Category Archives: Big Bear Valley

WBSE 30 is released!…Thursday in Bird World

6 April 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

The snow stopped and it is now 1816 and it is starting up again with huge flakes. They are dancing about like large cotton balls or marshmallows. Lewis is having quite the time hoping that he might be able to catch one of them. Of course, he does not want to pose for a photo!

Just think. A few days ago everyone on the Canadian Prairies was sure winter was gone, and spring had arrived. I bet that early-arrival Canada Geese wish they were somewhere else. Mind you, maybe they flew north fast to miss those US storms.

Thursday morning. It is beautiful. No snow falling. Woodpeckers busy at that the suet. Photos tomorrow of them and the kittens.

Taken with the iPhone.

A reasonable guess would have been over 400 birds visited the feeders today. They were mostly House Sparrows and Finches with the regular woodpecker visits and Blue Jays. I know the Black-capped Chickadee has been around because I heard them, but they are quick to flit about, and I have yet to see them getting seed. Mind you, I was not watching them all day.

My head continues spinning with all the news coming out of Bird World. Almost immediately, one new hatch is negated by another nestling dying in a nest, Oklahoma, simply disappearing at collapse or, as at Bartlesville night.

So I hope to bring us a few lighter moments as we begin the blog for the next little while. Stress is not good. Then I plan to put in the golden moment of the day and today it comes from Sydney, Australia!

We are going to start with Murphy, ‘Rock Daddy’. He has now been incubating his ‘rock egg’ for some time and has become overly protective of the territory. So, he is being moved. They are not giving him his own hatchling because they are not certain that he would feed it regularly. Too bad, he could be a great Dad!

M15 does not get away without a giggle. This guy has been through so much! Gets his two kids home and all they want to do is fight!

He has brought 21 a fish and 21 spent some time resting in the nest. 21 was away for 5 days. It reminds me of Legacy from the NEFL nest of Gabby and Samson – flew out, away six days, finally found the nest and didn’t leave again for nearly a month (or so it seemed).

The surviving WBSE (White-bellied Sea Eagle) from last season’s Sydney Olympic Forest hatchings has been released. Jump up and down. She has been in care for such a long time, and we are ever so grateful to everyone who helped transport her and care for her so that she could live in the wild. Here is that great news. What a beautiful moment.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The news is that Connick is going to be alright after his slip and fall. Here is that moment on 4th of April caught by Deb Stecyk (you can go to 4:55):

Message from Window to Wildlife:

This is the latest message…older ones are below. It appears that dear Connick could be impacted by rodenticide poisoning. His two half-siblings died two years ago of rodenticide. It broke Joe’s heart, and he left the nest. This is just tragic. CROW and all their volunteers need to spread the word and find a way to prohibit this nasty poison from Captiva. In many ways, it was a real blessing that Connick fell out of the nest so he could get help.

There is a FB fundraiser for Connick’s care. Just look at him at CROW. He is in such good hands. If anyone can save him from this dreaded designer poison, CROW can!

There have been some further tragedies due to the winter storms pouring through the US. The eaglets at Standley Lake Regional Park have died from a nest collapse. Another nest in Minnesota has collapsed.

One of the eaglets at Bartlesville, Oklahoma got out of the egg cup and could not get back and appears to have gone over the edge of the nest. Today, the third egg hatched. So some good and bad for Oklahoma.

As storms continue, it is likely there will be further deaths, sadly. As we mourn, new eaglets are hatching and eggs being laid. Nature does not stop.

I wrote congratulations yesterday but now little DH1 has died. ‘A’ left me a note for when I woke up. So sad for the hatchery parents. As Paul Kolnik points out, the second egg is pipping. Perhaps this family will get one healthy chick. Send good wishes.

Congratulations Decorah. DH1 arrived in the early morning of 5 April 2023.

US Steel has only one egg. There is a hatch in progress. USS6 hatched at 23:58 on 5 April. Congratulations!

While we were delighted to see E21 back at the nest, landing right beside Dad on the 5th of April, E22 wasn’t quite so sure.

Until now 22 has had the area around the pond and nest tree all to himself. He had a right dust up with 21 over ‘bathing rights’.

The iconic image of the day comes from Dulles-Greenway where there are currently three very healthy eaglets. Baby has a really nice crop.

DH19 continues to self-feed to stay alive at Dale Hollow. A survivor – send all your good wishes. River has her hands full.

This was at 1006 Wednesday morning. You can see the huge crop on the two larger eaglets. DH19 fed itself last evening and got a big crop and is now picking away at this carcass. This little one wants to live.

‘A’ reports that D19 had no food later and that it is raining hard and she is worrisome for this baby. It is not good at Achieva either. We will all hold our breath. These two nests may only have two to fledge. Send good wishes.

In the UK, there are two male Ospreys waiting for their mates to return from migration. One of those is Louis at Loch Arkaig who is looking for Dorcha and the other is Aran at Glaslyn looking for Mrs G. As many will know, Mrs G is not a youngster. Glaslyn Osprey Group reminds us ospreys that reach breeding age have a life expectancy of eight years. Mrs G is the oldest living osprey in the UK. We know that Mrs G has been raising chicks for 19-20 years. We do not know how old she was when she began. Glaslyn is preparing everyone for her not to return just in case that is what happens.

Of course, everyone is also waiting for the return of Iris who is approximately 28-29 years old this year and has her nest at Hellgate Canyon in Missoula, Montana. Her favoured date to return is 7 April – tomorrow.

Wind, rain, encased in ice…nothing stops Big Red from keeping her eggs warm. Her and Arthur now have three they are incubating. Last year, Big Red surprised us with her very first clutch of four since she has been on a streaming cam.

Gabby and V3 were at the nest. At times they were vocalising. Intruders in the area?

Victor is over at Sally’s beak. Just look at Abby standing on those beautiful strong legs! And, yes. My friend ‘R’ believes that juvenile Osprey plumage is the most gorgeous in the world. I totally agree.

There are still three growing osplets at the Venice Golf and Country Club. The camera is, like Achieva, not good, and it is difficult to tell what is happening in the nest. As a result, I do not monitor it closely.

The two eaglets at Pittsburgh-Hayes are doing well. There are a lot of flies in that nest, though. Terrible. I hope that this does not do anything to cause the eaglets distress. (We have seen raptors jump out of nests to escape flies in the past).

I found this entry by Elfruler this morning, and I thought it might shed some light on this year with the bald eagle hatches. They clarify that the eaglet at Bartlesville would have died of hypothermia/falling out of the nest. It is so sad when the eaglets get out of the egg cup. I marvelled at how Harriet had ‘rolled’ one of either 21 or 22 (I cannot remember which now) back under her after pondering the situation for some time. Harriet had experience, many don’t, and their babies die. Their beaks are so big that picking them up would injure, if not kill, them also.

They are so cute. I wish they were not so terrible to our eagles….those GHO chicks. Bonnie and Clyde’s owlets are out in the sun this morning.

And some good news. People like David Attenborough can convince people that birding is not a silly, useless hobby and guess what? Birding can be good for the local economy! Tourists are willing to pay top dollar to have their tours organised, their hotels and meal plans arranged so they can get up at dawn to go and see Puffins! Or in the case of Ferris Akel recently – Sand-hill Cranes in Iowa. It is time other locations stepped up and cleaned up their wildlife habitats. In several locations, ponds and lakes stocked for fishing have made their owners more profit by having people with cameras taking photos of ospreys fishing!

What a wonderful world it would be!

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/apr/02/tourists-arrive-skomer-attenborough-wild-isles-wales?CMP=share_btn_link

Thank you so much for being with me. I wish I had news about the eggs in the Channels Islands. We wait to see if they are viable. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their observation notes, their posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog this morning: ‘A’, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest and Cams along with the World Bird Sanctuary, Harley Jeffery Thames and SWFL Eagle Cam-Harriet and M15, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, CROW, Sutton Centre, Paul Kilnik and Bald Eagles 101, Raptor Resource Centre and Explore.org, US Steel, Dulles-Greenaway, Cornell RTH, NEFL-AEF, Moorings Park Ospreys, VOCCO, PIX Cam, Elfruler, Farmer Derek, and The Guardian.

Connick falls out of nest, Maya lays first egg…Late Tuesday in Bird World

4 April 2023

Good Evening Everyone!

This is Wednesday’s blog coming out late Tuesday. Sorry for any confusion. I have a very early appointment tomorrow.

There is a wee bit of snow falling on the Canadian Prairies with a winter storm warning for my area for later this evening and throughout the night. It is a ‘Colorado Low’ that is being pesky!

The renovations, for now, are finished. We have been moving about bits, bobs, and large cabinets now that all the packing materials are out of the living room. We are all exhausted! Missy and Lewis are up in their big dog bed, sound asleep, not caring about storms, while the garden birds and squirrels are devouring as much food as possible. You can always tell when something is happening in the weather by watching the animals. Often they are more accurate than the local weather office. The peanuts are eaten in situ, not carried away for burial and retrieval later. The weather office says 35-30 cm of snow is a foot deep.

I did not get to check on the nests and much as I would have liked and also I have an early morning appointment on Wednesday so this blog will go out sooner than anticipated – as in Tuesday night.

Just coming in around 2100 on Tuesday. Connick has fallen out of his nest on Captiva Island. CROW called, and he is in a crate on his way to rehab. Connick will get the very best of care, and how lucky that his nest was so close to the clinic. Still, how sad for Connie and Clive. Connie had no chicks last year and the year prior, both died from rodenticide poisoning. Both will be grieving, not knowing what happened to their baby. —- Things can change so quickly in a nest.

Jerinelle Wray gives us a giggle about 22 and his love of water.

E22 sure does love the water. Just seeing him take his first drink was enlightening. Bet it felt good to get 11 or 12 weeks of fish juice off those feathers!!!!!!!!

Oh, it was close. Maya laid her first egg of the season at Rutland on the heels of the first UK egg by Blue NC0 at LOTL. We sure were wondering who would be first this year. Now we know.

Blue 33 was quickly there to see and lend support.

Once upon a time, I realised that raptor families are like human families in many ways. Some have nests in quiet neighbourhoods where they can raise their chicks in peace with lots of food, while others struggle with intruders, fishing tournaments, and loss of habitat and prey. I never quite know what to think when hungry chicks are in the nest, food is available, and the adult doesn’t feed that starving chick. Such is the continuing issue at the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest in St Petersburg, Florida.

In Virginia, it is a different story. Rosa and Martin are keeping three eaglets well fed as are Lisa and Oliver in PA Country!

Rosa feeding the three eaglets their breakfast.

Wow. Just look at those crops. It takes patience and a truck load of fish to be successful with three eaglets. The feedings take a long time. Well done, Rosa!

I missed getting an image of the little ones eating at PA Country Farms this evening. This nest is, however, doing very well also. So thankful.

Pittsburgh-Hays has two very healthy little eaglets.

There are now three eaglets at the nest of Mum and new mate, Beau – the Majestic at Denton Homes in Decorah, Iowa. They hatched on March 31, April 1, and it looks like the third hatched today. So cute. DH11, 12, and 13.

Dad came in with nesting material and has covered up DH13. Fingers crossed…don’t think he realised there was a third eaglet! Surprise, new dad!

Moorings Park is doing grand as well. We do have a lot of nests to be thankful for – and we should all rejoice in that since there has been so much misery.

Victor has survived Abby’s aggression and the monofilament line. That is something to celebrate. Things are going so well at this Osprey nest in Naples, Florida. We are all going to miss Harry and his visits, the midnight feedings, and just the sheer devotion of these two adults to Abby and Victor.

It is now official. Female Osprey LM6 has returned to Llyn Brenig to be reunited with her mate, Blue LJ2. When you look at the image of them in their nest, glance over to see the trees that have been torn apart in recent storms.

Both adults are back at Balgravies also.

A message from Dale Hollow:

There are two eaglets and another egg at Bald Canyon in the Channel Islands.

The two, much older, eaglets at Duke Farms are ‘robust’. They are so healthy, so well fed. There are only a couple of pricks of dandelions on their heads. Their thermal down is in and their juvenile feathers are coming. They are not cuddly cute anymore but they certainly are adorable and much loved by Mum and Dad.

What an absolutely great year it has been at this nest in New Jersey.

‘H’ writes: “Ron delivered a coot.  For some reason, R4 held back, even though it last ate over three hours ago.  R5 got a great feeding!” Fantastic news. Just look at the crop on that little one! Perhaps R4 as preparing a pellet to cast?

Only Jackie really knows what is going on. Is she feeling an egg? Jackie has been on the branch of the nest tree for most of Tuesday. Shadow has been on and off the nest. Now as I write this, Jackie is in the nest. Oh, is it possible? It would be brilliant for these two to have a replacement clutch. Shadow will be so excited.

The camera is not great but there are three very much alive osplets at the Venice Golf and Country Club platform! All are up eating. No one in submission. Smiling.

We are less than a week from hatch and on Tuesday, Annie left the nest at the Campanile to chase an intruder! Annie and Lou do not need this distraction. Definitely not.

Looks like Lou was having his lunch.

No worries. Annie returned about ten minutes later, but, gosh, it does make one’s heart stop.

‘S’ writes to tell me that the Manchester NH Peregrine Falcon scrape now has 5 eggs! FIVE. Can you imagine? The couple who have been here for 9 years had 5 eggs last year too – and fledged five! Wow.

That’s it for today. So much happening. We are now 6 days away from pip watch for Annie and Lou.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, streaming cam, videos, and posts that helped make up my blog today: ‘S’, ‘H’, Window to Wildlife, Jerinelle Wray and the NEFL and SWFL Eagle Watcher’s Club, SW Florida Eagle Cam, LRWT, Dulles-Greenway, PA Game Commission, PIX Cams, Denton Homes, Moorings Park Ospreys, Llyn Brenig, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, IWS and Explore.org, Duke Farms, WRDC, FOBBV, VGCCO, and Cal Falcons.

Aran arrives, NC0 lays first UK Osprey egg, E22 at the pond with Dad…Tuesday in Bird World

4 April 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Oh, this report was very long and I have cut it down. There is simply too many things happening and I decided not to make your eyes sore. LOL. If there is sadness or worry at some of the nests, the first story should make up for all of that!

There simply are no words to describe the feeling when we see an image like the one below. It is remarkable. What a magnificent day that began with M15 coaxing 22 so he could eat and they wind up in the pond together having their evening bath. Remarkable isn’t even the right word. After all the devastation from the supercells, this melts my heart.

D Morningstar shows us 22’s first bath. Wait to see M15 turn around and look at his fledgling. Priceless. Jumping for joy at 5:28. Gulping water. Learning.

Are you exhausted from all the drama and trauma at the nests? This morning (Monday), I just wanted to pick up squeeing E22 and tell him it is alright. ‘You are a bird. You can do this!’ M15 is one super dad. We have seen just how hard adult eagles work to get their fledglings where they want them so they can feed them if those little Butcher Birds would take a holiday.

There was a lot of debate about whether it would be Maya or Blue NC0 that laid the first Osprey egg in the UK to kick off the season. Congratulations Laddie and Blue NC0! You get the honour in 2023!

The folks at Glaslyn are cheering. One of their couple is home safely. Oh, it is so nice to see you, Aran. Now we wait for Mrs G, the oldest osprey in the UK.

My goodness, Aran, you are handsome!

It did not take Aran long to get a fish on the nest branch!

Geemeff caught his arrival for us! Sure is a nice fish. Was he looking for Mrs G to come and grab it? Let us hope she is home soon.

More on SW Florida. It was quite the morning at the Pritchett Property with M15 doing everything he could possibly think of to get 22 to either get to the nest to eat a fish, eat it at the snag tree, or down by the pond. What a Dad. He never gave up. Victory!

‘A’ sent us the video link for yet another GHO strike caught by Lady Hawk on 22 during the night. Those owls are persistent. E22 do not let that owl daunt your staying home with Dad at the pasture, the pond, and in the trees!

At 0926, Little Bitty 22 (s/he is not so little) continued to enjoy being at the pond and having a bath. What a beautiful sight. There is no word on 21 so far.

Valentine are both back at the KNF-E3 nest in the Kistachie National Forest. Thanks Rhonda A for the video!

It is Monday morning, and it looks like there is a pip at Decorah!

Jackie and Shadow have been mating and Shadow has made sure Jackie is eating well. They were at the nest very early this morning.

The pair spent a lot of time at the nest until the ice pellets and wind picked up in the afternoon on Monday.

I really wish that Shadow could lay those eggs.

After their evening meal on Monday, Duke Farm Dad settled down with the family for a bit. Beautiful

They are soooooooo cute. Just love H19 and H20 at Pittsburgh-Hays.

Second hatch for Bald Canyon Eagles. That first one is just a little fluff ball darling.

Waiting for a pip – while hoping the egg is viable at Sauces Canyon. You send all. your good vibes to Jak and Audacity. This is egg 7 and it is intact. They sure deserve a healthy hatch.

Two eggs have hatched at the Bartlesville Oklahoma Bald Eagle nest. Congratulations. One more to go, maybe.

Dulles-Greenway. Martin and Rosa are doing great with their three eaglets. Oh, please just send some good love to them. It is hard with three and I really do not want anything to happen to either parent!

Oh, my goodness. Ron and Rose’s two eaglets have beautiful white Mohawks and gorgeous thermal down. They had excellent crops when Ron came in with another big fish after 1600 on Monday. Rose did a great job feeding the pair.

Every female adult eagle has ‘that look’. There is no way I would want to mess with Rose!

Just pause and look at those Mohawks. It looks like they have just returned from a luxury salon! I have never seen anything like it. Have you? Normally there are a few dandelions. This is incredible.

Quite the egg cup that Laddie and Blue NC0 have going at Loch of the Lowes. Will they beat Maya at Manton Bay with the first egg to officially kick off the UK Osprey season?

Beautiful CJ7 at her nest at Poole Harbour.

So you have found a baby bird. What do you do? Audubon tells us how we should behave:

https://www.audubon.org/news/when-you-should-and-should-not-rescue-baby-bird

Waiting for Iris? Here is her past schedule.

Harriet is home at Dunrovin and Star is at the Baseball Park. Come on Iris!

Moorings Park. Abby and Victor might like an earlier breakfast, but Dad seems to like to bring in a late fish. They are both well-nourished. No perceivable problems at this nest.

I do wish they would not get so close to the edge!

Victor still protects his head in case Abby wants to take a peck.

Angus and Florence continue to incubate their three eggs at Captiva. Gosh, these chicks are going to hatch late. Wonder what the heat and humidity will be like? Sure hope the fishing is good for Angus if they have three lively osplets to feed.

There were storms in Iowa. Mother Goose seems to be fine in her nest at Decorah.

Arthur and Big Red have quite a ways to go before hatch. I am so very grateful that there nest is up on that light stand!

Do you watch the Great Spirit Bluff Peregrine Falcons? If you do, Savannah just laid her third egg of the season!———— We are one week away from pip watch at Annie and Lou’s at Cal Falcons. Are you getting excited?

As I close the blog for today, I am reminded that there is a concern for the three eaglets at Dale Hollow and the three osplets at Achieva. The fish deliveries dropped off at Dale Hollow over the weekend, possibly due to the fishing tournament held at the lake. River has brought in a nice fish, and the three will go to bed with very full crops. River, you are doing great. It is not easy while you grieve your missing Obey.

DH19 had a good feed but, throughout the feeding, River was distracted with the intruder. It was a lot of work for the little one to get that crop. Please, go away intruder and let River get on with what she needs to do. It would be grand if the same success came to this nest as SW Florida.

Fish deliveries have dropped off at Achieva as noticed by chatters. ‘H’ tells me that the little one has little to nothing to eat. In fact, I believe that all three of the osplets are quite hungry especially in the heat. They need their hydration. Send your best wishes to these two nests, please.

All chicks at Achieva are so ravenous. The third hatch is very tiny. The problem is that Diane simply will not stay the course and feed the little one and often sends fish back when Jack arrives. I am not hopeful this morning.

What might impact Jack’s hunting abilities besides his fish being stolen by other birds? Avian Report says, “Osprey hunting times vary with locality and are influenced by weather conditions, particularly wind speed and tide schedules, where tides occur. A study of foraging Ospreys found that birds tend to hunt more often at dawn and dusk. However, Ospreys concentrated their hunting efforts and were more successful during mid-tide regardless of the direction to low or high tide. An Osprey’s hunting schedule and success are affected by wind speed. According to field observations, ospreys were more successful in catching fish during calm wind hours. As the wind speed increases, the water becomes choppier, and Ospreys have less success catching fish. Consequently, Ospreys tend to avoid hunting during high winds. The hunting success rate of Ospreys is not affected by overcast or bright days or even rain.” We do not know all the obstacles Jack faces getting fish to the nest.

It feels like a roller coaster for all of us. So many things are happening – many are joyful, and others are tragic. When it gets too much, go outside and listen to the birds in your neighbourhood (I hope there are some), take a short walk and breathe in the spring air. Look at the flowers. Then breathe again. Call a friend and step back from a nest. One of the difficulties is feeling helpless. Then pause…and find the joy because it is there. The glass is more than half full.

Cherry blossoms are such a joy. They remind us that spring has arrived while at the same time, they bud, bloom, and fall to the ground symbolising that life is fleeting. ‘A’ sent me some beautiful images from Tokyo yesterday. With some sadness, we must continue to remind ourselves that nature brings us joy. I know she will not mind if I share one of those with you. How gorgeous. Thank you, ‘A’.

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

Thank you to the following for the notes, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘A’, ‘Geemeff’, Betty Weeks and SW Florida Eagle Cam, D Morningstar and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Geemeff and Scottish Wildlife Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Geemeff and Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Eagle Goddess, Rhonda A and KNF-E3, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, FOBBV, Duke Farms, PIX Cams, IWS and Explore.org, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Paul Kolnik and Bald Eagles 101, Dulles Greenway, WRDC, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke, Audubon.org, Lin Lawson and Osprey Friends, Moorings Park Ospreys, Window to Wildlife, Decorah Goose Cam, Cornell RTH, Dale Hollow Eagles, Achieva Credit Union, and Avian Report.

E on fence, Nests Devastated…Monday in Bird World

3 April 2023

Good Morning,

What a horrible horrible weekend it was. There is some good news and before I even say anything else, we will get right to it. M15 watched and saw 22 fly to the ridge of a nearby roof yesterday. 22, then flew back to the branch below the nest. The Real Saunders Photography caught the difficulty E22 had in trying to get up to the nest from the branch below but, applaud, the effort that M15 made to try and get him there!

On Sunday, one of the local photographers has caught M15 feeding 22 on that roof. While there is debate over whether or not it is 22, there is no reason to believe that it is not 22. Eaglets remember have longer wing and tail feathers than their parents until their first moult. That is where M15 fed his fledgling! He may be also feeding 21 off camera but no one has seen that happen as far as I know. I hope that the address is not divulged so that the public will keep away and let M15 finish the task he began with Harriet when they had their first egg for this season. He is doing brilliantly and this story is one of the bright stars in a bleak world.

The confirmation needed:

One of the fledglings at SW Florida on the pasture fence around 0920.

The rural bird watchers in my province were having a field day on Sunday. There is a ridge of hills – not mountains – where the thermals are pretty good. eBirders report 102 Bald Eagles, 72 Red-tail Hawks, 4 Golden Eagles, 4 Rough Legged Hawks, and many smaller birds: migration and spring. After the loss of so many – and the little eaglet at MN-DNR was found and confirmed dead – it was a hard week in Bird World. The arrival of the migrants gives me some hope. Must begin to compare these arrival statistics with last year.

After a short drive checking on geese arrivals – and they are coming – poor things. Some are here already walking on the snow and ice while others fly overhead. Snow is predicted for today through Wednesday when it turns to rain. They might wish they had waited although if I had been in the northern part of the central US I would get out of town, too. There is more severe weather predicted for them. We get the odd little tornado but nothing like those storm cells covering half the eastern part of the US that are destroying raptor nests!

Junior was here. In fact, every one began to arrive in the garden around 1530 trying to fill up before the snow begins. So nice to see him. He is looking very well, indeed.

Mrs Downy is a regular visitor to the garden. She comes several times a day keeping me on my toes to fill that log with suet!

One of 35 or 40 House Sparrows. You can see the buds on the lilacs coming along nicely. The flowers are usually here by May.

The raccoons are busy early and have seen on at least two nests in the last day or two- Redding and Golden Gate. You might recall that they captured and killed an eaglet at Fort St Vrain in Colorado this year. I do not like them around the nests. They love to eat eggs too.

Oh, I sound like a broken record but when eaglets fledge, we want them to return to the nest. We have all seen M15 trying to coax 22 up to the nest. Well, congratulations to Trey, the only eaglet of Anna and Louis this year, who has flown back to the nest after fledging. This is precisely what we want to see.

Trey fledged on Friday, returned to the nest for a feeding on Sunday. Way to go Trey!

At the Webster, Texas Bald Eagle nest, Ringo has branched!

More news is coming in from the MN-DNR nest and its failure and the death of that much-loved eaglet of Nancy and Beau. The report below was updated. The crew returned to clear out the nest of all the food to try and find the baby to see if it was alive. Sadly, the eaglet was found some ten feet from the nest. How it got there is not known. So very, very sad.

Nancy and Beau continue to grieve. Beau doesn’t know what to do and continues to bring prey to the nest to feed Nancy and the baby. So sad.

Starr is mourning the loss of her nest at The Trio, Mississippi Flyway, Fulton, Illinois. Dennis Brecht has confirmed that Starr and her new mate, Tarek, had two little ones in the nest that perished. Brecht confirmed that the tree snapped about 2 or 3 feet above the ground and that many more trees were down and twisted around one another. Starr was looking at her loss from the Lookout Tree, soaring and returning to the lookout tree. I was hoping her mate was nearby. We are waiting for news from Brecht. As you might remember, Starr was with Valor I and II – the trio. She lost Valor 1 to Jolene, but Valor II stayed with her and disappeared. She has had a rough few years from the days of The Love Trio that raised all those babies in that nest.

The very sad thing is that the eagles are facing not only a huge decline in the population due to deaths from nest collapse but also, we continue to have warnings of active cases of Avian Flu. This is just the beginning of storm season.

Here is yet another nest collapse. This time one of the eaglets survived! Isn’t he a little cutie? Send you best wishes!

Big Red and Arthur have their second egg of the ‘M’ season. Their nest was shaking and rattling yesterday due to the high winds. It would be nice if they had a break. Big Red has a nice crop on her return to the nest from her break. It feels like she is giving Arthur much more incubation time this year.

Angel and her mate, Tom, have eggs they are incubating. Their tree is holding.

I am hoping that the camera angle is causing the distortion of the nest for Mother Goose at Decorah.

‘A’ sent me a great report on Dulles-Greenway.

“At Dulles Greenway, lunch at around 13:04 was probably a possum (opossum?) as it had a long thin tail and was way too large to be any sort of rat. Again, all three sat up nicely to the table, with the two youngest in front and the oldest at the back, waiting for their siblings to feed! Perhaps we have a rare male first/male second/female third in this nest. Otherwise, it’s three boys, I would say. I did see one single beaking at this morning’s breakfast – but I’m pretty sure that was the youngest (if not the second youngest). The oldest sibling is very relaxed, usually last to the table and never getting pushy when it misses out on getting enough food (which it does more often than the younger ones).” 

Pittsburgh-Hayes is doing good. Five feedings already this morning and it isn’t even mid-morning!

Lou finally got some incubation time. ‘B’ sent me the following note: “Mary Malec of Cal Falcons was reported as having said that in the recent storm Annie did not get off the eggs from 1 pm one afternoon until 7 am the next morning, the longest continuous incubating she had seen from Annie.” Lou really does want to stay a little longer. Thanks SK Hideaways for the video.

Looks like we have lift off at Ithaca for the Peregrine Falcons. Egg 1!

We can’t see them but Pip, Tootsie, and Hoot are about a metre above the nest bowl according to the chat moderator. Fantastic.

Abby and Victor continue to thrive under the care of Sally and Harry at Moorings Park. Harry brought in a fish at 2000!

The Montana Ospreys are arriving at their spring and summer breeding grounds. Harriet arrived at Dunrovin and Starr arrived at the Baseball Park on Sunday. Iris is always about a week after Star. Let us all hope the matriarch, the Queen, survived the winter and her return home.

There is a hatch at Bald Canyon, the three eaglets at Tobacco Creek of Chandler and Hope are doing well, and today is pip watch for Jak and Audacity at Sauces. Oh, goodness. Now that hatch, a healthy eaglet, would sure get our spirits up. And then if Jackie lays an egg- well, the sun would be shining bright.

Hatch at Bald Canyon:

Chandler feeding the 20, 18, and 16 day old Ps.

Meanwhile, Shadow is filling Jackie with fish and they have been mating often…hoping for one viable egg! Baiba brings us the action in images.

The egg at Sauces Canyon is 35 days old today. We wait! Best wishes for Jak and Audacity.

There is also one egg at US Steel and we are on pip watch today, too!

Things have deteriorated over the weekend at Dale Hollow. This could, in part, be due to the fishing tournament at the lake and the intruder. Little third hatch was afraid to eat and had nothing of the last two fish brought in. Things were going well. Send good wishes. Note: River has just brought in a nice fish around 0800 Monday. Let us hope there is enough to go around. DH19 in submission and you can see how small it is. Oh, goodness.

I am so sorry to bring such sad news today. Let us hope this is the tragedy’s end as more bad weather and supercells head east. When trees are checked, like the nest at MN-DNR, and the arborist says they are dead, would it not then be of some help to try and lessen the load of the heavy eagle nest by removing some material during the off-season when the eagles are not there and by doing some human intervention on the tree to support it? With all the loss of trees and the number of eagles, thoughtful designs for artificial nests should be considered and implemented.

Thank you for being with me. Take care all. See you soon. Feel free to hit the share button for FB and Twitter!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, photographs, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, Real Saunders Photo, Brittany Laurie and NEFL and SWFL Eaglecam Watcher’s Club, Nancy Babineau and SWFL Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, SF Bay Ospreys, KNF-E1, Paul White and the Webster Texas Eagle Cam, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nests and Cams, Lady Hawk and MN-DNR, Dennis Brecht and Trio Eagle Nest Lovers Group, Cornell RTH, Angel the Leucistic RTH, Decorah Goose Cam, Dulles-Greenaway, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, Melissa Richards, Corona Owl Cam, Moorings Park Ospreys, Sheila Staley and Osprey Friends, IWS, PA Farm Country, FOBBV, PIX Cam, and Lolita Ozolina and Baltgalvas ergo ASV.

Connick branches, Idris is home, Big Red lays first egg…Friday in Bird World

31 March 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

As I keyboarded ‘2023’ in, I had this feeling that I have been putting ‘2022’ there for a few days. Oops.

I have been clearing many things so that the workmen can finally come – and I do mean ‘finally’ -and install a shower. It has been waiting for the ‘right person’ to put it together since the pandemic. I do not know about where you live, but few people in my City want to take on ‘small jobs’. Luckily, the person who put together the conservatory said ‘yes’ when I approached them. I laughed and said it is just a smaller conservatory without a roof!

The kittens have, of course, been right in there helping. We even found some cat toys, a kitty fountain, and a beautiful felted ‘cat rock’ made in Lithuania. They enjoyed the afternoon. I hope to have better photos of them and their exploits for Saturday. Missy thinks that boxes of any kind are first-rate! I do not know if you can tell, but her fur is many different lengths, and her tail is nothing short of a bush. She looks very sweet and is but, I would not want to mess with her.

Did you know that cats love bubble wrap? Had no idea.

There was also happiness in the garden. Little Red came and had some suet. For those who do not know, our pesky Red Squirrel, Little Red, lived in our garden shed for many years. It had to be removed for the conservatory to be built, and he was evicted. Talk about feeling guilty. I tried to build him several ‘homes’ in the garden, including a specially designed Red Squirrel house, but nothing worked. Dyson & Co chewed the opening of the cute Danish house large so they could get in and snatch the peanuts meant for Red. Eventually, he did find ‘another’ shed down the lane and survived the winter nicely. Little Red is very resourceful.

Sorry, the photos are pretty bleached out. He is a gorgeous rusty red right now.

Dyson finished the nut suet cylinder as predicted which is why Little Red is having to go for this suet. Then Dyson finished off a pail of peanuts! No peanuts for Little Red, too. Dyson is just an eating machine! Look at all those shells and that is just from this afternoon.

I am concerned about Dyson. Hopefully, the fur coming off is simply moult. The line that goes around under her front legs is disturbing me – like she got caught in something which ripped her fur off. There is no blood or cuts, so fingers crossed. What do you think?

Oh, Mother Goose. She now has six eggs at her nest in Decorah, Iowa. Isn’t she beautiful? Look at the down she has pulled from her breast to insulate those eggs. Our geese make their nests on the ground. After the floods last year that destroyed those nests, the idea of a goose using an abandoned eagle’s nest is intriguing. Can’t wait to see them jump off and go down to the stream this year. It was magnificent last year.

A few weeks ago, an acquaintance of mine was with their family in India. They posted hundreds of images of birds on their FB feed. My comment was, “I am now seeing a reason to return to India!” There are villages in India counting on international birders to help their economy. If this means that the birds are protected, I am all for it!

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/mar/28/tourism-is-our-only-option-the-community-banking-on-birding-in-north-india?CMP=share_btn_link

Victor and Abby are 28 days old today. Have you noticed how much calmer the nest is?

First fish of the day and the rose gold of the sun coming over the nest.

Sally seems to have decided that this is where she likes to feed Abby and Victor. This is the second fish. The only thing that changes is the light.

And the third fish Thursday morning and it isn’t even noon! Way to go Harry.

Look at those lovely feathers coming in. It is beautiful to be out of that reptilian phase.

Victor felt the need to get away from Abby and down under Sally for some more fish later on Thursday. Oh, Abby, we know you are the boss. So does Victor. Just chill.

More fish will come. This is a fantastic nest.

Happy 4 weeks Abby and Victor! That plumage is simply gorgeous. Look at those two.

While Telyn was waiting for Idris on Thursday, she decided to take a quick trip over to Clywedog and interrupt Dylan and Seren!

Here is a map with the Welsh Osprey nests indicated. Telyn is from Dyfi, the orange teardrop shape. Clywedog is Mid-Wales, the yellow one.

Morning at Big Bear after the storm. Jackie and Shadow are on the nest and Shadow is playing with the sticks again!

They were still there in the afternoon.

Big Red has been in the nest all morning. It looks like Thursday 30 March will be the day for her to lay her first egg of the 2023 season.

Cornell called it at 13:22. Arthur will be so pleased.

The egg reveal came at 15:04:25.

Arthur wasted no time getting to the nest and ‘demanding’ some incubation time! He has been impatiently waiting for this first egg to arrive. So many are relieved. Many thought that Big Red might be ‘too old’ but as long as she is healthy she should produce eggs.

Big Red settling in for the evening.

Arthur and Big Red have been sharing incubation duties – they are so in tune with one another and Arthur is so delighted. Do we think he will get a chance to feed the eyases more this year?

Beau and Nancy are taking care of their few days old only to be eaglet in the MN-DNR nest.

Bella feeds little E7 fish at the NCTC nest!

The rain is pouring down in San Francisco and Annie is hunkered down keeping the four Peregrine Falcon eggs warm and dry! She is not wanting to share incubation duties with Lou during the rain.

Idris has arrived home at the Dyfi nest on Thursday 30 March a day after his mate, Telyn.

Yeah. Daddy Long Legs is home safely! I am so excited. Time 17:31.

There are so many wonderful Osprey couples but these two are one of my favourites. So happy to see both of you back together, Idris and Telyn.

Blue 022 arrived first at Poole Harbour and an unringed female came to the nest. Now CJ7 is home and there are three of them there. Oh, goodness. Remember. The original nest at Poole Harbour was CJ7’s!

The female visitor took the fish. Do we think Blue 022 has some explaining to do to CJ7?

Blue 22 best be getting out there and getting a fish for his gal!

Birdlife Malta is trying to get the public to report any untoward activities towards the storks during their stay and migration over the country. See down further for more news.

Blue 014, the mate of Aaron Z2 at the Post Cresor nest at Glaslyn has returned. Excellent news. We now await Mrs G and Aran.

More Peregrin Falcons are returning to Manitoba!

I have had so many letters about the Dale Hollow Nest. I do not report on this nest along the Tennessee-Kentucky border. I did last season. That said, the adult male has been missing since Tuesday. The female has been feeding the three eaglets on the nest, who are now a month old. This situation is similar to M15 – except that there are three mouths. Several female eagles have been successful in fledging three alone. Please send this nest your love and positive wishes.

They all had a good feed from a huge fish that was used many times today. The little one at the top has a very large crop.

People came out to help protect the White Storks in Malta!


wskrsnwings loves E21. She did an awesome video of that flight around the pasture, coaxing him along the way. Thank you!

Anton Outdoors shows us all those Bald Eagles in Alaska eating that salmon. If you ever wondered what it is like, here it your opportunity in 49 seconds.

Thank you so very much for being with me this morning. There are branchings and fledges to come. Eggs to be laid. Ospreys to return. Lots happening. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to everyone for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘H’, Decorah Goose, The Guardian, Moorings Osprey Park, CarnyXWild, Welsh Ospreys Zone Map, FOBBV, Cornell RTH, MN-DNR, Deb Stecyk and the NCTC Eagle Cam, Cal Falcons, Dyfi, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Birdlife Malta, Manitoba Birding 0 Birds and Wildlife Photography, Dale Hollow Eagles, wskrsnwings, and Anton Outdoors.

E21 is hit by GHO and flies back to nest…Thursday in Bird World

30 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

It was -4 C in ‘Winter Peg’. No snow. Blue skies and a chilly, chilly wind. We are now at the point of longing for spring to arrive, and it will be another month til it feels like it! I would love to wake up in the morning to hear the quack of ducks in my garden!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/27/country-diary-the-dawn-chorus-here-begins-with-a-quack?CMP=share_btn_link

I will go back to SW Florida, but what we had feared all along happened. One of the Es got knocked off the branch while they were sleeping by the GHO. It was 21. ‘A’ sent the following note: “Both Es are in the nest tree, although I am not entirely certain that E21 may not have fledged and returned, as E22 suddenly got very excited by what could only have been E21 much higher in the nest tree. Camera scans had not found E21 in the tree prior to that, and I was starting to think he had fledged earlier this morning, then suddenly, E22 was squeeing like mad and there was E21. So I thought that he may have left the tree and returned. Otherwise, he was in the higher reaches of the nest tree all morning. Well, turns out that what happened was E21 got knocked out of the nest tree by a GHO and landed in a branch under the nest tree. Three hours later, he is now back in the nest tree. Congratulations E21.” E21 flew back to the nest so it is an official fledge. So lucky!

Heidi Mc got it on video- please watch to the end. The Es so happy to be together after the ordeal.

 If you missed it, Geemeff published Tim Mackrill’s brief talk about the miraculous journey of Blue KW0 cross the Atlantic to Barbados on the BBC.

I simply cannot help but continue to applaud this incredible Osprey. She is an amazing bird and let us all hope that she lives a long and productive life.

A fantastic interview with Sasha Dench and her return to Guinea to find 4K again and check out the challenges for the ospreys return to the UK. Thanks, Geemeff. Please listen. It is such a good interview.

Geemeff got to visit Rutland today and guess who they caught mating? Oh, eggs soon Blue 33 and Maya!

When CJ7 gets back to Poole Harbour she might have something to say to Blue 22, who has been cavorting with the unringed female on their nest at Poole Harbour!

Maya and Blue continue to work on the nest and are waiting for eggs. Blue 25 seems to be staying away or maybe her mate has now returned.

Telyn is at the Dyfi nest patiently waiting for Idris to return while eating her flounder in the wind.

Looks like she finished that off nicely! Telyn is also an excellent fisher.

Waiting for Mrs G and Aran at Glaslyn Valley where it has flooded and there is currently rain. At one time the nest was a wading pool.

It has been raining up at the Loch of the Lowes where Laddie LM12 and Blue NC0 (she has lost a ring) are hoping for eggs soon!

Heavy rain drops are falling at Louis and Dorcha’s nest at Loch Arkaig. According to one of the nest experts, the pair typically do not return until April. Smart! It looks damp and cold.

It is dreary at Clywedog, also. Dylan and Seren are both home from their migration. These are the first Welsh couple to be reunited this season.

This incredible couple made the news! There were so many new stories about Ospreys today. I wonder if the unthinkable journey of Blue KW0 across the Atlantic has sparked international interest in the fish hawks.

https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/environment/ospreys-dylan-and-seren-return-to-mid-wales-forest-604482

There are three rather energetic osplets on the Achieva Osprey nest. I don’t know how this season will end but right now the little one is quite feisty. That said, the beaking has already started. The key will be for Jack to keep the fish coming in to the nest just like a train – finish one, get another. Like Harry did at the Moorings Osprey Park in Naples, Florida when Abby and Victor were wee. It didn’t stop Abby’s dominance but Victor is still happily with us!

Trey at the KNF E1 nest of Anna and Louis is having a great time flying from branch to branch at the nest tree today. She is sitting right above the nest on a branch in the image below. What a magnificent eaglet.

Prey delivery at the KNF E-3 nest of Alex and Andria and their kids, Valentine and Nugget. Both Valentine and Nugget on the nest while Andria looks on.

Connick is big and beautiful and his nest is full of fish at Captiva. Connie and Clive will still be close at hand even though Connick might like to only self-feed and be somewhat independent. Clive supplies lots of fish. You can see them on the nest. I am counting seven!

Rose and Ron’s two eaglets at the WRDC nest in Miami are sooooo cute.

They have names – and every time I go to keyboard them in I forget. So…the two at Duke Farms have their complete thermal down. There are only a few little white dandelions remaining from their youth.

Sharon Pollock shows us what the Es have been up to!

Both have been up on the attic together. Could we have a dual fledge?

In California, ‘B’ warned me that bad weather was approaching Jackie and Shadow in Big Bear and would arrive on Wednesday. He was 100% correct. I am sooooooo glad there are no little eaglets on this nest right now. This front is expected to last through Thursday. It makes me cold just looking at it!

Shadow cannot stop thinking about those nest rails even with the snow and wind! Does he know the Ravens have been taking them?

At the Bartlesville, Oklahoma Bald Eagle nest, there are three eggs! Thanks, ‘L’ for letting us know and for sending us the link to their camera.

It is raining in Corona California but this is not stopping Pip, Tootsie, and Hoot from fledging! Congratulations Owlvira and Hoots for another successful year.

Angus and Florence will have hatch around the third week in April. There are three eggs for these first-time parents. If they all hatch, this will be a crazy nest to watch. Gosh that is a long time away. How will they do in the heat and humidity?

A check on the Moorings Ospreys shows that Victor walks freely around the nest today with no monofilament hindrance—smart little one. Whenever there is an incoming fish, and he fears Abby will not be agreeable, he gets between Sally’s legs to eat and protect his head!

We have all been concerned about the Moorings osprey platform since the incident with the monofilament line. It is, sadly, too familiar. Humans must be vigilant and take better care. Sunnie Day sent me a link to a site. Please check it out. I understand that they might even retrieve line. So write this down somewhere! It could save a life.

https://www.facebook.com/mindyourline

The Moorings Park monofilament line also brings to mind the need for all streaming cam owners to have proper contact information that will respond. It is unknown how many citizen scientists – you – save the lives of birds each year. There are no statistics. What we know is that individuals watching nests know the birds personally. They can tell when they are sick. Watchers first spotted Legacy not feeling well at the NEFL Bald Eagle nest, and it was confirmed she had Avian Flu. Others – I remember Patuxent and my friends ‘S’ and ‘L’ calling everyone. A staff member listened to the taped phone messages and took their canoe to save an osprey chick falling in the water. The tide had not come in, and it was a glorious ending. ——So my point is this: YOU can save lives. To do so, you need the phone number of the nearest wildlife rehab centre for the nests you watch. You need to report what is happening and where clearly. If it is a human caused issue, such as fishing line, they can get the permit in the US to go to the nest. If a chick falls out of a nest, they can help. You are all wonderful and you can make a difference! Do not hesitate. Do not assume someone else has called.

We have a falcon egg at the Spartan Stadium in Michigan!

It is never the outcome we hope for but this posting does help us understand just how well the raptors can adapt to injuries. We have seen eagles with one leg, eagles with a mangled leg become mothers (Ma Berry), and this one with only two toes surviving well til he broke his wing. Remember this – a good learning lesson! Share the story with others when they wonder if an eagle can survive and hunt with only two toes.

That is a round-up of some of the nests we have been following. Stay tuned for the Es fledge. It is coming quicker than we might imagine. Will they fly together?

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, their videos, posts, announcements, articles, and streaming cams that helped to make up the news in my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘L’, Heidi Mc and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Geemeff, Sunni Day, The Guardian, Tim Mackrill and the BBC, Tom Heap and Sky News, Geemeff and LRWT, Poole Harbour Ospreys, LRWT, DYFI, Glaslyn, LOTL and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, CarnyxWild, Cambrian News UK, Achieva Credit Union, KNF E-1, KNF E-3, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, Duke Farms, Sharon Pollock and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, FOBBV, Sutton Wildlife, Moorings Park Ospreys, Mind Your Line, Olga Kysil and Orange Australia Peregrine Falcons, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest and Cams.

Victor caught in fishing line…Tuesday in Bird World

28 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Spring ‘decided’ to turn a little nippy on Monday. The sky was blue and the House Finches returned to the feeders along with a few more Dark-eyed Juncos, Mr and Mrs Woodpecker, and an assortment of Chickadees and Sparrows. I hope to have decent images for you sometimes this week.

The kittens and I cannot take our eyes off the SW Florida nest. E22 is going to fly soon!!!!! Very soon. The other nests are doing fine. I am a little nervous about a couple with three osplets or eaglets where the size is vastly different from the first to the third, but we wait. So far, so good. Knock on wood, as they say! Or don’t worry about something until there is something to worry about! We wait to see if the single egg at the Redding California nest of Liberty and Guardian is viable. Otherwise, we can look for several more hatches along with Osprey arrivals and fledges in the coming days.

Will the spill in Poole Harbour harm all the wildlife?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/28/weve-seen-oiled-birds-fears-for-protected-wetlands-after-poole-harbour-spill?CMP=share_btn_link

A very good article about the restoration of the Peregrine Falcons on the University of California Campus at Berkeley. It is in the most recent Alumni news, The California Magazine.

https://alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/online/berkeleys-high-flying-falcons-rebounded-from-the-brink/

Big Red could have fooled us all today. She has spent a lot of time at the nest on the Cornell campus.

Is it just me, but does Big Red look ‘tired’ in her eyes this year? I hope this is just the camera angle.

Jackie has patiently sat on the branch letting Shadow have a fun day with his sticks on the nest. ‘B’ reports that the nest could be in for some more bad weather on Wednesday. Thanks for the head’s up, ‘B’.

They are three cute osplets. I so hope they all play nice at Achieva. Just look at the size difference.

Not ospreys but three little eaglets. Hoping for them, too! This is PA Country Farm and they have one more egg to possibly hatch.

At the beginning of February, when Harriet disappeared, no one imagined that M15 could raise the Es to fledge. It just seemed like such an insurmountable challenge but, we knew it had been done before. He rose to the occasion and here we are today preparing with him for the last two eaglets he will have with Harriet to fly and eventually make their way into the world. What an amazing journey it had been. Better than the afternoon soap operas my grandmother used to watch!

On Monday, M15 brought at least three prey items to the Es today. Everyone ate.

E22 is sure beautiful. Missy and Lewis think that our feisty Bitty is going to fledge first!

As dusk settled over the pastures, E22 was squeezing, flapping, and going from branch to branch. As many of you might be aware, fledging often occurs in the early morning or the hour before dusk. Missy and Lewis were watching the computer, and I could tell something was going to happen. We are so close to fledging at SW Florida.

M15 with his eagle eyes keeping an eye from above. As so many have said, Harriet would be so proud of how he has taken care of these last two eaglets of theirs.

Finally, asleep on the rim. Flying can wait til Tuesday.

Lady Hawk shows M15 delivering two fish, one each, in less than two minutes. Did we say incredible in describing our Dad at this nest?

Pittsburgh-Hays had their first hatch on the 26th and there is a pip in the second egg. Congratulations!

We watched as Audacity laid eight eggs hoping to have eaglets this year with her mate, Jak at Sauces Canyon in the Channel Islands. It looks like that egg continues to hold. Let us hope for a successful hatch.

If you like the sound of frogs, visit Jak and Audacity’s streaming cam at night. Audacity in her nest listening to the serenade and protecting her precious egg.

There is a pip at the Denton Homes Bald Eagle nest in Decorah, Iowa!

Smitty feeds his little eaglet for the first time at the NCTC nest! After no chicks last year – you may remember that Bella was attacked by an intruder and MIA for three weeks, it is fantastic to see these two be parenting a wee one again.

Then Bella and Smitty do a tandem feeding. They are so happy to have an eaglet to care for this year.

Isn’t this just the sweetest little eaglet? It looks like it is smiling. Congratulations Bella and Smitty!

The Live Owl Cam GHOs are really growing. Caught Owlvira bringing in some prey – a mouse? – for Tootsie, Pip, and Hoot tonight.

One of my favourite Osprey nests in the UK is the Foulshaw Moss nest of White YW and Blue 35 in Cumbria. Today, White YW returned home after his winter migration. Just waiting for Mum. I will tell you more about this amazing nest in days to come.

Victor and Abby had another good day. Victor is so very clever. As ‘A’ has observed if Abby is giving him grief and keeping him from fish, then he gets under Sally’s bottom or under her wing and she feeds him. Sally loves to stuff these two full to the brim and then asks if they want more. If they say no, she feeds them more anyway! Too funny. What a glorious nest to watch.

Abby and Victor have huge crops. Sally is such a devoted mother.

Victor could hardly hold his crop up but Sally insisted that he have more fish…so he ate while on his belly. Too funny.

There is a problem with fishing line on the Moorings Park nest. ‘A’ writes, “It is 4.34am at The Moorings and it sounds as though it is raining heavily. We have a problem with one or both osplets caught up in nesting material for over four hours and unable to move about freely. In trying to free itself, Abby has got very close to the edge, which is concerning Sally greatly. I am not sure how Victor is going, as he has been making quite a bit of noise, chattering, but he too was entangled earlier. At least he is under mum, between her and Abby, so he is getting some shelter from the weather and is further from the edge. His right foot appears to be caught under nesting material and he is unable to get it out. Sally is trying to dig at the nesting material to loosen it perhaps and free Victor’s foot. I am unsure how this happened but it is not a good situation.”

The rain has stopped. Thankfully. The line has been seen at 1000 on the nest, but it may be off Victor’s leg. In situations like this (human-caused), wildlife rehabbers get permission and can remove the line from the nest. Victor and Abby are too small to worry about a forced fledge. — Let us hope that Sally takes care of it! I did notify Moorings and the local wildlife conservancy in case the line continues to be an issue.

Victor still had line pulling on him at 11:02.

I don’t know if Maya is still suspicious of Blue 33 and Blue 25. Both Maya and Blue 33 have been at the nest working on the egg bowl over Monday.

Michael St John just sent me a new article covering the exploits of Blue KW0. As I have mentioned earlier, Kirk, Tweed Valley 2022, fledgling Blue 707, might have been caught in the same winds and could also be out in the Caribbean. As I write this, I seek help from radar and meteorological specialists to try and establish the weather patterns that could have taken these UK birds to the Caribbean—more on that as information is discovered. I will put out a call for help with 707 that I hope everyone will send out to any and all in a few days. Who knows, we might get lucky and find this other osprey!

.https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-65089646

Colouring books are not just for children. This book arrived today in the post, and I wanted you to see it – especially since we will watch the White-bellied Sea Eagles in the Sydney Olympic Forest in a few months. The coloured images are superb and are the work of the famous Australian artist, Elizabeth Gould, whose work is being featured in a new book released in the fall.

In some places of the world – not on the Canadian Prairies – please remember – and thank you. Spread the world. Embrace dandelions!

One of the key individuals in the fight to protect wildlife and habitat in the UK is Chris Packham. I have written about the arson attack at his home. The threats to his life are growing simply because he calls out the gamekeepers and gun sports for their violence and illegal activities. What is happening now is frightening. How would we feel if we defended the right to life of foxes and came home fearing someone would be there to harm us?

Raptor Persecution UK covers the latest news.

Fieldsports Channel Ltd displays images of Chris Packham’s head on ‘trophy’ wall at national gun show

Thank you so much for being with me today. Coming up this week – a close look at Tweed Valley Osprey 707 Kirk and how he might have gotten blown off just like Blue KW0, Missey’s review of Waterbabies, and a surprise visit to a new site in my city. See you soon. Take care!

I want to thank the following for their notes, posts, announcements, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘A’, Michael St John, The Guardian, The California Magazine, Cornell RTH, FOBBV, Achieva Credit Union, PA Farm Country, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Pix Cams, IWS and Explore.org, Paul Kolnik and Bald Eagles 101, Deb Stecyk and the NCTC, Live Cam Owl, Cumbria Wildlife, Moorings Park Ospreys, LRWT, BBC, Amazon, and Raptor Persecution UK.

Telyn home at Dyfi, Dylan at Clywedog??…plus eaglet hatches…Monday in Bird World

27 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Sunday was a beautiful day in the Canadian Prairies. Spring is arriving, and the small ponds around the City and parts of the river are melting. The Geese are beginning to return. I saw four this morning during my walk, and others have reported them returning on eBird.

There was one lonely goose on the open water at Fort Whyte Alive.

Several were in the sky, flying toward our Assiniboine Park and the River. It is exciting seeing the end of winter. Can’t wait to see ‘green’ as in grass and leaves!

We will start with an incredible video of M15 delivering a Bluegill to the eaglets at the SW Florida Bald Eagle Nest. Shot by The Real Saunders Photography, who are on the ground in Fort Myers. What a different perspective!

On Sunday, M15 brought three fish and a piece of ‘something’. I can’t be positive, but E22 got the majority, if not all, of the prey. He appears to continue to provide feast and famine days for the eaglets as he eases them into what will be living in the real world. There were no big dramas yesterday. M15 also found time to have a nice splash about in the pond. He has done it! Will the Es fledge this week?

The winds are blowing UK Ospreys onto their nests. Blue 022, the mate of CJ7 at Poole Harbour, flew on to the nest on the 26th of March. Other arrivals are being reported around the UK. The nest at Poole Harbour is part of the Roy Dennis relocation efforts to bring Ospreys back to the area after a more than 200-year absence. Last year CJ7 and Blue 022 fledged two historic osplets from this nest. Sadly, one was killed by a Goshawk.

Blue 22 was joined by an unringed female. Come on CJ7!

Telyn has arrived home at the Dyfi Osprey Platform in Wales just after noon on the 27th. Now we wait for her mate Idris to get home.

A second osprey has been seen on the nest at Clywedog, but the camera has gone down and no firm confirmation that it is Dylan. Sure hope it is!

The three osplets at the Venice Golf and Country Club in Florida appear to be doing quite well. They are certainly well camouflaged. You have to look carefully to tell the stripes on their backs from the sticks.

Arlene Beech reports that the first Osprey has arrived in Poland for the 2023 season.

It was so nice to check on Abby and Victor and find them both up eating Sunday morning. The average number of fish coming to the nest is 5-6 a day. Many of those are being brought in by Sally. It appears that on Sunday, Harry delivered one early fish. Thank goodness the water feature below the nest must be teeming with food. Sally has no trouble bringing fish to her, Abby, and Victor.

Everyone is preening and itchy. Look at the image above. The tail feathers are starting to come in also.

Sally keeping the osplets shaded. Where is Harry? He has been off camera for a couple of days. I am used to him being on the nest and there being a few more deliveries. Sally caught fish yesterday.

Abby and Victor were so full of fish they could hardly move and then Sally decided to feed them some more after the IR light came on. Just look at the crops on Sally and the kids.

‘A’ is a keen observer of the Moorings nest and she writes about Sunday, “Not only is Victor rapidly learning how to get to the beak, even if he has to go between mum’s legs or hide under her wing, and he seems to have renewed confidence. As I think I mentioned yesterday, he has developed a technique for not being beaked by Abby – as he becomes aware of Abby raising herself up to beak him from behind, he does the same himself, stretching his neck and standing literally on his tiptoes to get himself high enough to prevent her from being able to bring her weight down on his head. Abby retreats nearly every time. Victor has now learnt that, so he seems quite confident to continue eating even in Abby’s presence.” Thanks, ‘A’. There are no worries at this nest at the moment!

At the Achieva Osprey nest, Jack flew in with a huge fish around 0830. Diane has been busy feeding the trio. It is so difficult to see the behaviour on this nest this year without the camera zoomed in closer!!!!!!!! I cannot tell how the osplets are doing in terms of the feedings only that there are still three alive on the nest. The third hatch, despite being only four days younger than the eldest, is quite small.

Jackie and Shadow were at the Big Bear Valley nest early Sunday morning.

Shadow has been bringing in lots of nice fish. If those prey gifts could be eggs in that nest, it would overflow.

Congratulations to Bella and Smitty on their first hatch of the 2023 season at the NCTC nest.

Big Red was also on her nest early Sunday morning!

And the camera pans over to the Bradfield ledge and catches her trying to keep out of the wind. Is this a new improved zoom?

The three eagles of Martin and Rosa in the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle nest in Virginia continue to do well. What more can we ask when three are in a nest, and one is much bigger? They are doing well! There are, as of today, seven Bald Eagle nests in the US with three eaglets. Wow.

Ron and Rose continue to trade off duties caring for the two eaglets. Everything is going along splendidly.

A whole new meaning to ‘sleeping with the fishes’.

Rose indeed found an incredible mate when she landed on Ron’s nest! Lucky girl.

We are still waiting for a pip at the nest of Liberty and Guardian in Redding, California. I am not ready to give up on their only egg this season. Send them positive wishes, please.

Bella and Smitty had their first hatch on the 25th of the 2023 season. This is great news. The couple did not have any eaglets last season.

PA Farm Country now has their third hatch of the four eggs on the nest this season. Wow. They are going to be busy!

Pittsburgh-Hayes had their first hatch of the 2023 season at 12:03 on the 26th. Welcome H19!

Six hours old.

Congratulations to Nancy and Beau at MN-DNR on their first hatch of the 2023 season. Hatch occurred early Sunday evening.

https://www.youtube.com/live/l95k-iKfh8Q?feature=share

Bonding is happening at the scrape on top of San Jose City Hall. This new couple replaces Shasta, Annie, and Grinnell’s son, Sequoia.

Proud Owlvira standing with her three owlets in Corona, California. They have all ‘branched’ to the rim of the nest.

Pip, Tootsie, and Hoots must be full as each is ignoring the mouse in the nest that Mum delivered a few minutes earlier.

Here is that delivery:

Checking on Karl II and his family and their migration back to Estonia. Karl II’s last transmission was as he was almost leaving Turkey. No news today. Kaia had one ping in Chad and nothing since. That was several days ago. Waba remains in Sudan. Bonus’s last transmission was in the fall migration in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.

If you want to take part in voting at Cal Falcons for your favourite memes, go to https://calfalcons.berkeley.edu Click on either the FB or Twitter links, and you will find the ‘Vote Here’ link. Have fun!

There seem to be more cases daily, and this is just the tip of the iceberg, as so many never appear on the FB site. It is a simple fix. Imagine all the resources saved, never mind the pain and suffering of the carrion feeders. So explain to me why this is not happening. The EU has banned lead. You cannot hunt waterfowl in England, Wales, the wetlands of Northern Ireland and Scotland using lead but, the programme is not comprehensive. A voluntary initiative in the UK to stop pheasant hunters from using lead indicated that 94% of the pheasants tested had been killed with lead shots. It needs to be a mandatory ban on all lead in all hunting and fishing equipment. It is simple. Every news outlet is looking for a story. Give them one. Pepper the local papers and outlets with the reasons for not using lead then make it mandatory. It will take a few years but people will comply (for the most part). Just do it! And not piece meal.

Voluntary-UK-initiatives-to-phase-out-toxic-lead-shot-for-pheasant-hunting-have-had-little-impactDownload

Here is the link to the story about the EU banning lead that appeared about a month ago in The Guardian and in my blog at the time.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/15/ban-on-hunting-birds-with-lead-shot-in-eu-wetlands-hailed-as-huge-milestone-aoe?CMP=share_btn_link

Thank you so very much for being with me today. I hope to have another unique story from Barbados for tomorrow for everyone. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, announcements, tweets, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: Real Saunders Photography, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Ospreys of Poole Harbour, Dyfi, Venice Golf and Country Club, Arlene Beech, Moorings Osprey Park, Achieva Credit Union, FOBBV, Deb Stecyk and the NCTC Eagles, Cornell RTH, Dulles-Greenway, WRDC, FORE, Pix Cams, MN-DNR, SK Hideaways and San Jose City Hall, Corona Owl Cam, Live Owl Cam, Looduskalender Forum, Cal Falcon Cam, Phys.org, Terry Carman and Bald Eagle Live Nests and News, and The Guardian.

Pips everywhere…Sunday in Bird World

26 March 2022

The sun is bright, and the temperature is only -2 C, but a 22 kph wind makes it chilly! I have not seen them, but others have witnessed 45 Bald Eagles and 1 Golden Eagle arriving from their winter migration. First American Robin seen, also. Amazing. Last year many of the eagles who make their nests on the ground and the ducks’ and geese’ nests were ruined by overland flooding. Hoping that does not happen this year!

For me, the delight of the day came when about half a dozen Dark-eyed Juncos landed in the lilac bushes at about 1630! They’re back. Mr and Mrs Downy had just departed when they arrived. Do you know what this means? A trip to the bird food store for millet tomorrow.

‘H’ reports that it was quite the day at the WRDC nest. There was a feast with Rose bringing in 2 fish and Ron delivering 7 fish and a duck. Goodness. There was even one feeding. Needless to say neither chick was hungry! Incredible.

Gosh, that fish on the Moorings Park Osprey Platform has been there a long time. Sally started feeding Abby and Victor and Abby took great exception to Victor wanting food. Not that behaviour is any surprise. Poor little Victor. He did wait it out and watched and got over and Mum Sally fed him until he had a nice crop. There is still fish left.

Little Victor finally getting some fish.

Around 1640 Sally ‘decided’ to feed Abby and Victor before they got ravenous. Great idea. They both ate little civilised cherubs. Each got fed a nice meal.

There was even fish left for Sally.

Victor had a nice crop as the sun was setting over the nest. Harry was not around much today. Chasing off intruders? Sally caught one fish herself. Saw it from the nest and went and got it. Don’t think she cared much for that other fish that Harry brought in. Perhaps it was too bony.

Sally and the osplets sound asleep…Victor tucked in under Mum.

There is fish hiding all over the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle nest. The triplets are doing just fine. Martin and Rosa seem to managing them well.

This is the listing of the UK Ospreys that have returned. Thanks, Mary Cheadle!

Seren Blue 5F is an amazing fisher. Here she is with a huge trout – too large to finish in one meal. She will have the rest for breakfast.

There is still some rumbling on FB about Gabby ‘being missing since Wednesday’. Gabby has returned from her spa days. The AEF has confirmed this with the following post on the 25th of March.

Here are some images:

Meanwhile Jackie and Shadow keep us guessing at Big Bear.

They certainly have been bringing in more railing!

Our big girl Jackie on the left and Shadow on the right. A great image to see the difference in scale between male and female Bald Eagles.

Shadow provided Jackie with several fish on the nest Saturday. The perfect gentleman…oh, Shadow, you really do want those eggs!

‘A’ sent news that all three GH owlets at the Corona California nest have now branched.

Bonnie and Clyde’s owlets on Farmer Derek’s property in Kansas are enjoying some sun and from being out from under Mum!

E21 is 79 days old today. The average age of fledge at South West Florida is 83 days. Oh, what a bittersweet moment this is all going to be.

Sometimes you can only see a few talons!

They track Dad when he is incoming with prey and get themselves in that nest!

On Saturday, M15 brought in no less than five fish for the Es.

M15 and the kids did defy the odds…fledge watch! We should all be jumping up and down with joy but, the moments are so bittersweet. What an amazing season and what a pleasure to watch M15 rise to every occasion. We do not know what his fate will be after the Es leave the area. Will M15 get a mate and keep the nest? Will he leave on his own for a more quiet life elsewhere after Harriet? We wait.

The miracle at the SW Florida nest this year has made the Naples news.

https://www.news-press.com/picture-gallery/news/2023/03/24/e-21-and-e-22-swfl-eagle-cam-defy-odds-they-prepare-fledge-harriet-missing-since-feb-2/11535484002/

Mum and Dad eating on the nest at Duke Farms along with the two eaglets. These two are so easy to watch!

Three eggs laid on February 20, 23, and 26 at Denton Homes. We will be on pip watch next week.

There is a possible pip at the NCTC nest of Bella and Smitty Saturday night.

There is a pip at Pittsburgh-Hayes, which was confirmed at 16:44 on Saturday. Hatch is now in progress. Oh, the wind is really blowing and it feels cold just watching Mum trying to get some sleep, hunkered down.

Did we not think everyone would have a hatch at the same time. Oh, goodness.

At the Webster, Texas Bald Eagle nest near Houston, Ringo has branched!

Beautiful Mama Goose and her two eggs at the Decorah Goose Cam in Iowa. The second laid on Saturday the 25th at 1000.

Eggs covered with nesting material and down while Mum has a break.

If you are into wading birds, do you know about the Alligator and Spoonbill Swamp Cam in St Augustine, Florida?

https://www.youtube.com/live/M4P_GzA6H80?feature=share

Ferris Akel had the most extraordinary images of the Sandhill Crane migration. These images were taken in Nebraska. Ferris said the tour was 1000% worth it! Even getting up at 0400 for the fly off.

Ferris Akel is a gem. He has a streaming tour of the Ithaca area every Saturday. You can see it later archived on YT. He also shares so much and taking us with him on this amazing tour was very special.

There are upwards of 400,000 Sandhill Cranes in this area migrating right now. They expect 600-650,000 at peak migration, according to Ferris.

This is a gathering place. They will gather around marshes often surrounded by prairie forest feeding and then flying off at dawn. Every crane set off at the same time to continue its travels north.

Those Sandhill Cranes will be flying into Southern Manitoba any day now!

Ferris has this fantastic spectacle – with the sound of the cranes – now on YT. Thank you, Ferris Akel!

This is why we need everyone to stop using lead in hunting and fishing equipment (and military).

Conservation without Borders are heading back to West Africa to see if they can find Tweed Valley Osprey Glen whose tracker says he is still in Morocco. I hope he is there for their arrival and not on his way back to the UK. Go Sasha Dench and Crew!

Meanwhile, we are going to band together and try to locate Glen’s brother, Kirk 707 beginning this week!

Good Morning, gorgeous. Big Red and Arthur have sure been trying out that egg cup. All eyes are on the 20 year old Red tail Hawk, the Queen of the Cornell Campus.

On the Canadian Prairies, people are just getting ready for gardening season. With the high cost of food, many are converting lawns into gardens or, if they have a small space, container gardens. This article in The Guardian challenges us to reconsider our garden because it should be a vital place for wildlife. Have a read, get some ideas! Send me some pictures if you join in. I would love to see what you are doing to help everything from a small insect, songbirds, beavers, deer, and waterfowl!

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/mar/25/garden-multilayer-forest-biodiverse-tom-massey-rhs?CMP=share_btn_link

Missy is going to help us review a new book for next week. It is Water Babies. The Hidden Lives of Baby Wetland Birds by William Burt. Oh, just in time for the new season!

She has already started evaluating the images!

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. Remember to get outside and take in some fresh air, even if it is on your balcony or front step! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, streaming cams and videos that helped make up my blog today: ‘H’, ‘A’, Moorings Park Ospreys, Dulles-Greenway, Mary Cheadle, Carnyx Wild, AEF, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, Baiba and FOBBV, Corona Owl Cam, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Duke Farms, Denton Homes, Deb Stecyk and the NCTC Eagle Cam, Pix Cams, Paul White and Webster Texas Eagles, Decorah Goose Cam, Alligator and Spoonbill Swamp Cam, Ferris Akel Live Tour, Terry Carman Bald Eagle Live Nests and Cams, Conservation without Borders, Cornell RTH, and The Guardian.

Another egg for Captiva, Trey fledges…Saturday in Bird World

25 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

The snow from our winter is melting. Ducks and geese are returning to the Canadian Prairies – not in huge numbers – but, the spring migration is upon us!

The first Canada Goose has been sighted in the City and this evening (Friday), one flew over the wetlands of Oak Hammock Marsh, my other haunt to see waterfowl. The Mallards are coming in, more than 200 of them now and the odd songbird. Everyone is excited to welcome our feathered friends ‘home’ until late September or October.

I spent the day in the forest at the nature centre. It was warm, there was some wind but not amidst the trees. On my way to the feeding station, I glanced to my left and there were seven deer.

They watched me closely as I sat down on a log across the trail. Later I learned that there are several fawns with this group but, I did not see them. They were well hidden.

The song of the Chickadee is a familiar and delightful sound in our parks all year. Years ago there was only a single Chickadee visitor to my garden, then there was a couple (obviously together), and now there is at least eight or nine that live in the Blue Spruce tree in the front garden. I have no idea how many reside in the forest but, definitely more than a dozen.

This White-Breasted Nuthatch has now read the manual. He was decidedly not facing downward!!!!!!!!

This little Red Squirrel was at the feeding station. There are lots of them. They are adorable and they are not afraid of humans. They will not leave their seeds for anything or anyone!

Penny Bowles left a lasting legacy not only for the birds but for all the people who walk the trails of the forest when she left a trust to provide food for the songbirds.

Blue 5F Seren is now home at Lyn Clywedog!!!!!!! Come on Dylan!

While we are waiting for the first egg of the season at Ithaca’s Red-tail Hawk nest of Big Red and Arthur, Angel, the Leucistic RTH and her mate, Rom, have theirs!

Some of you might have known that Gabby had been away from the NEFL-AEF nest near Jacksonville for a few days. Gabby returned from her spa date today! V3 flew in behind his gal, and Gabby quickly dismissed the intruder hanging around the nest! Way to go, Gabby.

It was a rough day for Dad at the SW Florida nest of M15 and the Es. The intruder that stole the turtle breakfast followed M15 later, and the pair engaged in a talon-to-talon battle. M15 appears to be alright, but this is what we have been afraid of all along. Send this nest your best wishes. Dad needs to get his babies fledged and then train them to hunt while they perfect their flying. He does not need the harm an intruder could do to him – or them. He went to the pond to get a drink and found some prey scraps in the pasture for the kids. What a guy. What he has had to go through this season! Meanwhile, 21 almost pushed 22 off the nest today. Get the worry beads out.

Vija caught the collision on video for us.

Despite having the breakfast turtle stolen by the intruder (M15 picked up as much as he could from the ground for the Es), having a talon battle with the same eagle, M15 did deliver no less than four prey items to the Es on Friday.

M15 locking talons with the intruder. Listen to the Es who are frantic! Thanks, Deb Stecyk.

Sally and Harry are handling Victor and Abby well. They are beautiful osplets. Just look at how their plumage has changed. Remember when they were a taupe with a dark stripe down their backs? Now, look. Sometimes the birds change before our eyes, and we don’t remember what they were like three weeks ago.

Harry is very good to stay on the nest and provide security while Sally feeds Abby and Victor.

At a late feeding, 1922, both osplets were up to Sally. Abby was insisting on eating first. Abby had a huge crop. It is unclear how much Victor had. In fact, throughout the day, Abby has been particularly aggressive so it is difficult to determine just how much fish Victor has had overall.

There appeared to be an intruder about that distracted Sally. All were tucked in shortly after.

Abby is finished and Victor is eating.

It looks like Abby has swallowed a small softball.

There is a huge fish left on the nest this morning. Are there intruders? Victor has had some food but Abby continues to be miserable. Let us hope that Victor gets several big feeds today!

Angus and Florence have two eggs and the third is expected today, Saturday the 25th. Then we should see Florence begin hard incubation.

As aggravated as I have been with Rose at the WRDC nest, I also find her and Ron delightful, and it is lovely to see the male taking such a huge part in raising the eaglets. I find myself going back to when we worried about lonely Ron after Rita had been injured and taken into care. We so wanted him to find a good mate. He had no idea Rita wasn’t returning and he continued to work gallantly on that nest. These two little eaglets are a real blessing for him.

It was a very soggy day at Dulles-Greenway.

The three eaglets of Martin and Rosa looked cold and miserable.

At the nest of Big Bear Eagles Jackie and Shadow, it looked like the beginning of a perfect day as the sun rose over the lake.

Jackie and Shadow were on and off the nest bringing in soft materials. I am afraid to get hopeful.

They began with this small bunch and look at the next image to see where they were late in the day. Is this a hint that they need a nest now? And cannot wait for the snow to melt? Did I say I want to get my hopes up?

Shadow even gets to deliver more sticks!

B16 at the Berry College nest is really getting those wings working! Not fledge time yet but, gosh, this is a strong eaglet.

Let’s have a look what is happening at the nest of Liberty and Guardian at Redding, California. We are ready for pip/hatch watch. Gary gives us a thorough look at what is happening on this nest along with some historical background.

At the nest of Anna and Louise, KNF-E1 03, Trey, has branched. Thanks, ‘H’. Look close to the left on the lower branch. There she is!

This is a bit of a short report today. There are lots of pip, and hatch watches – NCTC Smitty and Belly, MN-DNR, FORE are only a few. One thing I would like to alert you to is a new FB group that Heidi has organised for the Mispillion Harbour Ospreys. She has videos, and history, and will be travelling down for the opening at DuPont Nature Centre. There could be a new couple in the nest this year. Please go and check it out and support one of our keen readers as she works hard to bring attention to a Delaware Osprey platform!

Having established that a Scottish Osprey could be blown off course and wind up in Barbados, I will be turning my attention to Blue 707 Glen from Tweed Valley Ospreys who was last heard from on the 5th of September off the coast of Ireland. Glen could have gotten into the same robust system as Blue KW0. More to come tomorrow or Monday. We will need an army of sleuths for this one! More arrivals at other UK nests. Will put them all in tomorrow. Looks like Kielder has two arrivals now.

Thanks so much for being with me today. Take care. Have a fantastic start to your weekend. See you soon.

Thank you to the following whose notes, postings, videos, and streaming cams helped make up my blog information today: ‘H’, John Williams and the Clywedog Osprey Group, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Vijay and SW Florida Eagle cam, Deb Stecyk and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Moorings Park Ospreys, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, Dulles-Greenway, Berry College Eagles, FOBBV, Gary and FORE, KNF-E1, and Mispillion Harbour Ospreys FB.