Saturday was a huge surprise with the revolving door deliveries at the SWFlorida nest. Just when we worried because of the female’s presence, M15 brought in lots of prey. And once, ‘she’ fed E21 and only once did she get in the nest.
The day started well for the eaglets, E21 and 22. M15 has delivered two fish to the nest. The first was an Armoured Catfish, but the second appeared to be a normal catfish. E21 had a crop, and E22 is working hard on that second fish!
The second fish arrives at 1100. I thought that Dad might feed the eaglets, but he keeps the female away from the nest by doing food drops.
After 21 eats their portion, 22 takes the fish. The time is 1142.
22 kept working on that piece of fish until it was all gone. He is our little survivor!
Meanwhile, while 22 was working on that fish, Dad brought in more mysterious animal organs. E21 grabbed them and ate quickly. 22 didn’t even seem to notice! Time is 12:04.
We must celebrate these two eaglets. They are doing so well under the circumstances and Dad is just doing the absolute best he can for them.
At 13:10:49, M15 brings another nice fish to the nest for the eaglets. This time he is followed by R23-3 (Black Talon). Dad leaves her. Interestingly, while this female was hungry and ate most of that fish, she did feed 21 and didn’t seem to be mean about it. This is disheartening as the morning and yesterday had gone well without her.
By 1317, 22 decides he might get up there and get a few bites. I do not think 22 got any, but he had eaten much of the earlier fish. Still, you can see him moving his beak up. The lunch was finished at 13:19:40, and the female flew up to a branch above the nest.
Lady Hawk caught it in a video showing that the female was not all nice but, she did feed E21 some bites. Perhaps M15 was watching?
The prey items keep on coming. M15 brings in another fish to the eaglets at 15:38:09. 22 is right up there snatching and grabbing. He is very hungry and intends to get this fish!
Our Snatch and Grab King is not giving up on any of this fish even if Dad moves it around to also feed 21.
22 is getting so much fish. He will sleep well tonight and be good if nothing else comes to the nest today. Bravo, M15!
Dad also has a nice crop so he is also eating well today. Simply relief. I don’t know if there are medals for eagles figuring out complicated life circumstances, but M15 would surely be at the top of the list this year to receive one.
At 0800 on Sunday, M15 drops a live fish on the nest. E22 mantles and grabs it first but submits to 21 who eats it all!
It is not clear what happened next on the SW Florida nest Sunday morning.
At 09:15:57, the female with the injured talon, no longer black as the scab had come off, was on the nest with the eaglets. At 09:15:15, M15 had flown down into the nest. Did he want her to leave? Did he have fish? I could see he did not leave a meal, and the female remained in the nest. I suspect she thought there was some fish, and 21 had cleaned everything up. 21 finished eating that live fish at 0857.
Dad at the ND-LEEF Bald Eagle nest has been contending with a rather aggressive female since Mum disappeared earlier this month. It now seems that Dad and her are a couple. She’s a big girl!!!!!!!
People are fascinated by Bald Eagles buried in snow. This is Nancy at the MN-DNR nest.
This is what it was like at the eagle nest of Jackie and Shadow in Big Bear where the winter storm continues to rage.
Jackie and Shadow made The Los Angeles Times. Oh, they are so loved both in California and around the world. Again, if our love could help them, they would have a nest full of eaglets!
The weather is much different in Jacksonville, and V3 managed to get a fish on the nest, eat a few bites, and then Gabby came and claimed it. No talons were injured this time, and well done, V3. What a guy you are keeping security watch while Gabby eats. V3, you are fantastic.
No eggs at The Hamlet but HD and HM (Hatchery Dad and Mum) at Decorah welcomed their first egg on Saturday. Congratulations Iowa! Talk about a handsome eagle couple!
For those of you following the love triangle saga at Centreport, New York, ‘H’ tells me that Mum has been mating with D4 and that Mum also mounted D-5. Yes, you read that right. Will we have a lover’s triangle on Long Island?
‘H’ confirms also that Angus and Florence mated ten times on Saturday! Angust brought four fish gifts. One is the Talipia in the image below. Now..when will we have eggs on that nest?
B16 is 35 days old today. Wow. Those eaglets (B16, Connick, Ringo, the ones at KNF) are getting so big and grown up.
Ringo, the lone surviving eaglet, is strengthening her legs and wings! Doing well in Webster, Texas.
More and more postings are showing raptors in rehab because of rodenticide poisoning. When will these designer poisons be banned? Let the raptors do their job and have food without the fear of death!
Did Jack come too close to the eggs with his fish delivery for Diane? Heidi Mc caught it on video!
Sweet Pea is in the post-guard phase for those who follow the Royal Cam Albatross. I do not recall a little Albie wandering from the nest so early, but there he goes (yes, I believe it is a ‘him’ this time). What a brave and independent baby this year!
And last, but absolutely never least, Big Red and Arthur have been on the Fernow Light stand building a nest! Aren’t they beautiful? Arthur will deliver and you can count on Big Red doing the supervising! (She also delivers sticks).
Big Red and Arthur’s 2023 hatch L4 – who no one believed would survive – is still living on the parental territory without any issues from Mum and Dad.
Here is the link to Big Red and Arthur’s camera on the Cornell Campus in Ithaca, New York. This is one of less than a handful of streaming cams focusing on the lives of Red-tail Hawks. Big Red is 20 this year.
Thank you so much for being with me this Sunday morning. Take care, everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, their videos, tweets, posts, and streaming cams that make up my blog this morning: ‘H’, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Stephen Basly and the Notre Dame Eagles, The Sacramento Bee, FOBBV, The Los Angeles Times, NEFL-AEF, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Window to Wildlife, Berry College Eagles, Paul White and the Webster Texas Eagles, Boston.com, Heidi Mc and Achieva Credit Union, NZ DOC, Cornell Bird Lab, and @Cornell Hawks.
Well, gosh, golly. I am going to bed feeling better than when the day began. The mantra, ‘Trust the Eagles,’ should be printed and put on the bulletin board before me. Yesterday, I worried that the intruding female had caused M15 to reconsider feeding the eaglets for fear of his and their safety. Thankfully, that was not the case. He was trying to figure out how to discourage that female and get on with being the great dad that he is.
On Friday, M15 hatched a plan that worked. He brought 3 prey items for the Es, and eventually, the pair had crops. I worried he might abandon them if the black-taloned eagle kept up her attack if he brought whole fish to the nest. So no whole fish. Some would consider those scraps, but the eaglets ate. The prey item times were: 1300, 1353, an 1515.
M15 flew to the nest and quickly dropped a fishtail off. E21 got it. Maybe this is the way to keep the female away…make tiny drops to the eaglets. They will need a lot of them, but they can self-feed now. Thank goodness. E22 will get some of that fish, too. No worries.
22 still eating. 1339. M15 more food! 21 watches how well 22 is doing at self-feeding.
The other fish part came in at 13:53. It was a really niced size piece that fed both eaglets.
They see Dad flying in with more food.
At 15:15, M15 flew in with a carcass of ‘something’ with feathers and long yellow legs. Perhaps carrion/road kill he found on the way home. Or did he raid a nest. He dropped to the nest with it and was rushed by two extremely hungry eaglets. It is difficult to say how much meat was on that piece or who benefited. E22 was self-feeding at the end. Is this M15’s plan – to bring scraps to the nest for the eaglets, small pieces and get out so as not to attract that female?
My friend ‘A’ has nothing but praise for 22 doing this feeding. She says,
‘The feeding at 15:15 saw E22 get brave. He snatched and grabbed some big bits of that feed and he swallowed one giant bit of bone with flesh attached to it that even I doubted he could manage – but only for a moment. For a few mouthfuls there, he still had about ten inches of that hanging out the left side of his beak while he grabbed another three good-sized mouthfuls from dad, then returned to swallowing, and repeat. So he did well. He has had enough food to get through to another day. He mantled that food too when he grabbed it – and when E21 tried to intimidate him out of the position right next to M15’s beak, E22 fought for his spot and refused to be driven away from it.’
22 is in there first.
22 is doing some snatch-and-grab as 21 gets to the beak of M15. The intruder did not bother M15 today.
At 16:18:53, E22 is full for the first time in 48 hours or more. He cannot hold up his crop or keep his eyes open. The three prey items came in a flurry of deliveries from 1300-1515, 2 hours and 15 minutes. That interests me because not only did It fill up the eaglets, but coming in such rapid succession meant that both ate without intimidation. The female intruder did not come around. Good job, Dad.
M15. Thank you! You are so loved and admired. It has taken some time to figure out how to manage all that you have on your plate – eaglets to be fed, your own needs for prey and keeping healthy, sleep, security, and keeping intruders away from the eaglets. You have worked that out. I am so sorry if I ever doubted you!
Good night Dad! Good night Es. SEDs.
If you are wondering, ‘she’ is not on the same branch or cuddled up to M15 tonight, as I write. She is, however, on the nest tree. She could be as formidable as Harriet and make a great mate, protecting future eaglets, but right now, M15 doesn’t need her attention, nor does he need her in the nest stealing food. As we know, male Bald Eagles do not normally fight larger, more aggressive female eagles. I am glad he has figured out how to deal with all that has been ‘thrown’ at him. The Es are seven weeks old. They are going to branch and fledge before we know it.
Around 0835, M15 dropped off an Armoured Catfish to the eaglets and did some aeration on the nest. He did not stay to feed the eaglets at that time. It appears that they have broken through the head and are self-feeding. This is a great start to Saturday!
E21 seems to have given up and 22 has been working on the tail..smart. It is 0903.
In other news, the Peregrine Falcons are back in the scrape box and have been for some days. Elain caught all of them -Diamond, Xavier, and Indigo – yesterday in her scrape highlights.
Do you remember the fireworks that caused Diamond so much distress? The discussion over what happened continues.
You can still hear the ice pellets at the nest of Bald Eagles Jackie and Shadow. Shadow did bring in a very nice fish to Jackie! Oh, how I wish she would stand up and we would see a huge crack in one of those eggs.
I so admire how Californians love Jackie and Shadow. They are making the news with their endurance during this terrible winter storm that has hit Southern California.
There is something about Angus. Is it his youth? or the funny expressions he makes? Looking forward to eggs for Angus and Florence at Captiva!
Other Osprey nests are now coming into play. At the Lake Murray platform, Lucy has returned on the 17th of February and Ricky was back on Thursday the 23rd.
‘H’ writes to tell me that there is a possible first pip at the Moorings Park Osprey Platform in Naples, Florida!
And speaking of Ospreys, how would you like to help protect the Glaslyn Ospreys? Do you live in Wales near the Glaslyn Valley? Geemeff writes that this is a great opportunity – and it is. I wish I lived there!
As so many of you know, the Royal Cam chick is a delight to watch. Yes, it is difficult to see them alone on those nests! It is rather amazing that they stay so close to home. My kittens would never be so disciplined. Sweet Pea is gardening already. Sharon Dunne caught it on video:
The Steller’s Sea Eagle was first seen more than a year ago along Canada’s Atlantic coast. Then it went to Maine, returned to Canada, and is now back in Maine. It appears that a large raptor that should be spending its winters in Ussuriland, Japan, or Korea is finding life rather pleasant in Maine. Obviously, there are no food worries. The Stellar’s Sea Eagle breeds in areas of Russia and in particular, the Bering Sea. As far as I know, there is no mate.
One of the nature centres about an hour from where I live is getting ready for the ducks and geese to begin arriving. So lovely to involve students from one of the local universities to get their hands in there and help them with their duck tunnels!
Elsewhere in Canada, old-growth forests are continually under threat in British Columbia. This past year numerous Bald Eagle nests have been cut down. There is a move for legislation to save the very last of these lovely spotted owls before they are completely extinct.
I promised I would check on the GHO nest in Corona, California. There are four owlets in that nest! On Thursday night, Hoots brought Owlvira the following: 1 RODENT, 1 MOUSE, 1 RABBIT / Tonight: NO deliveries as of yet on Friday as I am writing this. The weather is a little frigid and mice might be tucked in tight.
This is the link to this streaming cam. Best action is during the night when food deliveries and feeding occurs.
In Kansas, on Farmer Derek’s land, Bonnie and Clyde are incubating eggs. You might recall that in 2021 they took over the nest of a young Bald Eagle couple. They raised two owlets to fledge. They were adorable, and seeing them climbing around on this giant nest was a treat. It will be a good comparison to that deep nest in California. Highly recommended.
I wish I could tell you that Jackie and Shadow have a pip or a hatch or that Zoe has checked in, but I can’t. We wait until the eggs are unviable, and with Zoe, we hope her transmitter begins working. CROW does not need to intervene in SW Florida. M15 has this under control! Relief.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘Geemeff’, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Susan Starck Romano and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam Project and Cilla Kinross, Cilla Kinross and Orange Australia Falcons, FOBBV, Jason Robertson and FOBBV, Window to Wildlife, Moorings Park Osprey Nest, Shela Staley and Osprey Friends, Cambrian News, Sharon Dunne and NZ DOC, Matt Felperin and Maine Birds, Oak Hammock Marsh, The Guardian, Carona California Owl Cam, and Farmer Derek.
There was a frightening situation at the nest of E21 and E22 this morning. I felt that it deserved its own post.
M15 flies in with the breakfast fish for the two eaglets at 08:26:52. The female withail feathers the black talon is hot on his t. It is easier for me to correctly identify her using that term instead of a number. She enters the nest. A tug-o-war ensues. The adults chase one another over the property. The female returns to the nest. She chases M15 off and proceeds to eat the fish. E21 is hungry and grabs some bites. At one point, the female appears to give the eaglet a couple of bites but do not mistake this for a caring Mum. She quickly pecks at 21 also. E22 stays out of the way.
Everyone appears to be fine, although the eaglets have had no further breakfast (or at least not until now). This female is large and determined, and the fight goes from the nest with the eaglets present to the air. I felt that M15 was in some danger, rightly or wrongly. He cannot afford to get injured; his responsibility continues to keep himself healthy and fed so that he can care for the eaglets til they fledge and leave the territory.
Thank you to SW Florida Eagle Cam and the Pritchett family for their streaming cam, where I took my screen captures and video clip.
I hope today’s newsletter finds all of you well – and warm. It is -30 C on the Canadian Prairies. Consequently, it is a good day to catch up on my reading and drink nice hot tea all day! As I write late Tuesday evening, the wind will be fierce, just like it is for Jackie and Shadow. It seems that winter has come with a vengeance. Payback for some of those lovely days in January, I suppose.
There continues to be a lot going on at the nests. It is often difficult to hold back and not include every one of them. As far as I am aware, everything is fine at the nests. Things are settling down at the Captiva Osprey platform. All of the eaglets are eating well. The Es did have crops, but their pickings today were slimmer than normal. Perhaps a lesson in what it is like for real eagles in the wild from Dad. The lingering question: Is there a pip at Big Bear? Certainly, many of us have thought so, but no official word has come. So we wait. Waiting can be rather painful. Then there is the question of Annie’s new man’s name. We will know soon. The Ospreys should be thinking about packing up and heading north shortly from their winter homes in Africa. Oh, goodness. Then our heads will be spinning!
In the Nests:
There are eggs on three Osprey nests with streaming cams in Florida currently. Everyone has been waiting to see what will happen at Captiva. It has certainly been a tumultuous year beginning with Hurricane Ian practically destroying everything standing on the island. The brand-new platform and camera were lost within weeks of them being finished. The original couple, Lena and Andy, are no longer in the nest. Andy disappeared during Hurricane Ian, and Lena left after seeing her nest destroyed and no Andy. Then came Mabel and Angus, the new couple. Mabel is now gone, and there is Florence, ‘Flo’ for short. These two are finally sealing a deal that will make them both bonded mates. Angus brought Flo 8 fish on Tuesday! He wants to have her as his mate. Did he have time to eat anything himself? Thanks ‘HMc’ for putting together this excellent compilation and confirming that on the morning of Wednesday, 22 February, Angus and Flo successfully mated twice. There could be eggs at Captiva. Just think. All it took was a basket of fish!
PA Farm County Bald Eagle Nest has done it again – a clutch of four eggs. While it is rare for eagles to lay clutches of 1 or 3 eggs, having a clutch of four is extremely rare. So why is this happening at this nest twice in a row? The factors determining the number of eggs laid depend on the age and health of the mother, the amount of food available in the area, and the population of other birds needing that food in the territory.
Tuesday morning saw E22 mantling a piece of leftover prey on the nest and horking that old food scrap. E22 is getting so good at cleaning the nest and finding food. It was 07:43:55.
M15 is looking better. He flew in with a piece of a rather large fish at 09:47:01. E22 was right there, and then 21 exerted its dominance. But never mind. 22 is figuring out ways to avoid 21. In this case, Dad is in the middle with one eaglet on each side. Brilliant. 22 is up to its old snatch-and-grab. And what does 22 snatch? A nice big piece of fish at the end to eat by himself while 21 merely looks on. Dad flies off at 10:17:37. That was a half-hour feeding!
The eaglets are six weeks old. We have worried about 22 for most of its life because of 21’s aggression. 22 is a survivor, giving each of us hope that he will do well in a world where the competition among eagles and other species is rampant. He steals fish and parts of fish and is unafraid to eat old prey pieces. So, when you get sad about another nest, remember how much SW Florida has changed and for good! Celebrate 22’s victories.
21 shows off its wings.
22 says he can do that, too!
There was a nice breakfast at 0952. At the end of it, at 10:19:22, E22 is self-feeding on a large chunk that he took right out from under Dad and 21’s nose. Will he pay for this later?
22 working away at that big piece of fish he snagged.
At 10:40, 22 is finished tearing at that fish. He goes over to the rim.
21 is going to eat off that piece of fish on and off until it finishes all of it around 12:58. Down goes the tail!
21 did the clean up.
M15 came in with the head on a well-eaten Armoured Catfish carcass for the eaglets at 14:59:42. E22 was up first, then 21 pushed it out of the way. 22 tried to snatch and grab, but 21 winded up with most of this fish. At 15:17:46, E22 is up and wants some fish, but it is gone. Dad leaves the nest.
22 on the left spent a bit of time ‘watching, waiting, and being careful’ when he was not in a good position to snatch-and-grab.
Two smaller pieces of ‘something’ came in at 16:24:48 and again at 18:36. E21 got the lion’s share, meaning 99%. For some reason, 22 was shy, and 21 did peck at it to stay away. We need a couple of big fish in the nest. Tomorrow – by the time you are reading this – 22 should be hungry enough to risk going for it. Fingers crossed.
18:45 and E22 is getting some bites.
Hello there!
Both Es had crops at one time during the day or another. M15 had a couple of dips in the pond. He sure needed it! Good night, Super Dad.
Breakfast arrived on Wednesday the 22nd at 08:24:42. E22 got it right this morning, and he slipped right up to the left side of Dad. It appears that both ate and had something to nibble on after. M15 you get my vote for ‘Super Dad’ of the Year.
There is an interview that sheds some light on which female has been on the branch with M15 the last couple of nights and they say it isn’t the one with the black talon!
I have just, by accident, found this book about Harriet and M15. This 483-page story chronicles the unexplained death of Sassy Pants and a second clutch from which two eaglets fledged. It looks interesting, and a copy has been ordered. I will keep you posted! (Note: Harriet and M15 have never lost an eaglet to siblicide that I am aware)
Just as M15, Anna, Louis, Alex, and Andria are doing, Connie and Clive also leave chunks of prey on the nest for the eaglets to perfect their self-feeding skills. The nest at Captiva is so dark. Peer hard. Connick has a big crop!
Elain’s highlights from a very thundery and rainy day at the Orange scrape of Diamond, Xavier, and Indigo.
The falcons in Manchester, New Hampshire feel spring arriving!
Jackie and Shadow continue incubation and the rolling of the eggs. If it is egg 2, will it pip on day 40? They can go to day 43. Did you also know that this beautiful nest is 7100 ft in elevation, making it one of the highest Bald Eagle nests in the US? It certainly explains the weather, which can go like calm and clear in the image below to blowing ice pellets in the afternoon!
Egg 1 is 42 days old today, and egg 2 is only 39 days. For Jackie and Shadow, I just want to hope that a pip is in that second egg! They deserve it but, it could take a second clutch.
No official pip confirmation yet on the FOBBV recap but…image was taken around 0742 Tuesday nest time (really blown-up image).
Is Jackie listening and rolling?
The weather turned quite windy with the sound of ice pellets (?) flying about. Jackie is tucked in tight over her precious eggs. Jackie’s beautiful white feathers are blowing about on the crown of her head. Jackie and Shadow roll the eggs and shimmy over them to get the brood patch in the right spot to transfer the warmth from the adult body to the egg.
There is an extreme weather warning for the area of the nest. Tuesday night the winds were fierce at the nest.
The wind whipped and blew and even flipped Jackie off the eggs as snow came down during the night. She has rolled the eggs and kept them warm and dry. It is day 39 today for egg 2 and day 42 for egg 1.
Pearl and Tico are learning to fly. They are also returning to the nest for food. There is now an image-within-an-image so that you can follow them as they fly on and off the natal nest in Central Florida.
It seems that Big Red is still making up her mind where to have her nest this year. Time is coming soon for eggs!
Arthur and Big Red are still working on the Fernow Light stand this morning. I hope our darling RTH has changed her mind and will raise her eyases here in 2023.
The pace of killing of raptors in the UK has not decreased. Indeed, it is now making the popular news. Recently, the sentencing of the gamekeeper, Paul Davis, in Dorset who pleaded guilty to multiple crimes, many articulated in earlier blogs this year, was laughable and will do nothing to stop these heinous crimes against raptors.
That is a short summary of the nests that I have been watching a little closer than others.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams where my screen captures originated today: ‘H’, Window to Wildlife, HMc and Window to Wildlife, PA Farm Country Bald Eagles, SWFlorida Eagles and D Pritchett, News-Press, SWFlorida Eagle Cam FB, Amazon, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Manchester NH Falcon Fans, FOBBV, Superbeaks, @Cornell Hawks, The Mirror.
There is lots of news in Bird World. My focus continues to be on the nest of Bald Eagles M15, E21 and E22 in Fort Myers, Florida, at the moment. There is drama going on at the ND-LEEF Bald Eagle nest in South Bend, Indiana and the Osprey nest on Captiva. Keeping an eye on those as well.
‘M’ sent me an excellent article from The Guardian on the ten birds that most changed the world. Please have a read! We can all learn something…I did. And it was nice to see that the Sparrow made it to the list along with some of your favourites, such as the Eagle.
Big Red seems unhappy with the building works across Tower Road from the Fernow Light Stand. She is moving sticks to another light tower that may not have a streaming cam. This would be a source of great sadness and anxiety among the thousands of people who look forward to this twenty-year-old RTH laying eggs and raising her eyases.
An image of the Fernow Light Tower nest. You can see some of the building equipment at the Rice Building.
CROW continues to monitor the situation. M15 is doing a fantastic job protecting and feeding the eaglets. I hope that he can keep it up; it is so much better if they are raised by him and fledge their nest. I don’t like how the female eagle looks at the two eaglets in the first image below. Her presence is now concerning and could be very dangerous to the eaglets. I once thought this was not the case, but her actions yesterday changed my mind.
If you missed my report on Sunday, the female Bald Eagle, VF3, with the necrotic talon, kicked M15 off the nest and attacked E22 three times when it tried to get food. Here is a video containing those terrifying 11 minutes and 52 seconds.
The female was on the nest tree earlier with prey. Some believed she might feed the eaglets. She did not; she flew off with it after plucked the fur off the item. The situation is growing dangerous as this female is now emboldened to treat M15 with contempt. It is essential for the Es that Dad not get injured so that he can continue to provide food for them. If you are wondering why he does not fight her, this is the reason. She is also much larger than he is, and despite her injured talon, she is strong. I do not think she will go away quickly, if at all.
M15 flew in with another Armoured Catfish at 15:42:21. While he is vocalising to the female who is identified as FV3, Dad just carries on. Perhaps we are the ones worrying and he isn’t! Both eaglets ate, with 22 getting some nice bites.
M15 appears nervous when he is in the nest feeding the eaglets.
At 1700, M15 flew in with a nice morsel, a leftover from his good evening meal. E22 claimed it and ate it! Well done, E22.
M15 did eat well. He had an enormous crop.
The Es are waiting for breakfast on Monday. 21 is on the right, with 22 on the left. Please take a look at the difference.
The Es had a nice big fish for breakfast. M15 brought it to the nest at 10:50:18. 21 eats first, then 22, and then 22 gets a touch insisting that 22 move away. 22 goes into submission. There is nothing to fear. 22 turns around and does the snatch-and-grab that will help him survive in the wild.
Is it another Armoured Catfish?
22 is doing clean-up duty.
Should birdwatchers be afraid? are we vermin?
Some good news regarding Sequoia and Sasha at San Jose City Hall.
Speaking of egg laying, Gabby fooled me with all that nesting behaviour.
They are a gorgeous couple together. Gabby is just smitten by V3.
V3 keeping guard.
No egg!
Annie has been hanging around the scrape.
Here are the names for final voting for the new male. We should know soon!
Jackie and Shadow are still incubating eggs, and the Ravens remain around the nest tree, making a nuisance out of themselves. The eggs are probably not viable – I have thought that since the first day – that Saturday – they stayed away when the earthquakes were in the Valley. I ‘want’ to be fooled by their behaviour. Last year Spirit hatched on day 40.
Shadow.
The male has been incubating the eggs at Metro Aviation Bald Eagle nest in Louisiana. The female flew in today and taloned one of them. They are not viable and this might allow the pair to move forward.
Do you watch the Golden Eagles in Romania? Lucina and Caliman were in the nest in the forest today! I love these Golden Eagles, but this nest is not for the faint-hearted. The oldest eaglet in a Golden Eagle nest will almost, without exception, kill its younger sibling. This is called obligate siblicide.
The causes of obligate siblicide in specific eagle species are discussed in this academic paper. Some of the conclusions are below. This will help explain some behaviour that you have seen on nests previously. The observations also apply to Golden Eagles.
These observations suggest that the availability of food does not affect the chances of survival of the second chick in those species in which it never, or very rarely survives. The critical factor appears to be the interval between hatching, which is clearly variable. If, at the hatch of the second chick, the first is already skilful at taking pieces of flesh offeredby the parent, then the younger sibling exerts little influence on the behaviour of the adult. At feeding times, it is offered fewer pieces of food and these, moreover, are proffered only briefly and in an inadequate fashion. The second chick soon dies of starvation. Attacks on it by its sibling are, by comparison unimportant.
If, on the other hand, the interval between hatching is short, then the second chick can develop normally so long as it is protected from its sibling’s attacks by the brooding female parent. As soon as brooding is interrupted, the younger chick is subjected to the attack of the older. It is intimidated, no longer participates in feeding and flees to the edge of the eyrie. This process of the acceptance of intimidation, observed in the Lesser Spotted Eagle, quickly leads to the elimination of one chick, even when two of equal size are experimentally placed together, and explains why two chicks cannot normally be reared.
Bernd-Ulrich Meyburg, Sibling aggression and mortality among nesting eagles
These particular species of eagles are one reason that so many people turn to the gentle Albatross for respite.
Of course, if you are ‘into Eagles’ like most of us are (as well as the Albatross, the parrots, the budgies, the terns….), single chick eagle nests from the start normally bring a lot of joy. Just like little B16 at the Berry College Eagle nest in Georgia.
Zoe. What can we say? According to the Friends of Osprey FB group, Fran Solly and Buzz Hockaday have been up to where Zoe last sent a transmission. That place was Point Drummond near Mount Hope. On all occasions, they did not see her. If she is out of cell coverage range, it ‘feels’ unusual as she was so quick to fly about previously. Let us hope it is a faulty transmitter and that nothing has happened to Zoe.
Point Drummond. This was the site of the last transmission from Zoe. Is it at all possible she flew out over the sea?
Lori Covert has already named the new female at Captiva with Angus. The name is Florence. According to ‘H’, Angus has provided fish, has tried mating unsuccessfully with the new gal, and then has kicked her off the nest. The relationship is a bit topsy-turvy. We wait to see how this works out.
Thank you so very much for being with me today. Please take care of yourself. We hope to see you with us again in Bird World.
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Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, and streaming cams which make up my blog today: ‘M’, ‘H’, The Guardian, Cornell RTH Cam, @CornellHawks, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, @Geemeff, Karen Enright and Orange Australia Peregrine Falcons FB, NEFL-AEF, Cal Falcons, Berkeley News, FOBBV, Tonya Irwin and Raptors of the Word, Golden Eagle Nest Bucovina, Research Gate, Cornell Lab and NZ DOC, Berry College Eagles, Friends of Osprey FB, Google Maps, and Kakapo Recovery.
Gosh, it was a gorgeous day on the Canadian Prairies…it was so nice that I spent the entire day in the conservatory with the kittens watching and counting birds and watching the cams. Gabby had me fooled into thinking she was going to lay an egg today!
Cornell has posted the results so far for the Great Bird Count: “Halftime for the 4-day Great Backyard Bird Count—and the results so far are impressive. More than 200,000 bird enthusiasts have reported 6,426 species on 125,101 checklists and 103,207 sightings saved in Merlin. Bird reports are coming in from 182 countries so far.” That is very impressive.
It is difficult not to take pictures of Missy all day. She loves to pose! Lewis can’t slow down. He would rather terrorise the toys or his tail.
As spring is only a little over a month away, the bright-white dots on the Starlings’s sides, flank, and belly are getting lighter and some are disappearing. These suet cylinders are just the best thing for us in the winter. No mess. No waste. Everyone likes them but the woodpeckers and Black-capped Chickadees.
Things continue to be unsettled in various parts of Bird World this morning and yet, the eagles and ospreys just go on with their lives. They can teach us a lot of good lessons if we listen! Sometimes it is just difficult to watch a day longer. Take a break. It will be good for you. Much of the time the birds bring us great joy. Their lives touch ours and we often feel like we know the bird families better than our neighbours or friends. And then something happens and it feels like it has happened to ‘our family’ — and it has. Our connection to these beautiful raptors is not insignificant. Think about it. Sometimes things do not go the way we want them to. But when it goes well, there is nothing more adrenalin pumping and happy…hysterical joy. So take a moment if you are stressed…and then come back and share the joy.
First up, we have some more sad news – another female Bald Eagle is MIA. Our dear Little Bit ND-17’s mother has been missing since the morning of 15 February. A female intruder has been landing on the nest. We wait to see if Mum returns.
Is it OK to say that things are really getting nasty out there with so many eagles – males and females – wanting nests and mates?
Dad tussling with female intruder who flew onto nest. At other times it appears he might tolerate her a little.
ND-17 was one of the great success stories of last year – at a time when most of us were frantic that he would die of starvation. Today, Paul Kolnik posted a memory of the day that Little Bit fell off this nest…we waited, we pleaded, we wrote letters…and then, really just in time to save him, the Humane Indiana Wildlife came to his rescue. He ate, he learned to fly and his wings got strong and he learned to hunt prey and then — he came home to the park to live in the wild. It was wonderful to have the BOGs sending in photos of his great progress and to watch him near the river.
This is another lesson for all of us. If you can pick up a raptor, something is wrong. Get help immediately. This precious little one that ate squirrel pellets to survive deserved nothing less – and he lived! Always grateful to the wildlife clinic that gave him a chance at life. Always.
Mum and Dad worked so hard to rebuild their nest in St Joseph’s Park in South Bend, Indiana after it completely collapsed last year causing – ultimately – ND 17 (Little Bit) to eventually go into care. It is hard to see these adults come come back and rebuild and work for their future – just like Harriet and M15 – and have things thrown apart by possible intruders.
Intruders are everywhere. Even Annie at Cal Falcons had to engage with a Red-tailed Hawk!
Everyone waited and watched as Mabel and Angus readied their Osprey nest and we just knew that we were going to have eggs for Valentine’s. Again everything turns on a dime. Mabel is gone. Did she tire of battling the female intruder? or was she so injured she had to leave? or was it worse? It is absolutely not clear what happened to Mabel. And it is definitely not certain that there will be any eggs on this brand new nest platform this year unless Angus leaves and a bonded pair come to the nest right ready for their eggs to be laid.
There was an intruder attack on the NCTC nest of Bella and Smitty. Bella laid her first egg on the 15th and her second on Saturday at 18:55–the attack was only 47 minutes earlier. Please keep this couple and all the raptor families under attack in your most positive thoughts.
Connick is really growing up and this is a great video of him winging it. You can see those new juvenile feathers coming in with their quills, Connick’s big strong legs and her amazing tail.
Gosh, the meals might be very different with the TBD male at the Cal Falcons scrape. He brought a Greater Yellowlegs, a shore bird, to his gal on the 17th. He’s learning!!!!!!!
Thank you to ‘B’ who sent a really nice article about Mr P and Lotus at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC. The couple have moved their nest and are, this year, among several very popular Bald Eagles who have decided for new housing. At the West End we have Thunder and Akecheta and at Fraser Point, Andor and Cruz, too.
There is great news coming out of New York City. Flaco will be allowed to live free and not pursued or returned to the Zoo. He is living the good life and has proven that he can take care of himself.
Now – for all the raptors that live around Central Park – if the City and residents plus all those businesses – would not allow rodenticide, Flaco and his pals could clean up the place without their lives being in danger.
I wanted you to see where Flaco was…the arrow for the video only works if you go to the person’s twitter feed unfortunately.
It opens with our friend Indigo screaming into the scrape…Elain’s highlights from the Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam in Orange, Australia. Indigo is a darling and he looks so much like Izzi…so happy all members of the family have returned to the scrape and are safe and sound.
Not a day can go by without checking in with M15 and the eaglets, E21 and 22. On Saturday morning at 0735, M15 comes in with a fish..many thought that it was a small fish. In fact, M15 took advantage and gave the eaglets some teaching moments. He left the head for one and a portion of flesh and the tail for the other. They worked on those for a bit. 21, of course, ate first and 22 had to resort to his amazing snatch and grabs. 22 also got the tail – smart – out of the pile and dismissed with it nicely. 22 is doing well…he really is. Still a bit timid but on Saturday he ate well as he had done on Friday with that rabbit and innards.
While 21 battles with that Armoured catfish head, 22 got the juicy and meaty tail!
At 1400, M15 comes in with another fish. This time 21 appears to get it all with 22 searching the nest for scraps which he finds! 21 was still eating at 15:11. It was a nice fish. Too bad 22 didn’t turn around…but, hey. They have eaten well in the past few days. There are no worries.
This amazing Dad did not disappoint. He flew into the nest an Armoured Catfish around 15:52ish. 22 got the lot of it and, of course, the event was not without some anxiety as the female with the black talon flew onto the rim of the nest. She did not bother the eaglets. Instead she watched M15 feed 22. Then she flew off.
M15 gave her a piece of his mind and she will fly away…he did his job. He fed the eaglets!
At 1600 the female is watching Dad.
Seconds later she flies away leaving 22 and the eaglets. 22 would like more but, he will in fact, wind up with a crop. 21 was full from the earlier feeding. you can see s/he still has a crop in the image below. Timing is perfect for 22.
At 16:38 M15 is back with a nice chunk of ‘fish’? and 22 gets right over there at Dad’s beak. 21 does not care. He is asleep on the rails. 22 gets some super nice bites of fish…well done 22. You don’t have to snatch and grab. It was a much more civilised meal for you. It lasted 10 minutes.
One of the females landed on the nest tree with prey. She flew off with the prey. Was she thinking of feeding the Es? or just needed a plucking post? The Es continue to wait for breakfast on Sunday morning…
There is something ‘up’ at the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest of Gabby and V3. Gabby was on the nest again today…They are a beautiful couple and the area is so much more secure and stable since V3 took control.
V3 and Gabby have been scanning the horizon for intruders and at 1800, Gabby is back in the nest.
Nancy and Beau have their second egg – arriving right on time – at the MN-DNR nest. Congratulations!
Liberty and Guardian seem to be back to their old selves after their first egg collapsed.
Congratulations to Valentine who – for the first time in their life – mantled and claimed their own fix from Dad Alex at the KNF-E3 nest. Thanks Rhonda for the video! Oh, this is just brilliant. A beautiful execution by Valentine.
Missy and Pa have a little while to go until B16 is mantling a fish and taking it but…in all honesty, it won’t be long. B16 is 29 days old today. This is one big eaglet just like KNF-E1 03 (Trey).
At the National Arboretum, Mr P is decidedly hanging out at the old nest after it seems Lotus insisted on having a new one deep into the forest.
There are Peregrine Falcons almost everywhere and Tom and Azina at the Charing Cross Hospital scrape box are getting to know what it is that Azina prefers for her gift meal.
Every morning when we wake up, we need to thank the wildlife rehabilitation centres, their staff, and the army of volunteers they have who save our birds when they get themselves in trouble.
The dumping of shot game birds in the UK has now found its way to Wales. Go to Raptor Persecution UK for the whole nauseating story…
Question I keep getting asked: Do I think Jackie and Shadow’s eggs are viable? I would hate to speculate. Eggs have been left for long periods of time and miraculously hatched. It depends on the circumstances and we don’t know what all of those are. I continue to remind myself that the first egg might not hatch but the second could. If that is the case then I will not give up until the 25th which is 6 days away. That would be the last day for egg 2 to be viable. If they do not hatch, I hope the Ravens take them so Jackie can lay new eggs in the nest without the issue of having the other two there as well.
It is possible that the UK Ospreys are beginning to pack their bags in Africa and start their journey to their spring and summer breeding grounds…I am so excited.
Take care everyone. Thank you so much for being with me today. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, tweets, videos, announcements, and streaming cams that make up my blog today: ‘B’, ‘H’, ND-LEEF, Paul Kolnik and Bald Eagles 101, Cal Falcons, D Steyck and the NCTC Eagles, Window to Wildlife, The Washington Post, MSN, Stella Hamilton, Elain and the Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, Paul Kolnik and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, MN-DNR, FORE, Rhonda A and KNF E-3, Berry College, Mr P and Lotus Twitter, FaB Peregrines, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest News and Cams, Raptor Persecution UK.
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The kittens thought they would join in on the fun and immediately spotted a male Downy at the branch suet feeder! This piece of wood with its drilled holes filled with soft suet is the absolutely best thing for attracting woodpeckers and with a saw, a hook to put over a branch, and a piece of wood – and the food – you are ready to go. I did not make this one but…I could if I had the right drill bit (for door hardware? and a chisel?). Many places that sell bird food have them and they definitely work. The woodpecker can also rest its tail along the wood.
This is not one of Dyson’s babies from last summer. Those three have the most amazing and beautiful tails. No, this is Scraggles who has come out to enjoy some peanuts and sunflower seeds. Nice to see you Scraggles.
These solid suet cylinders are great for the European Starlings and the House Sparrows. They are no-melt which does cause problems when it is just too cold here, because they like the mixture to be a little soft. These cylinders and others which are compressed seed are perfect if you are going to be away and still want to feed the birds.
The Starlings seem to have a rotation in terms of feeding…they first wait in the back trees. Then they move to the lilacs and then down to the feeder. When they finish eating they start the pattern all over again – this cooperation allows everyone to have some food. All 28 were here yesterday.
Often the two species share the suet without any problems.
The kittens’ auntie gave them a new toy to enrich their lives. Missy pounced on it first… the best thing is that the ball doesn’t get lost. Can you see how ‘wooly’ Missy is?
Missy and Lewis sleep on a wool blanket with their little blankets on top. These small blanks were given to them when they left the shelter. They love those little blankets. If you can crochet or knit and have leftover yarn, why not see if your local rescue would like some little blankets for when the kittens get adopted. It is such a sweet gesture –at the same time, they really are security blankets. It must be traumatic going from living under a deck with a feral cat as a Mum, then to the shelter, then to foster care, then back to the shelter, then being placed so you can get picked for adoption at sponsoring pet stores…and then to your new home. As a result, the kittens not only cling to one another but they want those blankets.
Both happy and growing and it is a joy to have them.
Friday. M15 in the tree alone looking out over his domain.
Little angels, sleeping…There are so few dandelions left that sometimes it is difficult to tell who is who if you only take a quick glance.
21 is hungry and is going to see if there is anything left in that Armoured Catfish head.
Many saw ‘it’ and wondered if their eyes were deceiving them. Yes, 21 did feed 22!!!!!! A few bites. How sweet. Here it is caught on video.
Our super dad, M15, brought in a huge bunny for the babies at 11:43.
What a dad. E21 ate some bites first and then at 11:47, M15 turns the rabbit and himself so that 22 can eat.
After a few bites, M15 then changes his position and both of the eaglets sit nicely next to one another while dad is plucking off fur bits.
Everyone will eat.
It was a great feeding – and 22 got a huge share of that rabbit. Our little one returned several times to self-feed. He is watching dad and learning to hold the prey down with his talons and pull. Getting there, 22!
One of the visitors was in the other tree around 1330. Thanks, Sassa Bird and Ava Vantero.
At 16:04, M15 flew into the nest with a fish. He proceeds to feed it to the Es as well as the leftover rabbit. The pictures tell the whole story.
E22 gets a really nice crop!
Just when you think the day is going to be quiet, the female visitor with that black rather necrotic talon is on the branch and then she swoops down into the nest at 18:20. M15 puts his head down so she will not hit and injure him. The last thing he wants to do is to get injured so that there is no one to care for the eaglets.
The eaglets are afraid. She kicks 22. Thankfully, no one is injured.
M15 flys down and gets rid of the female from the nest. He is on alert but still feeds the remaining scraps to 21. E22 is asleep using an old Armoured catfish shell as a pillow!
M15 you are the best dad. You are trying so hard…let’s hope you get a break and some peace soon.
Centreport’s D4 did not die in the death spiral attack but, he has been rejected by Mum. He returned to the nest and she has essentially kicked him out.
If you were watching Liberty and Guardian, you will know that they are also displaying some very unusual behaviour at the Redding California nest just like Jackie and Shadow have been at Big Bear. Very Unprecedented. Here is Gary to help us understand what has been happening.
News has come that the first egg of Liberty and Guardian has fallen apart.
But never mind. Liberty laid egg #2 Friday night. Congratulations!
Pip watch is now on for Jackie and Shadow as of the 15th…are the eggs viable? It’s a toss up. I sure hope so! But there is also time for a second clutch if something has happened.
Sadly the 5th egg of Jak and Audacity at Sauces Canyon has also broken. Let us all send positive wishes that Audacity will get a holiday from egg laying – it drains so much calcium out of her body. These two want so much to have eaglets…wouldn’t it be nice if a viable egg with an extremely hard shell could get on their nest!
There is some serious nest work going on at the Pittsburg-Hays Bald Eagle nest and for the right reason. The first egg of the 2023 season for the Pittsburgh-Hayes couple was laid at 17:23 on Friday, February 17. Congratulations!
At another nest in Pennsylvania, the US Steel Nest at the Mon Valley Works -Irvin – the eagles are waiting for eggs.
That same frantic nest work is going on at the Decorah North Bald Eagle nest in Iowa today. Mr North and Mrs DNF could have eggs soon, too.
At the Decorah nest of HM and HD near the trout hatchery, the female has been spending a lot of time in that nest today! Wonder how many nests will have eggs on Monday?
In Minnesota, Nancy is enjoying a nice fish at the end of the day. You can clearly see the first egg for her and her new mate, Beau.
It appears that the Fraser Point Eagles – Andor and Cruz – are also making a new nest in a different location this year on Santa Cruz, Island. It is thought that Thunder and Akecheta are doing the same at the West End.
The light is not so good today at the Captiva Eagle nest today. Connick is doing great and it is these nests that turn around that make us watch. Connick wasn’t being fed properly. Remember? It is actually so easy to forget once Connie got to feeding this precious only eaglet..full to the top! The juvenile feathers are starting to come in along the wing tip for Connick. You can see them in the image below.
B16 continues to be a darling but is not that little round butterball it was a couple of weeks ago…B16 is 28 days old today. 4 weeks. Hard to imagine.
Gabby has been in the nest bowl. Her and V3 have been around the tree an awful lot lately and working on that nest. What’s up Gabby?
Making News:
What is going on with humans? ‘S’ sent this to me…shooting parrots with air guns and stuffing them into garbage bags over a two hour period. I wonder how they would feel if this happened to them?
The banning of lead shot in the EU is being received with great enthusiasm! And well it should be. Now which region will be next to take this step to end the unnecessary deaths of our carrion eaters?
There is simply so much going on that it is difficult to keep up with the nests…I am still focused on SWFlorida hoping that the days will continue to have good prey items for Dad and the kids. We will not have long to wait to see if Jackie and Shadow’s eggs are viable. And it looks like Centreport Mum might accept D5 since he was the victor of the death spiral. But, we wait.
Thank you so very much for joining me today. Please take care. See you soon!
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Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: ‘S’, SWFlorida Eagles and D Pritchett, Centrepoint Bald Eagles, Gary and FORE, FORE, FOBBV, Pix Cams, Raptor Research Project and Explore.org, MN-DNR, IWS and Explore.org, Window to Wildlife, Berry College Eagles, NEFL-AEF, From the Parrots, and The Guardian.
The mystery at SWFlorida has been cleared up by keen eyes! There are two females and this helps to explain why all of us were confused and concerned.
The female that is on the branch with M15 at night is NOT the female that jumped into the nest, ate the Es food and pecked and kicked them. M15 got rid of her.
Here is the announcement from SWFlorida:
Now we can all go back and embrace the female with the injured talon that allows M15 to sleep at night…
Thank you SWFlorida and SL Hope for this clarification. Our eyes weren’t fooling us…
It is Valentine’s Day (as I begin writing Wednesday’s blog) and it would feel a lot more warm and fuzzy if fish started falling from the sky on the SWFlorida Eagle nest. The FFV has been protecting the area (photographs by local photographers confirm this). Her right foot has lots of injuries as if she has been in a recent fight during the last 2 or 3 days. She might need some time to heal before she is able to help bring in prey. I wonder how she is eating? M15 helped Harriet in 2015! The eaglet was E6. There are other examples of male or female eagles stepping in to help raise eaglets that are not theirs, also. There is a snow storm with high winds hitting Jackie and Shadow after three days of their on again-off again relationship with the two eggs they guarded so closely for over a month. It seems things are back to normal in Big Bear. If the earthquakes have significantly decreased, I am going to really think they might have had something to do with their behaviour for 3 days.
So, some good news was needed to mend my aching head and heart and it wasn’t, however, the third egg laid at the Achieva Osprey nest in St Petersburg, Florida on Valentine’s Day at 03:30. No, it came in the form of three pieces of news. The first one was a tweet from Geemeff Wednesday morning:
It is a huge beginning. Come on North America!!!!!!!!!!!
The second is form ‘H’ saying that all three of the falcons at Orange have been seen on the tower. Excellent.
The third is news about a small owl named Flaco that had been living at the Zoo at Central Park. Someone cut the wire to its cage and the owl escaped. Flaco has been seen eating and living nicely in the wild around New York City’s Central Park by a circus of curiosity seekers and residents. Zoo officials thought that Flaco could not live in the wild but he is proving them wrong. We learn something new every day from our raptors!
The New York Times reports for Valentine’s Day on Flaco…In the image below there is a bait tap but Flaco is not hungry!
“A major concern for everyone at the beginning was whether Flaco would be able to hunt and eat,” the society said in a statement, noting that zoo employees had observed him catching and consuming prey. “That is no longer a concern.” The officials from the Zoo also said, “In addition to proving himself as a hunter, the society said in its statement, Flaco had shown “a rapid improvement in his flight skills and ability to confidently maneuver around the park.”
The image above is a baited trap. Right now Flaco is full form his good hunting and is ‘not taking the bait’. The goal, according to the article, is to retrieve Falco and bring him back into the safety of the Zoo where he would not fall prey to rodenticide, GHO attack or killing, and collisions. Those are the risks of any urban raptor (or songbird for that matter). I find myself torn – while I believe in intervention, Flaco appears to be doing quite well living the ‘wild’ life.
Good news is also coming out of Orange. Xavier and Indigo have been back to the scrape. We wait and hope that Diamond was not too traumatised…Cilla says that Xavier will check and make sure it is safe and inform Diamond. Well done, Orange falcons.
Xavier made sure Indigo had a good breakfast. Look at that nice prey item that is in the scrape! (or am I wrong and this is Indigo’s great hunting?). The image was taken around 0849, the 15th of February in Orange.
Elain captured yesterday’s highlights.
I was so used to the Landings Nest near Savannah being an Osprey nest…then it was taken over by a GHO couple. Yes, those owlets are adorable. :)). I just wish they would leave the eagles alone!
An Osprey flew by this morning. Getting hopes up!
Heading to the SWFlorida nest..I am taking a bit of a breather today. E21 is 41 days old today and E22 is 39 days old. I am still concerned for E22 but, I want to be hopeful. Observers at the SWFlorida nest have posted this explanation as to what they think is going on at the nest. M15’s duty right now is to finish raising these eaglets. The female wants M15 and the territory ——she should be interviewed. There would be 100s of 5 year old female eagles wanting to match up with this super guy. I just wish she would prove her devotion by not just doing security but also becoming Mommy Door Dash.
This was also posted on the SWFL FB group this morning:
E22 is hungry. Dad jumped down first thing and fed the old fish tail to 21. Wishing for several big ones.
Bird with long legs and tail feathers came on the nest – it was a carcass. If the whole bird had made it, maybe 22 would have had some good food. I wonder what is going on. M15 ate, 21 ate, and 22 got some bites. Not many. Some by his quick snatch and grab out of 21 and Dad’s beak. Some up at the table when there was not much left.
On top of everything else, now there are drones. When will M15 cut a break?
At 1828, E22 got bold. Tired of having 21 get all the food for the day – and I do want to use the word ‘starving’, 22 went for it. M15 backed up a bit to help 22 and there was some quick snatch and grabs. It is unclear to me how much fish 22 got after 21 ate – 21 has a crop in the image below. The snatch and grab netted him a number of bites. And 22 was bold – he has to be. His life depends on it. I have seen statements that he got lots to eat. I would not characterise it as that but…he ate. And he had a ps that looked reasonable during the day. Someone got a screen capture of it.
It was frenzied for 22 who worked to get between Dad and 21 and grab every bite he could. Some were a nice size. We wait til morning. Again, the fish was not huge, 22 got some at the end.
After the feeding, M15 joined the FFV in the tree.
Wednesday morning M15 and the FFV were close on the tree.
M15 came in with a fish which 21 seems to have gotten the best of. 21 bonked 22 to keep it away. At 09:38 21 is self feeding on a leftover fish piece and 22 grabs it and takes it and wolfs it down. He is hungry.
To be clear, this is a small piece of fish and 21 will retake it, then 22 will get it back, and then M15 will fly down again. Someone said that in all of this 21 ate half a fish – if I had seen 21 eat half a fish I would be jumping on top of my roof for joy.
At 10:49, 21 is still eating and 22 is trying to find a scrap.
There is no shortage of food at many of the other nests. Still it helps to be ‘the one and only apple or Valentine of your parent’s heart’. Connick has an enormous crop! Looks like he is trying out for the role in some super hero movie with those amazing wings and big strong legs! Granted it is hard to take your eyes off that enormous crop to look at those wings and legs. He is one healthy eaglet…and I for one, wondered if he would make it early on. Well, no worries here. His smile is yellow and the black of his beak is shiny and healthy. Of course, nice clown feet, too, Connick…they go well with the mini-mohawk.
B16 is adorable. Notice the difference between B16 below and Connick above. Ask me if I would like to see 22 look like this? Of course.
There is something terribly ‘sweet’ about this little eaglet..I don’t know quite what it is but, something. Now look at B16’s wings. Consider for a moment how large they are.
The cameras have been on and off in the Kisatchie National Forest. The eaglets are fine and all of them are growing and developing those gorgeous juvenile feathers that we are going to see on Connick all too soon.
Gorgeous Trey. The IR camera really shows the thermal down and where the juvenile feathers are coming. Trey is incubating Dudley! She takes good care of that old unviable egg. Practice for the future. You can just see a little triangle of white almost directly under her beak. That is Dudley.
Anna and Trey with Dudley hiding underneath Trey.
Valentine and Nugget are simply developing into beautiful feathered eaglets. Valentine seems to have had a huge growth spurt…or is it the camera angle?
Jackie and Shadow have had at least one shift change today and they are both staying close to the nest and those two precious eggs. The storm system with snow and winds moving through is due to pass later today (Tuesday as I am writing).
The couple look much more settled.
At 11:06 Jackie called Shadow and he was there in a second to relieve her and incubate. Not leaving those eggs for a second longer than necessary. Am I thinking that we are back to normal and that pip watch is tomorrow? Hope.
Gabby and V3 were at the natal tree perched on the branches and in the nest bowl doing some work today. Gabby is in really good condition. Look at the colour of her beak and her feathers. Her eyes are clear. She is not tired and she is really healthy.
There are now three eggs at the Achieva Osprey nest. I mentioned it in yesterdays blog. So right now we have three osprey nests that have eggs being incubated in Florida: Moorings Park, Venice Golf and Country Club, and now Achieva in St Petersburg. We wait to see if there will be any eggs at Captiva this year for new couple Mabel and Angus.
Beautiful Diane will be doing hard incubation for between 38-43 days. Mark your calendars. Looks like 24-29 March. Later than 2021. (No eggs survived in 2022).
Most of you know that I am very fond of Diane and often get rather irked at Jack. Some of us even thought he had 2 nests in 2021 – the fish delivery was erratic and poor little Tiny Tot Tumbles, the third hatch, well…was deemed to be on death’s doorstep, literally, several times but, thanks to her Mum who saw her daughter want to live, fed her catfish after the two older siblings were sound asleep. In the dark, the little one ate and ate. TTT become the dominant bird on the nest staying long after the older two had fledged. She even helped her dad defend the nest and I want to add, as a juvenile having hatched in early March, she defended the nest many times by herself beginning in June. So….a warm soft spot for this Osprey Mum. I wish that third hatch had a band. Several times it looked like she visited the nest late in 2021 and in 2022.
Other Bird News:
Several months ago I added a note about two individuals that care for Cockatoos – sanctuaries for unwanted birds. One was April whose Victoria Cockatoo was believed to be dying and required urgent medical care. Individuals came to the rescue with their donations and now Victoria Cockatoo has gained weight and is doing extremely well.
The other was Dan Scott with Chloe’s Sanctuary. Funds are now in place for Dan and his flock of 11 ‘highly needy’ Cockatoos to take up residence in a new home in Nevada. Their old home in California was flooded. Thank you to all who answered their call.
Most people think Cockatoos are beautiful. So do I. We know that they are highly intelligent. Not Sulphur-Crested but Guffins have demonstrated that they can use tools!
People want one as a pet – that is what some of the YouTube videos do…make us want a pet bird.
Around the world, people go to pet stores and buy birds instead of going to sanctuaries. This means that the rescued or sanctuary animals could be euthanised if no home is found. I was sent a list of parrots, cockatoos and budgies requiring homes in one European city. It was huge. There is a growing call – by individuals that have ‘rescued’ parrots and budgies as well as animal right’s persons – to stop the breeding and sale of birds.
Two pet stores in North America that are getting a lot of attention because of their relationship to puppy mills, and other factory breeding programmes for animals, birds, and amphibians are PetSmart and PetCo. You may know these companies. Organisations that want the rights and lives of animals to be respected are asking customers to boycott those stores. Wallets do speak loud when profits are the only concern! There are a number of videos on YouTube that you can access showing dumpster divers finding fish and amphibians literally being tossed in to die. But there are just as many concerns for the dogs, cats, and birds as well. Our beloved feather friends often come from pet mills that are anything but caring and will do what they can to cut costs and maximise profits. So before you buy a bird from a pet store, think twice. Before you buy pet and bird food at a pet store, think about which store and what their policies are that you are supporting. Call your local organisations to see if your local humane society or rescue centre has any birds. Check out the reputation of the company selling the animal. A certificate saying an animal is a purebred does not mean that it came from a caring lovely small family breeder. Believe me I can tell you horror stories about cat breeders! Ask about surrenders and rescues. Give them a second chance at life. Parrots and Cockatoos live for a long time and many outlive their owners. Planning should be in place for all feathered friends just as you might do a dog or cat. Research the species. Every one of my contacts with Cockatoos warns that they are like tyrannical toddlers. I am also told that getting a beak trimmed can cost anywhere from $100-140 and the beaks must be trimmed.
‘J’ reminded me this morning that you can also adopt a ‘Cockatoo or a Parrot’ from a sanctuary which will help with their care. Many allow you to visit your adoptee. What an idea…a win-win for all. Some provide photographs.
Birds can be fantastic friends. My maternal grandfather had a Blue Budgie. My grandmother knew he adored that bird more than her! Think first! Thank you for listening…we need to be mindful, always, of the welfare of the animals and birds, both in our care and in the wild.
Thank you so much for being with me today. If you haven’t done so, do suggest a name for the new guy in Annie’s life. Go to Cal Falcons FB Page. I am not certain how long they will take potential names. Take care everyone. See you soon….please continue to send your good wishes to M15 and E21 and 22, our dear Diamond so traumatised by the fireworks, as well as Zoe who has yet to send in a transmission.
Thank you to the following for their notes, essays, articles, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures that form this blog: ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘Geemeff’, and ‘J’, The New York Times, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Elain and the Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Cornell Bird Lab, SWFlorida Eagles FB and Lisa Marie, Iris Schneider and the SWFL Eagles FB, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Paul Kolnik and Bald Eagles 101 FB, Window to Wildlife, Berry College Eagle Cam, KNF-E1, KNF-E3, FOBBY, NEFL-AEF, Achieva Credit Union, Victoria’s Playhouse, and The Guardian.
It is apparently Valentine’s Day – so give some love to someone, to the raptors, to your birds, or to your local wildlife rehabilitation centre. I began to wonder what a windfall it would be if everyone who was going to buy flowers or chocolates would, instead, donate those funds to clinics and shelters instead. Imagine. Millions and millions of people around the world giving their local or favourite rehab centre a $30-50 bill instead. It could make all the difference in the world. If you already have that chocolate or flowers, then think about this the next time there is a holiday and you reach for the roses.
If the 2022 breeding season for raptors on streaming cams was a difficult one then, 2023 has started out feeling like we are witnessing a nightmare. So it is not surprising that many of you are writing to tell me that you are thinking of taking a mental break. It is a good thing to do. Sometimes you just need to step away for a day or two, get outside and go for a walk, breathe in the fresh air and listen for your local birds and their songs. It really is up lifting. And believe me, I have to take these breaks, too, and build up my mental reserves for when those third hatch little male ospreys are getting beaten up by their big sister. Personally I have gotten to the point that I would love to see one healthy chick on every nest. No more than one. Just one. One is enough.
Ironically, one of the nests that is bringing me a lot of pleasure lately is the nest of Gabby and V3. They are a magnificent couple and let us all hope they have a long and productive future together. It is nice to see life settle even if V3 needs to deliver a lot of prey and drop it from the sky on the nest so his talons don’t get hooked! They have been working on the nest and I noticed a spring of evergreen which perked my attention this morning. Maybe it just smells like fish and the flies are about. Surely Gabby isn’t thinking about eggs?
Reminds me so many times of seeing Gabby and Samson stand like this. They are a power couple. V3 came, went, returned and set the rest of them packing. He will be good for Gabby.
The situation at SWFlorida is in a state of flux. It was terrifying right after Harriet and we all feared that E22 would be dead from siblicide. Then the fish starting coming on the nest and life was good. Then there were the intruders – the individual with the flash and the female eagle. To what extent they and others have placed this nest back in the state where E22 is constantly afraid to eat but, needs to, is unknown. Monday morning M15 brought in a ‘Jumping live mini fish’ and E21 got all of it.
Then there was a nice sized fish but, as is becoming common again, E21 scared off 22 until there was not much left. 22 got one good bite of that big fish. Now..remember, if M15 can get another big fish on that nest before 21 gets hungry, 22 has a chance and so does Dad. I also need to say that M15 moved the fish so he could feed 22 but 21 came over the back side. Not good.
The only bite that 22 got. Look at 21’s beak.
The third fish came in at 14:39. Well, M15 is the best dad when he is left alone. He flew in with a big fish – was it one of those silvery Ladyfish – and he is feeding it slow. Obviously M15 knows that 22 needs to eat. Feeling optimistic. That fish came in at 14:39 and please note that M15 has eaten the head. Way to go Dad. You need your strength to take good care of the babies. Is the VF upstairs wanting that fish?
Some wonder if there is enough food. The pond is stocked or that is what I was told. And it was restocked about 9 days ago – or so I was told. M is a good fisher but he has distracters – human and eagle and that female and others might be trying to take his fish or do…
Clearly, 21 is shutting out 22. Will he get any of this enormous fish? Let’s hope so.
22 you need to move around the rim of the nest…and get some fish!
It would appear that M15 is going to wait for 22 to move around. He has not fed 21 anymore and is sitting on the fish. I am so impressed with this super Dad.
Dad left. 22 trying to self feed.
Hunger and surviving. It looks like 22 is holding the fish down and pulling up getting some bites. I hope he eats that entire last of the fish! If M15 flew down now (he is on the branch but the VF is on another one it seems), 21 is asleep finally and he could possibly feed 22 the rest of that fish, too.
A video of the beginning of the self-feeding. Before this, 22 picked up scraps from all over the nest. He is a survivor BUT he needs to eat and let us hope he gets enough. It is a lot of work to get the skin off those fish and 22 spends much time trying before he gets to the ‘open’ end. There he figures out to stick his beak in and pull out the flesh (second video).
E22 finished. I do not think there is a crop there. Hard to tell but he did have something to eat. Every bite is important. 22 has decided to sleep on the fish! Too funny.
M15 flew back down but 21 was there and got the fish feeding. What can I say? 22 needs a good feed. We wait. M15 did eat as we saw from the fish brought in and this is good…now 22 we need you to step up tomorrow and get some fish – and Dad….stand right between those two if you have to – between them as in physical separation.
Good Night M15. Thank you for the fish today!!!!!!!! Sweet Eagle Dreams Everyone.
M15 you look super tired. We worry about you. Make sure you eat…
And sleep. It looks like you are so tired and you have left the female at the end of the branch. And she was by the pond today? Someone took photographs and is she part of a pair with the other eagle down getting drinks at the pond? Again, like Gabby’s nest we will have to wait and let this play out with the hope that M15 can get some fish for him and the babies tomorrow in peace.
Oops. GHO knocks intruder off and M15 gets into nest with 21 and 22.
Bandicam shows it also. The intruder came back to the nest branch and M15 chased her off.
Human negligence – and our long standing desire to control nature for our own ends – has caused Jak and Audacity to lose all four of their eggs this season. It is not a new story but it ties in with the human interference in SWFlorida and the damage it can cause – 2 separate incidents now on Saturday night with two people with flashlights. Police out to both incidents. It was the latter one that drove M15 off for 3 hours, not the person with the camera (according to the FB announcement). Our interference in the natural world by using toxic chemicals to kill insects causes irreparable harm. The Sauces couple have had some success. Have a look at their history on Santa Cruz Island and remember, this is in the northern area, which has more contamination from DDT (DDE) than other areas of the islands.
Then there are the fireworks that caused Diamond such distress that it was simply difficult to watch. They sounded like they were right under the tower. If you missed it, here is that video again. It is worth a second look just to remember what fireworks do to wildlife…unlike pets, they cannot come and be safe beside us in our homes when these unnecessary events happen. It is time to outlaw the use of fireworks as a means of celebrating along with the colouring and release of birds or balloons! I do love parties but not if there are things happening that don’t need to that will potentially damage our feathered friends.
There is a call to action to help stop what happened to the falcon family. Please send an e-mail, help Diamond and her family. You can cut and paste a letter but make sure you change who it is addressed to!
Cilla Kinross has commented that the authorities cannot tell the car it is too blurred and are thinking this is a misdemeanour. We hope that, instead, they will take this seriously. Endangering wildlife. Any act – flashlights, flash cameras, anything – we know this – endangers their lives. So Holly is suggesting that we continue to write letters. Maybe there is an animal cruelty organisation in Orange that might like to take this on.
I received the following response from MP for Orange, Mr Philip Donato:
To date, only Xavier and Indigo have returned to the scrape. Diamond has not.
‘J’ alerted to me of something that could, indeed, be causing Jackie and Shadow to get up and off those eggs – the seismic disturbances at Big Bear Lake. One was the largest magnitude felt so far this year. Humans could feel that one but it appears the eagles were disturbed by the other 23 that happened yesterday. Thanks, ‘J’ for bringing this to my attention!
Jackie are on and off the eggs again today. This is three days in a row. We keep the faith and hope that all is well. As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, Milda had a terrible couple of years but, her eggs were left for 5 hours and no harm (it was bitterly cold). The two eaglets hatched only to die later of starvation. The story is accurate but I said Milda was Estonian – she is a Latvian WTE.
There was, of course, earthquake activity on Saturday and I am trying to see what is happening today in the area.
There have been larger quakes in the past. I hope this calms down and the eaglets hatch and life is good for Jackie and Shadow.
It is, of course, only speculation that the earthquakes might have caused the eagles to be up and down and on and off the eggs. The timing of the low level quakes – which the eagles would have felt – suggests that with the start of the behaviour on Saturday. We can only wait and see what is happening. Is it possible that Jackie and Shadow can no longer hear the eaglet/s? We might never know. And even my questions are just speculation. Please read them as such. One or more eggs could hatch on time. The only silver lining for this couple who have been so super diligent – which is why their behaviour now is worrisome – is that they can have a second clutch. There is plenty of time. They were mating today. It is only a note to this but, have you noticed that raptors confirm their pair bond when something has happened…the death of a fledgling in the field, etc? But we must wait and see. Personally I would love nothing more than a Valentine’s pip. We need some good news.
Shootings. Really? I live in a place where gun crime is almost non-existent compared to what it is south of our border with the US. Here is one person who is going to pay the price for shooting a Bald Eagle in the US. Let us hope the word gets out. He thought it was a hawk. Sorry, hawks are protected, too.
There are Bald Eagle nests that are doing very well this year. The single eaglets at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive, sweet little Connick survived the first few days without much fish, to thrive.
B16 is the apple of Pa Berry and Missy’s life – adorable cuddle bun that one is.
Her name is Trey at the KNF-E1 nest of Louis and Anna and she – they will not take DNA but this is a huge eaglet and could well be a female compared to the two earlier males, Kistachie and Kincaid. Three healthy beautiful eagles. Valentine and Nugget are getting on with their lives at the KNF-E3 nest of Alex and Andria. These two have benefited from fish tests! What can we say about Superbeaks? Huge eaglets Pearl and Tico will fledge but the fact that the nest railings are falling due to wing flapping scares me.
So there is some good news amongst the not so good…and I have not touched on all the nests. It seems to be balancing out.
This is a reminder: Tomorrow is the official day to suggest names for the Cal Falcons ‘New Guy’. Go to the Cal Falcons FB or Twitter page and put in your name and why…be convincing. Must be associated with Cal-B. There have been several responses to the use of the word ‘comfortable’ as in Annie looks ‘comfortable’ with the New Guy. Some say ‘much more than comfortable.’
The challenges that our raptors have now and will have in the coming decade and then the next one are going to be huge. It is up to everyone collectively and governments and companies to stop with the status quo, get some good minds working, and take a stand and don’t back down. Create a better world for all living things. All living things.
Coming Up this week: Why you do not want to buy birds at pet stores. The new hawk streaming cams. Where do birds go to die. I was going to write about one of these today but, events over took that. It will be towards the end of the week. Stay turned.
Take care everyone. My whole family, the garden critters and Missy and Lewis thank you for the love that you have for our feathered friends. Happy Valentine’s Day! Please keep our three nests in your most positive thoughts and send them well wishes – M15, 21 and 22 at SWFlorida, Jackie and Shadow and whatever is going on at BBV, and Zoe. See you soon!
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Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, their videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures that make up this blog today: ‘J’, NEFL-AEF, SWFlorida and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SWFL and D Pritchett, Bandicam and SWFlo and D Pritchett, IWS, Heidi Mc and Falcon Cam, Holly Parsons and Orange, Australia Peregrine Falcons FB, Volcano Discovery, Los Angeles Times, FOBBV, Cleveland.com, Window to Wildlife, Berry College Eagles, Superbeaks, and Cal Falcons.
