bird books – Page 2 – Mary Ann Steggles

Bird Books of 2024

31 December 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Here it is, the last day of December. The days sailed by. It seems like it was only yesterday that Blue NC0 returned to Loch of the Lowes and now, in about two months plus a few days, she will be back at her nest for 2025. In 2024, we lost a lot of birds. I still have a few to add to the Memorial Page – and every time I review the names, it brings about a spate of tears. So many died, faithful feathered friends we had watched on the streaming cams for years, and so many little ones. And, of course, others who survived brought us unimaginable joy. Those triplets kept Thunder and Akecheta busy while M15 and F23 raised their first eaglet together. I wonder what is in store for us this year?

We have had Miss Calico’s favourite book list. This one is mine.

I struggled with this listing. In 2024 there were not that many great books published on birds. There were field guides, books on nature and conservation, books that listed all the birds in the world with images so small you need a magnifying glass to see them. The top-listed book isn’t even about a bird, but it is an inspirational book about how nature can transform your life. We might switch the hare for a small bird. The finest book on a single species is hands down Mackrill’s book on ospreys. If you watch ospreys, it should be on your bookshelf.

As always, I do not receive books from publishers to review. I don’t want any influence, conscious or un. These are volumes that I have purchased and sit on my bookshelf. Lots and lots of books did not make this short cut. They will eventually find their way into the little ‘Free Library’ or Calico will have a book sale to earn money for one or another of the charities she is supporting in 2025. You should be able to find these books in your local library or by asking your librarian to bring them in through inter-library loan. They are also available for purchase online or at your local bookshop.

My absolute favourite book of the year is Raising Hare by Claire Dalton. If you are looking for beautiful colour images of Hares, this is not the book for you. It is, however, a book that has been wonderfully written by a woman who was transformed by caring for a wee hare that she discovered on a road behind her country house during the pandemic. It is that subtle transformation through the pages that brought me back to this volume many times. She was a woman with a high-powered city position that had alienated her from the countryside and it wildlife. She strives to keep the wee one alive with little help from any volumes. Indeed, she cites books about cooking hare, not caring for them. Few people knew what they ate. The hare begins to infiltrate itself into her life and she adjusts that life more and more so that it is ‘free’. Free is what drives Dalton. She is determined that the hare in her care will be able to come and go and life a full life, despite the dangers (which she cites often) in the fields beyond the house. This book is that story.

2. Return of the Condor: The Race to Save Our Largest Bird from Extinction by John Moir. For a number of years i have paid particular attention to the work of the Ventana Wildlife Society, its care, protection, and determination to increase the numbers of condor living in the wild. Moir is an exceptional writer who brings to life the early conservation efforts to ensure that the condor was not lost forever.

3. An Anthology of Exquisite Birds by Ben Hoares. The illustrations are exceptional and there is information on birds that I have only read or heard about. The texts are beautifully illustrated. As I have mentioned in an earlier blog, some will say this is a children’s book. It is on my bookshelf and is a welcome addition.

4.The California Condor. A Saga Natural History and Conservation by N and H Snyder.

5. The Osprey by Tim Mackrill. The most thorough and up to date book on ospreys. Mackrill studied migration, flight, winds, and other issues related to migration for his PhD thesis at the University of Leicester. It is contained in this volume. That information is missing from other publications on ospreys and could be of interest. If you are only going to purchase one book on ospreys, this could be the one. It depends on how much you wish to know. The only other recommendation is Mackrill’s RSPB much smaller book on Ospreys. It should be everyone’s first book on our amazing fish hawks. One of the best books published in 2024.

6. The Peregrine Thief by Alan Stewart. The third in a trilogy about a wildlife detective, Detective Sargent Bob MacKay. No illustrations. It is a lively narrative of a detective rushing across Scotland to get to the bottom of egg thieves. In light of the current arrest for 60,000 eggs stolen, the book might bring some insight for those who do not know anything about this very lucrative international illegal trade. Stewart worked for law enforcement and is more than knowledgeable about how the culprits in the tremendous international birding trade industry get by with this ludicrous crime.

7. Nature’s Ghosts: The World We Lost and How to Get it Back by Sophie Yeo. This insightful volume looks back at what the natural world was like and how we might shape the future through our compassionate actions. I have some qualms with the book’s logic, but it made me think that questioning one’s attitudes is always a good thing. The writer is very positive, and some days, I wake up so depressed at the state of our planet that I need a good kick in the backside.

8. Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan. It is filled with detailed observations of the birds that visited Tan’s vast garden with incredible drawings (Tan says she can’t draw – she can!). I hope this book inspires you to keep a notebook and start drawing the birds that frequent your lives – even if they might be on a streaming cam! How often do we ignore the beauty right before our eyes? So, please start looking! Bird counts are way down this year and I fear with the global warming that is taking place alongside H5N1 and West Nile Virus, we could lose species before we even have a chance to blink. Gorgeous volume. Highly recommended.

9. Leaf, Cloud, Crow: A Weekly Backyard Journal by Margaret Renkl. This book seems to follow what Amy Tan did but as a small notebook to inspire you to notice the natural world around you. Renkl gives situations you can follow – or as I did, I ignored them! It is a lovely little volume, beautiful illustrations, and would be a good gift for someone starting to keep track of their observations. My problem was it didn’t have enough pages! I particularly like the thoughtful sayings that accompany each week such as: “Human beings are neither vultures or crows. The world would count itself lucky if we were vultures or crows.” (July 12-18)

10. Space for Birds: Patterns and Parallels of Beauty and Flight by Dr Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut. The book focuses on two species: The Lesser Flamingo and the Whooping Crane. Many images from space show us where these birds travel, their commonalities, and their real challenges in terms of survival. Bondar hopes, I believe, that we will be as in awe and want to quickly jump to help preserve their habitat and our planet as we were when we first saw the earth from space. Gorgeous book.

11. Birding for Boomers: And Everyone Else Brave Enough to Embrace the World’s Most Frustrating Hobby by S Collard III. Great book for someone starting to observe and feed birds. It is light-hearted and tries to get at the heart of every question you might want to ask!

12. The Complete Language of Birds. A Definitive & Illustrated History by Randi Minter. It is a bit of a field guide, including folklore and more interesting facts that I could ever find in one volume. Some familiar birds, some not. Did you know that Barn Owls are the symbol of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, beauty, and fertility. For some, if a Barn Owl lands on their house it signals a coming death. There are indigenous stories about the birds and their place in the natural and unnatural world. Calico didn’t rate it because it is a book of facts, not a good story she told me!

13. The Last Crow by Bob Berzins. You might pass it up because of the cover, but it is a good read. A tad of a novel set amidst the huge estates, oligarchs and hedge fund managers that own them. Corruption galore. A few fighting back to save the last of the wildlife. It is an eye-opener in the vein of the activism of Wild Justice, Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin, and friends. Groundskeepers shooting Hen Harriers, Golden Eagles, all to keep them from eating a grouse as well as the fox hunts that haunt anyone who has ever witnessed hounds ripping a fox apart.

We don’t have oligarchs that rule the justice system in the same way that they do in Scotland, but the demise of numbers and the idea that Crows would disappear form the landscape hits me right in the heart.

14. Wild Woman. Empowering Stories from Women who Work in Nature by Philippa Forrester. Well-written, wandering to other areas, touching upon Thoreau, a book that might inspire some of you. No images. Not just about birds, but women who worked hard and made a difference.

Other books not published in 2024:

What an Owl Knows. The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds by Jennifer Ackerman. I am not a fan of owls because of their predation of the eagle and osprey nests. However, if you are an owl lover and if there is anything you might want to know, this is your book! 8 pages of colour images in the middle; the remaining few are black and white.

The Meaning of Geese. A thousand miles in search of home by Nick Acheson. This remains one of my favourite books. A young man who changes his life of travel and lecturing to focus on the geese of Norfolk. It is much more than that as our world changes quickly. How long will the Pink-footed geese and the Brents travel to the UK? What will happen to their permafrost habitat as the tundra is thawing and breaking apart?

Another beautiful book surprise for me was the 2003 The Birds of Manitoba. Maps, great text, beautiful drawings. A real hidden gem. It was written by many of the big names in birding in our province. You might want to check out older volumes for where you live -. Used book stores can bring gold.

I will be back on Friday anxiously awaiting some hatches. In the meantime, thank you so much for being with us today. Please have a wonderful end to 2024 and remember to look up in 2025 – that is where the birds usually are!

We are so happy to have you as part of our Bird World Family!

Monday in Bird World

16 December 2024

Hello Everyone,

Today is more about Calico’s list of books that SHE enjoyed during 2024 than it is catching up on nest news. There are a few things happening and we will touch on them. I will be sending this posting out late Sunday evening and the next post will come Wednesday morning. Please watch for the hatch of E25 prior to that blog.

Hugo Yugo will be having her surgery early and my focus will be on her over the next few days and her recovery.

Sunday afternoon E25 was trying to get out of its shell and join its older sibling, E24! Terrific that the delayed incubation is working so well. F23 is a pro! M15 picked well. Thanks, ‘J’.

Here is E24 hatching if you missed it! https://youtu.be/bQ1ajd9J3xc?

It was +1 on Sunday. Gentle flakes of snow fell on Winnipeg in the early afternoon. The Starlings, some 34 of them, were busy at the feeders. There was plenty of cat kibble and it would seem that was what brought the extra birds to the garden. Dyson and Gang were here – the entire troop of five. It is wonderful to see them scurrying about. The Sparrows are busy eating snow. It is time to get the heater to keep the water warm out of the cupboard!

Calico has been sitting beside me all morning. We are writing the story of her and Baby Hope and finding photos. I so wish that I had taken images of her when she first came to the feeder in late 2022. Still, I am grateful for the ones that we have. She has sat patiently and slowly the others have poured into the warm conservatory to listen and watch the birds. I don’t think they have ever seen so many starlings! There is one Blue Jay and one Crow – which worries me. There should be two of each. The Blue Jays always come together at some point to the feeders. Little Red is busy caching peanuts and causing mischief. Oh, oh. The second Crow has arrived. Now we just wait to see if there is a second Blue Jay.

Calico’s book list for 2024 is not all about our feathered friends but often about nature, how individual lives have been changed by learning about wildlife and their transformation into good citizens of our planet. This year, it is shorter than usual – not because there weren’t a lot of books coming in to read but because she has gotten picky about what she likes to hear!

The top book for 2024 is Raising Hare. We have now read it four times. Chloe Dalton’s busy urban life is changed during the pandemic when she scoops up a tiny hare from the road and takes it into her country home. Line drawings, great narrative. Ten Golden Paws for readability!

Her second choice for 2024 publications is An Anthology of Exquisite Birds. We pick several species and read about them each evening. The writing is clear and while the book was meant for children, Calico thinks everyone would enjoy it. Packed with gorgeous illustrations!

Calico really enjoyed listening to Jennifer Ackerman’s What an Owl Knows. The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds. Who would have thought Calico would like hearing about owls! She hears me scream at the local one all the time! Small black and white illustrations within the text and a central part of coloured images. Of course, Calico doesn’t care about the images – only the words, but you might like them.

It is and it isn’t a bird book. Our Green Heart is about the special place forests and trees play in our lives. Calico really enjoyed this book!

Canada’s female astronaut examines the beauty and threat to two species, The Whooping Crane and the Lesser Flamingo in Space for Birds. It is a gorgeous book – just look at that cover! Calico appreciated the writing. I loved that and the beautiful images.

Calico must be into the symbolism and mystical qualities of birds because she truly enjoyed having several entries of Ornithography. An Illustrated Guide to Bird Lore and Symbolism read to her each evening. There are 100 entires, all illustrated. (I found it interesting that Calico sat and listened to these entries when she is always bored by field guides, and while I genuinely enjoyed Amy Tan’s Backyard Chronicles, Calico didn’t. Go figure!

It is not a 2024 publication, but Calico cannot get enough of this book about life in the Welsh countryside. It is another transformative story of a young East Indian woman who moves to rural Wales. It was the first book Calico ever heard during story time. It is I can hear the Cuckoo.

Another old favourite is The Meaning of Geese. A thousand miles in search of home. It is the story of the author who gives up a wondrous life of travel to ride a bicycle around Norfolk, his home, studying the geese that migrate to the UK during the winter from Iceland, Greenland, and Siberia. Calico says if you like geese, this is the book for you!

We read every night and sometimes in the afternoons. Some books are favourites of mine and I will be making a much longer list for the end of the year. There are quite a number of new books that we have added to the library that appealed to me, but not to Calico! She is very particular about the sound of the words and which words are joined together. She will actually get up and walk out!

Another all time favourite that we read when Calico got tired of hearing scientific data about Ospreys, Falcons, or Condors was The Comfort of Crows. A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl. It is a wonderful little book that follows the life of the wildlife in Renkl’s garden with some amusing stories.

My listing will appear before the end of the year. I hope that it will contain some new books that will delight you over the winter.

Meanwhile at the nest of M15 and F23 in SW Florida, each tries to feed little E24. https://youtu.be/_BfPWsfaJLU?

In South Australia, Fran Solly has kindly posted the nests, the names, and the banding colours of this years chicks. Kasse’s bands are red left and white right, I think.

Missy flying about from Coobowie.

At Port Lincoln, all four family members are at the barge. Wilko is 72 days old today and Kasse is 69.

Noon. Kasse and Wilko hoping for fish!

Precious eggs of Beau and Gabby.

Good news for eggs and the Moli on the island of Kauai.

On Midway the albatross are breeding, too.

Thank you so much for being with us today. We will see you again on Wednesday. Send good wishes to Hugo Yugo on Monday for a successful surgery and take care of yourself.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cam that helped me to write my post today: ‘J’ SK Hideaways, the authors of all the books and Amazon, NestFlix Memories, Fran Solly, Port Lincoln Osprey, Bart M and the PLO, NEFL-AEF, Hob Osterlund, Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge

Tuesday in Bird World

26 November 2024

Good Morning,

It snowed on and off all day. This morning there were five grey squirrels at the feeders – five in sight, altogether. Dyson, the three kits, and another one. Is it Dyson’s mate?

A cutie.

Then these four. Each appears to be healthy. They have their heavy winter coats and are so beautiful against the snow.

Starlings came. So did the Blue Jays, Crows, and Sparrows. Everyone was hungry. They are working away at the suet cylinder. Calico and I hope to get into the kitchen and make some suet cookies to hang throughout the lilacs. Where does the time go? How did I ever teach, assist in running a school of art, and take care of a home?

Oh, it is always so lovely to see them. However, Brock (aka The Boyfriend) did not come at his usual time. It worried me. Several hours later, Calico came in and kept patting me and meowing. Brock was here! Communication. Brock prefers wet food, but it freezes, and it is so hard to watch for him when we have busy days. This was amazing.

A shout out to ‘H’ and ‘J’ for some news you will all want to hear.

Sadly, I have added Bald Eagle Abby and mate of Blaze at Eagle Country to our Memorial Wall. She has been MIA long enough for Eagle Country to declare her deceased. A new female is now at the nest with Blaze.

This is the new female Skye.

Link to all of the Eagle Country cams – and they have a lot of them on this nest!

https://www.youtube.com/@EagleCountry/streams

Blaze at the nest as the sun begins to set. Beautiful sunset.

The video of the install of the new camera for the MN-DNR Bald Eagles. https://youtu.be/EWZF56NcxyA?

Mark your calendars. ‘H’ informs me: “Banding for Wilko and Kasse at PLO: Weather permitting, Saturday 11/30. Alternate dates 12/1 or 12/2.” It makes me sad. They will soon fledge after this and I find myself hoping that they are male so they hang around, but we need some females down there for Ervie!!!!!!! I sure hope Wilko doesn’t fledge or the ringing will be canceled.

SK Hideaways has posted a video showing what appears to be one of the adults in flight traning with another bird. Is this training with Yira? or is this Diamond and Xavier flying together? passing prey? I want to believe it is Yira.

Oh, it is a bright morning at Port Lincoln. We have lots of wingers going on! Everyone is anticipating the arrival of the morning fish.

The Fish Fairy arrived at mid-morning much to the delight of Mum, Wilko, and Kasse. Just look at all the nice fish! They were hungry. This is so good.

They will sure make quick work of those fish! Seven were delivered. Wilko was unafraid!

Dad came and took one of the fish for himself leaving Mum and the kids six. Wilko is trying to unzip one.

Look at the time. Almost all of the fish are gone.

Wind and rain came later to Port Lincoln.

‘A’ writes: “I see on the Port Lincoln chat that you have nominated Kasse as female and Wilko as male, and based on relative size and their behaviours, I absolutely agree with you. I initially thought they might both be male, because they got along so well, but at this stage, Kasse is absolutely huge, so large that she really must be a female. Wilko is a cute and brave little man. How much did he make you laugh today, standing up to defend the nest against the potentially dangerous Hat? And as for Kasse, she pancaked beautifully at the approach of the Fish Fairy’s vessel and stayed flat to the nest, her eyes wide in amazement as the Hat deposited a veritable fish-shop display window onto the nest right in front of her. In fact, she remained pancaked for about five minutes, until Mum literally landed on her head! I also admit to laughing uncontrollably at the sight of Kasse literally being stood on her head overbalancing while grabbing a bite just after 10:25. TOO funny. She did eventually manage to regain her footing but it took her quite a while.

These two are adorable. Kasse has absolutely no fear of her older sibling, and I do think their behaviour definitely supports your opinion. The older they have got, the more obvious those genders have been, with lots of small interactions suggesting that Wilko is indeed the older brother, with Kasse the younger sister. I always think that for stress-free viewing, this is by far the best option (apart from two males on the nest). If we are going to have a behaviourally dominant female on a nest, it is best that she be the youngest, as it gives her a bit of spunk to survive being bottom of the pecking order and means her older sibling is not too aggressive. That of course is what has happened here in my opinion. But they are both gorgeous, very healthy and have a magnificent mum. I could not agree more with your assessment of this osprey mum. She has been incredible this season, including taking over fishing duties whenever it has been necessary. Just a really special bird. “

Gabby and Beau are diligently working on their nest in NE Florida. They seem to do this early in the morning when it is cooler.

A gorgeous day at the Captiva Bald Eagle cam.

‘J’ copied Rita’s History Monday for us: “It’s time for Rita’s History Monday! Now that Rita’s offspring, #98, was off on her eagle adventure, attention once again focused on the fallen nest. Year after year it fell apart, and as Lloyd Brown of Wildlife Rescue and Ron Magill of Zoo Miami examined the condition of what little was left, they felt that it would be in the best interest of the eagles to install a more secure platform in a more stable spot in the tree. It is said that Bald Eagles mate for life, and they also have nest fidelity, so they return to the same nest tree each year. The remnants of the old nest were 95 feet high, up in a spindly part of a Casaurina (Australian) Pine. There was concern that if the eagles returned and tried to rebuild in that unstable spot, the nest would likely fail again. With approval from US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), they researched the best type of platform that could be used in that type of tree. So, in preparation for Season 2022, a new nest platform was installed! The platform is made of a 5 foot wide wooden papasan chair that was lined with plastic mesh to provide drainage and airflow. This type of nest has been successfully used for other Bald Eagle nest platforms. They carefully secured it in the tree and partially filled it with small sticks and pine needles to make it more inviting. We waited and hoped that the eagles would return. But, that’s not all folks! The community was also in for a great surprise! Stay tuned for more exciting news and thank you for liking and sharing the history of Rita.”

Xavier is arriving with cicadas. Does anyone remember Izzi eating all those cicadas like they were ice lollies? Oh, how I miss that lovely boy. https://youtu.be/ayiv0X4Z9Sg?

The Peregrines Zen and Zara – SK Hideways shows us their ‘need for speed when a Merlin is concerned! https://youtu.be/-wfh2voivv0?

The Girls and I have been reading books. We have a small stack to get through but we have finished reading Serviceberries. I will talk about that on Thanksgiving Day. The book that Calico really wants me to mention is certainly an exceptional book for young people, but Heidi is going to tell me it is equally terrific for adults, and she would be right. The book is An Anthology of Exquisite Birds by Ben Hoare. This weighty volume has been reviewed, and its gorgeous drawings have received critical acclaim. It is full of fun facts and information in a way that it is different from your normal field guide. It keeps you engaged. I wanted to know more about these exotic birds – well, at least exotic to me! One of my favourite illustrations was the Superb Fairywren.

There are 224 pages, including an entry on my beloved House Sparrows. They noted that thousands of years ago, ‘house sparrows lived only in Europe and Western Asia.’ (189). Today, they are located on every continent except Antarctica. Many loathe having them at their feeders along with European Starlings, and yet, for the decades that birds have been coming to the garden, I cannot honestly cite either one as bullies. Everyone seems to have a turn. One day, after observing the Starlings for several hours, they actually ‘lined up’ to get to the feeder, flying from the neighbour’s tall tree to those at the back of the garden. Then, a few would fly to Abigail’s tree, waiting their turn in line for the big tray feeder. It looked exceptionally well organized. For the life of me, I simply cannot abide by those that go to the end of the earth to find ways to stop these two species from getting seed at their feeders. If a human or non human is hungry, then why not feed it? Does it really matter what feather pattern the birds have? At some time in the future, perhaps sooner than they might realize, the sparrow’s song might be the only one in the garden. At the same time, their numbers are declining. Research indicates that sparrow numbers are declining worldwide. The North American Breeding Bird Survey estimates that the total numbers of sparrows declined by 80% between 1966 and 2019. In Europe, numbers are down by approximately 60%.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/16/house-sparrow-population-in-europe-drops-by-247m?CMP=share_btn_url

Please spread the news that these little birds deserve food and water, too!

Where Have All the House Sparrows Gone?Download

This is the list of birds included in this beautiful encyclopedia of sorts that also includes information on feathers, nests, beaks, etc.

I didn’t ask permission to post these page images, but I hope the publisher will realize that Calico’s Ten Golden Paw Award is, precisely, a golden recommendation! If you have someone struggling to find a birthday gift or a holiday present, this could solve your struggles. It is $21.40 US from the online retailers. It’s a perfect price point, too. It is an excellent book to hold and read. Good paper, gold tipped pages matching the amazing cover, below.

Did you miss Ventana Wildlife’s November Condor Chat? Here it is archived! https://youtu.be/1JWS76hlPG8?

In Scotland, a Golden Eagle dies at a wind turbine farm.

Golden eagle dies in rare collision with wind turbine in south Scotland – Raptor Persecution UK Download

Be careful for the deer. The four deer were running around trying to find food this morning. We had a huge box of apples, carrots, cabbage, etc and could not find them despite the fact they had been near to our house 45 minutes prior. Tomorrow we will leave the food at the park. There were City workers doing something to the road next to where they stay so no one saw them there.

You can see the snow that fell on our garden by looking at the top of the table. The tracks belong to Brock who has chosen to come and go to a place where he feels safe. Oh, maybe one day he will trust us enough to just step inside. For now, we hope he is warm. It is -5 C and feels like -10.

How do birds stay warm in this kind of cold?

How do birds keep warm in the winter? | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Download

Thank you for being with us today. Take care everyone. We hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H, J’, Eagle Country, MN-DNR, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Ospreys, NEFL-AEF, Window to Wildlife, Rita the Eagle FB, Nesting Birdlife and More, SK Hideaways, An Anthology of Exquisite Birds by Ben Hoare, The Guardian, The Cornell Bird Lab, Ventana Wildlife Society, John Debacker, USFWS

Monday in Bird World

18 November 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

We hope that you had a lovely weekend and that your week will be full of wonderful moments, smiles, laughs, and the sounds of birds.

Baby Hope sends you a nose rub!

The sky is a bright white-grey. The bare branches of the Maple trees against that ‘cold’ sky look like Victorian ‘shadow portraits’ without the humans. The garden animals are scurrying about getting their peanuts hidden and the oil seed eaten in case the drizzle gets heavier. Brock was waiting for me when I pulled the curtain back on the garden door at 1000. He stood on his hind legs with his front paws touching the glass. He is getting more trusting. His heated house arrives on Monday, just in time for the snow we expect on Wednesday. I sure hope it is easy to assemble. When was it that items had to be assembled? We seem to always get things that have the holes for the screws in the wrong place! Has this happened to you?

We made a wood fire today. It makes the house so cosy. After several years, it is now time to order firewood. I was so lucky to find someone near to where I live that sells oak. It gives off good heat and, thankfully, I learned when I was firing wood kilns, how to start the fire and keep it burning. The Oak along with some Poplar will arrive on Thursday evening. We will be busy trying to get it inside the back fence – the rest of the week will be stacking. It shouldn’t take long, but it will be cold and could be wet. There are some really beautiful firewood racks – rectangular are the traditional ones, but someone has designed some 70 inch round ones that are stunning. I think we will just stack the 1.5 cords on the deck loose! Little Red has the wood box. :)))))))))

‘The Girls’ are afraid of the fire. This is a good thing. They are, however, washing themselves after having their seared salmon and they are enjoying the warmth that only the Jotul stove can provide. Calico is on top of the dining table rolling back and forth upside down. She is so happy. If I go to take her photo, she will stop (of course!).

Oh, Calico kept doing it! Oh, I love this girl. Her fur is so white and thick and those legs of hers are strong. Baby Hope is just like her.

Meanwhile, I had to call Brock this evening. He appeared within a minute with his paws on the glass garden door, again. Wonder when he will learn to turn the knob and come in?

One of our readers, ‘EJ’ took this beautiful image of Double-Crested Cormorants at the Tensaw River, Alabama, at the Blakely Historic State Park. Thank you for sharing with us. ‘EJ’ noted that it was 80 F. Oh, how wonderful. It is 1 C or 33.8 F.

All About Birds describes Double-crested Cormorants this way: “Double-crested Cormorants are colonial waterbirds that seek aquatic bodies big enough to support their mostly fish diet. However, they may roost and form breeding colonies on smaller lagoons or ponds, and then fly up to 40 miles to a feeding area. In addition to fishing waters, cormorants need perching areas for the considerable amount of time they spend resting each day. After fishing, cormorants retire to high, airy perches to dry off and digest their meals—rocks, wires, tops of dead trees, ship masts. They tend to form breeding colonies in clusters of trees in or near water. After a while, masses of cormorant guano may kill these trees and the trees may topple, at which point the cormorants may switch to nesting on the ground.”

Here is a species spotlight: https://youtu.be/_lLYHz4cnUw?

There has been angst and even killings between fishers and the Cormorants despite their protected migratory species – just like our ospreys that often fish at the fish farms.

Emergence Magazine included a story in their e-mail today, which I hope you will enjoy. This is the synopsis: “In this piece, writer Robert Moor journeys to Haida Gwaii, an island chain in British Columbia, for the anniversary of a historic agreement between the Haida Nation and the Canadian government that protects the landscape’s last remaining old-growth forests after decades of reckless logging precipitated by colonialism. To honor the occasion, a totem pole—carved from a towering red cedar—is raised under Haida leadership on Gwaii Haanas for the first time in 130 years. Walking through a forest stewarded for generations, Robert begins to see the tangle of Sitka spruces and cedars, mosses and lichens, not as a site of slow decay, but of ongoing growth. Standing in the presence of ancient trees, we can feel, rather than intellectualize, he says, not only the deep past, but also our responsibility to the future.”

Dendrochronology – Robert Moor Download

Each day, I wake up hoping that ordinary humans, far from politicians and industry, can make the changes that will give our beloved wildlife a chance to adapt, live, and not starve in the nest. It can feel frustrating, but we have to hope.

I dreamed about Yira last night. Is this one of the adults with Yira flying around the tower? https://youtu.be/6hrNJESmrXs?

Parents should use prey drops while in flight—either dead or injured prey—as a teaching tool. Diamond and Xavier did this on camera above the tower several days ago before Yira fledged. They will also work on Yira’s flight training to build her strength.

Xavier and Diamond have been bonding in the scrape. https://youtu.be/5pfk6Q2DS1w?

Xavier arrived in the scrape with prey but left immediately. https://youtu.be/06ZektciLHM?

On the other hand, we know that the third hatch at Melbourne did not stay attached to F23’s talon but could fly away on her own. Here is the view of the last fledge at the Melbourne scrape from an adjacent building. Enjoy. https://youtu.be/1K4s90IkRkY?

It is a weighty tome, but Richard Sale’s book, Falcons, is an excellent volume on your bookshelf if you need one of the best reference books. Excellent background information and in-depth material on Peregrines, Kestrels, Hobbies, and Merlins exist.

The cam operator at Port Lincoln gave us some amazing close ups of Wilko and Kasse. Those juvenile feathers are stunning.

This year is very different. Mum is fishing off the barge to feed herself and the kids. She is doing a great job! I wonder why she didn’t do this in earlier years? But, regardless of the reason, she is intent on feeding her hungry kids and herself if Dad isn’t having any luck.

OK. Dad came in with a whole fish at 1234. Thanks Dad – . There is plenty of time for more.

I love the white outline of the grey-brown juvenile feathers. Wilko and Kasse will keep this distinctive ‘look’ for 3-6 months after fledging so that they can easily be recognized as recent fledglings/juveniles as opposed to adults.

Look at those beautiful eyes. The iris is a beautiful amber colour that will change to yellow when Wilko and Kasse are adults. Did you know that this iris is more red-orange in the ospreys hatched in the US?

I got a little carried away. They are so beautiful.

The news at Sydney is thin. No update on SE34.

Jackie and Shadow. Sticks. Love. Snow. https://youtu.be/ifpOijoG_IQ?

Thunder and Akecheta were at the West End nest on Sunday! So nice to see them, just like Jackie and Shadow.

Beau on the branch above the NE Florida nest he shares with Gabby early Sunday morning.

Eagles at Denton Homes.

We no longer need to wonder who is taking the turtle shells from E1 in the Kistachie National Forest! https://youtu.be/7ZozS0pmYrg?

Scout comes to the NCTC nest on Sunday! https://youtu.be/Zq4P3POFwmc?

Rabbit dinners and pond baths are the order of the day at SW Florida. https://youtu.be/RPKXJ13u024?

Illegal laundering of the sale of Peregrine Falcons? Wife is part of the police force? Oh, the webs that are woven to stop the protection of raptors.

Fraud charge dropped_ The weird case of WPC Suzanne Hall, wife & mother of convicted peregrine launderers. – Raptor Persecution UK Download

Are the Red Squirrels of England at risk of dying off?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/16/red-squirrels-to-vanish-from-england-unless-vaccine-against-squirrelpox-funded?CMP=share_btn_url

Annie and Archie always put a smile on our face! https://youtu.be/jfzQtDwfCp0?

‘J’ reminds us that this is the very last few days to adopt a Kakapo if you were thinking about it.

And if also were thinking about donating so Ventana Wildlife and the California Condors can double their money, here is the information.

Please look at Cheryl’s comment in the WordPress ‘comments’ section of my blog. She notes an eagle at the Mississippi Flyway that has only one leg and is doing fine. She also noted Alden who was our Super Hero at Cal Falcons and was ‘disabled’ but was an amazing hunter. Then there is Ma Berry – and others. It was about my comment that I felt Garrama was not given a chance to see what he could do citing our new vet who believes little is known about wildlife and that we should try and allow them to have a life.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘C, EJ, J’, Emergence Magazine, All About Birds, Key West Tropical Forest and Garden, Birdie Cam, Birding Life & More, Richard Sale, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Judy Harrington, SK Hideaways, IWS/Explore.org, NEFL-AEF, Deb Stecyk, Androcat, Denton Homes, Kistachie National Forest, Raptor Persecution UK, The Guardian, SK Hideaways, Kakapo Recovery, Ventana Wildlife and Monterey County Gives.

Two at Port Lincoln as Milton gets closer to the Florida nests near Ft Myers and Tampa Bay…Tuesday in Bird World

8 October 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

There are not a lot of images today. Apologies all around. You will recall that I have been battling the fact that my allocation of media is at its limit. I have just discovered that there are over – hold on – 50,000 unattached files starting in 2017. I have been deleting them 20 at a time. There must be a more efficient way to do that!

For now, though, most of us have only one thing on our minds and that is Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida and our beloved birds (and friends) there. They are watching and expect Milton to make land fall at Tampa Bay as a category 3 or 4. Despite this slow down, it is going to be catastrophic for this area of Florida that does not normally get hit directly.

Before we even think about Milton, we need a smile and that comes from Annie and Archie who have returned to The Campanile to bond! https://youtu.be/iwBATgGYDHg?

It is difficult to sit and watch knowing that Hurricane Milton is going to tear through Sanibel possibly destroying the Captiva Osprey and Bald Eagle nests. The only – and I do mean ‘only’ – silver lining to any of this is that there are no eggs or chicks on any of the Florida nests yet. The Barrier Islands will get hit first and no doubt, the impact of this hurricane might well be much worse than Ian a couple of years ago. Our thoughts today are with the people and wildlife of Florida as Milton changed quickly from a category 1 to a category 5 hurricane in the blink of an eye. https://youtu.be/AdTp1XgG4Rg?

Many of the wildlife rehabilitation centres have no place to take their animals. They have more than two hundred patients, some because of Helene. They are in direct line of Milton and their buildings will not take the 160-200 mph winds. Good people are staying with their clients and this is beyond sad. CROW is on Sanibel. There might not be anything left of the homes on the Barrier Islands, according to the discussions on many of the weather channels Monday evening.

It is raining at Fort Myers on Monday.

It is raining at Captiva. I am expecting Captiva to get hit by Milton about the same time or slightly before Fort Myers.

Wind and rain begins Monday evening at Captiva. It is coming down harder and harder.

Captiva Eagle Cam. Have a good look at both of them so we can compare after.

The winds are starting to pick up at Achieva Osprey platform in St Petersburgh.

Gabby was at the NE Florida nest in the early morning hours of Monday. I do not know if Beau is on the LOP (Look Out Perch).

At the Olympic Sea Eagle nest, ‘A’ writes: “At WBSE, we still have two eaglets lying duckling style, side by side, on the nest. They are such adorable nestlings, soon to be fledglings. They are getting along famously as usual – I remain absolutely convinced that we have two brothers here. They have had virtually no bonking at all – a little enforcing of pecking order for a few days but nothing vicious and never anything that prevented either chick from eating. So as usual, Lady and Dad have done a sterling job of making a mockery of this ‘obligate siblicide’ rubbish that is written about WBSEs. Now, we await with great trepidation the post-fledge fate of these gorgeous eaglets whom we have come to adore. My heart just sinks at the thought. But be positive. This might just be the year. ” “Ooh, I hear honking. That must be the WBSE tab and yes, sure enough, a bird has been brought to the nest. Dad is calling for Lady, not wanting to feed the nestlings but not prepared to leave them to fight over the food. Lady is on the perch branch, not responding, and Dad is very confused about what to do. Eventually he begins preparing the food. Now, he has taken it to the bottom of the perch branch, from which vantage point he continues to glance at Lady. The eaglets have no clue what is going on. Nor do I. (I’m pretty sure I have the parental IDs correct – you know I’m often unsure about these two.) Dad sidles up the branch towards Lady and she moves away, further up the branch, and then flies off. Dad is left preparing the bird on the perch branch. We wait to see whether he feeds it to the eaglets, eats it himself, leaves it for the kids to fight over, or some combination of the above. “

Report from Sea Eagles sent by ‘A’: “
October 8: An early duet just after 5am, then several more. Both eaglets were flapping and jumping. At 6:58 Dad brought a gull chick, quickly grabbed by SE34 & mantled over. 34 fed until SE33 managed to steal it after about 20 minutes. Lady took over when she came in around 8am. She returned with a small fish at 8:43, followed by Dad with a gull chick. Lady took over feeding from both prey, with SE33 grabbing the gull wing and trying hard to take it, but Lady stood firm and kept feeding. A magpie was swooping them as well –with both eaglets alert and watching. At 12:38 Lady brought a gull chick, fed very briefly, then took it to de-feather on the branch, but dropped it as she fell off the branch. She managed to get it from the ground – most unusual – and at 13:22 fed a little more again. Lady brought a bream just before 5pm and fed both. Then more, when Dad brought another gull chick at 18:17, which Lady took off to de-feather. She was still eating it herself at 6:45…. They have had plenty though today.”

‘A’ was really hopeful that Diamond would leave that third egg out of the egg cup, but later, she moved it back and began incubating. Many of you will be screaming at Diamond – I know my daughter and ‘A’ are to get over and feed that second hatch. We have seen this before. The second chick’s neck seems to grow after a couple of days or it learns to jump to get that food. Fingers crossed. ‘A’ reports: “At some feedings, Diamond just cannot be bothered reaching for the younger chick’s beak, especially if it is behind its older sibling, and continues to encourage the older chick to eat and eat, even after it has collapsed once or twice, while the younger chick begs and begs for food, its little beak wide open. She is annoying. And then, while she waits for the older chick to snap out of its food coma, she eats herself! I am not overly concerned about this because there is plenty of food and eventually, at most feedings, the little one does get fed. But I am SO glad there is not a third chick, especially now there has been Ca time gap of over two days since the second hatch. I really would hate to see a tiny third chick try and attract enough attention from Diamond to get fed properly in its first five days or so. But they are getting frequent feedings so I am sure that both chicks will be adequately fed. I am merely reiterating what you and I know already – that Diamond really is not temperamentally up to raising three eyases. She should be perfectly fine with two, as she has been every other season I have watched. But the little one was still begging for more food at the end of that feeding, with Diamond ignoring it completely to eat for herself, then left the box with the remainder with the youngest still chirping for food the whole time she is gone.

Life is good at Collins Street. https://youtu.be/MEiouJqyTUA?

Feeding time for the kestrels: https://youtu.be/9yG3wqXojKI?

This morning there were small birds on the branches of the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest of M15 and F23. A pair of horses could be seen in the pasture. It was also relatively calm at Captiva as Milton moves in on Florida.

There are two at Port Lincoln. There has been some notice that the second chick has not eaten or did not eat as well as expected. Is it tired from hatching? We will just have to wait and see. The obs board shows that Wilko, chick one, has been fed twice and that the second hatch, once.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please send all positive wishes to everyone in Florida. Take care yourself. We hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H’, SK Hideaways, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, KHOU 11, NEFL-AEF, Olympic Sea Eagle Cam, and Charter Group Bird Cams.

Saturday in Bird World

28 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I am starting to put all of the things that excite me or late updates here at the top. On Friday evening 24E1 brought Gabby her first fish gift of the season. She devoured that fish. I know that many have been cheering for Beau. Beau is not at the nest. 24E1 is and Gabby appears to be more than happy with him. His toes are ‘not that bad’ and actually appear to be healing. He is perfectly capable of protecting the nest, taking care of Gabby, and we hope providing for her and their eaglets, if that happens.

Gabby was working on the nest. She knows he is coming. Look at the delight on 24E1’s face when Gabby accepts the fish!

Friday was the most glorious day. There was a clear blue sky. Not a hint of a cloud! There was a nice breeze and the temperature was 22 C. As I write, the European Starlings have come in to try and get as many meal worms out of the nut cylinder as they can. Little do they know that I ordered them 22 lbs of meal worms. They will be here on Sunday.

Mr Crow got into the action, too!

It was Open House at Wildlife Haven. The Director said they wondered if they were taking a huge risk having the event so late in the month, but, no. It was fabulous. Last year it was 15 September and wet and cold. The vet who is doing her internship for a year as part of a project through the University of Guelph was amazing. I learned so much! And I asked a lot of questions for all of us!!!!!!!!!

First up a little bragging. I never win anything. And today, by putting the feather to the raptor (12 different ones), I won the book prize. It is a marvelous volume that I will enjoy.

We got to visit with one of the GHO ambassadors. It was found at the bottom of the nest. The parents would not feed it and then it was discovered why. It was born with only one eye and its beak was crooked so it could not hunt or survive in the wild.

Isn’t this owl a sweetie?

The volunteer with the GHO sent me over to Rick who was hosting a display on Kestrels. He does videography as well as taxidermy. I learned so much about how long it will take to get my Cooper’s Hawk approved for ‘stuffing’.

That is the female Kestrel on the top. She is larger than the male. Rick has a blind and monitors a small population of these raptors. He says the females are ‘fierce’. The males not so much. Want the territory protected? Call the female!!!!!!

Patients are brought to Wildlife Haven by Conservation Officers, Volunteers, and the general public. At intake, they try to get as much information as possible so that the patient can be returned to its territory on release. The goal is always to get them back to the wild. Next is the examination room where there is a host of machines such as an x-ray to try and determine what is needed.

Tess said that the centre is lucky. It has all of the facilities needed including a surgical centre so that raptors with broken wings can be put on the mend and not euthanised.

There are oxygen rich incubators if needed.

Cages for animals awaiting diagnosis. They are using stuffies so that the real animals do not get stressed.

A stuffie stands in for the Bald Eagle who did have wing surgery and is in one of the larger areas awaiting transfer to the flight pens.

The sub-adult Bald Eagle that had the surgery.

You have all heard about imping. Replacing a missing feather with another which is glued in place. According to Tess, you can only imp 2-3 feathers if you want success. Most of the raptors have many more feathers missing either their primaries, tail feathers, or both. She did say that in Manitoba, most of the hydro poles are insulated so that the birds are not electrocuted. She has not seen an electrocution from a power pole.

As I walked around I took notice of all the things that are needed in case you are feeling like making a donation. Those clean old towels are needed all the time! Dawn detergent. Bleach. All manner of stainless steel or plastic container that could be used for feeding animals. Look on the shelves below! If you clean out a house for someone moving (or otherwise), please consider donating items to your local wildlife rehabilitation clinic. They go through gallons of bleach and Dawn!!!!!!

Those old clean towels and sheets are always needed. If you are feeling ‘flush’, a good laundry set is always wanted.

One thing we haven’t thought of – bees wax paper. They use it for bandages for turtles! You can put the beeswax paper on the incision or wound and it actually keeps it from getting infected. They can use these for a fortnight without changing them and they are removed easily with a tongue depressor.

There is a turtle in there with a beeswax bandage under that leaf.

Majestic, the Ambassador Bald Eagle.

It was a great event. The new vet tech is fantastic. I said that at least twice. Her goal is for every animal to live in the wild. She said that the area of wildlife rehabilitation veterinary science is relatively new compared to large animals or domestic pets. One aspect that she is keenly interested in is the resilience of the animals. Can a turtle live in the wild with only three legs? Why not try it? Monitor them. The answer is, ‘Yes, they can’. What about a raptor with one leg? It was not that long ago that the wildlife would be euthanised. Now, some wildlife vets are ‘sticking their necks out’ to see precisely who can live with what injuries and thrive. I highly recommend that you seek out your local clinic and find out when they have Open House!

‘MP’ suggests that it is the right time to get that platform at Achieva fixed before the new breeding season starts. I sent a note to the Tampa Bay Raptor Centre to see if they could help. It is possible that there are so many animals in need that this could still be low on the priority list. The platform needs a new perch if not two of them. The dish needs proper drainage but with the ability to not allow eggs or nestlings to fall down and die or break. Was the tree trimmed to stop raccoons? What about other predators?

Oh, goodness. Falcons are the cutest! Don’t you love how they talk to their eggs?!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/qjh2vn1-vh4?

The Royal Cam chick’s name is Kiwa. Just lovely and the meaning is perfect.

Gabby was in the nest on Friday.

No one at the Newfoundland Power nest…it seems they have all headed south.

‘J’ reports that both eagles have been seen at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands eagle nest.

The Bluff City Bald Eagle streaming cam is up and running. The nest appears alright.

The wind is still blowing reasonably strong at Pa and Missey Berry’s nest in NE Georgia.

If you missed the live Ventana Wildlife Chat live, here is the recording. https://youtu.be/yLBrKSws3Zg? This month focuses on “…the Condor Crew highlight the arrival of our condor “rookies” in San Simeon, while our new interns, Rachel and Griffin, offer a glimpse into the developing personalities of these young birds. We also share some exciting nesting and flock updates, including a video of wild-hatched condor chick 1315 being fed by his dad, and Bucky (1087)’s release date from Oakland Zoo.“

What an adorable family. The Olympic Park Eagles in Sydney.

You still have time to guess the day and time the first egg will hatch at Port Lincoln. Put it under the streaming cam in chat! A big thanks to Brad M for keeping us great historical records and organising all the information including the daily log of nest happenings. It is invaluable. The link is at the top of the chat.

‘PB’ reports that the Seaside Bird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, Florida, suffered substantial damage due to flooding.

‘J’ sends us Rita’s Fun Fact Friday: Rita the Bald Eagle

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Time for Fun Fact Friday! Enrichment for good health! It is very important for any facility that takes care of birds and other animals to provide an environment with lots of enrichment to help them thrive. For a raptor, like Rita, having various perches of different heights with different materials covering them helps to keep her feet healthy, and the wood provides a good surface for her to “feak” her beak to keep it clean and sharp. Being able to bath in her bath tub and having a water mister helps with feather conditioning. A variety of prey items, some of which can be placed in containers that require her to use her foraging skills, is very stimulating. A few examples that simulate foraging in the wild are to place prey items in a floating bowl in the bath tub to be “fished out” or to freeze the prey in ice blocks, or put it in egg cartons or cardboard boxes with holes cut out so the prey is still visible are all great ideas. This allows the eagle to “hunt” and tear at the container to get to the prey. Another idea was to provide a sisal rope toy that the eagle could flip around and stomp on like it would do with sticks or prey in the wild. There are lots of ideas for enrichment online. When researching ideas, I came across a YT video of an eagle that was given a carved out pumpkin! That’s a great idea since Halloween is coming up and the stores will have pumpkins! Those caregivers carved holes in it and stuffed it with prey items sticking out so the eagle could forage for its food. With that idea in mind, I brought a ball for Rita, and Kelly and Laura put fish in for her to pick out! She had such a funny expression when she first saw the ball. Kelly and her team are always striving to provide the best of care for Rita with enrichment in her environment and diet that can help her thrive. They are the bestn and your support can help provide some stimulating enrichment for Rita! Thank you! JK #ritathebaldeagle

The Hawk & Owl Trust withdraws from the Hen Harrier brooding scheme!

Hawk & Owl Trust withdraws from hen harrier brood meddling sham – Raptor Persecution UK Download

Friday evening we took a quick spin over to The Mint. On our way to Wildlife Haven, we noticed hundreds of geese feeding on the grass at The Mint. I wondered if they would return to the pond at night for its security.

That did not happen. There were a few geese in the pond along with some ducks, but not many.

Is it because of this?

Calico’s Tip for the Day comes from ‘Everything Gardening’. Get yourself a nice cuppa and sit back and leave the leaves alone.

Missey and Hugo Yugo wish you a fantastic weekend. They want you to take care of yourself. Get outside if you can. Listen for the birds. Pet a cat! And be back with us as soon as you can.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, MP, PB’, Wildlife Haven, SK Hideaways, NZ-DOC, NEFL-AEF, Newfoundland Power, Achieva Credit Union, Berry College Eagle Cam, ETSU Bluff City, Olympic Park Eagles, Raptor Persecution UK, The Canadian Mint, Winnipeg, and Everything Gardening.

Wednesday in Bird World

25 September 2024

Good Morning,

If I had one wish, it would be for Jackie and Shadow to raise an eaglet this year to fledge. I am certain that you feel the same. Maybe we can send them the most positive energy. I cannot think of a more deserving couple – they are already working on that nest. They live in ‘hope’.

‘R’ wrote, concerned about me. It wasn’t me, it was one of my dear friends and reporters. I, on the other hand, worry that the albatross won’t survive the five to six years out on those rough seas with those long line factory ships. Or that the oceans, especially the Southern Ocean, are getting too acidic. I am far too cranky and will be cheering those albatross on and those ships to go extinct! Thanks, ‘R’ for worrying about me. And I am sorry if the cemetery plot got anyone weepy. It is a response to my best friend having to deal with all of the red tape attached to her husband’s death. I want things to be simple for my kids, like it was for me when my mother died. The real difficulty is which monument maker can create an osprey with a big fish? So don’t be sad. I will be kicking around for far more years than you might want!!!!!!!!!!!

Right now I am sitting over Devonian Lake. It is so quiet. The geese are out feeding. Only a few ducks and gulls remain on the lake. I did have a big of a giggle. One of the extraordinarily large homes had its drive way full of geese eating pebbles!!!!!!! Full. Packed in there like there was a Taylor Swift concert. It was a strange sight.

These moments have to be the most bittersweet in all of Bird World. The parent returns, waits and waits for the chick to feed them, and they are gone. They will never see one another again. The adults will not see one another again until they return to breed. What devotion. I wish their world is a safer place for them and for all our feathered friends so that these huge sea birds that can live longer than many humans return year after year to their mates to raise chicks.

‘A’ remarks: “Oh, our babies are gone. When I went onto automatic and checked the albatross tab, there were no chicks in camera view and TF’s nest and his play nest were both empty. I felt such a pang and tears prickled my eyes but I try to remind myself that he is on the adventure that is his lifetime and this was what he was born for. I just wish the human destruction of little TF’s world did not create so many hazards for our fledglings. And I also remind myself that darling YRK is home. The returning breeding birds are arriving steadily now, and it is wonderful to see them. These are our survivors.

Papa LGK came in to feed his son at lunchtime today (12:52:17) and called out for TF chick, just as mum LGL did when she came in yesterday after he fledged. We wish LGK a tummy full of squid and safe travels until his return. We hope to see him and LGL in about a year’s time. (Hopefully, their next egg will hatch in late January 2026 (one chick every second year).

The voting for TF’s name closes tomorrow (26 September) at 5pm NZ time (NZ is two hours ahead of eastern Australia, so two hours ahead of Collins Street, Orange and WBSE). The link for voting is https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/namethechick/. “

You know that I love my Blue Jays! Now Mr and Mrs Junior are the only ones coming to the garden. Here are four things you might not know these things about Blue Jays! https://youtu.be/VndKdMKXY1c?

Junior does not migrate. Sometimes Mrs Junior does.

Speaking of migration, I think that you will like that book that Calico and I are digging into: Bird Migration. A New Understanding by J. H. Rappole. It is written in non-scientific language. Everything is crystal clear. I liked that the author went back and examined previous theories about migration. What he says will not be knew to you if you have been reading my blog. Birds migrate because of food – not weather! The Black-capped Chickadees live in my garden all winter as do the ones at Bird’s Hill Park – they have an abundance of food resources and do not require moving to a different geographical area. We have Bald Eagles that remain in Manitoba breaking open thin ice to catch fish. The Geese are migrating, following the harvest down to the US from Canada because there is a super abundance of food.

The error in past thinking is that it was weather than drove birds to migrate. Rappole talks about the innate clock, seasonal changes (such as the end of the growing season and harvest) that lead to migration. He discusses the fact that outside of their breeding grounds many of the migrants are highly vulnerable in territories occupied by other birds that are resident year round. You might want to order the book through your library – its price is $47 CDN from the on line retailers. If it were $20, I would say go for it, but this is for those really interested in the nuances of migration. For that reason, Calico gives it her 9 paw award.

Gabby and 24E1 were on the nest tree earlier on Tuesday. There is no way to know if Beau is in the area as the cameras, now only two of them, are focused on the nest tree.

There is flooding in areas north of the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest and the weather forecast is for bad weather in the area of the nest. The eagles will take cover during that tropical storm watch. At least six days of rain with thunderstorms are brewing for Gabby and 24E1.

Please note that I have cancelled out the city around the nest to avoid divulging its location.

There is an eagle at the NCTC nest.

Wings of Whimsy gives us the Bald Eagle nest round up for the week ending on the 22nd of September. Check it out to see who is at home and who isn’t. https://youtu.be/MFCzzzgMHoE?

Hawk Mountain’s count for the week in migration:

I was so happy to see so many of you talking about the sea eaglets and how cute these two are. They certainly are!

That fish is in a video. https://youtu.be/N3eDQpZoJc4?

For those of you who remember Phyllis Robbins, she said she would appear as a ‘red leaf’. Look at that beautiful red leaf!

Incubation continues at Collins Street. ‘A’ writes: “Dear little dad at Collins Street is the funniest falcon. This morning around 11:09, mum got up and flew off the ledge. She was back after a mere minute, obviously aware that dad was nearby. He arrived on the ledge 15 seconds or so later with a scrap of food for mum. She grabbed it from him on the ledge and flew off to eat it. Dad hustled along to the scrape and settled on his eggs, chirping away to them as he did so. He has the cutest little chirps when he talks to the eggs. I love his chatting away to them. I’m sure those chicks will recognise dad as soon as they hatch. Such a cutie.

When mum returns at 11:27:34, Dad holds his ground and chirps for a little but his protests are short-lived. He soon gets up, and shortly before 11:28 he dives off the ledge and allows mum to resume incubation duties. “

M22 brings in a ‘dove’ for lunch for F23. https://youtu.be/VdX9Dju1M30?

The same at Orange.

Calypso, Ervie, Giliath, and Bradley are going to have some siblings soon. I wonder if we might get some females this year? Otherwise we might have to think about a translocation project to get these fellas a mate!

At the Growing Home osprey platform, a really nice fish dinner came in for that little one – and with both parents on the nest, they are keeping this baby ‘secret’ just like it was a famous film star’s children.

More on the topic of Menhaden and what must be done if we are to save the ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay. Brian Collins has really hit the proverbial nail on the head in this post. Please, please write your Senators and Congressional Representatives. Do it for Cobey, the Colonial Beach Osplet that starved to death before our very eyes.

Natural England’s report on Hen Harrier breeding across the UK:

Natural England reports drop in hen harrier breeding attempts – Raptor Persecution UK Download

Stop for a moment and have a look at the bird photographer winners of 2024. You might even seen a cute little peregrine falcon in the winners.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2024/sep/24/bird-photographer-of-the-year-2024-winners-in-pictures?CMP=share_btn_link

Many of you enjoyed Margaret Renkl’s book, The Comfort of Crows. Renkl has published a hard copy journal for people to use as a weekly diary of what is happening in their own gardens. It is called Leaf, Cloud, and Crow. Lots of pages for writing, sketching and it all begins with the first week of winter in late December. It is a great follow up to The Comfort of Crows where we get a glimpse of how an accomplished author celebrates the ordinary which is extraordinary right outside her window. It is also a good follow-up to Amy Tan’s book The Backyard Bird Chronicles -Tan didn’t know how to draw and took classes. But who cares what your drawings look like? Do your own chronicles! Watch how the birds and animals, the foliage, changes from season to season. Then do it again the following year. By the time you start your third year, you will know instinctively when the Dark-eyed Juncos will arrive and you will have your bag of White Millet on hand.

I have been scribbling for years in my Manitoba Bird book, a gift from my grandson, Carter, eons ago. I think it is time to take it to the next level and record the daily happenings. Thinking about those new little instant cameras that print photos…that might be fun to add to the mix. I might have helped run a School of Art, but, I cannot draw! or paint. Photographs are good but increasingly I am getting frustrated with digital images. When you have 58,000 on your phone, how do you find the one you really want? Frustrating.

Our ordinary gardens then become extraordinary.

Calico’s Tip for the Day! It can save your life, and it comes from a former student.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, announcements, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, K, R’, FOBBV, Sharon Dunne and the Royal Cam Albatross FB group New Zealand, NEFL-AEF, Weather Channel, NCTC, Wings of Whimsy, Hawk Mountain, Olympic Park Eaglets, Nesting Bird Life & More, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Growing Home Ospreys, Brian Collins – Menhaden, Little Fish, Big Deal FB, Raptor Persecution UK, The Guardian, Margaret Renkl.

Tuesday in Bird World

24 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Monday was a whirlwind day for us. There were many joys, including seeing Canada Geese feeding on field after field of grain that had just been harvested! They were flying in and landing around 10:00. I did not stop and get any images, but just the beauty of fall and the geese feeding on those golden fields made my day!

Then we went and picked out a cemetery plot! I am going to make a point here – really, I am. It isn’t as morbid as it seems although the emotion of death can creep in. It was nice to have my daughter with us. We got reacquainted with a place that was always ‘home’ in my heart – the tiny hamlet of Graysville. New people purchased my fifteen acres, painted the horse barn recently, and I saw two beautiful Quarter Horses in the fields. They had lined the long lane with willowy Poplar trees from the road to the house on both sides. The property looked loved – and that made me very happy.

You might recall that my friend’s husband died quickly. Thankfully they had time to discuss matters, but they did not have the time to get all of the paperwork in order. That is why we were at the cemetery along the river just south of Graysville. My attitudes toward cemeteries and golf courses has changed immensely as the City I live in concretes every square inch of grass that it can. Our birds need safe, quiet places, and no better place than a cemetery or a golf course. Of course, the geese don’t bother the cemetery residents, but I wonder if golfers love them! Still, keeping that in mind, instead of flying my children around the world to deposit some of those ashes in various beautiful places, they will seep into the soil near the edges of the Boyne River. A Gull flew over while we were there. Everything felt good. As my former neighbour said, ‘Pick your neighbours!’ and I did – those who lived near me in life will keep me company in death. So SW1/4 of plot 187 Riverside Cemetery is it. Now, to get on to a proper marker – something creative in the form of an osprey? Surely, with a big fish!

So boxes ticked off. The point is not to put off what you can do today whether that is telling someone how special they are to you, going for a quiet walk to help get over some of modern life’s anxieties, or phoning a friend. One never knows what tomorrow will bring, so do it now. Thinking of a birding holiday, go for it! Register if you want to take up that painting class you always wanted to. Live life.

A new book arrived while I was away. Bird Migration. A New Understanding by John H. Rappole. Calico and I will keep you posted!

‘J’ sent news that two of the small Kakapo population have died.

Two other deaths involve White Storks that were fitted with trackers. They have both died as they made their way to Africa for their migration. One in Egypt and the other died in Turkey. I hope to have more news later. Thanks, ‘T’.

There are still fledglings at Newfoundland Power’s Snow Lane osprey platform. Beaumont is really rejoicing in having chicks to feed this season. What an amazing father he has been. The second chick got one at the nest and the first chick ate a fish on a building. It appears that Beaumont is now delivering fish elsewhere.

The Royal Cam chick fledged and Cornell Bird Labs caught it on video. Watch this gracious seabird take its first flight. Wonder what the wind under the wings feels like? https://youtu.be/JEPh2WFtij0?

At the NE Florida Eagle Cam, Gabby woke up to a bright morning with 24E1.

Please note that not all of the cameras will be operational at the NE Florida nest as per this post:

Omega is destroying Chesapeake Bay. The Bunk are gone. The whales and dolphins need the Menhaden as do our beloved Osprey. Many of us hope that with the attention that the issue is getting, Omega will be ordered to halt its operations! Yesterday they had 8 boats out!!!!!!!! Stay tuned.

Want to get the latest updates on the condor fledglings? the status of the flock? Thursday is the monthly Condor Chat with Ventana Wildlife.

Oh, oh, I love it when those little beaks join in with Lady and Dad. Have a listen as the sea eaglets join in the morning duet! https://youtu.be/48EjAMoLuCA?

Gorgeous closeups. These are the sweetest eaglets! https://youtu.be/gCTsigfyYTg?

More sea eagle cuteness. https://youtu.be/WyC-YClWSqI?

Mum and Dad at the Port Lincoln barge enjoying a quiet morning. In a fortnight they will be very busy – and so will those fish fairies!

More fish need protecting.

These are some of the issues fish in Canada are facing:

Noxious fish have been introduced internationally. George is feeding Only Bob a Tilapia. This beautiful osplet is doing so well.

The ‘baby’ is now two months old!

Jackie and Shadow are back! At the nest. https://youtu.be/o9uAdniPNMU?

Thank you so much for being with us today. In a few days I am going to take a wee break before we have hatches at Port Lincoln, Melbourne, and Orange. It will be some time before our eagles have eggs! I will keep you posted when my mini-break is taking place! Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, videos, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, T’, Kakapo Recovery, Newfoundland Power, Cornell Bird Lab, NEFL-AEF, Lisa Russo, William Dunn and Menhaden- Little Fish, Big Deal, USFWS, Ventana Wildlife Society, NestFlix Memories, Nesting Bird Life and More, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Canadian Wildlife Society, and Osprey House Environment Centre, and WingsofWhimsy.

Thursday in Bird World

12 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

We hope that your week has been going well.

The City of Winnipeg continues under an extreme weather warning. It is air quality – the problem is the wildfires burning in northern Saskatchewan, the province to the west of us. This is one of the predictions from the CBC: “The long-range forecast calls for a drawn-out summer with above-normal temperatures extending patio season well into October. But in the more immediate present, people are being encouraged to limit their time outdoors due to heavy wildfire smoke in the air.” We did not follow their instructions and went to the nature centre and the farmer’s market. It is late in the farmer’s market year, and the crowd there in late July has dwindled. One of the highlights was the local honey – hives from St Boniface and downtown Winnipeg. We bought little bottles of each to try before a big commitment next week – honey to last us over the winter. The late-night snack was a mug of hot chocolate (it got cool in the evening, but it will be 30 C tomorrow) with a slice of toast slathered with butter and honey. Delicious. Oh, there is something wonderful about the nip in the fall air — but sadly, our forecast is for the high temperatures to continue.

If I had been Jack in the Beanstalk, I could have touched the Canada Geese, forming their wedges and flying off Devonian Lake at Ft Whyte at noon on Wednesday. We had just exited the car when the first skein flew over us. There were about 500 on the lake resting and gathering strength to begin their migration further south. It is so amazing to see them. Of course, we did not have the camera, and my phone was charging at home for some silly reason. We will get other chances, but this morning’s flight were magical because they flew so low over the parking lot. Our dates to go and see the Goose Flights at the Ft Whyte Alive Nature Centre are ten days away and at the marsh for two and a half weeks. How many geese will there be, then?

All About Birds shows the areas for Canadian geese. When they arrive in your area, be kind. Try to get people to slow down when they are driving. Geese bond with a partner. They have emotions. When one dies, the grieving is intense. There is stress when one is taken into care, and the other does not know where their mate is.

Please stand up for the Geese. This article in Psychology Today shows how killing them (culling) is wrong! Our cities have taken their habitat. We should seriously be able to work ourselves around their poop. It astonishes me how privileged humans have become.

Why Geese Matter | Psychology Today Canada Download

The Hidden Lives of Ducks and Geese | PETA Download

Everything you ever wanted to know about our beloved Canadian geese: if the font size is too small on the device you view my blog, please click the link below. It should lead you to the original publication.

Canada Geese Download

In Iceland, Greenland, and Siberia, the Pink-footed geese, Russian Whitefronts, Barnacle Geese, Brent Geese, and Graylags to areas of the UK, mainly Norfolk. In his book The Meaning of Geese. A Thousand miles in search of home, Nick Acheson gives up a life of flying around the world. He wants to study the geese first-hand at his home in Norfolk. He rides a bicycle. I have read this book to The Girls three times, and we are starting it again. Acheson knows that with our warming planet and the tundra melting, the winter visits of these geese to the UK will stop. Precisely when that will happen is anyone’s guess. I, too, want to see them, and if you fancy geese like I do and live near the UK, you can see them from early October through the winter months. There are even some rare Red-breasted Geese that find themselves in Norfolk. They will be gone by January. Think about November! It is the best month, according to Acheson’s diary. And, if you are looking for an excellent book to read right now, The Meaning of Geese is it. You will fall in love with honkers. It gets Calico’s Golden Paw Award.

A more scientific book on migration is Flight Paths by Rebecca Heismann. This book charts the earliest research to understand migration and the people behind the research on the annual movement of our feathered friends. I find it to be a good reference book.

Let’s check and see if we can figure out which of our feathered friends are still home.

Oscar and Skylor are still at Russell Lake, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Avian behaviour dictates that Oscar remain until Skylor leaves—even if it is an hour! Typically, the males ensure all fledglings are gone before departing. I remember Blue 33 waiting several days at Rutland just to be sure.

To my knowledge, all UK Ospreys on streaming cams have departed. If I am in error, please don’t hesitate to send me a comment correcting this.

Don Dennis has done a fantastic job chasing Skylor and family around Russell Lake for everyone. Thank you!

Richmond and Tully could still be at the light stand nest in SF Bay. This recent video seems to indicate just that. https://youtu.be/hCv1bEtKTn0?

Richmond is very handsome! He does not migrate. He stays around the SF Bay for the winter while Rosie goes somewhere south? Perhaps the Baja Peninsula??

Finnegan and Antali were at the nest at 09:27 and 11:45. I bet Antali’s fish screams can be heard over the sound of the passing trains. What a character! Finnegan is keeping him fed, and the morning’s fish were caught close together. He wants Antali to be well-fed and ready for the journey south! Finnegan delivers again at 17:54. Iris has an amazing partner. What a glorious year it has been. The biggest question is: is Iris still in the area? I am hoping we will get some confirmation of her presence or absence of Iris from Dr Greene soon.

The latest from Dr Erick Greene. If you are thinking about making a donation, please read this post carefully.

C16 is at the Charlo Montana nest. The cam went back and forth to Highlights, so it is unclear whether there are any fish deliveries.

Is C16 looking down at the water and thinking of trying his luck at fishing?

I think all four ospreys are still home at Newfoundland Power’s Snow Lane nest of Beaumont and Hope. My goodness. One of those youngsters is so dark – the thickest dark 90% chocolate eyeband. Wow.

At the Sandpoint nest, River is wishing he had that double-header breakfast that Antali had at Hellgate Canyon. I have seen no deliveries by noon Wednesday.

‘PB’ has had a response from Niagara Bee. They said the osplet on the nest was killed by an eagle in the area they think is looking for a nest for next year. They are planning on fundraising to raise more platforms. I find this quite odd. Did they re-wind the video footage and see an eagle kill the osplet and leave the body on the nest? Eagles are not known for hunting at night. They hunt from dawn to dusk. We have seen them swoop over a nest and take the osplet with their talons flying off. Think of Cowlitz PUD in 2024. Owls hunt silently at night. They sometimes eat their prey, sometimes only eat the head, and they are even known for killing and leaving prey. The perfect example this year is Lake Murray’s osprey platform. One osplet survived. The obvious predator at Niagara Bee should be an owl. I would really like to see a screen capture showing the eagle at Niagara Bee.

The surviving juveniles at Niagara Bee continue to come to the nest for fish. Dad is busy providing for them!

It looks like two different juveniles are visiting the Blackbush nest, but I witnessed no deliveries at the nest. ‘MP’ identifies the fledgling in the top screen capture as the third hatch, a female who bossed her older siblings about!

Junebug is on the perch at Dunrovin while the a Magpie cleans the nest.

The Osoyoos camera was not frozen on Wednesday. One juvenile was seen at the nest early in the day. I did not see a fish delivery; however, I did not check back late in the day so perhaps some of you saw something? Let me know.

Quiet at Cowlitz PUD.

Please remember to write to your Senators and Congress representatives if you live in the US. Demand a moratorium on Menhaden fishing in Chesapeake Bay.

‘PB’ sends us the latest on the Denton triplets from SOAR:

It was raining at The Hamlet. Looks like Beau and Gabby at the nest tree. Gabby flew off early leaving Beau to protect the tree. He stayed til the rain got heavy.

I thought I had heard everything, but there is a rumour going around that the eagle visiting the nest with the necrotic feet is Romeo, Samson’s father, last seen in 2017. If you want to know the truth about who is or is not on the NorthEast Florida nest, please go directly to the American Eagle Foundation website. Click on the NE Florida nest camera and check on the chat there and check on their FB page. Please do not fall for gossip by chatters or even some that have their own FB pages.

Quiet at Chase & Cholyn’s Two Harbours nest. Will these 25 or is it 26 year old eagles breed again this year? We wait to see.

I did not see anyone at the Fraser Point nest of Andor and Cruz.

We had an extreme weather warning for the City of Winnipeg on Wednesday. It was for wildfire smoke. Speaking of wildfires, everyone’s eyes are on that Line Fire in San Bernardino County, California that is well – making us nervous about Jackie and Shadow despite the reassurances. I did not see them at the nest in the early part of the day Wednesday.

The Line Fire is one of the largest ever wildfires in the US.

FOBBV shows us the smoky valley: https://youtu.be/j-lRBiHko6M?

It is gorgeous at the Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest. Pretty quiet, too.

Pretty quiet at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose.

If you have been missing M15 and F23, here they are getting that nest ready for a great season. Think we might have two eaglets this year? https://youtu.be/xVa-G_NzXis?

There is some action—maybe not so good—at the eagle nests in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana. I hope they are all safe as Hurricane Francine hits southern Louisiana as a category 2. https://youtu.be/DNIIxYXSfz8?

Audubon Florida tells us that Eagle season is beginning.

Bald Eagle Nesting Season Starts October 1The official Bald Eagle nesting season in Florida runs from October 1 through May 15, but birds don’t use calendars! We’re already seeing eagles return to their nesting sites to prepare for the season ahead.

Florida hosts an estimated 1,500 nesting pairs; one of the highest concentrations of nesting Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states. Audubon’s EagleWatch program monitors more than 1,200 pairs in Florida, covering 55 counties. This growing community science program documents, monitors, and protects nesting eagles in Florida.

Eagles continue to face increasing pressures from Florida’s ever-growing human population and land development. Habitat loss due to this development, car strikes, electrocutions, and environmental toxins all threaten the health of the eagle population. EagleWatch volunteers collect critical nest data, which is shared with state and federal agencies to investigate new conservation challenges, including the movement of Bald Eagles into urban areas and the increasing use of artificial structures for nest sites. This community of volunteers ensures that eagles continue to thrive in our state.

Did you Know?

Cute little penguin escaped and is found in Japan. http://‘Miracle’ penguin found two weeks after escaping captivity in Japan https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/11/miracle-penguin-found-two-weeks-after-escaping-captivity-in-japan?CMP=share_btn_url

‘A’ brings us up to date with the Olympic Park Sea Eagles: “The littles ate a good breakfast this morning and then a good lunch. Both eaglets ate and there was no bonking or intimidation.

Dad brought in a small/medium fresh fish for breakfast shortly after 07:46. Lady was at the ready for the feeding job, but the littles were still lying duckling style on their nest, side by side, and apparently fascinated by something on the perch branch (Dad?) and didn’t get up to come to the table. By 07:55 SE34 is up on his feet and eating, leaning across SE33’s tail to take the food. At 07:56:45, SE33 stands up and, being closer to mum, is immediately in prime position. Lady starts feeding SE33, who is now in front of SE34.

By 07:58, SE34 is moving forwards towards Lady. He does a little wingercising in slow motion, which somewhat takes SE33 aback, as SE34’s wings hit SE33. By 07:59, the pair are side by side at the table, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt. SO sweet. They are so cute. Mum is taking her time, eating some bites herself, and the chicks wait patiently, behaving like perfect little angels.

SE34 keeps shuffling forwards, and just before 8am, he is rewarded with his first bite of breakfast fish. He gets three bites before Lady begins feeding the two alternate bites. Their table manners are impeccable. Lady feeds half a dozen consecutive mouthfuls to SE34, without objection from SE33, who does some stretching while waiting its turn. By 08:01 she is feeding only SE34. Again, there is no protest from SE33.

Lady soon resumes alternating bites, and both eaglets are eating well, getting their share of the fish. The feeding ends at 08:16 when Lady swallows the last of the fish and leaves the nest. For once, SE33 looks larger than SE34 as they sit side by side after breakfast. SE34’s juvenile plumage is rapidly developing, and the caramel streaks are starting to appear on the breasts of both chicks. They are exquisitely beautifully designed. Sheer perfection.

Dad arrives just before 09:18 with more food. It appears to be feathered. He waits for Lady, who arrives a minute or so later. The eaglets are snuggled up together, and SE33 gently nuzzles SE34’s cheek with its beak. They are SO adorable. More food, and again both eaglets eat. These are big juicy bites of red meat, and after their second breakfast, both must be stuffed.

They eat again later, in the early afternoon, and in general had a peaceful day. It was lovely to watch them together. “

And the other Australia or NZ nests: “AtOrange, the bonding session was again extremely early this morning (04:04:17). Xavier brought Diamond two prey items, and she is currently doing night duties on the eggs. Xavier had another run-in with the black-shouldered kite, who is still obviously in the area. When Xavier arrived for a brief (20-minute) stint on the eggs in the late afternoon, he had a crop Diamond would be proud of, so both ate well today.

At Lonsdale Street, I could not see a changeover this afternoon – it appeared that dad did a long incubation stint. F24 flew up to the ledge momentarily, to be greeted by M22’s chirps, and then immediately turned and flew off again. When darkness fell, it appeared there had still been no changeover, and I saw no food deliveries to the ledge (at either end). So I am presuming food is being eaten off camera, possibly from a stash. It is a very difficult nest to monitor.

SK Hideaways caught the gusts at Collins Street that flipped MUM!

https://youtu.be/CRJSQNiNVe8?

“At Port Lincoln, Dad brought in a headless fish for breakfast at 08:26, but apart from a small snack (small partial fish) that he delivered late in the afternoon (18:14) that was the only food for mum today.

Both TF and TFT were fed by both parents today, so the chicks had an excellent day. They are wingercising and preparing to fledge. Isn’t it amazing that after five years or so, these male chicks will return to nest within 40 metres of the nest from which they were fledged, while the female chicks will nest, on average, about 80 metres from the site of their natal nest. That they can travel so far and for so long, returning to where they fledged from years later, is simply incredible. These chicks are carrying data collection devices that will not transmit but will collect three years of data, to which researchers will gain access when they return in five or six years’ time. “

Calico’s Tip of the Day: Are you worried about your cat’s teeth? That happens to be one of the biggest expenses. I remember when it was $395 for a cleaning. My vet shocked me when she told me that the cleanings begin at $1300 and could go up if extractions needed to be done. With four cats, I cringe at that thought – it is precisely why we do not have five! Calico’s Golden Paw Award goes to Greenies. She likes the salmon flavour, Baby Hope likes the Catnip, and Hugo Yugo eats anything. Our bags are empty! It looks like I will be shopping.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today, ‘A, MP, PB’, All About Birds, Psychology Today, PETA, Canada Geese, Ospreys of Nova Scotia and Connie Dennis, Golden Gate Audubon SF Osprey Cam, Montana Osprey Cam, Montana Osprey Project, Owl Research Project, Dunrovin Ranch, Sandpoint Osprey Cam, Newfoundland Power Snow Valley Osprey nest, Niagara Bee, Blackbush at Tracerdie Osprey Platform, Fortis Exshaw Osoyoos Platform, COWLITZ PUD, Menhaden- Little Fish, Big Deal FB, SOAR, NEFL-AEF, IWS/Explore.org, FOBBV, Duke Farms, WRDC, Wsprynwngs, Tonya in NO and Kisatchie National Forest, Tonya Irwin and Raptors of the World, Audubon Florida, Loon Preservation Society, SK Hideaways, and The Guardian

Friday in Bird World

2 August 2024

Hello Everyone!

Don’t forget to send me a note or a long list with your favourite moments of the 2023-24 season (every bird counts, no matter the species). I will publish these on Wednesday, August 8th. We need to have some smiles and I just know that there are some surprises lurking out there that have not been mentioned! You can put the list in the comments or send me an email: maryannsteggles@icloud.com Make sure I get this before midnight CDT on Tuesday August 7. Thank you so much!

Another hot day. 32 C. The bird baths needed filling continually. The Crows and Jays kept quiet during the high heat of the afternoon and are just coming into the garden. Dyson should be joining them soon!

We are nearing the time when every osplet should be fledgling. They will then have time to gain their muscle strength and get lots of practice. Some very precious osplets might even catch their fish before they leave on migration, but most will depend on their parents and, in particular, Dad as Mum will be departing well before anyone else. The females lose from 10-15% (some even have been found to lose up to 30%) of their body weight, and it takes them extra time to build up for their long journeys.

The University of Toronto reminds us of the simple facts, “There are two distinct populations of osprey with respect to lifestyle, the Residents and the Migrants. Residents are the ones, which breed in the subtropical latitudes in winter; they either stay in the same area all year round or move only locally during the non-breeding season. The other ones are the Migrants, which nest in the temperate latitudes and fly off each autumn to spend the winter in the tropical regions. North American ospreys start migrating south to their wintering grounds in Central America and in the northern parts of South America, around mid-August. By early September, most nesting colonies in the northern latitudes are empty. The numbers of migrating ospreys observed at selected watch points along their southward route are at their greatest during mid-September and early October. They reach their wintering grounds by late November. During winter, the only thing an osprey does is to eat, rest, recover from the stress of the previous breeding season and prepare for the next breeding season. It has been observed that during winter, they become more tolerant of each other as they congregate in loose flocks and are even known to hunt together in small groups, a few birds hovering over water, looking for fish might also stimulate others to join in the frenzy. Adult ospreys start leaving their wintering grounds in early March, by late March, more than half of the wintering ospreys have left the wintering areas, for their natal nesting grounds. Yearling ospreys stay on their wintering grounds for another eighteen months, returning to their natal nesting grounds at the age of about two years. Two-year-old ospreys however, leave the wintering grounds much later than the adults, and may reach their natal nesting grounds as late as June, by then; they are already too late to breed. However, pre-adult ospreys may become a nuisance to the breeders, because they try to take over nest sites and may interfere with the breeding pairs, as they explore and search for nesting sites of their own. They are also sometimes known to replace a partner in a breeding pair if it dies or is incapable of performing its duties. Ospreys arrive back at their natal nesting grounds by early May.”

If you are looking for interesting books on Osprey migration, here are my top two.

Soaring with Fidel by David Gessner is not your typical academic book and that is why it is my favourite choice for anyone wanting to understand the migration of ospreys and, in particular, those on the NE coast of the US. Gessner follows Fidel down the coast, to Cuba, and into South America. I promise you that you will want to travel to the mountains near Manzanillo, Cuba to see the hundreds if not thousands of ospreys that fly over heading south. It is the top of my bucket list. And I will get there!

The second choice is more for older chidren but Heidi expressly told me that it is not just for children, adults can enjoy it, too, and I agree. Belle’s Journey. An Osprey Takes Flight will touch your heart. It is the true story of a GPS tracked osprey. Rob Bierregaard takes us from Belle’s fledge, to her first successful fish catch, through a tumultous trip down the coast of the US to South America.

Which leads us into these amazing birds that are hopping, jumping, and hovering and will soon spread those wings with confidence and fly for the first time.

Oldest chick fledges from Saaksilvie nest #1 while the remaining chick gets some high hovers!

I haven’t reminded anyone about the benefits to birds of shade grown coffee for awhile. It is time to do that as we examine, on occasion, agricultural practices that can benefit not only humans but wildlife. The Snithsonian certifies ‘bird friendly’ coffee. They even sell it. In Canada, it is Birds and Beans. Yes, it is more expensive than brands where the tree canopy has been clear cut but, compared to other high quality small roasters in Canada, it is only about $3 more per 454 grams (one pound). It is discounted if you get a subscription. And no, I don’t get a commission! But I do support every effort to rewild and to make our planet more inhabitable for all living creatures so I cut back on the amount of coffee that I drink so I can purchase the bird friendly brand.

Shade-grown coffee demonstrates the benefits of combining agriculture and conservation – Oxford Broo Download

Ventana Wildlife is not all about Condors. They are a Species Recovery Programme. This is a recent video about the success of the restoration of the Bald Eagles in Central California. It is beautiful and short, 1:27 minutes.

Some news about Blue and a lot of flapping at Boundary Bay.

Food deliveries for Blue:

‘CG’ sends her report on Blue’s Day:
Mere. Ha, ha. I’ll bet she was the twitterer I kept hearing yesterday. Blue knew she was there and was squeeing at her. I’ve seen this kind of thing happen before.

Blue greeting the day from her favorite spot. Wonder what she thinks of the fog.

I thought she had a pretty good day. She was very active all day long and did quite a bit of squeeing. I wondered if a parent was around but didn’t hear any adult twittering until later in the day. She spent the morning wingercising, hopping, and dancing across the nest. It was so cute that they put together a video.

Great Flapping From Blue on YouTube with a message from Hancock Wildlife regarding concern about Blue.

There was a food delivery of fish around 1000 hours. Blue pounced on it, and there was a struggle to release it from Mere’s talons. I’d called it a medium sized piece, and it was all gone by 1018 hours.

,During the afternoon, she spent time moving around the nest, looking out, preening, wing stretching, and more dancing, skipping, and flapping across the nest. She lay down a few times today but not for long except when she lay down in her favorite spot in the late afternoon. I think she was dozing.

There was another food delivery at around 1830 hours, and she accomplished a good clean snatch. It was a large piece. It looked like moist fresh meat, a little more work than fish, but she did a good job of holding it down and pulling pieces off and all the time was squeeing while eating. After dinner, she stood for a while, and after squeeing, she was answered by a lot of twittering. Someone asked about Pere. He is still around. In fact, it looked like he delivered the last meal. When chicks become “exuberant” trying to grab food when delivered, dads tend to retreat. All chicks are bigger than dad, especially the females. Poor Akecheta delivering food to his 3 eaglets at the West End Territory ended up on his back in the melee.

At 2200 hours, Blue was up and started doing a lot of preening. I had seen a lot of moths on previous nights, but tonight, as well as the moths, there were lots of tiny flying insects. Had to be annoying.

I checked in at 2244 hours, and she was asleep lying down with her head to one side. She looked so adorable. Funny, the flying insects and moths were gone.

WEATHER: Thursday, 8/1, at 1715 hours, it is 82F, mostly sunny, wind 8 mph, humidity 63%, feels like 90F, low tonight 61F.

Friday, 8/2 through Monday, 8/5: Highs ranging from 79F to 82F with lows ranging from 50F to 62F.”

If you missed it, Finnegan and Iris’s chicks were named. This article includes the overwhelming numbers of people who voted and how many chose the winning names.

Hellgate Osprey Chicks’ Names Revealed After Community Vote | Cornell Lab Bird Cams Cornell Lab Bird Download

Iris, Sum-eh and Antali see Finnegan coming in with a fish!

This nest just makes me smile. Thank you and good night Iris, Finnegan (wherever you are), Sum-eh, and Antali.

‘RP’ found this on X. So cute.

When fish deliveries come, everyone wants in on the action and some of that nice dinner! Fledglings who have been civil to one another on the nest take on a new energized stance as they prepare to live independently in the world.

Dyfi Osprey Nest.

It is precisely the same at every nest.

Glaslyn.

The baby, 5H6, claims the fish at Poole Harbour!

Later, other siblings want some fish, too.

At McEuen Park, the fledgling is enjoying a fish dinner all by itself.

It feels like things are finally settling down in the nests. The last of the osplets will be fledging and then they will need to eat and fatten up a bit – so will Mum and Dad – before they begin their migrations (if they migrate, some don’t). What a year it has been.

Annie and Archie are finally getting some quiet time after successfully fledging four! Dear Nox, the fourth hatch that landed in the water at the marina is improving. Great news. If I had a list for cutie pies this year I bet Nox and Smallie would tie. Interesting that they are both Peregrine Falcons!!!!!

Geemeff’s daily summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:

Daily summary Thursday 1st August 2024
Not much action today but after a quick pop in on Nest One from a pair of Warblers, we did have the pleasure of seeing an Osprey – Garry LV0 arrived and spent a few quiet minutes looking around and preening before flying off again. Chaddie 14 gave us the exciting news that the chick at Bunarkaig has fledged, this chick is thought to be the offspring of Affric 152 & Prince. Link to his update: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=15536809. WTS George says we would really appreciate people signing our Living Legends petition to protect our ancient trees: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=15532685. The weather was settled today, but tonight’s light cloud and light winds will change into heavy rain tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.32.55 (04.30.46); Nest Two 22.32.34 (04.38.42)
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/9LKihnfJAjo N1 A pair of Warblers visit 10.31.12https://youtu.be/QTRqeePpg8I N1 Garry LV0 arrives, stays a while, and preens 13.07.21

Bonus watch – Soar with a Golden Eagle as it flies over Scotland wearing a go-pro eagle cam:https://youtu.be/JDmgtkaKx6c

Watch the Loch Arkaig Osprey livestream 24/7 and join in the conversation here:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Royal Cam Chick is loosing all his baby down and transforming into a beautiful albatross that will be fledging in another 5-6 weeks. Isn’t he lovely?

Everyone is still home at Blackbush.

Morning rained stopped. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum chick is certainly ready to begin some great hovering and flapping. My goodness, I hope some fairies bring some soft material to this nest next year to help the ospreys get a head start.

Fledgling at McEuen Park waiting for Mum to bring some fish! This is actually a bit of a miracle, too. It is hard enough for a single parent to take care of chicks in a perfect world. Then imagine a single parent with four chicks, intense heat, and babies not able to thermoregulate. I think we are lucky that we had one survive on this nest in Idaho this year.

My goodness. The two chicks at the Latvian osprey nest in Kurzeme seem to have grown even more overnight! Look at the wing spread and look at that healthy ‘ps’. Another miracle nest and congratulations to Singa and Svings. The chicks were ringed on the 30th of July. The oldest is Red 59T, a female weighing a whopping 1750 grams. The second is Red 59V, a male weighing 1400 grams. The third egg DNH.

It’s very windy there.

Dorsett Hobby scares everyone by climbing to the rim of the nest. Is chick hungry?

Chatters have expressed some concern over what appears to be a wing problem with the chick on nest #1 in Finland.

Many of you will know that the largest wildfire in California history is burning and could be a threat to many nests. Here is an update on Liberty and Guardian.

Russian Imperial Eagle fledglings waiting at the nest for prey deliveries.

‘A’ sends the latest posts from Australia if you have not seen them:

At the Olympic Park, we are very close to hatch:

August 1: The 35th day since the first egg was laid. Early duets, and then Dad came in and took the fish tail off himself. He returned and sat for a short while. Lady returned after only 31 minutes. Another shortish shift each, then Lady came in at 9:20 with leaves and incubated again. During the morning, both were in for short shifts, with calling and duets. Later, both took their turn at incubating during some light rain. Late afternoon, Dad relieved Lady briefly, until she returned for the evening at 5:20. Lady spent some 7 hours on the eggs today, and they were uncovered only briefly during changeovers. No prey was brought to the nest.

August 2: A cold wet night for Lady. After a few calls, Dad came in at 6:30, and Lady was off for a break but heard close by. She returned after only 33 minutes – a quick break for her. There was some rain in the morning, and several changes. Lots of calling off the nest. Some rain on and off. Dad had a long (two-hour) shift from just before 9am, and again in the afternoon. Is Lady out getting prey for herself? Both brought some greenery in today, though again, no prey was brought to the nest. Lady was home from 15:35, and other than a few short stretches and rolls, she sat on the eggs until evening- though there was quite some muttering from the nest. A few late ups and downs, then settled. Both parents spent a similar time on the eggs today, with the eggs only uncovered for brief periods.

‘H’ sends her reports:

8/1 Osoyoos osprey nest: Breakfast consisted of the large leftover fish from yesterday. Soo fed her youngsters for about 18 minutes. The first new fish of the day did not arrive until 1221, when Olsen dropped off a very large partial fish. That fish provided for a 46-minute feeding for the osplets. I did not see any more fish brought to the nest the rest of the day, but I noted that the chicks both still had large crops late in the afternoon. It was a very warm day, with the temperature reaching 101F/38C. Soo was acting as Mombrella to help shield her big kids from the sun most of the afternoon. Weather forecast for 8/2: mostly sunny, high temp 102F/39C, light winds.

8/1 Colonial Beach osprey nest: It was a better day for this nest. Four fish were brought to the nest, three of from Betty. And, David delivered a fish after he had not been seen on cam for three days. So, little Cobey ate pretty well today. Betty was even seen acting as Mombrella for a while to shade Cobey from the hot sun…that’s progress! Forecast for 8/2: mostly sunny, high 95, winds 16 mph.

8/2 Mispillion Harbor osprey nest: There is a patch on the ground at the very top of our nest-cam-view where the marsh grass is thinned-out a bit, and I have seen both fledglings fly to that spot on occasion. There’s something they like about being on the ground, and they think they are hidden by tall grass. It was getting dark, and at 2030 in the evening on 8/1, I saw both of the fledglings fly from the nest to that spot. I could make out one of their heads, while the other one was just out of view. I have not seen a fox this season, but I have in the past. They roam the marsh at dusk. I didn’t like the fledglings being on the ground at that time of day. How would they learn to stay up high out of harm’s way from ground predators, especially as darkness approaches? Shouldn’t it be instinctual? Or, is it something that they would somehow learn from their parents? Certainly learning from experience doesn’t sound like a very good idea. Well, I worried all night, and I was very grateful to see those silly juvies fly to the nest early this morning. I wonder where they actually spent the night.

If you happen to be near St Louis, Missouri, there are celebrating Murphy at the World Bird Sanctuary (Thanks, J)

And they continue…Omega will be there til they get the very last Menhaden. Perhaps it is time for a world wide boycott of Omega!

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

Thank you to the following for their wonderful reports, posts, pictures, videos, articles, books, and streaming cams that helped me write my post today: ‘A, CG, Geemeff, H, J, PB, RP’, Amazon (book covers), David Gessner, Rob Bierregaard, Nesting Bird Life & More, Oxford Brookes University, Ventana Wildlife Society, Hancock Wildlife Foundation, All About Birds, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, BoPH, Pam Breci, SK Hideaways, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Blackbush Beach Ospreys, MN-LA, McEuen Park, LDF, Finnish Osprey Foundation, FORE, Imperial Eagle Cam RU, Olympic Park Eagles, Sharon Dunne, Montana Osprey Project, DancinLionHeart, and Menhaden-Little Fish, Big Deal.

Category Archives: bird books

Bird Books of 2024

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Two at Port Lincoln as Milton gets closer to the Florida nests near Ft Myers and Tampa Bay…Tuesday in Bird World

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