Category Archives: Bald Eagles

Tuffie gets fed, Meadow on ground…Friday in Bird World

5 April 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I had a wonderful day on Thursday. Two sets of visitors – old friends and then the granddaughter. It was a real joy to see everyone, but I did not get to check all of the nests properly, not even half of them, so we are going with the most crucial.

Before the birds, the cats. The girls had fun. New plants to lay in and they got to show off their climbing and chasing skills to get to the top of the cat tree for everyone. I should not say girls. It was Missey and Hugo Yugo. These two are nothing but trouble spelt with a capital T.

Missey was the Queen of the Cat Tree and then decided that it was more fun to rest in the new plant pot and watch the newly arrived Dark-eyed Juncos. She used to do this with Lewis when I would water the plants. Oh, they had such fun. I miss darling Lewis.

Hope and Calico did not come out until they thought it was time for everyone to go home! It was too funny. It seems that Missey and Hugo Yugo love the attention of others while Calico and Hope prefer the house sans visitors. Go figure.

We are going to start off with Moorings Park because it is the osprey nest of most concern. I could not bear to check first thing this morning before preparations for the day got underway. Of course, the other problem is Meadow who was blown off the nest and who miraculously is on a large limb of the tree under the nest.

So, first things first. Moorings Park. FINALLY, Tuffie had enough food to do crop drops. It did not come until the end of the day, and the poor little one must have been ready to drop and expire. Tears. Thanks, ‘H’, for watching this nest for me on Thursday and for making a video clip so I could see that crop fill and drop, fill and drop. The tears were rolling down my face. As I said yesterday, it never gets easy watching Siblicide. Indeed, it gets harder. The joy comes when the little one triumphs. Tuffie had been battered so much and was so frightened and dehydrated that it was questionable whether or not this little one could hold on – both mentally and physically – until there was a moment when it could get fed.

So this is what ‘H’ sent me that started the tears:”Five fish so far: 0841  headless fish, no bites for Tuffy, (and several beat-downs by Ruffie at each meal except meal #5) 1104  large live fish, no bites for Tuffy; 1157  small headless fish, 2 bites for Tuffy; 1603  large headless fish, 3 bites for Tuffy; 1730  large headless fish, I counted at least 99 bites for Tuffy, and no beaking from Ruffie. Throughout the 1730 meal, Tuffy was seen crop dropping several times.”

When my company left, I watched the video and then checked the streaming cam. The first bite must have been the most delicious fish that Tuffie ever tasted.

The other good news comes from the Osprey nest in Wales, Glaslyn. Elen had been away for a little over a week after she first landed on the Glaslyn nest. Then, Aran, her mate, returned, but Elen wasn’t home. Then Blue 372 came calling. On Thursday, Aran gave in to Blue 372. Almost immediately, Elen returned home! Was she watching from the woods?

‘G’s thoughts on Glaslyn: “Elen is giving Aran a right earful !! She has eaten her own fish, then has taken his from him, she’s not hungry just claiming her rights! Refused his offer of mating – quite strongly!”

The happy couple. I hope Elen knows that Aran has spent several days putting Blue 372 off – he just got weak on Thursday. Perhaps he worried that Elen was not coming.

She is back with us for a good narrative of the goings on at Duke Farms. Thanks, ‘A’: “Mum woke up early and after flapping her waterlogged wings, she flew off the nest at 06:20 to search for food for her babies. This mother is just fantastic. I know I keep saying it, but she just keeps demonstrating it It is dad, though, who arrives back first, at 07:26:45, with quite a large piece of furred prey, very dark in colour and with a long non-fluffy tail and no stripe. Again, I have no idea (it’s an American creature). Dad looks to have half-healed wounds on one of his feet, which may tell us something about his activities last week. Leaper immediately spreads her wings as if to mantle the food. She even reaches out as if considering having a try at self-feeding. Not on this piece of prey, unopened and unprepared. But dad is hesitant about feeding the babies but wouldn’t dare eat this food himself. So he waits beside the food, uncertain. He begins to prepare the prey. Leaper moves forward expectantly. Jersey has turned his head the other way, demonstrating token submission. Dad quickly pauses again, looking around for mum. This lengthy wait annoys Leaper, who until now has essentially been very laid back indeed with Jersey, despite yesterday’s lack of food. It is not a severe attack, but it is more than I have seen in the past week. She plucks out some more of Jersey’s head feathers, then grabs the back of his neck and shakes him a little. It is not vicious but, rather, pure frustration. Leaper turns back towards the prey and dad, but dad flies off the nest at 07:29:40.  Forty seconds passes. Jersey is still ducked but not really tucked right over. He is just being careful. Leaper approaches the food again, contemplating how he might eat it. He is investigating it with his beak. Fortunately, at this point, mum flies in. She too has furred prey, much smaller and greyer than dad’s, with far less, and less dense, fur. Leaper heads towards her. Mum decides to start breakfast with her own offering and begins feeding Leaper. Jersey waits behind his sibling, his head quickly up. It is obvious he was not particularly intimidated by Leaper’s recent big sister moment. By 07:35 he is contemplating his options, and begins looking over his shoulder. At 07:37, mum finishes the last of her prey item. She moves on to dad’s. She grabs the prey and pulls it around the rails a little, towards Jersey, hoping he will have the courage to skirt around the rails to where she is. Oh how I love this mum. Leaper has had her immediate hunger appeased so mum begins to defur the food (it needs it). She is efficient. For once, it is Leaper rather than Jersey who is watching carefully and learning. At 07:39 mum is still plucking. Leaper continues to watch. As 07:40 approaches, Jersey turns his head towards mum and thinks about how to reach her. He decides to move closer to the rail, then head around the rails towards her. At 07:41, he stands up and begins his mission. Mum is still plucking – I am certain she is delaying as she is now plucking the long tail. Jersey is hesitant, and with mum still plucking, shortly after 07:42, Leaper again gets impatient and turns towards Jersey as if about to attack him again. As she does, we can see that she has a very respectable crop. She changes her mind and heads back to mum. At 07:42:36 she gives Leaper the first bite from the second piece of prey. With Hiis sister busy eating, Jersey takes the opportunity to skirt the edge of the nest, approaching the table around the rails. By 07:43:50 he has reached mum, and three seconds later, he leans over and grabs his first bite of food. Mum gives the next bite to Leaper, then turns to offer Jersey his bite. He takes it without hesitation. Mum continues to feed Jersey. He is still a little grabby, so she is very patient with him, re-offering him the food if he doesn’t get it or get it all on the first attempt. Leaper does not object for half a dozen bites, then leans down and pecks at the food. Mum keeps feeding Jersey. He has had a lot of bites in just under a minute when, at 07:44:43 Leaper leans down and grabs a bite of food. She takes three bites in a row before Jersey begins to compete. Mum now feeds them both and they compete for bites. Jersey is a little worse positioned than his sister so loses more bites than usual. But the bites he does get include the very biggest ones, which he grabs and turns away to eat. Again, the pair are side by side at the table, eating in a civilised manner and both getting enough to eat. This nest really has changed over the past week – yesterday was a very testing day indeed, and yet these two got through it all in a very friendlty and supportive manner. There was snuggling and allopreening, beakies and the using of each other as bedding. It was all very sweet. And even today, the one piece of bonking I saw was not vicious but frustrated and more a stamp of the foot than anything truly aggressive. Afterwards, Jersey was very cautious but not overly intimidated. The moment he got to the table, his confidence was not in question. Yesterday was about the weather, not the food supply. So let’s hope that now the weather has cleared up, this nest will continue to be a safe place for both these gorgeous eaglets to continue their journey in life together. They are so cute playing and cuddling together. I am convinced they will be best buddies very soon.”

“That mum at Duke Farms is really something very special indeed. She made the decision that her little one was going to survive. It was a deliberate decision, and she worked very hard to help him through those very dark few days when his very existence hung in the balance. Had she not done this, I am certain Jersey would not have survived. She saw determination, his efforts to self-feed (very good efforts they were, too), and she has done everything to help him regain his confidence and to eat when hsi sister was trying to prevent that. His fear would have been his downfall, had this mum not done what she has. I adore this mum. As I watch the pair of them, sitting nicely up at the table with little Jersey eating and eating while Leaper calmly looks on, I see two healthy eaglets, now so similar in size that I have to believe we have two boys here. Jersey has grown amazingly in the past ten days. He is looking fabulous. And to think how close he came to leaving us! This nest proves one thing we have often said: the difference between success and tragedy on a nest can often depend on the parenting skills on the nest. A mother like this one (or a dad like M!5 or Akecheta) can swing a nest, can ensure the younger chicks survive and can find a way to feed and protect their babies to fledge and beyond. A lesser mum and Leaper would be an only eaglet. “

Squirrel and a fish so far on Thursday.

Another feeding right before lights out at Duke Farms.

All is well at Decorah North as well.

Meadow on the branch, away from the tree trunk, wondering what to do to get back up with Swampy.

This is, as ‘H’ suggested to me, the ‘saddest’ image:

Meadow has fallen to the ground. Yes, he could be rescued. No, CROW is on Santibel and Fort Myers. Eagle Country is over by Cape Canaveral.

There is a beautiful dove on Iris’s nest, but no Iris yet. The rain makes this image of Iris’s nest look so sad. It is like the world is crying for our matriarch. Let her return safely.

At the ND-LEEF nest in South Bend, Indiana, there are now two little bobbleheads.

Two happy eaglets at Fraser Point for Cruz and Andor and they are showing their love with a dual feeding!

How are those eggs developing at Cal Falcons?

A five hour feeding at the nest of Thunder and Akecheta. How do you spell devoted parents? Three eaglets with equally full crops.

‘J’s list of eaglets that hatched in April – and we are only on day 5.

The handsome ‘Prince’ has been hanging around the Loch Arkaig nest 1. Might we get a mate for this chap? Someone might tell Blue 372!

I wonder if the one ring visitor might be a candidate or is she/he just touching down on the way to elsewhere?

Maya at Rutland has just laid her third egg.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, screen captures, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J’, Moorings Park Ospreys, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Duke Farms, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Eagle Country, Montana Osprey Project, Stephen M Basly, IWS/Explore, Sharon Pollock, Lady Hawk, Geemeff, and Rutland Mantou Bay – LRWT.

Thursday in Bird World

4 April 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Today’s posting may be short. I was away most of Wednesday and visitors will be here most of Thursday! It is time for homemade soup, Focaccia, and apple crisp. I also need a slight break from staring and counting the bites that Tuffie isn’t getting at Moorings Park.

When everything seems rather bleak, it is good to turn to a couple that can raise three eaglets, where the female has the nest under control, and where the Dad steps in and helps feed and keep the peace. That nest is the West End with Thunder and Akecheta. It is also Manton Bay at Rutland where Blue 33 has helped dear Maya when they had four!

There is a big difference in size between hatch 1 and 3 at the West End, but no matter. Both are thriving.

Our thoughts are with Meadow and his sibling, Swampy, and Abby and Blaze at the Eagle Country nest after Meadow was blown off the nest during high winds on Wednesday. Meadow was on the branch safe at the time of writing. Meadow is 64 days old today. The average age of an eaglet to fledge in Florida is 11 weeks or 77 days.

Perched for the night. (more images below)

It is so difficult to watch a nest that is struggling and that is certainly what is happening at Moorings Park. It began with the transition to the Reptilian Phase and a perceived drop and lateness in fish deliveries by the eldest chick, Ruffy. The question is: will Tuffie get enough fish to survive this period?

Osprey chicks typically double their weight by day 7 or day 8. Between days 8-10, the soft grey down they hatched with is replaced by a wooly charcoal coloured down. They become more mobile in the nest. The data records that ‘H’ and I have kept indicate that it is during this period of time when the Reptilian phase begins that the chicks are most ferocious if fish is not plentiful. Darker feathers on their heads begin to appear – a kind of black oily spot and some gorgeous copper red ones down at the nape of the neck. When they are about three weeks old, the primaries, secondaries, and the rectories begin to appear.

          The chicks are kept warm by their buff-colored plumage of down feathers called the first down. The crop develops within the first week of its life, which stores food so that the chicks don’t need to be fed very frequently. They usually double their weight in the first week of their lives. Under normal conditions, a nest will settle, and the fear of siblicide will pass as the osplets leave the Reptilian phase. That is, of course, not always the case. There are exceptions, and Port Lincoln certainly showed us in its past history that chicks are not safe, even at 42 or 65 days of age, if the eldest is determined to kill them.

Tuffie keeps his beak open and is begging for food and there is none on the nest when Ruffy is asleep. I have seen females hide food or keep food back to feed these little ones. Sally is not doing this.

Tuffie got only a few bites. Nothing more. Ruffy had a crop. I am in the seventh year of my twenty-year siblicide study. It is never easy. In fact, it seems to get more difficult to observe every year, every nest.

In contrast, Duke Farm’s Mum found scraps in the nest and made sure both Leaper and Jersey had some bites.

The rain is coming down and is expected to continue for several days. The eaglets, Leaper and Jersey, will be banded at the end of this week. What an enlightened nest! Wish each nest on streaming cams would band their chicks. Thank you Duke Farms!

There are now three osplets on the University of Florida-Gainesville nest of Talon and Stella.

The three at Little Miami Conservancy are doing well. Mum even changes the side of the nest from where she is feeding to make sure all three get prey.

The first egg for the Patchogue Ospreys on Long Island was laid on Wednesday.

Maureen posted these images of Meadow on Naturechat. Meadow is still on the branch, can flap its wings, and is safe. Not back in the nest but the parents can feed it there.

Parents know where Meadow is and are caring for their second hatch.

We can see Richmond and Rosie – barely. They are quite a distance from the Whirley Crane and its camera.

Louis is keeping Dorcha supplied with fish!

As we sit and ache for dear Meadow on the branch and longing for Tuffie to have a real good meal, imagine why a person would kill over 3000 eagles? Have a read. This is horrible…

Man-pleads-guilty-to-eagle-killing-spree-BirdGuidesDownload

There was a confirmed pip in egg two at Fraser Point for Andor and Cruz Wednesday evening.

No eaglets. No matter. Their bond is strong. Our beloved Jackie and Shadow will forge ahead. — I am starting to wonder if they laid their eggs later if they might have more success or is it only the altitude and not the altitude and the weather.

I am not sure what is being served up, but the two Decorah eaglets are warm and DNF is making sure they are both fed in cold damp conditions.

There are two at Centreport. It wasn’t an April Fool’s joke.

Still no sign of Elen after some days at Glaslyn. Aran is now ‘considering’ Blue 372.

Mice. Introduced by humans to Marion Island continue to injury or kill both the Albatross adults and the chicks.

The New Forest in the UK has received funds to help with the restoration of wetlands, bogs, meadows, and heaths. Congratulations.

New-Forest-habitat-restoration-scheme-awarded-significant-grant-BirdGuidesDownload

Thank you for being with me today. Please take care. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, J, L, R’, IWS/Explore, Eagle Country, Moorings Park, Duke Farms, U of Florida-Gainesville Osprey Cam, Little Miami Conservancy, PSEG, Maureen and Naturechat, SF Bay Ospreys, Erica Crowley, Geemeff, BirdGuides, Gracie Shepherd, SK Hideaways, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Centreport Eagle Cam, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, and Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels.

Meadow blown off nest, sad situation at Moorings Park…late Wednesday in Bird World

3 April 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

I had a marvellous day in the country. The air was warm and the sky was solid blue, not a cloud in sight. No wind. The geese were flying in and landing on the farmer’s fields. The deer were eating seed for the Chickadees and a hawk flew overhead landing in a tree near to where a woodpecker was eating.

I came home to some dire news about the Eagle Country nest. So, I plan to report on the two nests concerning me and what is happening at Eagle Country. There will not be a long post sent out Thursday morning as a result.

I continue to be concerned about two nests. One is the Moorings Park Osprey platform in Naples, Florida and the other is Duke Farms Eagle nest in Hillsboro, New Jersey. My report today will be somewhat short, but there is breaking news. Meadow, the second hatch at Eagle Country, has been blown out of the nest. The eaglet was not ready to fledge. She is clinging on to a lower branch of the tree. It happened at 12:57 when she was self-feeding on the right side of the nest.

Meadow is squeeing and telling Dad where she is. If Meadow is grounded, she can be rescued legally. They just have to get there quick enough. Some eaglets have managed to climb back into the nest but I am uncertain if that is possible at Eagle Country. Parents can also feed them off nest. The danger is predators in the area.

The situation at Moorings Park has not improved. It is now past 1600 and Tuffie has had nothing to eat. Harry has not been bringing in fish like he did last year. So far one and a partial fish. Ruffy continues its restless attack on Tuffie. When Tuffie finally got to Mum’s beak at 1608 there was no food for the little one.

Someone asked how long these little ones can go without food. That is a complicated question. It depends on whether or not they had a full crop of quality food at their last meal. We know that Tuffy did not have a full crop on Tuesday when he finally got fed late. The heat, the humidity, and the age of the osplet all play into how long they can survive. I once tracked an osplet that did not eat for 58 hours.

Tuffy is dehydrated, wants to eat, but is frightened – frightened enough not to go and eat even if starving. Imagine that mental state.

There is no food left. This is a drop of saliva.

The weather is miserable and there is no food at Duke Farms. ‘A’ writes: “at Duke Farms, it was the most miserable day. I saw no food brought in and there was nothing on the nest. Mum went out mid-afternoon in an attempt to find food but was unsuccessful, so she searched the nest and dug for leftovers, giving the few bites of heaven knows what to Leaper. The rain persisted the entire day, and mum was her usual stoic self, being the perfect mumbrella all night and all day. She left them briefly to try and find food when the rain eased briefly but otherwise, she managed to open her garage doors and keep the rapidly growing pair pretty dry for most of the time. What a mum she is.” She continues, “Even when mum goes out again for ten or fifteen minutes and returns with empty talons at 14:20, there is no aggression from Leaper. Jersey takes up a submissive pose, but he is not really tucked, just slightly ducked, and he was pretty much in that position anyway. So he just stayed where he was really. But Leaper was interested only in Mum, who quicky set to work trying to decide h9w best to position herself  to cover Jersey, as well as Leaper, who had done what Jersey normally does and headed head-first straight for the shelter of mum’s underfluffies. What a mother this eagle really is. She has been amazing in every respect. I cannot praise her highly enough. This rain just won’t let up. If it eases off, mum takes the opportunity to look for food but she has not had any success on the three occasions I have seen. But she keeps trying. She has four or five hours of daylight left, and of course dad could always put in an appearance, so we can hope that she finds the chance to fish. But it’s not looking great at the moment, and I am hoping that these two have been eating well in my absence and will have little difficulty going without for a day. It’s something they will need to get used to for the future in any case. It is my fear of the nest reverting to violence that is concerning us all the most. They are unlikely to starve in a day! So I am not going to panic about a wet day. Leaper has been exemplary in her behaviour today, so talons crossed things stay friendly and civil. “

Thank you to ‘L’ for first alerting me to Meadow’s situation and to ‘A’ for her lovely narrative about Duke Farms.

Thank you for being with me and thank to the streaming cams at Eagle Country, Moorings Park, and Duke Farms.

Unrest at Moorings Park…Wednesday in Bird World

3 April 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

There is an update to Tuesday’s posting. Correction: Liberty and Guardian’s first clutch. One egg broken. I inadvertently said second clutch! Regrets for any confusion.

I wished for rain and got a mix of rain and snow on Tuesday. It was a grey, cold, miserable day. This did not stop the birds and squirrels from working away in the garden. Indeed, their frantic eating and collection of nuts made me think that the forecast was wrong and that a big storm was coming.

Baby Hope and Hugo Yugo have asked that you do the birds and squirrels a favour. Either do not purchase suet in those mesh bags that get the little legs tangled up, OR if you do, remove the mesh bag – and cut it up completely – for safe disposal. Don’t think throwing it in the bin will make it secure. These bags wind up in landfills, blow around, and birds and raptors go there to find food. So please, help us keep everyone safe.

The female Downy Woodpecker is eating from a suet cylinder removed from a mesh bag.

Checking for the pick of the peanuts! They find the heaviest peanut, knowing that if it is light, there is either nothing in there, or it is dried up.

There were four Little Reds running around today with the three Grey Squirrels. Everyone wanted peanuts!

If you wish to thank or donate to help with the maintenance and repairs and predator baffle for the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest of Jack and Diane, please go to the Raptor Centre of Tampa Bay (Tampa Bay Raptor Rescue, Moccasin Lake Raptor Sanctuary) and thank Barbara Walker. Donations are always appreciated, although they did not ask for help- showing them people care for this Osprey couple would be good. Any amount, however small, is always appreciated, but a big thank you would be appreciated as well.

Duke Farms is a beautiful nest to behold even in the rain on Tuesday. The pictures tell the entire story.

The peace on the Duke Farms nest is fantastic. Now the unsettled nest is Moorings Park.

At Moorings Park Osprey platform, it is another story. They are just starting the Reptilian Phase. Ruffy is terrorising Tuffie. It is a repeat of what we saw at Duke Farms. Now what is the problem with Harry getting fish to the nest early in the day? We praised him last year for his fishing skills. So what is up? We know from Mark Smith’s videos that ospreys have many species that would like to take a free fish – eagles, gulls, and other ospreys!

A nice-sized fish finally came on the nest around 1000. This was the first meal of the day for these two. Ospreys (like eaglets) need consistent fish deliveries. Regular deliveries mean food security – ospreys are very sensitive to any change in delivery patterns. Harry used to be good at having a fish on the nest first thing in the morning. The delay can cause the eldest to believe there is a food shortage even if there is not. This results in the younger sibling getting battered.

Ruffy will continually keep Tuffie away from the feeding despite the size of the fish being ample to feed Mum and both osplets. She will even stop eating and go and throttle Tuffie to make sure it doesn’t get up and want food.

The key is going to be Tuffie’s response. Tired, hot, and hungry – getting dehydrated from not having food for some time. That might keep Tuffie away from Ruffy and Mum’s beak. The beaking is meant as intimidation. Whether you call it bonking, beaking, clouting, or bullying – the action is the same and the intention is the same – to frighten the wits out of the younger sibling so they do not eat.

Mum feeds the tail of the fish at 11:51 – this is the third feeding of the day – and Tuffie will not get a single flake. Tuffie is hot and is panting through its mouth. The little osplet needs the hydration that it gets from the fish.

Dad brought a big headless fish at 1523 and Ruffy began attacking Tuffie immediately. Remember. Ruffy has already had three meals! Tuffie has had nothing.

Another partial fish comes at 1754.

Ruffy gets fed. Around 1800 Tuffie gets some fish! The little osplet has gone all day without food in the hot Florida sun. What a relief that third egg did not hatch! Harry needs to pile the fish on this nest and he needs to get one up there right as the sun rises.

Tuffie did not fill its crop. The little one needed to as it had a difficult Monday as well. Ruffy began attacking after the meal. This nest is unstable right now. Two other fish before sunset would be great as Mum Sally has to eat as well.

If serious fighting occurs due to perceived food shortages, we often see it at this milestone – the change from the soft down to the Reptile stage. It can cease in a few days or, as we have seen in other cases, one of the ospreys can die.

In 2023, out of the 173 osprey eggs and chicks followed in the US, ten of those died directly from siblicide. Siblicide is not ‘play fighting’. It is a well documented strategy to reduce the osplets on the nest by the eldest (normally).

To quote Dr Tim Mackrill, Director of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, “The dominance of older siblings in food-deprived nests invariably means that the youngest chick does not survive. In their New Jersey study, Steidl and Griffin (1991) found that brood reduction (the loss of at least one nestling) was recorded in 36 percent o broods of three and in 23 percent of broods of two, and these losses typically occurred as the chicks began to grow at the fastest rate, two to three weeks after hatching.” (112)

Our 2023 study at the International Osprey Data Project, the loss was 17.3% from siblicide.

Sally could take a lesson from Thunder at the West End Bald Eagle nest. If you recall, when the two older eaglets starting bonking one another when it was feeding time, Thunder just sat on them. Every time they beaked, she sat. And then, surprise. They stopped because they were hungry. Three very civilised eaglets – for the second time for Thunder and Akecheta.

Cruz and Andor’s first hatch at Fraser Point.

The egg bowl is really deep!

At Big Bear, Jackie has taken a break. The question now is when will Jackie and Shadow realise that their dream of three eaglets is not to be for this year? And move on looking forward to another try in 2025.

The third hatch at Little Miami Conservancy is already trying out some big kid bites.

Rain has started at the Little Miami nest.

A miserable day for a hatch at ND-LEEF. It looked like we were going to have another eaglet die due to a crushed egg but ND18 has hatched. The time was around 1008.

At the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose, fledgling R6 returns to the nest for the first time on Tuesday morning since he set off on his adventure on Saturday afternoon.

Swampy and Meadow are growing too fast. We yelled at Swampy for beaking Meadow and now we just want these two buddies to stay on the nest at Eagle Country.

What a beautiful image. Mum and Dad having a beaky kiss while JBS20 has a bedtime snack.

Maggie the Screech Owl has 5 baby owlets.

https://hdontap.com/stream/895571

At Carova Beach, Frederick and Betsy are really working on their nest!

Decorah, Iowa, has the same miserable weather that we have in Winnipeg. Poor Mother Goose. There are six eggs, but there is also a mystery. There are three scenarios possible. The original six eggs of Mother Goose are on the nest, and not one of them went overboard when the Intruder came. The second case is that the intruder laid her own egg in the nest, replacing the one lost! The third is that one of Mother Goose’s eggs went overboard but she laid another while the intruder was there. Who knows. What we do know is that there are six eggs.

One of the individuals helping me with my osprey nest observations has several nests near her house. She tells me that in 2021, one of the ospreys “laid two eggs, three days apart, in nests of two other pairs.” Sort of like the Cuckoos.

Oh, gosh. Mrs Decorah North is keeping those two little eaglets warm and dry in incredible conditions. Let us hope that warm weather dries that nest out!

The snow has melted at Denton Homes Eagle nest, home of the Majestics.

Port Tobacco’s only eaglet is nicely spoiled.

White-tail Eagle Milda’s new mate is Hugo! You can imagine how thrilled Hugo Yugo is that this male eagle was named after her. (Just kidding)

Were you worried about Monty and Hartley’s egg the other day? ‘AE’ has sent us the following response from one of the nest moderators:

“As you may know by now hard incubation began on March 29 and things have progressed rather smoothly since then. There have been times some kakking occurred to warn a potential unwelcome visitor away but there was a little incident earlier this morning.  Monty had given Hartley a break for awhile early on but they had done a nest exchange again with Monty in hunting mode. One picture is of him on the roof watching for a potential meal. While he was on the hunt he landed on the nest ledge corner a couple of times and on the last one he was followed in by another bird. This was at 8:57am. For those that like to do a review of the events Hartley was taking a snooze with head tucked when Monty arrives on the west ledge corner. (all with the nest box view). In the background you can see the other bird come flying from the west and seems to have followed Monty close to the ledge area. Of course he takes off after it as does Hartley. Monty would come back to the eggs but was drawn off again so I assume it was taking both of them to deter the interloper. Being uncovered as they were during this time is not a concern. Eggs are very resilient and withstand much more than some moments alone. 
By the time noon came around I did find Hartley again preening in the shade over the Mayors office roof.  At 12:20pm there was a nest exchange when Hartley showed up the ledge & hops down to the box to take over. Monty seems to take his incubation duty very seriously as he seemed reluctant to let her take over.Spring semester is beginning for our student camops so they will soon begin again to cover cam duty per their scheduled time. I welcome their dedication to these birds as they incubate and look forward to hatch at the end of April.
—
Paula A.
Forum Moderator“

Songbirds are returning – everywhere.

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I want to draw your attention to the new website for Osprey Watch. Some may believe that there are too many osprey researchers already and far too many ospreys. Do not believe this for a second. The almost entire population of the US Atlantic chicks was wiped out in June of 2023. There is no end in sight regarding the overfishing of the Menhaden. What storms will come this year? Elsewhere in the world, people are trying desperately to build up the osprey population. A big applause has to go to Janet, Fran, and Bazz in South Australia for their work. Please go over and check out the new OspreyWatch website and see if you can help! Scientists, researchers, and citizen scientists are all much needed!

Homepage

Thank you for being with me today. Please take care…lots more arrivals and ospreys working at their nests. I am having a ‘fun-filled’ time trying to keep up with my data entry forms. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, photographs, screen captures, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, AE, Geemeff, J, MA, VV’, Achieva Credit Union, Duke Farms, Moorings Park Ospreys, IWS/Explore.org, Little Miami Conservancy, JB Sands Wetlands, Beverly Davis, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, ND-LEEF, Lloyd Brown and the WRDC, Eagle Country, HDonTap, Denton Homes, Port Tobacco, OBX Osprey Cam, Latvian Fund for Nature, Osprey Watch, Paula at San Jose City Hall Falcon Cam, and The Guardian.

Big Red has an injury…Tuesday in Bird World

2 April 2024

Hello Everyone,

UPDATED CORRECTION: IT IS LIBERTY AND GUARDIAN’S FIRST CLUTCH. ONE EGG BROKE. I APOLOGISE FOR ANY CONFUSION WHEN I SAID IT WAS THEIR SECOND. REMEMBERING WRONG! THANK YOU SP.

We are starting with Big Red. Many of us watched and wondered about Big Red. Several reported seeing a limp before eggs arrived including myself. It appears that our much beloved Red-tail Hawk at the Cornell Campus has sustained an injury to her foot. Please read the article below for all the information and send positive energy to Big Red, Arthur, and their four eggs.

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The warmth of the sun is pouring into the conservatory. Hugo Yugo is asleep in the blue chair while Missey eyes the top of the cat tree. A woodpecker is at the square suet feeder while the Blue Jays flit back and forth from their nest tree to the feeder loaded with peanuts. Dyson and the last year’s kits have already been to eat and Little Red is still scurrying about.

There is something comforting and stabilising about nature and the change of the seasons. No matter what happens in our lives, life outside of ‘us’ continues. That natural rhythm gives me hope every year as life returns to the garden. The soil warms, the first Crocus will appear, and then the tulips. The leaf buds will pop open on the lilac bushes, and the fragrance of the flowers will envelop the entire space around the third week in May. This year also brings new promise as the Black-capped Chickadees are making a nest in two trees in the garden. It is a first. Normally, they nest in the very large Blue Spruce across the road. If deemed safe, Junior and his mate will bring the new Blue Jay fledglings this summer, and we will also have a deck full of baby Crows. Seriously, I cannot wait. That reminds me – both ‘Boyfriends’ have been to the feeding station today. Are they brothers?

The top is the ‘original’ Boyfriend that came to the deck with Calico. He has 2/3 of a white bow tie.

This one has only a part of a bow tie. The one below is actually the friendlier of the pair.

The central heating is off, and nothing made me think I needed a jumper or socks this morning. Today will be a day for a trip to the country or time spent whipping the deck into shape. It is getting there. This year, I will put up privacy screens to become a trellis for climbing flowers for the hummers and bees. Everything is going to be red – hopefully, it will be inviting. There is a new outdoor carpet to replace the old soiled and faded one. I dislike them immensely, those carpets. Most are plastic. This one is made out of recycled fizzy drink bottles, but the energy consumed in manufacturing the original bottles and now this carpet is probably much. I should try and find out. I have the carpet for a single reason – the feral cats. It covers the spaces between the boards and keeps the snow and rain from going under the deck where the outdoor cats often sleep.

It all feels different today – like spring really is coming. It was something we would only dream of on 1 April several years ago.

Megan Boardman spent Easter weekend at Rutland Water, where she took some amazing images of the Ospreys. Megan has happily and generously allowed me to share these with you. She holds the copyright. Do not share them with anyone – just enjoy them here. Thank you, Megan!

Maya in the nest with Blue 33 on the perch.

Megan caught the moment that the intruder arrived at the nest as Maya was laying her first egg. Blue 33 went into action to chase them away!

The first chase.

The intruder comes for the second time. Megan says that it was ‘an action filled day’.

Megan writes, “After things calm down (and first egg laid during the chaos), 33 brings fluff to the nest and Maya flies to wash her talons.”

I am a sap for Blue 33. Here he is protecting Maya again today.

Maya laid their second egg at Rutland this morning.

Sadly, intruders can cause damage and on Monday one of those caused Mother Goose to lose one of her eggs at Decorah.

As you will note from Alison’s terrific commentary, Leaper and Little Jersey are doing quite well at Duke Farms. There has been a big turnaround in food deliveries and life has settled back to being civilised. It is the ‘cherry’ on top of the sundae when life returns to normal without an eaglet being lost in the process.

‘A’ stayed up til the middle of the night (she lives in Australia) to give you this morning round up at Duke. “

Another fish came in at Duke Farms, courtesy of dad, just before 08:05. It is whole and medium in size. There is still half of the breakfast fish left nearby on the nest. Mum is brooding the eaglets and doesn’t get up. Dad leaves again 30 seconds later, knowing better than to attempt to take any fish with him. It is raining this morning, and mum shelters the eaglets, doing her best mumbrella. Just before 08:11, dad is in with ANOTHER fish, a little smaller than the last one but whole. Dad stands there for a bit, periodically looking down at his fish, then flies off the nest at 08:11:50. At 11:04:35, dad is in with yet another whole fish. This is getting ridiculous. He surveys the fish buffet in front of him – three whole fish and a half fish left over from breakfast – actually looking from one to another, to another. I think even he is astonished. Dad leaves at 11:04:49. 

At around 11:20, mum finally gets up and shakes her wings to get rid of the water, while the chicks scramble to get up from beneath her. This leaves Jersey front and centre at the table, and as mum flaps her wings to remove the water, one of her wings strikes Leaper, who immediately grabs Jersey by the back of the nape, though she quickly lets go and herself goes into submission. She is quickly up again while Jersey remains tucked. Mum surveys the brunch selection and chooses the smallest of the three whole fish to begin feeding Leaper. Jersey remains tucked though facing the table. Leaper interrupts her eating to back up for a huge PS (11:21:26) then returns to the table. Jersey remains tucked until 11:23:25, when he lifts his head and turns away from the food. Mum is now eating herself. She is hungry. She downs the last third of the fish, including the tail, as a single mouthful. 

She then moves to a second whole fish. Leaper, who had left the feeding and sat down on the far side of Jersey, who had finally turned towards the table, suddenly changes her mind, turns around and heads back towards mum. This causes Jersey to turn away from the table again. Seeing that mum is offering bites to Leaper, who is refusing almost all of them, Jersey gains the courage to turn around and move up to the table beside his sister, though he is still nervous. Mum ignores both of them, continuing to eat herself. She appears very hungry. It’s a while since I’ve seen her eat fast and greedily like this. She sure deserves it. When Leaper shakes her head, Jersey leans away slightly. He remains nervous. 

Finally, mum reaches out towards Jersey with a bite. He shuffles a couple of paces closer to mum, half-turning away from Leaper as he does so, and grabs the bite. It is his first of the feeding. (Leaper has eaten about half a fish at this feeding so far.) Mum continues to feed Jersey big juicy fishy bites with no objection from Leaper, who is full, so sits watching her brother eat. He is still a bit slow to take bites, nervous of his sister, and is still grabbing at the food rather than eating in a leisurely and relaxed manner. At 11:27:20 Leaper moves towards mum, causing Jersey to turn away, but she is just changing position and has finished eating, so Jersey immediately looks over his shoulder and grabs the next bite. He then eats and eats, and some of the bites are very large. It is a lovely juicy fleshy fish. 

Around 11:29, he refuses a bite – he is too full (he started the feeding with a crop from breakfast), so does a crop drop and accepts the next bite offered. She is very patient with him, offering pieces several times, moving slowly and carefully around him so as not to startle him, turning her head to make a bite easier for him to access – she really is a special mum. I have grown to love and admire her so much over the past week. She has been amazing. Jersey is still eating at 11:30 but is looking as though he cannot fit much more. There is still one whole fish and two half fish (one large, one smaller) left on the nest. Both eaglets have gigantic crops. Again. He refuses a big bite at 11:30:30. Mum waits for a bit, and at 11:31:16 Jersey accepts the next bite she offers and then continues to eat. At 11:32, having refused a bite, Jersey crop drops but still cannot fit in the next bite mum offers either. 

After a short period where he was too full to take the proffered bites, Jersey resumes accepting food. Mum is stuffing him to the brim. A couple of crop drops shortly before 11:35 don’t make enough room for more food, so Jersey refuses some bites but then accepts a very large piece, and another bite, around 11:35:30. Mum is working on the last of this second fish now. The rain, which has never entirely stopped, is now getting steadily heavier and the eaglets are starting to look more than a little damp. By 11:36 mum is eating virtually all of the mouthfuls herself. She tries hard to persuade him to take just one more bite around 11:37 but he says no, eventually underlining his point by backing off and then turning away. The feed officially ends. 

Jersey is full and being soaked by the rain, so he heads for the centre of the nest and tries to dive headfirst under his sister, but is thwarted by her immense crop. He tries again, and there is some general shuffling of eaglets, after which he succeeds in tucking some of his head under Leaper’s crop He keeps trying to find a way to burrow under his sister, and eventually, at 11:40, mum comes over from where she has been standing on the rails, does a little aerating behind the two eaglets, and then settles down to shelter the pair from the continuing rain. What a wonderful mum. 

There is still one medium-large whole fish and one large part of another fish on the nest, along with a scattering of leftovers from the two fish that have already been almost completely demolished this morning (mum has left the second one as a skeleton with something that looks like a jawbone attached to one end and perhaps part of a tail at the other – slim pickings from that carcass I suspect). So there is lunch and dinner on this nest already, regardless of how busy an afternoon the parents have. Now that the rain appears to have set in, that may be a very good thing. 

At 12:26, mum stands up and flaps her wings, sending sprays of water in all directions. Another burst of flapping, and she leaves the nest soon after. The eaglets snuggle up together – it is still raining steadily, though not too heavily. As I type this, it is 13:10 and Jersey is sleeping with his head tucked as far under his sister’s right wing as possible. Both are in food comas, even as they are being soaked by the continuing rainfall. They have their thermal down now – this is the world of grown-up eaglets. (I think they’d prefer being brooded by mum over youthful independence just now.) I hope their mumbrella is back soon. I do hope she is not out fishing!!”

Monday morning and that beautiful peachy orange of the sun is waking up the land at Decorah North.

Those babies are kissed by its rays and Mum is ready with breakfast.

Guardian and Liberty laid a second clutch. They so wanted a family and here they are with two little bobbleheads at Redding. Doesn’t it feel nice?

The breakfast fish seems to be coming in around 0900 or 1000 at Moorings Park. Perhaps I am missing an earlier delivery. Little Tuffie did not seem interested in the first feeding but caught up during the second. The fish was nice and big and there was still much good flesh left for the third meal.

Both osplets are scooting out of the egg cup but Ruffy is the real expert so far.

Due to Ruffy’s long neck and bigger size, Tuffy has to work a bit harder to get food.

Look closely. They are changing. The back of their heads. The feathers are disappearing and that black oily tar colour is appearing as the two softly enter the Reptilian stage.

Notice the difference in plumage at Frenchman’s Creek Osprey nest. These three are getting their juvenile feathers. A really big fish is on the nest for breakfast Monday and the little third hatch is up at Mum’s beak getting first bites.

It looks like the third hatch got a bit of a private feeding later.

‘AE’ sent some images of the Patchogue Osprey platform. Mum and Dad have worked hard to repair the disturbance caused when the nest was flipped upside down. The egg area is quite small compared to last year but it appears that the eggs will not roll out. Might we hope for only two? And as ‘AE’ notes, the plastic bags continue to be brought to the nest.

She also sent us a screen capture of the eaglet at JB Sands Wetlands. Just look at how big s/he is! Dad did a fine job caring for the eaglet and Mum just like Arthur is doing for Big Red. Look at those gorgeous wings!

‘MP’ writes that Barbara Walker, the Manager of the Tampa Bay Raptor Rescue, has undertaken to put up the necessary deterrents out of ‘high quality’ materials at the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest of Jack and Diane who lost their eggs and two-day old chick. The precise reason for the eggs to be found under the nest and the demise of the little osplet has never been determined. Thank you, Barbara! – from all of us.

Watching for Iris to return to Hellgate Canyon.

The Owl Pole where Iris loves to eat the whoppers she pulls out of the local river.

Iris’s nest. It will be the best nest on the continent – Iris does an amazing job of keeping it in tiptop condition. Her ‘train’ is also waiting. When she arrives you will hear my scream all the way to Rio! Or Melbourne.

LJ2 working on the nest at Llyn Brenig.

Libby and Branson have returned to their nest at the Lochter Activity Centre in Scotland.

Today there were four eagles at the Dulles-Greenway nest.

The couple at the Wetlands Institute Osprey nest (there are five and this is one of them) are back working on their nest this year in hopes of raising a family.

There is a pip on Monday afternoon at the ND-LEEF nest! Congratulations!

Is there a second hatch at Centreport?

At the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout, the rain is coming down. Bella is protecting her precious eggs in the hope of fledging eaglets off this nest this year.

Chicks doing well at Little Miami Conservancy. And another one hatched this morning, LM3. Now there are three.

A lovely radio interview on BBC Radio Scotland about Louis and Dorcha at Loch Arkaig.

Dorcha and Louis make the BBC news.

Louis pretending he is a penguin delivering Dorcha a fish!

The Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society has put up a new nest for Ollie and his mate at Norwalk. It is a beauty. His nest often got washed out to sea with the high tides. They hope this will help. Ollie has returned home and is waiting for his mate. There is also a new camera. I am trying to locate the link for you.

Note the lovely mesh below the frame.

This was a storm that hit Ollie’s nest in 2022. The nest is on Long Island Sound.

Many have asked about Dmitri. You will recall he rescued the little storklet – the one Mamma Stork was killing – and raised it to fledge. Then Dmitri required surgery. He is well and fixing the stork nest for this year! Thank you to all who helped. He says he is “so happy to be alive and for the birds arriving back from Africa”.

At Utica, Astrid has laid her fourth falcon egg of the season!

Which brings me to Angel and Tom. Our dear ‘A’ is very worried about them and the fact that there are no eggs. I wonder if it is possible that they have another nest this year? or are they just a little late?

The latest word on R6:

The White Storks in Goggling Germany now have 5 eggs!

I love gulls and I purchase chips for them whenever I am at the beach or at Lockport by the dam. Do you feed gulls chips?

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Did I ever tell you how marvellous it is to still have story time with the girls? At least once a day, and always at 1900, we gather in the conservatory and I read to the cats. It all began with Calico and her needing to recognise my voice and to trust me. She was in a little room, my old office, and I would go in with a book and her meal. She would eat, cuddle on my lap (yes I sat on the floor) and I would read to her. She has a preference for certain author’s voices. It has been a wonderful way for me to keep up with my reading and for all four of them to gather together. I now know that volunteers at the raptor centres read to the ambassador birds. They are no different than humans – all living things need stimulation and love. I ordered a number of books before the end of 2023 because part of my year was a promise to cut down on the book orders. I have ordered three books so far which has to be an all time low for me during the winter when there is time to read! So, ‘The Girls’ and I are working through that stack of books during story time. Next up is Chris Packham’s Birdwatching From Beginning to Birder. Will keep you posted as we finish up Tim Mackrill’s The Osprey. Review coming up later this week.

Missey looking at the bookshelf to see if she can find a book for story time.

It was a delight to see that animal skins and feathers are being banned from fashion week in Copenhagen. It could be the start of something special. No more animals bred and kept for the fashion industry!

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Thank you so much for being with me today. All of the nests appear to be doing fine with the exception of Big Bear and Two Harbours where disappointment at a lack of hatch touches all of our hearts. All of the eaglets in the nest and all eggs being incubated appear to be in good order this Tuesday morning. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, photographs, videos, screen captures, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘A, AE, Geemeff, H, J, MB, MP, SP, TU’, Cornell Bird Lab, Megan Boardman, LRWT, SK Hideaways, Duke Farms, Raptor Resource Project, FORE, Moorings Park Ospreys, Frenchman’s Creek, AE-PSEG, MP-Achieva, Montana Osprey Project, Llyn Brenig, Lochter Activity Centre, Dulles Greenway, Wetlands Institute, ND-LEE, Centreport Eagles, Little Miami Conservancy, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC, Geemeff, LRWT, Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society, @Stork40, Utica Falcon Cam, Windows to Wildlife, Jeanne Kaufman, The Guardian, Goggling Germany White Storks and SPO, and Amazon.

Monday in Bird World

1 April 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

We hope that you had a really nice weekend and that the coming week will be full of delights, laugher, and love. Plus healthy eaglets and more Osprey arrivals. It is so wonderful to see the bonded pairs reunite and all those males rushing to find a nice fresh fish for the female.

The weather on the Canadian Prairies continues to be mild with +2 temperatures, blue skies, and sun. It is dry and I want everyone to blow those rain clouds my way! The trails are now slushy at the nature centre. More geese flew in today to join the overs on Devonian Lake. I keep saying – at least they have water. If the rains would come the grass would turn green and they might get some nutrition. If the shallow ponds thaw, they can get the pond grasses. I know there are some ducks in with the geese in the image below but I did not have either my binoculars or my long lens – just my phone and it is really rather useless for identification.

The Bison were up close to the road for part of the time on Sunday.

Deer tracks.

Some of the taxidermy exhibitions in the Interpretative Centre. I love this old Snow Goose!

Or the Boreal Owl looking down.

We have a lot of owls in Winnipeg. It is not unusual to see a Great Gray like this one in our urban environment.

The following panel at our nature centre helps explain the change in the winters in Winnipeg.

Calico always knows which of the tiles have the best heat under them.

Baby Hope is never far away from Mamma. Inseparable they are except when Hugo Yugo is around.

Hugo Yugo was nearby but she was sound asleep for most of the day.

Sometimes Hugo Yugo’s tail appears to be bigger than she is.

Missey was the Queen of the Cat Tree on Sunday! It was a nice change. Except for claiming this sacred spot, the four of them are getting along splendidly.

The Ospreys continue to arrive in their summer breeding grounds.

The male, LJ2, is now back at Llyn Brenig in Wales as of Sunday.

Both FS2 and Oscar are at Tweed Valley as of Sunday.

Aeron Z2, Tegid’s brother, is at home at the Pont Cresor nest with his mate Blue 014.

Bay has arrived at the Island Beach State Park Osprey nest.

A memorial plague has gone up to Harriet at the Pritchett Property. I am so glad that they included a tribute to the heroics of M15 last year in raising E21 and E22.

There is the first hatch at the University of Florida-Gainesville nest of Stella and Talon. Eggs were laid on February 21, 23, and 27. If this is egg one, it is 38 days at the time of hatch.

It seems that Richmond and Rosie are building two nests. I find this rather interesting. One is on a light stand the other is on the old Whirley Crane they have used for years.

Jersey did very well, indeed, on Sunday. Food was plentiful – including a squirrel for a change – and there were no perceived hostilities on the nest. This is an enormous relief. ‘A’ gives us a fantastic narrative for the entire day!

Mum stuffing Jersey to the top of its head and those little dandelions that are left.

‘A’ gives us a great narrative: “The chicks had to wait until 10am for breakfast this morning (31 March). They played nice, and were so cute cuddling together and playing with nesting material. Both had healthy PSs. Food eventually arrived in the form of a nice whole fish, courtesy of mum, and although Jersey turned away and allowed his sister to take first turn at the table, he did not take up a submissive posture. He had another PS while he waited for his turn. At 10:04, dad flies in to contribute yet more dried grass, which he spreads about. He then decides to move a large stick, which is partially beneath Jersey, who thinks he is being bonked and goes into submission. Mum has paused the feeding, as dad continues to arrange sticks, and Leaper turns away from the table. Jersey is in submission, wings outspread for balance, and Leaper leans over him, almost as if to check that he is okay rather than to peck him. Whatever the contact, it was exceptionally minor – just a brush of Leaper’s beak against the back of Jersey’s neck/shoulder. It actually looks as if Leaper loses her balance, her crop working against her effort to turn away from the table and head over to the rails to snuggle, and her beak just brushes Jersey. I would not call it a bonking incident. Whatever the reason, Jersey has missed out on breakfast, though there are still a few remains on the side of the nest. Shortly before 10:06 Leaper does another PS and heads over towards Jersey and dad. She is looking hopefully at dad. She shakes her head and in the process brushes the edge of dad’s wing. He responds by making a sudden lunge to his left, as if warding off something invisible in front of Jersey. I had to watch it a couple of times to realise he is reacting to the slight touch with an attacking move, with his head down and neck extended. A reflex action, aborted in mid-air – he withdraws his head as quickly as he had extended it. Shortly after, he flies off. Jersey has not yet eaten. A minute later, Jersey turns around and makes his way to his sister, where he snuggles up beside her and begins preening. He flops down and plays with some grass. Leaper too is playing with nesting material. These two are such cuties now they are getting along so nicely. Little Jersey is not so little any more.. In fact, he is catching up with Leaper, with the size gap not nearly as great as it was a week or ten days ago. So much so that I am starting to think we may have a couple of boys here. Leaper is not so very much bigger than Jersey now, and her (or his) behaviour towards Jersey has not been that of a Zoe. Perhaps, especially given the speed with which the aggression has ceased as soon as the food supply was restored, Leaper’s  behaviour has simply been that of a first hatch in a food shortage. In the interests of clarity, however, I think I will leave it as she and he at this stage!! Jersey doesn’t have to wait too long for some brunch. At about 10:16:40 what looks like dad (only his feet and a small bit of head is visible, so it could be mum) flies in with something large and mammalian that I’m sure all Americans could easily ID but which is foreign to me. It has a very long bushy tail and a white stripe. Leaper is closest, and Jersey turns away to one side, just slightly. He does not approach the table but nor does he go into submission. He watches. Dad begins feeding Leaper without defurring the food. I’m not certain Leaper appreciated the taste/texture but she ate several bites. Jersey waits less than a minute before beginning to sidle along the rails towards the table. At 10:17:27, without any hesitation, he takes the first bite dad offers him. And the second. Leaper moves forward beside Jersey, who stays exactly where he is. Dad begins giving alternate bites to each eaglet. Leaper moves forward a couple of steps and Jersey, who is a little closer to dad, immediately shuffles two steps forward himself, leaning in to grab the next bite. This is most definitely not the Jersey we were watching five or six days ago. He takes the next half dozen bites, moves even closer, and eats some more. Leaper is obviously wanting more food but is making no objection to Jersey taking bites from in front of her eyes. The two are side by side at the table, Jersey closer than Leaper to dad, and competing for bites. Mostly, Jersey wins, though occasionally, it appears that he sits one out and allows Leaper to take the bite. This is a very big piece of prey and both eaglets eat until they cannot manage any more. This will be a complicated task if Jersey tries self-feeding, though over recent days, as the food supply to the nest has so dramatically improved, he has not needed to resort to feeding himself, reverting to the joys of being fed by his parents. He occasionally nibbles on something, but only when it’s being held down by a parent. The little one is still very nervous around food when Leaper is nearby. A couple of times during the mammal feeding, Leaper would move suddenly (such as to scratch an itchy spot over her shoulder) and Jersey would immediately turn away in case the sudden movement represented an attack. So although he is much more confident than he was a few days ago, he is still wary of his sister, and I doubt the memories of some of those beatings will not quickly fade for Jersey. The feeding lasts for over 45 minutes. At 11:03, Jersey is still being offered the final leftovers. These eaglets have totally demolished that giant piece of prey with a tag-team eating effort to be proud of. Now, however, they are so full, they can barely move. Mum is back shortly after 12:49 with a nice big fish (again, I think it is mum but it could easily be dad). Dad has darker plumage but that can also be a trick of the light. And their feet are the same colour too, so as I said yesterday, they are hard to tell apart even when they are both on the nest together. The lengthy feeding this morning was more mum’s style, but as we could see very little of the parent, I could not guarantee which parent it was. The same is true with this fish delivery. However, these eaglets only finished a 50+-minute feeding 45 minutes ago, so it will amaze me if they can eat another morsel. Jersey is nothing if not determined, though, and of course he manages to eat some fish. He was asleep at the table when the food came in, so found himself in prime position for the feeding, with Leaper behind him. Of course this made him nervous, and he refused the first bite he was offered, turning away and doing a small crop drop. Thereafter, he took whatever mum gave him. Leaper watched, still resting that gigantic crop, one leg fully outstretched. At 12:54:20 Jersey gets offered such a gigantic piece of fish that he is intimidated by it. You can see him thinking omigod, what does he expect me to do with that? Leaper thinks she is up to the challenge, however, and moves up behind Jersey, which causes him to duck and tuck. Mum reaches over Jersey to offer this massive chunk of innards to Leaper, who grabs at it. But mum thinks better of it, and pulls the food back out of Leaper’s mouth and eats it herself. Leaper is not impressed. She is soon given a few more pieces but that’s all she could manage. She backs up for yet another PS and then heads for the centre of the nest. This is the signal for Jersey to lift his head and return to eating. He manages half a dozen more bites but it is obviously hard for him to fit anything into that giant crop. He has learned his lessons well over the past week, and he knows he must eat as much as he can when he can. So he does a valiant job, but even he has limits, and he reached them around 13:00. As he turns away, Leaper returns to the table for a second (or is it a third?) helping of fish. By 13:04 the feeding is over. At least half the fish (possibly three-quarters of it) remains on the side of the nest. Mum hangs around the nest with the eaglets for a while after lunch. Both eaglets are in food comas. Mum leaves shortly before 14:06. At 16:20, Jersey lines up for a PS while Leaper plays with nesting. By 16:21:30, both are side by side at the table, playing beakies. SO adorable. Their crops are still gigantic. That size gap is shrinking rapidly. I think that in another week, or even sooner, these two will be the same size.At 16:39:25, Mum returns to feed the eaglets the remainder of the lunchtime fish. Leaper is in prime position and appears to have a smaller crop than Jersey, so Jersey just lies and watches until 16:44:30, when he heads up to the table. Mum feeds him about ten consecutive bites. Leaper eventually stands up and leans in for a mouthful. Mum feeds three bi9tes to Jersey, then Leaper leans in and grabs one. Another three bites for Jersey, then one for Leaper. Jersey is given the next 14 bites in a row. Leaper tries to grab one about halfway through the 14 but fails and sits back to watch in awe. This pattern continues, with Jersey eating multiple consecutive bites and Leaper occasionally leaning in to try and grab a mouthful. She fails more often than she succeeds – when competing for bites, Jersey sure is the king of this nest. Soon after 16:49, Jersey begins to flag and Leaper gets some bites. Jersey still takes one bite in three or four but at this stage, Leaper is finally getting her share of the fish. By 16:54 Jersey has had enough and turns away. He has a HUGE crop pillow for tonight. Leaper stays at the table. Somehow, Jersey finds a bit more room and returns to eat a bit more. The fish is finally finished at 17::03, and Mum cleans up the nestovers. She finds a chunk of something (the remains of the mammal perhaps?) and starts to feed it to Leaper. Jersey stretches and moves up for his share. He is eating AGAIN. By 17:09 the food is finally gone and mum flies off the nest. These are two very well-fed eaglets. They will both go to sleep with happy tummies tonight. They are in a cuddle puddle in the middle of the nest when, at 17:30, yet another fish arrives, this one from dad, I think, but it is so hard to tell because we can only see his feet, and part of his head when he reaches forward with a bite. At 17:32, Mum arrives with some grass, which she spreads around. Already, both chicks are too full to eat. I think you get the drift – a great day at Duke Farms. Lots of food for both eaglets and not a hint of aggression that I witnessed.”

And here is the text or Monday morning. “

Mum left the babies alone overnight, flying off the nest shortly before 00:40. An early fish was delivered for breakfast by what looks like dad, but in this light, the difficulty in telling these two apart is even greater than usual. Either way, food arrives at 07:04:19. It looks like a large fish. 

Leaper immediately heads for the table. Jersey looks up but remains where he is, sprawled in the middle of the nest. He makes no move of submission. Dad is slow to get a bite off the food for Leaper, then drops the bite he does prepare. This frustrates Leaper, and at the same moment, Jersey decides to stand up. This provokes the first aggression I have seen in days, as Leaper turns around, spreads her wings and looms over Jersey, to grab him on the back of the neck. He lets go, then grabs Jersey again by the back of the head. She quickly drops him and returns to the table. Jersey is a little startled and remains ducked and tucked. Wake up on the wrong side of the nest this morning, Leaper?

Leaper eats. At 07:06:20 Jersey unfurls himself though he stays low. By 07:07 his head is up, and he periodically glances at the feeding. At 07:08:36 he stands up, his back to the table. I’m fairly sure this is dad – his plumage is looking darker as the light improves and his normal feeding technique involves much smaller bites than mum’s. Just before 07:09 he stands and leans over forwards for a big stretch. Leaper turns and looks at him, then turns back to eat more.

Jersey is glancing over his left shoulder at the food now, He moves closer to the rails, the start of an attempt to sidle around to dad and the food. When Leaper drops a large bite, Jersey sees his chance. He moves closer, and when dad picks it up, he offers the big bite to Jersey, who leans in and grabs it. There is no reaction from Leaper, who has a good crop by now. After Leaper takes one more bite, Jersey takes over, with all but one of the next couple of dozen bites going to him. Small bites, in the main, as is dad’s pattern;. 

By 07:11 they are both eating, most bites still going to Jersey, who is eating confidently but still being careful to defer to Leaper, ensuring she does not want the food before claiming some bites. He has had a recent reminder of who is the older sibling on this nest. (Mind you, that’s all it was – Leaper was frustrated that dad took so long to get that first bite to her, and Jersey bumped into her at exactly the wrong instant, it appeared. It was a fairly tokenistic bonking effort.)

By 07:12:30 Leaper has had enough, refusing a bite offered to her by dad at least four or five times, then standing up, stretching and turning away from the table. Jersey is left to continue eating. Leaper has a good PS and flops down in the middle of the nest. Watch her turning her head almost upside down at 07:13:37 as if she’s looking up dad’s nostril. TOO funny. What IS she doing? Dad thinks she’s asking for food so offers her a bite. She refuses so he gives it to Jersey. He also has a few bites of breakfast himself. Good for you, dad. He sure got the short end of the stick (fish) yesterday. 

Jersey seems to have had enough but Leaper gets a second wind and dad feeds her as she lies duckling style in the middle of the nest. Jersey is sitting up beside her, watching, and occasionally refusing a bite of food. By 07:15 both eaglets seem to be full. Dad eats some more himself. There is a lot of food left over on the nest and the chicks both have excellent crops. A nice start to the morning, with the exception of Leaper’s minor temper tantrum. Nothing more than an older hatch reminding the younger of the pecking order. Certainly not something to worry about and nothing to stop Jersey from eating his full.”

I do not think we have to worry about Little Jersey any more.

Duke arrived at the Barneghat Light Osprey platform in New Jersey on Sunday afternoon! What a mate – he flew in with a partial fish for Daisy. Time was 1623. Avid viewers had been watching and worrying – this is such a relief.

Watching for Iris to return to her Hellgate Canyon nest in Missoula, Montana.

Snow remains at some of the Finnish Osprey nests. No signs of any returnees yet.

Watching the Ospreys at Old Town Home Western Maryland for an egg.

Thunder and Akecheta are busy feeding the trio at the West End. Lots of really awful looking prey on that nest – must seem like a Sunday buffet to the kids!

Feeding behaviour and confirmation of a hatch at Centreport!

Cute little bobbleheads in Iowa! Denton Homes and Decorah North.

At Decorah North, I am afraid the chicks are having the Easter Bunny for dinner.

Port Tobacco had squirrel. The mammals are awake and the raptors are catching them.

The pair at Little Miami Conservancy Bald Eagle nest are enjoying their Sunday dinner, too.

I am not seeing any issues at the Bald Eagle nests unless it is eggs that are not going to hatch. All eaglets and ospreys on the other nests as of Sunday evening appear to be doing well.

Ruffie and Tuffy at Moorings Park had lots and lots of fish thanks to Dad Harry’s phenomenal fishing skills.

E23 likes being with its parents high up in the nest tree!

Swampy and Meadow and the turtle Dad brought to the nest.

Yesterday, I included a post from FB by Toni Hoover. That post identified Lewis and Rosa at the Dulles-Greenway Nest. After much consultation with many and comparing images, I believe TH is incorrect and this is the new couple on that nest.

What happens when birds experience a total solar eclipse? Remember, it is coming on 8 April.

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Missed the Condor Chat? Want to catch up with what is happening at Big Sur and Pinnacles? Here’s your chance!

On Monday, Prince returned for a visit to Loch Arkaig nest 2.

I reported that Elen returned to her nest at Glaslyn on the 26th of March. Aran returned but Elen has been no where to be seen. (Did they make a mistake in identification?). We will wait to see what transpires. Did Elen go for a fly about? Did she get injured? Maybe it wasn’t her.

The bird with Aran is 372 who visited Llyn Brenig the other day.

Thank you so very much for being with me today. It is always a delight to hear form you – either by email or through your comments. Thank you for taking the time! We hope to have you with us again soon. Take care.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, MM, SP’, Fort Whyte Alive, Llyn Brenig Osprey Cam, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Welsh Osprey, Erica Crowley, Diane Lambertson, Pam Kruse, Wildlife Consere of NJ, Montana Osprey Project, Finland Osprey Foundation, Maryland Western Shore for Old Town Home, IWS/Explore, Centreport Eagles, Denton Homes, Raptor Resource Project, Port Tobacco, Little Miami Conservancy, Moorings Park Ospreys, Lady Hawk, Eagle Country, Earth Sky, Geemeff, and Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn.

The boys are back in town…Sunday in Bird World

31 March 2024

Good Morning Everyone!

For those celebrating Easter, may you have a lovely peaceful day full of family and friends.

Calico made me promise – since I embarrassed her so much several weeks ago – that I would show you her new ‘slender’ figure. She has lost more than two pounds on her new cat food and is really beginning to run and play with the other girls.

Calico is actually sitting under a chair staying out of Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope’s way. They have been jostling for the ‘Queen of the Cat’ Tree crown all morning.

Baby Hope held the throne, the orb, and the sceptre for a few minutes. She basked in the happiness of being able to have a front row seat in order to see the little squirrels running back and forth with their peanuts.

It was only a short time until Hugo Yugo ousted Hope. And then it began all over again!

They make me tired.

There were four Blue Jays in the garden today! It looks like both bonded pairs have returned. I watched carefully. The pair whose tree was cut down has found a new home and Junior and his partner are in the Maple across the back lane.

I did not come up with the title today. Jeff Kear wrote it in a comment, but it is so true. Now, I can’t get the tune out of my mind. The Boys are truly back in town. Idris and Aran returned to Telyn and Elen and their nests in Wales on Saturday, March 30th.

All is well in Glaslyn. Aran and his new mate, Elen, will have their second breeding year together. They had two lovely fledglings in 2023, and Elen proved to be an incredible first-time mother.

Aran marked his arrival with a huge fish! I bet that tasted good after such a long migration.

Idris brought a huge fish for Telyn and then worked on their nest. Talk about egg-cited. Joan Brady got the screen capture!

Dorcha also arrived on Saturday, arriving at the nest and soaking wet. Louis was quick to get a fish to her and pick up on their bonding! She always reminds me of Mrs G with that gorgeous dark plumage.

Louis and Dorcha’s reunion.

If you missed it, Blue 33 and Maya have the first egg of the UK Osprey season for 2024. Her gentle little chirps called out to Blue 33 to come and see.

Each of us has a warm spot for a bird – maybe several. Tegid, Z1 of the “White Egg”, was one of Monty’s lads. He has a mate – an Unringed Female -and they have been raising osplets at a private nest in Wales for several years. Tegid is the brother of Aeron Z2 at the Port Cresor nest near Glaslyn’s Aran and Elen.

Dylan and Seren’s lad, Blue 496 from 2021, landed at Lock Arkaig, and then, guess what? He flew home to be near Mum and Dad, landing on nest two at Llyn Clywedog on Saturday. Oh, and might we hope for a beautiful female to arrive, too?

No ospreys at Llyn Brenig yet.

BirdGuides celebrates the arrival of CJ7 and Blue 022 at Poole Harbour.

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Everything is calm at the Duke Farms nest, and Jersey had at least one massive crop on Saturday. Jersey and Leaper even ate side by side. Can you believe it?

The time stamps and big crops tell the story of the morning.

At 1640 there were lots of fish tails on the Duke Farms nest. Looks like no one is going to go hungry today.

‘A’ gives us another terrific narrative of what part of the day at Duke Farms nest was like for little Jersey! “Jersey gets fed a very good breakfast. He did start off snatching at the bites but gained confidence as the feeding progressed and he suffered no attacks from his sister. It was wonderful to watch. Such a happy wee eaglet. Just after 9am, he takes a huge piece and turns away to eat it. Leaper has decided she could do with seconds so has headed back to the table. Mum has a bite to offer Jersey, but is waiting for him to finish dealing with the immense piece he had just grabbed. As Leaper approaches Jersey, she decides it would be a good idea to pacify her by giving her that bite. She gets another, and considers giving it to Leaper, but changes her mind and turns towards Jersey, again waiting for him to have an empty beak! As Leaper moves closer to him, Jersey gets nervous and turns away, so mum gives a couple of bites to Leaper. But Jersey regains his confidence and moves back towards mum, so that he is actually pushing in front of Leaper. Mum is working hard on the last piece of the fish. The second she has it ready, Jersey snatches it, even before she has raised her head to offer him the bite. The fish is finished. Mum moves around the nest looking for stray pieces, which she feeds Leaper, who happens to be closest when she finds a scrap or two. Jersey has a very nice crop. At 09:02:35, mum finds the other half of the fish dad brought in at 08:55 – it appears he bit it in half and mum has only fed the chicks one of the two halves. She gives two bites to Leaper and then drags the partial fish over to where Jersey is on the rails and begins feeding him again. She drags the fish even closer to Jersey and further away from Leaper. This is definitely the larger half of the fish. Jersey is now less nervous, with Leaper quite a distance from him. He eats and eats. When mum offers him the tail, sideways, he politely refuses it so mum downs it herself. She cleans the table, feeding Jersey any leftovers she can find and he takes them, even though his crop is now noticeably larger than his head. Just as the final flake is gone, at 09:09:45, dad is in with another fish. He has unzipped it a little on one side but it is otherwise whole. Mum immediately takes charge of the fish. Both eaglets have absolutely gigantic crops and surely could not fit another single bite. Jersey staggers over to Leaper and flops down beside her, forming a fuzzy ball of happy eaglet in the centre of the nest. Dad comes over to check on their bedding, spreading a little grass behind the pair. TOO cute. He is still on the nest and has turned back to survey his fish. Mum begins her warning vocals (the ‘do not even think about taking this fish’ ones). The look on her face is absolutely clear. This is a mum protecting her babies’ food. She means business. Dad is suitably chagrined and leaves at 09:10:20. Obviously aware the eaglets need no more food at this moment, she heads into the centre of the nest to check on her eaglets. She does a little aerating and tidying, feeds a tiny food scrap or two to Leaper. Jersey turns around to face the table. The two are now both facing the same way but still snuggled up close. Just look at those cute little tail buds and round bottoms. Both are looking a bit woolly and oh so cute. Little Jersey only has half his white head feathers, Leaper having spat out the others after ripping them from Jersey’s head last week. Jersey has quite the individual hair style as a result. Mum returns to the fish and looks around and upwards. She vocalises threateningly at something above from 09:18:25-34 (probably warning dad not to take the fish if she leaves it). She continues to look around in all directions for another minute or two. More threatening vocals from 09:19 to 09:19:15. She is sitting over the fish and has her very stern look on. At 09:22:30 dad lands on the opposite side of the nest with YET ANOTHER whole fish. This one is medium-sized and very much still alive. Mum stays where she is but immediately begins with her warning vocals. He stays where he is, surveying his fish. Mum is not looking his way, so he is perhaps assessing his options. What does a man have to do to get a decent sushi breakfast around here after all? This is his third fish of the morning. When is it his turn to eat? But mum continues with her unambiguous warnings. Dad is looking down at the fish, then up at mum, then back to his fish. It is just TOO funny. I wonder who will win this battle of wills? Any bets? Of course, mum. Dad admits defeat, and shortly after 09:24, he flies off the nest. I’m starting to feel a bit sorry for dad. Eat the next catch away from the nest, I suggest. He deserves one. Mum goes and stands over the floppy fish perhaps to protect the chicks from it. There is some shuffling in the cuddle puddle as Jersey makes his way to the table and moves confidently up to mum’s beak, with Leaper literally against his back. Just after 09:31, mum begins feeding Jersey, and despite the massive crop he has, he takes the bites. Leaper is in a food coma. Jersey should be too, but having learnt the hard way that you eat whatever is in front of you, he is stuffing himself further. By 09:32, after a dozen or so bites, he is having trouble, so tries a couple of small crop drops. Mum waits for him. He continues to eat. Mum downs the tail. At about 09:33:30, another small crop drop. He is really struggling now. That crop looks uncomfortable but he soldiers on. Another small crop drop just after 09:34. He takes four or five tries at the next bite and eventually swallows it. Another small crop drop. This crop is getting ridiculous. His crop drops are small – I am not sure whether he has much room for them either!! Perhaps he has not yet fully mastered the technique. By 09:35:30 mum is having to literally force food into Jersey, who is leaning back, away from the food, as if to say ‘please mum, no more!’ but she is slow on the uptake and keeps offering the piece. Sometimes after four or five attempts, usually involving the spitting out of the food, Jersey usually manages to get the bite down. But at this point, he really has had significantly more than enough. Around 09:37 Jersey seems to get a second wind (or a second stomach), as he leans forward to grab a couple of big bites. But it is short-lived and by 09:37:30, he cannot eat another flake.”

Thank you, ‘A’ – we love your narratives. You should write a book! 

Leaper and Jersey shared breakfast Sunday morning. Jersey is doing the snatch and grab but still nervous if their beaks touch. Meanwhile, both are learning how to scale a fish! Fingers crossed for another good day with lots of fish in the nest. Notice that both have their thermal down and that their pin feathers are coming in.

In San Jose, Hartley laid her fourth egg of the 2024 Peregrine Falcon season keeping up with Annie and Archie. Monty, you are going to be busy!

Monty managed all those eggs for incubation!

The camera is back up and running and sometimes off again at Two Harbours. The egg is rolled. No visible pip yet.

Chase and Cholyn are 26 years old and have been together for 21 years. This only egg was laid on the 22nd of February. Today it is 39 days old. I am hoping for a pip under there!

Pair of eaglets at Decorah North are sooooo cute.

The pair at Little Miami Conservancy are pretty sweet, too.

The view isn’t as good as some, but the pair at Kansas City are also doing very well.

There is a big of a mystery going on at Berry College. Missey continues to cover up newly hatched B17 and the egg is now completely covered – B17 is sitting on the grasses covering the egg. That egg is 40 days old today and Missey knew it was unviable.

Port Tobacco’s only eaglet is doing just fine.

Second eaglet Sunday morning at Denton Homes.

At Bluff City, Oliver is growing nicely.

At Johnson City, JC23 and JC24 are getting their juvenile feathers.

Ruffie and Tuffy had an early breakfast fish from Harry at Moorings Park and several fish throughout the day. Food is plentiful.

Tom is home with Audrey at the Chesapeake Conservancy Osprey nest.

The ospreys at Moraine have a beautiful nest! Thanks, ‘L’!

Big Red and Arthur continue incubating their four eggs. Meanwhile there is no sign of an egg with Angel and Tom.

R6 fledged today from the WRDC nest!

Dedication and love. Plus hope. Sadly, there will not be a hatch at Big Bear this year for Jackie and Shadow. If only someone had airlifted an eaglet in for them.

Across the US, in NE Florida, Gabby and Beau continue to work on their nest with dreams of 2025, too.

In Eagle Country, Swampy and Meadow dream about flying – while they wait for the right time to arrive.

Toni Hoover reports that Rosa is back with Lewis in the nest at Dulles-Greenway.

Both Ospreys are home at the very popular German nest, Goitzsche Wildnis.

There is an osprey back at Great Bay. Sadly, the couple lost all their chicks in 2023 due to weather and starvation (one had to be euthanised). The nest is in Greenland, New Hampshire.

There are two little Great Horned owlets at the Wolf Bay Osprey Nest in Alabama this year.

The third hatch at the Venice Golf and Country Club is so tiny compared to its two older siblings who are entering the reptilian phase. For some reason, this nest is making me a little bit nervous this year.

Nest renovations are well underway for the pair at the Bridge Golf Club osprey platform.

In the UK, Black-necked Grebes had a remarkable breeding year. Bravo!

Black-necked-Grebes-thriving-on-RSPB-reserves-BirdGuidesDownload

A lovely opinion piece sent to me by my friend Wicky Woo for all of us to enjoy! Birding is one of the best ways to avoid the therapists’s couch!!!!!!!! That is what Calico tells me.

Opinion-When-I-Became-a-Birder-Almost-Everything-Else-Fell-Into-Place-The-New-York-TimesDownload

Thought or the week:

Thank you so much for being with us today. It was busy. There are nests not included, but as far as I know, JB Sands and Frenchman’s Creek. I have not heard of a hatch at Gainesville, but we are monitoring Two Harbours. There is a rumour of a hatch at Centreport on the 29th of March but no confirmation of feeding, and there is a pip watch underway Saturday night at ND-LEEF. Take care everyone. See you soon! For those celebrating Easter, the very best wishes for the day.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, L, SP, WW’, Jeff Kear, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Geemeff, LRWT, Welsh Osprey, The Woodland Trust, Llyn Brenig, Bridge Golf Club Osprey Cam, BirdGuides, Duke Farms, SK Hideaways, IWS/Explore.org, Raptor Resource Project, Little Miami Conservancy, Farmer Derek, Sharon Lee, Port Tobacco, Yale Sharon, Bluff City-ETSU, Johnson City-ETSU, Moorings Park, Heidi McGrue, PIX Cams, Cornell RTH cam, Wolf Bay, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, Toni Hoover, Goitzsche Wildness, Eagle Country, The New York Times, and David Suzuki.

Arrivals and Hatches…Saturday in Bird World

30 March 2024

Good Morning,

It was a busy Friday. Eaglets were hatching, problem nests to be watched, and ospreys were arriving in the US. I spent the day watching prey deliveries at Duke Farms while trying to catch up with entering data in the forms for the siblicide research project. At noon, I stopped and walked for 7 km. It had gotten warm. +3. The geese continue to fly in. The ones heading to the nature centre have water and some grass. The pond at St Vital Park, where I took my first walk and goose check, is mostly frozen, but it was beginning to show promise of a nice thaw if the +3 temperatures held. The trunk of my car is full of corn, and these poor things will get some tomorrow. What a misery for them.

There was one deer near the hide eating corn and a red squirrel desperately trying to get a peanut out of one of the feeders.

It is such a privilege to walk outside – gosh, it is such a gift to be reasonably healthy and go outside. I cannot imagine being shut in a bed in a room and not going out. The animals in the garden, the girls, and all of those that cross my path during my walks bring such joy and create this wonderful space of contentment.

Scientists continue to discover how intelligent birds are —-.

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Loch Arkaig’s Louis is on the BBC!

Idris is home at the Dyfi Osprey nest. Telyn is already there, so another couple has reunited!

UV, the male at nest 5A in the Kielder Forest, arrived home this morning.

A 2021 fledgling of Dylan and Seren at Llyn Clywedog has landed on the Loch Arkaig nest!

Possible pip or Stella and Talon at the University of Florida-Gainesville campus. The eggs were laid on Feb 21, 23, and 27th. This makes egg #1 38 days old today.

FORE fans have had their fingers and toes crossed for the second clutch. Now, Liberty and Guardian have two precious eaglets at their nest in Redding, California. What a happy image. They are so white!

Life on the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta could not be more perfect. The ‘kids’ are starting to look like eagles with their thermal down. That first hatch is enormous. Think she is going to be a granddaughter for Cholyn?

The third hatch is tiny. Akecheta thinks he has a boy.

Gifted parents, Thunder and Akecheta looking out over their domain.

Harry returns to his beloved Flora at Alyth on 29 March.

The situation at Duke Farms was not as good on Friday as I hoped. Remember. Jersey had a nice full crop Thursday afternoon but received no food at the last feeding Thursday night. A small prey item came in at 1104 on Friday. Leaper got it all. There was no prey delivered to the nest when I last checked which was 1649 nest time.

A fish came at 1729 and little Jersey got fed! This nest can go either way. Mum works hard to feed Jersey but there remains tension in the nest.

Little Jersey is smart. He works his way around the rim of the nest. You have seen this behaviour many times before – Patchogue last year, Achieva. They watch and listen and move carefully ready to get into position if there is any food left for them when the older sibling stops and goes into a food coma.

“‘A’ sent us her most welcome Friday summary: “It is notable that Jersey had a crop before the second breakfast of leftovers, which Leaper got to eat all of. Jersey was still exceptionally nervous about approaching mum and the food while Leaper was still up at the table. Watch them from about 11:16am (and especially 11:17). Jersey is lying comfortably, one leg fully outstretched, when Leaper comes over to him and lurches at him as she sits down beside him. He watches her but makes no move to protect himself. She leans over him, nuzzling his head with her beak. Caution, but no significant reaction from Jersey. The pair are seemingly the best of friends. The only time that things seem to get out of control is in the presence of food, especially if Leaper is hungry. Then, I hold my breath. They did wait a long time for breakfast this morning – I did not see it come in or the first feeding, so I don’t know whether there was associated aggression. Due to the waiting, there may have been. But Jersey did have a discernible crop when waiting to see if there would be anything left for him from the second breakfast feeding at about 11:04 (very short and consisting of a tiny leftover and some dropped pieces). There weren’t. 

Jersey’s little beak has been opening and closing, as if he is calling for mum. He might be hungry. Leaper is playing with sticks as it nears noon. But it is 14;46 before a parent arrives, and it is dad with a giant stick!! It reaches right across the nest. Leaper heads immediately towards the table. Jersey, perhaps thinking he is being bonked by the giant stick now lying across him with dad manoeuvring it, goes instantly into submission. It is all to no avail, as there is no food delivery and he soon leaves again. The next parental visit is from mum, who arrives at around 15:42:35 and simply perches on the side of the nest. She has no food either. She soon leaves again. 

At 15:45, poor little Jersey is sitting hopefully up at the table, searching for leftovers, without success. He is hungry. He finds something that looks impossible to swallow but picks it up and tries. Leaper is alerted to this and comes to investigate. Jersey turns away but hangs onto his piece of whatever it is. As he makes another effort at swallowing, Leaper behind him has a stretch, which causes Jersey to become submissive, dropping his leftover (it was only pellet material at best anyway). Note that submission has often become a bowing of the head rather than a full tuck, which is progress – he gets up faster too. 

At 15:47:30, Jersey gives up, turns around, and heads back to the middle of the nest to snuggle up with his sister. Sweet. A cuddle puddle is formed. By shortly after 15:52, Leaper is literally lying on top of Jersey, right across his back. By 16:33 they are both up, standing, and hungry. This nest needs a food delivery asap. And sure enough, even as I type this, Leaper heads across the nest towards Jersey with obvious intent. Jersey turns away and huddles for the coming attack. It is short-lived, consisting of two pecks only, one to the head and one to the wing, but we have returned to a situation where Leaper is hungry. This is NOT GOOD. 

At 16:43 Jersey picks up a bony leftover and tries to swallow it, but Leaper grabs it from him and downs it fairly easily. It was almost pure bone, by the look of it. It may have been the piece Jersey was trying to swallow earlier. It looked very similar. FINALLY, at 17:28:35 dad brings in a long thin whole fish. Mum immediately comes in about a minute later to take it from him. He leaves. She gets down to the job of feeding her babies. When the fish arrived, Jersey was sleeping with Leaper lying on top of him. So when the food came, he just stayed where he was. It wasn’t until dad’s departure that he ducked his head. Interestingly, so did Leaper, who was standing up but turned away from the table with his head ducked down. Strange. Jersey had the front position at the table, so was probably aware that Leaper would lean over him to eat. So he was cautious. 

Mum starts feeding Leaper. The eaglets are side by side at the table but Jersey has turned his back on Leaper and the food. The fish is still moving, the tail striking Jersey and making him more nervous. As the fish tail hits him, Jersey shuffles further away, ending up down at mum’s tail. There, at 17:35, he suddenly has a brainwave. He realises he has space to go up to mum on the other side, putting her between himself and his sister. He thinks. He looks. Then he starts putting his plan into action, moving towards mum’s head along her left flank. 17:37 and he is nearly there. Mum knows he is there, and at 17:37:20 reaches out to him with a bite. He snatches it. Seven seconds later, a second piece. He takes that too. And a third – he is so grabby that it takes him three or four tries to take the food, but mum is patient, staying still until finally he grabs the bite. She is waiting for him to swallow each bite so she can give him the next. He realises he is safe where he is and moves right up beside mum’s beak and the fish. She is feeding him exclusively at this point, with all the bites going to Jersey. There is nothing Leaper can do about it whatsoever. 

Jersey eats a little less quickly now, grabbing the pieces but not snatching at them. Mum waits for him – occasionally, he is scared to take a bite but she waits until he turns his head back and accepts the food. This mum is a gem. She is caring so carefully for her youngest;. I am certain she made a decision three days ago that this little one wanted to fight for his life and she was going to help him any way she could. And that is what she has done. At about 17:38:15 Leaper leans in for a bite and Jersey instinctively turns away, but mum waits for him with the food, and he turns back and takes it. Another few bites from mum before this happens again at 17:38:45. Again, mum waits for Jersey to turn back towards her for the bite. She has not fed a single bite to Leaper since Jersey made it up to her beak soon after 17:37. Jersey has had a couple of dozen mouthfuls, some quite large. Finally, mum gives one bite to Leaper, then returns to feeding Jersey. After half a dozen bites, she gives a single mouthful to Leaper, then back to bites for Jersey. 

Mum then becomes more even-handed, giving a bite to one then to the other, occasionally giving two consecutive bites to one or the other, But both eaglets finish this fish with good crops. Both will have happy tummies tonight. Good for dad. He took a while to bring in dinner, but when he did, it was a whole live fish, and although it was skinny, it was pretty long. So that’s a huge relief because this mum really needs a bit of a break, if looking after two eaglets can be considered restful!!! She has worked so very hard over the past week, and she deserves to have dad step up the hunting for the family. These two will need more and more food as they grow of course, so it’s a big job for a single parent. I’m glad of the fish stocking you mentioned and hope it affects this nest. 

Just after 17:41, Jersey grabs a HUGE bite. He turns away with his prize to eat it but drops it. He wonders whether to have another try at swallowing it or instead return to mum’s beak for more fish, deciding eventually to try the former course. He fails, as the bite is at the wrong angle. He drops it again, picks it up again, this time at the correct angle, and downs it easily. After a moment of triumph (and just checking to make sure crops really don’t burst) he turns back to mum and continues to accept bites. He has a very large crop but has learnt to eat and eat and then eat some more, regardless of how full you may be. 

Another day, another important lesson learnt. Today’s lesson was: you can use mum like a shield to protect you from Leaper during feedings. What an important lesson this one really is, as we all know. Many is the younger hatch who has survived as a result of being A+ students in this particular subject.”

This is A’s summary for Saturday morning, so far, at Duke: “Mum wakes at 6am at Duke Farms and leaves the nest at 06:03:30, presumably to organise some breakfast. There are no leftovers on the nest, though both eaglets went to bed with full crops. Jersey, whose head is underneath Leaper, doesn’t even stir in his sleep. It is still dark. Leaper does some preening, waking Jersey up, and actually does some allopreening of Jersey’s head. Or reaches out to gently touch Jersey’s head or face with her beak. He is a little wary but basically without fear. She can be SO sweet towards him. I am convinced that once these two reach that certain age, they will become firm nest buddies (assuming, of course, a n adequate and consistent food supply). I hope they don’t wait too long for a nice big breakfast fish. 

At 06:47, they are still waiting, snuggled up together, doing some preening and so far behaving themselves nicely. It will be an important day for little Jersey. Are we setting a new pattern of sibling interaction on this nest or will circumstances send us spiralling back into food shortage and insecurity-related aggression? After three days now of little or no aggression from Leaper, another day without violence may well be enough to cement a reversion to pre-famine peaceful sibling interaction. 

Mum is back at 07:03:46 but she has no food – just a talonful of dry grasses. Leaper jumps up and heads straight for the table while Jersey goes into submission. There is no bonking, but nor is there any food. Mum searches the nest for bites of anything she can find to feed Leaper and finds perhaps six to eight bites of something that has been dropped or spat out yesterday. By 07:09:12 Jersey’s head is up and he is lying on his tummy, albeit with his back to mum. She leaves again soon afterwards, at 07:09:28. At 08:30 they are still waiting for breakfast but are cuddling, asleep, and there has been no aggression so far. “

Please send continued energy to this nest – they need all the good vibes they can get.

There is a little bobblehead at the Little Miami Conservancy Bald Eagle Nest in Ohio – but, wait…there are now two of them!

There is a pip at Denton Homes in Iowa Friday evening and DH14 is with us this morning.

The fish that Telyn Blue 5F brought to the Dyfi nest would sure look good on the Duke Farms nest! She is a master angler.

The new dad at Pittsburgh-Hayes brought Mum a fish gift on Friday.

There is an Osprey on the Steelscape nest in the US.

The pair at Allins Cove West are working on their nest. Dad arrived on 18 March with Mum landing a few days later.

Both ospreys are home at the Bridge Golf Course Osprey platform.

I don’t often recommend a FB group but I would like to draw your attention to Della and Warren’s Osprey Platform at Mispillion Harbour, Delaware. It is at the Dupont Centre. Heidi has put together a FB page for this adorable osprey family. Let’s surprise her and see if we can get 50 members over the Easter weekend! She is making videos and knows these birds and their behaviour inside and out. By signing up, her hard work doesn’t go to waste.

They are both home at Clark PUD.

The storks are arriving. Betye and Bukacek are back in their nest in Mlade Buky.

Bradley photographed at Port Lincoln.

Wow. A White-tailed Eagle in California! It is a rarity.

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I hope to have the news of the Imperial Eagles soon.

Volunteers have done a clean up where Richmond and Rosie fish at SF Bay. Every area should be cleared, every nest cleaned annually before our ospreys arrive (if possible) to try and make their lives start off safe.

Captured and convicted for leaving dead raptors and animals in front of a shop in the UK.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J’, The Guardian, The BBC, John Williams, Dyfi Osprey Project, Joanne Daly, University of Florida-Gainesville, Vicki Jacques, IWS/Explore.org, Jeff Kear, Duke Farms, Little Miami Conservancy, Denton Homes, Dyfi Osprey Project, PIX Cams, Steelscape, Allins Cove West, Carol Craig, Heidi McGrue, Clark PUD, Mlade Buky, PLO, SF Ospreys, BirdGuides, and Raptor Persecution UK.

Friday in Bird World

29 March 2024

Hello Everyone! Good Morning.

Birds are so beautiful. Anyone that has watched a House Sparrow closely will know that it is not just dull brown but is a range of colours from an espresso chocolate with brick red touches to taupe and oatmeal – all the latest catwalk colours. My Blue Jays that grace my garden feeders and look so beautiful when the lilac blossoms appear beside them, are anything but simple blue. Have you ever thought about drawing or painting birds? or making birds out of textiles? Begin your day with a look at these talented individuals and their attempts. Why not try yours?

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The wind has finally left, and the temperature in Winnipeg is currently +1 C. It is sunny and gorgeous, and everyone has a hop in their step. It is the beginning of a very long weekend for those who work, and all of the students have been out of school this week for their spring break (public schools, K-12). It is funny when one is retired – there is hardly ever any need to know what day it is unless it is when the City picks up the recycling bins.

‘The Girls’ continue to enjoy the conservatory and the heat pouring in from the sun. What a change in 24-48 hours! They are napping and jostling for the top spot on the cat tree. Of course, Hugo Yugo is the reigning ‘Queen’ of the Tree. She won’t let anyone kick her off that little square and I am certain that she reminds Calico and Missey that they are too big to fit there even if they would like to sun themselves.

Hope tried and gave up. Hugo Yugo sometimes bites her, and they play fight, but here she is just pushing her off the top.

Hugo Yugo was rather ‘smug’ in her victory. You could hear her – ‘na, na, na, na, na, na’.

She is so tiny but she certainly rules the roost around her. She is fearless. I can only imagine what she would do to Leaper on that Duke Farms nest! That eaglet wouldn’t be trying to take her food!!!!!!! It would be lucky to have any feathers left on its head for bad behaviour.

Baby Hope decided to go and sleep with Mamma.

Thank you to everyone who commented or sent a note thanking me and ‘A’ – and especially ‘A’ for her wonderful narrative about the Duke Farms eagle nest. We are happy to inform you of what is happening at the Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest. It is difficult to watch a nest with the potential of siblicide. We both understand that, and believe me, it breaks my heart and brings me to tears, too. However, there is the most ecstatic happiness when a nest turns around and what could have been a dire situation becomes hopeful. That is where we are at Duke Farms right now. Hopeful.

I also want to thank you for your birthday wishes, your supporting remarks about the overfishing, and your shock at the loss of any information about Mr President and Lotus – they were two very loved eagles and we are disappointed not to know how their lives and breeding season are going. We wish them well.

And then this was posted this morning! Congratulations Mr President and Lotus on your little eaglet.

On Thursday morning, Jersey got a private feeding after Leaper was full. The time was around 10:30. At first, Jersey did the snatch and grab, eating as many bites as it could while Leaper was going into a food coma. You could tell that Jersey was very nervous. Mum kept a keen eye. She was feeding Jersey and then Leaper began to move. At that point, Mum looked at her little baby and moved the fish back on the rim of the nest. Leaper put its head down and Mum began to feed Jersey again. This time it was more relaxed. By 1038, Jersey had a nice crop. The feeding continued until 1040 when little Jersey flapped its wings in happiness with a fully crop and was off to sleep. What a relief to see these developments. Mum is completely aware of what is happening on the nest and is making every effort for Jersey to survive.

There were two more feedings. Jersey ate well at 1428 but is very tense. Any sudden movement will see Jersey draw back, not quite going into a submissive pose but well aware. Leaper leaves Jersey alone and by 1436 Jersey has a nice crop. A wonderful blessing. The little one has had a very good day. There will be one last feed on the small bit of remaining fish and Leaper will get all of it.

Little Jersey does not attempt to go to Mum’s beak at the last feeding. Indeed, even in the earlier feeding, Jersey would not eat even if offered fish bites until Leaper was completely finished. This is the cost of the fear that was imposed on the second hatch over the last weekend. Jersey is getting its confidence, but it will be some time before it feels able to eat freely – without the fear of being beaked and shaken – if Leaper is awake and watching.

I know that everyone likes ‘A’s comments so I have them here in full for the entire day for Thursday at Duke Farms:

I was really having difficulty distinguishing mum from dad mid-morning. Based on head shape and feeding style, I really think it may have been dad (he eats more bites than he gives out and he also gives very small bites – or occasionally very large ones – but brooding the eaglets after the late morning feeding was something mum is far more likely to have done than dad. That being said, the following can be considered to apply to either parent – sometimes, it’s so hard to tell when only one of them is there.

Both eaglets already had a crop and there was an almost untouched whole fish lying on the nest when what looked like dad flew onto the nest with a talonful of dried grasses (what is it with dad and grass, usually dry?) at around 10:20 this morning (28 March). They had been in a cuddle puddle in the middle of the nest when big sister leant over Jersey to line up a large PS. When dad arrived, he buried the fish in grass, then dug it out and starts eating it. Leaper is interested and sits up, watching. When dad offers her a bite and she leans over to take it, Jersey gets up and huddles into his submission pose, back to the food. There has been no hint of aggression from Leaper, and they have been happily cuddling all morning. 

Dad went to a different feeding school from mum – he eats three or four bites for every one he offers a chick and he hands out the tiniest pieces. More token gestures often than beakfuls. Jersey realises he has nothing to fear and sits up, turns around a bit, looks over his shoulder towards the food, then shuffles forward towards dad. He loses courage when Leaper leans forward for a bite, and again turns away But his head is still up, and he soon turns around again, approaches dad, sidles closer and gets offered a bite. Leaper is right beside him at the table and closer to dad, so Jersey again hesitates and waits. He stretches, turns away again, waits, watches. 

Eventually, shortly before 10:30, Leaper has had enough and turns away. Jersey moves up to dad (or is it mum?). Leaper changes her mind and turns back for just one more bite. Jersey waits. Leaper is done. Jersey grabs for a bite but misses in his haste. It’s a bony bite and dad eats it. The next grab is successful and Jersey takes a large piece. He moves closer and eats. Dad is eating a lot himself, but he is also feeding Jersey. Jersey continues to eat. Leaper, lying in the middle of the nest, is playing with dad’s tail, which periodically brushes Leaper when dad turns to feed a bite to Jersey. It’s an idyllic scene. 

Soon after 10:40, the little one has eaten enough and turns away. He has a large crop and he has not been beaten for a day and a half now. He is so happy about that that he stretches and flaps his wee wings, nearly losing his balance in the process. Dad flies off the nest. Jersey flops down beside Leaper, so close that his wing is on her head. After a moment, he stands up again, turns towards his sister and stumbles across her, stepping on her beak in the process. She makes no objection to his extreme clumsiness and the pair end up in a cuddle puddle in the centre of the nest. 

Just before 11:02, mum (or is it dad?) returns clutching a huge bunch of twigs, lined up as if in a carefully bundled package of sticks of equal length and circumference, though surely I must be seeing things. He (or she) spreads the grass around, then when the kids don’t wake up, returns to eating the leftover fish. Leaper’s interest is soon aroused and she reaches for a bite. Jersey lifts his head and stretches but is too full to bother getting up. As dad is eating rather than feeding, Leaper turns away and stretches, leaning over Jersey as she does so, but there is no fear from Jersey. 

She spreads her nesting material all over the nest, around the eaglet pile, and just before 11:15, she flies off the nest. The eaglets return to sleeping. Watch Leaper allopreening Jersey just before 11:17. TOO adorable. 

Just after 11:40 mum (or is it dad?) is back with a long stick, which she carefully places. She then settles down to brood the eaglets. Jersey heads underneath mum, his little bottom sticking out in front of her, which is fortunate because just after 11:42, he does a healthy large PS. 

Mum brings in a good-sized whole fresh fish just before 14:10. Leaper immediately heads to the table while Jersey stays where he is, lying duckling style in the middle of the nest. He does not go into submission and Leaper does nothing to intimidate or hurt him. Even when Leaper makes contact with Jersey while leaning forward for a bite, all Jersey does is languidly stretch one leg out towards Leaper. No fear. No aggression. 

At 14:17 Jersey stands up and positions for a PS (healthy and large at 14:17:30). He then turns his back to the feeding but does not go into submission. Instead, he sits there, preening, while mum feeds Leaper. Pecking order is being respected. At 14:18:30 Leaper has had enough and turns away. Jersey starts to sidle around the nest towards the table but Leaper stretches and flaps her wings, startling her sibling. Mum leans over to offer more food to Leaper, who continues eating. Jersey gradually heads around the nest towards the table. 

He retreats again, back around the nest, then back to the middle, where he again positions for a PS. This one (14:17:30) is even larger than the last! After several false starts and a number of attempts that he chickened out of, Jersey eventually gets up to the table at 14:21:20. Leaper, who has turned away and returned to the table several times, is still eating. About ten seconds later, mum offers Jersey a bite but he is too nervous to take it. He has no basis for fear, having not suffered any aggression from Leaper today that I have witnessed. 

Soon after 14:22, so close to mum it is awkward for him to access her beak, Jersey finally has the courage to take a bite. There is still a lot of fish left, and Jersey still has a crop from this morning’s feedings. Mum feeds Jersey, who takes everything he is offered. Leaper watches from the centre of the nest, where she is lying duckling style, tired of carrying her giant crop no doubt. She is relaxed and happy, without any grudge against his little brother, who continues to fill up on this nice fish. Mum is feeding him as much fish as he will take from her. 

Afterwards, mum broods the babies. As always, the little one burrows under mum head-first. At 15:39, mum gets up and leaves the nest. Jersey doesn’t even wake up. He’s working hard, growing, converting all that fishy protein into eaglet. At 15:42:43, Jersey has woken up, backed up, and produces yet another large, healthy PS. He’s been processing a lot of food the past two days. So good to see. He stumbles onto  the sleeping Leaper, disturbs his sister again while preening (his feathers are coming through – Jersey has been very itchy this afternoon) and generally annoys his sibling, who merely stretches out a leg. Jersey plays with a stick and returns to a lot of preening. His right wing is covering Leaper’s head! Leaper stretches out a wing and a leg to reclaim her space and slumbers on. 

Jersey continues preening for a few minutes, then finally flops down beside Leaper, who chooses this moment to wake and stand up. Jersey is anticipating retaliation, as he has been all over his sister in the past ten minutes or so as his preening has been quite vigorous plus he has overbalanced several times and fallen onto her. So he goes into submission just in case. But Leaper just lies down again. At 15:53:47, he does YET ANOTHER PS, this one somewhat smaller than the last three but still respectable. He really is very itchy and cannot seem to stop grooming. 

Just after 16:57, mum is back with yet more grasses. She spreads them about the nest and leaves again before 16:59. At 17:00 Leaper does a good PS. The two have been snuggling in the centre of the nest all afternoon, changing position occasionally, and sometimes being clumsy, stumbling over each other or onto each other. This can make Jersey slightly nervous, but his reaction to that at this stage of the day is now to stand up and turn away rather than to cower in submission. 

At 17:00:32, Jersey reaches over and gently pecks at Leaper, having just pecked at a piece of bark in front of him. Initially, it appears she will retaliate. She stands up, leaning forwards and spreading her wings as if about to launch an attack on Jersey. But Jersey’s response is to stand up, head held high. As he resumes preening, Leaper leans forward to groom her own underside, bringing her close to Jersey, who reacts by leaning back slightly, beak open, and keeping his head up. This is an eaglet who seems prepared to defend himself against an attack. He is not reacting by automatically going into submission. He is quite literally standing up for himself. This is very interesting to watch. It is now nearly two full days of food for Jersey and no beatings from Leaper. 

At 17:01:07, with Leaper standing up and Jersey, lying in front of her, Jersey makes the fatal error of staring his sister in the eyes. There is a pause. Jersey continues to watch Leaper. At 17:01:15, Leaper pulls herself up, spreads her wings and leans over Jersey, who stands and turns away in the one movement, still watching Leaper. Leaper pecks Jersey, just once, at 17:01:18, then continues flapping her wings. Jersey remains submissive, as Leaper twice overbalances and falls onto Jersey with her wingercising. Leaper does a little more preening, then snuggles back down beside Jersey. At 17:04:12, Jersey’s little head pops up and he and his sister are snuggled side by side, the best of mates again. 

This was the only episode of bonking I saw today (28 March) or yesterday (27 March), and it really was a single peck to the side/back of the head to reinforce pecking order. Obviously, Jersey needed a reminder about the ‘looking one’s older sister in the eyes’ rule. But it was nothing resembling an attack. Let’s see how it impacts Jersey’s confidence tomorrow (29 March). He has eaten very well today. He looks strong and he is getting more confident. He is growing every day and learning vital life lessons. We can only hope the food keeps coming onto this nest. I am confident that as long as it does, Jersey will survive to fledge. 

Check the ‘synchronised watching’ at 17:28:43-47 (something, presumably a parent, is above). I love it when a scrape full of falcon eyases does some synchronised watching of a passing parent. TOO adorable. 

Just before 18:54, Jersey is standing and flapping his little wings. This suddenly annoys his sister, pecks him (again, just once) in the side of the head. It takes him by surprise and he goes into submission. A few seconds later, at 18:54:44, mum lands on the nest and begins feeding Leaper the meagre pickings from a small bony piece of leftover fish. Jersey remains in submission until 18:58:24, when he raises his head and flops onto his tummy, though he remains with his back to the table. 

Around 19:07 he gets up and looks over his shoulder towards mum. He still has a good crop (as does Leaper, who is eating but the bites are small). By 19:08:30 the fish is gone and Leaper turns back towards Jersey. Another big PS for Leaper at 19:08:53, who then snuggles up with Jersey for the night. Mum settles in to brood her babies. 

All in all, it has been an interesting day. Jersey has eaten well, and although there were two occasions when Leaper pecked at her sibling, these could certainly not be classified as attacks, and I doubt they will intimidate Jersey much when it comes to eating tomorrow. We will see what the day brings. But today’s two minor incidents were the usual pecking order behaviour of an average nest, not the vicious beatings we were witnessing four days ago. 

Jersey is not yet out of the woods by a long shot. But things are improving by the day as his confidence grows, and today was another step in the right direction

It is raining Ospreys in the UK. They must all have felt the wind currents were favourable as quite a number landed on their nests all over the UK.

One of the first was Louis at the Lock Arkaig nest 2 that he shares with Dorcha. Geemeff heard him coming before he even arrived!

Blue HKO, otherwise known as ‘Flora’, the mate of Unringed Harry at the Alyth SS nest, arrived home on Thursday, too.

It was not clear how happy Blue 5F Seren was to find snow on her nest at Llyn Clywedog in Wales when she arrived Thursday! Wonder when Dylan will get home?

Dylan must have been right behind her!

The getting reacquainted is often cumbersome unless, of course, you are Laddie!

At Foulshaw Moss in Cumbria, White YW welcomed his long-time mate, Blue 35 who arrived Thursday. (White YW arrived on the 24th)

The Real Saunders Photography caught E23 lying and being chased by smaller birds – just like he will for the rest of his life. The image is magical and majestic. What a glorious fledgling E23 is!

E23 took a rabbit from Dad and flew off with it – oh, E23 you are learning so fast.

Meadow and Swampy are not flying yet, but it won’t be long. On Thursday, both demonstrated that they could clean up a large fish in record time. Once rivals, the pair shared part of the carcass.

Liberty and Guardian have their second pip – and by the time you read this – a probably second hatch at Redding. Isn’t this incredible? Congratulations.

I would so wish too see this happen at Sauces and Big Bear.

Names have been given for the two osplets at Moorings Park. The eldest is to be called Ruffie and the youngest is Tuffie.

Oh, gosh, these two are so cute. Their fat little bottoms and tiny little tails.

Every year, I used to discuss the beauty of the babies with a dear friend who has now passed. She preferred the White-bellied sea eaglets and I the osplets and little red-tail hawklets.

Egg number 5 has been laid by Mother Goose at Decorah.

The kids at Decorah North are doing very well, indeed. Mr North keeps the food coming and from the look of DNF, no one should mess with her nest! Dad brought in what appears to be road kill later. And this reminds me! Please keep a small shovel in the trunk of your car. Whenever you see road kill, either in the City or in the suburbs or the country, stop your car safely and remove the dead animal to a place where the other animals can feed of it without fear of being hit by a car.

The eaglet at Port Tobacco has a very full crop!

Big Red and Arthur diligently keeping those four precious eggs warm.

Noble and Whitley on the Crooked Lake Osprey nest. What a gorgeous area.

Second to last. I am certain you can tell that I adore Akecheta. Here is a nest with three eaglets – and not their first clutch to hatch three. Thunder is a rigid disciplinarian and it has made all the difference in the world. At the same time, Akecheta keeps that nest filled with fish. So civilised. Just makes my heart beat a little more joyful seeing them together with the three eaglets.

‘A’ agrees: “

At WE, we have two parents doing the most wonderful job. By 16:17 yesterday afternoon (28 March), when Thunder had finished giving the three eaglets yet another feeding, just check out those massive crops. So when Akecheta landed with yet another big fish at 16:17:09, no-one really had much room left to fit in any more food, as all three were in food comas. Shortly after 18:14 Akecheta returned with a huge amount of dry grass and spread it about where the chicks sleep. Mum continued to try to feed the babies, and managed to get them to accept a few bites. Everyone went to bed with large crops. SEDs on this nest. .

The WE nest spends much of the time looking like a fishmonger’s shop. My goodness there were a lot of fish sitting there late yesterday afternoon, two of them sizable leftovers, the other piece smaller. Seconds before 18:00, Thunder arrived back to take over looking after the eaglets for the night. Akecheta left soon afterwards. Mum first fed a few bites to any takers but the kids were pretty full, so she had a snack, checking repeatedly to see if the chicks are hungry. They were not. She had a good meal and the family settled for the night. 

There is some niggle between the siblings but nothing to worry about. No-one is getting hurt or intimidated or stopped from eating. They are just the usual feisty offspring this couple seems to produce.”

I always look forward to what Dani Connor Wild is doing. She has just posted a video about her life living four hours south of the Arctic Circle when it is -37 C. Watch it for the beautiful images of Golden Eagles and get the tissue at the end when she shows some quick images of the Penguins in Antarctica. Fortunately, the penguins are not showing any symptoms of bird flu while, at the same time, testing positive. See article below. This is hopeful news.

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Have you ever wondered if birds dream?

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, SP’, Sue Greely, Duke Farms, The Woodland Trust, Geemeff, Jeff Kear, Clywedog Osprey Cam, Real Saunders Photography, Lady Hawk, Eagle Country, Meredith Gertz, Beth Lorenzo, Moorings Park Ospreys, Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, Cornell RTH, Timothy Dygert Osprey Cam, IWS/Explore.org, Dani Connor Wild, The Guardian, and The New York Times.

Jersey eats more, hatches, arrivals…Thursday in Bird World

28 March 2024

Good Morning!

Hugo Yugo seems to be doing fantastic. She is extremely lovable and continues to sleep on my head or chest at night. All you have to do is whisper her name and she is there.

I just remembered that I needed to add ‘enchanted’ before Missey. ‘J’ thinks Missey belongs in the ‘Magical Kingdom of Landover’ and ‘she should be able to talk’. Now don’t tell anyone, but I think she does! Missey has now taken Baby Hope under her arm and is proving to be a good second Mum to her if I could only train Missey to clean Hugo Yugo’s eyes.

Good news is coming in from the nests, but we must start with a magical image of a rainbow coming over Telyn at the Dyfi Osprey nest she shares with her mate, Idris, in Wales. Totally enchanting! Now come on Idris, come home.

Irish poet WB Years reminds us: “The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

Seren Blue 5F arrived home from The Gambia this morning. Now we wait for Dylan to get to Llyn Clywedog in Wales! She might be wishing for that West African sun.

Isn’t this one a cutie? Liberty and Guardian’s first hatch at Redding.

I am always happy to have egg on my face. It appears that darling Laddie did survive and has now returned to his nest with Blue NCO to start another season. Let us all send good wishes and hope that he is up to the task at hand and this lovely pair at the Loch of the Lowes do not have any intruders to harm them or cause harm to their babies this year. I can hardly believe it. Fantastic.

Thanks, Geemeff.

Laddie wastes no time getting reacquainted. Is there a competition between him and Blue 33 for first eggs laid?

I have spent a greater proportion of my post for the last couple of days on the situation at Duke Farms. There is a clear reason for this – the detailed study of the eagles’ behaviour when food becomes in short supply and the reaction of the eaglets to one another. We are only seeing the second hatch, Jersey, gain more confidence today. Jersey is self-feeding, and Mum seems to have figured out how to manage the situation in the nest. The situation here is no different than it would be on an osprey nest when the eldest has perceived insufficient food for all and begins attacking its sibling/s. It could wind up being siblicide, but, I am hopeful that unless there is another dramatic reduction in prey, we will have two fledges at the Duke Farms nest in 2024.

On Wednesday at 11:26, Mum finds an old fish tail in the rim of the nest. She feeds Leaper. Jersey is obviously interested but afraid. The little one moves around the rim of the nest to get closer to the feeding area. At the point where Leaper has a full crop, Jersey moves up and begins to self-feed on the fish tail. Leaper goes to sleep. At this point Mum begins to feed Jersey who has a nice crop by 12:03. Mum literally stuffs Jersey with all the remaining fish taking advantage of Leaper being in a food coma. The feeding ends at 1212 when there is no longer any food on the nest.

We now wait to see if more food will come to the nest. The good news is that food did arrive.

‘A’ notes, “Jersey lined up mum and did a large and very healthy-looking PS straight at Mum from a distance of only inches (17:54:33). He hit her squarely on the top of her head (she was working on getting bites off the remaining prey – that giant fish has now become a very long spine. It looks amazing. Jersey has eaten today. This is one extremely good mother. She has worked very hard to keep these two alive. When it rained this afternoon, she was the perfect mumbrella, keeping both her growing eaglets warm and dry, She is devoted and smart. I am starting to become very attached to her. But both chicks will go to bed with full tummies and good crops tonight.”

Dad came in with a headless fish and little Jersey ate and ate….that sweetie pie was so full it turned away from the fresh fish at 17:54. Reports are that the the Raritan River is low and not as muddy as it was. In addition, the State of New Jersey is putting the trout back into the rivers so let us hope that fish will be plentiful on the nest.

Getting a late night snack. Jersey has an enormous crop.

How cute is little Jersey?

Jersey had a good morning on Friday so far.

Friday morning at Duke Farms with ‘A’: “

Mum was absolutely saturated after sheltering her eaglets overnight, and had the biggest flap of her wings to try and get the water off – then repeated the exercise three more times. Poor mum. It was a long, wet night, but Jersey got the best of it in terms of shelter, staying pretty dry for most of the night. 

Jersey has had a lovely morning. He missed out on the first feeding, which mum gave him from the leftover torso (or whatever that was), but there was no bonking whatsoever before or after the first breakfast, just a lot of snuggling and preening, including a little allopreening from Leaper to her little brother. She is very sweet to him when she’s not thrashing him. 

When mum returned to feed a smallish whole fish lying on the side of the nest, Jersey went into submission and Leaper began eating, but was full fairly quickly and turned away. Jersey got to the table relatively quickly and began his snatch and grab style of eating. Mum was so patient, even ensuring that when he dropped a piece and she went to pick it up, she moved slowly and carefully near Jersey so that he didn’t get startled or cringe away from the food. She waited for him to take each bite, offering it as many times as necessary. Jersey downed some large pieces, but one was too big for him, even on the second or third attempt, and turned away, so mum ate that bit herself. Jersey had managed the tail, with attached flesh!! He actually ate so much that he had had enough and ended the feeding as a result. He had a large crop. 

After breakfast number two, mum broods her eaglets again. So cute. They are probably a bit damp still, and it has been raining lightly on and off through the morning. She is such a devoted mum and she is having a terrible hair day. 

Just before 08:46 dad flies in with a large whole fish. Is this the first food delivery from dad in five days? I think it may well be. It’s a lovely big fish and he leaves it on the edge of the nest for mum to manage. The babies are too full to bother, so she gets up and flies off the nest. At 08:53:31 dad is back with a talonful of damp grasses, which he spreads about the place. He then takes hold of the fish, drags it closer to the cuddle puddle of eaglets, and offers a bite to Jersey. Despite being literally entwined in Leaper, Jersey is not too scared to accept the bite!!!

This is massive. Normally, he would not have had the courage and would have cringed away from dad’s beak, probably going into a submissive tuck. But now, he takes the bite without hesitation. He is not interested in the second bite offered so dad starts hoeing into the head of the fish himself. Leaper at this stage decides to stand up and stretch. Jersey stays where he is, not cringing or tucking. Leaper lines up for her second PS of the morning (Jersey too has done a very large and healthy PS earlier this morning). 

Leaper now moves up to the table beside Jersey, who is a little nervous and pulls away just slightly but still remains up at the table, his head up. Leaper does nothing to intimidate or hurt him. Dad continues to eat. Leaper watches. So does Jersey. Eventually dad gives Leaper a bite. Jersey stays where he is. He considers leaning towards dad but thinks better of it. Still he is up at the table, wary but not in submission. Dad continues to feed Leaper. There is NO bonking. There has been none all morning. 

Suddenly, at 08:59:30, Jersey reaches across in front of Leaper to take a bite from dad. Leaper is fine with this and does nothing to stop Jersey eating. Dad is doing pretty well out of this fish head himself, feeding the occasional mouthful to Leaper. Jersey remains beside and slightly in front of Leaper, watching carefully. It is 09:03. Just after 09:04, dad offers a bite to Jersey, who accepts it, without any reaction from Leaper. This is SO good to watch. 

Jersey takes another bite. And another. Dad doles out the tiniest pieces. A very different feeding technique to mum’s (I haven’t watched dad feed these chicks at all in the past week). Both chicks are still full from their earlier breakfast, and turn away from the table to snuggle up together again. 

We will see what the rest of the day brings, but so far, this has been the best morning on this nest in about a week. Little Jersey has eaten very well already, with a very large crop, as has Leaper, and there has been not one incident of aggression from Leaper at all. Nothing. Perhaps the food insecurity has gradually abated and Leaper has calmed down. We will see. CertaInly, it was wonderful to see dad bring in a nice big fish this morning.”

There is word of a possible pip at the Centreport Bald Eagle nest on Long Island, New York.

R6 does not want us to forget how handsome he is! Ron and Rose at the WRDC nest agree along with all his fans.

It will not be long til these beautiful eaglets leave their natal nest area. Clearly M15 and F23 have E23 in training. I had to laugh. I thought Hugo Yugo was very loud when she protests that she is ‘starving to death’ on the kitchen counter. Well, E23 sure is loud! it was a good year for M15. This amazing dad deserved it.

Not only are the Osprey having great challenges due to the overfishing of shallow swimming fish like the Menhaden, but now there are different issues with the salmon industry – and they are, as Geemeff, describes, sounding ominous.

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At the same time, I would draw your attention to these two articles that outline the severe impact that the fish shortage because of commercial fishing is going to have on the Atlantic and Gulf Ospreys in the US.

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I will continue to call for individuals that have the access and authority to set aside a pond for the birds of prey so that they can eat. For all of us to call for a moratorium on commercial fishing of Menhaden and for the curtailing of fishing by long line trawler regardless of where they are fishing in the world. There are not too many Ospreys in the US. What is happening is a steep decline right before our very eyes. The population is anything but stable. ‘H’ and I found this in comparing the data from the US and the UK in the 2023 nests that we observed.

Somewhere there is a Bald Eagle nest struggling, just like we saw when an adult is injured, dead, or missing for a few days. This time it is due to the frolicking killing by a human.

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Checking in on Monty and Hartley and their incubation.

Hartley lays her third egg!

Archie is so cute. These males are so tiny and trying to get four big eggs under them is sometimes a bit of a challenge.

The Black Storks are beginning to arrive in Latvia! Oh, how I wish Karl II was going to be flying into Estonia. What a loss he will be.

Is Mrs O back at Tweed Valley?

Warren and Della are back at Mispillion Harbour working on their nest. Della is notorious for loving ‘yellow’ things – she brings them to make the nest more beautiful! Kinda’ like dear Jack did with his stuffies at Dahlgren.

The trio at Frenchman’s Creek are doing well. The third hatch does have to wait in line, but sometimes manages to get a private feeding.

The triplets at the West End are doing exceptionally well. As I have said, Thunder sat on them when they acted up and they didn’t get to eat then. Food is a great motivator!

Harry came in with a couple of big fish for Sally and the two osplets. Looks like the other egg is not going to hatch – no problem! Two healthy osplets are just fine.

Mark your calendars. We are 3 days and 11 hours from ‘Iris Watch’. For those who do not know who Iris is, she is believed to be the oldest osprey in the world. Her nest is in a parking lot at the Riverview Health Centre at Hellcat Canyon, Missoula, Montana. Her first mate, Stanley, and her were very happy. Her second mate, Louis, has another nest and life has been rough. There have been no chicks for at least five years and many would like to see Iris have another mate. Louis would have to give up the territory and his domination of Iris despite having Star on the nest at the Baseball Park. For me, I hope she has another wonderful summer fishing and catching those big whoppers she is known for. Iris gets her name from the flecks in her right eye.

In San Francisco, Richmond and Rosie will have more rain which is delaying their nest building – and it looks like they have a lot of materials required. Do you remember the year the Crows kept taking all of their sticks when they would bring them in? Oh, goodness. Maybe they will leave the ospreys alone this year!

Many of you have asked about Mr President and Lotus. The AEF has posted the following information today. Unfortunately, it appears that we will not even get updates on their breeding season.

Thank you for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, Michael Academia, SP’, The Scottish Wildlife Trust, FORE, Geemeff, Duke Farms, Centrepoint Eagles, WRDC, Misqually Valley News, frontiers, AOL, SK Hideaways, Maria Marika, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Heidi McGrue, Frenchman’s Creek, IWS/Explore, Moorings Park, Montana Osprey Project, SF Ospreys, and the AEF.