Category Archives: Big Red and Arthur

E23 self-feeds…Wednesday in Bird World

14 February 2024

Hello Everyone,

It is the middle of the week. ’The girls’ hope that the week has been kind to you and that you got some nice little treats along the way. They were hoping that Valentine’s Day might have something special in store for them – and I did. It isn’t what they were expecting! Dental Wipes. Yes. Only Missey will let me trim her nails and brush her fur and teeth without bother. Brushing Calico’s teeth is like trying to kiss an enraged lion. So, Dr Green suggested dental wipes. The container reminds me of those Clorox cleaning wipes. You pull up a sheet, twist it around your finger, and attack from back to front. It was recommended that I cut one sheet in 4s and do all the girls – and it worked. Now, if this and the chewy stick toys keep us from having a dental cleaning in a year or two, it will be worth it. The wipes must taste good. No one complained! They got a few dental treats after as a reward and we have a special Valentine’s Day story for later today.

Meadow and Swampy are doing great. It appears we have gotten past the bonking stage. Abby fed those two so they couldn’t hold another fish flake. Mum managed to clean up some of that piled-up prey, as well. What a wonderful relief. Swampy and Meadow are lookin’ good.

Early morning and Jackie is calling to Shadow. There is prey on the edge of the nest and both continue to be ever so careful around those precious eggs. 15 days til hatch. Wonder how many people will be watching? 8500? 10,000? This is the most watched Bald Eagle nest – and people around the world are hoping for a big miracle this year that will test Shadow’s hunting abilities!

Jackie and Shadow continue to make the news!

The day for Bella and Scout started out with a blizzard on Tuesday. The snow tapered off during the day and began to melt at the NCTC Bald Eagle nest. The nest is 75 miles NW of Washington, DC, in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia along the Potomac River.

No eggs yet for Irvin and Claire at the US Steel Bald Eagle nest in Pittsburgh. Ever wonder how Irvin got his name? The nest is located at U. S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.

They are on egg watch at the Pittsburgh-Hayes Bald Eagle nest. But no egg as of 1700 Tuesday.

Fish dinner all day long or R6 at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose.

R6 wants to play with Rose.

E23 self-feeds on the bunny after being fed by F23. E23 is six weeks and one day old today.

Getting a plucking lesson.

The little eaglet at JB Sands Wetlands still has most of its soft down. Growing thought. Much easier to spot in that nest!

Bonnie and Clyde, the Eagles not the GHOs, of the Cardinal Land Conservancy have their first egg!

The West End camera of Thunder and Akecheta is now up and running again.

Too much bonding? New Male has trouble getting out of scrape?

Hartley and Monty have eggies on their mind, too.

The Wakefield Peregrines are getting active.

The recent court cases in Scotland have made people sick beyond belief at the non-custodial sentences handed out for the killing, selling, and laundering of Peregrine Falcons and their eggs. People are fighting to save the species while those profiteering from it are laughing. 

The author of the article below remarks, “In early 2021, Police Scotland had begun an investigation of its own, after reports of a man bragging to friends about how much money he was making from taking wild peregrine falcon chicks.

High-status racing falcons can sell for up to £250,000 in the Middle East, according to the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). The UK exports more live raptors than any other country, and the United Arab Emirates is the largest importer.”

‘Its-soul-destroying-to-find-nests-have-failed-inside-the-battle-against-Scotlands-falcon-thieveDownload

Giliath is all about town. He would do well to follow Ervie and Dad!

Lewis loves bones and he should be excellent at incubation and rolling those eggs once they arrive. Way to go Lewis!

At the Captiva Osprey nest, we have Jack and I think it is Lady Friend #7. But I could be wrong! It feels like a revolving door on this nest!

It doesn’t matter how big or old they are, eaglets still like to be fed by Mum. Cal and Lusa are not except at the Captiva Eagle nest of Connie and Clive.

The Dahlgren nest of Jack and Harriet is back .

Here is the link:

Arthur has been busy bringing sticks to the nest he is fixing up for Big Red. Expecting eggs after the middle of March.

‘L’ sent me a link to a great image of Flaco, the Eurasian Owl, venturing out around Manhattan.

This is making many uneasy. The lowest recorded number of wintering birds in Spain in 40 years.

Donana-records-lowest-wintering-bird-numbers-in-40-years-BirdGuidesDownload

For my parrot and budgie readers, here is a new article on some viruses that are threatening the health of one parrot, the Orange-bellied. They are considered to be critically endangered.

These gorgeous parrots live in the South of Australia and Tasmania but only breeds in Tasmania, as I understand it. Here is eBird’s description: ”Small grassy-green parrot that feeds on the ground. Bright green and yellow with blue wings and yellow lower belly with a central orange patch, yellowish throat, and thin mid-blue line between eyes. Compare Blue-winged Parrot (olive-green), Rock Parrot (duller olive-green) and Elegant Parrot (yellow-green, more distinct yellow patch in front of eye). Migratory, breeding in tree hollows on button grass moors in southwest Tasmania in summer, and wintering on saltmarsh in coastal Victoria and South Australia. Critically endangered and the subject of substantial conservation efforts. Calls include a soft buzzingchatter and a high-pitched, thin “ziiiit.”

The Government of Tasmania states : “The OBP is one of the most threatened birds in Australia. The wild population, measured at the start of each breeding season, did not exceed 35 birds between 2010 and 2018. According to the criterion of the Recovery Plan, the wild population is neither​ stable nor increasing. The wild population is not viable without supplementation from captive bird releases to the wild. Recent breeding seasons have provided some hope with 77 birds returning to Melaleuca in 2022, the largest ​number of returns recorded in over 15 years!.”

“The OBP breeds only within Southwest Tasmania, with the known breeding population concentrated in the Melaleuca region. Birds typically begin to arrive at Melaleuca in late September. Nests are occupied from mid-November and nesting occurs in artificial nest boxes, or where available, hollows of eucalypt trees (typically Eucalyptus nitida). Pairs do not mate for life. The female stays in the nest for several days before the first egg is laid and clutches average 4.6 eggs (range 1–6). Only the female incubates the eggs during the 21-day incubation period. After hatching, the female remains on the nest for 10 days, being fed by the male. After the 10 day brood period, the chicks are fed by both parents before fledging at four to five weeks of age. Fledglings are fed by both parents until the adults depart on the northern migration in February–March. The fledglings typically depart between March and April. Juveniles are also individually colour banded (using leg bands) from nest boxes each year which forms the basis of population studies.”

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Sometimes, there are big bonuses for charities. Conservation without Borders is seeking your help to get them an injection of much-needed cash! Make sure you vote. I will post the link as soon as I have it available.

Thank you for being with being with us today. Take care. Have a wonderful day and we will see you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, graphics, streaming cams, articles, and videos that helped me to write my blog this morning: ’L, J’, Eagle Country, FOBBV, Kristen Hulk, NCTC, PIX Cams, WRDC, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Carol Shores Rifkin, JB Sands Wetlands, CLC, IWS/Explore, SK Hideaways, @wfldperegrines, The Guardian, Raptor Persecution UK, PLO, Gracie Shepherd, Window to Wildlife, Bridgette Schwurack, Dahlgren Osprey Cam, @CornellHawks, Manhattan Bird Alert, BirdGuides, Government of Tasmania, and Conservation without Borders.

Jackie and Shadow make the news, E23 self-feeds, and Hope and Chandler lay the first egg…Saturday in Bird World

10 February 2024

Good Morning!

I wish I could replace my battery with Hugo Yugo’s. I think Calico does, too. I seriously don’t know how she can get from the very back of the conservatory into the sitting room and disturb Hope in a couple of seconds and run back and leap on top of Calico putting her nose out of joint without even taking a breath!

This morning she was intent on watch the Blue Jays. They arrived right after a big pile of peanuts was put on the big table feeder. It looked like Hugo Yugo’s eyes were going to pop out of her head!

It’s the baby Blue Jay. Well, not such a baby anymore but the youngest of the six that hatched in the summer. It and Junior are still here. Their tree across the lane is still standing but the other Blue Jay family lost theirs this week when the City went on a cutting spree. My lovely treed neighbourhood is not lovely anymore. If I did not feel responsible for the garden animals, I would pack it up and move to a large wooded lot.

She is also fast – Dyson! She was getting peanuts, too. I ran to get the camera, but she was already hurrying off with her nut down the top of the fence. I worry about her, too. When they cut the 122-year-old Elm tree on the boulevard, she cannot go up, leap to the tree branches across the lane, and down to safety. She will have to cross the lane, which can be busy sometimes. Is there a proactive City that plants a small tree near a big one that they know might get disease and have to be cut down??? 

The big cat tree is taking a beating this year from these four. Thankfully the man who built it considered how one might need to replace some areas with new carpet and not others. But it is heavy! Made out of 3/4″ plywood – I wonder if I can learn upholstery.

She is chasing her tail on the top of the tree. Seriously, she is either going at 100% power or 0%. there is nothing in between. I get tired watching her.

That little square measures 20.3 cm or 8 inches square. 

Today, Calico decided that she wanted to watch the little birds, too, in the vines. 

On March the 13th there is going to be a Zoom presentation sponsored by The International Osprey Foundation by Dr Alan Poole, US Osprey expert. For a $10 US donation, you will get a link to attend. It will be on line from 7-8:15pm EDT. Here is the information to register.

TIOF-Annual-Meeting-Presentation-Osprey-Expert-Dr.-Alan-Poole-Registration-Wed-Mar-13-2024-at-7Download

You can also listen to Sir David Attenborough tell about the return of the Osprey to the East Midlands – . What a great history. It is on YouTube and is titled ‘Ospreys – Flying Home to Rutland Water (2004).

This is all to get you in the mood for those little ones with the dark eye stripe and all that bonking!

Despite the snow, various species of wildlife in Latvia are now working on their nests and looking forward to spring egg laying. Acacias and Rasene, the White-tail Eagles, were busy.

Goshawks are visiting their nests!

The Red-tail Hawk at Cornell, Arthur, was also visiting the nest he shares with mate, Big Red, bringing sticks anticipating March eggs.

What an image to wake up to – beautiful Jackie being kissed by the morning sunlight incubating and protecting the three eggs that her and Shadow hope will hatch in 20 days. Twenty-days. Leap Year eaglets! (More on them later… You just had to see this gorgeous image early! Jackie is soooo beautiful)

Highlights are still playing at the Channel Islands nest of Jak and Audacity. We are thinking there could be a second egg today.

Two Harbours was back on line Friday morning. There is certainly evidence of either Chase or Cholyn being at the nest, but nothing so far as to visits Friday morning.

There have been at least four feedings for Swampy and Meadow at Eagle Country and it is only 1120! Most often, I see Swampy’s head. I want to be hopeful that Blaze and Abby are reaching down and making sure that Meadow is getting some good bites. I will check throughout the day.

Meadow seems to be getting bites at Eagle Country. It should be highly improbable that any eaglet would starve on the nest of Abby and Blaze. It is loaded with stacks of fish that remind me of dear Louis of the E1 nest he shared with Anna. That first season, they brought in – wasn’t it 20 fish – and had them stacked for the wee babe. Oh, how we will miss that pair in the coming years. But, I digress. Meadow is getting its share.

Finally!

Just look at those huge hunks of fish everywhere. That nest must smell…good, gracious.

Shadow and Jackie exchanging incubation duties.

FOBBV NightBot reminds us: ”Standard Incubation Period is 35 days. Pip watch begins on 2/29. In the past, our eggs hatched ~38-39 days.Learn more about the hatching process, go to this link:

https://bit.ly/3xnmUHL

And our beloved couple made the news again…everyone adores them. We are all holding our breath til those eggs hatch!

I lost count. There was a strange piece of prey and at least two fish and I could not tell you how many feedings. M15 and F23 must be afraid that E23 is going to try and fly! Not ready, of course, but goodness. Every time I checked someone was feeding that eaglet who now has almost its entire juvenile plumage. Check the time stamps in the top left.

And then…an Armoured Catfish arrives. E23 self-feeds for the very first time – what a fish to start. My goodness. 

Not only did E23 feed itself for the first time, but s/he also stood on the rails! Two milestones in one day. Wow.

Cal and Lusa can feed themselves. They can sleep standing up like the adults with their heads tucked under their wings, but, of course, they prefer Mamma to feed them. It has to be so much easier when you are really hungry. Beautiful eaglets. 

The eaglet at JB Sands Wetlands has grown so much we can now easily see it. How wonderful. It is growing and growing.

No egg at Moorings Park. I can put that on rewind, right?

It’s raining in Gainesville, Florida and Stella and Talon don’t have their first egg either.

Many wonder about that third egg at the Achieva Osprey nest. It seems highly improbable that there would be 11 days between eggs one and three. That would be a much-needed relief if it had just been overlooked and not seen until the morning of the 8th.

Remember I mentioned the metal ring on a bird. Well, Gracie Shepherd gives us the video of Rose feeding R6 the pigeon leg with the band attached.

Egg #2 arrived at the Venice Golf and Country Club as expected on Friday.

‘J’ sent me something funny. It is the Raptor Resource Project dictionary on nesting language. Print it up and use it if you go on chat! ”Eagle Time – throw your clock away, we are on eagle time…” I will be saying that about the Ospreys when they start nesting.

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Hope and Chandler have their first egg at Port Tobacco. Congrats.

The bird of the day comes from a short article in The Guardian. It is the American Bittern. We have them in Manitoba in the spring and summer and it is glorious to see them searching for prey around the wetlands.

“Bittern-0001” by Phil Fiddes is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

All About Birds says, “You’ll need sharp eyes to catch sight of an American Bittern. This streaky, brown and buff heron can materialize among the reeds, and disappear as quickly, especially when striking a concealment pose with neck stretched and bill pointed skyward. These stealthy carnivores stand motionless amid tall marsh vegetation, or patiently stalk fish, frogs, and insects. They are at their most noticeable in spring, when the marshes resound with their odd booming calls that sounds like the gulps of a thirsty giant.”

They are not listed as endangered in the US, but are of ‘high concern’. 

  • Cool Facts
    • American Bitterns are heard more often than seen. Their booming, clacking, gulping calls have earned them some colorful nicknames, including “stake-driver,” “thunder-pumper,” “water-belcher,” and “mire-drum.”
    • When field scientists want to trap American Bitterns for study, they take advantage of the males’ aggressive territoriality. Knowing that the birds will respond to other males’ calls from as far as 1,600 feet away, or to the image of another male, the researchers use recorded calls and mirrors to draw the birds in.
    • The American Bittern’s yellow eyes can focus downward, giving the bird’s face a comically startled, cross-eyed appearance. This visual orientation presumably enhances the bird’s ability to spot and capture prey. The eyes turn orange during breeding season.
    • The oldest recorded American Bittern was over 8 years, 4 months old, when it was found in Ontario where it was banded as an adult 8 years previously in 1940.
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At the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle nest, they are expecting the first egg any time. Rosa’s new mate has been named Lewis. 

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care of yourself! See you soon – and the very best for the Lunar New Year to our friends celebrating around the world.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’J’, TIOF, Rutland Water, Latvian Fund for Nature, Arlene Beech, Cornell RTH Cam, FOBBV, News at 12, IWS/Explore, Eagle Country, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Androcat, Window to Wildlife, SK Hideaways, JB Sands Wetlands, Moorings Park, Achieva Credit Union, UFlorida-Gainesville, Gracie Shepherd, Diana Lambertson, Raptor Resource Project, Trudi Kron, The Guardian, Open Verse, and All About Birds.

Sunday in Bird World

4 February 2023

Hello Everyone,

It was a real workday around the house – the girls helped. Of course, they helped! Hugo Yugo, Missey, and Hope were climbing all over everything. Meanwhile, Calico found a toy and decided it was much more fun. In the process, we found a couple of hand-felted ‘cat rocks’ that had belonged to previous cats. Baby Hope was very interested in this one.

Oh, I do adore this beautiful girl, the only surviving baby of Calico. She loves to relax on the wicker and she will pose. It is her eyes that always ‘get me’.

The Black Oil Seed shells have gotten out of hand. They were too frozen to be shovelled today. If the forecast holds, it will be +5 next week and they can be cleared up. It is the worst part of feeding the birds in winter. Today, Little Red and Dyson called a truce with Little Red on the feeder and Dyson eating peanuts below.

We listened to Ferris Akel and his tour and were delighted that he saw Arthur while hunting for probably his last meal of the day. I remember everyone being shocked when Big Red picked Arthur – he didn’t have his red tail yet – to be her mate and replace Ezra. Well, Big Red picked a good one! 

Big Red was spotted on Saturday, too! 

There have been a lot of tributes to various feathered personalities this week, and the New York Times even covered Flaco.

Flaco-the-Owls-Year-of-Freedom-From-the-Central-Park-Zoo-The-New-York-TimesDownload

In California, Jackie continues to carefully incubate the three eggs. Just watch Shadow and Jackie change turns and you will see how very careful these two are. Even when rolling the eggs, they are so delicate. They are determined to have an eaglet this year…let’s send them all the love and positive wishes we can.

I was concerned about Jackie and not seeing her eat. She had a big meal! Thank goodness.

Jackie and Shadow make the CBS news.

The bowl is deep at the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta. There should be two eggs in there now. Dr Sharpe and his team at the IWS got that camera back up and working!

There is plenty of food at Eagle Country. The oldest is doing fantastic and can stretch its neck out and get food from Abby. So why am I so worried about the second chick?

I wish that nest bowl was not so deep! Is Meadow getting fed?

Frustration has set in. There are a lot of feedings at this nest and Abby is experienced, but is Meadow getting any of that prey?

Lucky R6 doesn’t have any worries. S/he is growing and getting their thermal down – changing before our eyes. The top picture with its leg stuck out just reminds me of the legs of the prey they have been munching on all day. 

R6 is going to be able to use that crop for a pillow Saturday night.

Across the state, E23 likes his Lapin for dinner.

Cal and Lusa are both self-feeding at Captiva. Lusa is doing better than Cal so far. Will Connie come in and save the day?

Yes!

No egg yet at Dulles-Greenway.

Food gifts coming into Pittsburgh-Hayes.

They may be thinking about eggs but not one is on the nest at Moorings Park – yet.

Diane has been incubating two eggs. Will she lay a third Saturday night? We wait – and I hope not~. The third chick does not fare well here. Best no egg.

The only surviving Eaglet at J B Sands Wetlands is doing fine.

Gosh, the water looks high at the Redding Eagle nest. Is it an illusion? or is the area really flooding that much due to the Atmospheric River that hit the area?

‘A’ sends us the report for WBSE 31 at the Parramatta River in Sydney: 

“February 3: Early in the morning, no eagles were seen by the river or at Goat Island. Then around 9am, SE31 was seen hidden in the mangroves near River Roost. Later, just after midday, she was seen in flight checking the river west of River Roost and on the western side of the wetlands. Then she was lost to sight, up very high over the prison. She flushed waterbirds from the wetlands as she flew over. No further reports at the end of the day – maybe update in the morning.”

At Farmer Derek’s, Bonnie was in the nest bowl most of the day. Rain came late and it looks like there is no egg. Owl up on branch. Nest empty. Look hard. She is there!

The owlets at SW Florida are cute. I just wish their parents weren’t so protective and would leave M15 and F23 and their chicks alone…Knock on wood.

At The Campanile, Annie was in the scrape calling the new male. Is he shy?

Someone was home at Monty and Hartley’s new scrape at the San Jose City Hall.

It is always a pleasure to see either Diamond and Xavier and a real gem to see both together after fledging. Diamond looks out over the landscape in the early morning light. I understand that Marri is still seen in the area chasing the parents for food. Fabulous.

At Taiaroa Head, the TF Royal Cam chick is adorable. The parents come and go and have not gone far to forage. The chick’s weight is good.

These gentle giants of the Southern Ocean need us to protect the fish that they depend on for their lives and to muster the world to make the long line fishing factories responsible – by using safe measures to bait their hooks so that no albatross is beheaded!

Do you eat canned tuna? Here is an article to make certain that you are selecting sustainably caught fish. Please note that ‘Dolphin Safe’ does not mean that the fish were sustainable caught!!!!!!!

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It is not just albatross that get caught in these long lines – in fact, maybe long line fishing should just be banned. This article is a few years old, but it is well-written and really can open your eyes to the threat those huge boats have on the mammals and birds that depend on the sea for their lives.

It is a topic that really rubs me the wrong way. To save the albatross is an easy fix (which many refuse to do!) but what about the other animals?

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Did you know that parrots use their beaks to swing like monkeys?

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Urgent conservation is needed if Hen Harriers are not to go extinct in Ireland.

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One of our favourite eagle dads, Murphy! He sure looks happy in that bath.

Apparently New York and Verizon do not want Ospreys nesting on their cell towers. 

Still watching Diane at Achieva and hoping that she will only have two eggs, but is she laying another?

Thank you so much for being with me today. I do hope that you find something worthwhile in my blog! Take care. We hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tours, videos, photographs, tweets, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, Geemeff, J, R’, Ferris Akel Tours, @Cornell Hawks, The New York Times, FOBBV, Cali Condor, @CBS, IWS/Explore, Eagle Country, WRDC, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, Dulles-Greenway, PIX Cams, Moorings Park, Achieva Credit Union, JB Sands Wetlands, FORE, Eagle Cam, Farmer Derek Owl Cam, Cal Falcons, San Jose City Hall, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, NZ DOC, Sharon Dunne, Seafood Watch, The Guardian, Raptor Persecution UK, WIVBTV, Trudi Kron, and Achieva Credit Union.

1st egg for Thunder and Akecheta!…Wednesday in Bird World

31 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It is summer – just joking – but Tuesday was an amazing day to stand outside and sniff the fresh air. The snow is melting in areas where the sun shines, and the streets are full of puddles. Sadly, some people are not aware that if they drive like Ayrton Senna, they will splash everyone in sight! One of our local nature centres is having a contest to guess the arrival of the first Canada Goose, and we are getting ready for one of the major festivals in our city, Festival du Voyageur. I wonder if there will be any snow or if it will be too warm for the international ice sculpture contest? I love the Maple Candy – pouring hot Maple Syrup over clean snow. It is delicious and stiffens up like the best taffy.

I had tea with my best mate today and outside her window was a doe and fawn. Got the doe right before she was going to crunch a munch one of the plants. There are 8 deer that live in the park. In the spring, my friend has a pond and there is at least one pair of ducks that make it their home. It is lovely to visit and get to see them.

I am glad that this deer is not being hunted. For several years we have been taking about the disastrous effects of lead poisoning in our raptors. Hunting, fishing, military weapons all contribute to the high death rates. Hunters kill the deer and clean out their innards, leaving those in the field full of lead shot. The raptors or carrion eaters feast on this and they can die. 

The wildlife rehab that took care of our little sweetie ND17, Humane Indiana Wildlife, has a sad story for us – with lots of information. Please spread the word to anyone you know that hunts and fishes that they should not be using lead in any form. Educate them nicely as to why. Be your best persuasive self.

Oh, gosh, golly. We have the first egg of the 2024 season in the Channel Islands. Thunder laid it today and that precious egg was seen at 1539. Congratulations!

And a big shout out to Dr Peter Sharpe, who retired, took the transportation – the car, the boat, climbed up the cliffs – and installed a fanatic camera! 

I wonder how long it will be until Thunder’s parents, Chase and Cholyn, lay their first egg at Two Harbours.

At Sauces, Jak and Audacity are hopeful and working away. They should be an inspiration to all of us to never give up!

There is chirping at Eagle Country for Abby and Blazer. We will have a hatch soon! You can clearly hear that gentle cheeping…how exciting. This one may have hatched by Wednesday morning. 

There is not a lot of bird news. A huge male eagle, quite a handsome fellow, landed on Gabby and Beau’s tree today. Thanks ‘J’ for the image captures.

Gabby just kept on incubating that egg. Today is day 39. 

E23 is working on standing steady, using its wings for balance. There were several hiccups on Tuesday, but the little one is determined. E23 is also working its wings and looking over the rails to what lies beyond the nest and the Pritchett property. A huge fish came into the nest, but E23 was not hungry, having a large crop that had lasted most of the day.

Cal and Lusa had big crops, too! It isn’t easy to see them in the shade of the nest tree now. Those gorgeous and shiny espresso juvenile feathers blend in well with the dark shade. But check out those feet – look at that deep, bright chrome yellow. Clive and Connie’s eaglets are extremely healthy. This is the colour you want to see on the feet of all your raptors. Look and remember. 

My goodness. After the ‘fish drought’ at the WRDC nest, you would think fish were falling from the sky. The nest had no less than two large whole fish today along with a bird. R6 appears to be doing just fine. Hopefully he got rid of any human garbage (aka the nappy) when he cast that very large pellet.

The WRDC issued the following statement on Tuesday, the 30th. A very thorough and reassuring post on the happenings at the nest.

You can now see both eaglets at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest. The first hatch is doing quite well and is much larger than the second one. I sat and yelled at Mum to feed it mid-afternoon after it woke up and wanted food. She kept feeding the big one and herself. If you are watching this nest really close, please let me know how the wee one is faring. BTW. The sound at this nest is first-rate. You can hear the little squees quite clearly. They are so cute.

If you haven’t marked your calendars, pip watch for Jackie and Shadow begins on the 29th of February. That is 35 days. In the past, Jackie’s eggs have hatched between 38-39 days. Hold your breath. Let’s all send the most positive wishes we can to our Big Bear couple.

I missed posting the news so thanks, Geemeff. Bluff City had its first egg on the 28th. 

If you are looking for Owlvira, it appears that she has made her nest this year in a nearby hawk nest and not the nest she used in 2022-23.

If you are having ‘Owl Withdrawal’, I suggest you keep an eye on Bonnie and Clyde at Farmer Derek’s nest. These two kicked out a young pair of Bald Eagles several years ago to raise their first two owlets – Tiger and Lily. Today, they have been heard hooting and mating and Clyde brought Bonnie a food gift at 18:28 on the nest.

Clyde is in the nest cup. Look at that great camouflage!

In Latvia, the White-tail Eagles are returning. What a joyous occasion. The YouTube video for the 30th of January is from the Kemeri National Park. It is the third largest park in the country with numerous water features and lakes. 57% of the area is covered by forests – these are two perfect considerations for the White-tail Eagles when looking for food or nesting sites.

Did you know that there are five different types of eagles that live in Latvia? They are the Golden Eagle which is the most common. Then there. is the Short-toed that breed in Latvia. Sadly, many are shot when migrating to Africa over Malta. The Lesser-Spotted, and the Greater Spotted along with the White-tailed. The White-tailed Eagles are the largest and are easily identified by their entirely white tail. They eat fish and water fowl – the latter of which – caused the HPAI outbreak in 2022. Some charts also identify the Osprey as an eagle in Latvia so you will see titles like ‘Six types of eagles live in Latvia’. I do not include Ospreys with eagles but some do!

My favourite Latvia White-tailed Eagle is Milda. I watched her nest when she was with her late mate, Ramis. She is now bonded with Voldis and they fledged two eaglets in 2023. Milda arrived at her nest in Durbe County on the 30th of January, too!

Sally is beginning to look a little ‘eggy’ at Moorings Park but, as of 1900 Tuesday the 30th there was no egg. Sally and Harry spent time at the nest on Tuesday.

The Royal Cam chick is really growing! We can clearly see it during feedings. 

Checking on Annie at The Campanile. She was calling from the scrape. You could see her on the ledge cam and then from inside the scrape. I am waiting to see if this new mate shows up. No. Annie left the scrape at 1701.

More Hen Harriers were illegally killed in 2023 than at any other time. Outrageous.

2023-confirmed-as-worst-year-for-persecution-of-Hen-Harriers-on-UK-grouse-moors-since-brood-meddlingDownload

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’Geemeff, J’, Humane Indiana Wildlife, IWS/Explore, Eagle Country, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, John Bunker Sands Wetlands Eagle Cam, FOBBV, ETSU Eagles, Owl Cam, Farmer Derek, Cal Falcons, LDF, Trine, Moorings Park, Lady Hawk, Cal Falcons, and Raptor Persecution UK.

Sunday in Bird World

28 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that your Saturday was a good one. In Winnipeg, it was the day to pick up cupcakes. They are a fundraiser for the Winnipeg Kitten Adoption and were made and donated by Bee’s Cakes. Missey gives them a thumb’s up! The owner loved our thank you so much that she is going to put Missey’s image on her website. How sweet. Missey is as sweet as that vanilla buttercream icing with sprinkles – so sweet that she let me trim her nails without a single flinch today. Now, let us see how Calico does tomorrow!

There were some worries at the John Bunker Wetlands Eagle nest that Mum was not feeding the newly hatched eaglet. (Remember that they can live for 24 hours on the food from the egg when they hatch.) The wind has really been blowing at the nest site and it sounded like hail, but I am told that is the rain hitting certain parts of the metal. Mum did feed that baby. A nice fish came in.

Feedings on Sunday morning. Hard to see because of the girders and the deep nest cup but a feeding is taking place!

Diane and Jack are making that Achieva Credit Union nest in St Petersburg pretty comfy. Eggs expected within the next fortnight. The way Diane is acting, we could have the first egg today or Monday.

At the nest with a Starling Sunday morning in St Petersburg.

No egg as of Saturday might at Moorings Park.

It can be argued that we always need more osprey platforms. Yes, sometimes they do not get used. Sometimes old ones are abandoned for new for various reasons including intruders and lack of fish. In Bellingham, Washington, USA, an Osprey couple wants to make a nest on an operational crane. The Port is hoping they will decide to use the new platform they are erecting. 

This happened in Manitoba and under the agreement with the five tribal councils involved in the Kesay Dam Project in our far north, the raptors got to keep their nest on the big forklift! It was deemed illegal to disturb the nest. Sometimes that part of the Migratory Bird Act is good.

Port-to-install-Osprey-nesting-platform-in-Bellingham-Bellingham-HeraldDownload

Eaglet or not. Gabby and Beau are a beautiful bonded couple and if a miracle could be found, I would hope that egg would hatch! I get the feeling that if it doesn’t, there will not be a second clutch, but, hey, surprise me Gabby.

What a relief to see that R6 is OK. Well, I say OK. R6 did consume enough of that nappy to worry onlookers. The PSs have been plentiful and have looked good, and let us hope that all that marvellous engineering of the crop and acid stomach switches on and relieves this 14-day-old eaglet of any ills that might have come its way because of human garbage.

R6 went to sleep with a really nice crop and with more fish on the nest for the morning breakfast! Relief. Relief.

E23 is really growing at the SW Florida nest. I love watching her grab the food from the parents when they are feeding. As you will have noted, the number of feedings has been greatly reduced, but the amount of intake is probably more now. This is one healthy eaglet losing its mohawk slowly, gaining clown feet and getting its juvenile feathers. Don’t you love the constant squeeing…

Every wonder about the GHOs that share the property with M15, F23, and E23?

And here is that video:

Cal and Lusa are doing just fine. Cal is standing and Clive might want to reinforce those rails! Meanwhile, Lusa likes to sit like a Buddha.

Liberty and Guardian look beautiful. They were at their nest in Redding, California Saturday.

Dr Sharpe has the West End streaming cam up and working. Thunder was at the nest this morning! They are still playing highlights at Two Harbours and Fraser Point.

I sure wish Jackie and Shadow had that nice soft nest of Jak and Audacity. Their camera is working fine.

It has rained at Cornell. Arthur was in earlier making a dash with a stick. Otherwise, life at the nest was quiet on Saturday.

No one was to be seen by the time Ferris Akel’s tour got to the Cornell Campus at Ithaca. Earlier in the tour, there were geese- some Canada Geese, some Tundra Swans, and some Snow Geese. There were also hundreds and hundreds of Redheads, a few male Scaup, and some Mallards at the south end of Cayuga Lake.

The male Scaup have the white along their wing. You can see five in the image below.

Ducks everywhere..my goodness. 

Snow Geese. You can identify them immediately by their black wing tips.

There were hundreds and hundreds of them – if not a thousand, flying in or already feeding.

Eagles, Red-headed Woodpeckers…it was a good day except for the heat shimmer.

And some Common Mergansers.

Precious egg at Big Bear. Every ounce of positivity you have – please send it to Jackie and Shadow so that their precious, precious egg/s will survive to hatch. These two deserve this and so do Jak and Audacity. It would be a great year – a year where we all jump up and down and scream – if either or both nests have a chick. 

Both eagles came to the ND-LEEF nest at South Bend – crisp temperatures of 36 F.

At Port Lincoln, Mum brought in the first fish of the day at 1337. Bradley took it.

It appears that both Marri and SE31 have left their nesting territories. I have seen no recent news of their presence. Please tell me if you have seen otherwise – thank you!

The Osprey Leadership Foundation is funding and teaching young people in West Africa about Ospreys. This is the first step in conservation. Thank you, OLF! 

Let’s get everyone to participate and overwhelm them with art bringing attention and supporting Albatrosses! I know that you can do it – seriously, you can or someone you know might. 

The joy – the sheer wonder – of looking close at your own garden or the nearest green space to where you live, the place you are most familiar.

Country-diary-A-rare-sighting-glimpsed-through-the-steam-of-my-coffee-Birds-The-GuardianDownload

Thank you so much for being with me today and for your lovely ‘get to feeling better’ wishes. I am still under the weather but it is a head cold and a runny nose. Is it an allergy? I will find out on the 8th. Take care of yourself. Stay safe, stay warm or cool, depending on where you are. We hope to see you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, Geemeff, MP’, NEFL-AEF, Bee’s Cakes, JB Wetlands, Achieva Credit Union, Moorings Park, The Bellingham Herald, WRDC, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Saunders Photography, Window to Wildlife, FORE, IWS/Explore, Cornell RTH Cam, @CornellHawks, Ferris Akel Tours, FOBBV, ND-LEEF, PLO, Gunjur Project, Holly Parsons, and The Guardian.

Big Red and Arthur check out the nest…Thursday in Bird World

25 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Well, there was no peace in the house on Wednesday morning. Hugo Yugo wanted kitten milk (lactose-free milk), and there wasn’t any. Gosh, golly. You would have thought there had been some big international incident! It was all settled mid-afternoon, but goodness gracious. How can such a little thing be so loud!

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people waiting for the first chance to see Big Red and Arthur at their nest. That moment they arrived on Wednesday, the 24th of January! The time was 0938.

Big Red flies in while Arthur is checking the egg cup. He must be calculating how many stick deliveries they will need to keep the Ns safe.

At one point, I thought Big Red had a limp in her right leg. There are no injuries or blood as also confirmed by Suzanne Arnold Horning. It has to be trying to walk through those sticks that made her leg look wonky.

Our Queen of the Red Tail Hawks will be twenty-one this spring. Goodness. She is decidedly my first love of all the birds.

A Red-tail Hawk visited the Decorah North nest. Immediately you can understand ‘why’ they use the RT hawks’ vocals to replace eagles! Watch the sound!

Helen Matcham caught Marri, the Peregrine Falcon fledgling of Xavier and Diamond’s at Orange on the tower. She has not dispersed. How wonderful.

Royal Cam chick’s first feeding on video:

Latest update:

The first egg at Moorings Park Osprey nest is expected anytime. Sally returned the end of December with Harry arriving back at the nest in Florida in early January.

Harry has been bringing in some nice fish gifts for Sally. Also notice – the construction is finished and these two will have a nicer season as the golfing gets underway below.

Jack and Diane are working on their nest in St Petersburg on Wednesday, too. Expecting eggs within a fortnight I all goes to plan.

They left and Diane returned. Will we have an egg Thursday morning? 

Missing Mini. 

Jackie and Shadow spent a lot of time Wednesday morning arranging sticks at the nest and trying out the egg cup.

E23 is growing – this eaglets eats and sleeps on the rails -. Proud parents check in to see how their little one is doing.

What goes in, must come out. Thank you for this great screen capture.

These two parents have been working to see that not only are they fed but E23 has lots of variety and the nest always has food.

Cal and Lusa are doing fantastic. Lusa has learned to grab bites from Connie’s mouth quickly before Lusa knows what is happening! Waiting til big sibling is full is also a good thing. Connie always seems to make sure Lusa is fed and Clive keeps the pantry stocked. Cal has been standing and doing attempts at walking and really working its wings.

R6 scampered out of the nest bowl today and was up by the rails.

Working on the nest at Dulles-Greenway.

Despite the heavy rain at the US Steel Bald Eagle nest, Irvin and Claire were there working to get things ready.

The eagles have been visiting the ND-LEEF nest since the snow…there are the prints to prove it.

The moli are hatching on Kauai.

For your reading pleasure, the story of migration from the POV of the Osprey. Tiger Mozone reposted this series today in our FB group and I thought you would enjoy reading it. In the coming weeks, I will be gathering up the new books for adults and children on ospreys and falcons as their season opens. The countdown is on for their safe arrival home in Western Europe. Tiger says, “This is an osprey thriller from ten years ago. The author was Paul Wildlifewriter and it is a gripping story. It was published in weekly parts and each edition was eagerly awaited.”

The-Well-of-IshrahanDownload

The US may list the Bumblebee as endangered, but globally, can we stop the use of pesticides to halt these tragedies? We need the pollinators!

Bumblebee-among-species-US-wildlife-officials-consider-listing-as-endangered-Endangered-species-Download

Thank you so much for being with me today. If anyone is watching the Venice Golf and Country Club and there are eggs, let me know! Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, J, SAH’, Cornell RTH Cam, Explore, Helen Matcham, SK Hideaways, Holly Parsons, Sharon Dunne, Moorings Park, Achieva Credit Union, PSG Electric, FOBBV, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Carol Shores Rifkin, Lady Hawk, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, Dulles-Greenway, Pix Cams, ND-LEEF, Sharon Pollock, The Guardian, and Wildlife Kate.

Dual feeding at SW Florida, intruder lands on Gabby’s nest…Thursday in Bird World

18 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It continues to warm up a bit on the Canadian Prairies. Right now – it is 1617 Wednesday afternoon – it is -17 C. But hang on. In one week it is forecast to be +4 C. Yes, you don’t your eyes checked, PLUS 4. Wow. That is going to be a great day to spend out at the nature centre. Soggy but wonderful. The animals will be delighted.

‘The Boyfriend’ survived the cold nicely and was staring at the garden door, waiting for his delivery of wet food this afternoon. If I do not respond, he now knocks. He is so bold and is so curious about the house but runs the minute I open the door or come near. 

Missey was watching from her perch on the cat tree. 

Calico is a regular alarm clock. 0837 on the dot for several days now. Then she just wants cuddles, not food. The others are still asleep! It is our special time together before the day begins.

Baby Hope at a weird angle. She still has her very bushy tail. That ‘look’ is almost hypnotic.

For some ‘trouble’ is their middle name, but for Hugo Yugo it is their FIRST name! I have tried to post videos of the play fights between Hugo Yugo and all the other three girls, but this system does not seem to want to accept them so, imagine, if you will, the little kitten pulling off the blankets and jumping on Hope this evening in a wild frenzy.

Hope gets away and Hugo Yugo looks up and is ready to pounce on the sofa.

Baby Hope resting by the twinkle tree. They will all get a second, third, and fourth wind…chasing, running, pulling ornaments off the tree. The blankets will be everywhere along with the toys! My goodness, the energy and the fun these little ones have.

And then there was this…Hugo Yugo! Hugo Yugo kneading Missey hoping to make milk. Goodness. And Missey just took it all in stride. 

It is just wonderful to see the garden animals and know that they did not succumb to the cold. Both Blue Jays are here getting peanuts along with Mr Crow.

The Black Capped Chickadees were eating the Black Oil Seed as well as the suet cylinders today.

Dyson ran too fast but I did get to photograph one of the kits at the feeder.

Oh, what a morning Wednesday was – Clive and Connie brought in five fish in three hours to the relief of everyone that had worried about their darling eaglets. What a power couple! So very happy that lots of fish got on that nest. Hopefully they can pile them up like Louis did at the E1 nest for a few years as there is a forecast of another bad weather system heading their way. Both C10 and C11 went to bed with big crops!

Jack is at the Captiva Osprey nest, but Ruby has been missing since her last visit on the 11th of January. That was only six days ago but Jack continues to call for her. I hope she is just having a spa time. Keep your fingers crossed.

There is no pip at the time of this writing for the second egg for Ron and Rita at the WRDC. It is 39 days old today and is, of course, clearly in the hatch window. No need to get too worried but if it were to go to 41, well…and I would feel sorry for that little eaglet because R6 will be ‘much bigger’. R6 might get to join the ‘only eaglet’ club of E23! 

What a difference from this fuzzy little chick to C10 and C11, who have almost lost their Mohawks completely.

Snug and warm under Mamma Rose.

As far as I know, there is no pip at Berry College. 

Looking at the eggs, is that nesting material? or the beginning of a pip?

Beau has new injuries to his feet. He has been busy all day trying to keep intruders away from Gabby, their egg, and the nest. One intruder landed on the nest tree and Gabby got rid of him. The time was 1552.

Unidentified intruder on branch while Gabby is calling out from the nest – it jumped in the nest and Gabby was calling and calling. It was a frightening moment for sure.

Beau is back on guard at the nest but has injured feet.

Didn’t see any eagles at the ND-LEEF nest in South Bend, Indiana – just their prints from earlier in the snow.

There is some fresh nesting material at Duke Farms, but no egg yet.

At Decorah North, DNF was in the trees while a beautiful red squirrel visited the nest tree and Canada Geese frolicked in the open water of the creek.

All is well at SW Florida. E23 continues to thrive and F23 has proven herself to be a great first time Mum.

E23 is never going to go hungry. M15 flew in with ‘something’ – did he get it at the Publix dumpster? (the butcher puts out food for M15). A dual feeding takes place around 1744 – E23 already had a big crop.

M15 reminds me of many of the male ospreys in the UK who love to feed their chicks and are great providers.

Here is the video of that dual feeding.

Jackie and Shadow were both at Big Bear today – gosh that nest has a gorgeous view.

At Port Lincoln, it seems that Giliath has found a place for fish – free fish? Smart little fledgling. Brad will be happy to eat all the fish brought to the nest. LOL.

So far, three fish deliveries. The 0637 was grabbed by Gil while the 0720 and the 0854 went to Brad. Dad came in with deliveries 1 and 3 and Mum brought in a partial fish in slot 2.

Everyone seems to enjoy spending time on the old barge.

It’s the first Royal Albatross hatch of the year (not the Royal Cam chick). Congratulations, first-time parents GBL and BYW!

There are so many wildlife cameras. This one is the BBC Winterwatch one. How many birds can you ID? 

Big Red and Arthur will begin work on their nest with regular visits starting in February. There is major construction going on within a close proximity – we will have to wait and see how this impacts the breeding season.

Do you adore fuzzy little raptor or bird babies? Check out the winners of the Audubon photo awards!

https://www.audubon.org/news/cuddle-these-ridiculously-cute-baby-bird-photos?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-newsletter-engagement_20240117_wingspan_&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=engagement_20240117_wingspan&utm_content=

Millions of Bramblings gather in Switzerland. Can you imagine what a sight that was?!

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Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. I look forward to having you with us again!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, H, J’, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, Berry College Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, ND-LEEF Duke Farms, Raptor Resource Project, SW Florida Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, FOBBV, PLO, BBC, Cornell RTH Cam, Audubon, Sharon Dunne, and BirdGuides.

R6 hatches, hatching underway in NZ…Monday in Bird World

15 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

We are still experiencing life threatening extreme temperatures with the wind chill. Without the wind, it is -25 C now as I am writing – fifty degrees difference between Winnipeg and Melbourne!

Hugo Yugo has been watching television ‘again’. Isn’t she adorable?

The others are fine, and so is ‘The Boyfriend’, who is snug as a bug in his super-insulated home. 

The Starlings had been in the garden, nearly 30 of them in November and December. Today, there were eleven that returned. They were eating snow and the solid suet cylinder on the big table feeder (it had fallen off its holden and broken).

I have a heater for the bird bath, but there was a problem with the closest plug, and the instructions say not to attach the cord to an extension cord. So I wait…I feel bad because studies repeatedly show that the birds need water more than seed, and if you feed seed in the winter, water should be provided.

The Pritchetts reported that it was a fish hook in E23’s mouth that M15 worked and got out. Was it that or a fishbone? Whatever it was, it was a miracle that M15 got it out. CROW was monitoring the situation. Thankfully, it was resolved by the hard work of M15 and F23.

Here is the video of that removal!

E23 is OK. What a relief. E23 is eating well later. As so many of you must be thinking – the best parents, lots of food, still do not protect these babies 100%. This precious little one, the only child to the new bonded pairing of M15 and F23, must thrive! That is all there is to it. I am so grateful that the Pritchetts and CROW monitor these events and will respond immediately if help is required.

It is 13:29 Sunday and the pip has turned into a pea size hole at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rita. Everyone is waiting for R6 to arrive safely.

Missing fish. Ron took it. Rita not impressed. Hopefully he will bring some back!

Pat Burke aka gr8lakes and all those staring at the screen waiting for the hatch are celebrating Sunday night. R6 is here!

HeidiMc made the best hatch video of the bunch and my system is not letting me post it directly. Please click on the link below and have a look at a nicely edited concise video from pip to hatch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSgwj-F6AwY

Rose talking to R6 as she appears to remove the last part of the shell.

So where is the food, Dad?

Good Morning Gabby.

Beau came and gave Gabby a much needed break in the afternoon.

Bella and Scout keeping a close watch over their nest and territory.

We so want Sauces Canyon to have an eaglet this year…8 eggs last year Audacity laid with no luck due to the lingering impact of the DDT sprayed and remaining in the area after fifty plus years. Send this couple positive wishes.

Both eagles were at the Dulles-Greenway nest today…Rosa and her new mate.

C10 and C11 are changing from little eaglets to getting their full thermal down and losing all those dandelions. Before we know it, they will have their juvenile feathers.

How many of you are checking out the Bald Eagle nest at Seagoville, Texas? You might just want to put this one on your watch list. It is in the John Bunker Sands Wetland Centre which is 25 SE of Dallas, Texas. The nest is 26 metres (85 feet) off the ground on the tower shown in the image below. The Eagles returned on the 10th of September. They are called Mum and Dad and both are believed to be approximately 19 years old.

The female is believed to be the one that was here in 2014 but there is a divided opinion on whether the male is the original or not.

Here is the link: 

It is so nice to get some news of dear Ervie!

Meanwhile, it was very rough at Port Lincoln today. Mum, Dad, and Gil were spotted on the old barge while Brad stayed at the nest.

Brad got the first two fish deliveries with Gil getting the mid-afternoon one at 1529.

The two oldest eggs at the Royal Albatross colony in NZ are hatching!

News coming from The Gambia of Rutland fledglings. 2H2 from 2022 seen!

Also caught on camera was Arthur, mate to Big Red, on the Cornell Campus. You could be fooled into thinking this is Big Red until you see the apron across the breast. Not Big Red but our darling Dad.

Some interesting nest building happening on Kauai this year. Will there be torrential rains to impact the eggs? Let’s wait and see if these Laysan Albatross are better predictors of the weather than the meteorologists!

The climate crisis is killing some of Scotland’s wildlife including the smallest raptors, the kestrels.

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Remember, the news at the bottom is not the least important. Often it is what comes to me right before I hit ‘publish’. A gamekeeper and his son pleaded guilty to selling wild peregrine falcons on the market in the UK. What is going on with their sentencing?

Sentencing-of-part-time-gamekeeper-son-deferred-in-international-peregrine-laundering-case-–-RaptoDownload

She is a special person and that is why I am including this today. You should remember Sacha Dench for her efforts in finding the answers to conserving the Ospreys and the flyway from the UK and Western Europe to West Africa. Some of her interviews with local people were linked to my blog – the goal was to get the people of West Africa on board with conservation efforts, and to do that, they needed education about the ospreys. 4K was the bird being followed at the time – the subject of Simon Curtis’s new book. That journey was undertaken after a horrific accident in the Scottish highlands. She is known as ‘The Human Swan’ because of her earlier 7000 km trip tracking the Bewick Swan and their migration from Russia’s Arctic region to the UK in 2016.  A crowd funder to get prosthetic legs for Sacha Dench has been opened. Here is the information.

Stepping-up-for-SachaDownload

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, H, J, M’, SW Florida Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, WRDC, Heidi Mc, Pat Burke, Gracie Shepherd, NEFL-AEF, NCTC, Deb Stecyk, Dulles-Greenway, John Bunker Sands Wetland Centre, PLO, @TimMacKrill, @CornellHawks, Sharon Dunne, Holly Parsons, Raptor Persecution UK, and Conservation without Borders.

Eagle love…Wednesday in Bird World

3 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It has been a ‘rough’ couple of days. It is going to take me a bit of time to get my head ‘cleared’. Thank you for your patience…we might expect ‘something’ to be coming, but it isn’t always easy to accept it, anyway. Darn difficult this one is! 

Let us start on a positive note. I encourage everyone – and Culley would, too – to live. Just get out there in nature and find the joy that you might miss. My granddaughter always listens and today she was in one of our parks known for its chickadees. They come right up to you – was happy to supply the seed for her and her partner!

Our weather is to turn cold next week so this looks like a good thing to do before then! 

Hope and Hugo have been into a lot of mischief lately. Hugo has just noticed the bird video. Hope would rather ‘pose’ – she is the only one that cooperates!

Remember. Hugo is not afraid to romp and leap on cats 10 x her size!

Calico wants a comfy duvet. And quiet. These two will eventually find her and leap on her.

Laura Culley. Falconer. Flew High on New Year’s Day 2024. She inspired me more than anyone else to follow my dream of researching avian behaviour and also studying falconry.  I was not the only one, of course. Culley touched the lives of all who met her. She visited people in hospital with Mariah, she attended raptor exhibitions, and she was always willing to encourage young people to think about falconry. She was a remarkable woman whose beautiful hawk Mariah was with her for 30 years (I believe that is correct). She was a great ambassador and she always said that we are the servants to the birds. Not them to us. The birds always come first and they are of superior minds.

One of her favourite tunes. She shared it with many who came to understand falconry and her love for it and the hawks. She challenged anyone who would listen to watch the hawks and learn from them – to understand that there is so much disinformation. In fact, Culley loved the Cornell streaming cam of Big Red and Arthur for all the new aspects of the hawks life that were learned by all the citizen scientists watching. I recall one day her mentioning all of the facts that Sibley got wrong in his big book…it was easy to find them! She was brilliant.

The conversations that I had with Culley had to do with what do the raptors know. The first thing she taught me was that the raptors have been around for EONS. An EON is a billion years. They have evolved to a much more sophisticated level than humans. People asked if Big Red knew that one of her fledglings had been killed by striking the glass at Cornell and dying. Culley would say, ‘And why wouldn’t she?!’ Would Big Red know her eyases if they were in the territory. Back at you with ‘And why wouldn’t she?!’ Humans know their children – then why wouldn’t Big Red and Arthur. She delighted in how well the hawks communicated – something she observed through decades of raising her eight birds and working with others. She pulled back the curtain and helped so many to understand the minds of these amazing birds. Culley will not be forgotten! Not in EONS. 

Laura took Mariah duck hunting in Wyoming. If you ever read that RTHs do not hunt ducks, that is rubbish. Laura bunked a lot of the myths associated with hawks and opened our eyes to their extraordinary powers. Mariah was a great duck hunter!

One of the chatters wrote, “And when we worried: why did Big Red leave the babies for so long; aren’t those little ones too close to the edge; isn’t that bite of food too big…….she calmed our fears. EONS, after all, taught Big Red so much we don’t know.”

Laura Culley cut through it all. She could spot ‘bs’ just like Mariah could see a rabbit a mile away. My only regret is that I did not get to help her with her manuscript – her 28 years with Mariah – due to the pandemic and then her illness. I hope – and believe – that someone else is doing this. 

A reminder from Laura about life:

Rest in peace. Your work will be carried on by all those who loved you, Laura.

Did you know that there were relief carvings in the Babylonian era of hawks on fists more than 3000 years ago? If you carry your hawk on your fist while riding a horse, it is ‘falconry’ but if when walking it is called ‘hawking’. Falconry is believed to be one of the oldest sports in the world. It has endured throughout history because hawks were used to catch food for their owners. The males were originally called tiercels while the female hawks were ‘hawks’. We now think of tiercel as the third hatch which is often a male.

Seriously. E23 has been doing little wingersizers. This one is going to melt your heart into a pile of mush.

M15 is always the great provider – reminds me of some of those UK Osprey males such as Blue 33, Idris, Aran, Dylan, and Louis. Of course, Clive is, too.

The eggs is moved to the rim. Fish and Rabbit on the menu.

A fur fest. Wonder what E23 thought about all the plucking?

E23 covered in fur.

Love.

It is hard now to imagine what C10 and C11 looked like E23 a week ago! Look at their thermal down and clown feet and – wait – is one curious and pecking at that fish?!

‘J’ calls these ‘fish pillows’.

The nest is loaded with fish thanks to Clive – and C10 and C11 are now too big to fit under Connie. Good night, Captiva.

We are now about 85 days away from the first Osprey landing in the UK. hat should, if they safely return, Laddie LM12 at Loch of the Lowes (we believe his mate Blue NC0 died but we will wait and see) and Blue 33 and Maya at Rutland. 

Hoping to see eggs at the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout soon.

Rosa and her new mate were at the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle Nest. (Is he a Beau, too?)

Beau takes good care of intruders around the territory while Gabby incubates and finds her own prey (or so it seems).

Beau injured protecting nest.

And to the shock of all, Beau is incubating Wednesday morning in The Hamlet. It is not known if the egg is viable, but let us hope that he is coming into a new mode of helping Gabby that it is!

Gil and Brad woke up to some damp weather. Waiting for breakfast. It must be grand when they are able to catch their own meals and are not dependent on Mum and Dad.

Dad came in with a fish at 1119 and Gil was all over it! Yesterday Fran and Bazz took their yacht out, and went around the barge for photos. They try to do this once a year according to the FB post. At the end of the screen captures are some of their images plus, an image of an osprey taking a dead fish from the floor of the barge that had fallen over. Another myth bunked.

Wisdom is dancing and well..an update from the Midway Atoll.

Bringing-in-the-New-Year-with-Wisdom-and-a-new-makalena-short-tailed-albatross-chick-Friends-ofDownload

Lou taking good care of Annie. 

They are keeping an eye on one of the Royal cam couples and have put in a dummy egg in case the partner does not return. Fingers crossed.

Thank you everyone. Take care of yourselves. We hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, music, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’E, H, J’. Laura Culley, Heather Dale, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Laura Davis Nelson, D Morningstar, Window to Wildlife, Deb Stecyk, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, Jan Lester, PLO, SK Hideaways, Friends of Midway Atoll, and Sharon Dunne.

Gabby lays the second egg…Sunday in Bird World

24 December 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

To those celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – and Boxing Day – have a wonderful holiday. Have lots of laughs, good food, make memories!

As we near the end of the year, I also want to thank everyone for your empathy, interest, and dedication to the planet’s wildlife (and domesticated pets). Pictures of your fur babies or birds visiting your feeders are always welcome, and I am so grateful for your letters and comments. It is heartwarming to know that a huge community of caring souls exists. Together, we have wept, and we have celebrated. Most of all, we have marvelled at this wonderful world we are a part of. So, here is to 2024 – may it be a blessed year for our birds and our families- no matter how many legs they have!

My year has been full of joy and utter sadness. I am so grateful to the girls that have enriched my life well beyond anything that I could have even dreamed about. There will, however, always be a tear shed and a little hole in the heart because of Lewis. What a great guy he was. Each one of them is their own person – their own character with their story. I feel lucky to be a part of that journey with them. 

Dear little Hugo decided to confront Calico head on. Seriously. Confronting Calico?! Calico normally takes off to get out of Hugo’s path. It is simply too funny. Notice how her eyes are so much better. And her face is getting a little round. It looks like we will make it!

In the garden, the squirrels are thriving in the warm weather. They have some treats, too – in the form of a big bag of in-the-shell peanuts. Dyson could not be happier! The Blue Jays have not returned and so it must be assumed that they have made their way to warmer climates south of here. I cannot fathom all of them having an untimely demise. Today, there were five Black-capped Chickadees in the apple tree in the front garden. Tomorrow they will get a special ball of seeds just for them. Oh, it would be grand if they made their nest in their in the spring! It is away from where the community cats normally visit so should be safe. 

In Osprey World, it is about 83 days until the first birds begin returning to the UK from West Africa or the Iberian Peninsula. Keep them in your thoughts as they make this perilous journey. 

‘H’ sent me to a posting by Elfruler that is truly a good read and a great way to sit down and contemplate what is happening over at the nest of Gabby and V3. Thanks, ‘H’. 

I am not an eagle expert. But, if Ospreys know who the eggs belong to and if the male even twitches that they arrived a little too early since the pair’s mating, you will see that Osprey kick those eggs over to the next lach! So if Ospreys know, then why wouldn’t Bald Eagles? 

Around 17:13 Gabby went into labour and laid the second egg. She was sooooo tired after. Beau was on a branch looking down. He could hear her. Now. Let us see how this plays out. 

Quick reveal – white spot under feathers near centre.

Tired Mamma. 525 people watching and excited for Beau and Gabby.

I have missed several of the Ferris Akel tours on Saturday and today was a reminder that we really need to slow down and enjoy life. I miss those tours!  Ferris found both Big Red and Arthur, Mourning Doves, and some geese and ducks today along with Bald Eagles! 

Beautiful Big Red hunting.

Arthur on the throne.

So many Doves and they kept flying in! 

Sandhill Cranes flying in and landing.

And then after gathering at their stop, they left.

Kids still being fed well by Connie and Clive. The pantry is absolutely full thanks to Clive’s amazing hunting skills. No need for C10 to be intimidating C11 but it is – dominance. 

I love in when Clive comes in to check on the eaglets and when he feeds them while Connie is away like now.

Connie returns.

‘A’ comments on the activities at Connie and Clive’s nest: ”Meanwhile, at Captiva, yesterday’s feeding record was broken today, with 13 feedings. Yes, you read that right. Thirteen. Here are the time stamps: 6:57:55 Feed1, 8:19:14 Feed2[CE10], 8:52:45 Feed3, 9:47:42 Feed4, 10:57:05 Feed5, 11:37:15 Feed6, 12:33:50 Feed7.1:51:25 Feed8,3:33:15 Feed9 [Clive]. 3:59:34Feed10[CE10] 4:29:25 Feed11, 5:11:15 Feed12, 5:55;20 Feed13.

These two are so adorable, though the bonking has definitely begun. You will note that at feed 2, for example, little CE11 puts its head up to participate, gets bonked once, and is down for the count. That happens at another feeding later in the day too (feed 10). But both are getting more than enough to eat, with Clive keeping fish scattered about the nest and around a dozen feedings a day. I would so love it if there was no bonking, but then I remember that’s why we watch peregrines and RTHs.”

SE31 and family at the river.

A look at Gil and Brad from the egg to the fledge. Thank you Fish Fairies for ensuring that these two were well fed and fledged!

Can the Black-footed Albatross be saved? And is this island free of cats? and rats? A good read from Audubon. Please cut and paste the link to Audubon for the article below the photo credit.

“Black-footed albatross pair. Photo credit: Dan Clark/USFWS” by USFWS Pacific is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

A-Single-Mexican-Island-May-Be-Our-Best-Hope-for-Saving-Black-footed-Albatrosses-Audubon

Want to make a wreath with your family for the birds? Find some suet – grab your bunt pan and read the article. Away you go!

Help-Feed-the-Birds-With-a-DIY-Wreath-AudubonDownload

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

I am so grateful to the following for their notes, articles, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, H, J’, NEFL-AEF, Elfruler, Paul K, Ferris Akel Tours, Window to Wildlife, Chang-Le Dong, PLO, Bart M. Openverse, and Audubon.