Very sad news has come forward late Sunday. I have decided to publish this posting tonight and not Monday morning. I know that each of you will feel as gutted as I do now. Dear SE33 is the first raptor on the Memorial Wall for 2025.
It breaks my heart to bring you this news. SE 33 was euthanised. This beautiful White-bellied Sea Eagle fledgling was found injured.
Brock is eating his lunch and Star has already visited the outdoor feeder so all is right with the feral cat community. There really are only two – the others are domestic pets let out by their owners to roam. They are kept inside when the temperature hits -25 C as it did this morning. I continue to hope that Star and Brock have homes in the spring – whether it is inside with us or with another loving family.
The cold weather continues. It is also icy and it was nice to get the thumbs up from my daughter about the exercise bike. In the warmer weather we certainly build up our leg muscles. It is frightening how quickly that muscle can go. Or as my mother’s hip surgeon said to me after he had operated and she was refusing to walk – “If you don’t use it, you will lose it!” That thought has stuck in my mind.
There are not nearly as many birds coming to the feeders. That may change if it warms up some, but where do they go? And what do they eat? Or do they eat what they need and then return to whatever warm spot they have found? I don’t know.
‘J’ has asked me not to identify the eagle nesting table as theirs. Apologies. They simply sent the work of Eagle Nest Date Charts so that we would all be aware of the upcoming events; there was no intention to claim it as their own as I might have implied. Thank you to Eagle Nest Date Charts – your work really helps us keep focused.
My inbox is always packed with questions about donations. I feel awkward advising individuals about particular institutions, streaming cams, etc., but I will tell you how I decide, and then you can test that yourself. I donate locally first. Why? Because I can check on their work and see if it is something I value. For example, the new vet at Wildlife Haven is incredible. I met her during the fall Open House. Dr Tess is from Arizona, and she has been here for at least a year. She is the one who said that we do not know enough about wildlife and what they can do. So why not a three-legged deer? She is working on a Snapping Turtle and has built a little device to raise its shell back into the correct shape. (Shells are to be hard, but due to poor quality food, this turtle’s shell is soft). I avoid large charities where the CEO makes millions that should go to the wildlife in the agency’s care. For streaming cams, which ones get out and help the birds? I know that you can answer this one yourself!!!!!!!!! I mean helping them when they need help and working hard to get a permit. Let’s see, we recently saw the removal of twine at Captiva. Then there is our superhero out on the Channel Islands, Dr Sharpe, who cannot retire because no one can replace him, and he is too dedicated to the eagles. That is the Institute of Wildlife Studies. Port Lincoln Osprey and Friends of Osprey South Australia do a bang-up job with your $20 enrollments and funds for the fish fairies. You have to look at the platforms they are installing. So, there you go. That is my list and why these particular places are unique to me. You will have your list, but think hard before you give away your dollars, Euros, or yen.
The necroscopy for Lucina, the female Golden Eagle at Bucovina in Romania has been released. She was healthy, showed no signs of outward harm. Lucina died of rodenticide poisoning. Human caused. Such a loss. Lady Hawk covered news of this nest after contacting the owner several years ago. She published the findings along with some beautiful footage of this gorgeous eagle: https://youtu.be/UDQg1UkTy28?
The Golden Eagle in Romania. It is one of the rarest birds. I don’t think anyone suspected rodenticide poisoning when Lucina was found dead. This is a huge tragedy and individuals in this area need to stop using rodenticide and let the owls and other raptors do their jobs catching vermin. Raptors really are the solution.
Our hearts go out to all those who loved this beautiful Golden Eagle. We lost so many in 2024.
I am very nervous about the upcoming hatch at NE Florida because I do not know how Beau is going to react to the hatchlings or if he will bring sufficient food for them and Gabby. The bottle of Gaviscon is out on the counter along with the worry beads.
At Port Lincoln, Kasse cleaned up on the fish on Sunday! They are still waiting for fish on Monday as I write this.
All is well at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest of Connie and Clive. The eaglets are growing and growing. No shortage of prey.
It is similarly good at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest of M15 and F23.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you on Tuesday!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this evening: ‘Geemeff, J, MP’, Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk, Romania.Insider, Milvus Group, NEFL-AEF, Bart M and the PLO, Window to Wildlife, SW Florida Eagle Cam, The Real Saunders Photography, SK Hideaways
Morning Update: Sad news coming from Melbourne. One of the CBD fledglings was found deceased on the 28th floor of a nearby building in Melbourne. Thank you, Heidi.
Peregrine falcon fledglings face many challenges in urban environments, including:
Flying into buildings: Fledglings can collide with large, glass buildings, especially if they’re inexperienced.
Falling from ledges: Fledglings can fall off ledges and get injured, killed, or lost.Their parents may not be able to hear them in the city.
Predators: Fledglings on the ground are vulnerable to predators like dogs, people, and cars.
Starvation and dehydration: Fledglings can starve or become dehydrated.
Wind gusts: Fledglings can get caught in wind gusts.
Pesticides and chemicals: Fledglings can be harmed by ingesting prey contaminated with pesticides or by exposure to flame retardants.
Avian flu: Fledglings can contract avian flu.
Competition: Fledglings face competition with other falcons.
Peregrine falcons are natural cliff-dwellers, but tall buildings in urban areas can simulate the rock ledges they prefer.However, urban environments can be dangerous for these birds. (AI generated answer to question)
Oh, the snow came down Sunday, covering everything. The garden received between 25-30 cm. Most of us have forgotten when we last had this amount of snow. Thankfully, a lovely young man will be here Monday evening or Tuesday morning to shovel for us. He came and now it is Tuesday morning and it is snowing again!
The snow did not daunt the garden birds and animals. Brock came at 1720 for his dinner – thankfully, we cleared the area where he eats earlier. My heart aches for all the domestic pets dumped, just like this snow! More and more reports come in daily in our city about abandoned pets. If you know anyone considering getting a ‘pet’, whether a dog, cat, rabbit, parrot, budgie, hamster, etc, help them understand that the vet and food bills are high. Pets are not just fun; they are a responsibility for life – to care for and love.
The Guardian is publishing an article on Monday about the trafficking of exotic animals including these two gorgeous toucans. The horrific things that humans do to animals to make a profit. If you see exotic animals posted on social media sites for sale, please take the time to phone the authorities and alert them. You can save the life of one or more wild animals that did not ask to be stuffed in a box or a suitcase without food or water to be sold to someone so that they can have ‘something unique’. This practice reminds me of the egg and animal collectors who set up private zoos and curiosity areas eons ago.
The big news continues to be the arrival of the first egg for Gabby and Beau on Sunday. Beau saw his egg and then did his turn at incubation. Oh, we have to hope that this year he will be the perfect mate and care for these precious eggs. Gabby has been waiting since Samson disappeared to be a Mum again.
Beau on incubation duty!
Gracie Shepherd gave a great overview of the events!
Let us all send good positive energy so that all goes well at this nest.
Tonya Irwin posted an image of Anna who laid her first egg at the Kistachie Forest nest with her mate Louis a year ago. We lost both eagles in 2024 – what a sad year it was.
Two fish come into Port Lincoln early. One from Mum and the second from Dad. Kasse took the first fish and didn’t share a pinch of it. Wilko gets the second. Mum needs some fish!
I hope the fairies come. It is a gusty day and Mum and Dad need to eat. Indeed, the family needs a good chow down.
Kasse with her fish.
Wilko with his fish.
Dad comes in with a partial fish at 1030 and Kasse takes it! Let’s hope that there are many more fish today.
The day at Port Lincoln ended well with everyone having a good feed before lights out. Kasse is exceptional at holding on to fish and not letting Wilko get them!
Another posting from South Australia. This time I am including this posting because of the fish. Look at the size. Massive fish.
Kielder Ospreys has some exciting news coming form Jean-marie Depart in Senegal.
‘B’ has sent us a lovely article that appeared about Annie and her falcon family. I know you will enjoy it. Thank you, ‘B’.
Bird World continues to be rather quiet. We wait for Kasse to fledge and for some more eagle eggs.
Calico’s First Tip of the Day. Calico knows what it is like to have a loving family and be dumped. We are so grateful that she and Baby Hope are living with us, that they are safe, warm, and with full tummies when they go to sleep at night. Each of us wishes that all kitties could be so fortunate. Calico wishes it more than anyone as she knows what it is to be hungry and cold.
Calico’s Second Tip of the Day. So many issues for outdoor animals. Spread the word in how to care for them in the winter if you find one in need of help.
Calico’s Third Tip for the Day is about feeding birds in the winter!
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘B, Heidi’, Peregrine Falcons Melbourne, Lucy M Rowland, The Guardian, NEFL-AEF, AEF Nest Cam Highlights, Gracie Shepherd, Denton Homes, Farmer Derek and Kansas Bald Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore.org, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Bart M and the PLO, Peter Zach, Kielder Ospreys, nbclosangeles.com, Sunnie Day, VGCCO, Raptor Persecution UK, Hungry and Homeless Cat Rescue, Lo Thomas, Tamarack Wildlife Centre
Oh, it is so nice to have you with us! I am going to post this on Friday evening instead of Saturday morning because of Wilko’s fledge. We will see you again on Sunday.
First up. Wilko fledges at 1325!!!!!!!!!!!!! 62 days old. Wilko returns safely to the nest. (This would have been the title but FB would have refused to post this blog on their site so sorry, Wilko!)
Will the fairies return now that one of the chicks has fledged? We wait to see. I hope they come in with a big fish meal as congratulations.
First up. Well, it was going to be first, but Wilko’s flight preempted Wisdom making the international news. This is grand. The world should be more interested in wildlife.
Oh, it was -4 C on Friday in Winnipeg. I couldn’t wait to get outside for a long walk at the nature centre. First thing, we found a Canada Goose. You might remember the other day there were five geese eating snow. They were taken to Wildlife Haven, our rescue centre. This one is heading there, too. It felt super to help this one. No one knew it was there as we were the only people on the trails, it seems. This seemed so odd as it was such a fantastic day, but we were glad to be there and to help.
This goose should not be here. It is the only one around. It is different in the spring. Some arrive early when there is still snow so they can get the best nesting spots. This one was destined to starve to death if not freeze. So why is it here? Is it injured? They will find out.
There were deer all over the forest. We tiptoed in our boots so as not to disturb them. I only had my phone and the photos are not great. The one on the right knew I was there. The Chickadees were singing while flitting about while the squirrels were trying their luck at getting peanuts out of the feeders.
It is 1636. The sky is a white-grey with a rose gold tinge. The outdoor lights are glowing bright, and I am waiting for Brock to arrive (he doesn’t). We have figured out what needs to be fixed with all the feral cat houses – only one opening. They feel trapped – so two openings! We will work on that tomorrow. It is still supposed to be warm. We will also start installing the Reolink camera.
Let’s start with the sad news in Bird World first. Cilla Kinross said that Yira is no longer with us. It had been over a week since she thought she had spotted her. I feel so badly for Xavier and Diamond, who work hard all season to raise healthy chicks to have one deformed and euthanised and the other killed.
I have long suspected Yira was not with us. She has been on the Memorial Wall for a couple of weeks now. We never saw the behaviour that Diamond and Xavier would have exerted if they were providing prey for a fledgling. So, soar high, little one. We hope that next season will turn out differently for these beloved parents.
The good news. Just the best. SE33’s release images. Soar high, live long, find a good mate, raise lots of babies, always have a full crop!
If you missed it, images of SE33 being ringed and getting ready to fly.
At the WRDC nest, Rose laid her second egg. Heidi wrote: “ Rose laid egg #2 12/6, at 18:08, approximately 75.5 hours after she laid egg #1. Rose had been a 4-day layer the past two seasons, and she has just become a 3-day layer.”
At Hilton Head, the Bald Eagles are bringing in the pine boughs readying for that first egg. I wonder if they told the GHOs? https://youtu.be/kobHTx-ALSU?
You might have heard about the earthquake that hit parts of northern California. The nest at Redding, home to Liberty and Guardian, felt the impact. They say the nest is fine. https://youtu.be/Oyocy3zNY8c?
Oh, goodness, the wait for eggs at the nest of Gabby and Beau is like taking fingernails to a chalkboard.
Another wait is fledge. Wilko really wants to fly. Kasse is trying her wings, too. It is quite breezy at Port Lincoln, but they aren’t quite ready yet. Soon, too soon, you two! Settle down and let us enjoy you for a long, long time.
Waiting for fish. Ospreys are always waiting for their fish dinner everywhere. Last night Dad brought in a late fish. I did not see what happened. This came in on chat from Gtr: “20;34 Dad w fish to nest, Kasse gets the fish, 20:35 & 20:37 Wilko tries to steal it but no luck, 20:44 Kasse eats the tail.” Wow. Isn’t that wonderful for Kasse?!
With no fish arriving by 1227, Mum takes off on a blustery Saturday in Port Lincoln to try and feed her family. (I wonder what she thinks about Dad these days.)
Iris and Finnegan’s Owl Pole is now officially replaced.
Thunder and Akecheta sleeping near their nest in the Channel Islands Friday evening.
Bad weather is hitting the UK. I am glad the ospreys are in their winter homes, but for the rest, stay safe everyone!
I wonder when the Governor of Virginia will understand that there will be no more Menhaden if Omega is allowed to strip the Bay of every last one. Does he think they fall from the sky into the water each spring?
If you happened to miss it, Nox died of a bacterial infection and pneumonia.
Saving the old and wise could help. Phoebe Watson says, “t’s not just humans who get wiser as they age – animals do too, according to a growing body of research. The bigmouth buffalo fish can reach 127 years old, the Greenland shark 392, and some sponges can live for 10,000 years or more. And age is not just a number: as animals get older they behave differently depending on their life experiences, gain richer knowledge of their environment, and often pass it on to younger members of their group, researchers say.
The problem is, we are killing off these older creatures. “Earth’s old animals are in decline,” researchers warned in a paper published in Science last month, which analysed more than 9,000 peer-reviewed papers. Few animals make it to old age, and the ones that do are vulnerable to being hunted or harvested by humans, because they are the biggest or have, for example, the largest antlers, horns or tusks.”
In Hawaii, they are working to reintroduce the Crow. “The Hawaiian crows, or alala, were last found on Hawaii’s Big Island, but they went extinct in the wild in 2002, officials with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said in a statement. The birds, described as intelligent and charismatic, are the last survivors of all the Hawaiian crow species. Habitat loss, predation and disease by introduced species are threats, among other factors.
“The translocation of alala to Maui is a monumental step forward in conserving the species and a testament to the importance of partnership in reversing biodiversity loss,” said Megan Owen, vice-president of conservation science at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.”
To our knowledge, at the time of writing, there are no new Bald Eagle eggs except for the second egg at WRDC. Incubation is going well at nests with eggs.
Calico wishes each of you the very best weekend. She has some exciting news coming in the new year!
Thank you for being with us today. Please take good care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Heidi, SP’, The Guardian, Holly Parsons, Sea Eagle Cam, WRDC, Hilton Head Land Trust, EaGal Vicki, NEFL-AEF, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Montana Osprey Cams, IWS/Explore.org, Denton Homes, SK Hideaways, UK Osprey Information and Jeff Kear, Brian Collins and Menhaden- Little Fish, Big Deal, UC Berkeley News
Top News: SE33 has been released to live in the wild.
News of both Ervie and Giliath! Thank you Fran Solly!
Thursday was another cold blustery day on the Canadian Prairies. We decided to visit the new display at our biosphere, The Leaf. Spending the day inside a tropical environment was just what we needed. It was so much fun. This year they have a display of trees featuring some birds that live in Manitoba during part of the year and migrate to the tropics for the winter. There were others like ostriches that we just love but only see at the zoo. It was lovely! We were so jovial that when we ordered our hot chocolate, the young man preparing it decided we needed sprinkles because we appeared to love life so much. He is spot on. The sprinkles and the whipped cream just made it ever more special.
The attendant said to us to stay til it started getting just a little dark as the lights glimmer more. Great advice. We hope you enjoy our afternoon as we are so happy to share it with you!
The Blue Jay Tree!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah. Isn’t it beautiful? You must look closely for the little birds.
The Pheasant Tree was one of the most popular.
The tree dedicated to all owls, but in particular, the Barred Owl, which lives in Manitoba and is so threatened due to habitat destruction.
The owls were made out of natural materials. They were so fascinating.
The Peacock Tree.
Cardinals.
The Dove or Tree of Peace Tree.
Little birds popped up everywhere.
We have not seen Brock since Monday when the temperatures dipped to -15 C. Everything and anything that happen to an outdoor cat went through my mind. To our delight, he was waiting for us when we got home from The Leaf. He ate two large tins of wet food before taking a breath. Did he get locked in somewhere?
There is news coming in from Bird World.
Nox, Annie and Archie’s 4th hatch of the 2024 season died of pneumonia. Breaks our hearts. Nox was the love of everyone’s life! Soar high, little one.
In South Australia, Fran, Bazz, and Janet got quite the shock. A storm triggered the camera at Turnby Island to start working again. Well, and what they saw was a big healthy chick of Marrum and Partney.
That chick is big. Maybe another girl??. If all goes well, Ian Falkenberg will ring and put a satellite tracker on this fabulous osplet on the 14th of December. Partney and Marrum, congratulations.
In New Zealand, GLG shows off the Royal Cam egg – for a split second. Don’t look away. https://youtu.be/D7TcU0SP_8M?
At Port Lincoln, Mum brought in 1 fish with the fairies supplying 4 on Thursday. So far, everyone is waiting to see about fish on Friday!
It is 12:35, Mum, Wilko, and Kasse are still waiting for some fish.
Dad is catching fish from the barge just like Mum now at Port Lincoln. Wonderful. But the count was 1 for Mum and 4 for the fairy to the nest on Friday.
At the time of my writing there are no additional Bald Eagle eggs.
Life is more than challenging for the albatross, whatever the species.
Want to guess when the first egg of M15 and F23 will pip? Here is the information.
‘A’ loves Beau and sent a note: “You know of course what a huge fan of Beau I have been since he first came into Gabby’s life. I loved the way he was gentle with her and didn’t hassle her before she was ready and just generally seemed to want to comfort her and be her friend in that first season. Last year, the mating attempts were clumsy and unsuccessful but still she did not substitute Beau for a more virile partner.
This season they do seem to be fairly strongly bonded, and this video just made me smile.
It really did seem that she was a little shaken up by the GHO assault – certainly, that quiet whining she kept on with for some time afterwards suggested that she wasn’t happy – anthropomorphising, it definitely felt to me as though she was asking for reassurance. And Beau was such a sweetie, with some gentle beakies, and then putting that branch over her as if protecting her and camouflaging her from another GHO strike. She did seem reassured by his actions, which quietened her whimpering. It really was adorable, the way he appeared to try and care for her and make her feel safe.”
Fledgling at Osprey House Environment Centre in Australia is home and begging for fish!
The eagles at John Bunker Sands Wetlands are busy!
The Girls had a small squeezy treat to celebrate the anniversary of Hugo Yugo’s arrival in our home last year.
The other sisters seem to know that Hugo Yugo is not well. Baby Hope took time this evening to cuddle and wash her.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A’, Judy Harrington, Fran Solly, The Leaf, Cal Falcons, UC Berkeley News, Friends of Osprey Sth Aus, Cornell Bird Lab, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Hob Osterlund, Nancy Babineau, Lady Hawk, Osprey House Environment Centre, Heidi McGrue, SK Hideaways, Dixie Rottler and Bald Eagles 101, The Girls
The two doe and fawns did not return to the park. City workers have been digging up the street for the past two days. That said, we believe that the four have safely found their way to the river and, we hope, are back in a larger park area away from traffic.
I could easily be fooled into thinking this is Calico. It is Baby Hope. Every day she looks more and more like her Mum. She will be 17 months old on 2 December.
She was looking out the window at the birds. There is an increasing number of European Starlings with two crows, two Blue Jays, five grey squirrels, two red squirrels, and about 100 sparrows. The winter weather and cold have made everyone hungry.
One of the most remarkable transformations within the house and among The Girls. Baby Hope has taken up with Missey. Hope rubs her head lovingly against Missey’s just like she used to do with Calico. It happened slowly, Calico distancing herself from her daughter. So, as you can imagine, I am delighted. Missey is the perfect Mum – she continues to care for Hugo Yugo and there is no reason to believe that she will not continue to bond with Hope.
The two Crows are now coming every day for peanuts. One is quite large and the other is the smaller from the summer. A bonded pair. The fledglings have not been seen since the end of the summer/beginning of the fall. After they finished the peanuts (shared with the others), they ate a nice big pizza!
It is wonderful to see them come to the garden every morning. It is not that long until spring! Yes, I keep telling myself that very thing as more snow falls.
There is little happening in Bird World. We are waiting for Wilko and Kasse to be ringed, and I would like to have a more positive sighting of Yira. There are many more Bald Eagle nests to lay eggs in the coming weeks.
Gabby and Beau continue to work on their nest. When will we have their first egg.
Cali Condor wonders if the sub-adult visiting Big Bear might be Spirit. How wonderful if it were! https://youtu.be/wehjVdpEF_Q?
At the Coobowie Osprey nest, Libby has fledged. This is the nest in South Australia that initially had four chicks. Libby is the oldest.
Mum, Wilko, and Kasse are waiting for their breakfast.
Yesterday, Kasse, Wilko, Mum and Dad had six supplementary fish.
Today it is so windy that neither Dad or Mum will surely be able to catch fish. Fish Fairy!!!!!!!!! We need you.
I really hope that Wilko doesn’t decide to stand up and start flapping his wings. He could wind up in Melbourne with these high gusts!
Incubation continues for M15 and F23.
We know that M15 is one of the most capable male Bald Eagles around. We watched him raise his two eaglets alone after Harriet disappeared. Now he would like a little more incubation time! https://youtu.be/D5tdZyavHcw?
The Hilton Head Land Trust caught a Bald Eagle on the nest that the GHOs hope will be theirs. https://youtu.be/DqylzZ66z98?
Calico’s Tip of the Day: Mark the date. December 3rd is Giving Tuesday. Many wildlife groups rely on donations and Giving Tuesday is often coupled with a doubling of your donation by other donors. If you can, could you help? With the cost of living escalating, so many cannot so every dollar helps. Small or large, no one cares. It all adds up!
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J’, NEFL-AEF, Cali Condor, Friends of Osprey Sth Aus, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Bart M and PLO Obs Board, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Androcat, Hilton Head Land Trust, SK Hideaways, LDF, Hob Osterlund, Backyard Birds of North America, Gardenista, Eagle Country and nature chatter, Owl Cam
It snowed on and off all day. This morning there were five grey squirrels at the feeders – five in sight, altogether. Dyson, the three kits, and another one. Is it Dyson’s mate?
A cutie.
Then these four. Each appears to be healthy. They have their heavy winter coats and are so beautiful against the snow.
Starlings came. So did the Blue Jays, Crows, and Sparrows. Everyone was hungry. They are working away at the suet cylinder. Calico and I hope to get into the kitchen and make some suet cookies to hang throughout the lilacs. Where does the time go? How did I ever teach, assist in running a school of art, and take care of a home?
Oh, it is always so lovely to see them. However, Brock (aka The Boyfriend) did not come at his usual time. It worried me. Several hours later, Calico came in and kept patting me and meowing. Brock was here! Communication. Brock prefers wet food, but it freezes, and it is so hard to watch for him when we have busy days. This was amazing.
A shout out to ‘H’ and ‘J’ for some news you will all want to hear.
Sadly, I have added Bald Eagle Abby and mate of Blaze at Eagle Country to our Memorial Wall. She has been MIA long enough for Eagle Country to declare her deceased. A new female is now at the nest with Blaze.
This is the new female Skye.
Link to all of the Eagle Country cams – and they have a lot of them on this nest!
Mark your calendars. ‘H’ informs me: “Banding for Wilko and Kasse at PLO: Weather permitting, Saturday 11/30. Alternate dates 12/1 or 12/2.” It makes me sad. They will soon fledge after this and I find myself hoping that they are male so they hang around, but we need some females down there for Ervie!!!!!!! I sure hope Wilko doesn’t fledge or the ringing will be canceled.
SK Hideaways has posted a video showing what appears to be one of the adults in flight traning with another bird. Is this training with Yira? or is this Diamond and Xavier flying together? passing prey? I want to believe it is Yira.
Oh, it is a bright morning at Port Lincoln. We have lots of wingers going on! Everyone is anticipating the arrival of the morning fish.
The Fish Fairy arrived at mid-morning much to the delight of Mum, Wilko, and Kasse. Just look at all the nice fish! They were hungry. This is so good.
They will sure make quick work of those fish! Seven were delivered. Wilko was unafraid!
Dad came and took one of the fish for himself leaving Mum and the kids six. Wilko is trying to unzip one.
Look at the time. Almost all of the fish are gone.
Wind and rain came later to Port Lincoln.
‘A’ writes: “I see on the Port Lincoln chat that you have nominated Kasse as female and Wilko as male, and based on relative size and their behaviours, I absolutely agree with you. I initially thought they might both be male, because they got along so well, but at this stage, Kasse is absolutely huge, so large that she really must be a female. Wilko is a cute and brave little man. How much did he make you laugh today, standing up to defend the nest against the potentially dangerous Hat? And as for Kasse, she pancaked beautifully at the approach of the Fish Fairy’s vessel and stayed flat to the nest, her eyes wide in amazement as the Hat deposited a veritable fish-shop display window onto the nest right in front of her. In fact, she remained pancaked for about five minutes, until Mum literally landed on her head! I also admit to laughing uncontrollably at the sight of Kasse literally being stood on her head overbalancing while grabbing a bite just after 10:25. TOO funny. She did eventually manage to regain her footing but it took her quite a while.
These two are adorable. Kasse has absolutely no fear of her older sibling, and I do think their behaviour definitely supports your opinion. The older they have got, the more obvious those genders have been, with lots of small interactions suggesting that Wilko is indeed the older brother, with Kasse the younger sister. I always think that for stress-free viewing, this is by far the best option (apart from two males on the nest). If we are going to have a behaviourally dominant female on a nest, it is best that she be the youngest, as it gives her a bit of spunk to survive being bottom of the pecking order and means her older sibling is not too aggressive. That of course is what has happened here in my opinion. But they are both gorgeous, very healthy and have a magnificent mum. I could not agree more with your assessment of this osprey mum. She has been incredible this season, including taking over fishing duties whenever it has been necessary. Just a really special bird. “
Gabby and Beau are diligently working on their nest in NE Florida. They seem to do this early in the morning when it is cooler.
A gorgeous day at the Captiva Bald Eagle cam.
‘J’ copied Rita’s History Monday for us: “It’s time for Rita’s History Monday! Now that Rita’s offspring, #98, was off on her eagle adventure, attention once again focused on the fallen nest. Year after year it fell apart, and as Lloyd Brown of Wildlife Rescue and Ron Magill of Zoo Miami examined the condition of what little was left, they felt that it would be in the best interest of the eagles to install a more secure platform in a more stable spot in the tree. It is said that Bald Eagles mate for life, and they also have nest fidelity, so they return to the same nest tree each year. The remnants of the old nest were 95 feet high, up in a spindly part of a Casaurina (Australian) Pine. There was concern that if the eagles returned and tried to rebuild in that unstable spot, the nest would likely fail again. With approval from US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), they researched the best type of platform that could be used in that type of tree. So, in preparation for Season 2022, a new nest platform was installed! The platform is made of a 5 foot wide wooden papasan chair that was lined with plastic mesh to provide drainage and airflow. This type of nest has been successfully used for other Bald Eagle nest platforms. They carefully secured it in the tree and partially filled it with small sticks and pine needles to make it more inviting. We waited and hoped that the eagles would return. But, that’s not all folks! The community was also in for a great surprise! Stay tuned for more exciting news and thank you for liking and sharing the history of Rita.”
Xavier is arriving with cicadas. Does anyone remember Izzi eating all those cicadas like they were ice lollies? Oh, how I miss that lovely boy. https://youtu.be/ayiv0X4Z9Sg?
The Peregrines Zen and Zara – SK Hideways shows us their ‘need for speed when a Merlin is concerned! https://youtu.be/-wfh2voivv0?
The Girls and I have been reading books. We have a small stack to get through but we have finished reading Serviceberries. I will talk about that on Thanksgiving Day. The book that Calico really wants me to mention is certainly an exceptional book for young people, but Heidi is going to tell me it is equally terrific for adults, and she would be right. The book is An Anthology of Exquisite Birds by Ben Hoare. This weighty volume has been reviewed, and its gorgeous drawings have received critical acclaim. It is full of fun facts and information in a way that it is different from your normal field guide. It keeps you engaged. I wanted to know more about these exotic birds – well, at least exotic to me! One of my favourite illustrations was the Superb Fairywren.
There are 224 pages, including an entry on my beloved House Sparrows. They noted that thousands of years ago, ‘house sparrows lived only in Europe and Western Asia.’ (189). Today, they are located on every continent except Antarctica. Many loathe having them at their feeders along with European Starlings, and yet, for the decades that birds have been coming to the garden, I cannot honestly cite either one as bullies. Everyone seems to have a turn. One day, after observing the Starlings for several hours, they actually ‘lined up’ to get to the feeder, flying from the neighbour’s tall tree to those at the back of the garden. Then, a few would fly to Abigail’s tree, waiting their turn in line for the big tray feeder. It looked exceptionally well organized. For the life of me, I simply cannot abide by those that go to the end of the earth to find ways to stop these two species from getting seed at their feeders. If a human or non human is hungry, then why not feed it? Does it really matter what feather pattern the birds have? At some time in the future, perhaps sooner than they might realize, the sparrow’s song might be the only one in the garden. At the same time, their numbers are declining. Research indicates that sparrow numbers are declining worldwide. The North American Breeding Bird Survey estimates that the total numbers of sparrows declined by 80% between 1966 and 2019. In Europe, numbers are down by approximately 60%.
This is the list of birds included in this beautiful encyclopedia of sorts that also includes information on feathers, nests, beaks, etc.
I didn’t ask permission to post these page images, but I hope the publisher will realize that Calico’s Ten Golden Paw Award is, precisely, a golden recommendation! If you have someone struggling to find a birthday gift or a holiday present, this could solve your struggles. It is $21.40 US from the online retailers. It’s a perfect price point, too. It is an excellent book to hold and read. Good paper, gold tipped pages matching the amazing cover, below.
Be careful for the deer. The four deer were running around trying to find food this morning. We had a huge box of apples, carrots, cabbage, etc and could not find them despite the fact they had been near to our house 45 minutes prior. Tomorrow we will leave the food at the park. There were City workers doing something to the road next to where they stay so no one saw them there.
You can see the snow that fell on our garden by looking at the top of the table. The tracks belong to Brock who has chosen to come and go to a place where he feels safe. Oh, maybe one day he will trust us enough to just step inside. For now, we hope he is warm. It is -5 C and feels like -10.
Thank you for being with us today. Take care everyone. We hope to see you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H, J’, Eagle Country, MN-DNR, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Ospreys, NEFL-AEF, Window to Wildlife, Rita the Eagle FB, Nesting Birdlife and More, SK Hideaways, An Anthology of Exquisite Birds by Ben Hoare, The Guardian, The Cornell Bird Lab, Ventana Wildlife Society, John Debacker, USFWS
There is some news coming in after I was away for all the day so I am sending out what would be my Saturday newsletter Friday evening.
Yira fledged at 0734. Prior to this, the female 2024 hatch of Xavier and Diamond had been ‘losing’ it in the scrape box. She was running, pulling at fluff, flapping her wings, and attacking the parents. She watched them fly and lure her. And she appeared to fly well. Here are some images from before that first flight:
The moment before she flew. She is strong and determined. It looked like the best fledge. Go girl!
There was a parent in pursuit as Yira flew down over the trees and circled back.
A magnificent flight!
It is Friday, and it is time for the second instalment of the Poole Harbour 2024 year for CJ7 and Blue 022 and their four chicks!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/HTsguUDXPPs?
It was historic. Never in the last 600 years did they have four chicks in an osprey nest in Poole and it is rare in other parts of the UK as well. It is also a challenge for all four to survive. CJ7 and Blue 022 worked together from the start to provide fish for this fast growing family. In the middle of the screen with its soft down – ever so tiny 5H6 – aside its big siblings already into the Reptilian phase. No one believed 5H6 would survive, but survive she did. What a scrapper.
I get lots of news. Many are from wildlife rehabilitation clinics that have patients that have survived or died. They send reminders for us and the first one is from World Bird Sanctuary in St Louis. It is still migration – we still have birds here to leave – and they have had so many window collisions. Please spread the word:
Window strikes are one of the most common causes of injury we see in our patients and are responsible for the deaths of millions of birds each year. Depending on the current lighting and angle, windows can look like more sky or a reflection of the surrounding woods rather than the hazard they are. You can help prevent window strikes by putting anti-collision decals on your windows. These decals are minimally visible to humans but reflect UV light making them more visible to birds. They are now available in a huge range of designs so you can choose a pattern that suits your style. Click the button below to see the various types of decals.
If you witness a bird colliding with a window, swiftly containing it is crucial for its survival. Many birds seem to recover and fly away shortly after the impact, only to succumb to their injuries days later. Gently place the bird in a box or pet carrier and keep it in a quiet, dark area while reaching out to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Even if the bird appears uninjured, a licensed rehabber can treat hidden injuries and monitor its recovery to ensure it’s safe for release.
California Condors are always on my mind. So few people are making such a huge difference to increase the numbers of these very endangered carrion eaters. The Ventana Wildlife Society has a fundraiser where every dollar you send is matched with some more on top of that. Here is the letter from the Director with the information in case you are interested.
Oh, dear. Mum brought in a tiny little part of a fish early on Saturday and by noon Dad had brought nothing. Fish Fairies please come! Kasse had none.
A reminder from Toronto.
One of my favourite wildlife rehabbers in the world – A Place Called Hope. It reminded me that we must have hope and believe in the birds. I wish someone had believed that Garrama had something to give to the world. Why isn’t there a service that addresses the right of physically challenged raptors like we have for people? (A reminder to put Garrama on the Memorial Wall – oh, geese. That is hard!)
Beau and Gabby continue to discuss the comfort of their nest in Northeast Florida.
Thank you so much for being with us today. ‘The Girls’ are all fine. Hugo Yugo recovered completely and is now trying to find the next string, cord, or cable that she could chew and swallow so she would get all the attention again! The Boyfriend has much competition. We watch for him to get his bowl outside but there are now 8 cats at the feeder, an increase in a week of three. The Starlings are still here along with the Crows and Blue Jays, but not as many Sparrows. They still keep me busy – and of course, smiling. We walked today in the forest with the chickadees and took my good friend with us. It is always a treat. At the end of doing that ‘forest bathing’ there is nothing in our minds but happiness and hope.
Take care everyone. I will be back Sunday morning.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post: ‘A, J’, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, SK Hideaways, Birds of Poole Harbour, World Bird Sanctuary, Kelly Sorenson and Ventana Wildlife Society, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Port Lincoln Osprey Cam, Bart M for the Obs Board at PLO, Toronto Wildlife Centre, A Place Called Hope, NEFL-AEF.
I had not intended to write a blog today and I am actually sending this out before it is midnight on Thursday. It has been a very long day with many challenges. My arm and hand are, however, healing and I appreciate all your good wishes. Those gel bandages do the thing. Some people asked and the brand name here in Canada is NuSkin.
All of us are very saddened by the death of Garrama. It comes so quick on the back of Nox and SE24 that we feel gutted still. In many ways, I see a huge cultural divide in attitudes. There are so many rehabbers in North America who might have given Garrama a chance to be an ambassador bird or to have at least seen what this lovely little falcon could do. Several persons from Europe and the US wrote to me with examples of birds that were deemed unable to fly or walk, but who are doing precisely that right now. They stressed, as I do, that it takes the right person who looks beyond. I was so pleased this year when I visited our wildlife rehabilitation centre with the new vet from Arizona. Her attitude is – attitudes are changing and there is not enough research into wildlife rehabilitation. The focus for vets earlier was farm animals, then pets, and now wildlife. Indeed, there are few qualified wildlife rehabilitation vets. She says as a science and as vets, they don’t know enough and there is still the need for much more research. She is the first one to let the 3 legged turtle live its life in the wild. She said she admired how it figured out how to do things to survive. There were many other creatures with only 3 legs that were given the chance, too, including a deer who can run and eat with the bet of them now. So, I wish that Garrama had a rehabber who saw the potential not the problem. There, that is said. I am not a vet and I am not a wildlife rehabber, but I like the attitude of our young vet from Arizona at Wildlife Haven who says we don’t know enough and we need to give the animals a chance to show us what they can do.
Cilla Kinross has posted a statement with his x-ray showing the deformity of the spine – and it is clearly deformed. Here it is:
Mum brought in a huge pigeon for her third hatch to pluck and eat. She is preparing it for its life in the wilds of Melbourne.
Dr Greene is reminding everyone that if they want to get in on the Crowdfund raising, 15 November – today – is the last day.
This video by Heidi of Wilko and Kasse trying to self-feed on the fish left by the fairies is simply too funny. https://youtu.be/o5UdX2lc9zo?s
It sure is a good thing Mum is around.
Today they are practicing on some nesting material.
SE33 is resting and recovering according to Ranger Judy who uses the pronoun ‘he’.
Please send me some good news!
In Scotland, every attempt to protect wildlife seems to fall flat. “NatureScot, a government agency, has decided to greatly reduce the area of land affected by a new licensing regime for grouse moors after legal threats from shooting estates and land owners.”
Thank you for being with me for this short update. Let us all send positive wishes to the two eyases left to fledge – Yira at Orange and the third hatch at Melbourne – as well as to SE33 who we hope to hear will be trained to fly and hunt and eventually released into the wild. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: Holly Parsons, Cilla Kinross, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, 367 Collins Street, Montana Osprey Cam and Dr Erick Greene, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Heidi McGrue, and The Guardian.
On Tuesday we woke to a hard frost all over the plants in the garden and the deck making it very slippery when delivering bird seed and cat food. There is now a new addition to the feral feeding line. The tiniest Jet Black kitten. I cannot get close enough to tell if it is a male or a female, but it is decidedly frightened. Thinking of trying sardines in a kitten trap so that it can get to a shelter before our cold winter sets in. Things did not thaw out until nearly noon. Oh, I dislike the deep cold and hibernation of winter!
All of the garden animals were present including Mr Woodpecker and the Chickadees. It is dark by 1700, or nearly dark and it is very cold. Jumper and Jacket weather along with wool socks. It will go down to -1 C tonight.
Let’s take a quick look at what is going on in Bird World.
The latest news on the Olympic Park Eaglets, Lady, and Dad:
‘A’ sends us the latest from Ranger Judy: “November 6: For the first time in a while, Dad was seen by the nest last night – with two ringtail possums passing, a flying fox visiting and a swooping owl. Lady was nearby early as well. Then a Black Duck and a flock of lorikeets. At 7:30am, both adults were down on the island. Then one juvenile was spotted, moving to get closer to the parents. Shortly after, it circled behind the island and out of sight. The parents were still there together. Later, both parents were seen, one on the island and one at River Roost around 2pm – on a hot day. A juvenile was seen again at 4:15pm on the island. Dad brought in a fish and tried to draw the juvenile out –it finally came to the branch to get the fish, but appeared to fall and was on the ground. Then Lady flew in with a fish as well and the juvie was seen eating the fish on the mudflats. It had finished feeding at 5:20pm.”
Breakfast at Port Lincoln filled Wilko and Kasse crops.
Don’t you love how all the chicks in a falcon scrape get fed? It is remarkable. Yira and Garrama are no exception even when one takes the prey initially.
At The Hamlet, Beau and Gabby both worked on the nest. Beau flew in with a really nice fish and waited, but Gabby didn’t show up. She missed her fish gift! Beau ate it.
M15: We really do not want you trying to impress F23 with your flying and hunting abilities over the main road! Stay safe young man. https://youtu.be/olnW6dI_HOA?
Every Monday on Rita the Eagle’s FB page, you can find out some history. Thanks to ‘J’, we have the latest!
There is still an Osprey in the UK on November 5. What do they know?
It doesn’t matter what happens to them, people still kill raptors on the hunting estates! It is time for the UK Government to instigate very strict laws like the one handed down to the man who killed all the Bald Eagles and hawks in Montana.
The battle for the Chesapeake Bay and commercial fishing will not go silent. I hope to have a document ready by the end of this week or the beginning of next that might help the folks in Virginia. For now, Omega continues to scoop up the fish that is the ‘lifeblood’ for our Ospreys. Without those little fish, we will have another breeding season 2025 in where almost all the chicks starved to death. And, of course, they use spotter planes to find the schools. What if this was disallowed? What if all technology were disallowed? That would be interesting. Maybe these commercial fishing companies should have to fish just like the Ospreys! Oh, I would love to see that.
Calico’s Tip for the Day: We are still talking about bird collisions. Calico wants you to read the information below carefully. Do not put your decals on the inside of the window. Everything must be on the outside. But did you know the other issues like distance that your bird collision decals can be seen?
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, J’, Judy Harrington and the Olympic Park Eagles, SK Hideaways and 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, NEFL-AEF, The Real Saunders Photography, Rita the Bald Eagle, Jeff Kerr, Dixie Rottler, Deb Stecyk, Raptor Persecution UK, William Dunn and Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal FB, On the Red Carpet, Wildlife Adventures North East Vancouver Island, World Bird Sanctuary.
I have decided to send out Friday’s news late Thursday instead. There are two main news points: Nox has died and SE 33 fledged. By the time Friday morning arrives, it is possible that SE34 will have also fledged. I will resume my normal postings on Saturday morning.
It is with a very heavy heart that I write that cute little Nox, the fourth hatch of Annie and Archie in 2024, has died. Many of you will already know this sad news as it is the biggest story in Bird World. Nox was taken into care shortly after fledgling after being found grounded at the Marina and treated for a fracture. He was kept in rehabilitation and sent to a falconer for training. He was released into the wild on Monday the 21st of October 2024 amidst great applause and happiness. He was found grounded again, highly anemic, three days later. He was emaciated. A post-mortem is being undertaken to find the cause of his death.
There are deaths in Bird World that impact us more than others. Nox was the cutest little chick who won all of our hearts. While we want all of the chicks to thrive, Nox was very, very special to so many and, thus, his death has impacted us deeply. Fly high little one. Soar in places you never dreamed possible!
A male Bald Eagle that won everyone’s hearts and caused us great concern during Hurricane Milton was Clive, the mate to Connie at the Captiva Nest in the Barrier Islands off the west coast of Florida. He rode out the hurricane protecting his nest and, now he is making the news and well, he should. I don’t believe anyone has seen this on a streaming cam before (please feel free to correct me on that!).
Around many of the Bald Eagle nests there is some question about who is who and who is on what nest with what mate. We wait to see US Steel’s nest of Irvine and Claire and now Dulles-Greenway, the nest that formerly belonged to Martin and Rosa.
SW Florida is stable. M15 and F23 are busy, busy looking forward to their second breeding season together.
We hope that NE Florida will be stable and that Gabby and Beau will finally have a family!
At the WRDC nest, Ron came in, landed on the nest, took a selfie around 0655 Thursday morning and departed.
Thunder and Akecheta were both at their West End nest!
I did not see Andor and Cruz at Fraser Point nor did I see Jackie and Shadow at Big Bear on Thursday.
In Australia, Diamond is stuffing Yira and Gammatta to the top of their little heads!
At the Port Lincoln Osprey nest, Wilko is being aggressive towards Kasse. This is a food issue. As clearly demonstrated by the Poole Harbour nest of Blue 022 and CJ7, frequent fish deliveries can ensure that four osplets fledge without anxiety and beaking. Thankfully, Dad came in with half a fish (or that is how it appeared) Thursday morning around 0730. I thought that poor little Kasse was going to go off the rim of the nest trying to get away from the aggression.
It is impossible to see who is getting fed, but I suspect it is Wilko eating first. There is plenty for Kasse. I hope that the fish fairies will appear and bring supplementary fish to the nest to fill in the spaces when Dad is not bringing fish.
On Friday morning, the oldest sibling SE33 fledged from the nest around 0619. They stayed near the nest eventually flying out of the forest around 0643.
Where is Mum at Collins Street? The eyases are in the gutter and back up to the scrape but there has yet to be a prey delivery. It is 0820.
Thank you for being here this evening. Take care.
Thank you to the following for their posts, articles, news, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write this post: Cal Falcons, weather.com, Dulles-Greenway Eagles, NE Florida-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Olympic Park Eagles, Port Lincoln Ospreys.
