It could be a very busy day at the UK nests and in the western part of the US as favourable winds are blowing in the ospreys.
It has been confirmed that our dear Iris is, indeed, the osprey that landed early this morning on the Hellgate Canyon nest. I hope everyone had a good cry – a joyful one. Now let’s get that young male osprey back that was courting her last season!
Louis and Starr are already back. Starr was the first to arrive in Missoula. Their nest is at the Baseball Park – and despite all we think, Louis is a good mate to Starr and they raise 2 or 3 chicks to fledge every year.
Gosh, Iris looks good.
Blue 35 has returned to Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve in Cumbria and is reclaiming her nest after Blue 717 got a little friendly with White YW.
We are waiting the arrival of Louis at Loch Arkaig Nest 2 in Scotland. His mate Dorcha will be delighted to see him land with a nice big trout.
Busy day at the Glaslyn nests:
Lots of action at Loch of the Lowes.
Thanks, Alison Copland. BoPH have created a genealogy chart. The Carey nest is the one for CJ7 and Blue 022, and it has a streaming cam.
One of my favourite males, Tegid Z1, Monty’s son, who breeds on a private nest, has returned safely.
So the males are starting to show up in Wales, too. Come on Louis!!!!!!!!!
The feeding is going very well at the Achieva Osprey platform. My goodness, if I didn’t know better, I would think this was a new male. (Maybe it is – I am not trying to start rumours here, just pondering the fish deliveries. I was never that pleased with Jack’s deliveries for Diane and the kids. Has anyone truly identified head markings?)
Bella and Scout’s two eaglets are doing just fine although there was a choking concern for the baby earlier on Monday.
Nature chat’s banner:
Interloping Common Buzzard laid 2nd egg today at Lesser Spotted Eagle Cam, as usual LSE pair hasn’t arrived for the season yet.
Peanut has branched at the Winter Park, Florida Bald Eagle nest. Best be watching this energetic second hatch. She is going to take off fast!
News about California Condors:
Stop over and see the two little cuties that Jackie and Shadow are feeding and brooding. They are two little round teddy bears! So very happy for our darling couple.
Take care everyone. Iris’s arrival has made this day much brighter! We are all delighted. If Louis returns, I will be posting again. Otherwise, I will see you later in the week.
Thank you to ‘PB’ for her messages, to the owners of the streaming cams for my screen captures and for allowing us to witness the life of these incredible birds. I am grateful to everyone who posts on FB with information. Without your eyes, we might miss something!
It is pitching down rain and Seren, Blue 5F has arrived home. She is now in the trees sheltering from the storm with her mate Dylan. Tears of joy!
And another famous osprey is home – this time a grandfather!
I am writing this late Saturday with the hope and anticipation that Sunday will be a less dramatic day! A call has gone in to the people who installed the locks in our doors. They will be out on Monday with recommendations on how to ‘know’ if Don is getting out of the house. There are locks and devices to go over door knobs, but I have opted to have them tell me my options. An alarm system sounds best. It doesn’t need to be monitored. In Canada, that is often the most costly part. I am also going to get a digital door opener for all the doors. Then I don’t have to worry about keys. One set has already gone ‘walkabout’. My goodness…dear little Toby did get his reward. A nice piece of tenderloin and a bath after our last walk. The sidewalks are flooding and are like a slush cone. He was dirty and wet, so it seemed like a good time to try our first shampoo. (Normally, the groomers do this. He was incredible. He just stood on the mat in the tub and let me shampoo him!!!!!!!!!! He had such fun with the towels and loved being rubbed dry.
I have a feeling that this little puppy is gold-plated underneath all that fur. Whatever power in this universe sent this baby into my life really knew what they were doing. Indispensable.
Toby’s fur is quite long. He has had to wait a month since his last blood event to get groomed. That will be 11 April. He was so good in the bath, I wonder if he will let me trim him??? We have a lovely woman coming to trim his nails on Easter Monday, and she will show me how. Toby is a bit anxious about the groomer since she had to shave the matts off his tummy from when he had to stay at the vet’s for 4 nights in December. Poor baby. He might not look like he is show ring ready if I trim him but if it keeps his anxiety down, it will be worth it!
The Rod Stewart look! And he’s getting his Grinch feet.
White YW is one of my favourite UK ospreys. He and his mate, Blue 35, are at the Foulshaw Moss nest in Cumbria.
Samson also returned to the Borders Osprey platform. Rosie Shields writes,
A very quick note as it’s late and I’m not long back home but I had to share the good news that Samson arrived back today, some 2 weeks earlier than last year. He’s already brought sticks to the nest and has engaged in some crow bashing. I don’t have any photos as yet because the camera is throwing a small temper tantrum but, if I throw enough money at the system I’m sure it will work eventually!!
Luckily, we had just finished doing some repairs to the nest following the severe battering it and the tree got during the various winter storms but Samson will no doubt not be satisfied and will furnish it himself in his own inimitable style.
I’m delighted and relieved that he’s back. All eyes to the skies for Augusta now.
Windy and cold at Poole. Beautiful CJ7.
Blue 33 and Maya are already thinking about babies even in the cold wind.
This wind might blow in more ospreys to the UK. Let’s hope.
Fru Rauer, the Norwegian osprey of some renown, is on her way home. She has a sat pak and her location will be announced the beginning of the week.
Everyone saw the pip at Fraser Point for Cruz and Andor. It is now 2128, and there is some concern about activities at 1922 at the nest. It is unclear whether the chick has hatched or if there was a problem. We will find out in the morning. Fuzzy head now seen.
We are on pip watch for Irwin and Stella at the US Steel nest in PA.
JBS24 at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands is getting a lot of air under those beautiful wings. The eaglet looks really good. Do you remember worrying about whether or not 24 would survive after 25 suddenly died? I do. So happy for the parents that they have one splendid eaglet nearing fledge.
I am delighted that Richmond’s new mate has been named Wendy after the ‘Wendy Welders’ at the Richmond Shipping Yard. In World War II, my mother was one of those women!
There are ospreys – two of them – at Steelscape in WA.
Thank you for being with us. Keep your eyes os the screens! Second hatch at Decorah Hatchery and first for Irv and Stella. My reporting of the US Bald Eagles will slow as the UK and European ospreys arrive. Even with everything going on in the house at times, I am going to try and see if Heidi and I can get back near our record of monitoring 500 osprey eggs this season. So take care, let me know of any sightings!
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Thank you to everyone who posted images and information on FB groups and to the owners of the streaming cams, we are forever in your debt. We would not be able to enjoy these amazing bird families without you.
Oh, gosh. I can’t keep up with eaglets hatching and ospreys arriving so…watch those eagle nests as I will be chasing after osprey arrivals.
The pair at the Port of Ridgefield have arrived.
Blue 33 and Maya arrived within hours of one another at Rutland’s Manton Bay nest! I am over the moon – and I will keep saying that. Geemeff has Maya’s arrival. https://youtu.be/Zc_Zd__2jZY?
Some want to argue that it isn’t Maya. As keen osprey observers know, the head of the osprey does not change, and Maya has a distinctive ‘X’ on her head. Thanks, Geemeff.
RSPB is giving a Zoom talk, ‘The Return of the Osprey’ in May. Here are the details if you are interested: Go to Eventbrite.co.uk. It is free. Below is the date and time for me.
Big Red and Arthur have their first egg as of the 23rd. Please consider joining the Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters if you are not already a member to keep up with the latest and learn when and where the live chats will take place during the hatch-fledgling period.
Osprey pair back at Cape Cod Mashpee, MA nest.
My goodness – I did say that they are arriving fast and furious.
Heidi’s watching a lot of nests and one of those is Seaside. We have Port of Ridgefield home so the rest should be arriving soon.
Heidi reports that there are now three osplets at Venice Beach and Golf Course Osprey platform as of 23 March!
The little one at Moorings Park is having some difficulties getting up to the table when fish arrive. It is having to wait but Sally is a good mum and the little one did get fish!
It takes a good food source and exceptional parents to have three osplets fledge – never mind four. I wonder if CJ7 and Blue 022 at Poole Harbour will go for another four this year? Their nest is waiting for them.
A memorial video dedicated to Rosie, Richmond’s mate who did not return this year to her nest at Golden Gate Audubon in the SF Bay Area, has been compiled. https://youtu.be/i4h2jIE8xuU?
Did I say get your tissues out?
Richmond loved putting sticks on Rosie’s back.
It is really hard to say goodbye to such a good Mum. Soar high, Rosie dear.
Thank you for being with me this evening. Osprey World is very busy – and so are the eagles and hawks. There will be some fledges soon – I might miss them so please send me the news. Take care.
Thank you to everyone for their wonderful videos, and to SF Bay Ospreys for a fine memorial video of Rosie and Richmond. To those who contributed news and images on FB, I am forever in your debt, as we all are to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives of these incredible birds.
I have been asked to share this urgent request immediately because of the timely nature of the legislative bill: I apologize for the size – maybe you can go to the Wild Heart Ranch FB for the details if you cannot blow this up.
What a great community of people we have in Bird World. When I look at the map of people who read my blog and treasure our birds, there are very few places on the planet where there isn’t someone who is not a member of our family. It warms my heart.
There was a deep underlying purpose in asking you to contribute the joyful moments you remember from Bird World in 2025. Too often, we focus on the negative, even if that terrible event was only one of a dozen wonderful, glorious ones in a day. It is time for us to shift the way that we think – and believe me, I need to do this as much as anyone. Life has thrown a lot of extraordinarily difficult challenges at me this year – and I know that it has done the same to so very, very many of you. Sometimes I want to slide under the duvet and stay there for several days, hoping that whatever it is will go away. It doesn’t happen, of course. It is like some big furry monster just waiting for you to stick your head out. So now is the time to deal with it and bring the sunshine back into our lives.
I am going to start with a few instances to get the ball rolling, so to speak. Akecheta. The day when I saw Akecheta’s bloody head on Tor and Thunder sitting next to that other male, I was devastated. Maybe it was just the icing on top of the cake, the cherry on top of the sundae to different events that day, but it hit me so very, very hard. Then, when Akecheta was photographed on the Californian Mainland, I wept with joy. He was alive! But the real triumph was when Akecheta returned, healed and confident, to take his rightful place at the West End, sitting proudly with Haku looking out at the sea. The second instance that made me so very happy was seeing CJ7 and Blue 022 raise another clutch of four osplets at Poole Harbour. To raise two can be hard – three is difficult – but it takes extraordinary parenting to fledge four (and a source of good quality fish). https://youtu.be/mzG-D8kmI-s?
It has been a long time since we have witnessed the sea eaglets at the WBSE nest in the Olympic Forest survive. Most of the time, we cheer their growth, admiring their intelligence and beauty, only to worry that the Currawongs will drive them out of the territory or find them near the Discovery Centre, in need of care. This year, the Currawongs were outwitted! Yes, we lost the male 36, but there is no reason to believe that anything untoward happened to 35. She was a strong flyer. But seeing them fly in and out, getting food without falling into the Currawongs’ harm’s way, gives me hope for future clutches as well. Oh, there are so many. Iris returning to her nest.
Diamond mating with a very young male and producing a strong female who appears to be doing splendidly.
“There is something to appreciate in every moment of every day. Strive to
find it as often as you can. Living with gratitude will change your life.” (Goodreads)
There are so many quotes. Find one that suits you and print it and look at it each morning when you open the fridge.
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey
There were a lot of wonderful memories in Bird World for 2025. Thank you for sharing some of your magical moments with the rest of us!
‘BF’: “Perhaps not the same as a highlight — in fact, this had the potential to be a “lowlight” — but an unusual situation that captured my attention was when an uninvited (and not related) juvenile bald eagle showed up on Gabby and Beau’s NE Florida nest looking for food. It was rocky at first, but after a few days — and a few tussles — “Juvie” almost seemed to be an accepted member of the nest family (perhaps grudgingly?), along with Gabby and Beau’s own not-yet-fledged juvenile, Bodie. All seemed to get along, it was surprisingly peaceful, and perhaps it was even a positive for Bodie to have the slightly older juvenile nest mate. Eventually Juvie moved on and Bodie fledged and dispersed and both are successfully off on their own.
‘PB’: Most memorable nest for me is Dunrovin and all that drama! Losing Mo due to a throat problem and then found by the river passed. Relieved Eenie fledged. That nest was so stressful when we almost lost the little ones falling off the side of the nest. I hope Dunrovin will fix the nest for next season so we don’t have to go through all that again.
“B’: “There are so many highlights for 2025 — for sure, every single hatch and fledge is a highlight to be remembered. But I was especially pleased to see the successful hatch and fledge of eaglet Betty Lou for Audacity and Jak at the Sauces Canyon nest on Santa Cruz Island, since for Audacity and Jak it had been three seasons and four long years — with many broken eggs — since their most recent previous eaglet, Dina in 2021.
Similarly, celebrity eagles Jackie and Shadow had spent many, many days the past two seasons at Big Bear Valley — through snow and winter storms — incubating eggs that turned out to be nonviable; it was wonderful to see the 2025 hatch of lively eaglets Sunny and Gizmo at Big Bear, the first for Jackie and Shadow since Spirit in 2022.
The return of Akecheta to West End has been a surprise highlight. We last saw Akecheta early in the year, lying on the ground, injured in an apparent territorial fight. Then the cameras went out, and when they returned Akecheta was nowhere to be seen, and we were concerned for his survival. It has been a real blessing that Akecheta has returned now to West End; we hope for mating and new eaglets in 2026. As great as Akecheta’s return has been, the real highlight for me was the day in May when we heard the report that Akecheta and his distinctive blue wing tags had been spotted at Lake Casitas, many miles away on the mainland near Ojai, for that was when we learned that Akecheta had survived and was off in the world being an eagle.
oh, and how could I forget another whole class of highlights: the watching and waiting for the return of the migrating birds and the highlight it is when you see Iris or Louis and Dorcha arrive. Or seeing Beau arriving weeks early and waiting for Gabby. These sorts of things are simple and repeatable, but they are something to celebrate each time.
‘R’: “My favorite ‘Bird’ story this year was following Iris. 🪺 And Jackie and Shadow’s success ❤️
My favorite non-bird item was definitely Heidi’s Christmas video to you ❤️💕and the pictures of Don and you! I saved “Day 11 Welcome to Winter”, so I could look at the pictures again.Ever since I’ve known you, before WordPress, I heard of Don, knew he was ill, and not as bad, back before COVID, but I never had a face to go with the name.”
‘N’: “I have many favs but this recent one comes to mind…caught this recently at Dade (speaking of our Florida nests). Made me giggle, which I can use often!
Sibling pooping on sibling!
SP’: Oh, Mary Ann, with so much human tragedy in 2025, I was so invigorated to go back through the events of 2025 in Bird World only to discover an avalanche of happy, heartwarming, beautiful events throughout the year. Here are way too many (in alpha order)!
367 Collins Street Falcons: F23, M23, and 4 chicks F23 and M23 had their talons full with 4 rambunctious chicks, but they raised and fledged them beautifully. Dad Tries to Feed 5- and 2-Day Old Chicks Whole Prey (2025 Oct 5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02vbdny7Bo0 Pre-Fledge Chicks Perform Acrobatics ~ Teetering on Ledge (2025 Nov 10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_GfSbdrs68
AEF-NEFL Eagles: Gabby, Beau, NE31, and Juvie The arrival of Bodie (NE31) and Beau’s first foray into fatherhood were so special, as was the development of Gabby and Beau’s relationship. The “adoption” of Juvie by Gabby and Beau, and the ultimate bonding between Bodie and Juvie were simply beautiful. Beau Tries to Feed NE31 for the First Time (2025 Jan 21) https://youtu.be/G4zea3983tw?si=RA0InJ2bNJkm5wYo Bodie Branches Out ~ Juvie Shares Flying Tips (2025 Apr 5) https://youtu.be/cYTuJVPT8K4?si=tNR4bQZCq6EQRa7o
FalconCam Project: Diamond, Gimbir, and Girri (RIP dear Xavier) Girri lifted our spirits as we mourned for Xavier. Gimbir stepped up to take on parental duties as he learned from pro mum Diamond. Gimbir Brings 3 Starlings in 9 Minutes ~ Chick Gets First Meal (2025 Nov 6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mynzf-kkOQQ GIRRI FLEDGES at 43 Days Old ( 2025 Dec 18) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96yPLdvaixU
FOBBV Eagles: Jackie, Shadow, Sunny, and Gizmo (RIP Misty) Jackie and Shadow mourned the loss of one chick as they raised Sunny and Gizmo to be strong, independent fledglings. It was such a gift after two years of failed clutches. SC Stands Tall on New Clown Feet ~ BC Delivers Single Bonk (2025 Mar 23) https://youtu.be/sWFD087ffRg?si=ATZrG4B9dD3xnpqm Golden Hour Moments with Sunny & Gizmo ~ Special Times to Remember Always (2025 May 15) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WraMnX8mFy0
San Jose City Hall Falcons: Hartley, Monty, Emma, Willow, Octavia, and Chico For the second year, Hartley and Monty raised four chicks. There were so many delightful moments with all of them. FIRST 2 CHICKS HATCH: One Gets Wild Ride Across Nest (2025 Apr 19) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9jZtIHqat4 Raucous Rooftop Food Fight ~ All 4 Chicks Win (2025 Jun 7) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9rt2B1BZ8A Sydney White-Bellied Sea Eagles: Lady, Dad, SE35, and SE36 Despite a sad ending for SE36, the saga of SE35 and SE36 was a joy to watch. Family time was always a special treat. SE35, SE36, Lady & Dad Spend the Afternoon Together Next Door (2025 Nov 10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcaObXf4qpA
Two Harbors Eagles: Cholyn and Chase Every moment with these two is a gift. Cholyn & Chase on 22 Years of Mated Perfection (2025 Oct 21) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTbMUL24oMs
I could go on (Betty Lou, Blue and Kaimana, TE3!), but I’ll stop here. Thank you for pulling this good news together to go on lifting spirits as you do all year long.
‘L’: 1. Beau at the NEFL nest brooding the eggs and the look on his face when “Bodie” hatched. In addition to Bodie being a single, a rogue juvenile showed up and stuck around for a few weeks providing additional entertainment.
2. Audacity and Jak, Santa Cruz Island. Audacity laid 3 eggs, 2 broke and the third hatched. It was a miracle after several years of broken eggs for this longtime pair. It was pure joy watching “Betty Lou” grow up.
3. Jackie & Shadow with 3 hatchlings! Unfortunately losing one but the other two survived given the names “Sonny” & “Gizmo.”
4. The trio of Scout & Bella lined up on the rails at the NCTC nest(unfortunately the nest collapsed)
5. The Trempealeau nest with TE3. Mrs. T deserved an award after practically raising TE3 alone.
6. Gimbir taking over the nest after the male Xavier disappeared from the Charles Sturt University FalconCam nest. Diamond laying 3 eggs and little Girri hatching!
‘J’: I obviously do not have a lot of memories this year, but one stands out above everything: WELCOME HOME AKECHETA!
‘SA’: Iris arrives home. Jackie and Shadow have two – Sunny and Gizmo. Cheta comes home to the West End.
‘TN’: It was a cracker of a year for Poole Harbour raising another clutch of four to fledge. Simply brilliant.
‘C’: Akecheta returns to the West End.
‘BA’: “As for favorite nest event of 2025, mine is probably the same as most everyone else’s — the successful hatching of Jackie and Shadow’s three eaglets, and the subsequent successful fledging of two of them. (The death of one was probably the saddest event for me, though I know it was probably best that they only had to raise two.)
Second favorite event was Gabby and Beau’s first successful year together raising an eaglet. (That too is probably a favorite of most others.) I know there were many other joyful moments in bird world. It’s good to have them balance out the sad moments.
(Really sad about CalFalcons last year…. haven’t yet gotten over the loss of both — and that nest that still sits empty.)”
‘J’: “Has to be Sunny and Gizmo hands down. Jackie and Shadow being parents gave me a new reason to want to live through my cancer treatments.’
‘K’: ‘There was worry that Louis might not return to Loch Arkaig. Seeing him land on the nest was the best moment for me all year. Louis survived what ailed him and came home to Dorcha.’
‘WL’: There are too many wonderful things that happened but two stand out for me amidst a lot of dismal nests. The first is little T3 in that nest in Wisconsin, raised only by its mother, no thanks to that two-timing dad. That chick was determined to live. The other was Iris returning to her nest. It was sad Finnegan didn’t make it. Maybe the new one will.’
‘A’: ‘The death of Xavier rocked my world to its core. Then an almost too-young Gimbir turns up. Diamond likes him. Diamond really likes him. Out of the sadness came a superb female falcon named Girri. Many of the latest fledglings out of that scrape did not make it. Girri is doing extremely well. Seeing Girri fly over the tower, learning to be a falcon from Diamond and Gimbir, makes me smile every day. It was the best thing to come out of the worst.’ ‘We cannot forget the falcon fledges from the CBD in Melbourne!’
Thank you ‘AK’ for this incredible card!
Thank you to everyone who participated.
The day my baby got sick.
Home from the vet and bright-eyed but sad because he cannot find his daddy.
Woolly and Mysterious Missey, who has a ‘mat’ that I must cut out. Don typically brushes her many times a day.
Precious Calico.
The little trouble maker, HUGO YUGO!
Sweet Hope.
Toby is sleeping upside down next to me. He is feeling better because he wanted to romp around the house with Hugo Yugo a few minutes ago. It is so very nice to have him home from the veterinary hospital. While I might have complained that there isn’t enough room in the bed with him on the pillow and HY in my arm, Calico at one side, and Missey near my feet – I sure would not want it any other way. The only one that doesn’t join in is Hope and maybe she will one day.
We wish you a wonderful 2026.
Thank you to everyone who participated and to the owners of the streaming cams so that we can watch these amazing birds and their families. I also want to thank SK Hideaways for their amazing videos that add depth to the stories. You are all so wonderful and my blog would never have the spice of life that it does without you!
Tuesday was a beautiful day in the Canadian prairies. Oh, you cannot know how grateful I am. We have been planning to take Anne to Bird’s Hill Park to hand-feed the Black-capped Chickadees. She has heard us talk about our walks there and how the wee songbirds land on your hands to take the Black oilseed. It is a pre-Thanksgiving ‘thank you’ to Anne. I could not survive without her help and support.
It was so warm that we had a wee picnic of sorts at Pineridge Hollow. Toby was so good, and I am certain that The Girls were happy to have a wee break from their brother for the afternoon. It was just a perfect day. Walking the trails among the tall pine trees was renewing!
The little birds did not disappoint!
It was a wonderful surprise Tuesday evening to see that the Dark-eyed Juncos have returned from the north and have stopped over in the garden to fatten up for migration! There were at least two dozen of them pecking away at the seed on the deck. I hope to get some decent images of them for the next blog. They are so cute!
Several have asked about Brock. He is still here despite Toby. Toby seems to know when Brock is around. So Brock and I have developed a method of getting his food to him without Toby knowing. Brock comes to the door and lets me know he is waiting for food. Once I see him, he goes under the deck and waits. I take out the food, sometimes with Toby, and then as I close the door and secure Toby inside, I call ‘kitty kitty’. Brock will come out to eat within five minutes.
Migration count is underway in West Africa, posted by Mary Cheadle:
Dyfi have posted a wonderful blog, and I urge each of you to read it. Mrs G is the ‘UK Iris’ equivalent who bred at Glaslyn. Her last mate was the adorable Aran, who was usurped this year by Teifi. Perhaps Aran will return and take his nest with Elen in 2026, as the nest failed this year due to all the drama. We will wait. Aran will need to return early and work to win Elen’s heart. Elen might be smart to breed with Aran again because his chicks (along with Mrs G’s great DNA) are returning!
Blue 497 -talk about a handsome bird!!!!!!!!! Just look at him. The first Glaslyn male known to be breeding in Wales. Two chicks this year, but one possibly fell out of the nest at 5 weeks, and the other disappeared at 7 weeks, possibly predated by a goshawk.
The cameras at Captiva’sWindow to Wildlife Bald Eagle and Osprey nests are going live today.
Ashley Wilson continues to find Newmann and Elaine at the scrape at Spirit Bluff. They will migrate soon.
The fledgling at the Selati Black Eagle nest has brought its first caught prey to the nest!
Meanwhile, like other Bald Eagles, Jackie and Shadow are returning to their nest to kick start the 2025-26 season at Big Bear Lake.
At the West End, the juvenile Bob returned to spend some time with Haku. https://youtu.be/Hlct5mJkthw? SK Hideaways caught it!
Gorgeous Haku on Tor:
Beau and Gabby are ready for a very successful season at the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest.
The Majestics are working on their Denton Homes nest.
Andor with his blue wing tag at the Fraser Point nest on the Channel Islands. Cruz flew in, too.
The IWS is having its annual fall fundraiser. You could be a winner! At least one of my readers has named one of the eaglets at the West End nest (Treasure), and I was selected to name one of the other eaglets – Phoenix – at one of the other nests without a streaming cam. Many have won beautiful photographs and kit. We are eternally grateful to Dr Sharpe and his team for all the work they did to restore the Bald Eagle population to the islands after the DDT debacle.
There is much discussion over the female (or perhaps both) eagles at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest. Is this Mum? Or is it a new female? Is this even Dad??? Without definitive markings (the mark on the head could be an injury, prey blood, etc), it is impossible to know without Darvic Rings.
Checking on the Australian nests –
The 367 Collins Street adults are doing an incredible job feeding and taking care of their triplets in Melbourne.
Dad took over incubation so Mum could have his breakfast. She returned with a really full crop. Oh, hatch is coming so soon – seriously, I cannot wait to see a baby osprey. It seems like forever.
There have been at least nine different species of prey delivered to the kiddos at the 367 Collins Street falcon scrape in Melbourne since they hatched. Nothing short of adorable with their pink beaks and feet but now their eyes appear to be open (normally after five days).
ABC Science discusses the life of urban birds in Melbourne. Have a watch and a listen. They even mention the falcons! https://youtu.be/0EA3VNP2vJM?
Oh, how I love the Sydney sea eaglets. Lady and Dad are doing a magnificent job bringing in prey. Their plumage is stunning. About this time in their development, my stomach gets a little queasy. The mobbing of the eaglets as they fledge, causing them to bolt out of the forest, on occasion, or to be injured and hanging around the Discovery Centre, sends me running for the Gaviscon.
Calico urges you to help her and her feathered friends. Educate those you know who might be opting to get their lawns ‘greener’. The toxins kill the ‘food chain’.
‘PB’ asked me when I plan to publish the results of this year’s Osprey data. I hope to have finished entering my data by the end of October. Heidi is finished! I have the following to enter: 35 nests in Nova Scotia, 18 nests in Italy, and 15 failed nests from Maryland. There are, of course, hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of failed nests in Virginia and the surrounding area that will not be in the forms, sadly. We do not have enough information other than that there were no Menhaden for the adults, and the nests failed, resulting in no eggs, eggs being abandoned, or chicks starving to death on the nest.
The report from William & Mary University is below and paints the stark picture that Heidi and I have seen and predicted for a couple of years. I am embarrassed that this is a Canadian Company that is killing the entire ecosystem. It makes me so angry.
If the waters of New Zealand are warming up faster than we can blink, when will the impact hit the various seabird colonies? This article in The Guardian discusses the warming seas.
There is other good news – not just for us but for the birds. I am forever an optimist that we can change the way we live and, in turn, create better spaces for wildlife, including our feathered friends. For the first time, considering the international scene, renewable energy is powering homes and industries instead of fossil fuels. PRC is leading this change. China is rapidly expanding its solar and wind energy capacity, surpassing the total of the rest of the world combined. India has turned to renewables and is lessening their need for coal. Solar power is gaining momentum in Pakistan and various African countries, including Nigeria, Algeria, and Zambia. In fact, solar power provides more than 80% of the new energy.
It’s migration season. Some tips on when to help a bird from Wild Birds Unlimited.
Thank you so much for being with us today! Please take care of yourself. We will see you next Monday if not before! Looking for a hatch at Port Lincoln. Wonder when it will come?
Thank you to the individuals and owners of streaming cams and individuals posting for various FB groups listed in Bold. You keep us informed. A particular shout-out to SK Hideaways for their videos. The Guardian and Bush Heritage Australia continue to publish great articles on wildlife and the environment. We are grateful.
It is the autumn equinox and here is everything you should know.
The Autumnal Solstice, or equinox, marks the first day of astronomical autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and occurs on September 22, 2025. At this precise moment, the sun is directly above Earth’s equator, resulting in days and nights of roughly equal length, though atmospheric effects make them not perfectly equal. This seasonal milestone also brings winter to the Southern Hemisphere and concludes summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
What is the Autumnal Equinox?
A Moment of Balance: The term “equinox” comes from Latin, meaning “equal night”. While day and night are close to equal in length, the Earth’s atmosphere bends sunlight, making days appear slightly longer than nights.
Orbital Position: The equinox occurs when Earth’s axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun, and the sun is positioned directly over the equator.
When is it?
Date: The autumnal equinox falls on September 22 each year.
Time: In 2025, it will occur on Monday, September 22, at 2:19 p.m. EDT.
What it means for the Hemispheres:
Northern Hemisphere: The autumnal equinox ushers in the start of fall and signals the end of summer.
Southern Hemisphere: For those in the Southern Hemisphere, this day marks the start of spring and the end of winter.
Additional Facts
Harvest Moon: The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox is known as the Harvest Moon, which historically allowed farmers to harvest crops for longer into the evening due to its earlier moonrise.
Cultural Significance: The autumnal equinox is a significant date in various cultures, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival in East Asia, which is often celebrated around this time.
Late updates:
Dyfi Osprey Project:
Little Buckaroo or Eeny at Dunrovin appears to have started its migration. Last seen eating breakfast on Thursday, the 18th of September.
Charlie is still at Charlo, Montana on the 21 September (Sunday). Gail Woodstock posted some lovely screen captures of this dedicated male.
At the Boulder County Fairgrounds, it appears the male is still present, too! Thank you for the screen capture and post – Barb and Bob Larsen. The ospreys are staying later. Does this mean a late and milder winter? I wonder. We still have ospreys in Canada, too.
SK Hideaways latest videos!
Two Harbors Eagles Cholyn and Chase (2025 Sep 19)
Chase brought a late lunch, having to dodge ravens during his meal. He managed to quickly finish his fish and then departed. Cholyn arrived later with a whopper fish, which she took her time to eat. She lingered into the late afternoon, chatting remotely with Chase, who we could hear off camera. It was a special treat to see them both.
367 Collins St. Falcons Dad M24 Boycotts Changeovers Till Mum F24 Sets Him Straight (2025 Sep 20)
After a typical morning of clockwork-like changeovers, Dad decided he wasn’t going to relinquish his egg time when Mum returned. She waited patiently for nearly 10 minutes before gently persuading him it was time to give up his boycott. He left without incident.
FalconCam Project, NSW Australia ~ home of Diamond and Gimbir (2025 Sep 17)
Gimbir was proud of his starling gift ~ the first time he’s brought one to Diamond, who historically has refused starling gifts except to feed growing chicks. She gave him quite an earful, about which he seemed somewhat confused. In the end she e-chupped him completely out of the nest box and proceeded to eat some of the starling. Maybe Di’s taste’s have changed.
After Lady and Dad woke the neighbourhood with a duet, SE35 and SE36 entertained themselves till breakfast arrived. Between beaky kisses, wingers, twig swapping, and napping, they were well occupied for the few hours till Lady returned with a nice, big breakfast.
What’s happening? SE35 Steps Aside as SE36 Eats a HUGE Breakfast! (22 Sep 2025, 9:47-10:29 a.m.)
When Lady arrived with a whopper fish for breakfast, SE36 stepped right up to receive the first bites. SE35, typically, the dominant eaglet sat back and watched SE36 eat…and eat…and eat. The meal lasted for more than 40 minutes with SE36 getting most of that big fish. There was no aggression between the eaglets, which was a welcome sight to see.
Ventana Wildlife will be releasing condors! You can go to their website and sign up for this live event. No costs. I always watch these events. You learn so much and it is so exciting to see the youngsters go out into the world.
I want to thank each of you for taking the time out of your busy lives to check on how our feathered friends in Bird World are doing. I would also like to welcome the more than 5,500 readers from China who have joined us recently. It is so lovely to have you with us in Bird World! Welcome.
To celebrate, here is a lovely article in 10,000 Birds on the Raptors of Nanhui, Shanghai, with some beautiful images. Please check it out and see how many of our feathered friends you knew were in China. I am particularly fond of the Chinese Sparrowhawk.
Albatrosses forage at sea for an extended period after fledging, typically remaining at sea for 3 to 7 years or more before returning to their natal colony to find a mate and eventually breed. During this time, young albatrosses, known as juveniles, learn to forage and socialise in groups called gams to develop their courtship rituals.
Post-Fledging Journey
Years at Sea: After leaving the nest, young albatrosses will spend several years at sea, some for as long as 5 to 8 years, continuously foraging and only returning to land for breeding.
Socialization: Young albatrosses gather in groups of potential mates, known as gams, to learn complex courtship dances and develop their unique “language” for finding each other later in life.
Maturation: This period allows them to mature, molt their juvenile plumage, and gain the energy and experience needed for their first breeding attempt.
Return to Breed
Colony Return: Eventually, the adolescent birds return to their natal colonies.
Finding a Mate: They then begin the lengthy process of finding a mate and developing a pair bond before their first breeding attempt.
Breeding Frequency: After a successful breeding attempt, many albatross species take a year or more off from breeding to regain their energy and condition before their next breeding season
All the information that you could ever want to know about Albatross by New Zealand’s Department of Conservation:
The latest post from Ranger Sharyn Broni posted by Sharon Dunne.
Holly Parsons has posted some additional information:
‘A’ now has the latest: “Since our baby girl fledged on 16 Sepember, she has been steadily making her way towards South America. The tracker tells us that she is about 200 kms from the headland, heading north. She has stopped off in an area where she probably found food and is progressing well. She is a strong girl. She’ll need to be – her journey is 9000 km long. Safe travels beautiful albie. “
Many of you have been fascinated by the great prey gifts that Gimbir has been bringing Diamond. None of them were Starlings – we know that Diamond does not like Starling. Well, our poor little lad made the mistake of presenting a Starling gift to Diamond and she rebuffed him. SK Hideaways has it on video: https://youtu.be/7Fibnk3qEt4?
Gosh, is there anything cuter in the adult raptor world than a male peregrine falcon? Gimbir has certainly been winning hearts and minds with his generosity and excellent hunting skills. Will there be any eggs? Maybe not this year, but we will wait.
Tuesday afternoon was also magical on the Canadian Prairies. I sat in my friend’s garden, surrounded by the yellow leaves from the trees falling gently around us. Fall is truly here. It is one of the most loved seasons, yet each of us knows what follows. Winter should be a time of relaxation, sitting by the fire, reading a book, sipping hot chocolate or the best leaf teas wrapped with a soft blanket.
We are looking forward to spending several hours in the nature centre on Wednesday, checking out the geese and ducks while Toby is being groomed. There are places where dogs cannot go (understandably), and this is one of them. We have not been there for several months, so I am really looking forward to spending time on those very familiar paths.
The geese are still fattening on the golf courses and at the nature centres. They were in an area of our City that had been abandoned when one of the military bases closed. Now it is a building site. Where will those geese, who have returned to this same place each year, go now? What are humans leaving our wildlife?
We are taking away habitat minute by minute. The City I live in is no exception. For over a hundred years, the population remained stable at approximately 600,000. Now our City is a construction site with the population soon set to reach one million. It sprawls, and many city planners have, for decades, criticised this practice as it is now taking away good agricultural land, along with woods that are perfect for wildlife and birds. It makes me quite angry – the City should be safe, built up, not out, with good public transport. As it stands, things are so spread out that cars are almost a necessity, and every morning, the traffic jams reveal automobiles with a single person in them! I’d best not get started on my soapbox, or we could be here all day.
Researchers at Cornell, along with colleagues worldwide, are searching for missing birds. Here is one of the webinars that was posted, so we can join in their discoveries as well. https://youtu.be/sri3ciYgCS4?
It was an extremely sad year for the Black Stork nests in Latvia as reported by Maria Marika. As we know, we must mourn but also celebrate the success. As we take over habitat, the planet and oceans warm, there will be fewer successes unless we radically change our human behaviour.
“It was another windy day at WBSE and the chicks were left alone on the nest for most of the day. They are really developing their juvenile plumage now, especially SE35, whose feather development is well ahead of its sibling’s. One reason for this is probably the lack of food SE36 gets in comparison to SE35. I saw only one food delivery today, a gull, and SE36 was fed four or five bites of this (beause it happened to be in the right place at the right time) before SE35 intimdated it into a cowering defensive position, which it maintained until the food was gone. There were no late food deliveries as there have been on previous evenings and little SE36 went to bed with an empty crop. SE35 did relatively well, although would have preferred another two feedings. It is fortunate indeed that both eaglets were well fed on the previous two days. Here are the three reports, from today, yesterday and Sunday:
September 14: another fine day. Last night Lady slept on the rim of the nest, or just by them – disturbed at one stage by the possum passing. Early duets and she was off, returning after 6am and trying to settle in the bowl with the nestlings – but off again a after a short time. When Dad brought in a gull carcass at 7:50 she grabbed it and fed them both –for an hour. Dad came in and took off some of the scraps, with Lady very protective. He fed 36 a couple of bites, then Lady came in again and fed them a little more – protecting the food from him. Then Dad returned and fed them a little himself – and more when Lady took over and fed 35, then 36 – a massive feeding session. As the nest warmed up, chicks were panting – full crops too. They rested, sprawled out in the nest at times, moving into the shade when they could. Dad came in a couple of times and took off a scrap of bone. Late afternoon, Dad came with a whiting, claimed and fed by Lady, to SE35 first. Both ate – full and peaceful at end of day.
September 15: Lady spent most of the night on the nest rim, coming in very early to the bowl, then away. She returned as Dad brought in a Red Rock Cod at 6:15am, claimed by Lady and fed it to both chicks. Both chicks are calling now as the food comes in. A very warm day then, with both of the eaglets moving into the shade when they could. The parents were in and out a few times, with leaves – or nearby – but the chicks were mainly left alone on the nest. Lady came in at last light, but there was no more prey until just after 6pm, when Dad brought a fish. Lady then fed both nestlings before settling for the night.
September 16: Lady slept on the rim last night. She was off very early, then duets, with the nestlings joining in. Dad came and started feeding SE35 a fish scrap early, offered a bit to Lady, then she took over – though there was not much left. The eaglets then waited all morning until Dad brought a gull chick just after 2pm, on a windy afternoon. Lady claimed it and fed both, with SE35 getting most. SE36 has been venturing right to the nest rim, then returning safely to the nest bowl. Both chicks are calling on the nest now – begging for food or parental attention. They were waiting for more food all afternoon. Lady came to the nest just before 6pm, but with no food, then left again, flying to the perch branch. She returned to the nest bowl, settling on the nest next to the chicks. Will there be a late prey delivery again? (Spoiler alert: No, there wasn’t, and poor SE36 went to bed with an empty crop and a hungry tummy.)
At Collins Street, the three eggs are being carefully tended by both falcons, though mum is doing most of the shifts.
At Taiaroa Head, we are told, Miss SS Trig is further down the hill. However, I am not convinced she has not already fledged today because there is an albatross sleeping on her nest and according to Ranger Sharyn Broni, that albatross is her father, who is waiting to feed his girl. (I wondered why, if it is him, he has not called for her at all, though he has looked around and he is sleeping on her nest – also I believe Ranger Sharyn has actually confirmed his identity on her recent travels.So we will have to take her word for the fact that Miss SS Trig has not yet fledged and that there is a goodbye breakfast with dad awaiting her if she decides to head up the hill early tomorrow morning (17 September). The wind will determine her schedule, in all likelihood, but we are hoping she will stay at least another week, until her tummy mohawk (it really is most distinctive) has been shed.
I thank you so much for reminding me that the birds in our own gardens are the interface between ourselves and the natural world. We don’t need to filter these experiences through streaming cams from the other side of the world, although the chance to share the experiences of birds like the red-tailed hawks is something extra special (and a bird like Angel is something too precious for words).
Meanwhile, all appears well at Port Lincoln, where the night herons are doing well with the fish light it seems. They caught two fish in rapid succession the other evening. With three healthy-looking eggs, I do have some fears about the upcoming season – there is an aggressive quality to ospreys.”
“Wednesday: The littles were up and stretching at 6am and the breakfast fish arrived at around 06:08 courtesy of ever-reliable Dad. Lady was quickly in to take control of the feeding, with SE36 finding itself in prime position at the table. It was too intimidated though by its older sibling and went into submission pose, allowing SE35 to push past and take the front spot and the first of the food. But SE36 was still closest to the fish, and had the courage to turn its head and take occasional bites when Lady offered them. It was a good-sized fish and eventually, both nestlings ate a large breakfast.
When I checked back at lunchtime, SE35 was in a food coma and SE36, despite sporting the most gigantic of crops, was still eating like a small feathered machine as Lady fed him still more fish. Oh my goodness those eaglets were full. After yesterday’s lean pickings, I’m sure they both enjoyed the food overload they got today. They have become very vocal in recent days, chittering away to each other on the nest and vocalising to their parents whenever food approacheth. Oh they are the cutest small people. SE35 is starting to show caramel colours on its breast and head feathers and will soon begin to resemble a juvenile sea eagle. SE36 is still a huge ball of fluff with some feathertips on its wings – at least two or perhaps three days behind its older sibling.
At Collins Street, dad brought in such a large pigeon (I think) at 15:24:20, he could hardly get it up onto the ledge. It was as big as he was. Mum was less than impressed, after all his hard work, and stayed on the eggs, so he dived off the ledge again with his prey, at which mum looked rather surprised but still didn’t move. I presume he ate it himself, or stashed it on a floor above the nest (he glanced up there before diving off the ledge). At least there appear to be enough workers back in the Melbourne CBD to feed a good crop of pigeons for the falcons to feed their chicks once those eggs hatch. Dad is obviously a good hunter – that really was a very large catch.
Dad returned with empty talons soon after 16:28, and the pair had an animated conversation before mum dived off the ledge and presumably headed off to the pantry for the pigeon remains. Finally! Egg time for dad. He is such a cutie. A very neat little falcon. And his sweet little voice is adorable. Mum is back at 17:27:30. Another changeover at 18:02:30. “
The cam operator gave us some great closeups of the little sea eaglets and their gorgeous juvenile plumage coming in.
“Here is yesterday;s ranger report:
The eaglets both ate a large breakfast at around 10am this morning, with SE36 doing particularly well at this feeding. Both chicks finished the meal with huge crops, and spent the rest of the afternoon resting in the sunlit nest. The weather has improved, with the winds dying down and no rain today, so things are drying out and the fishing is easier.
September 21: A lovely sunny day. Last evening, Dad brought in a last prey offering, another young gull, and Lady fed them, though SE35 ate most. SE36 found a last scrap itself. Lady spent most of the night beside them on the nest rim. A quiet morning until Lady herself brought in a young gull. SE36 did quite well at this feeding. Both are picking at things in the nest. Then, in the late afternoon, Dad brought part of a fish, having already eaten himself. He fed them a little first, then Lady took over until all was gone. As the eagles called, the youngsters joined in too at the end of the day. Both adults settled nearby.
And today (22 September), the eaglets both ate a large breakfast at around 10am, with SE36 doing particularly well at this feeding. Both chicks finished the meal with huge crops, and spent the rest of the afternoon resting in the sunlit nest. The weather has improved, with the winds dying down and no rain today, so things are drying out and the fishing is easier.
These two are starting to look so grown up (especially SE35). It is scary to think that they are nearing the time when their privileged life on the nest will be exchanged for their annual losing battle with the currawongs.It seems so futile – all the hard work the parents have put in and yet it is destined to be fruitless, with the fledglings unlikely to survive without human intervention (and even with that assistance, their futures are very uncertain).
At Collins Street, the incubation continues, with the three eggs looking good and being well looked after by both parents. Mum headed off at 06:14 this morning to get herself some breakfast, and little Dad quickly arrived to take over, making his tiny chirping noises. The way he talks to the eggs is so adorable. He loves these chicks before they’ve even hatched.
At Port Lincoln, mum is still waiting for food – nothing has been brought in so far today. There are usually two fish (or one huge fish) brought in per day, but I am not confident that this is going to increase sufficiently to feed a family of five when these eggs hatch. I do hope the Fish Fairy is ready for action because I fear she is going to be needed on this nest this season. I do wish they would stick to two eggs.
Mum is doing the vast majority of the incubating at Port Lincoln – some days, dad spends less than an hour in total on the eggs, with mum taking care of the rest. She is doing a great job, but as I said, I’m hoping the fish supply will step up when the eggs hatch – as things stand, mum isn’t getting enough for her own needs. “
Pat Burke got the cutest screen capture of the little sea eaglets, who are a month old now.
TE3 is still hanging around the natal nest in Tempeauleau Wisconsin. This gorgeous juvenile was raised by her Mum basically single-handedly. Many thought the eaglet would not survive, but she did and what an amazing eagle she is going to be. Thank you Bud Whillock for these great images that you shared on FB.
The American Bird Conservancy announces a huge win:
ABC is celebrating a much-needed win for seabirds with the announcement that the U.S. Department of the Air Force (DAF) has suspended its proposal to use Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge as a site for commercial rocket landing pads. ABC was among the first organizations to raise concerns about the plan and request further study on the potential impacts on the more than one million seabirds that nest on the tiny Pacific Ocean atoll each year. The DAF’s pause on their plans gives seabirds like the Brown Noddy and Red-tailed Tropicbird breathing room and keeps this important site a safe refuge for birds, for now.
As our population grows, the impact on wildlife is enormous.
The ospreys are almost all gone on their journeys to their winter quarters. Iris is no longer at Hellgate Canyon, and Charlie is no longer at Charlo, Montana. A few linger in Nova Scotia, and one of CJ7 and Blue 022’s fledglings was photographed in Poole Harbour.
It appears that the male at the Boulder County Fair Grounds osprey nest is still at home, too.
Swoop continues to deliver to the fourth hatch, known fondly as Eenie or Little Buckaroo, at Dunrovin Ranch. Lin Lawson did a physique comparison between the father and the juvenile.
Connie Dennis reminds us that this is the number of days we have until they return in Nova Scotia:
Each of us will be sitting on pins and needles waiting for Iris to return to Montana next spring! Lovely montage Lucille Powell, thank you.
There are still some ospreys in Manitoba! Marlene Mitchell caught this one where we go to see the Pelicans.
At the Golden Gate Audubon nest site – lamp and crane – one fledgling and the parents that remain are Beacon, Rosie, and Richmond. “At 128 days old, Beacon has now lingered the longest of any of Rosie and Richmond’s offspring. And apparently her calls for more fish are working, as she received two separate deliveries today, after visiting the Whirley Crane several times. Rosie also visited the crane. http://www.sfbayospreys.org”. https://youtu.be/sT1WdpdP4-Q?
Rosie is still there on Thursday. Thanks, Lucille Powell.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust gives us the remarkable story of White YW and Blue 35 at Foulshaw Moss, who raised three chicks, with White YW now 17 years old and Blue 35 fourteen years old. And then, White YW feeds and cares for another’s fledgling. A good read. White YW and Blue 35 are two of my favourite osprey couples in the UK, often overlooked.
It is that time of season when there are summaries and highlights. Cornell Bird Lab takes us through the life of the Barred Owls. “Relive five unforgettable moments from our 2025 Barred Owl Cam, sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited! This season was full of fun and heartwarming memories as this feathered family raised their two adorable owlets, Moss and Maple, in a nest box nestled in the backyard of WBU Founder and CEO Jim Carpenter. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/HfW9vYw2HSY?
It is also cam maintenance time for both the ospreys and the eagles.
Gabby and Beau continue to work hard on their nest in NE Florida, with Gabby even trying out the egg bowl. Will we have eggs early this year? We wait to see.
Duke Farms nest is waiting for its eagles.
There was an eagle at the ND-LEEF in South Bend, Indiana, on Tuesday.
The Maori, along with North American Native Tribes, along with many other cultural groups, believe that birds carry messages, especially when someone dies. A lovely short read from The Guardian:
Toby wants to know how many people remember Murphy the Bald Eagle who incubated the rock and then got to raise an eaglet? Thanks National Geographic!
Thank you so much for being with us today! Take care of yourself. We look forward to having you with us again next Monday.
I want to thank our notable contributor, ‘SK Hideaways’ for their videos highlighting the nests we are following as well as the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, other individuals and institutions who create videos and the authors of posts such as Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, and all others, often too many to name but whom I have tried to cite in bold. I am very grateful to you and to the newspapers and journals that still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends. A special thank you to Raptor Persecution UK for keeping us well informed about what is happening to the raptors in the UK. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.
Calico wants me to add an essay, “The Thin White Line,” from Emergence Magazine. She thinks it is thought-provoking.
Thank you so much for being with us today! Take care. See you next Monday.
I want to thank our notable contributor, ‘SK Hideaways’ for their videos highlighting the nests we are following, ‘A’ for their Australian commentary, the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, the individuals who take the time to create videos and the authors of posts such as Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, and all others, often too many to name but whom I have tried to cite in bold. I am very grateful to you and to the newspapers and journals that still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.
Oh, the sun is shining and the sky is blue! Everyone has now been fed and watered after a frolicking night of little raccoons on the deck eating cat kibble. We hope that each of you has a lovely Friday and a great weekend.
Late update from Rutland:
Late news from Foulshaw Moss:
I am starting to write this blog on Tuesday morning while Toby is at the vet clinic. He has been gone for four hours, and I miss that little bundle of energy. Toby went in for a neutering and will come out with that, but it turned out he still has all of his baby teeth. They didn’t fall out and should have, but are rather crowded with his big boy teeth. There was already some plaque building up, so they are coming out as well. Hugo Yugo is looking for him. Did I say that they are inseparable? And the vet fears that HY will try to wash Toby’s stitches. Oh, my. HY just decided to give Calico a good go! It is a good thing that Toby will be relatively sedated when we pick him up later today.
Hugo Yugo took really good care of Toby when he wasn’t feeling well. HY washed Toby’s face and slept with him, but didn’t wash those stitches as far as I know (of course, I was asleep, but they were quiet and I presume sleeping or they would have been romping all over me).
It rained on Thursday morning. There was something about the sky – it was dark. It was 20 °C, but it felt much colder. Watching Brock come for his meal made me realise that winter is coming sooner than I want! Brock is starting his 4th fall coming to the garden. He must have had a place to stay warm in the winter, or he would not have survived. Where is it? We have the heated food and water bowls ready for him. I contemplate having the carpenter make him a two-level house where he can sleep on top under a lamp and have his food below. But would he use it?
Miyoung came and cut our hair, and guess who wanted to help her?
Inseparable. Toby is feeling better. Him and HY are just cuddle buddies – and they are always looking for trouble. Good thing Miyoung likes dogs and cats!
Hope. Baby Hope is fine. She is getting new fur on her injury, and I now have some sedative tablets to help her get to the vet if necessary in the future. What a relief! As each of you knows, our pets mean the world to us, and when anything happens or when they are unwell, we do not rest and we worry and fret for them. They are family.
It is nice and quiet. All of the cats, Toby, and Don are sound asleep. A new season of the Marlow Murder Club is streaming – lovely with a nice cup of tea. And thank goodness, the Christmas teas are coming online. We have a favourite, and soon, some tins will arrive from across the pond. This is our holiday treat! Tea and scones. Yes! Good way to start fall, which will officially be here shortly.
As of Monday, the following male ospreys were still seen in the UK: Blue 33 at Rutland, Blue KC6, known as Teifi, and unringed Aran are still at Glaslyn. Blue KL5 is at Loch Garten, and Blue KS6, known as Dinas, is from a private nest in Wales.
As of Thursday, these ospreys appear to be around the UK: Samson remains at the Border Ospreys (see below), feeding his two fledglings. 9K5 was at Usk at 0859, and Heather Cormer was still seeing KS6/Dinas at Glaslyn.
Heather Corfield from Glaslyn stated, “There have been no reported sightings of Aran since Friday, so he could have left. We thought Teifi had though as we had not seen him after Tuesday 2, but he reappeared on Monday 8.”
Iris is still at Hellgate Canyon on Monday, and she was photographed on Wednesday, the 10th, eating a large fish in her favourite tree. She was also there on the 9th. And guess what? Iris was on the snag tree eating a large fish on Thursday, the 11th. She is in no hurry to leave. Good for her for waiting and fattening up on that nice fish.
Samson is still at Border Ospreys with the two fledglings! Augusta departed about a fortnight ago.
Fledgling Blue 7M5 from Llyn Brenig has now migrated. Last seen last Sunday, the 7th of September 2025.
SK Hideaways’ great videos keep us up to date on so many nests! (You may see a couple of these twice within the blog):
West End Eagles, Haku & MV ~ Catalina Island (11 Sept 2025)
After roosting on their night perch, Haku and MV met at the nest for bonding nestorations and a little mischief. Haku continues to try for beaky kisses, but MV resists. With this morning’s rejection, Haku took to nibbling MV’s tail instead. Interesting to watch the progression in this young relationship.
Lady was steadfast and determined to keep SE35 and SE36 warm and dry throughout a blustery night and into the morning. Except for two short feedings and an even shorter break, super mumbrella sheltered her eaglets.
367 Collins Street Falcons ~ Female F24 and Male M24 (11 Sept 2025)
A changeover became a non-changeover when Mum, F24 realized there was a prey gift from Dad, M24, that she hadn’t seen the day before. She departed with it, but not before M24 thought his egg time was over. He soon returned for a bit more time with his beloved eggs. Dad’s chirps continue to bring me to my knees. So adorable.
Big Bear Valley, home of Jackie & Shadow (9 Sept 2025)
It’s always special when Jackie & Shadow visit at this time of year, as nestorations don’t start for another few weeks. They spent the night perched on their favorite roost tree and then greeted the sunrise on the lookout snag before starting their day. Later, one of them perched on the cactus snag with two ravens.
While SE35 continues to show dominance, SE36 shows superior wisdom and resilience. While patiently waiting for SE35 to fill up, SE36 sidesteps up the nest, arriving in prime position to receive bites once SE35 is sated. It’s a fascinating story of perseverance and, ultimately, survival.
The last of Geemeff’s offerings from Loch Arkaig for the 2025 season!
Geemeff’s Final Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 10th September 2025
Season Nine has been such a successful season after the worries of last year. Not only did Louis return, but he was at his best, delivering 437 fish which together with a pair from Dorcha made a season total of 439. They hatched three chicks and fledged two, Darach 7P0 and Breac 7P7, and all four family members left on migration looking strong and healthy when they made their final appearance on nest cam. Louis has now fledged fourteen chicks, six with Aila and eight with Dorcha. Over on Nest One, Garry LV0 returned and appears to have found a mate when Aurora 536 turned up and claimed the nest, accepting fish from him, mating with him and seeing off Affric 152 when she turned up. Once Aurora left on migration however, Garry turned his attention back to Affric and delivered fish to her too, bringing a grand total of 141 to the nest for which ever female turned up, he doesn’t appear to be fussy, he just wants a mate. It will be interesting to see what happens next year, it’s looking good for chicks on Nest One, but from which female? We had the thrill of Breac’s sighting in Spain just fifteen days after he left Loch Arkaig, and also that of Aurora, sighted in Poole Harbour three weeks after her last visit to Nest One. Fingers crossed for more sightings – we wish our Nest One and Nest Two Osprey families fair winds and plenty of fish, and have our fingers very firmly crossed for safe passage for all and a safe return by the adults to Loch Arkaig for Season Ten next Spring.
Grateful thanks to George and Woodland Trust for allowing me to clip bits off the livestreams. Many thanks to everyone who’s watched, liked, or commented on my videos – special thanks TibbyJ for bird IDs and keeping me updated on all the action by sending fishmails, Steve for his amazing fish stats and LizB for off-nest reports. After some IT problems (grrr), I hope to have my season highlights video completed soon and will post it here, it will also be available on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@GeemeffGeemeff. Thank you to People’s Postcode Lottery for funding the nest cams and selecting my postcode a couple of times this year for the minor prizes – hoping for the big prize one day!
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 20.36.37 (06.02.00); Nest Two 20.29.50 (06.04.49)
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 9th September 2025 The usual small birds visited today, and one exciting big bird – a handsome Buzzard paid a brief visit to Nest One. Last winter a Buzzard visited quite often, so hope this one, or a cousin, will drop in again. The press has been highlighting how early autumn fruit is out this year amidst concern for wildlife finding sufficient food later on. Woodland Trust would like your help to document fruit ripening dates by logging your observations on Nature’s Calendar. Link in the bonus section. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 20.45.50 (
05.37.31); Nest Two 20.36.27 (05.58.22) Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/Yo60gLBcOcY N1 Handsome Buzzard pays a brief visit 17.27.30 Bonus action – help Woodland Trust track how fruit ripening dates are changing over time and contribute to research on the impacts of climate change on our wildlife: https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk/
Lucille Powell caught Rosie at the Whirley Crane at the Golden Gate Audubon Osprey platform (the first for her and Richmond. They now use a light stand).
Newmann is at the High Spirit Bluff scrape.
Cute little sea eaglets on the EagleCAM wet from the storm – but Lady did a great job protecting her precious fluffy bundles.
KCAL News follows the protestors who showed up to try and keep building development away from Jackie and Shadow’s nest in Big Bear Valley.
NBCLA reports on the protests, too, along with many other media outlets. Everyone loves and wants to protect these two Iconic Bald Eagles and their nest.
Gabby and Beau continue to work on their nest in NE Florida:
The West End eagle nest is busy – despite missing Thunder and Akecheta, let us embrace this new couple and hope that we have little eaglets to coo over in the new year! SK Hideaways caught them: https://youtu.be/NPkYfxPdXEA?
‘A’ reports from Australia:
“Here is our gorgeous girl getting her GPS tracker.
Look at how very well behaved and calm she is while the rangers get things sorted. She is such a grown-up albie. It’s so good to know we will be able to follow her on her travels. The New Zealanders really do get a lot of things right, don’t they? I’m so very fond of them. (Australians love to adopt successful New Zealanders, and happily claim numerous actors, comedians, singers and sportspeople as our own.) They’re like our little brothers.
More importantly, Miss SS Trig has her GPS backpack and a numbered yellow band on her left leg (I’m not certain but I think it might say ‘555’. Surely not.)
She is still at the headland tonight (Thursday 11 September), but she got some really good hovering done in the windy conditions on Wednesday (10 September), with so much air beneath those wings that I thought we might be seeing her fledge then and there. But she does still have some downy fluff to rid herself of, and I am hoping that keeps her at home for another four or five days.
What a gorgeous girl she is. She loves to closely inspect the camera (as she is doing here), which gives us some wonderful pics:
We will miss this adventurous little lady. She has been wonderful to watch.
At WBSE in Olympic Park, Sydney, both sea eaglets are doing well. Here are the ranger’s reports from today and yesterday:
September 10: An early post at 4:40pm, as a storm is approaching. The chicks were uncovered last night until rain started, when Lady moved back to the bowl to cover them as well as she could. The morning saw a wet Lady and damp nestlings. She did not leave then until 8:45am, damp and dirty. Dad finally bought a fish at 9:52am, grabbed by Lady and fed to the nestlings, mainly SE35. Then the nestlings were left alone, huddled together in the bowl, mostly with one or other adult nearby. The rain eased, and during the morning, both eagles brought in several sprays of leaves. Just after midday, Lady returned as rain started again. She left after about 30 minutes as the rain eased. Dad brought in a small fish at 13:21, again grabbed by Lady and fed to the young, mainly SE35 again. When rain started again later, she returned to shelter the eaglets. Another fish arrived at 14:35 – and another feeding, with SE36 doing well. Lady covered the nestlings again after the feeding, sheltering them from the light rain. As the rain became heavier, she spread her wings out.
September 11: Late yesterday afternoon, Lady left the littles again on the nest – and the wind was really strong. Then, she brought a big fish in at last light, eating well herself – then feeding the nestlings – SE35 ate well, then SE36. She then settled over them again on the nest. She covered them all night and in the morning looked quite wet. Dad brought part of a fish just after 6am and she fed SE35 a little, then covered the eaglets again when rain started. She was seen shivering to warm herself. Dad came to the nest around 9am – Lady was straight up before he could take the fish. Lady offered some leftover fish to SE35, turned away and then ate for herself. After a few minutes, SE36 moved closer and fed well until all the fish was gone. She had a quick shake of her wet feathers, then covered the chicks again as it was still raining. She got up again at 9:41am, with a shake and away, leaving them alone, both chittering away. She returned to cover them after a short break. Then, she was away again. Dad came in briefly, looking for scraps, and fed SE36 one little bit. Then he was off. The nestlings were busy grooming their wet fluff and itching, and the weather was improving. Dad brought in a gull at 14:42 and Lady fed both eaglets, SE35 first. Dad came in afterwards and fed a few scraps to SE36. Both, by then well fed, spent the late afternoon lying in the nest bowl. Another fish was brought just after 5pm, fed to the kids by Lady – both ate. She then settled over them just before 6pm.
At Port Lincoln, there are three eggs, laid on 4 September, 7 September and 11 September. Of course there is plenty of time for a fourth egg but let’s hope they leave it at three. I wonder whether the Fish Fairy could ensure four osplets survive to fledge if there did happen to be four viable eggs – it wouldn’t be easy, even with enough food to go around, because sharing it between four osplets would be exhausting and difficult for the parents. It’s too late to hope for just two eggs so the best we can do is hope this is it for egg laying this season.
At Collins Street, there are three eggs, and obviously, these two know that three is a good number. They are taking turns to incubate their eggs, and like the osprey pair at Port Lincoln, they seem to have a good relationship, closer than last year (whether they are a different pair or whether they are just more mature this season and know each other better, who knows).
At Orange, there are no eggs, meaning there was no fertilisation in the few matings witnessed between Diamond and Xavier before his disappearance and Gimbir’s efforts [might be lacking]. “
Backyard Bird Lovers reminds us:
Some avian species are disappering more rapidly than others.
Ducks are increasing in number because of the increase of wetlands and hunters partering with ‘birders’ and environmentalists.
No feathers! But the rare baby Lynx that came into care at Wildlife Haven in Manitoba. https://youtu.be/_cRbeF4ZF1E?
Thank you so much for being with us today. We are delighted that so many people care about the raptors (and other feathered friends) that we follow. Osprey season is winding down, and Bald Eagles are returning to their nests in the United States. As I have mentioned previously, the active nest at the moment is the White-bellied Sea Eagle nest in the Olympic Forest in Sydney. We have eggs at the CBD Falcon scrape in Melbourne and at the Port Lincoln Osprey barge. Mum laid her third egg on Thursday at the barge, and we should now be in the hard incubation stage. We wait to see what will happen at Diamond and Gimbir’s scrape on the grounds of the Charles Sturt University in Orange.
I am going to take a ‘sort of’ mini-break. There is a lot to do to get the garden in shape for winter, and a few continuing renovations inside that need my attention. As a result of a lack of nest activity, I will publish my blog just on Mondays until the Port Lincoln osprey eggs hatch in 36-42 weeks. So check in on Mondays! Book reviews, Red Bird discussions, Bald Eagle sightings!
Take care! See you on Monday.
I want to thank our notable contributors, ‘Geemeff and SK Hideaways, ‘, the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, the individuals who take the time to create videos and the authors of posts such as Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, and all others, often too many to name but who I have tried to cite in bold. I am very grateful to you and to the newspapers that still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.
Perhaps one final update from Seattle – 25B (as I have come to call the last-to-fledge) is still mostly hanging around the nest and as of yesterday, dad is still delivering fish (pictured). I have not seen 25A in over a week – perhaps he/she is in the area but fishing on their own already, maybe headed out to points south? I hope that B will start fishing on its own soon, too. 25A – one of the last times I saw it – was practicing on some land mammals (pictured) in a very cat like way, including losing interest once the mouse stopped moving. I also trust that dad knows what he’s doing – and isn’t waiting too long to head south. What a summer it’s been with these birds! Can’t wait to see them again next spring. https://www.flickr.com/gp/193514804@N08/xqa8vrBiT4
Teifi has been seen at the Glaslyn osprey nest and area on Monday. KL5 is still at Loch Garten. Female 1H1 from Poole Harbour nest 2 was seen catching fish on Sunday late.
Despite a couple of torrential downpours, the weekend was not ‘half bad’. We love fall and the energising winds that it brings. Summer clothes are being packed, with sweaters being made ready. Scarves, toques, gloves, and winter coats are at the ready. I really hope we do not need them for several more months!
As I write this, it’s a beautiful Friday evening, quintessentially fall, with a gentle breeze and golden light flooding the backyard. The birds have been eating and eating since early morning. Anne even had to put out more food mid-afternoon. So, today, they have had 9 gallons of seed. It is just after 1820, and almost all of it is gone. Even the Crows are coming in for nuts.
Saturday morning, the sky was out and there was a clear breeze. We had lots of migrating birds in the garden, heard by Merlin but mostly unseen. They included our usual Blue Jay family, the Crows, the House Sparrows along with American Goldfinch, Grey Catbirds, the Hairy Woodpecker, and House Finches! Merlin recorded a GHO, but I didn’t see it, so was it wrong or loud at a distance? We do have one that lives in the area. The squirrels were in abundance, and Toby enjoyed the idea of trying to catch a butterfly that was high above his head. It is a ‘crisp’ day, and in the oven is the last of the rhubarb in a crisp to be enjoyed with ice cream shortly. I love autumn. The cooler, clear air is refreshing from the heat and humidity, as well as the wildfires of summer. It gets down to 6 °C at night. Toby and I sleep under my grandmother’s quilts that she made as a young woman. The logs are stacked next to the log burner for use on a cool evening.
Sunday brings us the Blood Full Moon. Our day was up and down, no doubt thanks to the influence that it flexes.
‘PB‘ sent us the latest news on the necroscopy completed on MO, the Dunrovin first hatch that died recently.
Soar high, little one!
I haven’t switched from osprey season to eagle season in my mind so I more than likely will miss many arrivals. One of those was Rose at the WRDC nest. She and Ron are busy preparing the nest. It looked like they were putting up the rails on Friday.
The cam operator at the NE Florida Nest of Gabby and Beau gave us some fabulous close ups of our couple on Friday.
Eagles are coming to the Kisatchie National Forest nest in Louisiana! Hello Alex. Thanks Tonya Irvin.
Jackie and Shadow need your help to stop a development in Big Bear. Please read.
Haku and MV working on the West End nest in the Channel Islands.
At the Dyfi Osprey Platform in the UK, Brianne is now 112 days old and she is still home. Idris continues to deliver fish!
Idris and Brianne were still at Dyfi on Saturday.
Dyfi dates: Dyfi Osprey Project: Idris and Brianne both seen today 06/09. Telyn last seen 23/08. Cwellyn and Honddu last seen 21/08.
At Glaslyn, Aran was seen on Friday. It seems that no one was seen on Saturday. The winds might have been perfect for a departure.
It looks as if Harry and Forest have started their migration leaving the Alyth SS osprey platform. Marlow flew earlier and poor little Oakley soared high before all of them.
Kids are still at home in Finland’s Ilomantsi osprey nest.
At Rutland Water’s Manton Bay osprey platform, both Maya and 8 began their migration on Friday, 5 September. This leaves Blue 33 to eat some fish to help him fatten up for his journey. He was still at Rutland on Sunday eating a fish in a tree.
The winds must have been perfect. Harry and Forest appear to have left the Alyth SS Osprey platform in the UK on the same day as Maya and 8 – 5 September.
9K5 is still at the Usk Valley nest in Wales along with Dad. Seen on camera Friday evening. No action on the nest on Saturday and things were really quiet on Sunday.
Sad news, but hopeful for a recovery for these ospreys!
Look at the migration map that Sunnie Day posted — get outside, yes, that is right. Go out and see them live!
Tiger Mozone recommends that everyone watch the 2004 film “Living the Dream” on YouTube. It is about the Loch Garten ospreys. Not giving anything else away. https://youtu.be/3JFZvHqM8po?
T3 is still around the vicinity of the nest in Trempeauleau, Wisconsin. Locals continue to take beautiful images of her sitting atop light poles, in trees, etc. Check out their FB page!
Heidi is reporting that Dad is still bringing fish to the two juveniles at Field Farm!
C20 and Charlie remain at the Charlo Montana nest on Saturday – Charlie came with a fish, and C20 has it at Roger’s Place. C19 was last seen on 1 September and assumed to have begun its journey. C20 was last seen on Saturday as was Charlie. Have they departed? The clean up crew is on the nest.
After SE36 joined in Lady and Dad’s duet, the two eaglets had some time to themselves. They enjoyed a robust game of tug-of-scrap, worked on coordinating their balance in the face of giant clown feet, cuddled, and stretched their wings and talons. It was a serious cuteness overload morning.
See video description on YouTube to jump to these highlights, if you want:
Second year Gimbir (2024 hatch) and Diamond successfully mated twice. If completely successful, Diamond will lay eggs in the next few days.
Courtesy FalconCam Project, Charles Sturt University N
Gimbir Cornered on Cilla Stones ~ Makes Great Escape ~ Brings Prey to Empty Nest (2025 Sep 8)
Diamond and Gimbir continue their courtship at full speed. During the day’s second pair-bonding, Gimbir got cornered on the Cilla Stones. When he got an opening, he exited the nest at full speed. Later, he brought prey, but Diamond was out. He waited a good long time before departing with the gift. Maybe he’ll try to gift it again later.
Courtesy FalconCam Project, Charles Sturt University
Gimbir is ‘very cute’ and he is beginning to take good care of Diamond.
FalconCam Project, Orange NSW Gimbir Brings Diamond First Food Gift ~ It Wasn’t Starling (5 Sept 2025)
An important next step in Gimbir’s courtship of Diamond ~ a food gift. She happily accepted the offering.
Courtesy FalconCam Project, Charles Sturt University
Jenny Powell caught Iris at home at the Hellgate Canyon, Missoula on Saturday.
Iris came to her nest with a stick for the rails shortly after 7pm on Sunday! Hello, Iris. So good to see you.
Some falconry history from The Archives of Falconry:
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 7th September 2025 One little songbird and a lot of rain, with a goodly helping of wind too, was today’s action. However, there’s plenty of interesting content on the rest of Woodland Trust’s website, once you can tear yourself away from the Osprey FAQs and behind the scenes info,
and it’s always worth a trawl around. On this day in 2017 Louis & Aila’s very first chick Lachlan JH4 was still around, and Louis & Dorcha’s fourth chick Sarafina LW6 likewise in 2022 – both were still coming to the nest and Louis was still bringing them fish, links in the blast from the past section. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 20.44.58 (
05.53.18); Nest Two 20.42.04 (
06.02.19) Today’s videos: none
Bonus read – the vital role of managing the Woodland Trust’s estate for wildlife conservation:
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 6th September 2025 A visit by a Tawny Owl to Nest One and a Robin visiting Nest Two was the extent of the action today but in previous years Louis and some of his female chicks were still around, links in the blast from the past section. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 20.56.10 (
05.50.12); Nest Two 20.47.50 (05.57.58) Today’s videos:
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 5th September 2025 Breac’s sighting in Spain got an article in West Coast Today (
https://walkingwithdaddy.com/osprey/?ht-comment-id=27886985) and the usual handful of songbirds visited, otherwise no action on the nests today. But there’s plenty of action to look back on, all contained in Woodland Trust’s 2025 Osprey cam clips playlist:
They are calling it a dry autumn in the UK. Something similar is happening in Manitoba despite the rain we have. It is still drier than normal in our province.
While we openly back protection for nature, things are not going as smoothly as they should – up in the NE of the US and other parts of the USA and now in Asia.
If the bays, the oceans, and the seas are drained, there is no food for the seabirds, like the Albatross, that depend on these fish to survive. Please work to protect the water ways.
The fledgling at the Black Eagle nest at Sellati flapped its wings and then hit the rock face before sliding off. Did it fly?
Mum arrives and the eaglet clamours to get back on the nest. It is fine!
Fledge could happen any time!
From the Norway Osprey nest – thank you Anna-Liisa Heleniemi:
We have our second leg for Mum and Dad at Port Lincoln barge in South Australia.
Giliath stays close to Port Lincoln like dear Ervie did for years.
But where is dear Ervie and did he find a mate? Well, it seems he is staying around Port Lincoln and the barge, too. No word of a mate. Do we need PL to translocate some Scottish lasses?
Have you seen how an Osprey catches its fish lunch? Cornell Bird Labs has a great little film for you – it is amazing! https://youtu.be/doYuBVUUXZg?
They are the most amazing raptors.
American Bird Conservatory’s Bird of the Week: The Double-Crested Cormorant.
How can Puffins fly in the air and in the water? Want to find out? Cornell Bird Lab shows us: https://youtu.be/nz4kPuRjqOI?
Keeping an eye on the Hellgate Canyon nest of Iris. Iris had a fish early morning Sunday. Lucille Powell caught Iris for us:
9/7/25-08:02,08:13am MT- Owl Pole Cam- I am thinking this is Iris. She likes to perch on that branch of her favorite tree. If so,She had a lively fish that she enjoyed.. Good morning.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please enjoy your week! We will be back with you on Friday.
I want to thank our notable contributors, ‘Geemeff, PB, SK Hideaways, ‘, the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, the individuals who take the time to create videos and the authors of posts such as Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, and all others, often too many to name but who I have tried to cite in bold. I am very grateful to you and to the newspapers that still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.
Exciting Update: George Anderson has posted that a confirmed sighting of Breac (Loch Arkaig 2025) on the north coast of Spain on the 30th of August. He was last seen at Loch Arkaig on 15 August. This is incredible news.
The photographer sent the Woodland Trust the images to share including this one of the location – and they note that Breac was flying with another osprey.
I am so thankful for this BlueSky post. White YW is one of my all-time favourite UK male ospreys, and he is often overlooked by the nests at Rutland and in Wales. He deserves a gold medal. This year, he stayed and fed a juvenile that wasn’t even his at Foulshaw Moss in Cumbria!
August is now a page turned in the calendar. Children are getting excited about returning to school to see their friends, and, for us, it really marks the time that most of the ospreys have migrated to their winter homes, with the Bald Eagles thinking about returning to their nests. In fact, M15 and F23 have now returned to SW Florida! Fantastic.
The real active nests are those in Australia. There are chicks in the nest in the Olympic Park, eggs being laid on the ledge at Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD, eggs expected at the Port Lincoln barge and the other nests around South Australia, and then there is Diamond’s scrape. It may be a failed year if dear Xavier does not return. In New Zealand, the Royal Cam chick is set to fly off on her grand adventure within the next fortnight.
At Port Lincoln, Mum and Dad are cosy, and I get the feeling that eggs are imminent.
The weather in the Canadian prairies is hot and humid. The paint stores are busy as new colours are appearing around my neighbourhood. We even managed to get our front door re-painted. It was ‘too’ blue for me, so now it is ‘nearly’ black, a colour called Railings. It works well. Now to do the window frames.
Brock looked pretty shabby not that long ago. His coat is improving, and the missing fur from his tail is growing back. Toby often scares him, but Brock appears to have learned to let me know that he is here for food, then step back, let me put it out, and come back up to the deck to eat. Tonight he had two huge bowls! Another cat has appeared. She is a lovely grey, almost tortoiseshell, with some nice apricot splotches. She has either had kittens or is going to have kittens – she will not let me get close enough to tell. Toby often sends her running.
Baby Hope. Gosh. I had no idea it was a long weekend. That is what happens when you are retired. It was impossible to get a vet! She continues to allow me to have a ‘guarded look’, but clearly, she would benefit from antibiotics. Anne and I are going to attempt to trick her into a carrier and get her to the clinic on Tuesday. She is eating well and had jumped up to the ledge of the piano window in the living room, where she was last seen washing herself. I am grateful for your good wishes for this darling girl and to ‘MP’ for their expert guidance on what she might benefit from, including a long-term antibiotic injection. — Well, I haven’t slept much because of the injury, which is on her chin, where she can’t wash easily, looked bad on Saturday, and, as a consequence, I didn’t sleep. Come Sunday morning, and I got a great look, and things are very much improved. I will have to trap her, but ‘MP’ has given me some great advice about getting medicine to calm her to help that along if it is needed – a tiny bit of Gabapentin. How kind. At any rate, she seems to be on the mend. Fingers and toes crossed.
The Troublemakers:
Bird World news is going to become ‘thin’ as we wait. I hope to fill some of the void with book news and articles for you to read over the winter in the coming months as we wait for baby eagles to hatch in North America.
Our Canadian osprey fledglings are very smart! One or the other or both from the Russell Lake osprey platform in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is catching their own fish! Thanks, Connie and Don Dennis.
SK Hideaways new videos!
Flirty Haku Gets Frisky with MV on Night Perch🌠
West End Eagles🦅 Catalina Island, CA (2025 Aug 29)
The budding romance between Haku and MV is fascinating to watch. Here, Haku is in a particular frisky mood when she arrives on the night perch.
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies, explore.org
Dad Juggles Growing Chicks🤹♂️ SE36 Gets Wise for Bites!
Sydney White-Bellied Sea Eagles Lady & Dad (2025 Aug 30)
At 2 weeks old, SE35 and SE36 are getting too big for Dad to brood, but he does his best. SE36 is finding clever ways to get plenty to eat when Lady brings a whopper for breakfast.
Diamond has a Young Suitor ~ He’s Making Himself at Home (1 September 2025)
Diamond’s long-time mate, Xavier has been missing for 5 days. In that short time, a young male falcon (tiercel) has appeared and seems to be courting Diamond. The tiercel visited the nest and took a good look around. Diamond met him there for what appeared to be a short bonding session. We will have to watch and wait to see how the story unfolds.
Courtesy FalconCam Project, Charles Sturt University NSW
Sacha Dench and Conservation Without Borders have uploaded the entire 22-episode series of The Flight of the Osprey to YouTube. There is some really great information and discussion in these. Here is your link:
The Queen of the North American ospreys, Iris, is still at her nest at Hellgate Canyon in Missoula, Montana. She arrived on Friday in need of a fish! Was she looking for the New Male to chase her down? He has been very good at providing meals and helping renovate the nest.
Hard not to check on Iris all day long. She is still home and as beautiful in that golden light as ever.
Iris is still home in Missoula on Monday.
Charlie continues to deliver nice fish to C19 and C20 at Charlo Montana. What an amazing place for ospreys. It is a gorgeous landscape.
At least one fledgling is still in Idaho at the Coeur d’Alene South Osprey platform.
Teifi is still at Glaslyn. Here he is on the old Oak snag. Elen has not been seen since Thursday, 28 August. Teifi was also seen on Monday and so was Aran so both of the males are staying around Aran’s ‘old nest’? Or will Aran return early and try a takeover in 2026??
At Rutland Water, both Blue 33 and Maya and their 110-day-old fledgling 3R8 are still home.
Birds of Poole Harbour: 1H1 from Nest 2 was seen fishing at the Christchurch Harbour on Monday.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 31st August 2025 Not much to say – a handful of songbirds and a Great Spotted Woodpecker paid a visit, and amidst concerns about the invasive spruce bark beetle, currently trending in the news, Woodland Trust’s 2025 update to their 2021 State of the UK’s Woods and Trees report is available, link in the bonus section. Within the report there are links for each of the four home nations, it’s a very interesting read. George will post the official season summary on this page when it’s ready, and I’m working on my highlights video and hope to be able to post it here before the comments close. In any event, I’ll shut down the increasingly redundant daily summary in the next few days. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.07.46 (05.41.14); Nest Two 21.01.03 (05.48.18) Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/eVzQjLMvX0E N2 Songbirds and a Great Spotted Woodpecker visit 09.57.55 Bonus read – Woodland Trust’s 2025 updated
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 29th August 2025
Today started with Nest One receiving a midnight visit from a Tawny Owl, and both nests had daylight visits from songbirds but the most interesting event was Steve Quinn publishing his end of season fish stats. Louis delivered four hundred and thirty seven fish, and Dorcha doubled her previous score with two deliveries, ending the season with four hundred and thirty nine fish brought to the nest. Steve says: “As a community we have now counted/reported 2222 fish over the 5 seasons”.
Every single one of those fish was observed and recorded and scrutinised to make sure it wasn’t an earlier fish returning, and everyone who played a part should congratulate themselves for a remarkable feat of citizen science, with huge thanks to Steve for his very thorough analysis. Link to his report:
Your smile for today: African Crowned Eagles incubate Egyptian goose eggs and they hatch! Liznm captures it on video! https://youtu.be/Jh9X9yV7rpg?
On Monday, one of the goslings jumped to the ground safely and was confirmed to be alive and well by the environmental team at the Zimbali Estate. Liznm has it on video: https://youtu.be/3Iv4wfRnxCw?
The August newsletter from Birdlife International:
On the Cornell Campus, Big Red and Arthur have been seen. O2 appears to be off exploring the area. It is that time when the fledglings leave their parent’s territory to set off on their own. We wish the three of them a good fall and winter and will watch for Arthur and Big Red to bring sticks in for next year.
In Orange, a new male has shown up at the scrape.
Then Holly Parsons noticed a similarity with one of our favourite fledglings from this nest – Izzi. Poor Cilla. She put him back in the scrape twice that season. Izzi was such a character – do you remember his cicada popsicles?
Thanks, Karen Leng.
Richmond and Rosie are still home with 112 day old fledgling Beacon keeping them company at the Golden Gate Audubon osprey ‘light’ nest in San Francisco Bay. https://youtu.be/fcqdZFri2DU?
Our Melbourne commentator ‘A’ writes: “This is such devastating news, and at this stage, there seems little possibility of his return. A hunting accident is being considered the most likely but perhaps we’ll never know for certain. It is a tragedy, but Diamond is not wasting any time in moving on. There is a male juvenile falcon (such a cutie) who has been bonding with her and who seems very at home in the scrape and on the ledge. He has been eating in a leisurely manner on the tower as well, and Diamond has been engaging in bonding behaviour with him (see 06:08:10 this morning and again at 13:02:03 – on both occasions he was in the scrape, e-chupping, and Diamond came in for bonding). So it seems as though she may be getting to like him. His plumage is still not adult, though, so he is still too young I think to be a mate for Diamond. Time will tell.
Meanwhile, I have been so sad about the loss of Xavier, who has been a wonderful mate for Diamond. We all adore Xavier. I really didn’t know how to cope with his disappearance initially. I still don’t. He was the sweetest falcon, and we’ll never forget the way he stepped in and stepped up when Diamond was left to raise eyases alone. He is a huge loss to all of us who watched him and loved him.
There has been talk of a second male hanging around Diamond, so perhaps she has two suitors. Most of the chat seems to think there will not be fertilised eggs this year, but mating has been seen, so Diamond for one is not giving up just yet. To be honest, there is a surreal aspect to even typing this. I tried to do it yesterday but I just couldn’t. I’ve kept on thinking if I don’t acknowledge it, maybe it won’t be true. I know. It’s pathetic. But I keep wondering what it is that is so lethal in that seemingly idyllic environment for falcons. Why do none of the fledglings seem to survive? What kills the males at this scrape? Is there that much competition in this area? “
Want to know more about hummingbirds – and who wouldn’t? Great programme with David Attenborough – so much nicer than the news (which we don’t watch anymore). Forty-five minutes of great images and information: https://youtu.be/Lbmy4TLkVFU?
If you would like to attract hummingbirds to your garden, have a watch! The Nature of Things shows you how to create the perfect environment. https://youtu.be/g02Ss3xgABc?
We are right in the middle of migration season. Many have written to tell me that the Canada Geese have arrived in some southern locations. This is about European geese. If you haven’t seen it, take the time to do so. The images are magnificent and, as always, there are many things to learn. This could be, along with some of the others mentioned above, a good alternative to the news cycle. We found that our minds are no longer spinning since we literally stopped watching or listening to the news! Yes, we buried our heads in the sand, and it is terrific. https://youtu.be/Rxo-IbAF7kQ? Thank you Animal Documentaries.
If you missed the August edition of Condor Chat with the Ventana Wildlife Society, here it is archived on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SrasdEJfexw? This is the 5th anniversary of the Dolan Fire and the rescue of Condor 1031, Iniko.
There is a discussion about Bob Cats killing young condors. The Condor Chat is excellent – you can learn and learn and never know enough about these amazing carrion eaters.
Calico wants everyone to try and aim for zero waste!
Thank you so much for being with us. Please take care. We look forward to having you back with us on Friday.
I want to thank our notable contributors, ‘A, Geemeff, PB, and SK Hideaways’, the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, the individuals who take the time to create videos and post them on YouTube, and the administrators of FB groups such as Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, and all others, often too many to name. I am very grateful to you and to the newspapers that still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.I also want to thank ‘MP’ for the generous sharing of their knowledge of veterinary medicine with me so that I could help Baby Hope.
We hope the last week has been kind to each of you. Thank you so much for your best wishes for my little mini-break! And for sending me news. I love that you keep me informed about your favourite nests! It is the end of August and the UK ospreys are making their way south except for some adults left with starving fledglings demanding fish after fish. The dads and some mums are still delivering. What dedication!
We have watched the weather and worried as many wildlife sanctuaries, such as the one for turtles, got washed into the sea with all of their nests destroyed by Hurricane Erin. I wondered about the ospreys and other wildlife in those areas – and it is just the beginning of the season. We must remind ourselves that worrying does not help anything, but action does. If weather impacts wildlife in your area, find out what you can do to help!
We had our mini-break to Hecla Island. Many of you will recall that this tiny provincial park located on the other side of Grassy Narrows is the one place that calms my mind. I love nothing more than walking along the shore, listening to the waves pound against the rocks, and watching all the waterfowl with the Bald Eagles flying overhead. This short time did not disappoint. The minute we got to the southern shore (the northern part of the island is full of cottages with way too many people), where the original Icelandic settlers fished and built their homes, a Bald Eagle flew overhead. She landed in a tree about 10 metres from where we had parked. There was a single American White Pelican near the fishing dock with numerous ducks bobbing around. The swans were near the causeway, and we immediately spotted the lone Bald Eagle that sits atop the same tree when the water is calm, while the cormorants dry their wings on the old pier. To me, the isolation and lack of people on that southern shore is idyllic.
For years, I have longed for one of the houses to go on sale, and this time, there were three! All looked out over the water, and each had enough land to make certain there were no neighbours overlooking us. Any of the offerings, but I did have my favourite, would make a perfect home for us as well as a writer’s retreat for visitors. Toby and I would not have to go far to listen to the roar of the waves on a stormy day. It is a dream that I have and will struggle with. My heart says ‘go for it’ and my head tells me that it is the most non-sensical thing I could ever imagine doing at this point in my life. There are only about a dozen families that live in the village. Few of the owners of the cottages in the northern area travel to the island during the winter despite the roads being cleared by the province as the few children living there need to go to school. The closest very small town, Riverton, is an hour away. I think you understand the issues. There are no young people. These are brought in for the summer and given accommodation and meals by the various businesses along with other perks – so I will visit and walk along the shore from time to time imaginging. It has taken me awhile to get my support system in place and well, who would look after the garden animals and birds? Mind you, Toby thinks he is the ‘protector of the realm’ and the Blue Jays dive bomb him when he goes out and tries to get them to leave!
The Girls did very well. They are spoiled for love and cuddles when Anne looks after them. Toby is an excellent traveller. He really enjoyed the long walks. There were no wasps, and the sunsets were to die for! We will head back next year – I don’t think we will make it again this year, but one never knows.
We spent Sunday doing a chore that has been the monkey on my shoulder. My bestie gave me a way that she deals with things. Ask yourself: “What do I need now?” At 0400 Sunday morning, when Toby needed to go outside and I sat and all sorts of silly things swirling through my head – I asked myself what it is that I really need now. The answer was: to fix the back gate so Toby could not get out the bottom where Brock had dug through and to secure the entire perimeter of the property along with stacking the truckload of wood for the woodburner, to bag all the cut vines, and put anything else in the pile to be picked up and taken for disposal. Why did I think this was going to be so daunting? Allowing myself to worry about Toby every time he ran through the ‘dark corridor’. He is safe. I have no reason to worry anymore, and everything was cleared up thanks to Don and Toby’s help in less than 4 hours. Crazy! Wonder what it will be tomorrow? It is undoubtedly a good way to zero in on what is an absolute priority for creating peace.
So, let’s get down to what is happening in Bird World. I always look forward to the reports of the Seattle ospreys because it is such a positive nest in the US. Not on a streaming cam but with the amazing images that ‘PS’ takes, who needs a streaming cam!
An update from ‘PS’ on the Seattle Osprey – I continue to visit most every other day, and the story has been fairly consistent: the fledglings are on or very nearby the nest when I arrive, they spend most of the time calling incessantly for food, and Dad continues to do his best to deliver fish after fish to the nest. Many visits will see multiple fish deliveries and scrums as both young try to box each other out from the fish. Today I saw Dad coming in with a fish but he did not come to the nest, instead veering off to some other location, only showing up 20 minutes later with half the salmon – I hope he enjoyed his lunch, hard earned as it is after almost a month of being a single parent! I know the days of the Osprey here are drawing to a close for this season, so I continue to just enjoy their company and marvel at their ongoing journey. Along with Dad, I eagerly await signs of the fledglings fishing on their own! Pictures all updated here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/193514804@N08/BkZ9wUYk4M, and a few attached.
Those Dads must have invisible steel boots or something. The fledglings can be rather fierce when a fish hits the nest!
SK Hideaways sends us her weekend videos! Each contains good news – as they say, ‘It is good news for a change!” That is what we want.
Here are this weekend’s videos. All good news for a change!
SE35 & SE36 Enjoy Sunshine, Full Crops, and Each Other 2025 Aug 23
After a soggy few days, the sun shone and the chicks seemed much more content. This was largely due to an increase in feedings, which were, for the most part, peaceful. Here we see SE35 and SE36 interacting between meals ~ cuddling, showing curiosity, and checking each other out.
SE35 is 8 days old; SE36 is 7 days old
Courtesy Sea-EagleCAM@BirdLife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park
SNEAK PREVIEW! First Egg of 2025 2025 Aug 24
367 Collins St. Falcons, pair for 2025 not yet confirmed
A pre-screening of the south-facing camera gave us the opportunity to see mum (possibly F24) and her first egg of the 2025 season. Complete coverage will likely be available after she lays her second egg.
Courtesy 367 Collins St. Falcon Cam
Sun Rises on Haku & MV’s Shenanigans
West End Eagles ~ Catalina Island, CA, home of Haku & MV (24 August 2025)
After two days away, Haku returned and she and MV roosted together overnight. Arriving to the nest before dawn, they began their flirtations, beaking and nipping. Sunrise bathed the couple in beautiful orange light as their shenanigans continued. Haku brought 2 sticks before MV, first, and then she departed for their morning activities.
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org
Dad Brings Breakfast ~ Mum Wants It In the Dining Room
Dad delivered breakfast and a full-cropped mum flew off to an adjacent ledge, beckoning him to bring the food gift over. After having a think, dad did, indeed, take the gift to the alternate location. He then returned to look after the egg, giving mum a little longer to relax. After she returned, he came back shortly after to give her another break.
He sounds like M24 to me, but awaiting Victor’s confirmation.
Courtesy 367 Collins St. Falcon Cam
It will not be long until Geemeff prepares her last summary of the Loch Arkaig nest as the season is truly winding to a close. Everyone is gone. Louis and Dorcha raised two beautiful and spunky fledglings to the delight of all of us. I worried that Louis would not return from migration as he appeared ill at the end of the 2024 season. Let us all hope that he returns safely in 2026 – along with Dorcha and everyone else in the nests around the loch.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 24th August 2025 No action on the nests apart from some passing passerines dropping in to Nest two for a few moments, followed later by a pair of Hoodies. The songbirds might have found the odd insect but there’s nothing for the crows as the last fish was delivered on the 21st and Darah took it away to eat in our final sighting of both him and Louis. So Season Nine is a wrap, and we need to entertain ourselves until next Spring when the Ospreys return and Season Ten begins. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.45.12 (05.09.21); Nest Two 21.45.03 (05.29.09)
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 22nd August 2025 No Darach and no Louis today, just a handful of little songbirds visited the nests. If Darach has left, we wish him and all migrating Ospreys fair winds and plenty of fish. An Osprey was heard faintly in the distance which sounded like Louis, audio boosted video in the today’s videos section so you can judge for yourself. George will start preparing the official season highlights video soon, you are encouraged to give your favourite clips a like on YouTube, and they might make it into the finished video. The weather was settled today and continues unchanged overnight and tomorrow, with gentle breezes making good weather for flying or practising fishing. Some forum members are saying their goodbyes, but last year Garry LV0 surprised us with an appearance several days after we thought he’d left already. So we may be lucky and have a final visit or two, but as always with the Ospreys, it’s wait and see. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.40.30 (05.23.49); Nest Two 21.33.26 (05.27.13)
Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/Ooiltm0MHQ4 N2 Osprey calls heard faintly in the distance, no one seen – Louis? 12.34.37 (audio boosted)Bonus retail therapy – if you’re already missing the family, this jigsaw puzzle might help while away time until spring:
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch ArkaigSaturday 23rd August 2025 Nothing to report, no sightings, not even distant Osprey calls as were heard yesterday. The season appears to be over. There is still a faint hope of a quick visit or maybe even a more northerly Osprey popping in on their way south, but it looks like our family have moved on. Final fish totals are 437 for Louis, 2 for Dorcha, and 141 for Garry. George will close this comments page soon, and post the official Woodland Trust season highlights video on this page in place of the livestreams. Sometime next March, George will reopen this page and we’ll all return to watch and wait for Louis & Dorcha, Garry & Aurora, and Affric & Prince to return. During the off-season, there are two main places to congregate – Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys on Facebook (membership required) and Adam’s family site on which he kindly makes a dedicated page available for us – Walking With Daddy / Osprey (uses Hyvor, no membership required). The nest cams can be seen throughout the year on YouTube, as long as the solar panels receive sufficient light, they might go off from time to time during prolonged bad weather. To be notified when the comments reopen, become a member, sign up to Woodland Trust notifications, or just keep checking this page in March.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.42.24 (05.08.26) Nest Two 21.34.11 (05.23.50) Today’s videos: none! Bonus action – vote for your favourite contender for Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year (closes 19 September):
Geemeff’sWoodland Trust daily summary for Loch ArkaigThursday 21st August 2025Darach turned up this morning looking like he was limping again, but just like yesterday, whatever bothered him had cleared up by his next appearance. That was at lunchtime, to collect a large lively trout from Louis. In his eagerness to get the fish, he grabbed Louis’ leg and held on for a while before Louis was able to free himself. Perhaps it’s Louis who ought to be showing up with a limp! That fish took the nest total to four hundred and thirty nine, and at this time of year, begs the question how much longer will these last two remaining family members keep coming to the nest? No other action on Nest Two and none on Nest One apart from brief visits by some little songbirds, but George would like us nest cam watchers to take action and select our favourite video clips for inclusion in the official season highlights video, link to the details in the bonus section. The weather was settled, it’ll be
partly cloudy with light winds and a low of 9°C overnight, changing to sunny intervals and light winds with a high of 17°C tomorrow. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.54.06 (05.04.11); Nest Two 21.59.45 (05.20.27) Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/GFsZgfcyehI N2 Darach visits the nest but appears to be limping again 07.01.37https://youtu.be/uNZ7ySfg9VM N2 Darach gets a large lively fish from Louis – how many more? 12.34.48 Bonus action – select your favourite Woodland Trust video clips in preparation for the season summary, full details:https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=27522933
Mary Cheadle is the force behind the fundraising for the Loch Arkaig nest and she posted this – it is beautiful and I hope no one minds my sharing it with you!
And fly they did. Don’t we wish we could spread our arms and hover, eventually flying to see our world from their perspective?
As we wind down the osprey season in the northern hemisphere, things are picking up in Australia and ‘A‘ is happy to supply us with their latest commentary on the nests we watch – Port Lincoln Ospreys, Olympic Park White Bellied Sea Eagles, Orange Peregrine Falcons, and the CBD (Central Business District) Falcons in Melbourne.
“August 22: Lady was awake very early and went to the old leatherjacket – urging Dad off. She was very wet, he was noticeably drier. A short feed, only SE35, then back brooding until Dad returned with a big whiting, which she claimed, eating the head. She didn’t feed the chicks then, although they were ready and cheeping. Rain started again. Dad brought a pigeon carcass at 8:19, claimed again by Lady – she fed again, SE35 doing very well, no aggression, but SE36 managed only a bite before the rain started again. Dad gave Lady a break just after 9am, feeding SE35 very well, then SE36 a few bites, before brooding them carefully. He fed them again later in the day, SE35 doing very well and SE36 feeding after as well. He then brooded again with Lady taking a good break. Late in the afternoon, he bought a nice beam. Lady managed a late feeding at the end of the day, with SE36 doing quite well after SE35 had finished. Some sibling rivalry during the day, but SE36 did eat. Dad fed them three times and had a couple of long sessions brooding. Then last thing, he brought another fish and fed Lady as she covered the chicks.
As the report indicates, Dad is doing very well at providing food, especially in all this rain. Lady is amazing as she dutifully broods the chicks through the night, her wings spread wide to give the chicks plenty of room and lots of protection from the elements. She is truly an amazing mum. Dad is relieving her as well as doing his hunting duties, and when he finished the day by feeding her, it was just too adorable. He understands that the babies, still without their thermal down at just a week old, are way too young to cope with being allowed to get soaking wet while Lady takes the time to eat.
I remain worried about SE36 because it really is getting just enough to eat – I have not seen its little crop really full even once so far in its short life, and this concerns me. There is not much margin for error here, and with all the rain, Dad really is doing a magnificent job of keeping plenty of food on the nest. If this changes, SE36 might be in trouble. I’m hoping the weather will clear and that SE36 gets the chance to eat until it is full at every meal. I try to remind myself that some version of this plays out every season and there is no siblicide on Dad and Lady’s nest, but it’s always hard to watch a younger sibling being shut out of feedings.
Meanwhile, we are slowly getting closer to egg watch at Port Lincoln and at Orange (Diamond and Xavier are mating too often at the moment to venture far from the tower, with lots of bonding and many food gifts – today, Diamond rejected two starlings before eventually accepting one).
I have not yet heard any news of the Collins Street scrape. The weekly ABC radio bird program last week discussed garden birds with no mention of the falcons. I try to catch it each week because it always gives us some news of the falcons when there is news to give! So I’m hoping to hear something, though I don’t expect that to happen for at least another four or five weeks, perhaps even longer. “
As many worry about 36, I am brought back five years when dear little 26 hatched, injured its leg and was loved, cared for, and taught much about life by its elder sibling 25. How bittersweet that season was.
Big Red and Arthur’s O2 remains on the Cornell Campus in Ithaca, New York to the delight of each of us. Thanks to Suzanne Arnold Horning for keeping us informed – so grateful.
Ashley Wilson posted a great capture of Newmann and Elaine at Great Spirit Bluff.
New Guy is looking for Iris – Susan D caught him in the glow of the sun at the nest, wondering where his girl is. Let’s keep our eyes on that streaming cam to see if she has left the territory. They have surely built a beautiful nest to return to in early April 2026. If she has departed, send Iris your best positive wishes to return.
At Charlo, Montana, C20 was at the nest and got the fish from Dad, Charlie. There has been no sighting of C19 on Sunday. Lola was last seen on August 20 and it is presumed she has begun her migration.
Brianne gets a fish dinner from Dad Idris at the Dyfi Osprey Platform in Wales.
5R3 gets a fish delivery from Blue 022 at the Birds of Poole Harbour Osprey platform. How grand! This nest fledged four chicks for the second season in a row.
The cleaners might have arrived at the Usk Valley osprey platform in Wales but we still have an osprey on the nest with fish, coming and going. I believe this to be the ringed intruder as I cannot read the Darvic ring that well to see if it is 9K5 (only one egg hatched out of three) and thid baby truly became a celebrity.
The Usk Valley nest is the first to have ospreys fledge in over 250 years in that area. Here is there enjoyable newsletter. Have a read!
At Rutland Water Manton Bay Osprey Nest, Maya is still there helping to bring fish to her four fledglings! Blue 33 is still delivering, too. All is good.
An osprey with a BTO ring but no Darvic has been sighted in the UK, and everyone believes that it is Blue NCO from Loch of the Lowes. If so, she is on her way south for migration, and we wish all the best in finding a new mate and raising a family next year.
I did not see any ospreys at the Coeur de’Alene, Idaho osprey platforms.
Cornell Bird Lab checked in on Iris close up a week ago, as migration approaches. I could stare at her image for hours. What a treasure she is. We were all saddened by Finnegan not returning from his migration, but I am glad that Iris found another male who is also attentive to her needs, who brings her fish and helps her with the nest. https://youtu.be/qPRo82TafGI?
There is some concern for Mo at Dunrovin Ranch. She did manage to eat a fish that Dad, Swoop, brought in. Fingers crossed!
Speaking of migration, I will now be including the count from Hawk Mountain as migration progresses through October. I am also hoping that Heidi will send us her reports as she goes migration counting in the NE USA.
Sandi gives a video overview of the 2025 season at Big Bear with Jackie, Shadow, Sunny, and Gizmo!https://youtu.be/CLEi_1rLlx8?
B’ alerts us to the arrival of a juvenile Bald Eagle at the Ojai Raptor Centre. They write, “I know you are away on break now, but when you return I thought you would be interested in this forwarded story of a bald eagle juvie in rehab at Ojai Raptor Center, the folks who took such good care of Cruz and Andor’s Victor from Fraser Point a few years ago, helping him recover from zinc poisoning and eventually releasing him to the wild. This bird, identified as patient 25-676, was found in the Owens Valley (just east of the Sierra), grounded and struggling. She was captured and taken to a local care facility (Wildcare Eastern Sierra) and then sent to Ojai for more intensive care. They found her possibly suffering from rodenticide poisoning or poisoning from other toxins (lead?). It sure makes me think of all the risks and hazards facing Sunny and Gizmo, Bodie, TE3, Phoenix, and all our other juvie friends as they make their way in their hard first year in the wild.
25-676 seems to be making encouraging progress but has a ways to go before (hopefully) a possible release down the road.”
People write to me for recommendations on where to donate and the Ojai Raptor Centre is certainly one of those.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care and have a wonderful week. We look forward to having you with us again on Friday! And, please, if you know of any raptor news, pass it along to me so I can include it!
I want to thank our notable contributors, ‘A, Geemeff, PB, PS and SK Hideaways’, the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, the individuals who take the time to create videos ande post them on YouTube, and the administrators of FB groups such as Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, and all others, often too many to name. I am very grateful to you and to the newspapers that still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends and to the rehabilitation centres like Ojai Raptor that care enough to try hard to send their patients back into the wild. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.
. Good morning.
