It was a lovely day on the Canadian prairies. After all the snow, everything began to melt. The sky was a beautiful Azure blue with soft cotton clouds. The garden was full of birds, squirrels, and a Ginger cat that came to visit. Brock was down the street napping after a full dinner at Jane’s and the world seemed right. The Girls and Toby are fine. Ann took Don and Ann for a long walk while I finalised the details of the door alarms and the new doorbell video camera. Hopefully installation will be soon. Those security measures will ease some anxiety.
On the Cornell campus, the rain came down in a fury late in the day. Big Red will do anything to protect those precious eggs!
Shaking off all the rain like Toby does!
It felt pretty quiet in terms of UK osprey arrivals.
If you have not checked out this site, you will find live cams, information on dates of eggs, arrivals, hatches, etc. for many streaming cams around the world.
A young woman using ‘Raptor Stories’ as a handle created a lively little video on YouTube announcing the beginning of pip watch for Jackie and Shadow’s eggs. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/QVZM43Ys00U?
I am truly excited. Those eggs are intact. The Ravens have been kept at bay. Hope reigns in our house for one healthy eaglet in this nest! Send all your positive wishes.
Baiba has Shadow bringing in a nice fish for Jackie as pip approaches. They should be hearing those eaglets. https://youtu.be/F0N83Ivj98o?
Telyn is home at Dyfi, but no Idris. Look closely. She is on Monty’s perch eating a fish.
No one at home for Elen at Glaslyn either. At Loch of the Lowes, Dark Knight shows up, but where is Blue NCO?
Thank goodness CJ7 has her mate Blue 022 home!
Can you see all the fish Andor is bringing in to Cruz and the kids? You’d think there were a dozen little bobble heads being brooded under Cruz’s feathers!!!!!!! Looks like it is big sis, Sasha, and second hatch, Zuma.
In PA, Irvine is going to need lots of prey – US Steel 9 hatched, US Steel 10 has hatched and there is another to go.
Ellie and Harvey at the Kansas City Bald Eagle nest have two lovely eaglets who are getting their feathers.
Just a quick check in. We are doing great and the air even smells like spring. This is a real boost to my spirits. Take care everyone! See you soon.
Thank you to everyone who created videos! Thank you to those that posted on FB and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us see the highs and lows of these amazing raptor families.
Oh, the winds are blowing the UK birds home. There are a lot of watchers on the Dyfi streaming cam in anticipation of Telyn arriving after 2000, which she typically does!
Telyn arrives! Blue 3J is home. Time 1420.
Come on Idris! And for those of you who do not know, Telyn is the daughter of Maya at Rutland Water.
Here is Clogwyn! Last year she arrived on the 18th of April. We are nearly three weeks early this year.
Frankie has landed at Loch Doon this morning to join his mate Angel.
Oh, that third hatch at Dale Hollow is such a tiny one compared to its elder sibling, who is getting pin feathers! Send this tiny third hatch your best wishes.
Elen at the Glaslyn nest waiting for someone, anyone to arrive.
Hatch at US Steel for Irvine and Stella.
Deb and Scout are so excited about babies that they are already tandem feeding. This is beautiful. Deb Stecyk has it own video: https://youtu.be/es6-VUaVnsQ?
Big Red lays her third egg at the Cornell RTH nest with mate, Arthur.
Cruz and Andor welcome Sasha at the Fraser Point nest. SK Hideaways (who is supposed to be on holidays!) gives us the video: https://youtu.be/HTrZlwpDO0I?
I think we have a second eaglet for Andor and Cruz, too.
A lovely article sent to me via SK Hideaways for everyone to enjoy – news about Mr President and Lotus! I hope you can open it. (Spoiler – they have eggs in their alternate nest).
Thank you so much for being with me. Must run. The alarm chap will be here momentarily and then the possible cleaning lady is coming to check us out! It is a packed day. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to SK Hideaways and The Washington Post, to the owners of the streaming cams, and to those who post on FB – I am so grateful for all your work and for owners allowing us to view these amazing raptor families.
It is pitching down rain and Seren, Blue 5F has arrived home. She is now in the trees sheltering from the storm with her mate Dylan. Tears of joy!
And another famous osprey is home – this time a grandfather!
I am writing this late Saturday with the hope and anticipation that Sunday will be a less dramatic day! A call has gone in to the people who installed the locks in our doors. They will be out on Monday with recommendations on how to ‘know’ if Don is getting out of the house. There are locks and devices to go over door knobs, but I have opted to have them tell me my options. An alarm system sounds best. It doesn’t need to be monitored. In Canada, that is often the most costly part. I am also going to get a digital door opener for all the doors. Then I don’t have to worry about keys. One set has already gone ‘walkabout’. My goodness…dear little Toby did get his reward. A nice piece of tenderloin and a bath after our last walk. The sidewalks are flooding and are like a slush cone. He was dirty and wet, so it seemed like a good time to try our first shampoo. (Normally, the groomers do this. He was incredible. He just stood on the mat in the tub and let me shampoo him!!!!!!!!!! He had such fun with the towels and loved being rubbed dry.
I have a feeling that this little puppy is gold-plated underneath all that fur. Whatever power in this universe sent this baby into my life really knew what they were doing. Indispensable.
Toby’s fur is quite long. He has had to wait a month since his last blood event to get groomed. That will be 11 April. He was so good in the bath, I wonder if he will let me trim him??? We have a lovely woman coming to trim his nails on Easter Monday, and she will show me how. Toby is a bit anxious about the groomer since she had to shave the matts off his tummy from when he had to stay at the vet’s for 4 nights in December. Poor baby. He might not look like he is show ring ready if I trim him but if it keeps his anxiety down, it will be worth it!
The Rod Stewart look! And he’s getting his Grinch feet.
White YW is one of my favourite UK ospreys. He and his mate, Blue 35, are at the Foulshaw Moss nest in Cumbria.
Samson also returned to the Borders Osprey platform. Rosie Shields writes,
A very quick note as it’s late and I’m not long back home but I had to share the good news that Samson arrived back today, some 2 weeks earlier than last year. He’s already brought sticks to the nest and has engaged in some crow bashing. I don’t have any photos as yet because the camera is throwing a small temper tantrum but, if I throw enough money at the system I’m sure it will work eventually!!
Luckily, we had just finished doing some repairs to the nest following the severe battering it and the tree got during the various winter storms but Samson will no doubt not be satisfied and will furnish it himself in his own inimitable style.
I’m delighted and relieved that he’s back. All eyes to the skies for Augusta now.
Windy and cold at Poole. Beautiful CJ7.
Blue 33 and Maya are already thinking about babies even in the cold wind.
This wind might blow in more ospreys to the UK. Let’s hope.
Fru Rauer, the Norwegian osprey of some renown, is on her way home. She has a sat pak and her location will be announced the beginning of the week.
Everyone saw the pip at Fraser Point for Cruz and Andor. It is now 2128, and there is some concern about activities at 1922 at the nest. It is unclear whether the chick has hatched or if there was a problem. We will find out in the morning. Fuzzy head now seen.
We are on pip watch for Irwin and Stella at the US Steel nest in PA.
JBS24 at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands is getting a lot of air under those beautiful wings. The eaglet looks really good. Do you remember worrying about whether or not 24 would survive after 25 suddenly died? I do. So happy for the parents that they have one splendid eaglet nearing fledge.
I am delighted that Richmond’s new mate has been named Wendy after the ‘Wendy Welders’ at the Richmond Shipping Yard. In World War II, my mother was one of those women!
There are ospreys – two of them – at Steelscape in WA.
Thank you for being with us. Keep your eyes os the screens! Second hatch at Decorah Hatchery and first for Irv and Stella. My reporting of the US Bald Eagles will slow as the UK and European ospreys arrive. Even with everything going on in the house at times, I am going to try and see if Heidi and I can get back near our record of monitoring 500 osprey eggs this season. So take care, let me know of any sightings!
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Thank you to everyone who posted images and information on FB groups and to the owners of the streaming cams, we are forever in your debt. We would not be able to enjoy these amazing bird families without you.
Oh, what a day to start the spring equinox. Elen has arrived at her nest in Glaslyn. Now…who will be her mate this season and will there be chaos or eggs?
Aran and Mrs G were the ospreys at the Glaslyn nest. Mrs G was replaced by Elen who bred with Aran and then Aran returned late in 2025. A young bird, Teifi, hooked up with Elen but there was a chaotic year and no chicks were produced.
Will Aran return early and reclaim his nest? Will Teifi? Will neither? We wait.
Update on Brutus from the Winter Park, Florida nest:
There is growing concern this morning about the fate of M15’s mate, F23. Suspicions about what happened at a nearby chicken far with the dear female being shot continue to gain some validity as the carcass of the eagle was ‘dumped’ instead of being handed over to the repository so that the feathers could be used in Indigenous ceremonies as is mandated by USFWS.
Fridge Friday for the Kakapo:
Cameras are live at Lyn Clywedog in preparation for the arrival of Dylan and Blye 5F Seren.
At Cornell University’s Red tail Hawk nest, Big Red is definitely thinking about eggs.
Obviously there will be more arrivals – probably the minute I hit submit! Keep your eyes on those UK osprey streaming cams!
Thank you for being with us this first morning of spring. Take care. See you Monday if not before.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to peer into the lives of our favourite birds, to those who post on FB, to the Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey for taking such good care of Brutus, to Barb Henry for investigating the death of F23, and to you, our readers.
So what does the Spring Equinox symbolise? I asked AI.
“The spring equinox (or vernal equinox) symbolises a profound turning point towards light, new beginnings, and balance, marking the official end of winter’s dormancy and the start of growth. It represents a moment of global equilibrium (equal day and night), fostering themes of fertility, renewal, and the emergence of life.
Core Symbolism of the Spring Equinox:
New Beginnings & Rebirth: The world emerging from winter’s slumber symbolizes a chance to start fresh, often characterized by planting, growing, and shedding the old.
Balance & Equilibrium: Occurring when the sun crosses the equator, it symbolizes the perfect, albeit fleeting, balance between light and dark, day and night.
Light over Darkness: As days begin to grow longer, the equinox is a testament to the return of warmth and the triumph of light over the cold and darkness of winter.
Fertility & Growth: Traditionally linked to the goddess Ostara, the season is heavily associated with fertility, growth, and abundance.
Transformation & Renewal: Similar to a seed sprouting, it represents a period of blooming and personal growth. Community-Based Research Centre +7
Common Symbols and Rituals:
Eggs: Representing fertility, new life, and the potential of the coming season.
Hares/Rabbits: Long-standing symbols of fertility and the quickening life of spring.
Flowers/Seeds: Snowdrops, crocuses, and the planting of seeds represent new growth and the awakening of the earth.
Bonfires/Candles: Lighting fires symbolizes the return of the sun’s warmth and light.
Spring Cleaning: Clearing out the physical and metaphorical stagnation of winter to prepare for new energy. Slow North +5
Cultural and Historical Contexts:
Holi (Hinduism): A vibrant festival celebrating the arrival of spring, joy, and the victory of good over evil.
Easter (Christianity): Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, aligning with the broader themes of rebirth.
Ostara (Pagan/Germanic): The pagan festival honoring the goddess of spring and dawn, Eostre.
Mesoamerican Traditions: Often recognized with the descent of the snake god Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, signifying the agricultural season’s start. Slow North +3
The spring equinox serves as a reminder to align with the rhythms of nature, celebrating the return of warmth and actively cultivating growth in both the environment and our personal lives. “
My family and I – two or four legged – wish each of you a wonderful beginning of spring, a sense of light and life, and hope.
Before I begin, it seems that Audacity and Jak have another nest. Gracie Shepherd caught up with them and discovered that Audacity has laid egg 7 of this breeding season. She is not giving up on having a little one. Tugs at my heart strings. Here is the video: https://youtu.be/SZ_xEjmVT3c?
It is currently very cloudy, with temperatures of +3 C in Winnipeg. There is a 45kph wind kicking up the snow and making it feel bitterly cold on our faces. We have now been out for two walks with Toby – shorter walks more frequently seem to work better for ‘us seniors’.
Thinking ahead to when the snow is gone and some changes to the garden to suit a dog that loves to run, I am moving the lower deck and hoping to create an agility area for Toby. We tested out the arrival of one tube. The ones we had for ‘The Girls’ are simply too small. Here is a video of the arrival with Hugo Yugo and Toby. My talents do not lie in camera work! That is for certain. Have patience. There are a couple of cute moments.
Big Red spent enough time on the nest on Thursday that everyone thought we might have an egg! Soon, soon!!!!!! Our Queen of the Red Tail Hawks is 23 years old. I am hoping for two healthy chicks that thrive, fledge, and survive. As much as I admire what the Cornell Bird Lab does, they really need to keep on making the windows bird-strike-proof. Sadly, the fledgling lost last year was to West Nile Virus, not window strike, but there is still work to be done on the latter.
JBS24 is really getting ready to fledge. After the loss of JBS 25 to an unknown, the parents have been remarkable in their care of their surviving baby.
No one needs to worry. Gabby has eyes in the back of her head when it comes to her babies who are now doing some daring branching. It won’t be long as they are self-feeding, branching, and working wings. Beau and Gabby you did well.
E26 has found the pond at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest of his dad, M15 and late Mum, F23.
There appears to be a new female on the nest at Dewey Beach. Heidi will confirm later.
SF Bay Ospreys and the Golden Gate Alliance have created a video montage of Richmond’s amazing nest-building talents at the Whirley Crane this season. https://youtu.be/H6c92MNqISw?
At Gwash B11/10 has returned. He is the partner to Blue 25 (10).
Menhaden in the Chesapeake are essential to the entire eco-system and the population has been destroyed by industrial fishing. Different fish, different area but do think about this the next time you reach for Krill Oil!
Duke Farms Only Eaglet is doing very well. Gosh, it is nice not to have to share food with a sibling!
There is at least one osprey at the Dahlgren osprey platform.
There is real saddness as seabirds are washing up dead.
“Thousands of seabirds dying on western Europe’s coasts
Puffins, guillemots and razorbills are being washed up dead or dying on Europe’s Atlantic coast in what scientists call a ‘wreck’
Thousands of seabirds – mostly puffins, but also many guillemots and razorbills – are being washed up dead or dying on the Atlantic coasts of western Europe, in what scientists call a “wreck”.
This year’s events, the consequence of a series of severe storms during the late autumn and winter, are the worst since 2014, when as many as 54,000 birds were found stranded. Of these, well over half – between 30,000 and 34,000 – were puffins.
This may only be the tip of a very large iceberg, as puffins usually spend the winter far out in the north Atlantic, meaning many more birds will have died at sea and their corpses will never reach the shore.
The RSPB has warned that this recent series of weather-related disasters comes on top of a very tough few years for puffins. Avian flu and a decline of their favourite food – sand eels – have reduced breeding success at their colonies on offshore islands and around our coasts. They, and Britain’s other seabirds, such as gannets, fulmars and kittiwakes, also face problems from a rise in marine pollution.”
Thank you so much for being with us. I am sending this out late Thursday instead of Friday as it is not busy for me right now. I hope you have a great weekend. Will send short posts if any ospreys land on the UK nests! Take care.
Thank you so much to those who create videos for our enjoyment and education, to those who post information on Facebook, to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives of our favourite birds, and to news sources that continue to provide information on our environment and our feathered friends.
We are in the midst of an unexpected blizzard, while thousands of miles to our southeast, it is green, and geese are enjoying the grass on a golf course. Thank you, ‘L’, for letting me share this lovely image of spring! We love our geese, but there is no place for them here, and yet, many arrived several weeks ago! The ponds have frozen, but there remains some open water in the two rivers that wind their way through our City. It is supposed to warm up beginning tomorrow, but I will believe it when I see it. We were not expecting this much snow today!
It doesn’t look like much, but the snow is blowing and accumulating so quickly! The lad who shovels or us thought snow was finished – he is going to get a real surprise! It is more than 30 cm deep on the walkway he cleared a few days ago, and is within 45 cm of covering the large bird table feeder. Unbelievable.
Toby loves it. He bounces through the snow if there is even a whiff of a ‘cat’ in the garden. My plan is to have a tall wooden fence built to match the one constructed a few years ago. I had not planned to put a fence on that part of the property, but the theft of dogs in our City has become quite troubling. Of course, ‘the cats’ – distinguished from ‘The Girls’ – come in from that back corner, so it is important to close it in. Toby loves his sisters, ‘The Girls’. He plays with them, but those that make their way into his outdoor territory will be ousted unless they are Brock (who now still spends 99% of his time at the neighbour down the street)!!!!!!!!!
I hope, after all these years, that each of you knows that I love all animals, but there is a special place in my heart for Big Red and Arthur, the late Annie at The Campanile, and ospreys. I have posted this song before, but I want you to get in the mood. Osprey season is starting in the UK – and has already begun in the US. Here are those wonderful school children with the Osprey Song (2011): https://youtu.be/KoOQK6ejuXY?
At the Lake Murray Osprey platform, Lucy has laid her second egg with a new mate. Please, please put up the owl defences for this family Lake Murray!
Company for Brutus. Storms are tearing down eagle and osprey nests around the US including an osprey nest that Penny Albright monitored near Sanibel that lost two chicks when the nest collapsed. These eaglets made it through…
Blue 25 has made another visit to Blue 33 and Maya’s nest at Manton Bay – Blue 33 normally arrives a few days prior to Maya, and Blue 25 enjoys his company! Geemeff caught her time on the nest: https://youtu.be/HU_XGU3NTro?
We have an osprey at the MNSA Osprey nest in Oceanside’s Jay Cool platform.
“WYL greets his chick upon returning to the nest in New Zealand. The adult male arrives from a foraging trip over the Pacific to feed his growing chick at the Plateau nest site. As the chick gets bigger, the parents will take longer foraging trips to collect enough food for both themselves and their chick.” (Cornell Bird Lab)
Peanut defended the Winter Park Florida nest against a RTH! Nestflix Memories (Gracie Shepherd) caught it on video: https://youtu.be/cQksMDubVEc?
Tonight, Wink is taking now chances. She is right in the nest with Peanut if that GHO returns – and, of course, it will – they never give up! Wink is an incredible mother – I am truly amazed and thankful for her diligence.
Gabby with her babies, Kai and Eve, at the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest in Florida. Best keep a close eye on these two – they could fledge before you blink.
At the Johnson City nest of Boone and Jolene in Tennessee, snow arrived. Jolene kept those two babies warm and tried to feed them at the same time. Like Wink, she is an experiened and an exceptional Mum.
Huge crop on JBS 24. Mum and Dad are delivering food and leaving it for self-feeding on occasion.
Harry and Sally are up there in my list of osprey parents. Three babies, three little fat bottoms. Large fish coming in and Harry on guard as it appeared there could have been an intruder around today during a fish delivery. If you haven’t been watching Moorings Park, then check out this osprey family. It is a success story – and believe me when I tell you that there will be few such stories in the NE USA this season unless a miracle happens.
Rutlands Lagoon 4 nest is trying to keep the Egyptian Geese from laying eggs while everyone waits for the ospreys to arrive. This is a second nest with a camera amongst several nests at Rutland Water. AI says: “Based on 2025/2026 sightings, the Lagoon 4 nest at Rutland Water is often occupied by male 359 (a 2021 Rutland-born osprey) and female 3H9 (a 2023 Rutland-born osprey). They have been observed investigating the nest and strengthening bonds. Note: 359 and 3H9 are a distinct pair from the main Manton Bay pair, Maya and 33(11).”
I am getting impatient – and it is a tad early – for Maya and Blue 33 to arrive at Manton Bay.
At the Whitley Crane nest known as the Golden Gate Audubon Osprey nest, Richmond has worked and worked. There is a new female at the nest with him. I do not believe Rosie will make an appearance. Why do I say this? Well, when Aila did not return, Louis moved his nest to another location when he bonded with Dorcha. We often think animals and birds are not intelligent. If I have said it once, I will say it again million times, my teacher about raptor behaviour, the late Laura Culley, taught me that they are smarter and use higher levels of intelligence and communication that humans have lost.
I noticed in one of the chats – it was the Winter Park Florida chat – that someone noted that ‘animals have feelings’. Dr Mark Beckoff and Dr Jane Goodall taught us this. There are several good books out there. I urge you or anyone who is interested in the behaviour of non-humans to read any or all of the following.
Saddness at the Two Harbours as Chase & Cholyn lose their last egg. SK Hideaways has it on video: https://youtu.be/8vmMpnkNsh4?
Big Red and Arthur have snow on their nest at Cornell University.
Suzanne Arnold Horning caught Big Red relaxing on the lights!
Cameras are now live at the Poole Harbour nest of CJ7 and Blue 022.
We have an osprey at Threave. Is it Black 80?
At Achieva the third egg was laid on the 25th of January. Can someone who is watching this nest tell me if Jack is delivering enough fish to his mate? I did not see deliveries today, but I might have missed something.
In fact, start checking out all your favourite UK and European nests as the cameras are being turned on faster than I can keep a list.
The Pitkin County Osprey nest in Colorado is live.
I have such a soft spot for this White-tail eagle in Durbe County Latvia. Milda. Her current mate is Zorro. There was sorrow and now Zorro has proved to be a good mate and provider.
April 7. Hellgate Canyon. Iris’s favourite day to return to her nest in Missoula, Montana. Count the days – 20. Less than three weeks! The snow has melted.
There is evil in the world. I cannot imagine how anyone could harm an animal and yet, every day I find myself telling people not to give their kittens away to anyone. Russell Mason beat a Goshawk to death – how in the world can someone do this?
Large estates, with no eyes around in Scotland (and elsewhere), allow many horrific things to happen to our beautiful feathered friends. What can be done to stop this?
The Cornell Bird Lab gives us hope that people around the world are increasingly engaging with nature and birds. Yes, there are incredibly vicious people anywhere in the world that will harm birds and other animals, but there are more, I hope, that love and help them.
Thank you so much for being with me today and for your patience, as my posting is often irregular. I had hoped to keep to Fridays and Mondays til the UK osprey season began, but every day there is something new and exciting! I will continue to post at the oddest of times, sometimes two or three times a day as news comes in. As you can imagine, my life is anything but routine. We do have a schedule, but it all depends on my husband’s mood, which can vary. I am impatiently waiting for spring to arrive. What I miss most is reading. Yes, we have story time, but it isn’t the same as sitting quietly on a park bench with squirrels dashing around, the wind gently blowing, with a good book in my hand, reading in silence. So, no promises other than there will always be a Monday blog, often coming out late Sunday, until we have osprey chicks on the nests in the UK and Europe.
Thank you to everyone who created videos, wrote informative FB posts, to Raptor Persecution UK for keeping us informed, and to the Cornell Bird Lab for continuing to support education. I remain forever grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to venture into the challenging lives of our feathered friends. To all my readers who are now long-time friends, I appreciate your support. Your letters and comments mean the world to me.
After being so excited about the young couple at the West End, the ravens have taken the egg when it was left alone. This is youth. They will learn. Both of them possibly wondered what to do with that egg – intuition doesn’t always come easy.
On top of this, Chase and Cholyn’s egg at Two Harbours has been pierced and broken.
On top of all of this saddness in the Channel Islands, Audacity isn’t giving up and has laid another egg.
My goodness, Audacity must be worn out. It takes a lot out of an eagle to produce this many eggs.
I want to thank Penny Albright for keeping us informed about some incredible osprey nests while she has been on vacation. It has been a real treat to see these families through her eyes!
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I am not hopeful for the West End, Two Harbours, or Sauces this year. I want to be wrong!
Take care. See you soon. Ospreys landing in the UK and flying home. Lots to become excited about soon.
Thank you to SK Hideaways, Penny Albright and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives, good and bad, of our beloved raptors.
It is late. I have been worried about Toby all day. As you are aware, he has HGE, and he had some blood in his stool this morning. I am not panicking, just monitoring and worrying, aka wringing my hands. It is entirely possible that it is the raw tenderloin from his birthday dinner; this is what the vet is thinking. I am overly sensitive since he had to spend four nights in the emergency vet clinic in late December, and I almost lost him! The Girls and Toby are often the glue that holds my life together when my husband’s dementia gets the best of me.
Toby had a wonderful birthday. New slush suit, sweaters, and hopefully a few indestructible toys! Please send him your good wishes. I hope everything is alright tomorrow, or it will be a rush to the emergency vet.
There is so much news in Bird World that I cannot keep up with all the happenings.
There are now three of the cutest little osplets at the nest of Harry and Sally at Moorings Park. Harry is one super dad and fish are plentiful.
Sally had some fish for herself when the babies were sleeping.
I am partial. I am so glad that osprey season is here – with all the bonking, the siblicide – the works. Those cute little bottoms with that light down, the dark line by the eye to protect them from the glare so they can see to do those amazing dives, even that ugly oily phase with the copper coloured feathers! Bring it on!!!!!!!!
After a 21-hour absence, Jackie (who scared the life out of many of us) has returned safely to the nest. Then she left again, leaving Shadow to incubate the eggs. Is there a female intruder in the area? I hope not. I hope she is just taking a much-needed break.
That cute Only eaglet at Duke Farms is getting its thermal down. Are there even a few pin feathers coming in??? There is enough food for several eaglets – there are no worries at this nest.
Mr North is not with us but we have the first egg for Mrs DNF and the New Male at the Decorah North Nest today.
Bluff City now has two little eaglets for Frances and Franklin at the ETSU nest. OK. Baby eaglets are also adorable!
One eaglet has hatched at the Kansas City nest of Ellie and Harvey and the second one is on pip watch. The first hatch has been named Osage.
There are now 52 new baby Kakapo. ‘J’ writes: “There are now just as many chicks, as there were adults 30 years ago when the recovery project started!!”
Another osprey nest with a couple arriving. The PKS nest – a new one to me but it is all over FB. It is the Pine Knolls Osprey Nest in North Carolina. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/live/7-wS9I-fj1w?
We all miss Annie and her mates at The Campanile. It seems unthinkable that no falcons are breeding at that magnificent site. ‘B’ has sent me the following note with links to articles. I urge you to read them to understand only one of the dangers that all of our avian friends face. “I thought you might be interested in this article on the impact of avian flu on Peregrine Falcons in the SF Bay Area, which appeared on the SFGATE website::
(SFGATE is a digital news site owned by Hearst. Hearst also owns the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, but SFGATE operates independently of the Chronicle.)
The article discusses results of a study conducted by a team of scientists from several institutions, where among other things they monitored occupancy of 47 known Peregrine Falcon nesting sites in the greater Bay Area. The decline of Peregrine population since the avian flu arrived in wild birds in the state in 2022 is reflected by the observation that nearly all of the 47 nest sites were occupied each year between 2000 and 2022, but in 2023 only 65% of the sites were occupied, and only 36% were occupied in 2025.
Here also is the abstract of the scientific study that the SFGATE article is based on:
Heidi reports that Marilyn has returned to the Old Town Home Osprey nest in Maryland.
‘PB’ sent me a note that there are now four eggs at the Fort St Vrain Bald Eagle nest.
Thank you so much for being with us for this quick post. We will be back on Monday. In the meantime, take care of yourselves.
Thank you to ‘B, H, J, PB’ for their letters and all the great information and articles they sent. Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams and to the authors of FB posts for generously spreading the information of happenings on the nest!
First, some good news, the eldest fledged at the Dade County Bald Eagle nest of Ron and Rose today.
Ospreys are arriving! Word has come from Viki that one osprey has landed in Indian Creek; they do not normally arrive until after St Patrick’s Day. The couple are at the Danville nest, and Heidi sends word that ospreys are arriving in Colonial Beach.
The IWS nest challenge is underway. Many of us have received merchandise and I am happy to say that at least two of us have been asked to name an eaglet.
Funds continue to come in to purchase the land known as Moon Camp near Jackie and Shadow’s nest to keep it out of the hands of developers. In a blink of an eye, or so it seems, nearly $750,000 of the 10 million needed has been raised. Congratulations to everyone.
I remain saddened by the death of F23 and the continuing controversy over the COD. In the end, it doesn’t matter if someone shot her because it is illegal. If she died because of a road accident and somehow managed to get herself into a garden known to her, then that is a different story. It is possible for eagles to have an injury and fly and later die as we have seen many who fall, hit their head, and die of a concussion later. I do not have enough information to comment other than it is simply a sad day for M15, E26 and all who loved this young mother.
I have lots of news to share but I am simply worn out. We will be celebrating Toby’s first birthday hopefully this week – it is tomorrow. Thankfully he can’t read a calendar. I found a photo of him just after he had arrived and managed to climb the cat tree for the first time.
His birthday wish is a box of Kleenex all to himself with no interference. I don’t think so.
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. I hope to be back at the weekend or Monday.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams and those who post information on FB. My blog would not be the same without your generous sharing.
