to me. Keep those questions coming! I promise to do my utmost to address the latest inquiries before we shift our focus to our beautiful feathered friends.
Hugo Yugo’s Fan Club is eagerly awaiting updates on her upcoming surgery and her dental health. I truly appreciate all the love and concern you’ve shown! Hugo Yugo is set to undergo surgery and extraction on June 11, but to be honest, I’m uncertain about what will actually be done.
I’m thrilled to share that we’ve been diligent in brushing her teeth twice a day, sometimes even three times. Recently, we’ve noticed a positive change: Hugo Yugo has started eating kibble instead of her usual chicken and rice wet food. I believe this shift has been beneficial in helping to clean her teeth.
At the moment, I can only spot a very tiny red area, with no signs of extensive redness in her gums. I want to remain hopeful and cautious—so I’ll knock on wood that I’m seeing accurately and not just what I want to see. We have an important follow-up in five weeks, and I’m optimistic about what we’ll discover!
The second most frequently asked question is: How are The Girls adjusting to Toby? As of Tuesday evening, Toby has been with us for 72 hours, or three days. Initially, The Girls were filled with curiosity; they simply can’t comprehend what “a tiny bundle of energy” means. While Toby isn’t a cat, he has certainly intrigued them. There have been a few hisses as they navigate this new presence. Baby Hope, in particular, prefers to keep her distance from Toby. Meanwhile, Hugo Yugo is always on guard, closely observing him, while Calico has surprisingly become more focused on Toby and is leaving Missey undisturbed. Missey, for her part, quietly watches from a distance.
Despite these initial adjustments, The Girls gradually returned to their familiar routines. Hugo Yugo continues to demand food with his usual enthusiasm, and Calico was extra affectionate with Anne today, vying for her attention. Overall, they are settling back into their typical behaviours. We’ve devoted ample time to engaging with them in our usual activities, ensuring they feel cherished and not sidelined.
The third question everyone seems to be asking is: How is Toby doing? Anne had the pleasure of meeting Toby for the first time today, and she was thoroughly impressed—she gave him the thumbs-up! Toby’s role as a therapy dog is already taking shape, and while he will receive formal training soon, he is truly stepping into that role exceptionally well.
During a walk, Anne and Don expressed some concern about leaving Toby home alone. However, when they returned, they found him peacefully asleep in his little bed, completely undisturbed. It’s heartwarming to see how much joy he brings, especially as he energetically shakes his new toys like a bull in a ring. It’s amazing to think how strong a 1.5 kg puppy can be!
Toby is now sporting a brand-new collar; we had to hunt for an extra extra small size, but we finally found the perfect fit. Today was also a success because we discovered his ideal food at a charming family-owned shop that specializes solely in pet food—no beds or toys. The shop is just a few blocks away and offers free delivery, which will be incredibly convenient for me in the future. Toby is truly settling in wonderfully! I feel blessed and every day I am just so grateful. I feel surrounded by very supportive individuals, including yourselves. That means the world to me.
I have exciting news to share! The young man who provided invaluable help with snow shovelling this winter will now take on all our gardening responsibilities. I’ve come to a realisation about my capabilities and limitations, and my top priority is to ensure Don remains comfortable at home without completely depleting my energy.
While I’m still searching for someone to assist with house cleaning, my strategy is to save the funds I would have spent on a regular cleaner and hire a professional service for a comprehensive deep clean twice a year. Besides, the floors need cleaning once or twice a day with four cats and a puppy. How much fur (hair?) finds its way into the corners is amazing! This way, I can maintain a comfortable environment for Don while hopefully managing my well-being as effectively as possible.
Spring has arrived. Green is popping up everywhere. It was cooler today. 16 C instead of 28. What a change! We are now under a fire ban because it is so dry so no outdoor fire pits or barbecues. Plants ordered on a fundraiser for the feral kittens arrive next Saturday so we will begin to have some colour and there are plans for seven 8′ tall cedar trees (I think they look like Lebanon cedars- very upright). We have a pen to put together so Toby can be outside when we are working in the garden. Hopefully The Girls don’t decide they want to go out too! They can’t.
Toby plays really hard for about 30 minutes and then instantly goes to sleep for at least 2 hours. And I am sleeping well!!!!!! Can’t believe it.
The most fun is playing chase and soon, I think that The Girls will join in. For now they know to get up higher than the ‘little yapper’. Hugo Yugo watching Toby – will try to get a chase scene soon!
Well, a major break through. Both Toby and Hugo Yugo slept together in my left warm pit last night. Yippeeee.
I truly appreciate your kindness, and I think of you every day. I hope you’re in great health and making the most of the outdoors whenever possible. Getting outside is essential for our mental well-being and for keeping our bodies active for as long as we can! Even taking a moment to sit and listen to the birds can rejuvenate a tired spirit almost instantly.
Spark Bird: There is a lovely little book by a similar name about birds that inspired people to become involved in birding. For many of us, the birds that catapulted us into wanting to know more, to help preserve, and to educate ourselves came through the nests on the streaming cams. So many of you responded to ‘LS’s’ comments about Harriet being her spark bird, and it brought back tearful memories. Indeed, so many of our much-loved birds are no longer with us. Still, we need to keep them alive in our memories, and they are, of course, alive in the DNA of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, should they have been lucky enough to have survived those treacherous early years. Tens of thousands of people certainly loved Harriet – if not more.
For ‘CL’, a local bird sparked her love of everything with feathers. She writes: ‘I grew up on The Orkneys. At the weekend, my parents would take me and my brothers and sisters to the shore to tire us out looking for ‘pirate treasure’. I was captivated by the Purple Sandpipers that populated the shore especially when the tide went out.
I had never heard of a Purple Sandpiper so I had to look them up! This is the RSPB’s description: “The Purple Sandpiper is a medium-sized wading bird that is larger, stockier and darker than a Dunlin. It is mainly dark grey above and whitish below. It has a downcurved beak and bright orange legs. In flight, it shows a white wing-stripe. A couple of pairs nest in Scotland, but this species is mainly a winter visitor to almost any rocky coast in the UK. Most are found in Orkney, Shetland and along the east coast of Scotland and northern England – it is rare south of Yorkshire, except in Devon and Cornwall. The breeding areas in Scotland are kept secret to protect the birds from egg thieves and disturbance. It is listed on Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act.”
Time to move on….I could ramble all day. Life is beautiful and being surrounded with kindness comforts me more than anyone could ever know. It is calming and reassuring. I am also grateful for many of you who are providing fish for the raptors. I know that several have created koi ponds near to the platforms while others are placing fish – these generous outpourings might prove to save chicks that otherwise might have succomb to heat and starvation. We have taken their land, their resources, and their food supplies. Giving back is a good thing.
Let’s start with Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 6th May 2025
Louis started the day by bringing the earliest fish of the season at 5am, and followed it up with a second at tea time, taking his tally to seventy fish, not bad since his season only started on 2nd April. Apart from a few minor alarms, no low-flying owl or Osprey intruders bothered Dorcha or the eggs today, and steady progress is being made towards first hatch. Over on Nest One, the new Arkaig Osprey pair are also making steady progress. No intruders bothered them although Garry LV0 was scared off the nest by a piece of bark. He brought two fish for Aurora 536 which seems to have satisfied her as she didn’t appear when he brought a third fish, and his tally now stands at thirty nine. The promised sunny spells materialised, the weather was settled and due to stay that way with more sunny intervals due tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.28.43 (03.50.45*); Nest Two 22.18.01 (04.19.19)
Smallwood State Park: Their first baby hatched the evening of 5/6.
Patuxent River Park (nest 1) – Mom and Dad have their first hatch. The hatchling was first seen the afternoon of 5/6.
Patuxent River Park (nest 2) – They also have their first baby, seen the evening of 5/6. The egg cup is very deep and we have not been able to see any eggs. We can just barely see the new baby’s head.
OBX (Outer Banks): Betsy laid her second egg early on 5/7. It was laid almost 5.5 days after she laid egg #1.
Audubon Boathouse at Hog Island: 5/7, Dory laid her second egg early this morning.
Big Red and Arthur: Pip is getting bigger on O2. Just look at how many squirrels Arthur is already bringing to the nest – soon those babies will have a squirrel bed. https://youtu.be/gTDiCN_px-E?
Trempealeau Eagles: A beautiful scene – Mum guarding her only surviving baby who she is caring for alone.
Denton Homes: If the weather will continue to cooperate, this family will be just fine. Look at those gorgeous eaglets getting their juvenile feathers.
Kistachie National Forest E3: The surviving eaglet is gorgeous and returns to the nest for all to see how well s/he is doing.
Little Miami Conservancy: Two beautiful eaglets squeeing their heads off when food arrives.
Duke Farms: These three look ready to fly!
Fort St Vrain: Chucking down rain on the two surviving eaglets.
NEFlorida: Stunningly beautiful Bodie.
Big Bear Valley: Family Portrait.
Sauces: Betty Lou is gorgeous and much, much loved. She has been standing on the cot rails!
Fraser Point: Lovely.
Tweed Valley Ospreys:
Latest news from Tweed: On 6th May Newboy brought a good- sized fish back to nest 2 where Mrs O was sitting on eggs. She instantly stood up and pounced on the fish and took it in her talons. She began to eat at the nest but a hungry F2 returned and tried to grab the fish. When food is involved, it seems that this is the only time that any aggression between the birds is evident, Mrs O was fiercely holding on to the fish and had no intention of letting F2 take it. A slight squabble broke out and she then launched into the air taking the fish with her. F2 then settled on to the four eggs and the male took off from the nest too. Ten minutes later Mrs O returned to the nest with the remaining leftovers of the fish and she let F2 take it from her.
Loch of the Lowes: Second egg has arrived for the new couple
Hellgate Canyon: Louis is busy providing fish for Star as she incubates her eggs and there is now a persistent male visitor at Iris’s nest. There is considerable ‘wonderings’ if this is Finn. Did Finn return earlier and was chased away by Louis? Did Finn bring the fish earlier? Remember. I keep saying it. Tim Mackrill and Roy Dennis will tell you. The only two places on an osprey where the plumage pattern does not change is the top of the head and the underwing. It is extremely difficult to get good images of the underwing unless you are lucky enough to be directly under the bird in flight. Images have been posted of Iris and the new male and of Finn. ‘PB; sent me copies for your consideration (and my pondering).
I would like it to be Finn – I would liked it to have been Finn a month ago. I am not sure. It would be nice for Iris to be courted with fish- for her to feel special and I believe that these intelligent raptors know the difference. To Iris and all the love that might come her way still!
Port Lincoln Ospreys: Beautiful Mum was at the barge! Be sure to renew your membership. Every membership (very reasonable) goes to erect platforms for the growing osprey population in South Australia. The Friends of Osprey Sth Australia is incredible – what they do with the funds they have. They have motivated community members and in doing so, everyone protects these endangered raptors.
What cute faces! Monty and Hartley’s little ones lined up for breakfast.
Take care everyone. thank you for being with us today. 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: ‘CL, Geemeff, Heidi, PB’, RSPB, Openverse, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Cornell Bird Lab Red-tail Hawk Cam, Rosie Shields and Border Ospreys, Trempealeau Bald Eagles, Denton Homes, Kistachie National Forest E3, Little Miami Conservancy, Duke Farms, Xcel Energy, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, IWS/Explore, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Loon Preservation Society, Hellgate Osprtey Cam, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Smallwood Osprey Cam, Patuxent River Park, OBX, Audubon Boathouse, Loch of the Lowes, San Jose City Hall
Morning Update: Hellgate Canyon. The timing could not be more perfect since Finnegan did not return (or did he?). Iris laid her three eggs and poof – Ravens took them. Starr, Louis’s mate, will have her eggs and Louis will be busy providing Starr with fish. The battle of the nest took place on Monday and early Tuesday morning, Iris and the victor sat on her nest together. We wait to see what happens.
[On an Osprey, the only two markings that never change yearly are the head markings and the underwing markings. Remember that. Everything else could vary.]
Big Red and Arthur: O2 making its way. O1 eating well and Arthur is stocking up the nest! It is a Hawk Delight buffet!
Another ‘summer’ day at the beginning of May on the Canadian Prairies. It was a perfect day. Toby’s ‘godmother’ visited with a toy basket full of everything a tiny dog would love to chew. Toby is really feeling at home. He likes to play tug of war with the hem of my long linen dress, growling and hopping around. He had his first bath today. Didn’t seem to mind and loved the drying off with the towel. I hope he sleeps well tonight!
The Girls are fine. They are curious but not intimidating. They keep their distance trying to figure out what this ball of energy that is either wide awake with great energy or sound asleep ‘is’. Not a cat. None of them have ever seen a dog before. It is quite interesting.
Hugo Yugo thinks it is just a great day to sleep in the conservatory where the temperature is in the 30s.
I really would like to hear from you about those birds on the streaming cams that sparked your interest. So send them in! I will try and include one a day for the next few weeks!
‘LS’ wrote: “What sparked me was when I saw Harriet and M15 profiled on the nightly news in 2018. It intrigued me to hear that a camera was installed so the public could watch an eagle’s nest. I would watch occasionally and was fascinated with learning things about eagles I never knew. It was 2020, the year E14, died that really grabbed my heart and attention. When Harriet and M15 reclutched I fell in love with E16 and then E15 who didn’t leave the area until early November. I still miss those 2 eaglets.”
Thank you, ‘LS’.
The last time I checked there was a good size pip in O2’s egg at the Cornell Red-tail Hawk nest of Big Red and Arthur. Cornell Bird Lab has it on video: https://youtu.be/dJNVLRdb6Dc?
Hellgate Canyon: There was a lot of activity going on at the nest of Iris today. The third egg was taken by the Raven on Sunday. Today another male took on Lewis and appeared to want to be friendly with Iris. The situation is ongoing.
Xcel Fort St Vrain: Those two surviving eaglets that we worried so much about seem to be doing just fine. Always a relief.
Trempealeau Bald Eagle Nest: Things are going well despite Mr T’s theft of fish. Eaglet has its blood feathers coming in!
White Rock Nest: ‘PB’ writes that the eaglets eat well Monday afternoon. A lovely fish fairy. 🙂
San Jose City Hall Falcon Scrape:
Golden Eagle Nest, Latvia, Spilve and Grislis: Hatch is underway!
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum: First egg for the new couple. Thanks, ‘MP’.
Glacier Gardens Bald Eagles, Juneau, Alaska: Two eggs.
Glaslyn: I posted about Aran Monday morning. What a wonderful osprey he is.
West Point Eaglets: A storm took down the nest and the eaglets have perished just like Scout and Bella’s triplets at NCTC.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 5th May 2025
Today’s news is that Blue 536 has been given a name: Aurora. George WTS comments: Now that it looks like 536 is going to stick around we have decided to call her Aurora. This is a popular girl’s name in Scotland these days. Its root meaning is “dawn” which vibes well for her as a new beginning for Garry and Nest One. It is also a nod to the northern lights aka aurora borealis. Aurora strengthened her claim to Garry LV0 and his nest by bring some moss and a tiny twig and doing a little gentle nestoration. Garry on the other hand spent time mating but didn’t bring any fish, although we suspect he is providing fish to her away from the nest. His tally remains at thirty six. It was far busier on Nest Two, where Louis and Dorcha had at least two incursions by intruder Ospreys, and Louis spent much time fighting aerial battles. He still managed to find time to fish, and brought one fish to the nest, raising his tally to sixty eight. The overnight forecast is for a clear sky and light winds, and sunny intervals tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.39.32 (04:10.24); Nest Two 22.57.08 (04.21.44)
If you are a member of Ospreys of Nova Scotia, voting is now underway for three names for Ethel and Oscar’s 2025 chicks! Great names suggested! And voting made easy. Just click on the name.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care! We hope to see you again soon!!!!!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, Heidi, MP, PB’, Cornell Bird Lab Red-tail Hawk, Montana Osprey Project/Cornell Bird Cam, Trempeauleau Bald Eagle Cam, White Rock Eagles/D Hancock Foundation, LDF, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Ospreys, Glacier Gardens Eagles, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, West Point Eagle Nest, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Xcel Energy, Friends of Midway, The Guardian, Raptor Persecution UK
We have now had Toby at home for 24 hours (when writing this). I am shocked at how ‘chill’ this little bundle of joy is. He was only placed on his potty pads once, and he uses them all the time. He is eating and drinking well. I can hardly believe it. Toby thinks Hugo Yugo’s beautiful, thick tail is a toy. So far, only a hiss from Baby Hope once.
It is a lot of work; I will not make this sound easy. I have many ‘babies’ to care for now, but having these lovely souls surrounding me is also bliss. I cannot imagine little Toby anywhere else, not for a second. The Girls got on with their own lives later and were less curious.
I am looking forward to Toby being able to walk – short ones. Tomorrow we will try him in his backpack!
It is summer on the Canadian prairies. Today, it was 28 degrees C. Lilac buds are bursting open, and the grass is turning green before our eyes. We are now in a high fire warning because everything is so dry. We could use some of the rain that fell in some of the southern US.
We have done a little checking on some nests for you!
Loch of the Lowes: This is the first egg for the new resident pair, replacing Blue NC0 and Laddie. The female is LF25.
Our friends, Friends of the Ospreys have sent us some great news regarding Roli KA5 2019 born Llyn Brenig. Diolch yn fawr!!!
Update on the Chris Wood nest
The last couple of weeks this pair have been defending the nest, they’ve established a territory keeping other ospreys away, the first few days they had a male Osprey from a nest not far away visiting and making a nuisance of himself, but all that looks to be settled now, they’ve built up the nest with lots of nesting material and everything is looking really promising for a successful season. Male KA5 2019 from the Llyn Brenig nest, an offspring of Blue 24 and Blue HR7 and female 7C1 2022 from a private nest in the Lake District, offspring from male 9C 2014 who’s an offspring of 11/98 and Mrs G from the Glaslyn nest.”
Hellgate Canyon: A wet day for Iris and for the third egg. She looked down at her egg for a few seconds and flew off the nest. The Raven came and took the egg immediately. Iris is intelligent as are all raptors. She knows what happens. I am sad for her that Finnegan did not return – he would most certainly have if he could. No doubt he succomb to something and died or is injured and in care somewhere. Without Darvic rings we do not know.
I am also glad that Iris had a wonderful year in 2024. It was such a privilege to share her joy at having a mate that helped her raise two wonderful chicks, Sum-eh and Antali. That precious year lives on in them.
Send Iris positive energy. Raptors have feelings and I do ache for this wonderful gal, in the same way as I agonise for those females that find themselves sharing nests for whatever reason this happens, we do not know.
Trempealeau Bald Eagle Nest: Despite what I just said, so far this little one appears to be doing alright.
Glaslyn: Aran was photographed in the area. He has not been at the nest for a few days but has been seen chasing intruders. Teifi came to the nest and was on the perch with Elen. It could be the end of an era and the beginning of a new partnership.
To be clear, I adore Aran. He returned very late this year, and Teifi had already settled in. I am glad that neither has fought to the death. Aran has raised a total of 26 chicks at the Glaslyn ospreys’ nest. He has successfully raised two chicks with Elen in their first year together, and three chicks last year. Previously, Aran raised 18 chicks with Mrs. G.
This is the history of Aran at Glaslyn from the Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn website:
Mrs G was first discovered breeding in the Glaslyn nest in 2004. It is also possible that she was the female osprey that a male was seen displaying to in 2003. It was mid-summer, the time we would expect to see two and three year old ospreys prospecting for partners.
Sadly she failed to return in 2023 for what would remarkably have been her 20th season breeding in the Glaslyn Valley.
How old was she? As she was not ringed we did not know her exact age and previous history, but we do have a few clues that might indicate her possible age. It is known that three-year old birds tend to arrive during April and two-year old birds tend to arrive from late May onwards. We know the exact date the chicks were killed in 2004 and can estimate their approximate age from their plumage. By working the dates back we can guess that Mrs G would have arrived approximately around the 20th April that year. Spot on for a three-year old bird. We know for certain Mrs G arrived on 22nd April in 2005, further supporting the case that she was a probably a young female. Inexperienced younger females also tend to have smaller broods, there were only two chicks in 2004 and only two eggs hatched in 2005, although three eggs were laid. We can therefore guess that Mrs G was probably hatched in 2000 or 2001, making her around 22 years old the last time we saw her in 2022.
How many eggs did she lay? At least 60 – we will never know how many she laid in 2004, but we do know there were at least two. 32 eggs with 11(98) and 23 eggs with Aran. The first five eggs in 2015 were either infertile or father unknown.
Breeding Years
2004 to 2022
Number of chicks produced
52 hatched 44 fledged
Apart from the two chicks that were killed in 2004, she also lost a chick in 2006 (the eldest, shortly before fledging) and 2007 (the middle chick at 16 days old – it had been knocked across the nest by a very lively mullet a couple of days before, maybe this was connected). In 2019 the middle chick died at 19 days old. A post mortem revealed that the cause of death appeared to be pneumonia and lung haemorrhage associated with lungworm infestation, together with acute blood loss anaemia. The report also indicated that the middle chick was likely to have been a female.
During 2021, Aran was injured during a storm just days after the first two chicks had hatched and as the third chick was hatching. He was unable to provide fish during this critical early period in their lives and tragically all three chicks died within a week of being hatched.
Mrs G returned in 2022 for her 19th breeding season in the Glaslyn Valley and following an early season ‘brief encounter’ with Z2 / ”Aeron” on the FotO Pont Croesor Nest, she was reunited with Aran to successfully raise a family on the Glaslyn nest for what was to be the last time.
Grand-chicks
130 that we currently know about!
Great grand-chicks
13 so far.
11 (98)
Ochre 11 was hatched at a nest near Aviemore in 1998, before being taken to Rutland Water in July that year as part of the ongoing translocation project. At Rutland he was a fairly dominant youngster, frequently taking fish from other birds in his holding pen. He was released on 7th August and took an hour to leave the pen. Surprisingly given his subsequent history, he spent several weeks around the vicinity of the reservoir. He was never spotted at Rutland Water as an adult.
In the mid-summer of 2003 local birdwatchers were sure they had seen a male osprey displaying and it was believed that a second osprey was around. It was too late in the season for breeding, but it was hoped that there was a prospecting pair present. In 2004 11(98) was discovered breeding at the Glaslyn nest with Mrs G, although the pair lost their two chicks when the nest slipped during an unseasonal storm. It is very likely that 11(98) was the male osprey that had been seen displaying to a female in 2003.
He wore his ochre plastic darvic ring with the number 11 until 2007, when he confused everyone by arriving back without it. He did not appear to like flounder and was never seen to bring one back to the nest. His favourite fish were mullet and trout and he could often be spotted fishing at Pwll McAlpine, along the Porthmadog Cob. He was a very distinctive osprey and it was always a welcome sight when he was spotted fishing from the cob.
He was last seen on 4th September 2014 when he was 16 years old.
Breeding Years
2004 to 2014
Number of chicks produced
30 hatched 26 fledged
Unringed male, arrived at Glaslyn on 30th April 2015. Given the name Aran because when he first arrived, looking from the Visitor Centre, he kept flying in the direction Nantmor and appeared to be flying towards Yr Aran, the mountain peak south of Snowdon. It was also an easy name for to pronounce for non-Welsh speakers.
Aran arrived at the time we would expect to see prospecting two or three-year old ospreys. His behaviour during his first breeding year suggested that he was not an experienced male and his plumage was not what we would expect from a more mature male. Matings were less frequent than we had seen with the old pairing and he appeared rather unsure of how to behave when left alone with the young chicks. For instance, when the chicks were around two weeks old, he made no attempt to feed them when Mrs G was absent for several hours chasing away intruding ospreys, even though they were food soliciting for the fish he had bought to the nest. He is a great provider of fish however, bringing back a large variety of marine species, such as garfish, flounder and sea bass, as well as trout and mullet. He proved to be more experienced in the mating stakes during his second breeding year, as he was also spotted mating with Blue 5F. In June 2016 he demonstrated that he was more confident with the chicks, by feeding them himself for the first time.
During a raging storm on the evening of 20 May 2021, Aran left the nest to fish for his growing family. We did not see him again until the middle of the following afternoon, when the storm was finally calming down. Aran did not have a fish and it was clear from his demeanour that something was not right. Mrs G had fed the remaining scraps of the previous days fish to the chicks during the morning and the very young chicks needed feeding urgently. We realised that Aran had sustained an injury to his right wing and he was clearly fatigued.
After seeking expert advice, we decided to provide supplementary fish near to the nest, in an attempt to give the young family a chance of survival. Sadly, our efforts were not successful and the three chicks died over the course of the following few days. However, the fish we provided gave Aran the opportunity to rest and recover and within two weeks he was catching small fish and another two weeks later he was able to catch reasonably sized fish once again. It was too late in the season for a second breeding attempt, but Aran and Mrs G remained together defending their nest from intruding ospreys. By the end of the season, we were confident that Aran had made a full recovery.
Although he was later returning in Spring 2022 compared to more recent years, he arrived back on the Glaslyn nest on 10 April and soon was re-joined by Mrs G for another successful breeding season.
Number of chicks produced
26 hatched 22 fledged
Geemef’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 4th May 2025
Today was all about poor Dorcha being bombarded with intruders on Nest Two. Following on from the quick hard Tawny Owl strike last night around 11pm, she then suffered three more strikes in the midnight hour in quick succession, in fact in under eight minutes. She handled it well and neither she nor the eggs appeared to be harmed, but then mid morning the nest was invaded by an unringed Osprey who practically landed on her back before she got rid of it. By the time Louis brought her a lunchtime fish, she must have been ready for a break. Louis only brought that one fish, taking his tally to sixty seven. Over on Nest One, Garry LV0 also brought only one fish which despite making several appearances on the nest only raised his tally by one to thirty six. Nest One also had visits from Tawny Owls but as it doesn’t have eggs needing protection, the visits are merely interesting interludes for the nest cam watchers. The weather was settled today with an owl-friendly overnight forecast of clear skies and light winds and full sunshine tomorrow.
Night cam switchover (day cam): Nest One 22.30.49 (04.23.57); Nest Two 22.56.59 (04.30.39)
It was a very busy day in my corner of osprey world… seven eggs and a fledge:
South Cape May Meadows: 5/4, Congratulations to Hera and Zeus on their third egg.
Dahlgren: Congrats to Helen and Doug on their first egg of the season, laid on 5/4. This nest was quite unsettled for a long time this spring, and the first egg is about two weeks later than last year.
The Boathouse at Hog Island: The first egg for Dory and Skiff was laid on 5/4. Best wishes for them.
Kent Island, Chesapeake: Audrey laid her second egg on 5/4. Hoping for a better outcome this season for Tom and (new) Audrey.
Forsythe: Opal and Oscar have been in town for about six weeks. Their season has progressed very slowly and I’m not quite sure why… it wasn’t weather or intruders. Opal laid her first egg on 5/4, more than three weeks later than last year.
Fortis Exshaw: Congratulations to Louise and Harvie on their first egg of the season. Louise laid the egg on 5/4 at 20:21.
Moorings Park: Ozzie, the only chick of Harry and Sally this year, fledged at 56 days of age. It was a strong and beautiful flight. It took her nearly 11 hours to make it back to her nest, and she looked exhausted. Some of us were beginning to worry about her. Congratulations Ozzie, well done! Here is a video of Ozzie’s fledge and return to the nest:
Cape Henlopen State Park: The new nest platform was installed over two years ago, but there has not been an osprey pair until this season. Congratulations to ‘Miles’ and ‘Hennie’ on their first egg, laid on 5/4 at 17:50. Everyone is thrilled!
[ FYI, please see my post in the Cape Henlopen Osprey Nest FB group, regarding the names for the Cape Henlopen osprey pair]
Thanks, Heidi, for that great report. Looks like things are beginning to happen!
‘PB’ sends us a fantastic image of the Fab Four at San Jose City Hall!
And of the White Rock BC Mum feeding her two eaglets. If this female could be left alone, she just might make Bald Eagle award lists for incubating alone and brooding, feeding, and hunting. Gosh, she deserves all our good wishes.
Thank you 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 to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, Heidi, PB’, LOTL, Cornell Red Tail Hawk Cam, Kielder Forest, Llyn Brenig, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Trempealeau Bald Eagles, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, SCMM, Dalhgren, Boathouse at Hog Island, Kent Island, Fortis Exshaw, Moorings Park, Cape Henlopen State Park, San Jose City Hall, White Rock BC D Hancock Wildlife Foundation
Morning Update: Glacier Gardens streaming cam is now live and Liberty appears to have a new mate!
NEFlorida: Gabby brought Bodie two fish on Saturday! Yippee.
Ciril Nest, Threave: Mary Cheadle has posted that PF4, the unringed female that came to the nest, is none other than Laddie LM12 and Blue NC0’s fledgling from 2023! Oh, how wonderful that one of their chicks, who had one of the harshest starts in terms of weather and lack of food, is alive.
Saturday was a long day. It took nearly three hours over rolling hills, past farmer’s planting their fields, and ponds full of ducks and geese. The trip to pick up Toby was magical and so good for our souls.
Toby is tired. He slept all the way from his home in the country with his brothers and sisters to the City. He played for a bit with a tiny rope chew toy and he is now asleep again. The Girls have been curious, but not aggressive in any way. I don’t think they know ‘what’ Toby is! The key is going to be making certain that each and everyone of them does not feel left out but gets lots and lots of love and cuddles.
Calico looking at me wanting to know what ‘that thing’ is!
I don’t think Hugo Yugo had seen anything so tiny – and Toby is VERY tiny.
Toby likes to be held or be in his very soft bed. Nothing else.
Toby is going to fit into the family just fine. All I had to do was look over at Don’s face as he held Toby on the trip home and well, I melted. A gentle puppy for a very gentle man.
I am going to check on a few nests but before that Geemeff sends us the daily summary for Loch Arkaig – and oh, goodness, poor Dorcha. The owls are at it again!
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 3rd May 2025
Another day of low activity and nothing out of the ordinary. Dorcha and Louis continue to take turns incubating the three eggs, Dorcha gets a break to eat, bathe, and stretch her wings when Louis brings fish and takes over egg-sitting, and Louis does whatever male Ospreys do when they’re not fishing, egg-sitting, or patrolling their territory. Louis brought one fish today, taking his tally to sixty six, while over on Nest One, Garry brought two fish to take his tally to thirty five. Blue 536 continues to come to the nest and Garry continues making mating attempts, not always successful. However, he seems to have developed a teasing strategy whereby he brings a whole fish to the nest, shows it to her then takes off with it, returning it headless a little later and only on the second go round letting her take it. Interesting times on Nest One. The dry weather’s set to continue with an overnight forecast of partly cloudy with a gentle breeze, and sunny intervals tomorrow.
EDIT: So much for nothing out of the ordinary – after this report was filed, a Tawny Owl struck Dorcha. Neither she nor the eggs were harmed. We’ve been hearing owls for some time and anticipating a strike and it’s come tonight – when will the next one happen?
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.25.48 (04.30.05); Nest Two 22.24.58 (04.39.52)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/-UydAzTc7fw N1 Garry LV0 brings and takes away a whole fish, returns it headless to Blue 536 13.17.07
Usk Valley Ospreys: No birds breeding in the valley for at least 250 years. This pair is much loved and they made The Guardian! Will they turn out to be super media stars like Jackie and Shadow?
Cornell Red Tail Hawk Cam: Arthur has brought in a bird and some other type of prey for Big Red, their first hatch of the season. It is a rainy, wet day.I am beaming like a godmother!
This little one is O1. Sometimes I think Big Red will make it til the end of the alphabet! What an amazing hawk.
Sunday is rainy in Ithaca.
White Rock Eagles: ‘PB’ reports that Mum fed the two eaglets the leftover duck, and instead of fighting, they ate and had crops. Mum later brought in a fish for the two of them. If the males leave this nest alone, we might see a female not only incubate but also raise eaglets without help. I hope she makes it! Send such good energy.
The eaglets are the 25th and 26th of this great Mum and they are named Yankee and Zulu.
Hellgate Canyon: Iris took a break – a very short one – and the Ravens came and took the second egg.
Trempealeau Bald Eagles: Mum and Baby are holding their own. Just smiling.
Duke Farms: It feels like fledge is coming soon. Eagles fledge from 10-14 weeks and can spend from a month to three or four months in the area of the nest being trained and fed by parents.
FOBBV: Beautiful Gizmo and Sunny at Big Bear are getting as anxious as the Duke Farms eaglets to fly.
Charlo Montana: The second egg has arrived for Charlie and Lola.
Much news coming out of the UK:
Police are seeking information on the killing of two Red Kites.
You are invited to a free webinar (you do need to register) with the Cornell Bird Labs: Here is the information:
Red-tailed Hawk by Cynthia Sedlacek
Dear Friend, More than 1 billion birds are killed from collisions with windows every year. Fortunately, affordable and effective solutions are available for residents just like you! Join the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for a free, virtual webinar to learn how YOU can make the windows at your home safer for birds. Everyone who attends will be entered to win up to $500 in bird-window collision deterrents.* Register today, spots are limited!
*The prize-drawing winner will receive a gift card for $500 to apply toward products to deter bird-glass collisions. The winner will be randomly selected and notified on May 15, 2025, at the email address they provide during registration. We hope to see you there,Dr. Tina PhillipsOn behalf of the Bird-Friendly Action TeamCornell Lab of Ornithology
This webinar is part of a research initiative conducted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology about our outreach to reduce window strikes. You must be 18 years of age or older to register. By registering, you consent to sharing your name and email address as part of the study, but we will code and remove any personal information so the data are anonymous and not personally identifiable.
That is it for me today. It is time to pay some attention to a very late dinner and some four legged friends. Take care everyone! See you soon.
Thank you to everyone for their notes and to those who especially sent me the sometimes vulgar ads that appeared on my blog. I have sent these to WP trying to determine what has happened. Thank you to those that sent notes, posts, images, videos, ideas, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, PB’, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Cornell Bird Lab Red-tail Hawks, Montana Osprey Project/Cornell Bird Lab, White Rock Eagles and Hancock Wildlife Foundation, Trempeauleau Bald Eagle Cam, Duke Farms, FOBBV, Charlo Montana/Raptor Resource Project, Raptor Persecution UK, Cornell Bird Labs, Glacier Gardens, NEFL-AEF
