Category Archives: Bald Eagles

First egg for Louis and Dorcha, Lou feeds the kids…Friday in Bird World

21 April 2023

Good Morning everyone,

It is 2 degrees C with snow and blowing snow and a weather warning going from Thursday evening until Friday morning, which will be extended to Saturday. Possibility of 10-20 cm of new snow accumulation. The snow in the garden had melted, and as of the time I am writing – it is 1922 Thursday evening; only a few Dark-eyed Juncos are left on the branches and hopping about looking for Millet. The European Starlings have been here in great numbers today, and you could feel that ‘something’ was coming, and it has now arrived in the form of heavy snow.

The second Hibiscus bloom of the year. If you live where the grass is green and the flowers are blooming it is hard to imagine how much people living in the snowy wintery areas crave flowers and greenery! It has been such a delight to see this Hibiscus survive for the past several years. It goes out in the summer and then comes in before the first frost. That used to be in August but now it might not happen until late September or October.

Missy and Lewis believe in ‘looking up’. You never know what is going to fly over the glass ceiling! Today they have been watching low-flyin Ring-billed Gulls.

Lewis thinks the best thing to do on a snowy day is to have a nice long nap!

The European Starlings have emptied the Meal Worm and Bark Butter feeder three times today. They are so beautiful, and despite rumours to the contrary, they get along quite nicely with all of the other birds in the garden including the House Sparrows.

Always grateful when a kind person makes an effort to care for our wild birds migrating here for their spring and summer breeding grounds.

Coming out of the UK is news that will make you weep. At the same time, the individual who tore down the trees and demolished the ecosystems along the river on his property will pay for the damage dearly as will all the wildlife and birds for his actions. The message is clear: You cannot destroy the planet even if you own the land. We are, after all, only stewards, and we need to do a better job caring for our planet.

This is the most unbelievable idea I have ever seen and it could decidedly endanger the adult ospreys as well as the hatchlings. The nest of Audrey and Tom at Kent Island is covered with sticks with yellow and blue in support of Ukraine. My problem is not the support but the plastic and the fact that it is in the nest. The plastic can break off, entangle the osplets and do all manner of destruction to the environment. It isn’t cool.

There are some very strange things going on around the world these days including a proposal by the NZ Government to have children kill feral cats. It was revoked because of public outrage but who would ever consider such a thing?!

Moving on to things more delightful. Louis and Dorcha have their first egg. Thanks, Geemeff, for sending me the good news. Nice to wake up and see something positive these days! That egg arrived at 05:44:19. Louis was there to support Dorcha during the entire event. He brought her a nice fish at 06:31:05. What a great guy!

Oh, those nice fish gifts. Sweet, Louis!

Annie and Lou’s little fluff balls are getting ‘to that stage’ when only a mother and dad can love them. Ahhh…no, I am wrong. We love them regardless. They will look more like their dinosaur ancestors for a few days as those pen feathers come in .

These babies are beginning to explore the scrape box and flap their little wings.

And just look at this feeding by Lou- 5 minutes! Really, watch it…those babies are soooooooo cute.

The little one has a nice crop – and still wants to eat. These three are always hungry!

There were at least three fish brought to the Achieva Osprey nest on Thursday. Two in the morning and another at 18:20. Both osplets are doing splendidly and had huge crops and I am hoping Diane got some fish, too. It was large, the last one, and Jack had taken the head.

Let’s all hope that the wind calms down, that Mother Goose gets a good meal, and that the weather is perfect for the hatch on Saturday (or Friday if it is early)! Following their Mum, the goslings will remain in the nest for 24-48 hours before they leap to the ground and then swim in the stream. This is the most fantastic sight. You will never forget it.

Murphy and the Eaglet update:

There is continuing concern over R4 at the WRDC Bald Eagle nest in Miami. Alison writes: “I am worried about R4 at WRDC. There is definitely something wrong. With the two feedings I watched, R4 seemed to be dropping or spitting out the bites of food. It made me very fearful of trich. If he does have it, swallowing will be becoming very painful, which could account for the way he was dealing with the food he was being given. He was hungry, and still trying to intimidate R5 and stop it from eating, so it wasn’t that. But according to chatters, he ate little or nothing all day, and his eating has not been ‘quite right’ for up to three days. Some suggested he may have a pellet, others that he has suddenly become a picky eater (as we know, there is no such thing with bald eagles – there are preferences, but very little they will actually refuse to eat if they are hungry, and R4 is hungry). But there is consensus that something is not right. R4 is hungry but not eating.”

R4 is 38 days old and R5 is 36 days old today. R4 had a big crop yesterday. I hope that it is just a bone injury and his mouth is a little sore but, sadly, all we can do is wait to see what is happening.

‘H’ reports that, “R4 did eat this morning, has a decent crop, still was spitting out some bites though; and, R5 is getting a good feeding!” This is Friday morning reports so this is good. It seems that R4 is trying to cast a pellet, according to ‘H’ and this could be the issue. Fingers crossed for a good outcome.

Second hatch at Lake Murray on the 20th!

I have to admit to having a really soft spot for the nests with single hatches. That little one at Decorah Hatchery is adorable. Just love the delicate way the huge parents feed this little baby.

Soft dry nesting material was brought in for the baby today. At one point it was covered like it was a blanket!

Another little cutie pie belongs to Chase & Cholyn at Two Harbours. Today, for awhile I could not locate that little one on the nest and almost panicked. I began to think about Lancer going over the edge but, no, there this one was! Can you spot the eaglet?

A third cutie pie is at US Steel. USS6 is adorable. They are all about the same age (I think USS6 is just a day or so older, must check my charts). Lots to look forward to as they develop.

Good view of USS6’s ear! It will be covered with feathers but right now appears as a black dot behind the beak. This little one is eating well. Note the feet beginning to turn yellow and the area around the mouth.

River has brought in fish and there is still a nice piece on the nest for DH17 and DH18 to peck at. Where is the monofilament line of DH18? I cannot tell. I can, at times, still see that raccoon pelt with what appears to be line tangled in it.

Update: Both eaglets may now be entangled in the line. Let us all hope that this resolves itself without either eaglet being injured.

Sally and Harry continue to feed Abby and Victor lots of fish with Sally staying on the nest with the youngsters at night. They have all their juvenile feathers and are getting really steady on those gorgeous legs.

Tom did not return to the Chesapeake Conservancy nest and Audrey has finally chosen another Tom to replace her mate from last year. Good luck!

With Kaia’s arrival on Thursday, Karl II is busy working on the Black Stork nest in Estonia’s Karula Forest. Karl II looks like he is smiling today!

The climate crisis might be changing where some birds choose to live. See what is happening with the Alpine Swift in the UK. We will also begin to notice changes in North America.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/20/once-rare-alpine-swift-uk-soon-stay-breed-climate-crisis?CMP=share_btn_link

Bazz Hockaday provided some images of Calypso and Ervie going about their lives as osprey in South Australia. Here are two of the photos of Ervie from the Friends of Osprey S Aus FB.

Wondering what is going on with Connick from the Captiva Bald Eagle nest? Deb Stecyk reached out to Lori Covert the land owner and this is the response she received:

Thank you so much for being with me today as we stop in at a few of the nests we have been monitoring. The only concerns are with R4 at WRDC and the eaglets at Dale Hollow. Everyone else seems to be doing alright at the moment. As we all know everything can change so quickly. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, observations, videos, tweets, photos, posts, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: Alison, ‘H’, Geemeff, Geemeff and Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Pembina Valley Hospital, Dr Amy-Jane Beer, Chesapeake Conservancy and Explore.org, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, Achieva Credit Union, Decorah Goose Cam, World Bird Sanctuary, WRDC, Lake Murray Ospreys, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, IWS and Explore.org, PIX Cams, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Moorings Park Ospreys, Carol Craig and Osprey Friends, The Guardian, Eagle Club of Estonia, Bazza Hockaday and Friends of S Aus Ospreys, and Deb Stecyk and Bald Eagles 101.

47 year old albatross spotted, Hatch for Lake Murray, egg for Glacier Gardens…Thursday in Bird World

20 April 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Well, it is nearing 2300 Wednesday night and there is still no snow. It is +2 C with the wind blowing at 23 kph. There is a winter snow warning until 0745 tomorrow morning. It says that we will get between 10-20 cm of snow. I really hope they are wrong. There are some areas south of Winnipeg that are flooding and places the birders cannot get to for checking on new arrivals. Some birds are moving north to catch the spring mammals waking up for prey. We get a little ‘cranky’ when spring does this to us on the Canadian Prairies. Our ‘nice’ weather outside is limited and all are anxious to ditch the winter coats and boots, get in the canoes and kayaks, have a picnic or eat their lunch on a park bench.

Our local Peregrine Falcon couple at the Radisson, have their second egg for the 2023 season. Ella and Pip are quite a joy and the camera will be running once it is closer to hatch. I will alert you so you can share the joy of a pair of my local birds!

Our first feel-good moment of the day comes from a 47-year-old ringed Albatross that has survived living in the Southern Ocean all this time! Tears. What would be nice would be if this bird were 77 years old, and that was the norm!!!!!!! But we celebrate the victories that we can.

Our second feel-good moment comes from E21 and E22, who are inseparable. E22 has decided to share his precious pond with his older sibling. What an adventure these two have had! So glad that cam was operating this year! M15 continues to be our hero. As we also say repeatedly, Harriet would be proud.

Our giggle moment comes from Lou at Cal Falcons who delivered six prey items to the pantry on Monday in six hours! Wow. Uber Dad. Thanks for the video SK Hideaways.

Cuteness overload is from Cal Falcons.

Tracy mentioned in her talk on our Manitoba Peregrine Falcon Recovery that falcons will not take ‘slow’ prey. There is much concern because the falcons eat birds, but Tracy reassured us that if a bird is sick from HPAI and is moving slowly, the falcons will not eat it. They want healthy fast-moving prey, not an easy target! Isn’t that a relief?

Sleepy heads.

Murphy continues to warm our hearts by caring for the little eaglet. All is well at Wild Bird Sanctuary with these two.

A bit of a compilation video along with news of Murphy.

The first osplet at Lake Murray hatched on Wednesday. What a little cutie it is already wanting some fish! Thanks so much, Kathryn Russell, for monitoring this nest for us! Congratulations to Lake Murray!

‘H’ reports that Audrey of Audrey and Tom at Kent Island is beginning to accept that Tom3 will not return from his migration. Speaking of potential suitors and mates, ‘H’ says that Audrey “wanted nothing to do with them.  And, there had been no nest building . .  until today.” It looks like we could have Tom4. Thanks, ‘H’!

In Wales, Aran continues to court the beautiful unringed female and she seems to appear to be settling in to be the new Queen of Glaslyn replacing the formidable and long-lived Mrs G.

Seren has laid the second egg of the 2023 season at Llyn Clywedog in Wales on Tuesday.

A few hours later, Telyn laid her second egg at Dyfi!

The first egg of the 2023 season was laid at the Glacier Gardens nest of Liberty and Honour in Juneau Alaska on the 18th of April!

Gosh, it is so busy.

Our concerning moment on Wednesday comes from the Dale Hollow Nest where River delivered a fish that had a line in it.

It is not clear if DH18 is still attached to the line or not but, it appears so.

To the relief of everyone, River successfully removed the fishing line from DH18’s beak. That said, there is now concern because the line is wrapped around the carcass of the old racoon and appears to be attached to DH18’s leg. Thank you to ‘C’ for the image below. Using the IR light last evening, the mods did identify a fishing hook on the nest. Despite the nest being on US Army land and this being a perfect reason to get a permit to remove the line from the nest (human-caused), no help will come. Help was ready for DH15 when it was tangled last year (you might remember). I will only say that threats were made to anyone who would come to help. This attitude is the single biggest reason I do not recommend this nest. This is a lake where fishing takes place. People must be prepared to help the eagles when we have caused the issue. Empathy. Animals have rights, too. I hope that somehow this line will work its way free like the line did last season and cause no harm to DH18.

The eaglets were full to the brim at the Pittsburgh-Hayes nest today.

Oh, yes, you are a real cutie pie, Decorah Hatchery eaglet!

Yesterday, Big Red alerted and flew off the three eggs she is incubating. It is the first time I remember seeing this happen.

‘H’ has sent news that R4 is now fully recovered from what was stopping it from eating the other day. Excellent! That crops sure shows he is eating quite well, indeed. Oh, such a relief.

Mother Goose carefully covers up her precious six eggs so that she can go and forage.

Good Night, Mother Goose.

I am still trying to determine when the hatch watch is for Mother Goose. If you know, send me a note! In general, the goslings will begin to hatch about thirty-three days after the first of the six eggs is laid. Once they are all hatched, in 24-48 hours, they will leap from the nest, which is about 70 feet off the ground. The goslings are all feathered, can self-feed, and are capable of walking and following their parents. They look to the parents for security. The stream is below the nest. You can see it on the live cam. Last year 10 of the 11 goslings that took that leap of faith survived. One was believed to have gotten injured when it hit a branch on the way down. It is an amazing sight and I don’t want any of you to miss this magic.

I cannot tell you how much fish the oldest osplet at Achieva had compared to the youngest on Wednesday but, both appear to be doing well today and growing, getting their juvenile feathers. They are so camouflaged on that nest.

Abby and Victor are doing excellent! Just look at those strong legs!

It is blowing snow on the Pitkin County Trails Osprey nest in Colorado. It came in fast and robust. BTW. Those Colorado ‘lows’ cause our snow problems here on the Canadian Prairies, just like they are for this nest today. Thankfully, there are no eggs (or I don’t think there are).

Pip watch begins for Angel and Tom on Friday – I was two days early! Mark your calendars.

‘L’ has sent a note that Kaia, the mate of Karl II, is now on the Estonian border. I sure hope she gets a good tail wind and she gets home quickly to her nest to join Karl II. Great news.

This is an excellent article on bird migration – our amazing feathered friends and their long journey to their spring and summer breeding grounds.

Trying-to-Find-Your-Place-in-the-World-Try-Birding-From-a-Different-Angle.-The-New-York-TimesDownload

What will millions of tonnes of seaweed do when it hits the shores of islands and Florida as it moves to the west from the Atlantic?

Those-Seaweed-Blobs-Headed-for-Florida-See-How-Big-They-Are.-The-New-York-TimesDownload

Thank you so much for being with me. Please send your most positive thoughts to all our nests and especially to DH18 in the hope that line will work itself loose. Take care everyone. See you soon!

I want to thank everyone who sent me notes and thank those public sites for their posts, announcements, videos, and the streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘CDP’, ‘H’, ‘A’, ‘L’, Kathryn, The Peregrine Chick, Julie Sharpe and the Royal Cam Albatross Group NZ, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Cal Falcons, SK Hideawys and Cal Falcons, World Bird Sanctuary, Lake Murray Ospreys, Chesapeake Conservancy and Explore.org, Brewed Gwyllt Glaslyn, CarnyXWild, Dyfi Osprey Project, Glacier Gardens Eagle Nest Cam, Keisha Howell and DHECD, DHEC, PIX Cams, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Cornell RTH, WRDC, Decorah Goose Cam, Achieva Credit Union, Moorings Park Ospreys, Pitkin County Trails, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Looduskalender, and The New York Times.

3rd egg for Dahlgren, Lou feeds chicks…Wednesday in Bird World

19 April 2023

Good Morning to Everyone (or evening depending on where you live!),

It is Tuesday evening, as I write this, and the temperature is dropping on the Canadian Prairies. There was to be a drizzle, and the forecast is for three-day snow. I hope they are wrong! As a result, I did not stay inside. My motto is: do not put things off! If you feel good today, get up and go out if it works! There were two surprises at the nature centre. One was a fast-running Muskrat, and the other was a Wild Turkey. I do not have pictures of either. There were geese, ducks, and the usual feathered friends – the Goldfinches, the charming Chickadees, the Dark-eyed Juncos, and myriads of squirrels running everywhere. Even the frogs and garter snakes are waking up. It is, after all, supposed to be spring.

Jack and Harriet have their third egg at Dahlgren. ‘H’ clocked it at 02:00:43. Does it look like some of the garbage is off the nest? Oh, let’s hope! Thanks, ‘H’.

Just look at those beautiful eyes, wide open and round, of Annie and Lou’s little eyases. Precious. Everyone is eating!

Lou finally gets a chance to feed the chicks. ‘A’ notes, “By the time Annie comes in and takes over, the youngest (as usual, front and centre) has a crop! I just knew Lou would find the baby. What a sweetie. Annie, you can relax – he knows what he is doing and even removes the feathers properly instead of stuffing them into the chicks’ beaks. Good on you, dad. And he is certainly keeping the prey deliveries coming. Things will obviously get harder for him as these three grow but so far, he is keeping the pantry well stocked with fresh and well-prepared prey. Annie may have stumbled on a real keeper here. 

Annie and Lou made the Berkeley News.

Berkeleys-falcon-family-of-five-Annie-Lou-and-three-fluffy-chicks-Berkeley-NewsDownload

Sweet little Eaglet at Decorah survived that snowstorm. It was a gorgeous Tuesday morning in Iowa for the hatchery family to awaken to.

Laundry baskets are becoming a must want item for many wildlife rehabbers. Have any good extra ones? Call and see if your local clinic could use them!

World Bird Sanctuary just posted a time line for Murphy, the Rock Baby, and the Eaglet.

Gabby and V3 were at The Hamlet working on the nest and just hanging out together today. They are a gorgeous couple. I sure hope M15 gets himself a ‘Gabby’!

Confirmation of the second egg at Foulshaw Moss comes on Tuesday from Polly Turner for White YW and Blue 35.

About once a year I remind all my readers about a conversation that I had with Tiger Mozone a number of years ago. I wanted to know what made a ‘good’ Osprey. I kid you not that was my question. How do you determine if the Osprey parents are what it takes to raise really good, healthy chicks. Our conversation ended with Tiger telling me to think about race horses, their breeding, and the winners they sired. It is the genetics not ‘the physical’ look of the bird. One of those incredible male birds was Monty at the Dyfi Nest in Wales. His return rate for children and grandchildren is huge…he is a winning breeder. Monty bred with Glesni from 2013-2017. In the chart below, you can see that of the 12 chicks Monty and Gleans had that fledged, five of them have been positively sighted and have returned. Of those, all but one are male (according to Emyr Evans’ records). Monty bred with Telyn (she is currently the mate of Idris and one of my favourite couples) from 2018-2019. Of their six chicks, three have returned. Sadly Hesgyn was found dead last year but he did return! That is a 50% return rate. Fantastic. Of all those returnees, all are males but 2 – hence the reason that you will often see the term, ‘Monty’s Boys’.

I am particularly fond of 2016 hatch Tegid Z1 that was the chick of Monty and Gleans. One of Z1’s chicks, Z5 is back. She is Monty’s granddaughter. She needs a great mate and a nest. Tegid’s brother, Z2 Aeron, has just had his first egg laid with mate Blue 014 at Port Cresor.

You might recall that it was Z1 Tegid on Aran’s nest at Glaslyn the other day telling his mate to get home! LOL.

Karl II continues to wait for Kaia. Oh, this makes me so sad. She was so close behind when she entered Ukraine. Has something happened?

In Webster, Texas, Ringo is still returning to the nest for food and rest.

Sure do miss Thunder and Akecheta! Glad they had two eaglets hatch this year. So wish we could watch them!

Both on the West End cam on Tuesday.

Gorgeous Thunder.

15 and the Es are still going strong in Fort Myers. The female intruder has visited the nest to steal prey from the babies and the Es continue to enjoy one another’s company and to make milestones. Thanks EJ for this link.

Beautiful Bety incubating the four eggs at Mlade Buky nest of Bukacek. You might recall that two years ago Bukachek’s mate was electrocuted on a hydro pole and he took care of the nestling storks with the help of the community. They fledged! Great Dad.

Gosh, Harry continues to deliver a lot of fish. It seems like every time I check Abby and Victor are being fed. That is, of course, fantastic. These two are busy flapping their wings and getting those legs strong.

Iris had another one of her whopper trout on the owl pole but it was really windy and then the raining snow came. Iris stayed for a few minutes and off she went to find a better place to enjoy her lunch. Oh, if you are wondering…Louis and Iris have connected, literally, several times. There will be eggs, no one to look after them, the Crows will get them, and then Iris will spend her summers being a lady of leisure eating lovely Montana trout and getting healthy. Love you, Iris.

Only on really slow speed could I begin to capture the pounding rain-snow pelting our Iris.

Mother Goose was eating snow. It has all melted and hopefully she got time to go and find some food for herself. The male geese will guard the area but do not bring food. She needs to go and forage in and around the water.

Both chicks ate well at the Achieva Osprey nest on Tuesday. They are flapping their wings and attempting to walk on those sticks.

River brought in three fish for DH17 and 18 on Tuesday. They are 47 and 48 days old today. It is looking good.

River looking out over the Obey River – hence the names of her and her mate, Obey, who has now been missing for far too long to be classified as missing.

This memory came up on FB. This year we watched M15 raise E21 and 22 while grieving for his mate Harriet, contending with intruders – both human and raptor. Several years ago, Decorah Mum cried for her mate until she could not vocalise anymore she was so hoarse. She raised her three eaglets in Iowa by herself. She was amazing. Three of them!

Charlie arrived at Charlo Montana Osprey Platform Tuesday at 1825. Both are home!

‘H’ reports that both Rs have been eating at the WRDC nest. “At the Dade county nest –  R4 ate well for a total of about 35 minutes in two feedings yesterday.  Prey was reduced at the nest, not as many feedings.  R4 was not interested in eating when offered fish at 1855, but wouldn’t let R5 eat either, so Rose ate.”

Two great big eaglets at Duke Farms hopping and flapping those huge wings.

Those little bobbleheads melt your heart. The single eaglet at US Steel, USS6 is no exception!

‘A’ has reminded me to tell everyone that pip watch for Angel and Tom at the Leucistic Red-tail Hawk nest begins on Thursday!

Good Night, Big Red. It won’t be long til we are announcing your pip watch!

Another article on the importance of wetlands in the east of England but…it is not just there. The world needs a wetland system for our wildlife and our feathered friends. Wetlands need official protection. It ensures that they will survive despite changes in the mood of local politicians.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/18/the-guardian-view-on-englands-east-wetlands-wild-beautiful-and-vital?CMP=share_btn_link

You might recall that Missy was reviewing a book, Water Babies. She loved the pictures but suggested that I would get upset by some of the text, including the part about Canada Geese. She asked me to pass on it! Too funny.

I have on the desk a couple of books – one that is a study of the use of birds during World War I and the other is about geese, The Meaning of Geese. Since spring has arrived, it might take me longer but I will get a good review out for you of the two.

Thank you so very much for being with me today. There are lots and lots of stories happening around the world. We are waiting for Ella to lay her second falcon egg in Winnipeg—poor thing. Hopefully, the winter weather will be gone when those babies hatch! Take care. We hope to have you with us soon!

Thank you so much to the following for their notes, observations, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘EJ’, Cal Falcons, Berkeley News, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, The Raptor Rescue Society, World Bird Sanctuary, NEFL-AEF, Polly Turner and Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, Welsh osprey and Loch Garden and Other Ospreys, Eagle Club of Estonia, Paul White and Webster TX Eagle Cam, IWS and Explore.org, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Mlade Buky, Moorings Park Ospreys, Decorah Goose Cam, Achieva Credit Union, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Sydney Wells and Bald Eagle Live Nest and Cams, Owl Research Institute, WRDC, Duke Farms, Cornell RTH, and The Guardian.

Ervie, Iris, and more in Bird World for Tuesday

18 April 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that the beginning of the week was good for all of you. There is just a lot of great news out there in Bird World and I am really excited to share it with you.

Ella, the mate of Pip, laid the first Peregrine Falcon egg of the 2023 season in Manitoba at the Radisson Hotel scrape in downtown Winnipeg on the 17th of April! What a great kick-off to the season after Tracy’s outstanding presentation at Oak Hammock on the work of our local Peregrine Recovery Group Sunday.

It is always good when a two year old osprey has been spotted and this one is from the 2021 hatch at Loch of the Lowes. Laddie and Blue NC0’s LR2 was photographed in Spain! Alive and well. Just beautiful like her Mum.

‘B’ sent me a link to an excellent opinion piece in The Guardian about the swift decline in bird species. We know that there are also declines in North America. The Big Bird Day is coming – I will remind you closer to the time – and we should participate to get a detailed look at how and where the birds are doing. Some species in a significant decline in the UK are doing well in North America and vice versa.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/17/birds-vanishing-crisis-40m-birds?CMP=share_btn_link

Murphy and his eaglet made The New York Times! Yahoo. My wish is that everyone who has enjoyed the story of Murphy sends World Bird Sanctuary $10. If everyone did that, this wildlife rehabber in Missouri could do amazing things, including caring for Murphy and the eaglet.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/17/us/murphy-bald-eagle-rock.html?unlocked_article_code=kR-e7nYc4rZ-i5bM5D-ozD6L92h2iJLZ8K8p9bQSWs7urb6LQtWwS-5NQpDZC9JwLpIwcTfcZA7zDedbZq-5pWsw1forBDI0A-VRWerKUDcFUCET2RZ4i9eYaqlclCdIdaaJ1a3nB9r9SHnmAn9ET2WdxnnenP5v6r2OhSiumHakX_VxOFASGTVUgPc9VUR4OinBTtooGd9RcjcTJg2JrPww7NlAtSAZtbP2OWG-2fR5A8-fsp9molBFKD6cs2QoTqG_845bH2yqCZUoSEN9AjqVvfXY6KdIKXSQPHc2NqRl1hJkwoZvnaCxHdAtVK20ppQZicC8QXwcU5o&giftCopy=4_Disclaimer&smid=em-share

More Murphy Cartoons:

The latest update on Murphy and the eaglet after the tornado and big storms went through Missouri.

The third hatch of Annie and Lou has its beak wide open for prey – even when Mum feeds, and Dad brings in extra. That little one is up front and centre, as ‘A’ observes, and she said she felt like today had been a turning point on this scrape with the baby being fed well. Just look at that bite Annie is giving this little one.

The little one getting ‘stuffed’ crop before bedtime. We do not need to worry about this one! Lou is keeping all of the different places for stashing prey full. Great Dad!

There was a good feed at Dale Hollow! If those intruders are leaving River alone maybe her and DH17 and 18 will get to eat well and the eaglets will fledge. Wouldn’t that be nice?

River fed the eaglets so much that when they wanted to hop around the nest they had a hard time because of those crops.

Full crops at Moorings Park Ospreys.

Abby and Victor are now as loud as Sally when Harry arrives with the fish. Here comes Dad!

Hatchery Mum fed and kept that little eaglet dry and warm throughout the blizzard. Now the sun is out!

White-tail Eagle Milda feeding her two little eaglets in Latvia. Oh, I so want to see these two well fed and fledge this year. Milda deserves it.

Kaia has not arrived in Estonia at the Black Stork nest she shares with Karl II. There has, however, been another female with a distinctive pattern on her right leg. We do not know if Kaia will arrive at the nest. She was last in Ukraine. We can only wait to see.

The female is unringed but has this distinctive pattern on her leg.

At the nest of Betynka and Bukadek in The Czech Republic, Bety is incubating four precious eggs.

Iris continues to bring in her whoppers – a magnificent trout – that she eats on the owl pole.

Oh, and this is what an amazing ‘ps’ looks like Iris-style.

Mother Goose and her eggs appear to be fine after the blizzard in Iowa. We have no geese with eggs yet in Manitoba but, there is a snow storm brewing for Wednesday and Thursday that is predicted to dump 30 cm (1 ft) of snow.

Every time I look at an old tree with a nest in it, I think of Nancy and Beau losing their nest and their sweet little eaglet. I wonder how many other trees need some support?

The Pittsburgh-Hayes Eagle nest:

Thank you ‘B’ for sending me this link so that we can all see Andor and Cruz’s two eaglets from this season at the new Two Harbours nest!

Speaking of Channel Islands, here is an older video of our hero Dr Sharpe fostering chicks into nests. Oh, so many would love if a foster chick could get into Jak and Audacity’s nest this year. They have tried so hard! Thank you to everyone who sent me this link…we would love to see him do this one more time for Sauces!

A Kestrel was spotted in Winnipeg Monday morning, the first for the season. At Robert Fullers in the UK, Mrs Kestrel has laid her first egg.

Oh, geez. I get nervous when an Osprey nest has three eggs but here is another one with four this season in Missouri. The other is Maya and Blue 33 at Manton Bay, Rutland Water in the UK.

Charlotte is back at Charlo Montana! My goodness she is a beauty.

Buzz Hockaday posted some images of Calypso and Ervie on the Friends of S Australia Osprey site. I pulled out two of Ervie for you. He is looking good. Ervie, it is so nice to see you!

Some other news we are following this morning:

  • All is well at Achieva. Diane fed the two a huge catfish yesterday and Dad brought in another fish. They ate for at least three hours.
  • Z2 Aeron and his mate, Blue 014, have laid their first egg at Port Cresor.
  • At Kielder Nest 4, Mr and Mrs 69 laid their first egg on Sunday morning
  • There is some concern that the male at the Osoyoos nest this year is not Olsen.
  • There is some concern that R4 at the WRDC nest in Miami of Ron and Rose has some issues. He is being monitored as it appears he has difficulty eating. Hopefully, this is not Trichomonosis. We have seen this in a Finnish Osprey nest (Boris and Titi) and also the 4th hatch at CBD in Melbourne in 2021. It causes severe damage to the tissues of the mouth, throat, crop and esophagus and affected birds may drool saliva, regurgitate food, have difficulty in swallowing food and water, demonstrate laboured breathing and/or have a swollen neck or throat.
  • I am trying to get a good feed on the Venice Golf and Country Club Osprey platform to see if there are still three osplets on the platform.

Some people rescue our feathered friends and who, in the process, understand just how much our birds do for us. Here is a lovely article of a Welsh writer and illustrator and the owls she has rescued and what they give to her life. Oh, it is a good read!

Writing about George (the subject of her forthcoming book), Hughes says, “He and his magpie presence had a very powerful effect on me. He left me with a love of birds that I just hadn’t expected. If you had told me, a few years before, you’re going to fall in love with a magpie and be completely crackers about it, I would have laughed at you. If you’d told me I was going to end up with 13 owls in an aviary, I wouldn’t have believed you.” I imagine that so many of you could say that about the feathered friends from the streaming cams that have become so much a part of our lives. They give us so much. In return, I hope that we can help make the changes that will ensure that their lives are more secure.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/apr/16/frieda-hughes-crow-death-sylvia-plath-ted-hughes?CMP=share_btn_link

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: As many of you know, I am researching osprey behaviour. The main project is on siblicide. At the same time, Claudio Eduardo has set up a programme to get an accurate number of how many eggs are laid, how many hatches, and how many fledge. In addition, we can monitor if any of the osplets perish. This will give us a better idea of the survival rate in the nests of the streaming cams.

I am looking for volunteers. In particular, I seek observers for the following nests: Charlo Montana, City of Independence, Dunrovin, Lake Murray, McEwan Park, Minnesota Landscape, Newfoundland Power, Nova Scotia Power, Oyster Bay, Patchogue, Seaside, Wolf Bay, Salem Electric. There is no compensation, just my eternal gratitude, and you will always be mentioned in any material in print for your assistance.

This does not involve watching nests intently or taking pages of notes. I require the dates that eggs are laid, the dates that the eggs hatch, and the dates that the chicks fledge. If you observe a nest that appears to be in trouble and where siblicide might occur, I would like to be alerted so that the nest can be closely monitored. If you can help, please send me a note with your name and contact information and which nest you can observe: maryannsteggles@icloud.com Thank you so much.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘H’, ‘A’, ‘L’, ‘B’, Manitoba Peregrine Recovery Project, Valerie Webber Loch Garten and other Ospreys, The Guardian, the NY Times, World Bird Sanctuary, Cal Falcons, Dale Hollow Eagles, Keisha Howell and Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Moorings Park Osprey, Raptor Resource Project, Latvian Fund for Nature, Eagle Club of Estonia, Looduskalender Forum, Mlade Bury, Montana Osprey Project, Decorah Goose Cam, PIX Cams, IWS, Robert E Fuller, Carol Craig and Osprey Friends, Mary Anne Miller and Osprey Friends, and Bass Hockaday and Friends of Osprey S Australia.

Sunday in Bird World

16 April 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

On Saturday, a grey day in Manitoba started drizzly and cold. The birds were at the garden feeders an hour early. It was pretty interesting. There were more Black-capped chickadees and woodpeckers today than in previous days. The conservatory has genuinely been a blessing. It is like sitting with them in the middle of the garden but separate, not bothering them. They seem unaware of my presence, looking out the windows, often with my camera. Thankfully, the sun is up, and it is a bright day in Manitoba this morning.

Missy has taken to enjoying looking out the window from inside a large ceramic platter that has become a new sleeping spot!

Lewis is such an ‘angel’ when he is sleeping.

Our continuing good news story comes from the World Bird Sanctuary. Murphy and his Eaglet are doing well. The folks at World Bird Sanctuary are working hard to get some images out. These are screen captures from a short FB video they posted. Things look good. Just look at Murphy, 31 years old, wanting to be a Dad, sitting by his eaglet. Does it get any better?

In the images below, Murphy is teaching the eaglet what to do.

Murphy and his eaglet made the news – well, they are making the news around the world. We are so in need of joyful happenings and this is certainly one of those.

Other happiness comes from the Achieva Osprey nest and San Jose City Hall. I received word from ‘H’ of the two big celebratory occasions. First up, there was fear for Middle Bob at Achieva. He has not eaten much for at least two days. On Saturday at 16:44, a big fish landed on the nest, and Middle Bob was fed for 25 minutes. Today, Middle managed to get to a place where he could get fed and be protected from the aggressive older sibling. It was a relief to all watching. It is one day at a time on this nest. It is an extremely difficult Osprey platform to watch – and it isn’t any easier this year than it was in 2021.

At Dale Hollow, DH18 stole the fish and had a good feed. Again, River is doing her best with all the intruders in dire circumstances. She has been feeding them every day. Perhaps not nearly as much as she would like or they need but, they are being fed. We have to remember that River also needs to eat. It is extremely difficult for single-parent raptor nests. We send her and DH17 and DH18 our most positive wishes.

Do you recall the year-old falcon, the San Jose City Hall male who tried to feed his first egg? Well, as of Saturday, he has four eggs that he will have to feed in a little over a month! They will need a full pantry!

‘H’ also sent me a link to a tribute to Connie-Clive-Connick. Nice one! Connick is healing. His blood is coagulating and CROW is attempting to find out what impacted his primaries.

Anna and Louis are taking very good care of Trey as her leg injury heals. Mum Raptors love to fill those babies up to the top of their crop to keep them on the nest. Trey, you need to rest your leg not be flying all over the tree!

In Latvia, Milda and Voldis now have two little White-tail eaglets. It is so hard to see them in that deep nest bowl.

Saturday is the day for Ferris Akel’s tour and there was plenty of waterfowl today including a Wilson’s Snipe. Oh, I love shore birds and am so looking forward to seeing some ‘live’ here in Manitoba this summer. I did not know that the female Wilson Snipe tends the eggs and nestlings. Once the chicks are ready to fledge, the adults split them up. The male takes the two oldest and the female takes the two youngest.” Separate training!

Ferris checked on one of the Bald Eagle nests and to everyone’s surprise there were eaglets – at least two – their heads poking above the rim. Adorable.

The highlight of the tour today was the Great Blue Heron Rookery at Montezuma.

Sunset at Montezuma.

Iris brought in a whopper to the owl pole and had a really good feed. Then she spent time sitting in her nest watching the activities in the parking lot. I have not noticed Louis being over yet and my friend, ‘T’ says he will wait until Star has eggs under her and she can’t check on him! Too funny. Ospreys have such interesting behaviours.

Iris is great at catching whoppers.

Just look at the size of that fish. She could easily take first prize in the local fishing contests.

There are now three eggs at the Patuxent River Park Osprey platform #1.

The Glaslyn Valley is waiting for a new Queen. It looks like Aran might have one!

The unringed female is a natural beauty. Those intense eyes remind me of Mrs G.

Aran preparing a fish for his beautiful female.

She is waiting in the nest when Aran brings it to the rim.

She accepts!

Good night, Aran. You might have a formidable new mate who will protect your chicks against anything!

There is no rewind on the Foulshaw Moss camera in Cumbria. Polly Turner caught Blue 35 laying the season’s first egg for her and White YW. I am incredibly fond of this female and how she was able to ‘trick’ her two much larger by a long shot osplets so that she could feed the tiny third, Blue 464 two years ago.

The first egg was laid at the Dahlgren Osprey Platform in Virginia on 11 April. Jack has been filing the nest with plastic objects, not toys, but, junk. There was concern for the egg. ‘H’ notes that it is now four days since the first egg and no second one. We wait.

‘H’ reports this morning that 4 days and 16 hours after the first egg, Harriet at Dahlgren laid her second egg.

M15 continues to be rather amazing, as are his two fledglings. The female intruder wanted a fish M had brought to 21 and 22. She landed in the nest, trying to take in. E21 flew in to help dad – he was fearless. Then 22 came in to assist. What a team they made. The female still made off with the fish, but seeing those three work together cooperatively was remarkable.

A must watch. M15 defends the nest from the female intruder! Fish goes over board.

It is just so much calmer within the scrape at Cal Falcons. Lou really wants to feed his trio.

More of Lou – and Annie – and the trio from SK Hideaways.

It seems that each of us has, at one time or another, yelled – loudly or silently – at the GHOs on the Pritchett property that continually hit and harassed M15 and the Es. At the same time, we look at Bonnie and Clyde’s two owlets and want to ‘cuddle’ with them. They really are quite adorable.

The three eaglets at Dulles-Greenway had big crops throughout the day. The plastic bags on the nest have multiplied. There are now two. Hopefully, the wind will blow them from the nest before any eaglet gets tangled. You might remember that nests have been cleaned when too much human debris could endanger the nestlings.

‘A’ notes that it was Rosa that brought in the squirrel that has been feeding the little ones. Martin arrived in the nest empty taloned yesterday to Rosa’s dismay. So far this nest has done well with the three. We do not need any intermittent lags in prey delivery right at this stage!

Wet little munchkins.

I have lost track of when the goslings are due to hatch in Decorah. Do you know? It will be grand to see them all take that leap of faith again this year.

Just down the road is the Decorah Hatchery nest with its cute little eaglet. It started raining late in the day and HM is keeping baby warm and dry.

Abby and Victor are 44 days old today. Stunning. Their juvenile plumage is nothing short of gorgeous.

A portion of England’s wetlands seek UNESCO heritage status. Wetlands. How often do you think about them? They are critical during migration, and they are essential for the ducks and waterfowl or the raptors that hunt them. We need more wetlands across the globe. Many regions are working to increase theirs. What is happening where you live?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/15/avian-super-highway-uks-pitstop-for-migrating-birds-seeks-unesco-status-aoe?CMP=share_btn_link

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care everyone. Hope to see you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, observations, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, Australia Raptor Care and Conservation, World Bird Sanctuary, Achieva Credit Union, Heidi McGru and Achieva Ospreys with Jack and Diane, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, San Jose City Hall, Onabebe and Captiva Eagle Cam, Tonya Irwin and KNF Eagle Cam Fans, Looduskalender Forum and Latvian Fund for Nature, Ferris Akel, Montana Osprey Project, Ashley Wilson and Patuxent River Park Osprey Nest, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Polly Turner and Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys, Dahlgren Ospreys, Sw Florida Eagle Cam, Cal Falcons, SK Hideways and Cal Falcons, Farmer Derek, Dulles Greenaway, Decorah Goose Cam, Moorings Park Ospreys, and The Guardian.

Lou and Annie’s fluff balls, hatch for Milda and Voldis, Osprey soap opera…Saturday in Bird World

15 April 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Some excellent news has come to me via Karel and Bogette’s Livestream from Cornell this morning. Last year, Big Red’s beautiful girl, L1, was killed when she struck the breezeway that connects the old Stocking Building and the new Stocking Hall on the Cornell Campus. It is also the building where L3 was injured. Two years ago, a Bird Strike Committee was established at Cornell to remediate issues related to glass structures. The Acopians are now installed on the breezeway at Stocking so that Big Red and Arthur’s Ms and all other raptors on campus are protected.

This is Stocking Hall. The breezeway is in the middle.

The Acopians being installed.

The article about Bird Strike. Thank you, Cornell, for rising to the challenge since you are – Cornell Bird Lab! Now every building everywhere with glass should have these simple devices installed to protect our birds.

Red-tailed-Hawk-Fledglings-Face-Invisible-Challenges-Cornell-Lab-Bird-Cams-Cornell-Lab-Bird-CamsDownload

Oh, it was cold to the bone on Friday in the Canadian Prairies. The skies were heavy with clouds and only reached 4 degrees C. There was rain but that did not stop the Dark-eyed Juncos from seeking out the millet or the Starlings and Woodpeckers coming for the suet, thankfully. We will have some cloud and sun and then, believe it or not, snow is forecast for next week. Poor migrants!

The mate was waiting for its term on the Crabapple Tree.

The squirrels were out enjoying the peanuts! This is one of Dyson’s sweet babies from last year. Watching them chase one another through the lilacs, sending the birds fluttering away for a few minutes is such a pleasure. They all survived the winter.

Meanwhile, in the house, Lewis and Missy decided that rainy days were good for napping in the ‘Big Dog Bed’. They certainly fill it up! Despite their antics, the two of them are inseparable. Constantly having to touch one another, doing the same thing, grooming one another. It is pretty precious.

The early morning grin for the day continues to come from World Bird Sanctuary!

An intriguing interview and the ‘excellent news of the day’ comes from Conservation without Borders. This is one of the best – can wildlife thrive at a garbage dump? Listen to what Sasha Dench found out in Dakar, Senegal.

Annie and Grinnell’s Laurencium (Larry) has been breeding on Alcatraz and her and her her mate have four little eyases. Wow! That amazing pairing of Annie and Grinnell live on in their grandchicks.

Meanwhile, Annie and her new mate, Lou, have three eyases with constantly open beaks ready for prey!

‘A’ observes, “We’ve been wondering what sort of dad little Lou would be – I think this video answers the question. Isn’t he just the cutest little falcon? He looks so guilty when Annie catches him too, quickly offering her the food he had just carefully prepared for the little ones (he seemed more careful too about removing the feathers Annie is so fond of feeding the chicks). Love the little conversation between them.And those dear little eyases – all they know how to do at this point is open their tiny pink beaks as wide as possible. Unbelievably cute. I agree that it is now unlikely the fourth egg will hatch, which is probably a good thing, although I am quite sure this pair could manage to raise four. Lou is proving to be a very good provider, and like most males, he really wants some chick time.” 

The very young male falcon at San Jose City Hall is figuring it all out!

Iris was back at her nest Friday morning much to the relief of everyone after she was not seen for a couple of days. We all know that Iris is older than Mrs G and when we cannot see her, we do worry that she is no longer with us. Thank you for coming back to the nest, Iris. I have not seen any news of Louis visiting Iris since she returned from her migration. I find that rather interesting…or maybe he has been there and I have missed it.

In Wales, it appears that the quick visit by Monty’s 2016 hatch Z1 Tegid scared off one of the females vying for Aran’s attention to replacing Mrs G. Everyone loved that sweet female. Turns out she was Z1’s mate and he was wanting her to go home!!!!!! Tegid certainly has a beautiful mate and they have raised many chicks together. Let us hope that all is well.

The female on the nest on Friday was very assertive – a quality that many thinks bodes well for the nest sighting that ‘Aran likes to be bossed around’. Aran has been providing fish and the female is sleeping on the perch Friday night.

The new more aggressive female is still on the nest at Glaslyn with Aran on Saturday. He has brought her two fish and they have mated. Oh, I do hope she stays. She is a beauty! But also, Aran is an incredible male that deserves a super female. She has that look in her eye like Mrs G!

Then there is Kielder Forest and no one can figure out who is on what nest this year!

Mrs G has made the BBC news. No doubt numerous other news outlets will carry the story of this amazing osprey.

Gwynedd-osprey-charity-gives-up-hope-bird-will-ever-return-BBC-NewsDownload

It was a summery day – 28.86 or 84 degrees F – for Big Red incubating her three eggs on the Cornell campus. This appears to be a heat record for this time of year in the area.

The two eaglets at the Pittsburgh-Hayes Bald Eagle nest were hot -. were it was also 28 degrees C.

Those same blistering temperatures were also at the Dulles-Greenway nest of Martin and Rosa. But human debris is on the nest. Let us hope the winds get up and carry it away!

‘A’ found a video of one of the feedings at Dulles-Greenaway. On Friday, all the kids did was eat. They are growing so fast with those incredible clown feet!

The challenging and magnificent year at the SW Florida Eagle Cam is quickly coming to an end. E21 and E22 fly and soar, play and peck, and have entertained us. It will be so sad to see them go. The family made the news again. It is a beautiful story. M15 did it and in grand style – raised two month-old eaglets alone.

https://www.capecoralbreeze.com/news/community-news/2023/04/12/harriets-last-brood-its-been-a-wild-wild-ride/

More GHO strikes on the Es last night. Those owls are relentless.

Achieva and Dale Hollow: The early meals at Achieva on Friday appear to have mostly gone to the oldest chick on the nest; the same was also happening at Dale Hollow, although 18 did some of the early morning fish compared to the 3 bites that Middle got at Achieva. Food is a continuing problem at these nests, along with dominance issues.

It’s hot and the family is wishing for fish.

DH18 will move around to the side to get some fish away from the older sibling.

It is difficult to watch with the youngest prey calling to River. Heart breaking.

Trey had not been seen in Louisiana at the E1 nest (neither had Anna or Louis, as I understand it) for 11 days. Trey returned today and was limping. She is at the nest being cared for by her parents, who, most likely, was helping her away from the nest when she was injured. Everyone is hoping for a good rest for Trey and a great outcome to the limping leg.

The Bartlesville Oklahoma Bald Eagle nest lost a chick. It disappeared in the night several days ago. The third egg hatched and the couple are now raising two. Hopefully all goes well.

All of the other raptor nests that we have been following seem to be doing well. See note at the end about Achieva and Dale Hollow.

Trey has been moving around on the branches of the nest tree and was last seen on the fledge tree. Everyone is hoping that she might spend the night in the nest and let her injured leg rest and heal.

Rosie and Richmond have a new nest on the whirly crane this year. No eggs yet but soon. Are there specific reasons that raptors will build new nests? Akecheta and Thunder moved their nest. Was it because of the eaglet falling off? Andor and Cruz moved their nest. Was it because of Victor’s illness? Did Richmond and Rosie change the site of their nest on the crane because of Molate’s death last year? I wonder.

You can see the old nest further back.

I received news about the ill Bald Eagles in Cowlitz, WA. Thanks so much, ‘B’, for following up on this. The ill Bald Eagles had eaten the flesh of two horses that had been euthanised. As it happened, the backhoe broke before they could be buried, and quickly the eagles came in for the warrior, not knowing there was pentobarbital in their systems. The owner of the horses is working diligently with the local wildlife clinic to help those eagles. They had no idea that their actions would harm wildlife. Education is the key here for everyone. Please spread the world as it is appropriate.

Another hitchhiker! This time a Kestrel.

A map of Georgian Bay by Park Canada. Lots of islands.

Research into the diets of Kakapo found in ancient caves might help scientists help with new habitat locations.

There are a lot of open houses at the wildlife clinics coming up around the world. Check out what is happening in your local area and if you live anywhere near Ithaca (oh, don’t I wish), head for the Cornell Vet Lab. You will get to meet the ambassadors and one is a Big Red fledgling!

Congratulations to Milda and Voldis on the hatch of their first eaglet of the 2023 season. Voldis fed his little one some fish. Send all the most positive wishes to this family. Milda deserves it!

Last, Karl II is working on the nest for Kaia’s arrival. She is now in Ukraine. Soon! Karl II looks pretty comfy in that nest…he will have it perfect for his mate’s arrival.

Thank you so much for being with me today. It is always a pleasure to have you with us. Take care. See you soon!

Oh, and I forgot to say. Please feel free to share my blog on FB and Twitter if you wish. Just click on the buttons below. If you like what you have read, click the ‘Like’ button. Thanks!

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘B’, Karel and Boggette’s Livestream, Ellie VanHoulen and All About Birds, Corviforms and World Bird Sanctuary, Geemeff and Conservation without Borders, Cal Falcon Cam, SK Hideaways and San Jose City Hall Falcon Cam, Montana osprey Project, Welsh Osprey and Loch Garten and Other Ospreys, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, BBC, Cornell RTH, PIX Cams, Dulles-Greenway Eagles, S & M Turkatar and Dulles Greenway, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Capecoralbreeze.com, Achieva Credit Union, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Tonya Irwin and Kisatchie National Forest Eagle Cam Fans, Sutton Centre, Golden Gate Audubon, Canadian Raptor Conservancy, Parks Canada, Department of Conservation (NZ), Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters, Latvian Fund for Nature, and Looduskalender Forum.

Mrs G Remembered, eggs for Seren and Telyn…Friday in Bird World

14 April 2023

Good Morning,

It was overcast and coolish, 1 C, in the early morning of Thursday. It felt like rain; we could use it, but the drops never came. The Dark-eyed Juncos are eating the Millet spread over the deck, the little woodpecker has been at the feeder, and 18 European Starlings showed up at about 1000. It is now noon. They should be happy. There is Bark Butter with Mealworms along with their favourite suet. Hoping they come back. Last year’s numbers were high for Starlings. Hoping it is the same this migration. People take them for granted, like Sparrows, but what happens when they are gone? They are under threat. So, this garden embraces them and the Sparrows; believe it or not, they all co-exist nicely for the most part. Right now, they all need food. Those long journeys and habitat loss in my area over the winter due to the ever-expanding need for humans to have more extensive houses means that we should all pitch in and feed them – if we can.

Snail mail. We don’t get so much of it anymore; it is always a welcome treat. Today the publications from Birdlife International and Living Bird were in the post. I realise that having them sent costs the environment. I hope they will be helpful in the future to others as they are going in dedicated binders.

Lots to learn. The National Whitebark Pine Restoration Plan members have worked for 14 years to get a plan to restore this tree species. They hope to have a tree with genetic resistance to white pine blister rust and they are really expecting the Clark’s Nutcracker to spread those seeds. It could help to restore many lost forests for the future. The Smithsonian now has a bird friendly chocolate certification programme to go along with their Birds and Beans coffee and Caffe Ibis Coffee. You can normally order from the Smithsonian. In Canada, coffee can be ordered directly from the roaster in Toronto. Some specialty bird feed providers also have one lb bags of coffee beans such as Preferred Perch in Winnipeg. What else did. learn? That both the Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks that visit my garden like Dark-eyed Juncos as prey items along with lots of House Sparrows, Mourning Doves, and Starlings. Cornell did a great study on what birds should actually be the State birds and only two states kept the ones that they celebrate: Louisiana with the Brown Pelican and Oklahoma with the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. In Manitoba, where I live our provincial bird would be the Connecticut Warbler. 33% of the entire population breeds here. Our provincial animal is currently the Great Grey Owl.

Heather Corfield at Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn has written a lovely blog dedicated to the memory of Mrs G, the formidable female Osprey that has populated the area. She laid 60 eggs and fledged 52 chicks. She has at least 130 grand-chicks along with countless great-grand chicks. She had only two mates, Ochre 11 (98) to 2015 and then our dear Aran since then. She bred at Glaslyn for 19 years and was the oldest UK Osprey. It is a good read about a very remarkable bird. As Heather says, we knew the day would come. She was at least 23-24 years old – but it doesn’t make it any easier. Mrs G did not return from migration and it is unknown when and where she died.

https://www.glaslynwildlife.co.uk/the-end-of-an-era/

Does get much cuter than fluffy little Peregrine Falcon eyases! OK. Big Red, yes, I do love Red-tail Hawk eyases the most!!!!!! Annie giving the two nestlings at Cal Falcons their first feeding at 0720 on Thursday morning.

There were two adorable little white white fluff balls with no egg shell present.

No shell but a visible crack in the one shell to the left.

Now Annie looking rather mischievous…and there is a half shell on the scrape. Looks like we have hatch 3.

Annie turned around at 11:53 and moved the shell and you can see a tiny wet pink eyas.

The reveal and Lou gets to see that his family has just grown some more. Best be out there hunting, Lou!

Later…the new hatch will be ready for some prey tomorrow! It is less than five hours old in the following images.

These eyases will grow dramatically from their hatch to fledging. Think 40 days. At first, their eyes are closed except when food begging; the eyes open like slits. By the fifth day, their eyes will be fully open all the time except when they are sleeping and they can focus and see clearly.

At that time their weight will have doubled from when they hatched! I am such a fan of falcons and hawks…you will be overwhelmed with ‘baby pictures’.

‘A’ says, “Little Lou is enjoying being a dad. As soon as Annie decides to take a prey gift for herself, he’s onto those chicks and the remaining egg. I wonder if he is counting. Does he notice that these well-behaved eggs are progressively being swapped out for these small fluffy wriggling things. He’s doing such a good job of covering everything and everyone he needs to, at least so far… That won’t last long, especially if that last egg hatches.”

Do you know how Peregrine Falcons get such amazing colours to their eggs? Here is the answer from the Chicago Peregrine Program:

“As an egg moves down the female’s oviduct it presses against glands that produce colored pigments. Peregrine egg colors range from pale creamy to a dark rusty brown. Marking patterns develop by if the eggs are in motion or not when they reach the glands with pigment. If the Peregrine egg is stationary at the time when it comes in contact with the glands, it’ll become spotted. If the egg was in motion, it would have streaks. Because the egg can continue to gain color down the oviduct, and as the egg can rotate slightly while it moves, you can have color laid over where color was already added.The pigments in the glands become depleted with each successive egg laid. Looking at this egg set from The Field Museum, we would estimate the egg on the far right was laid first, while the one on the far left came last.”

For more information about egg color in birds – check out this link from Cornell –https://www.allaboutbirds.org/…/the-beauty-and…/…#

Falcons are either laying eggs or have hatches…it is so much fun. Seriously if you have never watched a falcon scrape you need to start! Everyone eats! The incidence of sibling rivalry/siblicide is so diminished compared to ospreys and eagles. You will be astonished.

The Michigan Spartan scrape box has four eggs!

Oh, and then there are the most gorgeous osplets with their juvenile feathers at Moorings Park eating breakfast. Gosh, they are all beautiful.

Oh, and Idris preparing a fish for Telyn Blue 3J at the Dyfi Osprey platform in Wales. The anticipation of the first egg is growing.

And….

we have two first eggs – at Dyfi and at Llyn Clywedog! Telyn laid her egg at 17:40 with Seren coming in twelve minutes later at 17:53. Congratulations!

Telyn – congratulations to one of my most favourite couples, Idris and Telyn!

Idris sees their egg!

Beautiful Seren Blue 5F. 17:53:20.

Dylan had been up on the perch since 0615 expecting an egg today so he was there when the big event happened.

Just look at that beautiful pristine landscape. What wonderful places these Welsh ospreys have for their platforms!

Several have wondered why there are not more osprey platforms in the Glaslyn Valley. Well, there was Aran and Mrs G’s platform. Then another platform was placed just at the boundary of Port Cresor which is now occupied by Aeron Z2 (2017 Monty and Gleans) and Blue 014. At the time, some believed the placement was to ‘steal’ Mrs G from Glaslyn. There has certainly been a lot of interest in the Glaslyn nest from Monty and Glesni’s boys that hatched at Dyfi including Z1, Aeron’s full brother, Tegid (2016, Monty and Gleans). He briefly appeared on the nest. Did he steal the female’s fish? His nest is ON4 on private property. Is there a move to consolidate Monty’s family holdings in Glaslyn now that Aran is trying to establish himself with a new mate? Aran got Tegid moving!

Tegid is the 2016 hatch of Monty and Gleans and was known as ‘The White Egg’. He was harassed by Blue 24 (female) if I recall. Good to see you Tegid. Now go home to Snowdonia!!!!!

Aran flapping after sending off Tegid. Sadly, the whole event sent the nice female off and she hasn’t been seen on the nest on Friday. Aran was sky dancing to another female, a more aggressive one to him.

Ringo fledged at the Webter, Texas Bald Eagle nest near Houston but, s/he has continued to return to the nest for food lured by parents. Thursday was no exception. This is fantastic. These parents are teaching Ringo exactly the sane way that M15 is teaching the Es to survive independently. Great mantle, Ringo! Looks like a big girl to me.

There are two eggs at the Golden Eagle nest in Romania. Siblicide is common in Golden Eagle nests so watch this nest with that warning.

The cam operator at Cornell Bird Lab gave us some incredible close up images of Big Red today. It will not be long until hatch watch for her and Arthur.

She is incredibly beautiful, our 20 year old Red-tail Hawk ‘Queen’.

Achieva and Dale Hollow: River brought in a nice fish at 10:22 Thursday morning. Despite the intruder close by, River fed both eaglets well. Yes!

DH18 decided to do some self-feeding on the last of the fish bone. Way to go little one.

DH17’s wing span!

A view of the Obey River.

Both osplets at Achieva had crops during the 0800 fish feed! Good news.

The three eaglets at PA Farm Country are growing and doing very well, indeed. No issues at this nest to report.

Gabby and V3 might not have had a nest of eaglets this year but they are positively delighted being with one another and I am looking forward to November next year when, hopefully, they will lay a clutch of eggs for the first time together.

I have been watching the Dulles-Greenway nest reasonably close. On Thursday by late afternoon, all I could see were two short feedings with the third hatch not getting anything at the second. Are there intruders about? or am I missing feedings?

All looks well at the Pittsburgh-Hayes Bald Eagle nest.

The eaglet at US Steel is 8 days old.

Cholyn and Chase’s single hatch this season is not going to go hungry. The nest is loaded with a variety of prey items for this chubby little fluff ball.

In Estonia, Karl II waits for the arrival of his mate, Kaia, at their Black Stork nest in the Karula National Forest. Karl II arrived yesterday from migration. Kaia is close behind.

There are some dates that you should mark on your calendar. The first one is a day that many of you will not recognise – National Curlew Day which is the 21st of April on the feast day of St Brueno, the patron saint of Curlews. The species is critically-endangered in many places around the world because of modern agricultural politics, climate change, habitat encroachment. Instead of me telling you about Curlews, read about them. Find ou what their status is where you live. These lovely shore birds migrate and they need wetlands, they need not to be shot! See what you can do to help in your area.

The other two days are about bird counts. 13 May. Mark it on your calendar. It is Global Big Day that helps us celebrate the birds that are in our environment. The second event is World Migratory Bird Day which is held twice a year to celebrate the marvellous journeys our birds make in the spring and fall. Please sign up to eBird to help track the birds and to see where help is needed. Last year 51,455 birds worldwide entered their statistics from 201 countries for 7,673 bird species.

Many of you have pets or have had in the past. Did you take them to the crematorium? Did you leave them with the Vet if they had to be euthanised? Last year we saw dumped pets euthanised in several landfills around the Minneapolis area.

Three-bald-eagles-dead-10-others-sickened-after-eating-carcasses-of-euthanized-animals-at-MinnesotaDownload

This could not have been an isolated incident, but it came to light only because of the Bald Eagles eating the carrion found at the dump and having to go into rehab. Reports have come that a similar incident happened in the Pacific-Northwest in the Cowlitz district in Washington from one of our readers. Why are we hearing about this? Has there been a change in human behaviour during and after the pandemic? Did pet crematoriums close so that vets are left dealing with animals left in their charge? What can be done? If your pet is sick, you should learn how your vet clinic disposes of the body. That should be a priority. Are they assigning these animals to another business that should be disposing of them correctly but is dumping them? It is entirely possible that these contractors are not following laws or protocols. Ask. The vets’ drugs can cause our carrion eaters – Crows, Vultures, Bald Eagles, etc. – to get ill and die. This is not a good situation. Talk to your local wildlife rehab clinic and veterinary surgeon if you want to help and do not have pets. They might not be aware!

A sad story coming from Arkansas in the US. What’s with the need to kill other living beings? I do not get it.

Thank you so much for being with me. Take care all. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, news, and streaming cams that helped inform my blog today: ‘A’, ‘B’, Heather Corfield and Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Chicago Peregrine Program, Olga Kysil and Orange, Australia Peregrine Falcons, Moorings Osprey, Dyfi Osprey, CarnyXWild, Paul White and the Webster TX Eagles, Associate Wild Bucovina, Cornell RTH Cam, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Achieva Credit Union, PA Game Commission, NEFL-AEF, Dulles-Greenway, PIX Cam, IWS and Explore.org, Eagle Club of Estonia, and CBS News.

Murphy fed the baby eaglet, Maya lays historic 4th egg…Thursday in Bird World

13 April 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

It is a balmy ‘summer day’ on the Canadian Prairies. The temperature was 12 C with a blue sky and winds of 19 kph. It was a perfect day to go to the park and check on the arrival of the Canada Geese.

Several Ring-billed Gulls were enjoying the water. Ring-billed Gulls have white markings on their outer wing feathers. You can see these in the image below. They also have pale eyes with a red eye-ring. I like to think of them as celadon eyes, that coveted green-grey glaze from China. There is also a black band on the end of the yellow bill.

There were geese everywhere…at least 75 in a small area around the pond.

In the garden, there has been much joy with the arrival of the first European Starling around 1700. Also, there were three Blue Jays today. Last year, we had Junior and the three babies. Will there be another arrival tomorrow? We wait to see if four return from migration to join the Dark-eyed Juncos and the arrival of the Starlings.

This is the older Blue Jay, Junior.

Blue Jays are incredibly picky over peanuts. They test and shake each one for its weight. No sense in using all that energy for an old dried-up nut. Smart. About 1/3 of the peanuts in the ‘new’ bag appear not good enough to make the cut.

A blurry photo of the first European Starling for the year.

This woodpecker prefers this type of feeder while his friend is at the log suet feeder.

Migration counts continue across southern Manitoba where I live. At one site in part of an afternoon, 825 Red-tail Hawks, 130 Bald Eagles, and 3 Golden Eagles flew over. Fantastic.

The giggle for the day comes from Sharon Pollock!

The two little falcons are adorable. Lou doesn’t quite seem to know what to do but he is bringing in prey items, thankfully. Things work out. Maybe there will only be two!

‘A’ notes “Lou is a bit nervous of the little ones – as I mentioned, he trampled through the scrape and trod on one of the chicks’ heads today when retrieving prey from the back corner! He may have a bit to learn on that front. But Annie has it covered, and as long as he keeps the pantry full (which it seems he is doing so far), he will be doing his job. After all, he will be way too tiny to brood chicks for very long! What a cutie. And those little white fluffy babies with their tiny beaks open wide whenever they hear mum e-chup. Oh how gorgeous are they? Don’t you just want to snuggle them up? Well, no, that would upset Annie greatly, but you know what I mean. Such darling little creatures.”

SK Hideaways gives a good video of these two darlings!

 

Well, it doesn’t get much better. Murphy abandoned his ‘rock baby’ to care for a little eaglet that needed a parent. It was an experiment and it looks like it has worked.

The little eaglet gets a parent and Murphy gets to share his love. Win-win.

Wild Bird Sanctuary has just done a late posting. It is fantastic. Looking for a place for a donation, however small or large. Think of donating specifically for Murphy and the eaglet at Wild Bird Sanctuary!

Bella and Smitty’s little only eaglet is doing very well indeed. Check out the crop and it is going to have a second meal right away. There are so many advantages to eagle parents having only one to care for.

Meanwhile, at the Manton Bay nest of Blue 33 and Maya, the couple now have their third clutch of four eggs! The couple previously fledged two clutches of four eggs. They are heading for a record. These two are not going to let anyone else get the Super Couple award! Better put some more stock in Rutland water! Thanks, Geemeff!

Our beautiful couple need all the rest they can get during incubation!

At Glaslyn, it appears that Aran and the unringed unidentified female osprey have also come to an understanding. Aran has been sky dancing and bringing fish and she is at the nest. She is a beauty, too. Like Murphy and the eaglet, Aran is lucky that this young lady chose him when Mrs G did not return from migration.

Oh, it was wet from all the wind and storms but as the day progressed, things began to dry out a little in Wales.

Telyn and Idris have been having some discussions. It was believed Telyn laid an egg but I see no evidence of this. It was storming badly and both ospreys took to the ground so they would not be blown about. I hope Telyn did not lose her first egg of the season.

It has been a bit miserable for Dorcha and Louis up in Scotland at Loch Arkaig, too.

Gracie Shepherd posted a sweet screen capture of E21 and 22 sitting together near the pond. Oh, how we are going to miss these two. M15 has done an amazing job teaching them and they have certainly experienced more than most. Each knows how to defend a nest!

I have received word from Sassa Bird that my favourite white-tailed Eagle, Milda, whose nest is near Durbe in Latvia, has a pip in her egg! Milda is gorgeous and she has had a very tragic two years after losing her long-time mate, Ramos, just when she had laid her eggs in March 2021. We are hoping for a wonderful year for her and her new mate, Voldis.

Wondering what happened at Centreport, New York with Mum? Well, she is incubating two eggs with D3.

Cape Henlopen had a tragic 2022 season. There is a new platform this year and hopefully a new couple. Heidi McGrue brings us news of a visiting osprey. Fingers crossed.

One of the reasons that we love Jackie and Shadow so much is the fact that they love each other sooooooo much. Today Shadow brought in a massive fish just for Jackie in the nest. We know both of them would have liked to have had a replacement clutch. Might they still? We wait. Regardless, they are adorable and every day brings another giggle and smile.

Things continue to go well at the Moorings Park Osprey platform in Naples, Florida. Yes, Abby can eat a lot of fish but, we can assume that because she is a female she needs that for her extra growth in body mass and feathers.

It seems that Indigo has left to find his own way in the world. Diamond blocked him from the scrape on Saturday and he could be heard or it was thought. May he have a long and productive life full of adventure and prey.

A good way to end a great day is an update from Dr Sharpe and his team at the Channel Islands. He goes through all the nests and, of course, gives an update on Thunder and Akecheta. You get to see the most beautiful landscape – and yes, there are at least two eaglets in Thunder and Akecheta’s nest. You can see them!

Dale Hollow and Achieva, brief report: River brought in a small fish to the nest on Wednesday around 0900 despite being chased by intruders. One of those intruders sadly ate part of DH19’s body that had been left on the nest. It was a male. Many hope that River will accept him as her new mate – he did not harm 18 and 19. Then he could help raise the eaglets. That would be wonderful!

Harriet, Jack and the two surviving osplets at Achieva have eaten well. A visitor landed on the nest while the adults were away. I presume Harriet is out fishing!

The Ventana Wildlife Society is being so pro-active in the battle of HPAI with the goal of it not wiping out the Big Sur and Pinnacle Condors. Our hearts break for the Arizona condors losing a battle against this deadly disease.

Dear Mary,Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided an update on HPAI infection in the Arizona condor flock stating that as of April 12, 2023, eighteen condors have succumbed to this terrible disease (6 of which were confirmed to be HPAI and 12 are suspected). In addition to these deaths, five condors are currently in treatment. Our thoughts continue to be with our partners in Arizona and The Peregrine Fund. 

In addition to the measures taken since 2022 to prevent the spread of HPAI, we are now working closely with partners to develop even more contingency plans. This week, we raised $80,000 in support of the purchase of 10 quarantine pens which will arrive in two weeks. SPCA for Monterey County has approved the temporary use of their land on which to setup these pens. Once placed, these pens can be used for treatment, vaccination (when available) and even safeguarding healthy condors from HPAI. We are especially thankful to our partners at SPCA for Monterey County for their collaboration.

These new quarantine pens will be crucial in the fight against this disease, but we still need support for our staff to care for the flock. We will be sure to keep you updated as we know more.

Kelly Sorenson

Ventana Wildlife Society, 12 April 2023

Here is a story that shows you that hard work and persistence – and believing – can pay good dividends when it comes to our raptors.

Ospreys-return-from-extinction-in-England-and-Wales-UK-News-Sky-NewsDownload

While the UK is gleeful over the success of the restoration projects for the Ospreys in North America, citizen scientists are needed to help understand the impact of climate change on birds. You can be one of those that help. Read the article and please do a daily count and send to eBird. Thanks to my eagle-eyed daughter for this one!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/bird-migration-timing-climate-1.6800129

Thank you so much for being with me today. I am checking on Milda but no word of a hatch for our Latvian WTE yet. She is rolling eggs and being coy. Take care, everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures that helped make up my blog today: ‘Geemeff’, ‘T’, ‘J’, ‘A’, Sassa Bird, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, Sharon Pollock and Orange Australia Peregrine Falcons, World Bird Sanctuary, Deb Stecyk and NCTC, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey Project, Friends of Lock Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Latvian Fund for Nature, Rob Schwartz and Bald Eagles of Centreport, NY, Heidi McGrue and Raptors of the World, FOBBV, Moorings Park Ospreys, IWS, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Achieva Credit Union, and Ventana Wildlife Society.

Karl II is home, 2 babies for Annie and Lou…Wednesday in Bird World

12 April 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Spring really has arrived. It was a balmy 14 degrees C here on Tuesday with a clear blue sky and bright sun. The same weather promises for today. Yipppeeee. When the weather is good, I encourage all of us to get outside. Even if you sit on a chair and let the sun warm your face. It is all beneficial. Make a habit of it!

The snow is melting and causing some local flooding, the geese, Cormorants, and pelicans fly overhead and it is a great day to be outside and appreciate all the effort the migrants have made to get here. A bald eagle flew low on the road, banked and landed on the ice at one of the lakes. I stopped and found it had spotted some carrion, likely a dead goose.

Other geese were finding open areas of water.

Geese are very territorial as they begin to prepare for nesting. I did not have my long, long lens on the camera. I am about 10 metres away, and he is still warning me off!

The staff have all of the goose and duck boxes full of fresh straw just waiting for new occupants.

Meanwhile, at home, all Lewis can do is dream about another Dove landing on the roof! Lewis makes Missy tired…he is still very much a kitten!

Missy prefers the Japanese snacks!

Ospreys move nests. Yes, they do. In fact, at Kielder Forest some have kept people guessing as to whether they would stay or go. The male at nest 1A White YA disappeared last year. Now the female has left that nest and moved to another. Kielder is putting out a call for female ospreys! Know anyone?

Females-needed-nowDownload

The remarkable story of a rock, an eaglet, and Murphy! From World Bird Sanctuary continues in the most positive way:

There is good news coming out of CROW. After treatment, Connick’s blood is clotting normally. Now they are trying to figure out why he had the loss of so many primary feathers. Thanks, CROW!

Annie and Lou’s little eyas is such a cutie pie. Cal Falcons caught the first feeding on video for us.

As I write this, it is 19:14 at The Campanile. Annie is giving us a good look at her sweet baby.

Lou meets his baby.

Annie even allows Lou to have a couple of incubation duties. Fantastic. Thanks SK Hideaways!

Ah, thank you, Annie for showing us the two little ones!

DHM and DHD have a precious little one, too – DH2.

At Dulles-Greenway, Martin and Rosa are doing such a fantastic job raising the three. ‘A’ comments today: “The three at Dulles Greenway have the most GIGANTIC crops. Three chicks in total food comas, mama looking down at her babies. She has fed them and fed them and I have rarely seen larger crops in my life… The youngest is just a firecracker. Always has the biggest crop on the nest. Always front and centre at meal times. Just the sweetest little eaglet. I have seen little or no bonking on this nest. The three just lie around, growing and playing, and eating like small peagles (pigs/eagles).”

The eaglets were fed several times in a row always crop dropping. This is a wonderful nest to watch. If you haven’t checked in on them, please do.

 

There are terrific storms hitting the UK. It was particularly windy and rainy in Wales so much so that Idris and Telyn at the Dyfi nest took to the ground instead of staying in the trees or nest. Poor Telyn. She was readying to lay her first egg.

The weather in Wales is very wet. The new female at the Glaslyn nest beat Aran there on Wednesday. Mrs G is now well past her return date, sadly. She left a fantastic legacy of ospreys and will always be remembered and loved. Glaslyn will no doubt be issuing a lovely memorial once they are sure Mrs G is not returning.

‘T’ writes: “What a wonderful day for the cameras and watchers in the Baltic countries! Karl II is back! Kaia is not too far. Osprey Teo is back in Latvian nest. And!! A new camera is already installed on Kergu’s nest. So more black storks we will see in Estonia. Kergu is on a bird map with Karl and others.” This is wonderful news. So many storks have been slaughtered in Malta and Lebanon- such sadness. Now will cute little Teo get a mate this year?

Karl II wasted no time getting from Moldova to his home! Fantastic.

Here is the video of Karl II’s arrival!

Welcome home, Teo!

Everyone loves SP chick in New Zealand. I have promised ‘A’ to put in this cute video and I kept forgetting amidst the drama of the hatch at Cal Falcons. Here we go! What a cutie pie. Life is good with our little gardener.

Everyone reading my blog knows I love ducks and look forward to their arrival. Here is a lovely short article on the Gadwall and why we should appreciate these little non-flamboyant ducks more.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/11/country-diary-the-unassuming-gadwall-deserves-a-closer-look?CMP=share_btn_link

Checking on Dale Hollow and Achieva: River brought in at least three nice fish for DH17 and DH18 and herself. Everyone ate well. Still, River had to warm off intruders while feeding her babies. She is doing well. Continue with your best wishes.

There also appears to be an issue of a possible nest takeover at Dale Hollow. Intruders have been about and landing. A floater? A take over? We can only watch and wait.

When I last checked, Jack had delivered two flounder to the Achieva nest in St Petersburg and both osplets as well as Jack and Diane had eaten well. Relief. Again, like Dale Hollow, send positive positive wishes to this nest also.

In fact, my count was wrong. Jack brought in five fish today!

This is a short report on what is happening in Bird World. All nests are good except those I worry about – Achieva and Dale Hollow. We take them one day at a time. Shadow continues to get in the nest cup, hoping for a spring miracle – the first male eagle to lay an egg! While he and Jackie are otherwise as affectionate as ever. Eggs are being incubated, eaglets fed, and Ospreys in the UK are either incubating or working on nests. Send them all your good wishes as we wait to see if either of the remaining two eggs will hatch at Cal Falcons.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘T’, Kielder Forest, Wild Bird Sanctuary, CROW, C White and the Captiva Island Eagle and Ospreys, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Dulles-Greenaway, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Estonia Eagle Club, Latvian Fund for Nature, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, The Guardian, Dale Hollow and Barbara Snyder and Achieva Credit Union.

First hatch for Annie and Lou, Ervie, Murphy… Tuesday in Bird World

11 April 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Oh, Monday was a gorgeous day on the Canadian Prairies. The boots went on and off I went in search of American White Pelicans with a stop at Oak Hammock Marsh to check on the geese and swans and then on to the Red River to see where the pelicans were. I did not get a picture because I was driving but about 200 American White Pelicans flew over as I drove through an area of our city called Elmwood. They were heading to the open waters of the Red River that I had passed about ten minutes prior. What a sight. There were about 12 Canada Geese at the wetlands, along with 2 Tundra Swans and a Bald Eagle, and a host of Dark-eyed Juncos. Oh, yes, and always the Ring-billed Gulls. It was a lovely day to be outside!

It was also a delight to check on the birds. Except for the two concerning nests, all others appear to be doing well. That is a nice change from the reports last week during the storms.

Our first giggle of the day. Ervie. Our dear darling Ervie has been eating well. Look at his ps! Oh, isn’t it nice to see him.

Ospreys are hilarious. Having decided that it is good for us to start out with a positive event or a giggle, this one is sheer laughable and it is from Kielder. Please read the entire short report. you will not regret it. Click on the link below.

New-post-Nest-7-funny-businessDownload

More great news. B16 has returned to his nest at Berry College after fledging. Yes! She is a magnificent eaglet. Pa Berry and Missy did a great job with this little one!

Bel-A-Donna caught that return flight on video for us.

The other good news is that Ringo has also returned to the Webster, TX Bald Eagle nest and is hanging around with the parents. Wow. This is great news along with B16 and the Es.

Update on Murphy and the eaglet from World Bird Sanctuary. Fingers crossed! It looks like things are going very well, indeed. How glad are we that they gave Murphy a chance to prove he can be a parent! Lucky little eaglet. Now that it is nearing ‘baby season’ in the northern areas, let us hope that other wildlife rehab centres might have good ambassadors to foster orphans.

Oh, there is more good news coming from World Bird Sanctuary. Murphy is no longer protecting his ‘rock baby’ but has changed his behaviour and is protecting the baby eaglet! Looking good.

The eaglet is doing well with it feedings! Hoping for a win-win everyone. Just look at his strong this eaglet is getting and note the eagle toy. I mentioned ‘baby season’ above. Many wildlife rehab centres are asking for donations for all the baby wildlife they will be getting in the coming months. We are having a fundraiser and an open day at our centre. Check our your local wildlife agency and see if you have anything they might need. You might be surprised at the range of items required including shallow wading pools! And soft plushies.

Rose is also doing a fantastic job with the eaglets. They had huge crops Monday morning to go along with their clown feet and those hilarious white Mohawk hair styles.

There is no shortage of fish or water at the Moorings Park Osprey nest. Abby and Victor are really getting their tail feathers. Gorgeous osplets. Put this nest on your list to watch for next year, too.

The iconic image of the season. E22 on the branch with M15.

Later 22 with M15 at the pond.

I think it is E22 swimming in the water. Remember he thinks he is a duck! But he also might think he can land on water like he can on the perch. Don’t think so, little one. Can’t wait to see either E try and pull a fish out of the pond for the first time.

Blue NC0 is not going to let Maya lay more eggs than her. On Monday 10 April both of our gals laid their third egg. Maya is the only one of the pair to ever lay four – she did that twice – and fledged four. We wait.

How many remember Lancer at Two Harbours last year? Look at its cute little sibling. So loved. I have a soft spot for these little eaglets that look like teddy bears with wings.

Annie and Lou had their first hatch in the late afternoon on Monday, 10 April. Wonder how quickly the other three eggs will hatch?

Annie is eating some of the eggshell. It will help her replenish the calcium her body lost in producing those four eggs.

Before hatch, Annie was talking to the chicks chirping inside the eggs!

Annie is not giving away much of that chick for viewing!

And then, Lou comes in with breakfast!

Jack and Harriet have their first egg at the Dahlgren Osprey platform in Virginia.

At Achieva, jack brought in a flounder and both of the osplets ate til they were full. Barbara Snyder notes that he was chased to the nest by an intruder wanting that fish. It is difficult with the fishing areas drying up and mouths to feed.

Despite intruders trying to steal her food and bad weather, River was able to bring three fish to the nest on Monday for DH17 and DH18. They were fed nicely. River has a huge job to do – there are lots of eagles around that will take the food she gets and she also has to guard the nest. Send positive wishes. A day at a time. She is trying her best!

And now for a bit of a change. One of our readers, ‘MB’ travelled to Rutland today and has graciously shared her photographs with all of us along with some very interesting news. Thank you so much, MB.

This is the view of the perch and the nest of Rutland’s Blue 33 and Maya who now have three eggs in their nest.

Maya and Blue 33 are both on the nest.

Just look at that amazing perch next to the nest provided for the ospreys.

There is also a perch directly above the nest. My goodness. There are so many osprey nests without one perch. This is wonderful.

This is Mum Maya taking a break in the water below her nest.

image12.jpeg

Blue 33 returns to the nest after chasing off an intruder. Even here, where there is much water, the ospreys can get harassed.

MB’ reports: “There are two hides offering views of the Osprey (plus loads of other hides).  There’s video of the Osprey nest in the main visitor centre, and in the first of the Osprey view hides.  There’s also a dedicated “Osprey warden”, working in shifts between sun up and sundown, monitoring the behaviour you can’t see on the cams, and supporting visitors. The wider nature reserve has some stunning hides.” If you live in the UK or are travelling there, put Rutland Water on your list of things to do. You will not regret it!

Megan also mentioned a local fish hatchery. She said, “The Osprey warden also mentioned this place – unaffiliated with the project. It’s a local trout fishery that was losing significant stock to the osprey. They covered most of their ponds, but have left one open for the osprey and installed a photographic hide – so they are making income from photographers to make up for income lost to the osprey’s fishing. Good example of working in combination with nature.” It is the River Gwash Trout Farm. Isn’t this wonderful. More places around the world including the fish farms in South American, during the winter migration, might benefit from such a cooperative stance.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, photographs, tweets, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘MB’ for so generously sharing her trip to Rutland, Christine Georgillu and Friends of Osprey Sth Australian, Kielder Forest, Bel-A-Donna and Berry College, Paul White and Webster TX Eagles, World Bird Sanctuary, WRDC, Moorings Park Ospreys, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida and D Pritchett, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, IWS and Explore.org, Cal Falcons, Barbara Snyder and Achieva Osprey, and Dale Hollow Eagle Cam.