Gabby is in the nest this morning. She is OK. The hurricane is in Georgia. Send good wishes to Pa and Missey Berry at the Berry College Eagle nest.
First up. A few weeks ago, Sharon Pollock sent me the name of an organization that fights for the rights of those who can’t fight for themselves. Earth Justice is taking those who seek to trawl Alaska’s coral reefs to court. I want Earth Justice to represent the Menhaden of the Chesapeake Bay and the dying Ospreys. When I take my little mini break, I will be working on my presentation to them. A copy of it will go to those behind the fight in Virginia. If you have any articles on the dire consequences of the Menhaden commercial fishing in the Bay, please send them to me? I want a comprehensive bibliography. Let me know if you were part of any groups observing or dealing with osprey nests that had chicks starve to death. I need details and details.
It is to be 29 C today. Blue clear skies. A breeze. And it was a lovely day but the winds were really gusting. The sand was blowing in the countryside north of the City when we went to see if there were any geese feeding. None. The ones we saw were at a golf course. Beautiful green grass and a pond! Smart geese.
At 0915 Thursday morning, the European Starlings returned to the garden. Oh, it was so good to see them! They left the garden in the late spring. They share the large flat feeder with the sparrows and the Blue Jays while crunching down on the seed cylinder. One is having a bath! They have been away for a few months and look ‘thin’ to me. They will now stay over through the winter. These are non-breeders. See all the silvery white lines on their breast and heads!
With the hurricane winds bearing down on Florida, look what happened to migratory patterns! Who says birds aren’t smart????????
As I write this, the hurricane is 5 hours from making land fall and I am really concerned about our birds in Florida and in the area north of the Florida panhandle as Helene is still set to be a strong cat 2.
Connor turned on the Captiva Osprey cam so that we can see the impact of the storm. That said, at the time, Helene is north of Captiva and the Barrier Islands.
Gabby is on her nest in NE Florida south of Jacksonville hoping it stays put. The only way that you can tell what is happening with the storm is to view the nest using cam 4.
Gabby is still there.
Gabby is decidedly hunkered down in that nest.
Will check in on Gabby now and again. Stay safe, sweetie!
She left the nest at 1723.
It is really whipping and twisting Gabby’s nest tree at times.
Winds are much stronger.
Helene is a cat 4 and the eye will be 150 miles west of Jacksonville.
Pretty gusty at SW Florida.
M15 and F23 have arrived at the nest with sticks ahead of Helene making landfall.
The SW Florida pair left the nest at precisely the same time as Gabby – 1723! That is the most exciting thing to come out of watching this storm so far.
Tornadoes, gusts of wind, heavy rain. Perhaps all of the nests in Florida will dodge this hurricane.
The arrival of the Pink-footed Geese to the UK is pretty close to the top of my bucket list.
Connor talks about the new cameras at Captiva and shows us the fish bone in Jack’s legs and how, eventually, it will dry and shrink and come out! Go to 7.29. https://youtu.be/AhgcJ23s9Fo?s
Geemeff sends us an article on starving ospreys due to the overfishing of Menhaden. Thank you to everyone who sent in a letter. Hopefully this issue will not die until the situation in the Bay has changed!
I did not see anything but rain at the Newfoundland Power Osprey platform at Snow Lane. Have they all left?
I don’t know what it is about the two little sea eaglets this year. My all time favourites were SE25 and 26 because 25 took such good care of its sibling, teaching it how to do things with 26 rising to the occasion regardless of its foot/leg injury.
The whole family is soaking wet. Gosh, that nest must smell!!!!!!!
Heidi has been following the Growing Home Ospreys in Australia. Just look at that cute little osplet. Are you feeling osprey withdrawal? Check out their streaming cam!
Egg 1 is 33 days old today at Port Lincoln. I am thinking Mum should be resting all that she can because in another week she won’t be able to! Have you put your guess as to the hatch date and time in the Port Lincoln chat?
Gary brings us up to date on what is happening with the Redding Eagles, Liberty and Guardian. https://youtu.be/6sNco6LgaJw?
In the UK, Wild Justice is filing a formal complaint against Waitrose and the high street chain, Marks & Spencer for using toxic lead ammunition to kill the gamebirds they sell in their shops!
There is nothing that makes me madder than someone with a camera stressing out wildlife to get the perfect ‘shot’. I have seen individuals with their long lens (600 mm) standing underneath a tree with a Bald Eagle only to have that eagle leave the nature centre for good. Or the dozen or more that rushed the Great White Egrets when they landed on their tree to roost at night. Seriously. Humans poison the ocean, destroy habitat, leave garbage everywhere, put out rodenticide to kill rats that harm the entire food chain and another forty or more despicable actions that harm our beloved animals and feathered friends. It needs to stop!
‘The Girls’ are getting into some kind of hibernating mode despite the hot weather. Hugo Yugo can almost always be found in the little house at the top of the cat tree. Baby Hope is in the basket, Calico is hiding somewhere resting so no one pounces on her, and Missey loves to pose!
Hugo Yugo still sleeps like a little child. She has to have her head on my left arm, under my chin. Slightly uncomfortable and causes insomnia!!!!!! Oh, but do you think I move? Of course, not! She is my adorable tiny little Ginger with the weepy eyes.
Calico’s Tip for the Day: We came home with a small bag of apples right off a tree and a bag of caramels for making caramel apples. They just scream fall to me! Have you tried to make them and the caramel fell off the apples? Calico doesn’t want me to be sad this year so she has found the solution!!!!!!! If you purchase apples they will have had a wax coating applied to help preserve them (unless you pick them off a tree). You can soak the apples in very hot water or dip them in boiling water to remove the wax. But that is not all, you then need to make certain that they are thoroughly dry before you dip them in the caramel.
Calico also suggests that if you haven’t had a caramel apple for years, make some. Be a kid again!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much for being with us today. Today, we will be attending Wildlife Haven’s Open House. Stay tuned for some images of their raptor ambassadors including dear Majestic, the Bald Eagle. Take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff’, Sunnie Day, Window to Wildlife’s Captiva Osprey Cam, NEFL-AEF, Jacksonville Weather, SW Florida Bald Eagle Cam, RSPB England, Window to Wildlife, Daily Progress, Newfoundland Power, Olympic Park Eagles, Heidi McGrue, Port Lincoln Ospreys, PIX Cams, Gary’s Eagle Videos, Raptor Persecution UK, The Guardian, and OpenVerse.
We hope that you are all well, and for those living in the path of Helene, please stay safe. We are thinking about you and keeping you in our warmest thoughts. Send your warm thoughts to all our feathered friends in the hope they have found their safe places. SW Florida streaming cam is down this morning. Swaying happening at NE Florida.
It is hard to believe it is fall. Gosh, golly. Wednesday was a beautiful morning. The sky was a clear blue, not a whisker of a cloud. No wind. No forecast for rain. The temperature is set to rise to 27 C. We have to remind ourselves that it is really the end of September and not July.
Mr and Mrs Junior were in the garden very early looking for peanuts. There are three Crows that come regularly together, nest mates. When there is a problem with other species, such as the GHO in their territory or a cat in our garden, there will be eight of them around the back of the garden. At one time, the combined count for the two families and their nestlings was eighteen. Did they disperse? I only saw one killed on the road. We must remember to have a small portable shovel in the boot of the car. If you see a dead animal on the road or street, take it to the boulevard so that the carrion eaters are safe to feed.
Junior has always stayed over during the winter. I have said that before, and we feed Crows all year along with the sparrows, woodpeckers, and chickadees (the others that remain). I wonder about their food sources outside of our garden. The area around me is getting denser and denser with little green, save for a few small parks. Indeed, the loss of habitat for our wildlife is truly concerning.
Speaking of food sources, we were shocked when we went to the country on Monday. Next to our acreage, there are now two HUGE reservoirs. They are about three stories tall, 1/6 of a mile by a 1/6 of a mile. The flood waters from the Boyne River are pumped into the holding ponds to irrigate the potato crops in the summer. There was no need for irrigation a few decades ago, and now the potato farmers have to store water. What happens if the rain and the snow in the Pembina Hills that feed the river dry up?
I have spent part of the day working in the containers on the deck. The pepper plants that show no sign of any more produce are in the compost pile. The soil is now heaped around the cherry tomato plants that are loaded – heavily laden – with tomatoes. The Curry leaves and Sage need to be dried along with the mint and the Rosemary. There is enough celery for everyone to have some for their Thanksgiving dinner that lives in earshot of me. It wasn’t a great year, but it was a good one. Now, we will try to grow lettuces, boy chop, green onions, etc. in the house for the winter. I sure hope Hugo Yugo stays out of that grower!!!!!!!! She is into everything these days. Is it because she is so tiny? Baby Hope sleeps atop the highest cabinet to see what everyone is doing—her private spot. Hugo Yugo cannot get up there! And neither can Calico—just Missey.
It is market day. Will the dumpling lady be there or will we be disappointed again? I must learn how to make these! At one point in my life I did know, but I need a refresher course. The last market day is approaching soon and it would be nice to have some more of the local honey. It is delicious – and, thankfully, the vendor was there.
Calico gave each jar of honey her ‘sniff’ test and voted on the honey from the downtown hives. How interesting.
Speaking of Florida…
The weather in Florida is going to be bad for all the nests with Helene potentially plowing through the State as a cat 3 storm. Everything is set to intensify beginning today. It will hit Captiva and Fort Myers first and make its way northeast hitting the nest of Gabby. Send good positive energy to all the birds and let us be thankful that there are no eggs or chicks in the nests.
Evacuations are now underway in various areas of Florida.
Jackie and Shadow have ousted the Ravens from the nest as they make plans for the 2024-25 season. https://youtu.be/5WxWE0iweQg?
Looking out over their territory of Big Bear.
You need to know that your voice can make a difference. If you believe strongly about our wildlife and their quality of life, then we cannot be silent. As a child, I love the little circus and all the animals. I cannot imagine, for a second, supporting any or watching any animal do tricks for humans! How barbaric. Disney has now stopped its animal shows.
I hope that our voices will also ensure that any company, no matter its country of origin, will never be allowed to conduct industrial fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Can you imagine seeing the little ospreys eating lots of fish instead of starving to death? That is what you are fighting for! I was notified today that my letter has been received and will be read to the Committee meeting today. I made it short and to the point – commercial fishing of Menhaden has, according to the research that has been conducted on nests on either side of the Bay, in both Virginia and Maryland, seen only osprey deaths. ‘H’ and I are still entering the statistics but there will be more than 100 nests recorded – every osprey chick perished. Every one. I compared that to heat in other areas including Osoyoos where Olsen pulled a rabbit out of a hat and 2 out of 3 of his chicks lived despite the 40 C heat and lack of fish. That tells you how bad it was in the area of the Chesapeake. And the boats cannot be allowed to fish at the mouth of the Bay either. We will not give up and will continue to fight to stop Omega.
Despite the date passing, if you did not send a comment, but wish to do so, then please write to the individual below that acknowledged my letter:
‘MP’ writes that Jack is on the Achieva Osprey nest several times a day. Stay safe, Jack! Winds are beginning to pick up.
I really hope that Gabby and 24E1 will fill that egg cup sufficiently so that the eggs do not get lost or fall.
The pair at NE Florida flew off the nest as rain and wind began. Stay safe out there Gabby and 24E1.
At least one eagle at the SW Florida nest on Wednesday. M15 has seen many hurricanes. The nest that he shared with Harriet did not always survive the fierce winds, but they did! Let us see what happens in the nest few days.
M15 and F23 were working on the nest late Wednesday night.
‘MP’ caught one of the adults at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest on Wednesday near Dallas.
A really nice summary of a bittersweet year for two Newfoundland osprey nests by Ian Winter. Please pay attention to his comment about how Newfoundland Power refurbished the nest of Hope and Beaumont and the belief that this was the contributing factor in Hope caring for these two dark plumage osplets that lived to fledge. Years past I have wept as her chicks died early on. So, if this is true and that caused her maternal instincts to kick in, then I am suggesting that the people who care for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest get up there and fix the most beautiful nest that could be imagined! Then let’s see what happens there.
Eyes continue to be on Malta with all its illegal poaching right during migration!
A good news story! We need them all the time and a vet that can save a wing problem so a stork can fly again is gold.
A wonderful post from Dunrovin Ranch with a tiny summary of the successful year of the ‘JuneBug’ at the osprey nest with new female, Winnie.
Just look at how big that White-tailed eaglet is getting! And oh, so cute. 38 days old in the picture…39 days old today. It is so hard to tell how big it is. That crane is huge where the nest is located.
You might not have seen Tim MacKrill’s presentation on Osprey migration. I posted it in previous years. You can grab a cuppa and learn so much from this talented young man. https://youtu.be/JXWgoSF-Yrk?
Goodness. That Calico is smart. She heard me complaining about having 53,000 digital photos in my phone. She started reading ‘Wirecutter’ when an article about decluttering photos in your phone popped up. She even read it with having a ‘winkie’ in her right eye. Calico thinks that you likely have so many photographs in your phone that you won’t be able to find your favourite one of her! She says you can thank her later!!!!!!
Wirecutter: Your Phone’s Camera Roll Is a Mess. Here’s How to Clean It Up.
Thank you for being with us today. We will find out what Top Flat chicks name will be. Voting closed on the 26th. I wonder what it will be. Please take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, MP’, noaa, Sunnie Day, The Weather Network, NEFL-AEF, The Guardian, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Rita the Bald Eagle, NestFlix Memories, PIX Cams, JBS Wetlands, Ian L. Winter, CABS, Maria Marika, Dunrovin Ranch News, Nesting Birdlife and More, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Osprey Leadership Foundation, Menhaden Defenders, Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, and The New York Times.
If I had one wish, it would be for Jackie and Shadow to raise an eaglet this year to fledge. I am certain that you feel the same. Maybe we can send them the most positive energy. I cannot think of a more deserving couple – they are already working on that nest. They live in ‘hope’.
‘R’ wrote, concerned about me. It wasn’t me, it was one of my dear friends and reporters. I, on the other hand, worry that the albatross won’t survive the five to six years out on those rough seas with those long line factory ships. Or that the oceans, especially the Southern Ocean, are getting too acidic. I am far too cranky and will be cheering those albatross on and those ships to go extinct! Thanks, ‘R’ for worrying about me. And I am sorry if the cemetery plot got anyone weepy. It is a response to my best friend having to deal with all of the red tape attached to her husband’s death. I want things to be simple for my kids, like it was for me when my mother died. The real difficulty is which monument maker can create an osprey with a big fish? So don’t be sad. I will be kicking around for far more years than you might want!!!!!!!!!!!
Right now I am sitting over Devonian Lake. It is so quiet. The geese are out feeding. Only a few ducks and gulls remain on the lake. I did have a big of a giggle. One of the extraordinarily large homes had its drive way full of geese eating pebbles!!!!!!! Full. Packed in there like there was a Taylor Swift concert. It was a strange sight.
These moments have to be the most bittersweet in all of Bird World. The parent returns, waits and waits for the chick to feed them, and they are gone. They will never see one another again. The adults will not see one another again until they return to breed. What devotion. I wish their world is a safer place for them and for all our feathered friends so that these huge sea birds that can live longer than many humans return year after year to their mates to raise chicks.
‘A’ remarks: “Oh, our babies are gone. When I went onto automatic and checked the albatross tab, there were no chicks in camera view and TF’s nest and his play nest were both empty. I felt such a pang and tears prickled my eyes but I try to remind myself that he is on the adventure that is his lifetime and this was what he was born for. I just wish the human destruction of little TF’s world did not create so many hazards for our fledglings. And I also remind myself that darling YRK is home. The returning breeding birds are arriving steadily now, and it is wonderful to see them. These are our survivors.
Papa LGK came in to feed his son at lunchtime today (12:52:17) and called out for TF chick, just as mum LGL did when she came in yesterday after he fledged. We wish LGK a tummy full of squid and safe travels until his return. We hope to see him and LGL in about a year’s time. (Hopefully, their next egg will hatch in late January 2026 (one chick every second year).
You know that I love my Blue Jays! Now Mr and Mrs Junior are the only ones coming to the garden. Here are four things you might not know these things about Blue Jays! https://youtu.be/VndKdMKXY1c?
Junior does not migrate. Sometimes Mrs Junior does.
Speaking of migration, I think that you will like that book that Calico and I are digging into: Bird Migration. A New Understanding by J. H. Rappole. It is written in non-scientific language. Everything is crystal clear. I liked that the author went back and examined previous theories about migration. What he says will not be knew to you if you have been reading my blog. Birds migrate because of food – not weather! The Black-capped Chickadees live in my garden all winter as do the ones at Bird’s Hill Park – they have an abundance of food resources and do not require moving to a different geographical area. We have Bald Eagles that remain in Manitoba breaking open thin ice to catch fish. The Geese are migrating, following the harvest down to the US from Canada because there is a super abundance of food.
The error in past thinking is that it was weather than drove birds to migrate. Rappole talks about the innate clock, seasonal changes (such as the end of the growing season and harvest) that lead to migration. He discusses the fact that outside of their breeding grounds many of the migrants are highly vulnerable in territories occupied by other birds that are resident year round. You might want to order the book through your library – its price is $47 CDN from the on line retailers. If it were $20, I would say go for it, but this is for those really interested in the nuances of migration. For that reason, Calico gives it her 9 paw award.
Gabby and 24E1 were on the nest tree earlier on Tuesday. There is no way to know if Beau is in the area as the cameras, now only two of them, are focused on the nest tree.
There is flooding in areas north of the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest and the weather forecast is for bad weather in the area of the nest. The eagles will take cover during that tropical storm watch. At least six days of rain with thunderstorms are brewing for Gabby and 24E1.
Please note that I have cancelled out the city around the nest to avoid divulging its location.
There is an eagle at the NCTC nest.
Wings of Whimsy gives us the Bald Eagle nest round up for the week ending on the 22nd of September. Check it out to see who is at home and who isn’t. https://youtu.be/MFCzzzgMHoE?
Hawk Mountain’s count for the week in migration:
I was so happy to see so many of you talking about the sea eaglets and how cute these two are. They certainly are!
For those of you who remember Phyllis Robbins, she said she would appear as a ‘red leaf’. Look at that beautiful red leaf!
Incubation continues at Collins Street. ‘A’ writes: “Dear little dad at Collins Street is the funniest falcon. This morning around 11:09, mum got up and flew off the ledge. She was back after a mere minute, obviously aware that dad was nearby. He arrived on the ledge 15 seconds or so later with a scrap of food for mum. She grabbed it from him on the ledge and flew off to eat it. Dad hustled along to the scrape and settled on his eggs, chirping away to them as he did so. He has the cutest little chirps when he talks to the eggs. I love his chatting away to them. I’m sure those chicks will recognise dad as soon as they hatch. Such a cutie.
When mum returns at 11:27:34, Dad holds his ground and chirps for a little but his protests are short-lived. He soon gets up, and shortly before 11:28 he dives off the ledge and allows mum to resume incubation duties. “
Calypso, Ervie, Giliath, and Bradley are going to have some siblings soon. I wonder if we might get some females this year? Otherwise we might have to think about a translocation project to get these fellas a mate!
At the Growing Home osprey platform, a really nice fish dinner came in for that little one – and with both parents on the nest, they are keeping this baby ‘secret’ just like it was a famous film star’s children.
More on the topic of Menhaden and what must be done if we are to save the ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay. Brian Collins has really hit the proverbial nail on the head in this post. Please, please write your Senators and Congressional Representatives. Do it for Cobey, the Colonial Beach Osplet that starved to death before our very eyes.
Natural England’s report on Hen Harrier breeding across the UK:
Many of you enjoyed Margaret Renkl’s book, The Comfort of Crows. Renkl has published a hard copy journal for people to use as a weekly diary of what is happening in their own gardens. It is called Leaf, Cloud, and Crow. Lots of pages for writing, sketching and it all begins with the first week of winter in late December. It is a great follow up to The Comfort of Crows where we get a glimpse of how an accomplished author celebrates the ordinary which is extraordinary right outside her window. It is also a good follow-up to Amy Tan’s book The Backyard Bird Chronicles -Tan didn’t know how to draw and took classes. But who cares what your drawings look like? Do your own chronicles! Watch how the birds and animals, the foliage, changes from season to season. Then do it again the following year. By the time you start your third year, you will know instinctively when the Dark-eyed Juncos will arrive and you will have your bag of White Millet on hand.
I have been scribbling for years in my Manitoba Bird book, a gift from my grandson, Carter, eons ago. I think it is time to take it to the next level and record the daily happenings. Thinking about those new little instant cameras that print photos…that might be fun to add to the mix. I might have helped run a School of Art, but, I cannot draw! or paint. Photographs are good but increasingly I am getting frustrated with digital images. When you have 58,000 on your phone, how do you find the one you really want? Frustrating.
Our ordinary gardens then become extraordinary.
Calico’s Tip for the Day! It can save your life, and it comes from a former student.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, announcements, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, K, R’, FOBBV, Sharon Dunne and the Royal Cam Albatross FB group New Zealand, NEFL-AEF, Weather Channel, NCTC, Wings of Whimsy, Hawk Mountain, Olympic Park Eaglets, Nesting Bird Life & More, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Growing Home Ospreys, Brian Collins – Menhaden, Little Fish, Big Deal FB, Raptor Persecution UK, The Guardian, Margaret Renkl.
Monday was a whirlwind day for us. There were many joys, including seeing Canada Geese feeding on field after field of grain that had just been harvested! They were flying in and landing around 10:00. I did not stop and get any images, but just the beauty of fall and the geese feeding on those golden fields made my day!
Then we went and picked out a cemetery plot! I am going to make a point here – really, I am. It isn’t as morbid as it seems although the emotion of death can creep in. It was nice to have my daughter with us. We got reacquainted with a place that was always ‘home’ in my heart – the tiny hamlet of Graysville. New people purchased my fifteen acres, painted the horse barn recently, and I saw two beautiful Quarter Horses in the fields. They had lined the long lane with willowy Poplar trees from the road to the house on both sides. The property looked loved – and that made me very happy.
You might recall that my friend’s husband died quickly. Thankfully they had time to discuss matters, but they did not have the time to get all of the paperwork in order. That is why we were at the cemetery along the river just south of Graysville. My attitudes toward cemeteries and golf courses has changed immensely as the City I live in concretes every square inch of grass that it can. Our birds need safe, quiet places, and no better place than a cemetery or a golf course. Of course, the geese don’t bother the cemetery residents, but I wonder if golfers love them! Still, keeping that in mind, instead of flying my children around the world to deposit some of those ashes in various beautiful places, they will seep into the soil near the edges of the Boyne River. A Gull flew over while we were there. Everything felt good. As my former neighbour said, ‘Pick your neighbours!’ and I did – those who lived near me in life will keep me company in death. So SW1/4 of plot 187 Riverside Cemetery is it. Now, to get on to a proper marker – something creative in the form of an osprey? Surely, with a big fish!
So boxes ticked off. The point is not to put off what you can do today whether that is telling someone how special they are to you, going for a quiet walk to help get over some of modern life’s anxieties, or phoning a friend. One never knows what tomorrow will bring, so do it now. Thinking of a birding holiday, go for it! Register if you want to take up that painting class you always wanted to. Live life.
A new book arrived while I was away. Bird Migration. A New Understanding by John H. Rappole. Calico and I will keep you posted!
‘J’ sent news that two of the small Kakapo population have died.
Two other deaths involve White Storks that were fitted with trackers. They have both died as they made their way to Africa for their migration. One in Egypt and the other died in Turkey. I hope to have more news later. Thanks, ‘T’.
There are still fledglings at Newfoundland Power’s Snow Lane osprey platform. Beaumont is really rejoicing in having chicks to feed this season. What an amazing father he has been. The second chick got one at the nest and the first chick ate a fish on a building. It appears that Beaumont is now delivering fish elsewhere.
The Royal Cam chick fledged and Cornell Bird Labs caught it on video. Watch this gracious seabird take its first flight. Wonder what the wind under the wings feels like? https://youtu.be/JEPh2WFtij0?
At the NE Florida Eagle Cam, Gabby woke up to a bright morning with 24E1.
Please note that not all of the cameras will be operational at the NE Florida nest as per this post:
Omega is destroying Chesapeake Bay. The Bunk are gone. The whales and dolphins need the Menhaden as do our beloved Osprey. Many of us hope that with the attention that the issue is getting, Omega will be ordered to halt its operations! Yesterday they had 8 boats out!!!!!!!! Stay tuned.
Want to get the latest updates on the condor fledglings? the status of the flock? Thursday is the monthly Condor Chat with Ventana Wildlife.
Oh, oh, I love it when those little beaks join in with Lady and Dad. Have a listen as the sea eaglets join in the morning duet! https://youtu.be/48EjAMoLuCA?
Thank you so much for being with us today. In a few days I am going to take a wee break before we have hatches at Port Lincoln, Melbourne, and Orange. It will be some time before our eagles have eggs! I will keep you posted when my mini-break is taking place! Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, videos, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, T’, Kakapo Recovery, Newfoundland Power, Cornell Bird Lab, NEFL-AEF, Lisa Russo, William Dunn and Menhaden- Little Fish, Big Deal, USFWS, Ventana Wildlife Society, NestFlix Memories, Nesting Bird Life and More, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Canadian Wildlife Society, and Osprey House Environment Centre, and WingsofWhimsy.
My goodness. Sunday was the most glorious autumn day. It seemed everyone was outside, eating ice cream, having a last picnic, watching the ducks and geese. There were Wood Ducks, Mallards, and lots of Canada Geese at the pond.
.This was the pond in the afternoon. I can’t describe how beautiful and crisp the fall day was.
In the evening, we were at the nature centre. At least 100 Cormorants perched in three trees between Elliot Lake and Devonian Lake. The gulls flew in first, perhaps 500 or more at the lake’s western end. The Geese arrived late. They will feed twice a day. They leave the lake around 1000 and return a few hours later to rest on the water. Then they go out to feed again, returning around dusk. Because the weather is so nice, they stay and feed at the fields later than usual.
The ‘Cormorant Trees’:
Some sounds of the geese coming in – kinda’ like ‘white noise’…the geese are flying in at a distance. You can see some…they landed at the lake to our left, not the one in front of us for the most part.
It was a great evening. Next week we will be at Oak Hammock Marsh for their goose flight and we hope to return to Ft Whyte before Thanksgiving (October 14).
‘A’ has just sent news that Top Flat Chick, the Royal Cam chick, has fledged: “We have just had the confirmation from ranger Sharyn. And of course, I am crying. I wish our sweet TF chick safe travels but doubt I will live long enough to see him return in five years. :Mum LGL has just been in and has been looking for TF to make sure her baby has really gone and no longer needs her to feed him. She has had a good look around and waited patiently on the nest for a while, just to be sure, but I think she knows he is gone. TFT fledged yesterday apparently.
This is always SO hard. Knowing the dangers that lie ahead, and these chicks have had no parental training in hunting or foraging for food. Of course with our eaglets and osplets, we often never see them again and never know what happens to them, especially here in Australia where we don’t band our eagles or falcons (though we do band some of our ospreys).
But this morning, 23 September, was the official fledge date for TF chick. I’ll go and have a little cry now. My sea eaglets are close to leaving too, and like the albatrosses, the world they will face out there is a very hard one for them. I would love to see Lady and Dad training these two to catch fish, as we did see with one of the fledglings last year I recall, but of course the smaller birds are relentless and this season seems worse than the last in that respect. “
‘A’: “Dear little dad at Collins Street puts such a smile on my face. He loves to chat to his eggs with a tiny high-pitched chirp. He is adorable. He has not been bringing food to the ledge this week – mum is heading off on her own to get food or to access one of the pantries. When M22 arrived to relieve her this morning, he had a huge crop. Meanwhile at Orange (speaking of falcons with large crops – yes, we’re looking at you, Diamond), the companionship between Diamond and Xavier is just a joy to watch. This season, Xavier has been spending quite a bit of time just hanging on the ledge, keeping Diamond company. It is just too sweet.// I love their 4.45am bonding sessions where both of them fall asleep in the middle, then wake up 45 minutes later and continue as if they hadn’t paused at all. TOO funny. They are a wonderful pair to observe year-round, as their relationship is hysterically funny to watch. “
Port Lincoln would like you to help guess when the first egg will hatch. Put the day and time you believe will be the winner in the chat under their streaming cam.
Geemeff and ‘SP’ found another article on the dire consequences of the Menhaden commercial fishing on Ospreys. This really does need to stop. Tomorrow I will gather information and provide you with the address to send a letter before 2 October if you feel so inclined. They should outlaw industrial fishing within 3 miles of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and anywhere in the Bay —- and if someone is brave, outlaw it altogether! Ospreys are starving to death at a rate in excess of the deaths of DDT (or so it is believed now). Remember the problem is Virginia. The other states have laws!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please examine the map and you will see how that mouth of the Bay must be protected. Can any Menhaden get to Maryland?
Anyone can write. What is crucial is that the Menhaden have to get through Virginia waters in order to feed the ospreys lower in the Bay. Check out the maps. Here is the information on who to write to – the deadline is looming. 25 September at 1000.
‘J’ sends news that the little eaglet who had yet to fly but had survived its nest collapsing has been killed by a coyote who breached the enclosure at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care.
I wonder how many males are still delivering fish to young osprey fledglings? Beaumont certainly is in Newfoundland!
Jackie and Shadow wanted to let everyone know that they are fine after the threats of the Line Fire. https://youtu.be/PacRB76JN4w?
It will be so wonderful to see Shadow with his sticks and beautiful Jackie at the nest in the morning’s diamonds!
Gabby and 24E1 were at the nest on Sunday.
M15 and F23 were busy at the nest in Fort Myers! Nice to see them again.
It was a bird breakfast for the Olympic Park Eaglets.
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care! See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, announcements, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, J, PB, SP’, NZ DOC, Port Lincoln Ospreys, The Washington Post, Google Maps, Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, Thomas Lilly, FOLFAN, Newfoundland Power, SK Hideaways, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Elain and Holly Parsons, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, and Olympic Park Eagles.
First, landmark EU ruling protecting songbirds migrating through Malta! Thanks, Geemeff.
“n a landmark ruling, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) today declared the trapping of seven finch species in Malta, to be illegal – a practice which has been criticised by Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) for years. According to the judges in Luxembourg, the practice clearly violates Article 9 of the EU Birds Directive and may no longer be authorised. The proceedings before the ECJ are the premature conclusion of a long-running dispute between bird conservationists and the Maltese Labour Government, which has repeatedly tried to circumvent the Birds Directive in recent years in order to secure the votes of bird trappers. Because finches are strictly protected under EU law, bird-trapping was officially relabelled as a “scientific research project” in 2020 and licenses were issued for more than 2,600 trapping sites. In recent years, official complaints by CABS have resulted in the confiscation of thousands of birds that were caught illegally under the guise of the alleged research project. It is still unclear whether the Maltese government will accept the verdict or appeal and allow the trappers to continue. CABS have already confirmed that we will be in Malta in October with several teams to monitor compliance with a possible ban on trapping.”
Full article here:
In a landmark ruling, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) today declared the trapping of seven finch species in Malta, to be illegal – a practice which has been criticised by Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) for years. According to the judges in Luxembourg, the practice clearly violates Article 9 of the EU Birds Directive and may no longer be authorised. The proceedings before the ECJ are the premature conclusion of a long-running dispute between bird conservationists and the Maltese Labour Government, which has repeatedly tried to circumvent the Birds Directive in recent years in order to secure the votes of bird trappers. Because finches are strictly protected under EU law, bird-trapping was officially relabelled as a “scientific research project” in 2020 and licenses were issued for more than 2,600 trapping sites. In recent years, official complaints by CABS have resulted in the confiscation of thousands of birds that were caught illegally under the guise of the alleged research project. It is still unclear whether the Maltese government will accept the verdict or appeal and allow the trappers to continue. CABS have already confirmed that we will be in Malta in October with several teams to monitor compliance with a possible ban on trapping.
The ruling shows that international law and cross border agreements can achieve huge benefits for protecting nature. The mills of the EU Commission and the ECJ may grind slowly, but in the end the directives – as in this case the EU Birds Directive adopted in 1979 – are enforced even in the unwilling member states!
Best regards,
Alexander Heyd and Lloyd Scott
Second up today before we even get to the garden animals…it isn’t the photographs (they are great) it is a statement in there about fish fairies!
We hope that your week has been going well for you! With all of the rain the past few days, we have taken to finishing up some of those odd little things around the house that are like monkeys on your back. The space behind my desk has now received its colour block to go with the feather images. The area around the tub has been painted a deep navy black. The storage room has been cleaned and decluttered, with much donated or put out for the free weekend. The kitchen drawers and utility room are now cleaned, cleared, and washed. The Girls were not that keen on all the mopping. They sure hate getting their feet wet! It feels so good to get things off lists, open a drawer, and find precisely what you need quickly. My life needs serenity and a deep, quiet calm now. My patient nature becomes overwhelmed unnecessarily over trivial things like a messy drawer where I cannot find a bottle opener when I want nothing more than one of the Mexican watermelon sodas whose lids require them.
We woke to a garden that was bursting with green – the deepest blue emerald – after the rain we had over the past three days. Today’s was a downpour. Speaking of green, another ‘Greene’ indicated that he saw an osprey that might be Sum-eh. Is the family fishing downriver? Is Iris still here? We are waiting for confirmation and an updated posting from Dr. Greene.
The Blue Jays are sweeping down to get peanuts. There are two of them this morning. It is Mr and Mrs Junior. I suspect that their fledglings have departed or, sadly, have been killed. You might recall that I counted eighteen Blue Jays in the garden after all of the close nests had fledged their young. Eighteen. It was wondrous. The neighbour saw the hawk take one. Survival rates in urban areas are low for all of our feathered friends. No one reported any other Blue Jays found dead. I hope they found other places to feed. The competition in the garden was keen at times. That said, food is scarce as habitat turns into concrete parking lots or new condos around me.
It is now 1200, and I have returned from a quick run to the shops so that Mr Crow and Mrs Crow and at least five fledglings can have their dogs along with some fruit today in the rain. Tomorrow is hard-boiled egg day. Question: How do you keep Crows healthy through food? I am confident they need a variety and must seek out this answer. Some days, they prefer pecking at the nut cylinder. Some days, they look at the fruit and veg, declaring that l am a monster: cheesy dogs? Where are our dogs!!!!!!!! Hopefully, the Crows amuse the neighbours with all their cawing and swooping about! Right now, one is cawing loudly. He alerts us that there is a cat in the garden. It is a poor grey tabby with a bent ear. His family lets it wander. This lovely lad really likes my neighbour, who also feeds the feral cats of the neighbour. He can feel her love.
Baby Hope did not appreciate the monsoon style rain.
You can hear the rain starting and getting heavier at the end of the video below. Baby Hope moves off the post and goes into her quiet spot out of the conservatory. It is where she feels safe.
Click on the image below to get the arrow to start the video.
Baby Hope listens as the rain begins and leaves when it is heavy! It was like a monsoon.
Geemeff sent us news from the Woodland Trust and Spain about the surviving osplet of Louis and Dorcha:
“We have had an update from Spain. 1JW has not been seen since last Tuesday and may be now on migration. Sometimes the birds disappear for a few days and come back so the team are going to wait until tomorrow to confirm. If he hasn’t reappeared in the district by then we will regard him as on migration.”
I wanted to check the nest of Hope and Beaumont in Newfoundland right away. Beaumont is still home delivering fish to one of the most beautiful ‘dark’ fledglings I have ever seen. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to see Hope and Beaumont’s chicks survive and fledge. To see what they look like. My goodness. I never knew I loved dark osprey females until I set eyes on Louis’s Dorcha in 2022. Now they are fascinating. The two fledglings on the Snow Lane nest take after their Mum, Hope, who is exquisitely dark. There is no competition for this fish as expected if both juveniles were still home. We wait to see for sure. The other juvenile was seen on Tuesday the 17th.
Others in Canada are leaving. The Osoyoos’ nest appears to be empty. There continue to be reports of a few ospreys still in Nova Scotia. Those in Manitoba have headed south, and the Russell Lake group feels like empty nesters!
Fortis Exshaw at Canmore looks quiet.
I have seen no activity at the nest despite my desire for Iris and her mate to come and work on that nest for next season! That touch and go might have been her goodbye to all of us! If, however, Dr Greene has seen one osprey – if it happens to be Sum-eh – might indicate that the family is still in the area.
There is still one osprey at Charlo Montana.
At the Kurzeme nest in Latvia, the male is still home and at least one juvenile, Janice. Liznm has them on video. https://youtu.be/GK8gwFZGi18?
There are lots of nest round-ups or memory logs starting to take shape across Osprey Land. Dunrovin Ranch published theirs this morning. It is a beautiful read about Swoop and his new mate and little Junebug while, at the same time, remembering Harriet.
Jeff Kear gathered information on all the UK Osprey nests and has added some more with a good view of all the nests. It is a reliable historical document. Please have a read.
Geemeff – how do they do it? – also does summaries for some of the other nests including, of course, Loch Arkaig. These can prove useful and interesting to you.
It is a disappointment that the nests on streaming cams in the US and Canada do not have, for the most part (Bart is sure helping with information at some of those! Thank you, Bart), do not have detailed information on arrivals/departures, egg dates, hatch dates, and fledge dates and then the migration dates. As a researcher this is useful information. On the other hand, many of you now have good log books that would benefit from these summaries.
I need to catch up in entering data for the International Osprey Data Project. I know that I am because the starvation rate in the overall summary is not high enough. The Colonial Beach nests and 31 others from Virginia will change that dramatically, sadly, and for the worst.
More studies are linking the starvation of Ospreys to the lack of Menhaden. Now we know what is causing a lack of Menhaden —-Omega, a Canadian company that I am not proud of!!!!! I will continue to ask you to write your Senator and Congressional Representative – write anyone who has a vested interest in the upcoming election – and if you have the energy left, write to the culprits in Virginia politics including the two Senators and tell them they are starving ospreys out of existence in the Chesapeake Bay. All we need is one person with the will power like Rosalie Edge in the US to make a difference.
In New South Wales, Australia, the Avalon nest has a chick. I am waiting for permission to post the photo! Congratulations.
Judy Harrington brings us the latest news from her FB posting of the Olympic Park eaglets.
At the NE Florida nest, there is some confusion and it will not be settled until Gabby picks a mate. Beau was at the nest on Tuesday. Gabby was not there with him. She flew in with another male before midnight and was still there with the male in the morning. It is not time for eggs or working on the nest. I am hopeful that this will be sorted and Gabby will have baby eaglets this year with whatever male she picks.
The visitor flew off and Gabby remained. The visitor returned at 1331.
Rolling the eggs at 367 Collins Street. Oh, it feels like agony waiting for eggs to hatch.
Darling Xavier only wants to incubate his eggs. This sweet little falcon tries and tries. Diamond is one formidable mate!!!!!!!!!!
Gorgeous Mum at Port Lincoln.
Estonian Black Stork Karl II’s son, Waba, has been in Ukraine for nine days in a restricted area. Feeding well, we hope. His father, Karl II, had his favourite spots to stop despite the war raging. Ironically, after spending so many weeks getting his strength up, it was to be a Turkish hydro pole that would kill this much-loved Black stork father. We continue to weep for him.
I am looking forward to taking you through the latest exhibition at The Leaf. I hope that happens next week. Here is the description: Yasuragi: Gardens of Japan. Yasuragi: Gardens of Japan, a serene journey into the heart of traditional Japanese garden design. The word Yasuragi translates to the deep, calming breath of relaxation, an invitation to slow down and immerse yourself in peaceful reflection. As you wander through this tranquil space, notice the subtle shifts in the atmosphere—vibrant pathways give way to serene, minimalist landscapes, guiding you into deeper mindfulness with each step. This display is a harmonious blend of nature, history, and artistry, featuring signature elements of Japanese garden design. Each detail, from the vibrant chrysanthemums to the contrasting green and red shades around the Torii gate, reflect a deep cultural heritage. You’ll also come across a bamboo gazebo, perfect for a moment of quiet reflection. At the center of the journey lies the Zen Garden, with its carefully placed boulders, sand, gravel, and rocks that mimic the patterns of nature. A tranquil dry river through the display is home to brass cranes that mirror the delicate 1,000 origami cranes suspended along the windows of Grande Allée.”
If you live in Winnipeg, take a look!
Yasuragi Gardens of Japan
Calico’s Tips for the Day: This tip could save you, a friend, or a family member much money and a heck of a lot of anxiety. I am so surprised that Calico is so informed!!!
Are you feeling a little overwhelmed? Is cleaning your house getting to be too much? Have you decided to look into hiring a cleaning company? Calico wants you to be super smart and not be taken to the cleaners!!!!!! First, when things are quiet, make a list of what it is that is important to be clean? Is it your floors? Walls? Is it your windows? Your Bathroom? Kitchen? Fridge? Calico says make that list, set it aside, and then examine it again. Rank what is important. Then Calico wants you to interview the cleaning company before telling them what your priorities are. Ask them what they have trained their staff to clean first. Find out if they clean the floors last? Is fridge cleaning included if it is important to you? or is it extra? What is extra? What kind of cleaning products do they use? Are those products good for the environment? Now, did you watch the TV series House? Where he is constantly saying ‘everyone lies’? Keep that in mind? They will need to know the sq footage of your house or the number of rooms they are cleaning and what they are. You must get a quote in writing. If you don’t, well…..Calico will come back and give you a hefty tutorial!!!!!!
Let me give you an example of precisely why you need to do this. It is a true story and has happened to several people by the same company which is ‘highly rated’. The company does not do windows or fridges. Those are extra and the cost is specified. The company quoted for two girls for two hours to clean approximately 900 sq. feet for $259. The quote was in writing and it said that any time over had to be pre-approved. They gave everyone ‘a discount’ of $63 up front for being first time users of their service. After the two hours had passed and the two girls were into the third hour, each client mentioned this to the girls. They did not appear to speak good English. The clients contacted the service – now it is 3 hours. Now remember that they said that the additional hours had to be pre-approved. The clients felt their hands were tied. Each and every one of them allowed the service to continue cleaning because the essential things had not been done. Do you know what has been cleaned? Trophies in the back of a closet. All the bottles in the bathroom. All canisters, etc, on the kitchen counter. The track around the shower. The top of picture frames. No walls, not the front of the appliances, not the floors! I think you are getting the picture of what Calico is warning you about. Each client wound up with a bill of approximately $635. Floors were cleaned last as the girls crawled out the front door. Because they hurried, the floors were not that clean in some instances.
If that has happened to you, don’t feel guilty and not complain because it took so long for your house to be cleaned and you feel guilty that it was so dirty. That is what they would like you to feel. Complain vigorously on social media, BBB, to anyone who will listen.
You will notice that I mentioned hiring a cleaning service company. Hiring an individual is another species of fish. Calico will discuss that another day!
Thank you 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 this morning: ‘Geemeff, H’, Geemeff, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Newfoundland Power, Connie Dennis and Ospreys of Nova Scotia FB, Fortis Exshaw, Montana Osprey Project, Owl Research Project, Days at Dunrovin, Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Information, Geemeff, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Judy Harrington and the Sydney Sea Eagles FB, NEFL-AEF, Androcat, NZ DOC and Cornell Bird Labs, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Port Lincoln Ospreys, and Looduskalender.
It is Monday afternoon. 25 C. We are expecting a thunderstorm with heavy rain any moment. We have had rain on and off since dawn and it is ‘humid’. Did anyone say New Orleans? It is still raining Tuesday morning. The garden has been rejuvenated from all the moisture. It is the deepest emerald green. Beautiful.
Hugo Yugo wishes everyone the best Tuesday ever.
Well, there is something ‘changed’ at Hellgate Canyon. Iris was on the nest early Monday calling for Antali. She had a piece of fish. Antali was not on the perch. Antali did not come flying in tearing Mum’s talons off. Antali was not there. Antali was not there later in the day. You will understand immediately that this is not Antali’s normal behaviour. So the question is: 1) Is Antali with Finnegan and Sum-eh along the river fishing? OR 2) Has Antali left the area?
Iris calling Antali.
No Antali and no more Iris on Monday. I suspect that Antali is gone and that the sun is setting on the season at Hellgate Canyon.
I would say they are gone – the entire family of four. No doubt Dr Greene and his team will be out trying establishing for certain that everyone is on their way. Mark your calendars for the end of March 2025 and 8 April. We look forward to a re-run of the Iris and Finnegan Show.
The NE Florida camera has been fixed and is now streaming. Beau has been to the nest and there are some new wounds on his left leg. I did not see Gabby.
Gabby flies in at 1853. Her and Beau fly off together a minute later.
The SW Florida Bald Eagle streaming cams are up and running. If you have Osprey withdrawal, you can watch Gabby (we hope) and Beau and M15 and F23! https://www.youtube.com/live/fMum_nLPJqM?
Beaumont and Hope’s two dark beautiful fledglings are still at the Newfoundland nest screaming for fish! These chicks are beauties. What a great year.
I could show you a dozen images of C16 on Monday. What a gorgeous bird. She is trying to catch her own fish. She was rewarded by Charlie with a whole trout! A nice one.
Quiet at Sandpoint. I did not see River until the time of this screen capture.
Quiet at Dunrovin. I did not see Junebug up until the time of this screen capture.
Heidi says that it appears that Fen has now started his migration from the Fenwick Island osprey platform. The kids are starting to move south. Bless their wings, everyone. Full crops all around…safe trips, productive lives.
Still home at Niagara Bee.
Port Lincoln reports that the White-bellied Sea eagle chick is doing well.
Heidi discovered a new Osprey platform in Australia with a chick.
Please, please write your Senator, your Congressional Representatives and then flood those in Virginia. Another article about Osprey chicks (and we know adults died, too) from a lack of Menhaden. They starved to death. You saw it on your screen.
“The latest study surveyed data from 12 different sites this year in both Virginia and Maryland. Osprey young were struggling to survive at 10 sites in saltier waters where osprey primarily depend on menhaden for food. However, osprey young had much higher survival rates in two freshwater sites studied for reference, where they eat mainly catfish and gizzard shad.
Menhaden are a key component in the Bay food chain, serving as a food for striped bass, osprey, and whales. For years, the industrial harvest of menhaden in the Bay by Omega Protein and affiliate Ocean Harvesters, owned by Canada-based Cooke Inc., has raised concerns due to threats to other species. Last month, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to form a workgroup to consider additional restrictions on the industrial harvest of menhaden, following a presentation of survey results showing low osprey nesting successThis year’s osprey data adds to the growing concerns about the number of menhaden in the Bay and the importance of a robust menhaden population for species that depend on them for food and Virginia’s economy,” CBF Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore said. “We must follow a precautionary, ecosystem-based approach to setting limits on the menhaden fishery. That approach must include the study of the industrial fishing impacts to the Bay, as well as considering seasonal fishing closures from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission…Often called “the osprey garden,” the Chesapeake Bay is home to the world’s largest breeding population of ospreys. “They’re an iconic bird,” said Remy Moncrieffe, marine conservation policy manager for National Audubon Society. “They’re one of the most approachable birds in the world. They’re historically everywhere. And they are a great indicator species.” With their distinctive cheep cheep cheep, majestic dives, and admirable work ethic, osprey—a tell-tale sign of summer on the Bay—are extraordinary birds. They mate for life and each spring return (often traveling thousands of miles from Cuba, Colombia, and other points south) to nest in the same area where they were born.”
Who won New Zealand’s Bird of the Year? Have you ever heard of this smelly penguin? Hoiho is its Maori name which means ‘nose shouter’. It has the most amazing yellow eyes! They are the most rare penguin in the world and only live in New Zealand. The Yellow Eyed Penguin Trust says, “That’s not the only thing that makes this a most unusual penguin. Hoiho are not as social as other penguins. Very shy, they prefer to nest often well away and out of sight of their neighbours.
Hoiho are dependent on both marine and terrestrial habitats. The land provides nesting habitat as well as loafing, roosting and moulting space. The sea provides food for hoiho and is essential for dispersal and movement between terrestrial habitats….Hoiho face a number of threats at sea and on land which impact their survival and ultimately lead to a population decline. They have become casualties of human activities – historically they were hunted for food, fires destroyed vast tracts of habitat and people arrived with predators. Today these predators still roam the countryside and we continue to share the coastal space occupied by penguins, putting their lives at risk.
Terrestrial impacts such as predation and land-use changes, can for the most part be managed. But even on offshore islands without terrestrial impacts, a decrease in the hoiho population is evident. This indicates that marine impacts are a major cause of decline.
Hoiho are considered to be ocean sentinels, helping us to understand the effects of pollution, over-fishing and climate change. They are highly sensitive to variation in the ocean, and sound the alarm on threats to marine ecosystems.
The cumulative impact of a range of different threats means that hoiho are less resilient to any additional impacts.”
Please leave the leaves! Go bird watching with all that time saved!
Send good wishes to this little fella – his injuries were caused by steam! So we can add that to the list of things that ‘J’ just sent she had read about injuring our birds in a single day: “football netting, fishing line, lights at night, poison, and shooting.” I am going to toss in there habitat loss, industrial fishing, industrial fishing nets and then there are the other 35 that Heidi and I discovered one day!
This one also had burns to his legs along with feather damage.
At the Olympic Eagle nest in Sydney, the little sea eaglets are ‘friends’. Have a peek! So cute, but it is the closeups and that beautiful plumage. https://youtu.be/kR3g4p8qX7I?
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care all. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for the posts, comments, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J, PB’, Montana Osprey Project, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Bald Eagle Cam, Eagle22, Charlo Montana, Newfoundland Power, Sandpoint Ospreys, Dunrovin Ranch, Pam Breci and The Joy of Ospreys, Port Lincoln Ospreys, thegettysburgtimes.com, Heidi McGrue Raptors of the World, Martha’s Vineyard, The Yellow Eyed Penguin Trust, Openverse, The Guardian, National Geographic, Leaves for Life, Raptor Centre of Tampa Bay, and SK Hideaways.
Thank you to those who sent me screen captures of the ads they received when they read my blog. Hopefully, everything is fixed so that they do not appear again.
Oh, what a day it was. The goal was to finish a few small and manageable tasks since it was so hot outside. Well, nothing was easy. The lights that Wirecutter had given their top rating (for both inside and outside) would only work with a W two-prong outdoor extension cord. Think you could find one in Winnipeg? No. The desire to have lights around the conservatory did not leave my head or Hugo Yugo’s. She loves fairy lights. Consequently, we came home with three boxes to go around the perimeter. Now, attaching the cords to the conservatory was another matter. It turns out those picture frame thingamabobs that you nail into the wall (the brass ones) will slip over a part of the conservatory. Bingo. We have lights. The next was to pick a paint to colour block a section of the wall behind my desk to match the feathers in the oak frames. Done. There was a light switch that needed a cover plate. Done. This weekend was the time to put out unwanted but good-quality items for others to rummage through on the boulevard. Partly through. We did not get the painting done, but we did pick up a delicious pumpkin pie!!!!!!!! Oh, it helped with all the annoyance from the lights. Missey loves the whipped cream.
I would to start with a very sad story coming out of Baltimore. It has to do with starving fledgling ospreys and the decline of Menhaden. It is impacting these birds to such an extent that they get wiped out in the area completely if the industrial fishing of Menhaden is not stopped. If you have not written to your Senator and your Congressperson, then do so. Even if you live elsewhere. Here is the latest article. Imagine 80 starving osplets at one wildlife rehab center. Imagine.
Many years ago I told the story of how a very large female Sharp-shinned Hawk changed my life. All of a sudden the frantic pace of the work world I lived in didn’t matter. Only her. Today, I read an article in The Guardian of another woman working in a high-powered position whose life was changed by a baby Hare. It is moving and the images are gorgeous. Have a read.
In another article, I felt gutted to learn that any elephant has to be killed because there is no food. Wars, famine, habitat loss, drought caused by climate change – what will be the eventual impact on all our wildlife unless we find ways to protect it?
So, what is happening in Bird World? Very little. All nests in Australia except for the Olympic Park Eagles are incubating eggs. The Royal Cam chick is set to take to the skies and oceans any moment. Will Partney and Marrum be able to save any other eggs from the Ravens? That is anyone’s guess, but I would put my dime on ‘no’. Diamond and Xavier continue to entertain us as does M22 and F23 in Melbourne. Dad is doing a pretty good job delivering fish to Mum at Port Lincoln. I would like to hear more news and see more images of our dear Ervie.
What is happening at Hellgate Canyon? Finnegan is just a master angler. He would win every fishing award for the season. It is hard to check on the Hellgate streaming cam without seeing Antali with either a huge crop or a fish delivery or both. Finnegan is working over time to make sure that his second hatch is well prepared. These kids are not starving like those in the area of Chesapeake Bay! The Ospreys inland have done well this season save for the heat and some bizarre nest accidents.
The latest news first: Iris and Sum-eh are still home with Finnegan and Antali. Thanks, ‘PB’ for that message!
At Charlo, it appears that C16 is trying his own luck at fishing. He is often on the nest or perch shaking off the water. There are fish deliveries, but they are certainly not as frequent as those of Finnegan for Antali.
Both juveniles are still at the Newfoundland Snow Lane nest where it was windy with some rain on Saturday. There are still fish deliveries. It was impossible for me to tell if Hope is still in the area.
River has a bulging crop at Sandpoint.
Junebug is home at Dunrovin.
No one is home at Foulshaw Moss.
There is good news coming from Big Bear. The evacuation order has been lifted. Jackie and Shadow should be safe but the area around their nest is full of heavy smoke at times.
The cams at SW Florida are getting their maintenance, so they are ready for the start of Bald Eagle season on 1 October. https://youtu.be/aeeH7EzNV5E?
I love geese. How many times have you heard that? Sometimes Calico thinks that I like geese more than cats. It seems that I am always reading books about things with feathers and never cats. Maybe she has a point. :)))))) Decorah Goose Cam is playing season highlights!!!!!!!!! Oh, you can see the goslings jump again! https://www.youtube.com/live/4FB6bLI39lo?
The NCTC nest of Bella and Scout is live. Bella and Scout were in the nest earlier in the morning.
Thunder and Akecheta were caught on camera during large parts of Saturday.
Wondering what is happening at NE Florida with Gabby and Beau? Looks like we have to wait until the 18th!
Didn’t see E1-M2 at the Kistachie National Forest nest, but his turtle shells are all there! Wonder if the kiddos will have turtle meals this year instead of fish?
One of the highlights of Ferris Akel’s Saturday Tour was a Gallinago or a Snipe. Just look at the plumage.
Ferris was also at the Open House of the Cornell Raptor Centre. It is not clear if the Red-tail Hawk Ambassador was E3, Big Red’s kiddo.
The Peregrine Falcon was very loud and caused Calico some anxiety.
Open Houses are excellent opportunities to learn about the raptors, their needs, and challenges and to just get up close with them. Check out your local wildlife rehabilitation centre. It is normal for the Open Houses to take place in the fall so, you just might be in luck! If not, save the date for 2025.
The RSPB describes the Gallinago or Wilson’s Snipe, “Snipe are medium sized, skulking wading birds with short legs and long, straight bills. Both sexes are mottled brown above, with paler buff stripes on the back, dark streaks on the chest and pale under parts. They are widespread as a breeding species in the UK, with particularly high densities on northern uplands but lower numbers in southern lowlands (especially south west England). In winter, birds from northern Europe join resident birds. The UK population of Snipe has undergone moderate declines overall in the past twenty-five years, with particularly steep declines in lowland wet grassland, making it an Amber List species.”
All About Birds has some Cool Facts about the Wilson’s Snipe:
Wilson’s Snipe look so stocky thanks in part to the extra-large pectoral (breast) muscles that make up nearly a quarter of the bird’s weight—the highest percent of all shorebirds. Thanks to their massive flight muscles this chunky sandpiper can reach speeds estimated at 60 miles an hour.
Wilson’s Snipe feed by burying their bills deep into soft, wet soil to probe for insect larvae, worms, and other invertebrate prey. The bill’s flexible tip can open to grasp food while the base of the bill stays closed. Snipe can slurp small prey from the mud without having to remove their bill from the soil.
Because a Wilson’s Snipe’s eyes are set far back on its head, it can see almost as well behind as in front and to the sides. This arrangement makes it difficult for a potential predator to sneak up on a feeding snipe—it almost literally has “eyes in the back of its head.”
The word “sniper” originated in the 1770s among British soldiers in India who hunted snipe as game. The birds are still hunted in many countries, including the U.S., though their fast, erratic flight style means they are difficult targets.
Although only the female tends the eggs and nestlings, Wilson’s Snipe parents split up the siblings once they’re ready to fledge. The male takes the two oldest; the female takes the younger two with her. After they leave the nest the mates have no further contact.
Researchers have done wind tunnel tests with Wilson’s Snipe feathers to try and duplicate the “winnowing” sound that’s made as birds fly with their tail feathers fanned. They found that it’s the outermost tail feathers, or rectrices, that generate the sound, which apparently happens at airspeeds of about 25 miles per hour.
The oldest known Wilson’s Snipe was at least 9 years, 3 months old, based on a band recovered from a bird that was shot in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, in 1973.
‘A’ brings us up to date with the Olympic Park eagles: “Dad brought breakfast (feathered) at WBSE at 06:18 this morning. Of course Lady was there immediately to take charge of the food, and the littles roused themselves from their cuddle puddle for the occasion. They both stand up on their feet to stretch, leaning forward and spreading their wings. Such pretty plumage, changing from one day to the next, and from one striking design to another. SE34 has no hesitation about joining SE33 at the table, moving up beside his older sibling. SE33 is not bothered.
Lady begins by feeding SE33, as per pecking order, but initially it is distracted by Dad on the perch branch so Lady has to offer the bite a second time. Meanwhile, SE34 backs up for a PS anyway. I don’t think SE33 accepted the bite because SE34 was no longer beside him (implying that SE33 was intimidated by the proximity of SE34) but simply because his attention had been diverted when Lady first offered it. I certainly don’t believe SE33 has suddenly become nervous of his younger brother.
By 06:20, SE34 is back in his position at the table, beside SE33. and he shuffles even further forward, taking prime position closest to Lady’s beak. He is soon rewarded with a couple of consecutive bites of red meat. Lady then begins feeding the eaglets alternate bites. I do love the way she does this. Occasionally, one nestling or the other will get a couple of consecutive bites, but she maintains an even-handed approach until one eaglet or the other starts to slow in its eating and indicates it is getting overly full. She is a very attentive mum, and I continue to believe that her experience in feeding and managing her chicks is the reason this nest fledges two every season despite being an obligate siblicide species. In the end, I keep coming back to the wisdom and dedication of these parents. They are a closely bonded pair and when it comes to raising their family, they work as a tight-knit team to provide for and protect their eaglets. I believe they are both in their mid-20s, which is not quite elderly but it’s certainly extremely experienced, and that experience really counts when it comes to keeping the eaglets safe and warm and dry, and ensuring that both eaglets get enough food. Lady has always looked out for her younger hatch when it comes to food. Every season, she ensures it gets food, whether she has to give private feedings early in the morning or late at night, or put her own body between the eaglets, or even to feed the younger chick through her legs or under a wing. And of course Dad is particularly hard-working when it comes to ensuring there is nearly always food on the nest. If Dad is not bringing in food. there is a good reason for it. . “
Calico’s Tip for the Day: No one can be accused of causing cats to run through the house like a Formula 1 circuit. They will do it and defy you. But if you have a new puppy, Calico has found a suggestion for you to make certain you have a ‘calm’ dog.
The dog trainer: playing too much with your puppy
The important thing many owners fail to do with their dog is encourage it to calm down. There is so much emphasis on playing and running. People think they have to play with their puppy because it wants to, but this encourages the dog to be constantly active. It then doesn’t settle well and its behaviour can quickly become problematic. Spending time teaching dogs to walk calmly on a lead and rest at home should be a priority. To learn how, go to a class or follow online advice. Ben Marsh of Balanced Dog
Thank you for being with us today. We are always so happy to have you with us. Take care!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘A, PB’, The Baltimore Post, The Guardian, Montana Osprey Cam FB, Montana Osprey Project, Dyfi Osprey Project, Charlo Montana, Dunrovin Ranch, Sandpoint Ospreys, Newfoundland Power, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Debbie Shores, Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, NCTC Eagle Nest, AEF, KNF-E1, Ferris Akel Tours, The Guardian and the Balanced Dog, Olympic Park Eagles.
The City of Winnipeg continues under an extreme weather warning. It is air quality – the problem is the wildfires burning in northern Saskatchewan, the province to the west of us. This is one of the predictions from the CBC: “The long-range forecast calls for a drawn-out summer with above-normal temperatures extending patio season well into October. But in the more immediate present, people are being encouraged to limit their time outdoors due to heavy wildfire smoke in the air.” We did not follow their instructions and went to the nature centre and the farmer’s market. It is late in the farmer’s market year, and the crowd there in late July has dwindled. One of the highlights was the local honey – hives from St Boniface and downtown Winnipeg. We bought little bottles of each to try before a big commitment next week – honey to last us over the winter. The late-night snack was a mug of hot chocolate (it got cool in the evening, but it will be 30 C tomorrow) with a slice of toast slathered with butter and honey. Delicious. Oh, there is something wonderful about the nip in the fall air — but sadly, our forecast is for the high temperatures to continue.
If I had been Jack in the Beanstalk, I could have touched the Canada Geese, forming their wedges and flying off Devonian Lake at Ft Whyte at noon on Wednesday. We had just exited the car when the first skein flew over us. There were about 500 on the lake resting and gathering strength to begin their migration further south. It is so amazing to see them. Of course, we did not have the camera, and my phone was charging at home for some silly reason. We will get other chances, but this morning’s flight were magical because they flew so low over the parking lot. Our dates to go and see the Goose Flights at the Ft Whyte Alive Nature Centre are ten days away and at the marsh for two and a half weeks. How many geese will there be, then?
All About Birds shows the areas for Canadian geese. When they arrive in your area, be kind. Try to get people to slow down when they are driving. Geese bond with a partner. They have emotions. When one dies, the grieving is intense. There is stress when one is taken into care, and the other does not know where their mate is.
Please stand up for the Geese. This article in Psychology Today shows how killing them (culling) is wrong! Our cities have taken their habitat. We should seriously be able to work ourselves around their poop. It astonishes me how privileged humans have become.
Everything you ever wanted to know about our beloved Canadian geese: if the font size is too small on the device you view my blog, please click the link below. It should lead you to the original publication.
In Iceland, Greenland, and Siberia, the Pink-footed geese, Russian Whitefronts, Barnacle Geese, Brent Geese, and Graylags to areas of the UK, mainly Norfolk. In his book The Meaning of Geese. A Thousand miles in search of home, Nick Acheson gives up a life of flying around the world. He wants to study the geese first-hand at his home in Norfolk. He rides a bicycle. I have read this book to The Girls three times, and we are starting it again. Acheson knows that with our warming planet and the tundra melting, the winter visits of these geese to the UK will stop. Precisely when that will happen is anyone’s guess. I, too, want to see them, and if you fancy geese like I do and live near the UK, you can see them from early October through the winter months. There are even some rare Red-breasted Geese that find themselves in Norfolk. They will be gone by January. Think about November! It is the best month, according to Acheson’s diary. And, if you are looking for an excellent book to read right now, The Meaning of Geese is it. You will fall in love with honkers. It gets Calico’s Golden Paw Award.
A more scientific book on migration is Flight Paths by Rebecca Heismann. This book charts the earliest research to understand migration and the people behind the research on the annual movement of our feathered friends. I find it to be a good reference book.
Let’s check and see if we can figure out which of our feathered friends are still home.
Oscar and Skylor are still at Russell Lake, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Avian behaviour dictates that Oscar remain until Skylor leaves—even if it is an hour! Typically, the males ensure all fledglings are gone before departing. I remember Blue 33 waiting several days at Rutland just to be sure.
To my knowledge, all UK Ospreys on streaming cams have departed. If I am in error, please don’t hesitate to send me a comment correcting this.
Don Dennis has done a fantastic job chasing Skylor and family around Russell Lake for everyone. Thank you!
Richmond and Tully could still be at the light stand nest in SF Bay. This recent video seems to indicate just that. https://youtu.be/hCv1bEtKTn0?
Richmond is very handsome! He does not migrate. He stays around the SF Bay for the winter while Rosie goes somewhere south? Perhaps the Baja Peninsula??
Finnegan and Antali were at the nest at 09:27 and 11:45. I bet Antali’s fish screams can be heard over the sound of the passing trains. What a character! Finnegan is keeping him fed, and the morning’s fish were caught close together. He wants Antali to be well-fed and ready for the journey south! Finnegan delivers again at 17:54. Iris has an amazing partner. What a glorious year it has been. The biggest question is: is Iris still in the area? I am hoping we will get some confirmation of her presence or absence of Iris from Dr Greene soon.
The latest from Dr Erick Greene. If you are thinking about making a donation, please read this post carefully.
C16 is at the Charlo Montana nest. The cam went back and forth to Highlights, so it is unclear whether there are any fish deliveries.
Is C16 looking down at the water and thinking of trying his luck at fishing?
I think all four ospreys are still home at Newfoundland Power’s Snow Lane nest of Beaumont and Hope. My goodness. One of those youngsters is so dark – the thickest dark 90% chocolate eyeband. Wow.
At the Sandpoint nest, River is wishing he had that double-header breakfast that Antali had at Hellgate Canyon. I have seen no deliveries by noon Wednesday.
‘PB’ has had a response from Niagara Bee. They said the osplet on the nest was killed by an eagle in the area they think is looking for a nest for next year. They are planning on fundraising to raise more platforms. I find this quite odd. Did they re-wind the video footage and see an eagle kill the osplet and leave the body on the nest? Eagles are not known for hunting at night. They hunt from dawn to dusk. We have seen them swoop over a nest and take the osplet with their talons flying off. Think of Cowlitz PUD in 2024. Owls hunt silently at night. They sometimes eat their prey, sometimes only eat the head, and they are even known for killing and leaving prey. The perfect example this year is Lake Murray’s osprey platform. One osplet survived. The obvious predator at Niagara Bee should be an owl. I would really like to see a screen capture showing the eagle at Niagara Bee.
The surviving juveniles at Niagara Bee continue to come to the nest for fish. Dad is busy providing for them!
It looks like two different juveniles are visiting the Blackbush nest, but I witnessed no deliveries at the nest. ‘MP’ identifies the fledgling in the top screen capture as the third hatch, a female who bossed her older siblings about!
Junebug is on the perch at Dunrovin while the a Magpie cleans the nest.
The Osoyoos camera was not frozen on Wednesday. One juvenile was seen at the nest early in the day. I did not see a fish delivery; however, I did not check back late in the day so perhaps some of you saw something? Let me know.
Quiet at Cowlitz PUD.
Please remember to write to your Senators and Congress representatives if you live in the US. Demand a moratorium on Menhaden fishing in Chesapeake Bay.
‘PB’ sends us the latest on the Denton triplets from SOAR:
It was raining at The Hamlet. Looks like Beau and Gabby at the nest tree. Gabby flew off early leaving Beau to protect the tree. He stayed til the rain got heavy.
I thought I had heard everything, but there is a rumour going around that the eagle visiting the nest with the necrotic feet is Romeo, Samson’s father, last seen in 2017. If you want to know the truth about who is or is not on the NorthEast Florida nest, please go directly to the American Eagle Foundation website. Click on the NE Florida nest camera and check on the chat there and check on their FB page. Please do not fall for gossip by chatters or even some that have their own FB pages.
Quiet at Chase & Cholyn’s Two Harbours nest. Will these 25 or is it 26 year old eagles breed again this year? We wait to see.
I did not see anyone at the Fraser Point nest of Andor and Cruz.
We had an extreme weather warning for the City of Winnipeg on Wednesday. It was for wildfire smoke. Speaking of wildfires, everyone’s eyes are on that Line Fire in San Bernardino County, California that is well – making us nervous about Jackie and Shadow despite the reassurances. I did not see them at the nest in the early part of the day Wednesday.
The Line Fire is one of the largest ever wildfires in the US.
It is gorgeous at the Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest. Pretty quiet, too.
Pretty quiet at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose.
If you have been missing M15 and F23, here they are getting that nest ready for a great season. Think we might have two eaglets this year? https://youtu.be/xVa-G_NzXis?
There is some action—maybe not so good—at the eagle nests in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana. I hope they are all safe as Hurricane Francine hits southern Louisiana as a category 2. https://youtu.be/DNIIxYXSfz8?
Audubon Florida tells us that Eagle season is beginning.
Bald Eagle Nesting Season Starts October 1The official Bald Eagle nesting season in Florida runs from October 1 through May 15, but birds don’t use calendars! We’re already seeing eagles return to their nesting sites to prepare for the season ahead.
Florida hosts an estimated 1,500 nesting pairs; one of the highest concentrations of nesting Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states. Audubon’s EagleWatch program monitors more than 1,200 pairs in Florida, covering 55 counties. This growing community science program documents, monitors, and protects nesting eagles in Florida.
Eagles continue to face increasing pressures from Florida’s ever-growing human population and land development. Habitat loss due to this development, car strikes, electrocutions, and environmental toxins all threaten the health of the eagle population. EagleWatch volunteers collect critical nest data, which is shared with state and federal agencies to investigate new conservation challenges, including the movement of Bald Eagles into urban areas and the increasing use of artificial structures for nest sites. This community of volunteers ensures that eagles continue to thrive in our state.
‘A’ brings us up to date with the Olympic Park Sea Eagles: “The littles ate a good breakfast this morning and then a good lunch. Both eaglets ate and there was no bonking or intimidation.
Dad brought in a small/medium fresh fish for breakfast shortly after 07:46. Lady was at the ready for the feeding job, but the littles were still lying duckling style on their nest, side by side, and apparently fascinated by something on the perch branch (Dad?) and didn’t get up to come to the table. By 07:55 SE34 is up on his feet and eating, leaning across SE33’s tail to take the food. At 07:56:45, SE33 stands up and, being closer to mum, is immediately in prime position. Lady starts feeding SE33, who is now in front of SE34.
By 07:58, SE34 is moving forwards towards Lady. He does a little wingercising in slow motion, which somewhat takes SE33 aback, as SE34’s wings hit SE33. By 07:59, the pair are side by side at the table, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt. SO sweet. They are so cute. Mum is taking her time, eating some bites herself, and the chicks wait patiently, behaving like perfect little angels.
SE34 keeps shuffling forwards, and just before 8am, he is rewarded with his first bite of breakfast fish. He gets three bites before Lady begins feeding the two alternate bites. Their table manners are impeccable. Lady feeds half a dozen consecutive mouthfuls to SE34, without objection from SE33, who does some stretching while waiting its turn. By 08:01 she is feeding only SE34. Again, there is no protest from SE33.
Lady soon resumes alternating bites, and both eaglets are eating well, getting their share of the fish. The feeding ends at 08:16 when Lady swallows the last of the fish and leaves the nest. For once, SE33 looks larger than SE34 as they sit side by side after breakfast. SE34’s juvenile plumage is rapidly developing, and the caramel streaks are starting to appear on the breasts of both chicks. They are exquisitely beautifully designed. Sheer perfection.
Dad arrives just before 09:18 with more food. It appears to be feathered. He waits for Lady, who arrives a minute or so later. The eaglets are snuggled up together, and SE33 gently nuzzles SE34’s cheek with its beak. They are SO adorable. More food, and again both eaglets eat. These are big juicy bites of red meat, and after their second breakfast, both must be stuffed.
They eat again later, in the early afternoon, and in general had a peaceful day. It was lovely to watch them together. “
And the other Australia or NZ nests: “AtOrange, the bonding session was again extremely early this morning (04:04:17). Xavier brought Diamond two prey items, and she is currently doing night duties on the eggs. Xavier had another run-in with the black-shouldered kite, who is still obviously in the area. When Xavier arrived for a brief (20-minute) stint on the eggs in the late afternoon, he had a crop Diamond would be proud of, so both ate well today.
At Lonsdale Street, I could not see a changeover this afternoon – it appeared that dad did a long incubation stint. F24 flew up to the ledge momentarily, to be greeted by M22’s chirps, and then immediately turned and flew off again. When darkness fell, it appeared there had still been no changeover, and I saw no food deliveries to the ledge (at either end). So I am presuming food is being eaten off camera, possibly from a stash. It is a very difficult nest to monitor.
SK Hideaways caught the gusts at Collins Street that flipped MUM!
“At Port Lincoln, Dad brought in a headless fish for breakfast at 08:26, but apart from a small snack (small partial fish) that he delivered late in the afternoon (18:14) that was the only food for mum today.
Both TF and TFT were fed by both parents today, so the chicks had an excellent day. They are wingercising and preparing to fledge. Isn’t it amazing that after five years or so, these male chicks will return to nest within 40 metres of the nest from which they were fledged, while the female chicks will nest, on average, about 80 metres from the site of their natal nest. That they can travel so far and for so long, returning to where they fledged from years later, is simply incredible. These chicks are carrying data collection devices that will not transmit but will collect three years of data, to which researchers will gain access when they return in five or six years’ time. “
Calico’s Tip of the Day: Are you worried about your cat’s teeth? That happens to be one of the biggest expenses. I remember when it was $395 for a cleaning. My vet shocked me when she told me that the cleanings begin at $1300 and could go up if extractions needed to be done. With four cats, I cringe at that thought – it is precisely why we do not have five! Calico’s Golden Paw Award goes to Greenies. She likes the salmon flavour, Baby Hope likes the Catnip, and Hugo Yugo eats anything. Our bags are empty! It looks like I will be shopping.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We hope to have you with us again, soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today, ‘A, MP, PB’, All About Birds, Psychology Today, PETA, Canada Geese, Ospreys of Nova Scotia and Connie Dennis, Golden Gate Audubon SF Osprey Cam, Montana Osprey Cam, Montana Osprey Project, Owl Research Project, Dunrovin Ranch, Sandpoint Osprey Cam, Newfoundland Power Snow Valley Osprey nest, Niagara Bee, Blackbush at Tracerdie Osprey Platform, Fortis Exshaw Osoyoos Platform, COWLITZ PUD, Menhaden- Little Fish, Big Deal FB, SOAR, NEFL-AEF, IWS/Explore.org, FOBBV, Duke Farms, WRDC, Wsprynwngs, Tonya in NO and Kisatchie National Forest, Tonya Irwin and Raptors of the World, Audubon Florida, Loon Preservation Society, SK Hideaways, and The Guardian
I have put a warning in one group of images and the report from Niagara Bee. I did not believe we could lose another osprey this late in the season and, yet, it has happened. So be mindful when you get to that spot if you are sensitive and move down to the next news item.
I can confirm that Cobey, the Colonial Beach osplet on the streaming cam, was not one of the three ospreys from the area that had a necroscopy. I can, however, confirm that Cobey was noticeably ‘malnourished’ when his body was examined. That will not be a surprise to anyone. Individuals from the area are speaking up to stop the commercial fishing for Menhaden that has impacted hundreds of osprey nests in the area.
It really does feel as if fall has come to Manitoba. The leaves are changing before my eyes, the squirrels and Blue Jays are busy storing peanuts for the winter, and the Crows are getting fat. How many will remain here during the winter? Junior finally has his crest, and he is back to his handsome self. He wouldn’t smile at me but there he is on the left, crest flattened, but there! It took more than two weeks to grow in.
This is one of the little Red Squirrels born in our wood shed in the summer. It has a lot of white and is simply tiny and adorable.
Hugo Yugo has a fascination with dry flowers! These came from our local market, but I am drying herbs in the utility room, and she would love to be taller!
Last evening, Hugo Yugo must have felt the chill of the changing seasons, and I found her cuddled under two duvets. She loves her creature comforts and still sleeps with her head draped over my left arm on my pillow. She prefers the satin pillowcase. What a girl.
We are all having withdrawals or are starting to fret and worry about our dear Ospreys – particularly Iris and her entire family, as they prepare for migration. My inbox contains letters from you sitting and wringing your hands and toes. We know that Iris has survived for nearly 30 years in the wild. She is eating well. Finnegan is helping with Antali, and it appears that Sum-eh might have departed. Of course, she could be somewhere along the Clarke-Fork River eating some enormous fish and not revealing her quite perky and independent self. These two fledglings have good DNA. Tiger Mozone told me once they need two things: good DNA and good luck. So, we know that they have great genes. Just look at Iris and how long she has lived. She has also had the best of luck (OK, maybe not with Louis) during her migration. Let us hope that she has given clear and concise instructions to her two juveniles, Antali and Sum-eh, so they have long and productive lives carrying on her gene pool when they are ready to start their own families.
Antali is undoubtedly handsome. He would like Dad to get a big fishie on that nest. Iris is still home and delivered a whopper this morning. Thanks, ‘PB”.
When I speak about luck, I mean staying away from the harm that much of modern human life causes. The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds by Scott Weidensaul describes many of those. One of the most formidable is ‘light’. “Ornithologists have known for generations that artificial light disorients birds; as far back as the 1800s, lighthouse keepers described huge bird kills on foggy nights, when migrating songbirds battered themselves against the glass” (144). Weidensaul continues, “Lighted skyscrapers remain a major cause of mortality during migration so much so that campaigns have been launched in many cities to convince building managers to turn off lights during the peak of migration…some 90,000 birds a year die from building collisions in New York City alone.” Weidensaul notes that the lights that are set up for the memorial to the 9/11 victims is in peak migration period. “Some years the heaviest flights have occurred on the same night as the tribute…Radar studies have shown that the twin beams concentrate migrants at 150 times the normal rate”. (144). Since 2005, if the migration detectors notice 1000 songbirds whirling in dismay in the lights, they are now automatically turned off to save the birds and allow them to get on their way without harm” (144).
The route that Iris and her family, along with other Montana birds, take when they migrate might not take them through large cities with tall skyscrapers. It depends on where they go and below is the map constructed by the Montana Osprey Project with the birds that have been tracked.
The odd bird seems to have had trouble and went north and then to Florida, but you will notice that the concentrated stream takes them over Colorado into Texas, Mexico, and Central America. Many believe that Iris winters in south Texas but with no tracker or distinctive Darvic Ring we will never know for certain.
I am reposting an article from one of the Hellgate Osprey groups on FB by ‘CW’ that you might find of interest. ‘Osprey Migration Explained’.
At Llyn Brenig, Bethan 8B9 was last seen Friday morning and is believed to have departed for her migration. LJ2 was at the nest in the evening.
News from Tweed Valley.
I caught ‘someone’ at the NE Florida nest on the branch but cannot confirm if it is Gabby or Beau. They were photographed in the LY tree together around 10:00 am. Thanks, ‘J’.
It is difficult to see eagles with injured talons. This particular one with its necrotic talons came and went and spent some time on the NE Florida nest. It has been identified as the same eagle that intruded on the nest last year. Oh, please leave Gabby and Beau alone! https://youtu.be/Pg8g_M3wrWc?
WingsofWhimspy notations sent by ‘J’ as the eagles return:
We know that Jackie and Shadow, Beau and Gabby, and M15 and F23 are here! (listed above, too)
Well, this is where we will be on the 22nd and then rushing back for the Goose Flights at the nature centre.
How clean energy can help save our birds. Audubon has some ideas.
It is hard to imagine how quickly our little ones grow and they are on their way to independence and trying to survive on their own. Dyfi reminds us!
Just look at those little faces wanting fish. That is why I love this species so much.
WARNING. DISTURBING NEWS AND IMAGE IN THIS REPORT FROM NIAGRA BEE. Before I check the nests, news has come in late Friday from ‘PB’ that something there is a dead osplet on the Niagara Bee nest. It’s body was there in the early morning. Was it killed? and if so, why was the prey that was hunted left? or did it die of a disease? In either case, the remaining two fledglings are in danger. (If it was a predator during the night I could not rewind enough to confirm it was an owl. Eagles hunt during the day.)
At 0802 one of the fledglings looks down to see its dead sibling.
Nestled by its sibling.
The body of the osplet was eaten by a raccoon that came to the nest after dusk.
At the Snow Lane nest in Newfoundland, Beaumont is still delivering amazing fish to the two fledgings. He arrived Friday afternoon with a nice crop after finishing the head. Both juveniles are still home. I cannot confirm if Hope is still in the area.
Look at the size of the wings on that fledgling. I ‘think’ it is the second hatch. The other has a really lovely crop so both are getting fed well. Yeah to Beaumont and Hope for a great year. Hope delivered a big fish to the nest on Friday and was hungry herself but the kiddos got it. Beaumont was delivering on Thursday. He could have been on Friday, too – it is hard to catch them they are trying to get off the nest without having their talons torn off. Who would have thought we would be witnessing this?! It is special. A miracle nest.
River at the Sandpoint osprey platform wanting fish. No deliveries by mid-Friday afternoon that I could see.
Juvenile on the nest at Cowlitz PUD wanting fish.
At Fortis-Exshaw, Harvie delivered a fish Friday morning and both juveniles were at the nest wanting it.
I did not see anyone for ever so long, but Heidi caught Soo delivering a fish on Friday. There were some leftovers and a juvenile, cannot tell which one, came in later and ate it.
There is at least one juvenile at home at Collins Marsh Osprey Platform receiving fish from Dad.
‘PB’ reports that the OPPD ospreys have left the Fort Calhoun nest near Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
‘PB’ also sent me the latest notice. I am thrilled that people are speaking up against the Canadian company, Omega, for wiping out the Menhaden fish stocks that the ospreys (and others) depend on for their survival. Please, regardless, of where you live, write your Senator if you feel strongly about this issue. Other States who have bordering the Chesapeake Bay have restrictions against this industrial fishing — all but Virginia. Do it for Cobey!!!!!!
Geemeff’s daily summary for Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust:
Daily summary Friday 6th September 2024
The promised sunshine materialised and tempted a Coal Tit out onto Nest One for a few moments. Another sunny day is forecast for tomorrow but then it’s back to cool and damp for the rest of the week. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.00.28 (05.32.42); Nest Two 21.07.49 (05.44.10) Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/n85DjMBiPQY The unusual sunshine tempts a Coal Tit out onto the nest 17.12.42
Morning changeover at 367 Collins Street. ‘A’ comments: “I understand that Victor has identified the male as the same male we had here last year (M22) and the female as a new bird (neither F22, who was probably killed by an intruder last season, nor the intruder). So she is being called F23 (though surely it should be F24 – the whole thing is confusing me greatly). At both scrapes, hard incubation is well underway, with Xavier doing his usual adorable chatting to his eggs (though I have not yet seen him attempt to feed them so far this season – there’s plenty of time of course for him to do something typical of this cutest of falcons).”
I note that someone whom I trust explicitly and has detailed images of head patterns, etc. does not believe that this is M22, but a new male despite Victor Hurley’s statement that it is. Without Darvic rings, it is incredibly difficult to identify birds unless there is a peculiar identifying mark.
At the Sea Eagles cam, SE34 is still shy of 33. There is a quiet jerk, and the stance of his body indicates that the youngest hatchling always keeps a keen eye on him in case 33 is going to reach over and beak him. SE33 ate first, and even when 34 moved up to the beak, Lady kept feeding 33 for a bit.
‘A’ comments: “The more I watch WBSE, the more I wonder whether the temperaments of these two, combined with the lack of an obvious size difference, suggest that we may indeed have two boys on this nest. SE33, though the first hatch and therefore top of the ‘pecking order’, is certainly not a vicious chick in the manner of a killer like Zoe.
But SE34 definitely remains very intimidated at feedings, despite the excellent fraternal relationship the two nestlings seem to have the rest of the time. Usually, SE33 doesn’t even need to beak SE34, who cowers away at the slightest hint that SE33 is even considering moving in his direction. About ten minutes into the breakfast feeding, SE34 shuffled forward to get closer to the food, and for the next ten minutes or so, Lady seemed to concentrate on feeding him, so that he got the vast majority of the bites, just as SE33 had done early in the feeding.
After flying off this morning, Dad returned very quickly with breakfast, and Lady quickly took control of what looked like something furred, though it could have just as easily been slightly feathered (it was definitely red meat and looked very nutritious – probably someone else’s half-grown chick. As the feeding progressed, and each chick had been fed for about 10 minutes, Lady fed them both alternately for a while. SE34 appeared slightly wary but was relatively confident, even competing with SE33 for bites (and winning). At all times, though, SE34 was aware of SE33 and was monitoring its movements carefully, while still participating in the feeding.
It was a very lengthy feeding, and by its end (around 07:17), both eaglets had very healthy crops. Their exquisite white fluff is now decorated with rows of shiny blue-black feathers growing through, making the chicks look spectacularly beautiful (as opposed to the cutest little fluff balls). These sea eaglets really are exquisite as their juvenile plumage develops – and the camouflage it provides is extremely impressive (like red-tailed hawklets, these sea eaglets grow the most wonderfully effective camouflage). “
At the Charles Sturt Falcon Cam in Orange, Xavier is getting a lot of eggie time Saturday morning.
Xavier on the eggs.
Mum and Dad at the nest on the Port Lincoln barge.
Remember Ervie and then Bradley with their Puffer Fish? ‘L’ sent us a posting of another osprey enjoying that particular delicacy. It feels like that old saying ‘Shooting Fish in a Barrel’. These Puffers must be easy to catch!
Mark it on your calender. Cornell’s Big Bird Day (counting birds) is 12 October. Please register to participate. I will send reminders and links closer to the date!
Conservation without Borders with Sacha Dench is Crowdfunding for The Flight of the Vulture. Here is some information and below it is the e-mail about contributing to the Crowdfunder.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon.
Thank you so much to the following for their notes, comments, posts, tweets, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, H, J, L, PB’, Niagara Bee, Cornell Bird Lab, Thinura Nisal Bandara, Port Lincoln Osprey, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, 367 Collis Street by Mirvac, Olympic Park Eagle Cam, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Virginia Osprey Foundation, Collins Marsh Ospreys, Fortis Exshaw Osoyoos, Fortis Exshaw Canmore, Cowlitz PUD, Newfoundland Power Snow Lane Osprey Cam, Sandpoint Osprey Cam, Dyfi Osprey Project, Audubon, MB IBA, Wings of Whimsy, NEFL-AEF, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Knepp Farm, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Avian Report, Montana Osprey Project, The Global Odyssey of Migrating Birds, and Conservation without Borders.
