Category Archives: Big Bear Valley

It’s 2 eggs for Jackie and Shadow, 2016 Royal Cam chick returns…Sunday in Bird World

15 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Oh, what a lovely weekend we are having on the Canadian Prairies. It is currently -5 C with a 4 km/h wind. It is lovely. Just lovely except that it is ‘grey’. No blue sky. No sun. Looking forward to a walk in the forest today! Will keep you posted on what I see. I hope the weekend has been kind.

Making News:

Eagle Nest Removal. One of our blog family did some additional research on the removal of the nest on that cell tower that I mentioned a day or two ago. ‘B’ located a news article from South Carolina with information including the e-mail address to write if you are concerned by these actions. As we are all too aware, nests are being cut down and blown down by weather and it is breeding season. You should read the article carefully. The eagles were present and around – this was NOT a disused nest! Indeed, it is outrageous that it was removed.

I will include a link to the article. ‘B’ draws our attention to a final paragraph. If you wish to voice your concerns about this incident – please use the e-mail below. The link to the article is below the quote and above the albatross image. Thank you for taking the time to speak up for our raptors who cannot speak for themselves!

“The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources responded to reports of the removal of a large raptor nest in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has initiated an investigation regarding the removal, and inquiries concerning this incident should be directed to Office of Communications, United States Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Regional Office at fw4_comms@fws.gov .”

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2890157123613/fed-investigating-removal-of-mt-pleasant-eagle-s-nest

The 2016 Royal Cam chick, Moana, has been confirmed to have arrived at Taiaroa Head after 7 years at sea. Talk about incredible. Just think about that. She is very steady on her feet and Ranger Sharyn wonders if she didn’t arrive earlier and wasn’t spotted. She settled down by her half-brother GLY for a bit. Oh, my goodness. This is fantastic news.

“American Golden-Plover with Yellowlegs” by Dendroica cerulea is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Have you ever seen a Golden Plover? We do not, as far as I know, attract them to Manitoba but, oh, they are so gorgeous. I can only imagine them at sunset!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/14/country-diary-a-golden-glint-in-the-gwynt?CMP=share_btn_link

More lead poisoning. I was going to try and put together a form letter for everyone to send to their various agencies but, the laws regarding lead vary from State to State and Country to Country. If this is an issue where you live – and it certainly is in the US and Canada – find out what the laws are. We know that some states have partial led bans. Get informed. Then use some of the information from posts such as the one below to write to your state and federal agencies asking them to ban lead from fishing and hunting equipment. Your letter should not be longer than a page and it should get to the point with facts.

Lincolnshire detectives warn that the poisoning of raptors could lead to human death. “The RSPB has described Lincolnshire as “a national hotspot” for the persecution of birds of prey”. How sad. Why do people believe they have a right to kill or severely injure animals or birds?

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-64225792

The AEF has made a memorial video of Samson. It shows some beautiful close ups of him, images of him and Gabby, and their kids. Get a tissue. I assume that they have now determined that something fatal has happened. So very sorry and sad. He was a magnificent partner and dad and I will just never forget the tender care he gave to Legacy and Jasper and Rocket. I did not watch this nest the year of Jules and Romeo).

There has been some discussion about physically challenged raptors. Here is another example of an eagle with one leg that landed on the Fort St Vrain nest in Colorado. Wonder when it lost its leg? and how it hunts its prey? There are places where challenged raptors can live out their lives; ‘L’ send me some information on them but, what about in the wild? Is it a case for not euthanising raptors if they have a single leg injury? I am, of course, thinking of our beloved WBSE26 right off the top but, there are others. I don’t know the answer. I am thinking out loud. Is it inhumane to even think that eagles could be freed with one leg? It is curious.

Checking on the nests:

Jackie laid her first egg on 11 January at 15:58. It is a horrible day in Big Bear Valley. It started out rather nice and quickly changed into high winds with pelting hail/rain/snow. Jackie will be laying egg 2 on this miserable day. Shadow has taken turns incubating and the pair have been on and off and always one of them around the nest at Big Bear.

At 12:28, there was still only one egg. The weather has changed the hour prior and is starting to get quite nasty for our darling Jackie.

Gabby at 13:54 Saturday. The cameras went out shortly after.

The second egg was laid before 17:11 on Saturday the 14th. In miserable weather. Poor Jackie. She must be hungry, too. Let us all hope tomorrow is a better day.

It looks like it is a much nicer day in central Florida for Superbeaks.

The first image is an unusual one. I am posting it here so you will see the blood feathers coming in on Pearl’s wing.

Connie and Clive’s little eaglet has fish juice on its feathers. It cannot be helped. Poor thing. Connie definitely likes to eat and I have yelled at her a few times to feed the baby! There is fish on the nest. Once Connie gets started and is not distracted, the eaglet normally winds up with a crop. Poor little one is also learning how to handle those huge bites…hence all the fish juice everywhere.

Anna is a bit like Connie. She sure likes her fish! Anna is making KNF E1-03 really stretch its neck to get any food. I must admit to getting irritated at both Anna and Connie. I want to see them feeding that wee babe til it can’t move and then having a big lunch themselves! Oh, well…they are never going to listen to me.

At the KNF E3 nest of Alex and Andria, E01 and 02 are doing fantastic. They look like two old wooly grey carpets. There is always an adult around but both can regulate their temperature now and it is a lovely day near Kincaid Lake in Louisiana.

Lots of good feedings and M15 and Harriet together in the later afternoon. These two are such sweethearts. I wonder if they are both male?

Ron and Rose were working on their nest on Saturday. That Rose is certainly a sweetheart. She is so smitten with her man.

MO and FO have both been at the Captiva Osprey platform nest on Saturday. (This is the same osprey).

Jack and Diane have been at the nest on the parking lot of the Achieva Credit Union in St Petersburg. They seem to be vigilantly watching for intruders instead of actually working on any aspect of the nest. Diane’s leg looks like it is almost entirely healed. Wonderful news.

Jack went fishing and came in with a nice fish breakfast for Diane at 07:52.

In Australia, Zoe had no fish deliveries on the 14th and nothing so far (noon) on the 15th none. The waters are very choppy. She is 119 days old. Mum and Dad could have trouble getting their own fish. Mum delivered one fish on the 13th. It looks as if Zoe is hunting around in the nest for leftovers, even dried fish. Is she catching her own? I don’t know but Mum and Dad fish at Delamere where Ervie does and Zoe might have followed them. Surely the parents are encouraging our girl to become independent and move out of the nest. She isn’t fish screaming either but that could be because Mum and Dad are not visible.

Nearly 1600 on Sunday for Zoe and no fish deliveries for more than 48 hours. She is either extremely hungry or she is fishing and eating off cam.

We will end in Australia with Elain’s nest highlights from Orange and the family of Diamond, Xavier, and Indigo.

Beautiful Diamond.

Save for poor Moana and Jackie, it has been a very quiet day. Pip watch soon for Berry College!

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

Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Sharon Dunne and Royal Cam Albatross Group NZ, Openverse, The Guardian, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, BBC, AEF, FOBBV, Superbeaks, Window to Wildlife, KNF-E1, KNF-E3, SWFL and D Pritchett, WRDC, Achieva Credit Union, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, and Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross.

Rose and Ron bonding…Friday in Bird World

13 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Here it is, Friday the 13th. I wonder how many people reading this are superstitious?

On Thursday afternoon, I put on the heavy coat and took out the camera and battery, warmest boots, scarf, toque and headed out to the nature centre. It was -12 degrees C with only a 4 kph wind and 84% humidity. Damp. It was a lovely day in the forest and a few friends were around the feeders.

Several Red Squirrels were running about enjoying the peanuts knocked down from the feeders by the birds or another squirrel ‘friend’.

‘Squirrel Friend’ in action!

A sweet little female Downy Woodpecker enjoying the suet. I love feeding suet in the winter because, unlike peanuts and Black Oil seed, have to be cleared up regularly.

The Black-capped Chickadees are simply precious. They flit about taking one seed, fly to a branch, open and eat it and fly back to get another – all day long.

What a treat it was to see a White-breasted Nuthatch.

Merlin Sound ID alerted me to a Yellow Flicker in the area but I did not see it. The deer were not around today near the hide.

Making News:

It is easy to worry about our favourite feathered families with the heavy rains and floods that have been happening in California (and at other places in the US and around the world). That makes it so much of a relief to see that Annie and her new male friend are at The Campanile and are safe.

They are putting sat pads on Ospreys in Senegal! It seems that the people in Africa are as curious about where their ospreys go to breed as we are to find out where they winter. This is just grand.

Creating new wetlands is a good thing.

If you missed The Flight of the Osprey presentations/shows/talks, Geemeff has reposted the links so that you can watch/hear:

The expectations are that Avian Flu will continue to kill domestic and wild birds. Are you noticing any shortage of eggs? Tests are going on now as duck hunting season is in full swing in places like California. The researcher in this article ” will deliver her samples to UC Davis, where lab personnel will test them first for avian flu in general and ultimately for the specific strain known as Goose/Guangdong (Gs/GD) lineage highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Gs/GD HPAI is the deadliest and most infectious bird flu ever to strike Europe or North America, according to wildlife epidemiologists. The strain ravages domestic poultry flocks and can sicken and kill more species of wild birds across a greater geographic area than any previous outbreak, leaving an unprecedented trail of death. So far, the virus has affected more than 52 million domestic poultry birds in the U.S. and has been tested for and confirmed in 4,362 wild birds across the country.” 

this-bird-flu-pandemic-is-terrible-and-strange-bay-natureDownload

The first eagle in SW Virgina confirmed to have bird flu. This year there could be some very serious hardships.

I was interviewed last week about the impact of war on wildlife. Today there is an article appearing in The Guardian about Hooded Crows around Babyn Yar near Kyiv. Keeping in mind that there has been so much destruction in Ukraine, it is a very interesting article to read.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/12/country-diary-the-silently-screaming-ravine-is-now-filled-with-bird-chatter?CMP=share_btn_link

In the mailbox:

‘L’ send me the latest Audubon news that shows their lobbying of the federal government has included many of their concerns about the environment and wildlife. Thanks, ‘L’. Have a read:

https://www.audubon.org/news/recently-passed-federal-funding-package-makes-investments-natural-climate

‘A’ has noticed that Clive is bringing a lot of trout to Connie and CJ7. Where is the trout coming from? That is such an interesting question. Thank you for asking it, ‘A’. I am reminded of when Dylan has brought Brown Trout into the nest at Llyn Clywedog that he shares with Serena Blue 5F. Dylan could get them from the local Reservoir but often humans are there fishing. I was so impressed with John Williams who tracked Dylan in a round about way and discovered that Dylan will escort intruders up to 25 miles away from the nest and it seems he stops along the way back home to fish! So now, where does Clive get those trout? Believe it or not, Captiva is well known for its winter fishing which includes Trout. Fresh Water Fishing Advice said this, “Spotted seatrout fishing is good in Captiva year-round. The season to fish for spotted seatrout in the region is high between January and October. The best time of the year to catch spotted seatrout in the area is between April and June.”

Checking the Nests:

The two eaglets at Superbeaks are growing and growing and then growing some more. It is difficult to get a screen capture of both of them together so I was pleased about the first image. It is early morning and Pearl and Tico are waiting for a fish delivery and breakfast. Their crops are empty!

Tico is 34 days old and Pearl is 35 days old today.

It is not long until fish arrive on the nest and these two get fed til they are full to the brim.

It is a wonder they can bend over. I am very impressed with these parents, PePe and Muhlady.

The two eaglets at the Kistachie National Forest E-2 nest of Alex and Andria are nothing short of precious. So civil to one another.

It is possible that KNF-E1-03 will be an only eaglet this year. In fact, this chick could be from the second egg. No matter. It will thrive under the watchful eye of Louis and Anna.

17:42. Probably the last meal of the day for the wee eaglet. Some people love the little pink feet but I love those little wings and the peek at the tail appearing.

Tonya Irwin gives us a short video of Louis taking care of E1-03 Thursday morning. Louis is such a proud daddy.

Shadow saw the precious egg that Jackie laid at 1600 on Wednesday early Thursday morning. Tine 07:06:22. After this, he flew out and returned with a nice fish for Jackie.

Jackie does not want to begin hard incubation until she is sure the second egg is in the nest. Otherwise the eaglets would be too different in birth times and this could cause severe rivalry. But, Jackie also knows that she cannot leave the egg alone or the Crows will get it. Little Fiona came to the nest but Fiona will not bother the egg.

One good way is for Jackie to perch near the egg – or Shadow – protecting the nest should a predator arrive.

What a sweet look – a marvel. Jackie looking at that egg she has laid. Oh, let us all hope that this is a good year for our Big Bear Valley couple. They deserve it. What fantastic parents they were to Spirit.

Notice how Jackie is sleeping over the egg to protect it from any predators but it is not yet hard incubating so if there is a second egg, the eaglets will hatch closer together. What a brilliant idea to keep the Crows at bay.

The California news is already celebrating Jackie and Shadow’s first egg! Oh, how wonderful.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/the-scene/the-first-egg-of-2023-arrives-for-big-bears-beloved-bald-eagles/3071805/?_osource=db_npd_nbc_knbc_eml_shr

Connie and Clive’s little one had a nice big crop today. There are lots of fish on that nest! Some of them are hidden. The little one looks fine despite some concerns over Connie eating more than she is feeding the chick. It does not look like the second egg will hatch. Like the KNF-E1 nest, it is possible that this chick was actually from the second egg.

Gabby and V3 were working on the nest this morning. He is rather handsome. I know he is not Samson but there are things about him that remind me of Samson – like his tight ‘jeans’.

HeidiMc caught Ron and Rose bonding in the WRDC nest in Miami yesterday. They are such a funny eagle couple! I love how Rose nibbles on Ron’s feathers. Oh, so sweet.

The beaking at the Southwest Florida nest of E21 and E22, kidlets of Harriet and M15, is not that bad. The problem is E22 who does seem to stare E21 right in the eye and then aim at him/her with its beak and then E21 shows 22 who is boss.

Look carefully. You are going to see black dots. Those are not bugs. The plumage is beginning to change. Yes, already. You will see the thermal down but you will also begin to see tiny black dots where the shafts of the feathers are emerging. You will also notice that the egg tooth is disappearing.

E22 you should never look 21 in the eye. Never!

For now, 21 is the oldest and is the boss. Just leave things alone.

A short clip from SK Hideaways showing E21 and 22 eating a meal and rather behaving. They do not always. E22 can still get rough.

It is raining in Fort Myers and Harriet is keeping the two wiggle worms underneath her!!!!!! M15 has a big rabbit on deck for dinner when it stops.

Indigo the beetle-slayer! and Diamond chaser. Indigo is so proud of his beetles. Just imagine what it will be like when he gets his first ‘real’ prey!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is lots of news and things happening in the world. It is hard to keep track of everything and report on all the birds. All of the hatched eagles at every nest appear to be doing just fine. That is wonderful news. Diane at the Achieva Osprey nest appears to be so much better on her her injured leg. She even flew off with a fish in that leg’s talon today. I do not think we will see any more chicks at Captiva or KNF-01. Keep watching as we have Berry College Eagles coming up and for all of the Royal Albatross fans, the pip on the Royal cam chick is about a fortnight away?

Thank you so very much for being with me. Please take care of yourselves. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their questions, their tweets, their posts, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: ‘A’, ‘L’, Cal Falcons, SKHideaways and Cal Falcons, Project Tougoupeu FB, BBC Dorset, Geemeff, Bay Nature, L Doyle and Bald Eagles Live Nests and Cams, Audubon News, Superbeaks, KNF E3, KNF E1, Tonya Irwin and KNF-E1, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, HeidiMc and SWFlorida Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, SWFlorida Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, SK Hideaway and SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, and Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross.

Eggs, Coots, and more…it is Thursday in Bird World

12 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that the week has been good to you. I think of everyone in the paths of the storms that I am reading about and I hope that all of you are safe.

I am repeating the story of Jackie laying her first egg. 3884 people were watching the nest at the time. It went up to over 4000. Incredible. Jackie and Shadow are much loved. It just made me giddy and all of us wish this couple the very best of luck this year. Let us hope for good weather, no predators and nothing untoward.

From the Bookshelf:

I continue to sing the praises of Slow Birding. It is my pick of all the books I have read so far as being one of the most informative and easy to understand. If you like picture books, it is not for you!!!!! Last night I tackled the chapter on American Coots. They visit us and last summer I had the privilege of seeing several at the ponds around our city on a daily basis. I want to share with you what I learned – it is fascinating.

Coots are not ducks. They are rails but they spend their time in the water – like a duck. Their bodies are a deep espresso brown black, the head a darker shade than the body. Their bill is white with a shield that ranges in colour from a deep red-brown to brick red. You can see this below. They have red eyes. Stunning. Their secondary feathers have a white trim and there is a tiny white line going down the middle of the tail to its tip. Their feet have toes and those toes have evolved over time to have phalanges that help them to swim.

“American Coot (Fulica americana)” by Jacob McGinnis is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

In the image below notice the red on the head of the chick.

“Mud Hen or American Coot (Fulica americana) feeding her baby” by Peggy2012CREATIVELENZ is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Some interesting facts about Coot behaviour:

  • Baby Coots have red heads. When predators are about they will stick their heads deep into leaves or into the nest so the predator cannot see them. As they age they can dive and camouflage their head by being under water. There is, on average, a five day spread between the first hatch and the last.
  • Adult Coots can tell the parasitic eggs (eggs laid by another Coot in their nest) from their own eggs due to patterns on the shell.
  • Adult Coot parents divide up the brood – older chicks with fading red heads and younger ones with red feathers. Chicks who kept their red feathers were the favourites of the adults to be fed. Unlike ducklings who can forage themselves, baby Coots are fed by the parents.

Making News:

Did you know that the Kakapo Recovery group check out the Rimu fruit, essential for Kakapo survival, to determine when breeding will begin? I didn’t.

More raptors are arriving in wildlife rehabilitation centres now that they are having to scavenge for food. Often this means that they are eating the innards left from hunters in the fields and woods – those are loaded with lead and it sends them right into care if they don’t die first. Sadly, this Golden Eagle got help but it was too late. This is entirely preventable. Write your representatives and urge them to ban all levels of lead in fishing and hunting equipment! Now. Thank you.

I would give just about anything to see a pile of ducks quacking away in my local park’s pond. They will return in the late spring. For now I have to rely on stories of others. I hate no idea, however, that Wigeons whistled, did you?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/11/birdwatch-whistling-wigeons-winter-highlight?CMP=share_btn_link

Nest News:

How many of you worried and fretted that Connie had not fed the little eaglet? I sure did! Connie has now fed the eaglet – about 24.5 hours after it hatched! Yippeee. Oh, I bet that first bite of fish tasted good! Little one holding its head up nicely. There is no sign that the second egg is pipping but it could be. Perhaps the egg that hatched was actually the second one laid. We wait. The raptors will teach us patience whether we like it or not!

Connie fed the little one again at 13:39 and at 14:20. I am making an assumption that the feedings will be nearly hourly from this point onwards for a few days during daylight hours. Clive has brought in Mullet and Trout. Good job, Dad.

Thursday>. No obvious pip in the second egg at Captiva.

Oh, that little one at the KNF E1 nest of Anna and Louis is just a cute little butterball. Will that second egg hatch? I cannot see a pip there either. Oh, those little wings. Adorable. Just adorable. No signs of a pip in the other egg.

I do not see a pip on the second egg at KNF-E1 Thursday morning either but it could be there.

One big difference that you might notice is that Andria feeds her eaglets more often than Anna. That is a really good thing for those two eaglets especially the second hatch as it remains much smaller than the first. Both are being civilised and both are well fed and cared for – no worries here.

Jack and Diane were bringing in bark to the nest in St Petersburg Florida. I am sure hoping that they leave it as a liner to cover up that hole. Last year their eggs rolled in there and with the help of Crows, the couple had no osplets. The year prior they fledged three. Diane’s leg appears to be improving daily.

Both PePe and Muhlady have brought in fish to the nest. These eaglets, Pearl and Tico, are so lucky. What a great source for fish their nest has.

Pearl is really getting her juvenile feathers.

Just look at this beautiful eaglet.

Gabby and V3 were both at the nest this morning. V3’s talons have really taken a beating but they appear healing or healed. Then off to secure the territory while Gabby stays home! What a guy.

Gabby lets out a big cry at 09:46.

Both V3 and Gabby are at the nest tonight on their respective perches watching for intruders and probably hoping to get some rest.

We have all noticed the large number of intruders at Gabby’s nest – and, of course, no Samson is what started all of this. The Centre for Conservation Biology has noticed that Bald Eagles spend more time guarding than they did 20 years ago due to the growing number of eagles in the area. Here is an article that arrived in my inbox today. It really sheds some light on what could be happening in The Hamlet.

chesapeake-eagles-shift-behavior-the-center-for-conservation-biologyDownload

They continue to work on the nest at Big Bear. With body temperatures of 105 degrees, Jackie and Shadow can melt the snow on the nest very quickly. Keep an eye out for any fluff being brought to the nest bowl. That will signal egg laying.

Well, goodness. I said watch for the eagles to bring in soft nesting material and look what happened late Wednesday afternoon!

That nest bole has been occupied for longer than an hour. I am not ready for this! But it just might be that Jackie is!!!!!!!!!!! She certainly wouldn’t listen to me.

Oh, tears. Jackie just laid her first egg. Beautiful. Between 1557 and 1600. Jackie made it look easy.

There is a fully history of the Big Bear nest under the streaming cam. It is very possible that Jackie is the 2012 hatch of Ricky and Lucy. In 2019, Shadow arrives at the nest and refuses to leave. Eventually, Jackie’s mate Mr BB leaves the area. Jackie and Shadow fledged Cookie and samba in 2019. Tragedy strikes for the pair in 2020 and 2021. Last year Jackie laid eggs on 22 January and 25th. One of those hatched. It was Spirit who stole our hearts and who fledged on 31 May.

Jackie was still keeping that precious egg safe at 1800.

E21 and 22 are really enjoying the fish that was brought in on Wednesday. they are cuties. Both M15 and Harriet fed the little ones fish and both were nicely behaved. Yes.

Indigo loves bringing beetles into the scrape that he has caught. Today there were four that Elain caught in her video! Indigo is so proud of his catch.

Ron and Rose are still working on the nest in Miami-Dade. Today, Ron brought Rose a fish in the nest. How sweet.

I am waiting for the pip watch at Berry College for Pa Berry and Missey. Last year they raised a strong eaglet B15 that stayed in the area and entertained people well into the fall with his flying skills. They are not on YouTube. You must Google Berry College Eagle Cam.

The eagles are working on the nest at Duke Farms.

And the new couple at the Captiva Osprey nest, MO and FO, are working on eating a catfish (or is it a shark?) and mating at the same time. Good luck with that.

Thank you so very much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that make up my blog: Openverse, Kakapo Recover, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, The Guardian, Window to Wildlife, NF-E1 and E3, Achieva Credit Union, Superbeaks, NEFL-AEF, Centre for Conservation Biology, FOBBV, SWFL Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, WRDC, Berry College Bald Eagles, and Duke Farms Bald Eagles.

Jackie Lays first egg of the 2023 nesting season

11 January 2022

Hello Everyone,

I was going to save the news for tomorrow but, I couldn’t. Earlier in the day the eagles had been working on the nest. I commented that when they brought in soft nesting material for the egg bole we could then be watching for an egg. Well guess what?

Jackie brought in the nesting material. Laid down in the nest bole for over an hour and laid her first egg! Wow. It is the first time I have caught her live. What a lovely moment. Congratulations Jackie and Shadow.

Time 1600.

Thanks to FOBBV for the streaming cam where I took my screen captures.