Yesterday, Karl II at the Karula National Forest Black Stork cam made a difficult decision. It was the first time that he had ever practised brood reduction. In the past, it has been the female that has done this when resources were bleak. Little Benjamin was sacrificed so that the other three might thrive. There is still no promise. The storklets are too young for both parents to go out foraging. Like the ones in the Polish nest today, they could easily become targets for predation by other species. There has been no rain and water and the animals associated – frogs and little fish – needed to keep the storklets alive are in short supply. We can only send our best wishes to Karl II and Kaia and to the folks in Estonia who work so hard for these very rare birds, such as Urmas and his team.
Here is a good article that was translated that appeared on the Looduskalender English Forum today that I think might interest some of you wanting to learn more about his particular avian behaviour.
Why do birds kill their chicks?
“This year, as well as in previous years, the black stork webcam watchers have been witnessing events that appear to be incomprehensible and dreadful. One of the recently hatched fluffy-balls has been tossed to the nest rim and doomed to death, or even eaten up by its parents.
Infanticide as a means of regulating the brood size is not universal, but still quite common phenomenon among birds, particularly the species that are relatively big in size. The reason lies almost always in the limited resources, i.e. the parents do not have enough energy, time and food to nurture and feed all of their chicks.
Does this mean that the bird should have laid a smaller number of eggs? This would have been a very big mistake: what if some of the eggs would not have hatched? It is wise of a bird to lay more eggs, just in case. The reserve egg serves as an insurance in cases when something misfortunate happens during incubation, or when the foetus dies inside the egg. For instance, spotted eagles mainly lay two eggs, but frequently enough the second egg is rotten. Despite this, there will be at least one chick and the breeding season is not wasted.
More eggs means that the bird can adjust the size of the brood at a later date, if necessary. The optimal number of offspring may vary between the breeding seasons, and when it becomes clear that this time all nestlings cannot be fed, their number can be reduced accordingly. If all of the eggs produce a chick and the resources turn out to be plentiful, then there is a chance to raise all nestlings.
Asynchronous hatching, observed in many species, provides an opportunity to adjust the number of nestlings. This means that one of the chicks hatches, begins to beg for food and grow well before its siblings. Other chicks hatch later, one by one. Compared to its siblings, the last hatchling is weak and feeble; it is not that capable of begging for food, and it gets parental care only if the food resources are particularly plentiful. If they are not, the chick dies, mostly of starvation, sometimes with the “help” of its siblings (in some bird species, for instance blue-footed booby, siblicide is practised in all broods). In this way the number of chicks can be adjusted to the prevailing conditions.
“Brood reduction” like this is regularly practised by for instance raptors and seagulls. The common gull always has a clutch of three eggs, but the last egg is smaller and lighter than other eggs. This egg very rarely produces a viable offspring. On the other hand, to have a third egg as a reserve is a reasonable strategy.
A famous English demographer Robert Malthus once wrote: “Through the animal and vegetable kingdoms, Nature has scattered the seeds of life abroad with the most profuse and liberal hand; but has been comparatively sparing in the room and the nourishment necessary to rear them.” There is an enormous difference between the amount of resources that parents are able to invest in their offspring, and the amount of resources that the offspring require.
Ecologists call this parental optimism. There are two hypotheses to explain the parental optimism, i.e. the overproduction of offspring. The first is bet-hedging: do not put all your eggs in one basket or, in other words, do not invest in only a single offspring. The second explanation is a possibility to select the best individuals from the overproduced offspring. Among mammals, for instance, selective abortion of weak foetuses occurs. Both hypotheses can act at a time and lead to overproduction of zygotes in all spheres of living nature.
It is obvious that the siblings alone cannot be made responsible for coping with the consequences of the optimistic overproduction of their parents. Unlike newborn hyena cubs, most animals are not able to cut the throats of their siblings. Therefore, sometimes the parents themselves must make corrections to the number of their too optimistically produced offspring.
Infanticide, killing of offspring by adult individuals of the same species, is a widespread phenomenon in animal kingdom. No doubt, it occurs also among humans. Peter Freuchen, a Danish journalist and traveller who spent years among Greenlandic Inuit in the early 20th century, describes an exemplary case in his memoirs: “A mother had four children to feed, but no help was anticipated. Everyone knew her story – how she hanged three of her children to save them from starving to death. She was often referred to as a beautiful exemplary model of maternal love.”
So let´s be not too hard on the black stork mother who jostled her fourth chick away from the nest bowl. It could have been a decision of vital importance, to grant the survival of the remaining three fluffy-balls.”
Thursday was a wonderful day full of field birding in the area of Delta Marsh at the southern end of Lake Manitoba and Island Park in Portage la Prairie. At least 29 species of birds at Delta Marsh – almost all vocalising while the Pelicans and Terns were busy catching fish. To be out among the living – in fields near a big lake – well, it simply lifts one’s spirits! The area is maintained by the Province of Manitoba and Ducks Unlimited. Those are the folks that I have a love-hate relationship. I am grateful that they expand and maintain wetland areas in our province such as Delta Marsh and Oak Hammock Marsh. Both are major flyways for migration. My only problem is ‘duck hunting’….
The haze from the wildfire smoke clouded the sky. Overhead, 77 Canada Geese were heading north in it. Do they know the fires are up there? Chevrons of 70-150 geese have been flying north for several days now. These geese have no goslings to care for….remember I am very worried about the numbers this year. They are heading for food, space, and cooler weather – although surprisingly it has cooled down the past couple of days in the southern part of Manitoba.
Three American Robins flitted about the parking areas. There are so many insects and mosquitoes…what a fantastic place to live and hunt. It was so quiet…no one else about save for a couple of men fishing down the road.
A female Yellow-headed Blackbird serenaded me from the path.
While her mate, across the path, was warning me to keep walking!
At a great distance, the Black Terns were fishing in Lake Manitoba.
A pair of Northern Shovelers were in a shallow pond nearby. It was such a variety of habitats.
At Island Park, a Goldeneye was being followed by eleven little ones.
A Mallard couple were resting in the sunshine while a female Mallard had a raft of ducklings she was trying to manage.
Did you know that a group of flying ducks is called a skein? If they are in the water, it is a raft, and if they are walking on the ground, the group is called a flock or a waddling.
Oh, these babies are so cute.
Sometimes it is just so wonderful to leave the city behind and be in a place where all you can hear is the sound of birds!
‘A’ sent this to me yesterday. You don’t have to be a Royal Albatross fan to smile when you hear SP do a skycall. It just melts your heart. Oh, we need to clean up how those ocean trawlers cast those long lines and stop the beheading of the osprey. We need to demand that they take the six simple steps to stop the killing of albatross as bycatch. Here they are- have a short read and educate yourself, and then set about studying which fish sold is responsibly harvested – if you eat fish.
19 June 2023 is World Albatross Day. This year’s theme, selected by The Albatross and Petrel Agreement, is Plastic Pollution. Here is more information:
Now imagine that sweet little chick on the South Plateau trying to eat fish with an ocean full of plastic. You can help by refusing to purchase any items made of plastic. We now know that recycled plastic is not good for the environment. Choose alternatives.
We are now four days away from American Eagle Day in the US on 20 June. A posting by Sassa Bird reminds us of the challenges that eagles such as M15, E22, and Jackie and Shadow face every day.
While I was away today, Little Mini at Patchogue was eating and growing, eating and sleeping and growing. Seriously waking up and finding out that this fourth hatch had breakfast while I was still sleeping just makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
So the first fish comes around 0545 and like Wednesday, the big siblings are ‘sleepy’. Little Mini is gonna’ get the proverbial worm – in this case, a private 20 minute feeding. Little Mini has a huge crop at 0604 when he stops eating. The crop Little Mini had at 0748 was hilarious. Mini did not get any of the 0956 fish and the kid scared the wits out of me when he is hanging over the nest at 1414. Another fish lands on the nest at 1418. Little Mini is good. He sees it is a big one and he hangs back while slowly making his way around the rim of the nest so as not to alert the other three. Did someone on chat call them ‘The Three Witches of Patchogue’? At 1513, Little Mini is at the beak. Then another fish arrives at 1622, another at 1726, and at 1848. Little Mini was up and ready to eat at 1858. He didn’t get a lot but then another fish shows up at 2031. I thought Mini would go up but he didn’t bother.
0545:
0743:
Little Mini’s crop at 0748. Have a giggle.
This nest needs better rails!
1424 – making his way around the rails.
1729:
1858:
1903. I wold say that Mini did very well in terms of fish today. Mum has been so good to feed him better and thankfully those big siblings are not earlier risers. These parents are amazing. Dad fishes all day and Mum feeds almost all day long.
2018: Still has a crop.
Oh, I hope that this pattern that has been set for a few days continues at Patchogue. Little Mini got the early fish this morning as well. It is fantastic.
0622
0634
0804. Little Mini is getting feathers and has clown feet…oh, joy. Look at that lovely crop.
The Memorial Wall has grown to include 70 birds from the streaming cams now. The latest was Little Benjamin from the Karula Forest Black Stork Nest of Karl II and Kaia. I mentioned this in Thursday’s blog – it must have been heartbreaking as this is the first time Karl II has ever had to do this horrific deed. So many nests are struggling and osplets dying…take a look at that listing for the last two weeks alone! We hope that there is enough food for the five in the family. Send good wishes to this Estonian couple. Black Storks are so rare and everyone has tried to help.
Little Benjamin sitting upright moments before.
Kathryn found another Osprey nest with a trio. This one is at Great Bay, New Hampshire! The chicks hatched on 24 May and the 27th of May – yes the last two on the same day seven and a half hours apart.
Kathryn says there is some submissive behaviour but, in the last image, you can see that all three have big crops!
Here is the link to their camera:
Sunnie Day reports that the Iowa DNR Osplets are doing great.
‘H’ reports on the Forsythe Nest where there are four osplets. Both ‘H’ and I are extremely concerned for Mini who had only 30 bites of food on Thursday and 34 on Friday. This is not enough to sustain life.
At South Cape May Meadows, there is new life. I kept hoping Mum would give us a good look, but no. Sure are a nice looking couple – let’s see how he does with fishing, and she does with feeding!
Oh. surprise. ‘H’ noticed the second hatch this morning at SCMM!
Every time I watch the Boulder County Fairgrounds nest, I start to have palm sweats. Then I am proven wrong…the wee third hatch gets to eat!
Just look at that face! Seriously, osplets can be joyful and enthusiastic when eating fish!
The third hatch at Oyster Bay has a fat little bottom.
Tom and Audrey’s first hatch at Chesapeake Conservancy is a cutie.
The only osplet at the Cowlitz PUD is doing great!
‘A’ looks at Deyani and remarks, “I’m glad we have our exquisite hawklet for at least one more day. Every moment is becoming more precious as the time for fledging grows ever nearer. Will we ever be ready? I doubt it.” Beautiful – and not a bunny will be left on that farm! Deyani has the most beautiful water blue eyes.
Everything seems to be just fine at Severna Park ospreys. Middle is practising some self-feeding. And Big is as big as Mum.
All three at Barnegat Light are either in the Reptile phase or entering it. Fingers crossed for Little Bob. Still tiny and still precarious feeling.
The trio at Dunrovin Ranch in Colorado are big and doing fantastic.
Those two at Jack and Harriet’s nest in Dahlgren are doing great, also. Nice big crops and growing like weeds…and I am not seeing so many toys in that nest now. Thank goodness.
At Loch of the Lowes, Laddie brought in a big fish, and everyone ate including Mum, Blue NC0. Nice.
Idris and Telyn have BIG Bobs…I blinked. Just look at these two.
CJ7 and Blue 022 are such great parents. It has been a joy to watch them raise chicks for the second year.
Those amazing wildlife rehabbers! Two osprey chicks hatched from eggs and fostered. Thanks, Sunnie Day.
HARWICH PORT — 06/14/23 — A couple of osprey chicks await to be re-nested. A couple of osprey chicks were re-nested at Bud’s Go-Karts where there is an existing nest. Wild Care Executive Director and Wildlife Rehabilitator Stephanie Ellis has raised the birds from eggs that were removed by wildlife officials from nests built on chimneys in Osterville and Falmouth. The chicks were placed into surrogate nests along with chicks their same age to be raised by a new set of parents.
MERRILY CASSIDY/CAPE COD TIMES
Thanks Sassa Bird for this joyous story. Bald Eagle parents – more than 30 years old have healthy triplets.
Thank you so much for being with me. I am up and out early, so there could be news I miss. Please send your positive wishes to those struggling, including the little one at Forsythe who seems to be shut out of early fish today. We may lose this baby. Take care, everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, postings, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘A, H, Kathryn’, NoAA, Albatross and Petrel Agreement, ABUN, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, Sassa Bird and the AEF, PSEG, Eagle Club of Estonia, Great Bay Ospreys, Sunnie Day and the Iowa DNR, Forsythe ospreys, SCMM, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Chesapeake Conservancy, Cowlitz PUD Window to Wildlife, Severna Park, Barnegat Light, Dunrovin Ranch, Dahlgren Ospresy LOTL, Dyfi Ospreys, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Sunnie Day and Harwich Point, and Sassa Bird and Alaska Rain.
The inbox was bulging with happiness as each of you watched Little Mini at Patchogue eat its heart out Wednesday morning. My goodness, that little one even went back for seconds! More on Mini, later, but suffice it to say it made my day on Wednesday just a wee bit better.
The wildfire smoke is somewhat gone, the air outside is a little cleaner, and the skies are clear in southern Manitoba. There is no sign of the Blue Jay fledgling in the garden Tuesday evening, but I will check again as it gets late. Maybe. What a joy that little one was to observe! And the parents, too, keep a close watch. Overhead, at least 150 Canada Geese headed north to find space, food, and cooler temperatures. They might find some of this smoke from the burning fires. These are the ones without families to care for – so many, and this is not the first chevron of geese going over in the last week. So many without families this year. It is worrisome.
On Monday the 16th, I will be travelling north to do a Bald Eagle nest count. I hope to have some good images of wildlife for you on Tuesday. Today I am going to Delta Marsh on the southern tip of Lake Manitoba to see if I can find some shorebirds! Wish me luck. I will be out all day so hopefully, Little Mini will be persistent and get some nice fish.
Lewis was growling at the rain at couple of days ago.
Today he decided to play with his piece of Honeysuckle branch.
Missey just wants to remind everyone that she is ‘sweet’.
Both kittens remind everyone that planting a tree to remember someone or some pet is good for the environment!
Lewis and Missey also remind us that if you are doing some late spring cleaning, see if there is anything you have and don’t need that your local wildlife rehab clinic could use. It is incredible the things they need – check their wish lists and then also think of power tools to help build and repair buildings and fences. Anyone die recently leaving a lot of tools? Find out if the rehab can use them. What a lovely way to remember a loved one by donating to a good cause.
Wednesday turned out to be a mixed blessing day. We might as well start with the ‘good’ before I throw in a little of the sadness.
‘H’ reports that the Dahlgren Osprey platform and its osplets are doing fantastic. You can see the age difference in the plumage…this is good news.
It is day 41 for the second egg at Kent Island. I wonder if that one is unviable as well.
The other nests that ‘H’ has been monitoring are all doing well and she hopes that there are no turn arounds on them! Me, too.
Severna Park: Oh, we worried about Middle after we lost Little to siblicide but, things continue to go well. Middle is older and bigger and the pair are eating side by side. ‘H’ reports that fish are plentiful.
‘H’ reports that the Barnegat Light feeding 0944 to 1006: The feeding was peaceful eating side by side until, at 0955 Big beaked and bit Little. Little was able to return at 1001 and ate beside Big. Total bites for Little = 60. (I hope this nest won’t go sour now, like so many others that started out peacefully).” We wait and see. Send good wishes..that Big one is rather vicious. Let them make it out of the reptile stage!
At the Cape May Osprey nest, it is day 38 for egg one and ‘H’ says we are on pip watch.
I spent the day checking on some nests that I monitor but do not often report on – or a few even that have fallen through the cracks for one reason or another. At the Collins Marsh nest in Wisconsin, there are three osplets for what I believe to be new adults at the osprey platform near the local nature centre. This nest is very difficult to watch as fish are not always plentiful – at all! Malin, the only surviving osplet, force fledged in 2021. I criticised the local caretaker consistently because help was not at hand and the little one died on the ground. There is a new person at the nature centre. I hope if there are issues they will get out and look for those babies on the ground! The nest is on top of a fire tower that was moved. There is no perch and access to the desk would be difficult (or so I was told by the last caretaker – I don’t believe it!).
No chicks yet at Fortis Exshaw near Canmore, Alberta. You can see the fires burning in the distance. It was raining when I checked in. That is good…no chicks! Bad for little ones.
What you are seeing below is the Marsh Meadows osprey platform in Jamestown, Rhode Island. It is one of several nests on Conanicut Island. The three eggs hatched on May 29, 29, and 1 June. By the 7th of June, all three chicks were dead. Was it starvation by parental neglect? or was it starvation through mitigating circumstances – male was missing?
Both adults were on the nest this morning so, since the male is not missing (so he did not die of Avian Flu as suggested on 7 June), did the chicks die of starvation from inexperienced parents?
Bay and Beau’s two little osplets at Island Beach are doing well.
The three at Wolf Bay, Alabama are thriving. Gosh, look at those three big osplets!
The three at Oyster Bay should be getting along but, there is often beaking.
Dad delivering a fish to the Oceanside, NY, Osprey platform.
Two chicks at Seaside. So far so good.
‘H’ reports that both of the Patuxent River Park Osprey nests have osplets that are full and civil!
I just caught the Dad at Patuxent II bringing in a monster of a fish at 2002. Wow.
Oh, just sit down and cry – joyful tears. It really is OK. Newmann is feeding his peregrine falcon babies. Their Mum, Savanna was killed protecting her nest from a GHO. Newmann has called Savanna and called her and is now taking full responsibility for their last chicks together.
Dale Hollow DH17 has been caught on cam and appears to be doing quite well. River has a new mate (or so it appears). Only time will tell if she rebuilds at the original nest she shared with her partner, Obey, who disappeared this spring.
Bonus and Waba are on the move (slightly).
Now, let’s take a look at Little Mini at Patchogue. Is the saying ‘The Early Bird gets the fish’ applicable? Mini did well for when the Big ones were sleeping. That early fish that landed on the nest at 0536 was a bonus. Little Mini ate, then the Bigs woke up, and by 0639 Little Mini decided he would go back to the table for seconds. He finished eating at 0652. Mini got some from the 0846 delivery between 0908 and 0912. He had nothing from the 1526 delivery. He was in submission. At 1537 two of the Big siblings are having a tug o war with the fish. Then it rains. During some of this time Little Mini seems to be shoved down and around. Parents are trying to encourage self-feeding amongst the big siblings. This may or may not be an issue for Mini. If he can get those early feeds, he is OK.
According to someone on the chat there are three lakes nearby and 2 creeks connected to the bay. Should be lots of good fishing.
0540
0639 Up for seconds.
0652. Full. Leaving the table for the second time.
0912. Enjoying a meal. How does it feel to go hungry and see all the other siblings fed. I hope Little Mini feels full and alive this morning!
Later…after ‘they’ wake up. LOL.
1536. Mini shut out.
1537. Tug o war for the fish.
Fish – teasers and big fish – land at the Patchogue nest after the rain and all the time that big chunk of fish is still on the nest. Mini is quick to take opportunities when the Big ones show no interest. Mum feeds a small live fish at 1723 and then moves to the big chunk left at 1736. Mini rushes and is at the beak at 1737 . He ate until 1751ish. Then another big fish comes on the nest at 1800. Mini is right there – two big pieces of fish. He starts getting fed at 1802 and is moved out of the way at 1830. We should really see some growth in Mini by Friday with all this fish.
Smart Mini. He is filling his crop and then dropping it so he can hold more fish. I hope Mum has a good look at this persistent third hatch. It reminds me of Tiny Tot Tumbles from Achieva or Blue 464 from Foulshaw Moss. A Survivor.
Mini had a really good day and he is going to sleep well tonight. Happy Osplet dreams, Mini.
Mini was up and had an enormous crop Thursday morning…way to go Mini! Dad came through at Patchogue with three large fish by 0959.
Speaking of the Foulshaw Moss nest, White YW and Blue 35 have three osplets again this year.
At the Boulder County Fairgrounds, a team feeding by the adults really helped the third hatch, Little, who has been beaked and shut out from most feedings. This nest is still problematic…and each pulls at our heart.
After…this little guy is really struggling. Send your best wishes that they team up to feed the chicks until Little is old enough to hold its own.
At the SWFlorida Eagle nest, M15 visits. Unclear if E22 is still around. Not seen at the nest for a couple of days. M15 will not leave the area until E22 is known to be gone. M15 has taken his parental duties very seriously since Harriet went missing in early February. Thanks Vijay!
The Ms are well…growing up on Big Red and Arthur’s nest. Fledge watch is what? a week away? They may be big but, when the rain came they all wanted under Mum! Oak leaves. Across Tower Road there are Oak Trees. Big Red likes her chicks, when they fledge, to fly to those trees. The eyases have imprinted everything from the type of prey that is safe to eat to now these leaves. (The pine is for insects).
Big Red’s E3 was out doing an educational visit today.
Murphy is enjoying the life of a single foster dad now…it is quiet and no one takes his food!
There is now only one eaglet in the Estonia hybrid eagle nest. ‘T’ explains: “Good news in Estonia is that the baby hatched in the nest of Greater and Lesser Spotted eagles. There are not enough Greater Spotted eagles, and many of them are lost during their massive European-African migration. They create mixed couples. This nest, in Harju County, Estonia, was the nest of male Tõnn, who used this nest since 2016. Sadly, Tõnn, did not return from Spain in 2020. We don’t know what happened to him.”
Here the chick is taking a mouse form one of the adults.
‘T’ writes that the Russian Ornithologist “Michail Korepov went to the National Park “Sengileevskiye Gory” to check the breeding situation of large raptors. So this year, they found 12 white tail eaglets, 6 owlets and 2 Imperial eaglets – they are growing up in the national park! And the number is not including 2 chicks of Altyn and Altynay.” Very good news on trying to increase the population of these critically endangered raptors for the area.
‘A’ has been keeping an eye on Deyani and writes, “Meanwhile, there are either storms on the way or Angel is having a sudden burst of empty nest syndrome at the thought of Deyani fledging, because at 7.30pm, Deyani has an OBSCENE crop and the nest is FULL of prey. A rabbit, a vole and something unrecognisable are literally filling the nest bowl. I have NEVER seen this on this nest. Any food that arrives is dealt with in seconds by Deyani and nestovers are non-existent. But not tonight. Angel is attempting to tempt Deyani, who is taking the occasional small mouthful from her, but essentially, mum and daughter are standing side by side at the back of the nest, surveying the smorgasbord spread out at their feet. Deyani is going to have to find an appetite if she is to sleep on that nest tonight. It is just after 9.30am here in Melbourne, and it is another cold day. Sunny thus far, but that will change apparently.”
Baby bunnies. They seem to have cleared out an entire nest! Oh, dear.
‘H’ reports that Mini at the Forsythe Nest had only 30 bites on Wednesday. It is, as she says ‘feast or famine’ for this little one.
The third hatch at the Evergy Topeka Falcon scrape still has feather issues. The feathers have grown but have not broken the shaft and it is having difficulty jumping up to the ledge of the scrape to get food.
Will be sending a note to Evergy. The little one tried to jump up to the perch so it could have prey but failed…
Just look who has returned to the Cal Falcons scrape!
Doug Gillard reports on the little Red-tail hawk, Tuffy, let that has survived in the Bald Eagle Nest with his foster sibling, Lola.
Kathryn reports that one of the goshawks in Estonia has branched. She adds, “I have somehow watched this nest since the eggs were laid and I thought none of them would hatch since they were left out in the cold so often! But look at them now!” Beautiful hawks.
At the Black Kite nest in the Kurzeme Forest, the only chick of Gold and Griegis is doing well.
Dulles-Greenway gives us an update on Pat, the eaglet of Rosa and Martin, that is in care.
Meanwhile, Pi and Flora are being fed by the adults in the wetlands.
Each of us needs to know that what we do matters. We can change the lives of our raptors, but we have to take action. Sometimes it is simply ‘baby steps’ towards our goal, but each success will lead to another. We must realise and inform others that the fate of our wildlife, our beloved raptors depends on us because most of their challenges are human-caused.
Thank you to everyone for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, Kathryn, T’, Dahlgren Ospreys, Severna Park Ospreys, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, Collins Marsh Ospreys, Fortis Exshaw, Marsh Meadows, island Beach Ospreys, Wolf Bay Ospreys, PSEG, Oceanside Ospreys, Seaside ospreys, Patuxent River Part Ospreys, Lachelle Koestert and Peregrine Falcons at Great Spirit Bluff, Aliengirl and Bale Eagle Live Nests and Cams, Maria Marika FB, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Boulder County Fairgrounds Ospreys, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Vijay and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Cornell RTH, Cornell Cam Chatters, World Bird Sanctuary, Eagle Club of Estonia, Looduskalender Forum, Window to Wildlife, Evergy Topeka Falcon Cam, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, Canadian Peregrine Falcon Foundation, Doug Gillard and Nor Cal Birding, Latvian Fund for Nature, Dulles-Greenaway and Forstythe Ospreys.
So what do you do when you worry? This morning after seeing Tiny shut out of food at the Patchogue nest for another day, it seemed like a good idea to head out for a walk in the forest despite the 29C temps. Tiny has not eaten since it had a huge crop late Saturday. Nothing is better to clear the mind than walking through trees with a slight breeze and looking at ‘the living’.
Fort Whyte Alive is restoring and building wetlands. They are being so careful not to disturb the waterfowl that the new area is intended to benefit. Two days ago, I could see only two Hooded Mergansers despite others saying there were three. Today, I turned, and there were three! Two drakes and a hen. Then turning away – I did not make a peep, but I sure wanted to – there was another hen with ducklings! There were eighteen. After so few goslings and Mallard ducklings, this was just overwhelming. Hooded Mergansers do breed in southern Manitoba but, according to all the ‘counts’, they are more populous in eastern Canada and Ontario than where I live.
Happiness in a pond full of Dragonflies and mosquitoes! A tip: if you go to wetlands and there are mosquitoes about, do not wear open-toe sandals. Yes, I did. LOL. Silly me. But I did have on long pants and a long sleeve shirt. Thank goodness. The running joke in Winnipeg is that people get eaten so severely by mosquitoes that they feel like they have given blood to the Red Cross. There were t-shirts to that effect for one year. The Dragonflies must be eating well!!!!!!!
In addition to the Hen, there were also two Mallard hens with eight ducklings. This was just a wonderful sight.
The two Mallard drakes were having a siesta!
Hooded Mergansers are ‘climate endangered’ according to Audubon. Many hope that the species is adjusting to climate change.
There are always Red-winged Blackbirds standing sentry at the top of the trees, flying around and following the humans on the paths if they get too close to their nests. This fella kept a really close eye on me and was vocalising very loud.
But then…just around the bend, there were geese with their five goslings. Talk about growing! This is the couple in the water two days ago.
Just lovely. School children were everywhere with nets checking the water, some were in kayaks or canoes, and others were heading to the Interpretative Centre. It is a great place to introduce youngsters to nature and hopefully, they will grow up to be good stewards of the land.
Lewis and Missey literally go and hide when they hear a Peregrine Falcon! It is incredible. Not frightened by eagles or anything else but let those falcons start and off they run! Her name is Soledad, the only eyas of Monty and Hartley at the San Jose City Hall scrape. Nice name.
Soledad is one ‘tough cookie’. Very strong and curious…she goes all over the place! After a meal, of course.
Sometimes Monty looks terrified.
In case you are going to miss, Deyani, SK Hideaways did a really cute video of this gorgeous hawklet before she fledges!
Patchogue is heartbreaking. The fish have changed. There are big bony ones coming on that take a long time to feed so that by the time it could be Mini’s turn, the Big ones are hungry again. Mini is very intimidated but that does not stop it from watching and trying to get up to some fish. It has been beaked by one of the big siblings and has lost out on food on Monday – at least anything more than a few bites by 1606 that I have seen.
Mini hopeful at 1607, but no fish left. This little one had tried and tried. Did I say that I have to go for walks in order to watch this nest now? Pray for lots of fish…we need a fish right after one another.
Mini had only a few bites of food today and was brutally attacked by the older siblings. How sad this has all become. It is unclear if any intervention could take place. ‘L’ is on it -. PSEG says that the osplets are all “doing fine”. It is 2300 and Mini has not eaten for 52 hours…OK. 3-4 bites. By Tuesday evening it will be the very critical 72 hours. Let us all collectively hope for a fish.
It is Tuesday morning and three large boney fish came to the Patchogue nest prior to 1019. Mini had 3 bites before it was sent into submission. The little one tried to chew off a bone. Mini is starving and persistent and a survivor…if it gets a chance. Mum was being so slow to start to feed it from this fish that I thought she was going to refuse. Mini does not understand.
Mum works around that bony head of the fish and finally starts feeding Mini a few decent bites. Is it possible Mini will get the rest of that fish before the others wake up? If so, Mini will survive to live again. Go Mini!
Tears. This nest desperately needs fish delivered like this or Mini will continue to be shut out and desperate. Send your most positive wishes. We need Mini to be another week older and he should be able to handle the Big ones better.
1100. Still being fed. Mum is fighting the bones and trying to eat, too. Mini is getting a crop. So Mini went more than 60 hours. Tears. Come on Mum…feed this baby more quick!
Mini ate until 1108 when the Big ones came up. Now why can’t Mum feed Mini as fast as she does the Big ones? It would make all the difference.
The weather has turned nasty in the UK with thunderstorms, high winds, lightning and hail. Maya kept the three osplets warm and protected as best she could teaching them to tuck their heads in. The minute the storm stopped Blue 33 was on the nest with a fish. Yes, he caught it during the thunderstorm for his family. Great guy! My choice if I were an Osprey!
It might be clear in Rutland but it is pitching down rain at Glaslyn. Elen is keeping the babes warm and dry.
The camera at Dyfi seems to be down.
At Llyn Brenig, Mum is spread out in a great umbrella protecting her chicks.
Dylan is home with Seren at Llyn Clywedog. The storm is passing.
At Loch of the Lowes, Laddie delivered another small gold fish. This nest is hungry. The issue is down to intruders.
Good feed on Tuesday. No animosity at LOTL. Yippeee.
At Loch Arkaig, the storm arrived quickly and left. Dorcha took great care of her Only Bob in the heavy rain and hail – but not until she had bolted off the nest when loud thunder frightened her. Just listen to the wind and heavy rain. Poor thing.
No shortage of fish at Poole Harbour. I saw one on the nest while CJ7 was feeding off another. All Bobs are little reptiles now.
Continuing to watch the Evergy Topeka Peregrine Falcons, where the third hatch is only a day younger than the two oldest and yet…the plumage is underdeveloped. Grateful that the feathers are starting to come out of the shafts but, what will happen to this baby?
‘H’ reports that the feedings remain civil at Barnegat Light. That is fantastic news…We all know that this can change. All it takes is a bad day for fish deliveries to set the nest off so please enjoy it now! You can see they are turning into little reptiles…itchy and a little anxious, they will be.
Birds in Helping Hands reminds us:
We are monitoring the Great Spirit Bluff Falcon scrape. There was a fierce GHO attack and Savannah defended the nest. Hoping she returns and is uninjured.
Newmann, the Dad, has been dropping off food. Savannah has not been seen since the GHO attack. Send your wishes. The eyases are old enough that Dad can raise them alone but our thoughts are with this brave Mum who might have fought that owl to the death to save her chicks.
Young Benjamin has caught up with the other storklets and is now six days old. This is excellent news. This wee one was so tiny. See the change!
There are still four storklets at the nest of Karl II and Kaia in the Karula National Forest in Estonia. There were numerous feedings throughout the day and at the evening feeding by Karl II the storklets had huge crops. Kaia arrived to feed but seeing no one was hungry enjoyed all the fish herself. the parents have to eat, too. This is great news – everyone full and the storklets all growing.
Bety and Bukacek’s storklets are growing and growing and doing fabulous. There are five of them.
This is the latest update on Dulles-Greenway Pat:
Ithaca, New York needed rain. We noticed this on Ferris Akel’s tours and it was getting it on Monday. The Ms were soaked! But with all that beautiful plumage, they are fine. Big Red was on the nest at one point and you could not tell her from one of the Ms.
Not sure they moved!
Murphy and his Eaglet have now been separated. Here is the latest news from Wild Bird Sanctuary.
If you are a fan of Kielder Ospreys then you will be delighted to hear that Blue 437 named Elsin, the only offspring of UV, and grandchick of Mrs G and 11 (98) – the original Glaslyn pair – was spotted in Cumbria. He survived his first migration!
Thank you so much for being with me this morning as we skipped around the nests. My focus remains on Mini at Patchogue (as well as Mini at Forsythe who had 36 bites this morning and Boulder County that I need to check on). Send your best wishes to all the nests. Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog this morning: ‘H’, ‘L’, ‘SK’, San Jose City Hall Falcons, SK Hideaways and SJCH Falcons, SK Hideaways and Window to Wildlife, PSEg, LRWT, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Llyn Brenig, CarnyXWild, LOTL, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Evergy Topeka Falcons, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, Birds in Helping Hands, Linda McIlroy and Raptors of the World, Maria Marika, Eagle Club of Estonia, Mlady Buky Stork Cam, Celia Aliengirl and BE Live Nest Cams and News, Cornell RTH, Kielder Forest, and Wild Bird Sanctuary.
Oh, Sunday was a beautiful day – much cooler with a super breeze. A nice day to be out in the garden – it has really been neglected. The tiny tomatoes needed picking and the w—- hole hanging to—–mato plant needed a good spray with Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salts). Did you know that about a 1/4 of a cup in a gallon container – mixed well – and sprayed on the leaves will rejuvenate them if they are yellow with green veins. Try it! Planted three oak trees for the future and three more peony plants for me. The bees have really been visiting the climbing rose-s and the rest of the garden is quiet except for Junior, one grey squirrel, and some sparrows. Talk about lonely – missing those critters.
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With the Ms safely back in their nest and everyone talking about ear parasites, how much do we really know?
Everything you did and did not want to know about nest parasites and maggots in the ears of hawks!!
Taking a wee bit of a break from the ospreys to check on some of the other nests that we like to follow such as the Black Storks in the Karula National Forest in Estonia of Karl II and Kaia (the foster parents of Bonus). Oh, they are adorable. There has been or had been some difficulty with getting food as the Blue Herons were taking the fish from the baskets provided by Urmas. The chicks are hungry and for the first time it has been noticed that Karl II was pulling on both chick 4 and 3…perhaps to do a brood reduction due to poor foraging. This is highly unusual. I do not know of Karl II ever initiating an attempt at brood reduction. He must be very concerned about the foraging and the ability of him and Kaia to provide for four on the nest. This is so sad. Urmas has worked hard to supply the fish baskets for the storks but, he cannot stop other species from feeding. They are also hungry.
When they were feeding, Kaia put the food down in front of storklet 1. Parents want at least one of their offspring to survive when times with food shortages are intense. So many nests of all species have food shortages this season.
The only eaglet at the Bucovina Gold Eagle nest in Romania appears to be doing well.
Oh, the love-life dramas of single male Ospreys. W6 needs a mate at Keilder Forest and he would be a fantastic catch. Read about his latest escapades!
There is much concern at the Kielder nest 2 where the third chick has hatched and it is 75 hours younger than egg 2! The record at Kielder is 100 hours. Please send this nest your best wishes…we are all nervous already.
‘H’ nest updates at Barnegat Light: “Another feeding observed, 1517 to 1530 -Little was late arriving to the table as s/he was sleepy. The three siblings ate side by side without any bonking. At one point Big accidentally knocked Little flat on his back, but Little recovered and went back to Daisy for more bites. Little had a total of 30 bites, and some of them were pretty big ones. Later, per the chat: feeding at 1646 “They eat so nicely” “All three in a food coma”
Hatch for Tom and Audrey at Kent Island! ‘H’ reports that this baby was out of the shell around 0330 and that if it is egg 1, it was 42 days old – H was told that Audrey’s eggs tend to hatch at the far end of the scale.
Tom sees his baby for the first time. (This is new-dad, Tom – all ospreys at this nest are named Tom and Audrey).
Dahlgren looks good, also. “Feeding 1413 to 1455, very peaceful, both Osplets well fed. Ya, know, at 4 days apart, this nest is just a pleasant surprise. It still amazes me.”
At the Forsythe nest, Mini is getting battered by Little. Like Mini at Patchogue, it has missed out on a number of critical meals on Sunday. There were ten fish deliveries and ‘H’ counted that Mini got 159 bites of fish. I remember dancing when I counted 97 bites for Tiny Tot Tumbles. Mini will live to see another day but Little appears to be getting much more aggressive…going after Mini which tells me the third hatch is a female, most likely.
‘H’ complete report to give you an idea of how a nest is watched when we think siblicide could become an issue: “Feeding 0818 to 0829, small partial fish – Mini was up front and did not get any bites from Opal before s/he was beaked by Little. Crazy Little beaked big at 0820, and was beaked back. Little did make it back to eat, but Mini never even made an attempt to get back to the feeding line. Total for Mini = 0I’ve noticed that the attacks on Mini by Little the past day or so have become more violent, and include the biting, and last longer. Oh, geez.Feeding 1236 to 1251 – medium whole fish. Over 4 hours since the last fish.Little beaked Mini at the start. Mini in submission. I took until 1248 for Mini to get into a good position [3,1,2,4], but then Middle beaked Mini ! Total for Mini = 0Feeding 1340 to 1353 – medium whole fishMini wasn’t even up at the feeding line, but at 1342, Little reached back and beaked Mini, and again at 1345, and 1346. At 1346 Big Beaked Little. By 1348 Mini had found a safe spot to try to get fed, between Middle and Big, but Big beaked Mini ! Mini never came back. Bites for Mini = 0Feeding 1456 to 1501 – small partial. Mini was not bonked at all, but s/he seems timid of all of them now. Big only had a couple bites and dropped out. Mini held back, sort of between and behind the other two. Mom reached out and gave Mini one bite. Total bites to Mini = 1 Feeding 1529 to 153230 – small fish piece. Poor Mini scrambled across the nest to get to Mom first, and got two bites, before Little caught up with him and beaked him. Total for Mini = 2 bites. Feeding 1608 to 1615 – small fish. Mini first to Mom’s beak, but is soon bonked by Little. Things shuffle around a bit, Mini gets back to the table, then positioned [4,1,2,3], and Mini got some bites. Total bites for Mini = 17. Feeding 1647 to 1654 – small partial. Once again Mini rushed over to Mom, received one bite, then was beaked by Little. At 1652 Little tried to reach between Middle and Little, and Little beaked Mini. Total for Mini = 1. Feeding 1749 to 1803 – partial fish. Mini was bonked by Little at the beginning. At 1752 Mini wasn’t even close by, but Little just had to beak him again. At 175942, Mini got its first bite. Only Middle was still nearby, but at that point Mini got nearly a private feeding. Total bites for Mini = 36. So far, today, 10 feedings (I sent a report on the first two earlier). There may be another feeding this evening, I’ll check in the morning. Total bites for Mini so far today = 159.” How sad it is that your birth order has such an intense impact on your life (as it often does with humans, too). — The feeding for Mini did not change with other deliveries on Sunday night. Mini went into submission even though there was fish left that Mum ate. It is not looking good for this fourth hatch at all.
At the Patchogue Osprey platform, Mini is as keen as Mini at Forsythe for fish but has been often locked out due to the Big ones barging in or the intimidation that comes now from both Big and Third. Thankfully, Mini is older, wiser, and waits and watches…and I am certain that this Mini is a female.
Mini at Patchogue stretching and flapping its wings after finally getting a fish feed. Mum fed the three for over an hour. It is unclear how much was left of that bony fish when Mini got its ultimate time to eat by itself in peace. But, Mini did get some fish.
In the UK, Louis turns up with a late night fish snack for Dorcha. So sweet…and the talon tapping osplet slept through it!
Oh, how I have been missing Jackie and Shadow. Popping in and what a surprise. Our gorgeous Big Bear couple were on the nest! ‘B’ tells me this is an unusual low-lying cloud on the mountain obstructing the view. These two are looking good and they are protecting their territory and taking care of that nest!
Today has been a different posting…I will do a quick sweep of some of the Osprey nests but not all of them. My concerns are with Forsythe and Patchogue. We will go back to tracking the daily happenings of most of the nests for Tuesday.
Patuxent I appears to be good today. Nice crops on both osplets.
Loch of the Lowes: Despite having to defend the nest, literally, from intruders, Laddie managed to get a big fish in and both of the osplets had bulging crops. Blue NC0 had to help Laddie defend…go away intruders!
Dyfi Ospreys: It was raining in Wales. Telyn had been a keen mumbrella for the two. Dry and fish in the nest. Thanks, Idris!
All is well at Glasyn with Elen and Aran and the two osplets.
Poole Harbour: Three itchy Reptilian Bobs for CJ7 and Blue 022. All is good.
Manton Bay: All is well, feathers are coming in – you can see the shafts. But the condensation doesn’t let us get a very good look at Blue 33 and Maya’s three Bobs.
Llyn Clywedog with Dylan and Seren Blue 5F: All good.
Llyn Brenig: As far as I can tell-without watching closely-, all is OK.
Loch Arkaig: Louis brings a large whole fish to Dorcha and chick for breakfast. Well done, Louis.
Boulder County Fairgrounds: My concerns are growing for the survival of the third hatch. Is anyone watching this family closely? Any comments? Hatch dates are May 26, 27, and 29 but that little one appears to be struggling. Please correct me if I am wrong!
In Germany, at the Fischadler web scale, the trio are doing great. T he third hatch just barrels in and pushes its way through the two bigger siblings to get fish. Way to go!
‘A’ watched Deyani yesterday for us and reports, “Deyani had an interesting day, with three breakfasts between 07:10 and 07:33, then nothing until shortly after 7.30pm, when dad brought in a partial rabbit for dinner. As occurred yesterday, the food brought to the nest was about half what they had been bringing up until that point. So it is obvious that over the past two days, the parents are preparing Deyani for fledge – she does presumably need to lose a little bit of weight before she can fly (power-to-weight ratio, spoilt, greedy only chick and all that). Today (12 June) will be the first day of fledge watch – I am not ready, but it appears Deyani is, and Angel and Tom certainly believe their hawklet is on the verge of taking the plunge. The chick is SO curious. I will miss her antics on the nest. Today, she had an epic battle with a pine cone, which landed on the nest with quite a big ‘thud’, obviously from high in the tree. (Had it landed on Deyani, she would really have felt it, I suspect, from the sound dit made and the size of it.) The hawklet had no idea what it was, and initially gazed at ity in astonishment. She then became concerned it may be alive. The tentative approaches with her talon, followed by kicks and other attacks on the pine cone were just TOO funny. Watch her from 5.59pm as she hangs onto it tightly with her right talon and attempts to pull pieces off the pine cone (or defur it). She also had an entertaining moment when a Daddy Long Legs crawled across the pine cone and up the tree. She was entranced as she watched its progress.”
Darling Luna visits the scrape giving us a really good look at how much those chicks of Lou and Annie have grown since fledge.
Birdlife Malta is concerned about changes to EU laws that had allowed for the creation of biodiversity spaces – the Restoration Lawls – and a move by politicians to delete or water down what is in existence. If you live in the EU, speak up!
That said, I know that each of you is interested in so many things, and a new essay in Emergence Magazine might interest you. It is about migrations. The writing is fantastic. Have a read “Creaturely Migrations on a Breathing Planet”.
Thank you so much for being with me today. I hope that you found something of interest – and that you will always look out for the birds. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to create my blog today: ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘H’, Parasitism in Hawks, Looduskalender Forum, Eagle Club of Estonia, Bucovina Golden Eagles, Lady Hawk and Bucovina Golden Eagles, Kielder Ospreys, Barnegat Light, Dalhgren Ospreys, Forsythe ospreys, PSEG, Geemeff and Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, FOBBV, Patuxent River Park, LOTL, Dyfi Ospreys, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, LRWT, CarnyXWild, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Boulder County Fair Grounds Ospreys, Fischadler Web Cam, Birdlife Malta, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, and Emergence Magazine.
On Saturday, I checked on Mini at Patchogue the first thing and then went off to count goslings and ducklings. I do not even know what to say. The numbers are dismal for hatches this year. Last year, we had floods that ruined the eggs. Some couples laid replacement clutches. But this year, there were simply not the number of geese in the parks to start and even fewer now. We know that the heat has driven all those without little ones north to find food and cooler weather. But what happened to their eggs in the first place? I am hoping that some of our goose specialists will have some answers later in the summer.
I have been following this goose couple all season. Like the other couple, below, they used the nesting baskets provided for their eggs. If there were predators about, this is why their eggs were safe. Why only one hatched for these two is not known. They have always had one little one tagging between them. They are very protective and with reason. This gosling is precious!
There was one other goose couple. They started out with nine youngsters and are now down to five. How adorable is this? A train in the water – Mum and Dad at either end keeping track so no one gets lost or left behind.
Looked and looked. Came across a pair of Hooded Mergansers and some turtles sunning themselves.
And a pair of Mallards with six ducklings.
At the nature centre, the geese and ducks generally remain in the confines of the wetlands, not venturing out as some of the others in our City might. There is a considerable absence of young this year. I then went to another site that I check regularly – where the Osprey flew over head the other evening. There were 38 Canada Geese and 16 goslings of varying ages.
The American White Pelicans were swimming around the edge of the pond and then decided to cross. They are lovely.
When I got home, it was a relief to see Junior enjoying the water in the bird bath and Scraggles on the fence eating a peanut. The garden is sooooo very quiet. (taken through window screens so not so clear)
Scraggles sees me and is frozen…he is living in a tree just down the lane. Wish I could find where Dyson is! The City cut down her original tree as it did Scraggles and she has relocated…
But, first up, there was an intervention at the Cornell Red-tail Hawk nest of Big Red and Arthur. Thanks to streaming cam watchers and volunteers, there was ‘movement’ noted in the ears of two of the Ms. Veterinarians from the Janet Swanson Wildlife Hospital observed and identified the problem as being maggots. They also noted that M3 was keeping its 3rd eyelid over its eye, indicating pain. Arrangements were made to intervene as leaving the infestations could cause pain, infection or damage to the ear and nerves. The intervention was successful and the Ms are now back in the nest with Big Red and Arthur. Thank you! Cause of the maggots: an abundance of prey!
Mini might get shut out of some meals, but, more often than not, Mini leaves with a big crop. On Saturday, there was a moment when the Third tried to intimidate Mini. It went away but was back at the table within a few minutes. Many of Saturday’s fish were very large. Everyone at the Patchogue Nest ate. One thing is for sure – Mini is growing! Those wings are getting bigger. Oh, I hope we are on the stretch to knowing that Mini will survive and fledge!
Mini waiting at noon for the next fish and it arrives. A nice big one.
Mini decides to sleep on the fish but is still in a bad spot for feeding.
Mini moves out of the way.
Oh, but Mini watches and waits and then just look at all that fish that is left and who is up there for a feeding.
After…a nice crop.
Just look at our Little Mini. Clown feet, the red copper feathers at the nape of the head. This osplet is changing and in the nest few days will look very different! Little Mini is going to have some nice feathers growing from that wooly charcoal coloured thermal down. Look carefully at the size of Little Mini’s wings. Not so ‘Little Mini’ anymore. Thankfully.
Throughout the day, Little Mini had a good crop. Dad always brings in at least one nice fish at the end of the day if not two. Mini was too full to eat! All is well.
It appears that Mini might have been shut out of all the early morning feeds at Patchogue. A fish has been left in the middle of the nest to encourage self-feeding and while Mini can sit at the open end and pull some flakes, he really is not yet able to hold it down and pull to get enough food. I am hopeful Mum will feed the little one. Big is now hoping and wing flapping.
‘H’ has been watching the Boathouse Osprey platform of Skiff and Dory closely for the first sign of a pip and it came Saturday morning! Day 39 for egg 1. ‘H’ reports that it was a quick hatch. Dory was not giving any secrets away but the first full view of the chick came at 1338. Thanks, ‘H’. Already wanting fish!
While there is jubilation at the Boathouse, there is growing concern at the Forsythe Nest that ‘H’ has been monitoring. Here are Saturday’s observations. “The aggression seems to be getting worse. There were 9 fish deliveries, but they were all small or small partials. Feeding 0750 to 0808 -Mini did not start out next to Little, and managed to get some bites, but when Middle slid back a little bit, Little attacked Mini. By 0757 Mini was back in a pretty good place [4,2,3,1]. Mini got some bites until Middle dropped back, and at 0806 Little again attacked Mini. Mini didn’t make it back. Total bites for Mini = 35. Feeding 0835 to 0900 – Mini started out eating beside Little and got many bites before Little even started to eat. Little already had a big crop. By 0840 Little wanted to eat, and beaked Mini (Mini never retaliates, simply goes into submission). At 0856 Mini was back at the table eating beside Middle. Big and Little had dropped out. Total bites for Mini = 45. Feeding 1030 to 1045 – Positioned [4,1,2,3]. Positioning stayed the same. There was no aggression. Total bites for Mini = 30.nFeeding 1158 to 1206. Positioned [1,4,3,2]. At 1159 Little beaked Mini, but shortly thereafter, Little dropped out. Mini soon came back and ate. Middle dropped out at 1204. Total bites for Mini = 29. Feeding 1603 to 1610 -Positioned [4,1,3,2], Mini should be good right? At 1606, Little lunged at Mini right across the front of Big, Mini dropped back. Then, Little beaked Big and Middle. Big attacked Little. Little then attacked Mini who was already in submission. Big attacked Little again. At 1607 Big and Middle ate. At 1609 Little tried to get back to eat, and was beaked by Big. Big wouldn’t allow Little to return. Then for some reason, Big beaked Middle. Mom, Opal, finished the fish. Total bites for Mini = 6. Feeding 1645 to 1654 – Positioned [3,4,1,2] Mini stayed tucked in submission from the start. So I went back to see what had transpired before the fish arrived. Well, for some reason at 1644 Mini beaked Big a couple of times. So Big punished Mini. Mini tucked and stayed tucked. They lined up to feed right around where Mini was. Little beaked big up at the food line, so Big beaked back and Little was out. So, Little had just a few bites, Middle and Big finished the fish. Bites for Mini – 0. Feeding 1735 to 1745 – Positioned [1,2,4,3} Mini had 2 bites and then was beaked by Little, then Big beaked Little. At 1736 Mini tried to stand up and was beaked by Big!!! So Mini stayed in the back. At 1743 Mom reached over and gave Mini one bite. At 1744 Little turned around and beaked Mini. Bites for Mini = 3. Feeding 1803 to 1812 – Mini tucked when the fish arrived. The other three ate. At 1805 Mini tried to approach the feeding line next to Little and is beaked. Ditto at 1807 and 1810. Bites for Mini = 0. Feeding 1855 – 1908 – Mini tucked when the fish arrived. But Mini did approach the line, positioned [1,2,3,4}, got one bite of fish then was beaked by Little. At 1857 and 1859 Mini tried to approach and was beaked by Little. At 1903 Mom reached out and gave Mini 4 quick bites, but as soon as Little realized it, she beaked Mini. Total bites for Mini = 5.
Sunday morning saw improvements for Mini at Forsythe. ‘H’ reports: “Feeding 0539 to 0606 – Huge live fish,From the start, Little beaked Mini pretty badly, Mini out. Ditto at 0545, 0546, 0552 0604. At 0553 Big beaked Little. Each time Mini tried to engage, s/he was beaked by Little. Now, I was encouraged by the size of this fish, because the large fish tend to increase Mini’s chances of getting a private feeding at the end. Well, inexplicably, with 75% of the fish remaining, Oscar took it off the nest!! Cringe. Really Dad? Bites for Mini = 0. Feeding 0650 to 0716 – Oscar had taken the previous fish to the perch to eat, and he brought back 1/2 of the large fish. Mini got bites early, Little was late to the table, but by 0652 Little beaked Mini. Again 0655 Little attacked Mini when Mini raised up; that time Big beaked Little very aggressively and Little was out. Big laid down beside Little, between Little and the feed line, so Little couldn’t get back! One time Little tried, and Big raised up and gave her ‘the look.’ So, Middle and Mini ate. By 0706 Middle dropped out. At 070648 Mini walked away with a large crop, but Mini returned at 070830; and walked away again at 071030; and Mini returned to feed at 071315. Both Middle and Big returned for a few bites later on, but Little never did make it back to the front. Total bites for Mini = 102 YES!!!
‘H’ reports that the Dahlgren cam was down all day. She notes reports of two good feedings at Severna. Her observations of both nests at Patuxent revealed that all is well.
Kathryn reports on the Carova Osprey nest. She observes, “The dad has delivered 8 fish so far today. And it is only 3:30pm! They are averaging one fish per hour. It seems like the chicks are rotating feedings and one usually naps while the other two eat and then the one eats at the next feeding. Here they are all amazed because the dad brought two fish at once and one was flopping around! A commenter suggested this may have been done purposely by the dad to get them used to an alive fish! So cool.”
The fish are not always plentiful at the Cowlitz PUD nest. Most days, they might be said to be ‘pitiful’ compared to the size and number being brought to Patchogue. One nice sized fish did get on the nest on Saturday after Kathryn observed only a couple of tiny ones and the Only Bob got a feed.
The wee one had a nice crop and Electra had a good meal, too.
Imagine raising these little osplets from eggs found in a chimney. Sunnie Day posts a heartwarming story from MSN.COM:
Syndication: Cape Cod Times
ORLEANS 06/10/23 Wild Care’s Stephanie Ellis feeds just days old hungry osprey chicks their breakfast of ground quail She raised the birds from eggs that were removed from nests built on chimneys in Osterville and Falmouth by wild life officials The mission next, get the chicks placed into surrogate nests soon along with chicks their same age to be raised by a new set of parents Cape Cod Times/Steve Heasli in ORLEANS 06/10/23 Wild Care’s Stephanie Ellis feeds just days old hungry osprey chicks their breakfast of ground quail. She raised the birds from eggs that were removed from nests built on chimneys in Osterville and Falmouth by wild life officials. The mission next on ORLEANS 06/10/23 Wild Care’s Stephanie Ellis feeds just days old hungry osprey chicks their breakfast of ground quail. She raised the birds from eggs that were removed from nests built on chimneys in Osterville and Falmouth by wild life officials. The mission next, get the chicks placed into surrogate nests soon along with chicks their same age to be raised by a new set of parents. Cape Cod Times/Steve Heasli.
‘A’ has been pondering the nest of Angel and Tom and the upcoming fledge of Deyani.
“Can I nominate Angel as mother of the year? She only raised one, I know, but the sheer horror of watching her mate kill their first-born shook her to the core, and her ability to raise the second hatchling as she did, smothering it with love and protection, hunting for it alongside Tom to make sure it was properly fed until he got his act together, putting up with constant bombardments from the blue jays and their extended family, literally bouncing off her at the rate of up to a dozen hits per minute, was nothing short of inspirational. Even when Deyani was nearly as big as mum, Angel was on the nest during rain, sheltering her baby to the best of her considerable ability (she is a fantastic mumbrella, with those warm and cosy underfluffies looking very safe and appealing), spreading her wings to cover a huge area. She has been absolutely devoted.” “Meanwhile, it just occurred to me that rarely has a chick been so lucky to be born second on a nest. (Yes, I know, it’s a bizarre thought, but true.) I do miss that first hawklet, even though we only knew the little one for a day. It was such a sweet little cutie, and I will never forget its adorable face as it looked up at its dad and yawned. It was our final view of the chick alive. At least its death was quick – hawks are obviously relatively efficient in that regard. But I think a lot about what Deyani has missed out in without her sibling and Angel’s grief was truly something awful to watch. She was heartbroken. And very very angry. She knew she still needed Tom but she didn’t have to like that fact! I hope she has forgiven him for his error – he has done his best to do his best, as it were, and as I mentioned, he even fed Deyani the other day (or, rather, Deyani took food from his beak in a manner reminiscent of feeding). I hope they stay together now and build on what they have done this season. It is such a lovely, peaceful, prey-rich area to raise chicks.”
I did not, as mentioned earlier, check on many nests on Saturday. I am so grateful to those who monitor Osprey nests for me and those who send me news of nests I have been monitoring for one reason or another but did not on Saturday. ‘SP’ sends me new screen captures of the eyas from the Evergy Topeka Peregrine Falcon scrape. Oh, goodness. The wee one looks much better now that those feathers are breaking out of those quills. Now this really is a relief.
Dmitri’s storklet is certainly growing and eating – thriving under the care of this generous and compassionate man.
Dmitri has his storklet outside on the ground in this short video.
Ervie looking good! I kept the comment so you could see it is Ervie. Hard to locate that tracker the way he is situated.
Don’t these Osprey Mums know that we want to see that every chick gets fed?! Barnegat Light 1815 Saturday.
On Sunday, ‘H’ was able to get sight of some feedings, “Feeding from 0644 – 065230. Little was in the back, kind of clueless as to how best to get fed. After several minutes Little started to move around Big and got two bites from Daisy. But, clumsy Big inadvertently knocked Little into the back row again. It was a long time until Little finally got beside Big and began to consistently get bites. Soon Big and Middle dropped out. They are clumsy and awkward, but, there was no intentional bonking between any of them. Total bites for Little = 17.
Crossing the Pond and look at those healthy chicks of Idris and Telyn at the Dyfi Osprey nest in Wales.
What a beautiful Osprey family – CJ7 and Blue 022 – and their trio at Poole Harbour.
Lady
Laddie has had to spend too much time guarding the territory and needs more time being able to fish for the family. There were no less than six intruders seen. Laddie delivered a fish in the morning and one around 1330. Blue NC0 was fish crying for her and the kids Sunday morning.
At Loch Arkaig, we have the ‘bobbing’ Bob. The Only Bob seems to like to beak Dorcha’s talons. It reminds me of a nicknack my grandmother’s had – a bird that would bob its head and pick up a toothpick. The Only Bob is 11 days old today, and you can see it is entering the Reptile phase. See that oily black head. Louis delivered at least five fish on Friday and is known for being diligent…the chick is definitely not hungry!
It is also time to begin checking on Dad and Lady at the WBSE nest in the Sydney Olympic Park. It is now time that eggs could be laid! ‘A’ is going to keep tabs on this couple for us. She reports, “Shortly after 2pm, both Lady and Dad were back on the nest in Olympic Park. Dad arrives first, around 14:02, and arranges a stick before just standing in the middle of the nest for a couple of minutes, looking around as if surveying the area. Checking it for potential threats perhaps? Lady joins him just before 14:07. Dad does some aerating in the centre of the nest as Lady watches. They then stand in the middle of the nest for a moment. Their visits to the nest are becoming increasingly frequent. These two are definitely trying for an egg (or two). Lady is not only ‘receptive’ but appears to be actively encouraging mating, which would lead one to presume her ‘window of hormonal opportunity’ is open.”
I know that many of you are interested in bird feeders and their cameras and this particular video caught my eye. There is a Cooper’s Hawk that visits!
Thank you for being with me today in Bird world. Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped to create my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, Kathryn, ‘SP’, Cornell RTH Cam, PSEG, Audubon/Explore, Forstythe Ospreys, Outerbanks 247, Cowlitz PUD, Sunnie Day and MSN.com, Window to Wildlife, Evergy Topeka, Storks on line, Janice Love and Friends of Osprey Sth Ads, Barnegat Light and Conservation Conservancy of NJ, Dyfi Osprey Project, Poole Harbour ospreys, LOTL, Friends of Lock Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, and Gettysburg Live Cam.
To put a smile on your face – this is our Ervie eating a fish on his favourite light pole. Thanks, Bazz Hockady for posting on Friends of Osprey Sth Australia! You just made our day brighter.
As I start writing the blog for Friday on Thursday afternoon, I have to say that my heart has sunk just a little bit. I received an e-mail that Middle was looking ‘good’ Wednesday evening from the rehabbers and then, there was a post on the Achieva FB page that Middle is in ‘guarded’ condition.
This is the latest update that I have seen on Middle – and it is good news. What a relief. Middle might not be out of the woods yet, so continue with your best wishes, and please send a big thank you to Birds in Helping Hands. They have an online form…no donation is required. We need more people willing to go the extra mile (literally), and these folks sure did.
There were supposed to be more thunderstorms in our area but they did not materialise. A visit to one of the local areas to count goslings/ducklings turned into a wonderful experience – one of those moments when the worry of Middle vaporised for a bit. When I opened the car door, an osprey flew overhead – about 7 metres. It was fishing. The time was 1930 and it would have been looking for the last meal for it, its mate and any chicks that could be on a nest. Perhaps she is still incubating. The osprey nest that is normally near the tennis courts at the University is not there this year so I do not know where this couple reside.
No photographic awards for these silhouettes…remind me of cutting out black construction paper as a child and putting it on white paper! But there, this beautiful osprey is looking for food right above me.
The American White Pelicans preening…last year there were some huge fish in this tiny urban pond. The water is so clear compared to some of the parks. An ideal spot for an osprey to fish, too.
Goslings with their parents up on the hill above the Pelicans.
Do you know the band, The Cure? Started in the UK eons ago and morphed along the way doing The Lost World tour in the US? What captured my eye is that their poster for Thursday night’s gig in Minneapolis shows two Ospreys.
My constant obsession appears to be Mini at the Patchogue nest. The three larger siblings get larger – yes, Mini is growing, but the size ratio issue continues. Thankfully, Mini is spunky. Thursday started with the female being wholly preoccupied with intruders. A fish arrived at 0606, but she flew off, leaving most of the fish and Mini fish begging. He did not understand why Mum would not feed him when he was at the beak. Mini was shut out several times despite being upfront. He managed to get some food from the 11:43 delivery. At the 1320 delivery, Mini got himself up, and finally, at 1330, Mum fed her tiniest baby. Mini was shut out of a later feeding, and I am now quite worried about him. The coming days will be critical as Mum always appeared to care and hang back fish for Mini.
At 1647 everyone ate but Mini.
Just an observation at the Patchogue Nest. The raptors often pile up together by gender. This may be why there is little aggression to Mini. Are Big Bob, Second Bob, and Mini all males? And is Third Bob a female? (the more aggressive one). Or are Big, Second, and Mini all females and Third a male?
It was a frustrating day at the Patchogue nest but then a huge fish landed a little after 1930. Thank goodness. At 1944, Mini, who had been in line moves over to avoid Big but in less than a minute is back up in line determined to finally get some fish. And Mini eats – Mum feeds her tiny baby and he is still there at 20:06 when he walks away with a huge crop. Relief.
1835. Mini wants some fish.
1740. All lined up and eating that huge trout.
At 1945 Mini lets Mum know it is hungry and wants food! This time she listens and feeds Mini. Now look at the fish that is left. Mini is going to get all of this except for what Mum ate. Fantastic. He needs the food. He is in a big growth state. Indeed, Mini needs to eat more than the others to reach its peak size.
1948. Mini is being fed!
All the others are away and Mini is still being fed.
2006. Big Crop for Mini!
‘H’ reports on Severna Park: “The cam was down until 10:30. I could not find a fish delivery until 1524, Olivia brought a monster fish. Surprisingly Middle ate first, with Big holding back. Wow. Then at 1528, Middle peeked over at Big, and got ‘the look’, so Middle moved aside and cowered. Big commenced eating, and at the first fish-feeding position, there really wasn’t anywhere for Middle to go to get fed, so s/he just waited, and Big gave Middle ‘the look’ a few other times. After Big was sated, Olivia decided to move the fish to the other side of the nest, and resumed the feeding, primarily feeding Middle. Both Osplets were stuffed. It was a 55 minute feeding.” Well, that is good news coming out of that nest. A key to the smaller one’s survival on the nest is not to ‘look’ directly in the eye of the larger sibling especially if it has been abusive. It just seems to set them off.
‘H’ also reports on the Patuxent River Park nests which she observes for our data collection.
Patuxent I: “Feeding from 1538 to 1611, from a huge live fish. Very peaceful, both were full.”
Patuxent II: “What a strangely shaped bowl, deep and elongated. Mom positioned herself so she could only feed two at a time. Big and Middle started up close to Mom. #3 displayed the patience of Job, and waited a very long time for his turn. They all were well fed. They all were up at the table several times. I only saw two bonks: At 1433 Big was behind and wanted to get back up front so beaked #2, #2 simply obliged. And at 1537 Middle bonked Little once, just for good measure. I had expected to see slightly more aggression from these three as I had seen previously, but it just didn’t happen.”
All lined up nicely at Oyster Bay. Did they all get fed? Hard to tell.
The ‘Only Bob’ at Cowlitz PUD did an incredible PS mid-day on Thursday while waiting for Mum to feed it. And she did…
CJ7 feeding the chicks before bed and Blue 022 brings in another fish, just in case.
The two Bobs at Llyn Brenig appear to be doing just fine.
Geemeff caught Dorcha and Louis’s little one trying to self-feed. Dorcha was preoccupied – with an intruder? – during the meal and the wee Bob didn’t think those fish flakes were coming fast enough!
Louis delivers fish 3 at Loch Arkaig for Dorcha and Only Bob. It was a whopper!!!!!!!
Elen feeding two healthy osplets at Glaslyn.
Aran gets to feed his chicks again, too. These two make a great couple. so happy for Aran since Mrs G, his long term mate, did not return from migration.
Telyn is feeding the Bobs at Dyfi while Idris is preparing another fish for them! Sure would have loved to have seen this at Achieva!
Maya and Blue 33 and their three are doing fine at Rutland Water. It is hard to see because of the condensation on the cam but, lots of fish coming in.
There was a good feeding at Barnegat Light early on Thursday morning.
‘H’ reports that the two later feedings were also good at Barnegat Light. Fantastic. “Feeding 1427 to 1438, Little was up front. All got bites. Short feeding at 1515, was almost entirely a private feeding for Little. The other two were too sleepy, lol.”
Lovely image of E22 taken on 7 June.
Big Red looks so good to be 20 years old and well, she has been raising chicks for at least 17 years of that. Never waivers. Always takes the best of care with them!
‘L’ remarked that Iris had a ‘boyfriend’ the other day in comments. I waited to see if Louis would come and chase him off. There have been rumours of her hanging about off-camera with a few younger males. Louis is busy with Star and their babies, so this could be a perfect time for a nest takeover. Keep delivering fish to Iris! Yes, we know she can beat them all but, Louis hardly ever brought a fish…
I love this!
It will not be long until Murphy and his ‘Rock Baby’ Eaglet will be separated so that Rock Baby can get the flying skills it needs for release into the wild. What a story this has been – a beautiful one.
Are you a fan of the Royal Albatross. Voting is on for the name for SP! Here is the information so you can take part.
And last that scrappy little falcon on top of San Jose City Hall of Monty and Hartley’s. Getting banded today…
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to construct my newsletter today: ‘H’, ‘L’, Bazz Hockaday and Friends of Osprey Sth Aus, #Chris Packham, PSEG, Severna Ospreys, Patuxent River Park, Cowlitz PUD, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Bwywd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey Project, LRWT, Conserve Wildlife of NJ, Carol S Rifkin and NEFL and SWFL Eaglecam Watcher’s Club, Cornell RTH, Diane Lambertson and Montana Ospreys at Hellcat, Susan Dimitrakopoulos and Montana Ospreys at Hellcat, Louis Matteau and Montana Ospreys at Hellgate, ABC7 Southwest Florida, World Bird Sanctuary, Holly Parsons and Albatross Lovers FB, and SK Hideaways and SJCH Falcons.
If we blink, it will be June. Seriously. I could not believe it when I went out to check on the garden Sunday evening and within the last week, there are little green tomatoes on the hanging vines, the lettuce is up and so are the climbing beans. All of the transplants are thriving. I have three peony bushes to plant and done. Oh, we love summer in Canada. It is a time for relaxing and being outside after the long winter. It is also nice to see the migratory birds flying through on their way north. The Harris Sparrows were here yesterday and some have Baltimore Orioles in their gardens now. I simply cannot stress how good for our souls nature is – even when the times are tough for our feathered friends. The air might not be as fresh as it could be, but it is so much better than having a furnace on all the time…going barefoot, having sunlight after 1630, clear skies and stars.
The worry has been at the Loch of the Lowes but, Laddie has brought in fish and by some miracle that first hatch – which appears to be the second egg – has survived. I am in tears. This is excellent news coming on the continuing sadness at Lake Murray.
Monday morning early. Is this the first hatch? Has it gotten any food?
It really is a miracle. Everyone thought that it was dead and dying but here is Laddie with a fish and Blue NC0 feeding that hatch. It turns out it was the paler second egg so if the next one hatches it should be the third so only two for Blue NC0 to deal with – that is a blessing. She does not do well with three..but two, yes!
Geemeff gives us an edited feeding over 15 minutes. Fantastic, and, yes, I am in tears.
Lucy brought in five fish to the osprey platform at Lake Murray on Sunday. No one went hungry!
Ricky was last seen on 9 May at 17:09 when he delivered this fish. Five full days. Please send your best wishes to Lucy and the two surviving osplets.
This post sadly gives us some confirmation that a dead Osprey has been found in the area of Lake Murray and I am going to presume that it was Ricky. I hope that LMO sends the body for testing. That said, Lucy has picked up the pace on fish deliveries and let us all continue to wish her well as she continues on this journey of raising these two osplets to fledge all on her own. She has lost a mate and a chick.
And then the sadness. ‘H’ and Kathryn report C1 was taken by a GHO last night at 0137. This nest is not getting a break and Lucy was doing so well. I am beyond words.
The osplets at Achieva were also eating a fish brought in by Mum at 17:38 on Sunday. They had an early fish brought in before 0700.
Everyone is alright at the nest of Big Red and Arthur. Everyone is fed. Arthur has found some nests to raid and I see at least a couple more squirrels in the pantry.
Angel’s baby RTH5 has been eating well at the nest in Tennessee on Sunday also. Tom has really grown into his role as Dad and not any time too soon. I thought this hawklet was a goner. No food and newly hatched for 30 hours.
RTH5 has black talons. it will be a normal coloured Red-tail Hawk not Leucistic like Angel.
Baby was to full to are if Angel brought in more prey Sunday night!
‘A’ found a cute little video by Ondabebe of RTH5’s birthday breakfast delivery.
When I checked there were three fish on the Moorings Park Osprey Platform in Naples, Florida. Victor has yet to fledge. It is 18:35 Sunday night.
The two hatches at Manton Bay are strong and loving their fish. Two more eggs to go for Blue 33 and Maya.
Blue 33 continues to come in and check on his family. Love this guy!
Aran and Elen are looking good at Glaslyn. Awhile to go for those eggs to hatch but life is fine on that nest in the Glaslyn Valley in Wales.
Louis has been hanging out with Dorcha at Loch Arkaig…gorgeous couple. Dorcha reminds me so much of Mrs G with that dark colouring. She is definitely good at the old ‘snake eye’.
CJ7 and Blue 022 have the switch off for fish and incubation exchange down. They are a lovely couple and it appears that Poole Harbour is planning ways in which visitors can view the nest from a hide without interfering with the birds.
For all of us missing E22 – and I suspect that is everyone reading this – s/he’s home! Must have gone for a little tour. Time: 17:23 Sunday the 14th.
Still no Ospreys at the Cape Henlopen State Park brand new Osprey platform but the Black Vultures continue to love it!
Murphy’s eaglet is all grown up and perched like Dad! Just look at that. We know the nestlings grow and watch and study everything their parents do. Then they do them! Just think if human parents realised this and only did what they wanted their children to emulate.
While Murphy’s b baby was getting to perch or ‘sort of branch’, one of the two eaglets at Duke Farms has officially branched.
It is one explanation for it – Jack at the Dahlgren Osprey platform places the stuffed animals as decoys so that if the owl attacks it takes a stuffy and not one of his and Harriet’s chicks. No chicks yet to take but the Owl got one of the dogs on the nest last evening.
This article on Svalbard is particularly disturbing. The focus is on climate change and the Polar Bear but Svalbard is home to the largest population of Pink-footed Geese that spend their ‘winter’ in the UK – in Scotland and in Norfolk. When it is getting too hot for the birds in the south and now in the north, where do they go and how do they survive?
I have been reading about the Pink-footed Geese in Wintering. A Season with Geese by Stephen Rutt. His book led me to get the one that had inspired him – A Thousand Geese by Peter Scott and James Fisher written in 1953. “The pink-footed goose is the most abundant of our British wild geese – and the wildest. Its winter flocks on the meadows by the great estuaries of England and Scotland have been the respected quarry of generations of wild-fowlers, and – today – watchers. Its breeding grounds are remoter from civilisation than those of any other grey goose” writes Scott. His tale was of the wonder and the banding of thousands of geese. For Rutt, his is a diary and he speaks to a need to ‘see’ the birds that we have at hand and appreciate them. With the change in weather, and the ice melting – what will happen to the pink-footed geese?
There they are in England and Scotland where they arrive at the end of September and stay through the winter. Did you know that the geese travel with their fledglings as a family? It is quite remarkable.
As I worry about geese – no matter the species that I have come to love because of our local geese and ducks that return in spring – others are working to try and breed captive birds to release in the wild. There was some success with Socorio Doves at the London Zoo! The author says, “Numbers have been rising slowly and the birth of a new chick raises hopes that the doves, which once thrived on Socorro island, 600km (373 miles) off the west coast of Mexico, before being eradicated, could be restored to their former homeland.” Wouldn’t that be fantastic?!
Thank you so much for being with me today. Remember Dr Sharpe’s team are doing banding at the West End Eagle nest in the Channel Islands today. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, discussions, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, Kathryn, Geemeff, LOTL, Nick Gordon and Friends of Dyfi Osprey Project Lake Murray ospreys, Laurie Spender and osprey Friends, Achieva Credit Union, Cornell RTH, Window to Wildlife, Moorings Park Ospreys, LRWT, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery, and the Woodland Trust, Poole Harbour Ospreys, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Heidi McGru and Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park, World Bird Sanctuary, Duke Farms, Dahlgren Ospreys, and The Guardian.
Oh, it was a scorcher on the Canadian Prairies on Wednesday and we are set for 28 degrees C in a few days as the heat dome moves towards us fromm the West coast. All I can say is it is hot!
It is now 1839 Wednesday evening. Hail is coming down so intense that it is covering the ground like it is snow. It is about the size of marbles pelting. I can only imagine the horror at the Fort St Vrain Bald Eagle nest and the other nests in the area of that storm that went through Colorado. I wonder where all the garden critters are. Some will have gone into the small shelters for the chopped wood.
Relief. As soon as the storm passed, everyone was back in the garden.
Your giggle for the day comes from SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons! Red steals the food but doesn’t know what to do with it! She will learn soon enough! Mum Annie has a lot of patience but does the siblings who are hungry for breakfast?
A first for me. Two storklets with a snake on a nest in Germany could have gotten tangled. The Fire Brigade came to the rescue and saved the day. How do you say enlightened in bold letters?
‘T’ sent me the following information – check out the age of the male. “After the long-standing breeding stork Anna died in the 2021 breeding season, we will accompany Gerome (25 years) and his new breeding partner Frieda (17 years) from the Hessian nature reserve Bingenheimer Ried in the Wetterau in the 2023 breeding season. Up to and including the 2021 breeding season, Gerome had bred 14 times very successfully with the long-standing breeding stork Anna. During this time, Anna laid 71 eggs, from which 65 stork chicks hatched and from these a total of 47 young storks fledged.”
‘T’ reports that this is the same nest of Anna, the female Stork who broke her leg and the community helped to feed her and her babies. This is Anna’s former mate, Gerome, with his new female of two years. What an enlightened and caring community!
Another timely rescue this time of little Red-tail hawk lets in Austin, Texas. Smile every time you see humans helping our wildlife and reach out and thank them!
There has been, apparently, a lot of concern expressed about how Murphy’s baby will learn to hunt and live in the wild. World Bird Sanctuary shared their strategy with us on FB.
Bravo! E22 caught its first fish…little one dropped it but, gosh, this is progress. Well done, E22. Thanks, Gracie Shepherd. It is so good to see how well 22 is doing.
One day E22 will be catching whoppers like Aran does in the Glaslyn Valley of Wales, we hope. Just look at the size of that fish that landed on that nest! Elen has no idea how lucky she is that she found this nest and stayed….
There has been some concern about M1 taking a peck at M2 at Big Red and Arthur’s nest. This is perfectly normal behaviour and absolutely nothing to get worried over. It is very different from the dangerous level of aggression we have seen on osprey and eagle’s nests where siblicide has occurred due to food insecurity. I do not expect this level of rivalry to continue, and Arthur never lets the pantry dry up. Last year you might recall, everyone worried about little L4. Well, that last hatch climbed over all the others and was the first to catch its prey, becoming the first real juvenile after fledging. L4 is still around the campus – as far as I know.
I would loved to have seen Big Red when she was young and had her first brood. Just look at those tired feet. So grateful Arthur is such a good provider.
Big Red and one of her famous feeding sessions filling up those crops.
Birds, rats, mammals were all part of the feast at the nest of Angel and Tom in Tennessee today. Wow! So happy this little one survived those first days when food was so terribly scarce and Dad wasn’t sure how to help.
At 1841 the little one is getting another meal!
Everyone was elated when Rose returned to the WRDC nest – to Ron and R4 and R5. She appears to be fine.
Kathryn reports that Lucy has brought in the only fish at Lake Murray Ospreys on Wednesday. She also notes that Mum consumed C3. This nest really needs fish! What is going on with Ricky? Kathryn recalls six fish being delivered on Tuesday. Ricky has only been heard and not at the nest at all on Tuesday as of night fall. Intruders?
In addition to losing C3 on the 9th of May, we also lost the second hatch, Golden Eaglet, at Bucovina in Romania, the second hatch at Fort St Vrain, Colorado in a tragic hail storm. One of the little hatchings at Utica Peregrine scrape in NY was stuck to Mum Ares’ wing when she flew out. It fell and did not survive. So sad. Condolences to all those nests.
‘H’ reports that we have some osprey eggs that continue to be laid. Skiff and Dory – they raised three adorable osplets last year – have their third egg as of 10 May. This nest, as ‘H’ aptly notes could be problematic. She observes, “8 days between egg 1 and egg 3, with 5 days egg 1 to egg 2. Intermittent incubation for only about a day. (I may be wrong about that, we’ll know if they hatch closer together.)”. Last year we delighted in these two raising those feisty three. Let us hope that the outcome is equally as good this year but that is a huge difference -.
S Cape May Meadows in New Jersey has a second egg for Zeus and Hera on the 10th. Lots of eggs are going to be hatching at once! I have never watched the South Cape May osprey platform – let’s see how it goes. Are any of you avid fans?
Not clear how many fish came to the Achieva Osprey nest on Wednesday but, it looks as if it could have been two. Middle did get some fish around 1500 or a little after.
That cute little Decorah eaglet is huge. It looks like it is going to be a really big female! Look at the size of those legs and feet next to Dad. Wow, Hatchery Chick. Seriously, we blinked, and this happened. That cute baby turned into a Hulk?!
Chase and Cholyn’s eaglet is growing, too, but does not appear to be as ‘huge’ as DH2!
Iris has been fighting off female intruders and today a banded Montana intruder. She also accepted the reality of that egg and went off to feed herself. The Raven took the egg on the morning of 10 May. Iris will no doubt lay another and another and the Raven will also have those for breakfast.
As far as I know, at the time of writing, Victor has not taken his first flight. Abby flew for the first time on the 8th of May. Victor is working his wings.
Two beautiful ospreys…Sally and Harry were remarkable. With the heat domes, the impact of urban expansion, places could take a look at Moorings Park and start stocking the ponds for the ospreys! It is going to become more and more important as we create growing challenges for them.
Warblers and Baltimore Orioles are arriving in Manitoba along with White-throated Sparrows. In the UK, the Warblers are singing, too. Remember – sit outside, go for a walk, let the sun warm your face. It will make everything seem a whole lot better! Stay in the moment. We cannot bring back the feathered friends we have lost but we can enjoy the ones that are with us – live or virtually.
The goal of 1500 GBP has almost been met with a fortnight to go. Thank you to all of the donors. Conservation without Borders is working hard to keep HPAI from killing more birds – and I am thinking of late summer/fall return down the flyway.
Thank you so very much for being with me today. The sun is out Thursday morning and we are looking forward to some pips and hatches at a couple of the UK Osprey nests. Take care all. See you soon and remember…13 May is Big Bird Count! More on that tomorrow.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘T’, ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘S’, Kathryn, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, Starch Hochstadt, Candy Smith and Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters, World Bird Sanctuary, Gracie Shepherd and SW Florida, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Cornell RTH, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, Lake Murray Ospreys, Audubon/Explore, Nature Conservancy in New Jersey, Achieva Credit Union, Raptor Resource/Explore, IWS/Explore, Montana Osprey Project, Moorings Park Ospreys, The Guardian, and Crowdfunder.
Wednesday was a tough one. Thursday was better, but there are still two worrisome nests – Achieva’s and Angel’s. When it gets too much – and it does for everyone, we need to step back and change what we are doing. There has been no food for the little one at Angel’s for a day, and the little one has only had a few bites. I do not expect it to survive and, as of this morning, I, too, will step back.
It is true – go out and spend some time in nature, go for a walk, say hello to people you don’t know…at the end of all, you feel better. That is precisely what I did – a spin or two around the pond, stopping to chat with everyone along the way. The Wood Ducks are back.
Not in any great numbers, about five males and a couple of those sweet little females. There were a handful of Mallards and several hundred Canada Geese. It was sunny and dry, and everyone was happy to be outside.
There is green grass coming and some vegetation growing quickly so they can feed.
In the garden, Dyson sees me. She knows that I am taking her photo. Isn’t she lovely?
The table feeder is becoming more popular as the birds get used to seeing it in the garden.
While Dyson and the Starlings were eating peanuts, the Crows were assembling in the big tree in front of my house. It was planted in 1902 so 121 years old. I will not start about our City’s tree trimming policies! Normally when the Crows gather they are here to escort the GHO out of their neighbourhood!
Specific events tell me spring is here, and hopefully, there will not be any more snow. The first is the arrival of the Canada Geese, then the Dark-eyed Juncos and Blue Jays. The second is the opening of the local farmer’s market. There are a few ingenious farmers who have built greenhouses, not to grow flowers like the Dutch arrivals in our area in the 1950s but, to grow – strawberries. The farmer’s market opened yesterday, and those berries had not only the aroma of a ripened berry in a field but the most delicious flavour. Well done to those trying to figure out how to grow things locally that might be otherwise flown in from thousands of miles away – and have no taste and be polluting the planet. The third is the arrival of all the annual flowers and herbs to be planted in flower boxes or gardens. Today was a celebration of all of those – the geese at the pond, a trip to the farmer’s market and a box full of herbs and, instead of a hanging basket of flowers, a Tiny Tom Hanging Tomato vine. How will it do? All of this helped to wash away the anger and some of the sadness over the death of DH18.
In celebration of these spring rituals, the kittens and I will enjoy a lovely little Japanese sponge cake with strawberry buttercream filling.
Do you know Aldo Leopold? He was talking about biodiversity and stewardship of land before any of the more recent environmental movements. He died in a fire in Wisconsin helping a neighbour in 1948. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin but loved escaping to his weekend refuge without modernisation. I love his sense of humour. One time during a flood – and you have to understand that his cabin is the family escape from the world of humans, Leopold writes, “There are degrees and kinds of solitude. A n island in a lake has one kind; but lakes have boats, and there is always the chance that one might land to pay you a visit..I know of no solitude so secure as one guarded by a spring flood; nor do the geese, who have seen more kinds and degrees of aloneness than I have. ..So we sit on our hill beside a new-blown pasque and watch the geese go by. I see our road dipping gently into the waters, and I conclude with inner glee that the question of traffic, in or out, is for this day at least, debatable only among carp.” (27)
Leopold observes, “Conservation is getting nowhere because it is incompatible with out Abrahamic concept of land. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” (xviii) I highly recommend his little book, A Sand County Almanac. Essays on Conservation from Round River. Written like a diary, Leopold says of March, “One swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of a March thaw, is the spring.” (19) Leopold takes you through the months, and he loves his spring geese. It is more than just Leopold’s close observation and love of all things wild. He stops to make us think about the value of our land and why some, like trophy hunters, will never be able to understand those of us in the minority who see the word of living things connected and sacred. “…our bigger-and-better society is now like a hypochondriac, so obsessed with its own economic health as to have lost the capacity to remain healthy. The whole world is so greedy for more bathtubs that it has lost the stability necessary to build them, or even to turn off the tap…Perhaps a shift of values can be achieved by reappraising things unnatural, time, and confined in terms of things natural, wild, and free”. That was written on the 4th of March 1948 right before his death. It could have been written yesterday. Today, the situation with DH18 continues to weigh heavy on my mind and I would substitute in much of the quotes of Leopold the term wildlife instead of land…we think we own it, it is a commodity that we can abuse…that kind of thinking has to stop.
Our smile for the morning comes from the Cal Falcons and the food tug-o-war caught by SK Hideaways. Then marvel at how well falcons tend to feeding three chicks! Most of the time (Angel and Tom excluded) falcon and hawk nests are incredibly energetic and full of laughs.
Right now we need all these precious joyful moments that we can garner. It has been a ‘depleting week emotionally’ for all of us.
Check your clocks. Banding is taking place at Cal Falcons between 0830-0900 Pacific Time. The cameras will be off during the banding. A video of the event will be uploaded after. There will also be the annual Q & A session with Sean and Lynne (see further down for details) tomorrow.
The Australian Raptor Care and Conservancy has provided an update on SE30! Oh, she is doing well. This is the kind of news we want and need. Thanks, ‘H’.
George Smith gives us an update on the Rutland Ospreys. Quite a good read and happy to see that Maya and Blue 33 are attempting to raise their fourth set of four osplets. Wrap your head around that one. Some nests cannot manage even two! But four sets of four. Super couple! Some of their fledglings are out chasing down nests and mates. Have a read!
Thanks for posting some successful rescues. We all know about Dr Sharpe but there are also other rescues for monofilament line as well as non-human caused issues. CROW was at Captiva last year with the Osplets. CROW intervened when E17 and E18 at SW Florida had conjunctivitis. There are so many more. In the incident below, the eaglet appeared to have half its body ‘stuck’ to the nest. It was removed because it was weak..information below. It was successfully released after this 4 May 2012 intervention. Thanks, Deb.
M15 still gets my vote for ‘Dad of the Year’ for Raptors. E22 knows precisely when there is a food delivery and is on it!
There are a lot of Peregrine Falcons hatching in the world and the first one at Cromer Peregrine Falcons is here.
You can watch this white little fuzzy with its pink beak and toes here.
Today is banding day at Cal Falcons. There is a Q & A scheduled. You can go to YouTube and search for Cal Falcons 2023 Banding Q&A. You can get a notification to watch it live and they always archive the event if you miss it. For me, it looks like it is at 1300 but if you live in California, I bet that time is 1100.
We are all aching for Angel and her baby. Tom has not provided any prey today. He has not been seen. Angel has left the little one for long periods of time – once an hour – to go hunting but came back to the nest empty taloned. Whether or not Tom is still around or if the prey in the area is so limited is unclear. The little one cannot thermoregulate its temperature, and it should be fed much more often than is happening. At the same time, Angel is also hungry. The chick’s last meal was Thursday morning.
It is dusk and Angel has left the baby again to go hunting. I hope she finds some food for them. The possums and other creatures often come out at dusk. Oh, I hope she finds some food. Remember, I told you that this situation is very dire and it is. Unless Tom steps up and begins to deliver prey regularly it will be difficult, if not impossible, for Angel to feed the two of them and provide security and warmth. The area is obviously not prey rich like that of Big Red and Arthur. It is heartbreaking.
Angel did not have any food when she returned. Many believe Angel is at a disadvantage as the prey can see her coming since she is leucistic rather than camouflaged. This creates a huge problem if that is the case. Tom is not helping. Please send your good wishes…I wish some food would drop from the sky. The forecast does not look good. Rain for 5 days in a row at the nest…we could easily lose this baby. Personally, if I owned the land this nest is on, I would put out a prey table now!
If this year has already been too much for you, you might want to step away from this nest. Come back on Monday and see how things are going.
We are really waiting for a pip and a hatch at Big Red and Arthur’s nest on the Cornell campus. The changeovers have been swift. These two work like a well-oiled and cared for machine. There is little time to even get a glimpse of those eggs.
When Big Red lost her mate Ezra, everyone thought she was ‘nuts’ picking such a young mate as Arthur. Well, she wasn’t. He is an uber hunter and wooed her with the number of squirrels he could catch! I know there is a lot of chatter about how young Angel’s mate Tom is but, I just don’t think it is that. There is either hardly any prey to be had in the area, he is not the father of the chick so really has not much interest, or he is just a dud.
Cute little Arthur.
Big Red.
You may recall that a group at Cornell University worked diligently to get the windows on campus fitted so that bird strikes do not happen. Several of Big Red’s fledglings have been injured or died. Now there is movement in other places to ensure that birds are safe. Thanks, ‘S’ for sending me the latest news on what is happening in Washington, DC. This needs to go international.
This is the weather at Big Bear Valley today for Jackie and Shadow.
The eagles did a nest check.
Looking for a US Osprey nest to watch? You cannot get any better than Moorings Park. Victor and Abby still have up to seven fish meals a day. Neither has fledged although they are spreading their wings!
Achieva is a tough Osprey nest in the US to watch. It is on my list of not recommended nests. At the present time, food is also scarce and Big Bob, number 1 is acting like Zoe at Port Lincoln. Jack delivers the fish, Big takes it and neither Diane or Middle get anything to eat. As we know, there is a drought in the area that is causing canals to dry up and fears of wildfires. This means that all those Ospreys are fighting for little fish.
These beautiful osplets have their juvenile feathers and they need more fish. It is always a problematic nest but with climate change and so many ospreys in the St Petersburgh area, the competition for fish could become ruthless and many ospreys might not survive. They might have to move further north. Let us hope that both survive to fledge.
Little Decorah Hatch – DH2 – is doing fantastic. What a crop…the joys of being an only nestling.
The crop on Chase & Cholyn’s only eaglet is equally as large at Two Harbours. And check out those thighs!!!!!!!!
Precious trio to Martin and Rosa continue to thrive at Dulles-Greenway.
There is good news coming out of SF Bay Ospreys!
The winds at Loch Arkaig were so intense on Thursday that Louis was literally blown off the nest while incubating. Thankfully, he returned, unharmed. Geemeff caught it on video:
There is some concern and a little bewilderment at the Osoyoos Osprey platform in British Columbia. The nest was that of Soo and Olsen. ‘H’ sent the history of the nest in terms of egg laying: “Egg laying history for Osoyoos Osprey Cam: 2016- Apr26. 2017- May 14 (late because they had to wait for Canada Geese goslings to exit the nest) 2018- Apr 28. 2019- May 5. 2020- May 2. 2021- Apr 29. 2022- May 6.” No one knows for certain if the male at the nest is actually Olsen. Some believe it is a new male. It is now 4 May and I actually wondered, last season, if Soo and Olsen might lay their eggs earlier to try and avoid the sheer magnitude of the heat in the area. That is certainly not the case and, as of this evening, the nest is not ready.
Fellow Canadian, Deb Stecyk who administers the Bald Eagles 101 FB Page has posted the following call for action following the death of DH18. Many of you will recognise our request for simple emergency numbers under the streaming cams. Some of you will recall the sheer panic two years ago when the foster osplet fell off the Patuxent River Park platform. ‘S’ and I phoned – her halfway around the world to try and get help. The park office was closed but thankfully a staff member checked and returned with a canoe – just in time as the tide was going to start to go out. Deb’s is a good plan and a good protocol. We need to work towards finding a rapid response for all the raptors that are on streaming cams now – and it needs to be universal.
One of the two eaglets at Duke Farms has ‘officially’ branched on Thursday. Congratulations! They have both done so well this season.
Tom and Audrey at the Chesapeake Conservancy Nest have their second egg. It was laid 74 hours after egg 1.
As the coronation of King Charles III approaches, Australia’s gift is a donation of 10,000$ to help save a beloved parrot of South Australia. “The government has pledged $10,000 to help conserve the critically endangered “shy and rarely seen” species in honour of the monarch, on behalf of the people of Australia.” Will the king’s views on conservation influence any changes towards wildlife, biodiversity, land management, etc in the UK? We wait.
There is lots of good news out there in Bird World. I am getting so excited to see the Cal Falcons banded and to see the list of names the children select so we a vote. Of course, waiting for Big Red and Arthur’s first hatch of 2023 is agonising. So, all of the nests are doing well but Angel’s and Achieva where Middle really needs some fish and so does Mum, Diane. Again, Angel’s baby needed feedings every few hours, not a few bites in a day. Angel is extremely hungry as well. Send her your love.
Thank you for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you so much for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘S’, ‘H’, ‘A’, Geemeff, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, George Smith and the LRWT, Deb Stecyk, MN Bound Eagle Family, Gracie Shepherd and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Cromer Peregrine Falcons, Window to Wildlife, Cornell Bird Lab RTH, American Bird Conservancy, FOBBV, Moorings Park Ospreys, Achieva Credit Union, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, IWS and Explore.org, Dulles-Greenway, SF Bay Ospreys, Geemeff and Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery, and the Woodland Trust, Duke Farms, The Guardian, and the Australian Raptor Care and Conservancy.
