Category Archives: birds

Tuesday in Bird World

5 November 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Monday was a rainy grey day on the Canadian Prairies, but the weather wasn’t what weighed on my mind. While driving past what was once a vibrant golf course, I reflected on how the University of Manitoba is transforming it into a site for student and faculty housing, along with a grocery store. Although this project aimed to enhance campus life, it comes at a significant cost to our local wildlife. Once again, we are witnessing a concerning loss of habitat. Our city is rapidly becoming a place devoid of the natural spaces that our feathered friends depend on. Without grass for the Canada Geese to forage, trees for nesting, and adequate food sources, we risk the disappearance of these beautiful creatures. While there are a few ponds near housing developments, they lack the connectivity necessary to foster a thriving ecosystem. We must reconsider our development priorities to ensure that we do not sacrifice our local wildlife in pursuit of urban expansion.

Nearer to home, ‘The Boyfriend’ finally relaxed and ate his food out of a dish right outside the garden door! Yahoo.

Calico looked on and wasn’t so happy. “How come he gets more cat food than we do?” was what all the squawking was about.

Baby Hope was not bothered about our visitor this morning. Odd. I hope she isn’t feeling unwell. She is normally standing at the window watching ‘The Boyfriend.’

At the feeders, the European Starlings were eating suet as fast as they could before the rain came.

In my mailbox was a sad note from ‘J’. The beautiful female Golden Eagle from the Bucovino nest in Romania has died. Her name was Lucina and many of you will have watched her raise her annual eaglet for the past four years. Her mate was Calliman. Here is the announcement. On the Memorial Page, Lucina is #183 and 2024 is not yet over.

This is Lady Hawk’s video about the death and a warning – it shows the body of Lucina. https://youtu.be/J0eH1vIyKto?

Lucina and Calliman in February of 2024 working on their nest.

Condolences to all who loved this beautiful female who took such amazing care of her babies raising four to fledge in four years. Fly high, Lucina!

At Port Lincoln, a nice whole fish arrived on the nest. Was it Dad? or a fairy? The camera turned away right at the time of delivery. It doesn’t matter. What does is that Wilko and Kasse get the calories they need to develop properly.

Mum is such a treasure. Both are going to be full. Just look at how their tails and the beautiful juvenile plumage are growing.

Mum managed some bites of fish for herself and then the rains began. Both Wilko and Kasse tried so hard to get under Mum!

Mum wiggled and squiggled and got both her babies under her as the drops became heavier and heavier.

Dad flies in with a big crop and a partial fish for Mum and the kids.

The partial fish is completely gone in ten minutes.

With the heat heating the ledge at 367 Collins Street, F23 and the triplets take refuge in the cool shade of the North end scrape. They are quickly losing those baby feathers. My goodness. Soon these three will look like Mum and Dad.

The latest news from Sydney on the Sea Eaglets, SE33 and SE34.

‘A’ has the latest ranger report: “November 5: Both parents were seen down on the river early in the morning, and several more times. One juvenile was seen on the island at around 7:30am and it was quiet later, so may have been fed. There have still been no eagle visits back to the nest. I was watching from just before 1pm – both parents and one juvenile on the island. I saw the juvenile fly and change position and both parents took off. One returned with a fish at 13:10. It flew past the juvenile, ate some and spent some time, it seemed, trying to encourage the young one to take the fish or come closer. Finally, at 13:46, the juvenile stood beside the parent and was fed. It did not seem to try to grab the fish or feed itself. Just after 2pm, the adults flew off and the young one may have been self-feeding for a while. I did not see it perch anywhere else on the river, though it did fly about at one stage. When I left, before 3pm, both adults were out of sight. Swoopers have not bothered them much on the island today. Later in the afternoon, one adult and juvenile could still be seen on the island.”

In Orange, Yira and Garrama have been self-feeding for several days. https://youtu.be/hRXw1nEKFdQ?

It is precisely the same at 367 Collins Street where the chicks are similar ages. They are meeting milestones at both scrapes just as they should. Despite their determination, each Mum eventually takes the prey so that all chicks are fed. Beautiful. https://youtu.be/mNsKgks91lA?

‘A’ comments: “At Collins Street, the littles are very mobile, and currently we have two at the sheltered end, very much awake and looking mischievous, while the third sleeps in the unsheltered scrape at the other end. The three tend to sleep at the northern end but seem to like to move about between the two scrapes during the day. It is a great relief to mum and dad, who no longer have to worry about brooding or sheltering the trio. Feeding, on the other hand, is a loud and vigorous affair, the remnants of which are really starting to pile up in the gutter. I remember reading somewhere that a messy scrapeI r (full of feathers and streaked with PSs) was evidence of a healthy brood. Collins Street appears to support this view! The trio are SO adorable. Very active and exploratory. I wonder who will be first to fly onto the window ledges – the Collins Street equivalent of ‘branching’. I do so love the sound of gutter stomping in the springtime. “

At Growing Home near Sydney, Bubba is waiting for breakfast. S/he will not have to wait long.

The wind is helping move the mess of nesting material at the Achieva Osprey nest in St. Petersburg, Florida. I wish a colossal gust would just come and rip it off. We can see the large drainage holes where the chick from 2024 might have fallen to its death. (No one seems sure of the exact cause of its demise – was it a predator?). A predator baffle has been installed, but I do not believe the tree has been trimmed so raccoons can climb and jump to the nest. No organization has yet taken the holes seriously enough to want to help put stainless mesh to protect the chicks and eggs.

Ron and Rose were at the WRDC working to get their nest ready for this years breeding season that is set to begin with the first eggs begin laid in three weeks or less.

Poor E1 F3 picked a mate, E1 M2, that loves catching turtles. Tonya Irwin caught the moment that the ‘gift of turtle’ that the male had brought to Kistachie National Forest Nest E1 F3 bite and hung on to the female’s talon!!!!!!! Ouch.

‘J’ sends us news about the Kakapo and in particular, Kumi, who will be 20 years old next year. Isn’t he gorgeous? He is up for adoption as part of the fundraising efforts of the Kakapo Recovery. For details, see their website.

In Canada, many organizations are joining together to purchase land to create or expand wetland areas. One of the most active is Ducks Unlimited. Similar projects are helping internationally and this is one reason that waterfowl numbers are climbing while so many others, like Prairie Songbirds, are declining in population numbers rapidly.

We must educate our youth about the privilege of living alongside wildlife. At the same time, we need to guide them to understand the importance of protecting their habitat rather than destroying it!

Join the Ventana Wildlife Society on Wednesday for the release of the Rookies into the wild of Big Sur and Pinnacle. (Go to the website of the Ventana Wildlife Society to sign up).

If you missed their condor chat for October, here it is: https://youtu.be/TUVUjut9Z-A?

The current status of the California Condor:

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, information, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, J’, Lady Hawk, Bucovina Golden Eagles, Port Lincoln Ospreys, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Judy Harrington and the Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Liznm, Charles Sturt Falcon Project and Cilla Kinross, Growing Home Osprey Cam, Achieva Credit Union, WRDC Eagle Cam, Tonya Irwin, Kistachie National Forest Eagle Cam E1, Kakapo Recover, Suffolk Wilderness Trust, Friends of the SIBC, Ventana Wildlife Society.

Crops popping at Port Lincoln, Sea Eaglet photographed being fed in Sydney…Monday in Bird World

4 November 2022

Hello Everyone,

Sunday was a very rainy day. Despite that we did the Chickadee Trail at Bird’s Hill Provincial Park – the long trail. It is fast becoming my favourite place to walk because of the silence. Yes, on occasion, you can hear traffic from the main highway but mostly it is the song of the chickadees that fills the air. They were hungry today as not so many people visited the park in the recurring periods of heavy rain. Every where we stopped, wee little songbirds, the sweetest things, flew down to our hands to grab a seed! It is magical. They weigh nothing. They are so beautiful. And like all other songbirds, we need to protect them.

The paths were a bit muddy but there was a rich earthy scent to our walk that we didn’t have yesterday. What a privilege to be able to visit a place during every season.

So cute.

Calico finally had her party. It wasn’t as glitzy as it might have been, but they all enjoyed those squeezy chicken treats and dear Hugo Yugo was into everything before Calico could get there. She got a new reclining scratch post, much needed as they have used up the other two. They still like to sleep on them like a chaise. She has a new book and lots of dental chewy sticks that she loves plus some other dental treats.

Calico is licking her lips! She loved her new scratch post and devoured her treats and got right into chewing on her dental toys.

Missey decided it was safer elsewhere. Missey loves those squishy squeezy chicken treats. (They smell terrible).

The big news in Bird World is what we knew, but what we wanted to see – a juvenile sea eaglet being fed by Lady or Dad down by the river roost. If it wasn’t for the energy and dedication of BOGS like Rohan Geddes we might not feel the relief that we are seeing this baby being fed by its parent. Now..if we could only see both sea eaglets being fed at the same time – well, that would feel like winning the Super Jackpot Lottery.

Here is all the latest news I could find trolling the Internet.

Are you in Devon? There is a fundraiser to put up some platforms for the Ospreys!

Some Ospreys are doing so well they have decided not to migrate yet. Remember it is all about food availability, not weather.

News of a Kielder Fledgling at its winter home in Senegal!

At Orange, Yira and Garrama share a pigeon. https://youtu.be/zuWX9kr6V3Q?

Strong windstorm caused Di to have trouble flying into the scrape! https://youtu.be/i2wOgHKTVeA?

Wilko and Kasse along with their big clown feet enjoyed an early fish breakfast.

Are those feet really as long as their heads???

Kasse is very full!

Nothing cuter than little ospreys.

More food – and a beautiful family.

The down is quickly disappearing from the Collins Street triplets revealing beautiful deep ebony wings.

Working on those wings! https://youtu.be/s0fAxKZu0xY?

‘BA’ reminded me to mention Bubba at Growing Home. That nest is near Sydney, Australia. So grate to have another osprey cam in Australia. Bubba is doing fantastic. Looks fully feathered to me!

Gabby and Beau at the nest on Sunday.

It was windy in Big Bear Valley. Jackie and Shadow did some quick nestorations on Sunday.

We can’t get enough of Jackie and Shadow. https://youtu.be/MqUK46ZVvv8?

Nest collapse at Iroquois Wildlife Refuge. Will the eagles rebuild so they can be seen on the cam? We wait.

There is good news for the Black Grouse population in Europe.

Calico’s birthday book, Sky Dancer, by Gill Lewis, looks very promising as a book that you might want to add to the list of children in your lives, ages 8-12. (I am enjoying it, too). I will keep you posted as we work through a book where children wonder what ‘the wild’ really is. Gill Lewis is a vet who has travelled from the Arctic to Africa, examining different species and their habitats. She lives in the UK and has a series of books I am keenly interested in. We need to educate our children to know about the history of raptors, such as the hen harriers who were virtually killed out of existence in the UK. In 2016, only three pairs – think about that – successfully raised young in the UK. Lewis says, “I hope that the dream of rewilding our landscape and rewilding our own lives becomes a reality.”

Ongoing results for the International Osprey Data Project: I am behind in entering nests. I still have 8 from Nova Scotia, 2 from Manitoba, and about 20 miscellaneous ones for 2024. This is, however, the results of our mortality study for 2024 so far, without those nests.

Out of 493 eggs, 80 DNH, 103 died, and 309 lived. Of those that died, 1 was from an illness, 10 were nest accidents, 1 was electrocuted, 2 were deemed to be natural deaths, 8 deaths were from unknown causes, 37 were predated with owls being the largest killer, 1 died in rehab, 1 died after translocation cause unknown so far, 19 died from siblicide, 10 starved to death (there will be many more in this category once I finish entering data), and 13 died from weather-related events.

Sharon Dunne brings us up to date with what is happening with the Royal Albatross.

Calico’s Tip for the Day: Bird Feeders should be at least 15 feet or 4 metres from any windows. All windows should be bird friendly. Decals and stickers need to be spaced close together and placed on the OUTSIDE of the window or they are not effective. Calico does not recommend them as it is expensive to purchase enough for them to repel the birds. Instead for those with short budget strings, get window markers made by Crayola. The white and yellow work well. For those with more funds, Calico recommends Feather Friendly strips.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: Rohan Geddes, Judy Harrington, Dixie Rottler, Devon Osprey Partnership, John Thorpe, Joanna Dailey, Falcon Cam Project, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Ospreys, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Growing Home, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, Baiba, Trudi Kronenberg, Rewilding Europe, International Osprey Data Project, Sharon Dunne, USFWS Alaska.

Sunday in Bird World

3 November 2024

Good Morning,

Calico thanks everyone for all the lovely birthday wishes! They made her day. She feels so special. The online retailer did not, however, come through. Her prezzies were due to arrive on Saturday so we could have her party on her ‘real’ birthday, but the party has been delayed until arrival – hopefully Sunday by 10pm. Everyone was ready today – even The Boyfriend!

I keep picture books hard copies, of the kitties. Calico tried posing for her birthday photo. Here were the possibilities. Which one do you like best?

Calico said she thought she looked like a Corgi and not a cat in the first one.

Calico decided to try for the movie star pose! She thinks this is the best look for the family album.

Happy Birthday, Calico! We will have your party tomorrow. You have brought so much joy! Thank you for agreeing to come and live with us. I cannot imagine my world without you.

Saturday was a beautiful day. Inside the City, we spotted no less than 300 Canada Geese. In the country, returning home from a long walk at Bird’s Hill, we saw a skein of about twenty-five geese heading towards Winnipeg to spend a safe evening in the water. We will check Oak Hammock Marsh tomorrow to see how many geese are feeding in the adjacent fields.

This path is the quietest place. (We do the 2 or 4 km walk through this forest.) You will recall that I ‘used’ to spend much time at the nature centre. Because it is inside the City, many school groups visit, as well as the dozens who rent bikes or others who bring theirs to ride on the trails. It is often not the tranquil spot my mind seeks when I go to the forest for a walk.

There was a wet, earthy smell to the oak leaves lining many of the paths.

Today, there were four deer and a fox in my neighbourhood. The fox comes to our garden regularly to eat. It was heart-warming that people fed the deer pumpkins and didn’t want to harm the fox.

The report on the state of Canadian birds came out today. It is really pretty dismal for some species. Success is being seen in waterfowl and raptors while the long-distance migrants (Arctic Birds), shorebirds, and grassland birds are disappearing at an alarming rate. Have a read!

November NewsDownload

The destruction of habitat is one of the reasons we dutifully purchase coffee grown in the shade, so that the land is not cleared, and the trees are not destroyed. Think about it.

The Collins Street triplets are so cute and so energetic. They can’t wait to fly! https://youtu.be/s0fAxKZu0xY?

The latest news of the sea eagles:

‘A’ sends us the latest report from the ranger for the WBSE: “November 3: Again, no eagles spent the night at the nest last night, though ringtail possums passed by just before 8pm – including two young ones. Eagles were seen down on River Roost early – with lots of Sunday morning river traffic- water skiier, boats, ferries. Adults were then seen on Mangrove Island – and we felt that a juvenile was hidden there as well. Later, we saw one juvenile perched on a mangrove on the island – so hard to spot with its brown colouring. One of the adults then flew into the mangroves west of River Roost – out of sight and an unusual place for it to fly. Was the other juvenile in there? By early afternoon, it was a hot day, and only one adult was seen on the island. Later in the afternoon, both parents and a juvenile were on Mangrove Island. One spent a long time preparing bird prey, then a juvie was seen eating on the ground. No eagles still at the nest, though there were rainbow lorikeet visitors in the late afternoon.

I remain hopeful.- at least one of the eaglets was seen to be eating today. It is hard to be patient but as I said the other day, the BOTG at this nest are some of the best, so we just have to trust in their reports and hope for the best. The littles are strong and healthy – or were when they fledged – and hopefully their parents will get food to them.” 

At Port Lincoln, there is an early fish. Everyone is delighted. Wilko was 4 weeks old on Sunday in Australia.

In Orange, Xavier comes in with an envy of a prey item – looks like some kind of parrot to me, certainly not a Starling. Yira grabs it before everyone’s eyes. Diamond comes into the scrape and takes charge. Earlier (late Saturday night in Orange), in what could have been a terrible accident with Garramatta going off the ledge – we had a save, but Dudley flew out during the ordeal.

Aren’t these two just the cutest little eyases you have ever seen (OK, tied with Annie and Archie!)?

Dudley goes over the ledge: https://youtu.be/-YvE2GF7D88?

Gabby and Beau at the nest.

My goodness. They are beautiful – and powerful. Sea Eagles being returned to the Severn Estuary.

‘You have to disguise your human form’: how sea eagles are being returned to Severn estuary after 15Download

The New York Times report includes the following: “A Washington man who killed hundreds of eagles and hawks in Montana that he later helped traffic and sell on the black market was sentenced to nearly four years in prison on Thursday, prosecutors said.

From 2015 to 2021, the man, Travis John Branson, 49, of Cusick, Wash., traveled to the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana to help kill hundreds of birds in a “killing spree,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana said. In addition to his sentence of three years and 10 months in federal prison, Mr. Branson was ordered to pay $777,250 in restitution, prosecutors said.

“Branson went on self-described ‘killing sprees’ for thousands of eagles and hawks,” Jesse Laslovich, the U.S. attorney for the District of Montana, said in a statement. Mr. Laslovich added that Mr. Branson “butchered” the birds “and sold the parts and feathers for profit on the black market.”

Mr. Branson, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and trafficking charges in March, killed at least 118 eagles and 107 hawks himself, according to investigators who traced the killings to Mr. Branson through text messages. In total, Mr. Branson worked with others to kill about 3,600 birds, prosecutors said.”

Man Who Killed Hundreds of Eagles and Hawks Gets Nearly 4 Years in Prison – The New York TimesDownload

‘L’ sent us the video about the man getting 4 years in prison for killing eagles. https://youtu.be/EH4YiIkYezo?

Reaction to the sentencing from the Couer d’Alene Tribe on whose land the eagles were killed. https://youtu.be/g695eLZYZI4?

Well, I am really glad that this is not about our dear Dyson!

P’Nut the Squirrel Is Seized From New York Home and Then Put Down – The New York TimesDownload

Dyson is on the fence feeling a bit guilty. She has just chewed through the wire connecting my twinkly fairy lights and the solar panel that would bring those little twinkly globes to life. We love her regardless. Dyson is about the same age as Peanut. She has lived in the wild and come for peanuts and brought her kits to the garden. She is family.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Remember to turn your clocks back if you haven’t already. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, L’, Birds and Beans Coffee, SK Hideaways, Marilylu Pitcher, Port Lincoln Ospreys, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Birdie Cam, NEFL-AEF, The Guardian, NBC Montana, KREM News 2

Dad is doing great at Port Lincoln!…Friday in Bird World

1 November 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It is 1 C with ‘grey wintery skies, not unlike the colour of baby Osprey down. We are now at the beginning of the brown and greys of late fall. Today is Halloween, and the plan is to do the 4k walk at Bird’s Hill Park while feeding chickadees. Today is also a discount day at the Pet Stores, so we will stock up on the month’s food and get the prezzies for Calico’s party. After taking stock of what Calico likes, I must order dental ropes from the online retailer and get some nice treats. The cats have all the perches in the world they need, more tunnels than they should have, and I refuse to buy any small plastic toys because they don’t play with them anymore, and it just adds to the heap of junk our planet needs to get rid of. So special food and treats for The Girls and The Boyfriend and dental toys! Sounds good to me. We need another low basket for the floor. Tonight, Baby Hope waited patiently for Missey to ‘get out of her basket!’ It was rather sweet. Real estate on the floor is in high demand, so no. They can share.

There will also be another storybook, as Calico truly loves our time reading in the evening. For those who do not know, Calico lived on the streets. She was fed and talked to and finally came into the house five days later to be accompanied by her only surviving kitten, Baby Hope. My old office was cleared, and a place was made for her to integrate quietly into the family. Whenever she was fed or I went in, I read to her. Gradually, she came and listened from my lap. Calico has her likes and dislikes when it comes to books. I cannot read her mind, but she will walk away if she doesn’t like the sound of the words. Let’s see what I can find. Yes, Sky Dancer! by Gill Lewis. Calico will have a good birthday on Saturday.

Goodness me. Hugo Yugo could have posed for these pictures!

This is what those dental rope sticks look like after The Girls are finished. I rewind and tie the cord again and again sneaking some catnip in there so they last a long time.

The furnace was on all night, and it went down to -4 C. It is now time for gloves, toques, winter coats, warm socks, and jumpers. There is no question about it. My Birkenstocks can go in the drawer until next spring.

Happily by 1100, the temperature was climbing and reached 6 C. There was not a lick of wind. We did the 2k (not the 4k) walk at Bird’s Hill Park feeding chickadees along the way. It was so beautiful neither of us wanted to return home!

The view from the lookout tower was not as grand as when we were in Nova Scotia with all the gorgeous rust, yellow, and red-coloured leaves, but it was nice nonetheless.

This view was created 11,000 years ago when the glaciers that covered our province began to melt. The hill we are standing on is about 30 metres higher than the surrounding area and is one of the highest points within a 30 km radius. In other words, it is quite flat in this area of Manitoba!

There are still lots of Canada Geese in Winnipeg. Hundreds were on the golf course near the zoo yesterday, and another 200 or so at the soccer pitch. Today, we saw them flying overhead into the City, and there were flocks of them scattered about as we drove out to the park. ‘PB’ tells me that Canada Geese are just now arriving in Omaha. All of this could be a clue to the low numbers of migrants at Hawk Mountain. We will have to wait and see. Food is certainly still available, and that is, as you know, the driving force for migration, not weather.

At 1743, approximately 200 Canada Geese flew over the conservatory! I stood in awe. They were flying in the direction of our two rivers that converge for the night. To me, they are majestic. It is such a privilege to watch them raise their young during the summer. Fly safe!

‘A’ sent me a report that did not get into yesterdays blog. I will include it today and any others that come after regarding the sea eaglets. “Meanwhile, here is tonight’s WBSE report, posted a couple of hours later than usual. October 31: Last evening, both eaglets were seen together in the wetlands. Early  this morning, both parents were seen down on River Roost. Around 7:30am, ravens and currawongs were heard in the wetlands – maybe fledglings were still there? Then squonking was heard as well. Shortly after, both eaglets were spotted in a tree, hunched down to avoid the swoopers. Early afternoon, at 2:20pm, Dad was circling overhead, and shortly after, one youngster was airborne from the wetlands, circling, then headed towards the river. One eagle was at River Roost at 3pm, and a fledgling was possibly behind, in the mangroves. Later, an eaglet was seen opposite River Roost. No eagles have returned to the nest. At around 5pm, an adult was circling over Mangrove Island with a fish and a juvenile was heard from behind the island. Finally, the adult began eating the fish itself. The watcher was unable to see if any juvenile was there. One of the juveniles was seen in the river, though fortunately, it managed to lift off again – attempting to catch a fish maybe? Late in the afternoon, rain started – hopefully, all sheltered somewhere for the night, and watchers thought both fledglings were over the river.

The sight of the two eaglets flying together does make me smile.” The latest from A and the ranger report: “Finally, at WBSE, I have been waiting for today’s report, literally with bated breath. And finally here it is, posted literally two minutes ago (spoiler alert: a good report):

November 1: The adults were down on the river early, seen on Mangrove Island. One was seen with a fish – apparently a catfish –then one of the juveniles was seen eating there – a first definite sighting for us. At around 1pm, a juvenile was on Mangrove Island and the parents were aware. When Lady brought in a bird just after 1pm, the juvenile was ready and squeeing – and eventually got to eat it, after some time spent de-feathering it, first by the juvie and then by Lady. Then at 4:30, Lady brought in another bird. Again, the juvie finally ate. Just one juvenile appears to be there on the island, but we believe both are doing well.”

We wonder if both eaglets have been seen eating. I mean they must be, but…

At Port Lincoln, ‘A’ and I have both noticed that Dad has upped his game. Yesterday he brought in five fish. FIVE. Dad brought in them, not fairies. Gosh, goodness, is he taking health supplements this year? The osplets need that fish as they grow bigger and bigger. A really nice fish came in for breakfast on Friday. Yeah, Dad. Delivery time: 0749

Everyone is being nice. What a pleasure it has been this year to watch this nest. Just wonderful.

Both kiddos were stuffed. I sure hope Mum got some nice fish, too. She has done an incredible job this year.

‘A’ remarks on Port Lincoln: “The osplets ate and ate and ate today at Port Lincoln, as did mum. After five fish deliveries yesterday (31 October), another five fish were brought in today, one by mum and four by dad. The littles ate until they were bursting and then they ate some more. Mum seemed to be on a mission to stuff both of them to the brim, and they were literally moving to the other side of the nest to avoid food at one stage! Perhaps fishing conditions are excellent at the moment or perhaps dad is just aware that he needs to work progressively harder on fish deliveries as the osplets grow.

Whichever is it, there has been no need for the Fish Fairy apart from that one day several weeks ago. These two are very active and look healthy and alert. The bonking is rare and short-lived, with Kasse running away from Wilco rather than tucking and ducking or retaliation. The important thing is that he does not appear to be intimidated at all when it comes to eating, although he does defer to Wilco, allowing his older sibling to eat first. Mum tends to make sure Wilco gets the first half dozen bites or so, just to ensure that pecking order is respected and there are no bad manners at the table.”

It is all about eating and sleeping at Orange. Yira and Garramatta are being fed well! And those white soft little feathers are soon going to be filling the scrape box as if someone had a pillow fight.

More prey.

The Collins Street triplets are nothing short of chaos. Up and down the gutter they go! And then they fall asleep as quickly once their batteries have run down. It is 0950 and I have not seen a prey delivery but I surely could have missed a very early one.

So full. No rushing the parent when a partial pigeon is brought in.

Heidi brings us up to date with Bubba at Growing Home in Australia.

M15 and F23 spent Wednesday checking their nest, testing it to see if it was just right. Today is the first day of November. Looking for eggs here and at NE Florida by the end of the month.

‘J’ remarks: “It strikes me again and again, doesn’t matter how oft I’ve seen it, I just go slackjawed when I realise anew how BIG F23 is.” Yes, she is a big girl, ‘J’.

Gosh, golly. What a time to have cam problems. On the NEFL chat there was a thought that they might be able to switch to IR during important moments such as hatch, fledge, etc. They said: “RaptorLvr_AEF​​Again – emphasizing this is something we MIGHT try – not a definite. I have been misquoted before so want to be sure this is clear!!!”

Jackie and Shadow’s visit to the nest on the 30th is captured by SK Hideaways. https://youtu.be/ISSFKprlF78?

As we all watch the migratory bird counts, the number of shorebirds is plummeting. We need to be concerned about what is happening along all of the major flyways. It is essential that protections are put in place.

“‘The perilous declines of migratory birds are a sign that the integrity of flyways is deteriorating. Losing the network of habitats that migratory birds depend on to rest and feed during their long journeys could have severe consequences for the millions of people that rely on these sites, as well as the birds.’’ 

Press Release: New report reveals plummeting migratory shorebird populations globally – BirdLife IntDownload
Celebrating 20 years of marine conservation collaboration and success through the BirdLife Seabird TDownload

The Moorland Association representing those persons who own grouse hunting estates gives its response to the video footage show on Channel 4 news.

Moorland Association’s response to THAT damaging video:audio aired on Channel 4 News – Raptor PersecDownload

What really is a ‘wild’ place and how can we protect them?

Where the wild places areDownload

‘J’ sends us the latest on Rita (Ron’s former partner at WRDC) who had an injury and was found and taken into care.

Thank you so much for being with us this first day of November. Just two months until the end of the year. Just two months until there will be baby eaglets on the nests. How exciting is that?

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Heidi, J’, Sea Eagle Cam Daily Report, Port Lincoln Ospreys, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Heidi McGrue and The Joy of Ospreys, Growing Home, SW Florida Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, SK Hideaways, BirdLife International, Raptor Persecution UK, The John Muir Trust, Marathon Wild Bird Centre.

All is well in Bird World (well mostly)…Thursday in Bird World

31 October 2024

Good Morning,

It is Halloween. It is also Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Will you be celebrating either of these holidays? In years past, we used to get at least 75 children at the door wanting treats, and that all changed. I am thrilled that some of the streets in our neighbourhood are being blocked off so that the children can run from house to house and cross the street without worry of being hit by a car. On Saturday, there was the walk at Bird’s Hill, and CPAWS put on all the games and treats. There have been events at many of the community centres. Everyone is trying to make it safe for the little ones to be outside. The biggest Diwali party took place at our convention centre a couple of weeks ago.

I remember several years spent celebrating this holiday on the Indian Subcontinent eons ago. The food was delicious! It was the same later in Singapore. We have put up extra lights in the garden this year and will be thinking of our friends in India and Singapore as they celebrate good over evil and light over darkness.

“Divali 2011” by npmeijer is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

National Geographic Kids gives this information on Divali: “Diwali, or Dipawali, is India‘s biggest and most important holiday of the year. The festival gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indians light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness. This festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians.

Over the centuries, Diwali has become a national festival that’s also enjoyed by non-Hindu communities. For instance, in Jainism, Diwali marks the nirvana, or spiritual awakening, of Lord Mahavira on October 15, 527 B.C.; in Sikhism, it honors the day that Guru Hargobind Ji, the Sixth Sikh Guru, was freed from imprisonment. Buddhists in India celebrate Diwali as well.”

Now, ‘The Girls’ are wondering how much you know about Halloween. They consulted Good Housekeeping and it says, “If you think Halloween is a uniquely American tradition, grab a mini Snickers and settle in, because you’ve got some learning to do. Dressing up in a creative costume, traipsing around in the gathering dusk to collect the best candy or throwing a monster bash with friends are all time-honored holiday traditions. But Halloween didn’t start stateside at all. 

In fact, the origins of Halloween go back thousands of years to the Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced “sow-win”), a festival that marked the end of the harvest season and ushered in a new year. During Samhain, the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was thought to be especially thin, so people could communicate with loved ones who had passed on.

Whether or not you buy into the supernatural, it’s still fun to learn a little something about the meaning behind your favorite Halloween traditions before you head out trick-or-treating. Turns out, the holiday has a much more interesting (and sometimes even spookier!) backstory than many people realize. Travel back in time with us to learn what some of the very first celebrations of Halloween looked like, including throwback ghoulies and ghosties, what people used to carve in place of pumpkins and even the elements that Valentine’s Day and Halloween have in common. We can guarantee there wasn’t a glitter pumpkin or superhero costume in sight.”

Calico urges you to keep your kitties inside during Halloween. (She thinks they should be inside all the time and Calico should know – she lived on the street!)

The best news in the world is that Lady and Dad are feeding SE33 and SE34 over away from the river from the moment and while they might be getting harranged by Currawongs and other small birds, they appear to be flying strong and eating well as of the time I am writing. Seeing the eaglets and their parents together just made me shed tears of joy. I hope you did, too!

I will continue to post all of the news that I can find. Some might overlap with earlier reports.

Those precocious falcon chicks are stealing more prey from Dad. https://youtu.be/pDUOEwKDnzM?

The Collins kids are all over the place.

It is really, really hot on that ledge in Melbourne. The temperature ready for lower down is 16 C. I wonder what it is on that ledge. Just look at Mum.

News from New Jersey says that Ospreys are staying later this year. In Manitoba, there are still lots and lots of geese and ducks. Perhaps this is the reason for the low migration numbers of raptors below. I sure hope so. The Red-tail Hawk count makes me cry. Let’s hope this is just a late season or these raptors are in trouble.

It seems that we take one step forward and one or two backwards when it comes to protecting wildlife and habitat. More news from Geemeff:

This is a damning report on the state of the environment and rewilding just after we read about huge swaths of land being put into trust and not into grouse shooting.

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/blairgowrie-advertiser/20241029/281530821516284

Osprey accepted the platform that had to be removed and rebuilt in South Australia. Wonderful news. Now if we can get Ervie a mate and a platform with a camera all of our dreams will come true. Little Envies!!!!!!! Think about it.

Breakfast at Port Lincoln. Gosh, Dad is doing a good job this season. Would love to give him a pat on his feathered back. Keep up the good work!

Wilko is full and Kasse is still eating.

Breakfast for Yira and Garrama. Yira takes the leftovers. https://youtu.be/RBnv5MTwXdg?

Elain gives us a glimpse into Yira and Garrama in a way only she can. https://youtu.be/2WdhOJyefhc?

Beau and Gabby continue to work in their amazing nest. As we enter November, we can hope that fertilized eggs will appear by the end of the month with a hatch on Samson’s hatch day (24 December).

‘H’ sent me some sad news this morning regarding the cameras at NE Florida: “We’ll be lucky if we get to see any of Gabby and Beau and their family this season.  As you know, cam 2 is down all season due to a broken cable.  Well, now the cam 1 issues have been diagnosed:  a partially broken cable.  Not all the strands within the cable at the nest are being used to transmit to the server… meaning that some of the cam 1 cable fibers are broken.  Cam 4 is still okay so far.”

I cannot imagine know knowing if Gabby and Beau have babies this year. Was it the hurricane that damaged the cables (Milton)? Do the cameras get an annual check up here? I wonder.

Pouring down rain at Decorah North on Wednesday.

Eagle vocals were heard at Pittsburgh-Hayes.

Jackie and Shadow were busy on Wednesday.

Five food gifts for F23 from M15 on Wednesday. https://youtu.be/-V8VxMSS1is?

It was raining at the West End, too. Thunder was looking out over the territory.

This is a very good use of funds. They will get to the bottom of all the questions about Menhaden and quotas and surely to goodness will help save the Osprey in the same way that the warnings from Rachel Carson issued about DDT did in the 1970s. There are many species at risk because of the commercial fishing of Menhaden being allowed by the State of Virginia. It needs to stop before they are wiped out entirely and there are no more ospreys, not even starving ones.

Butterflies are moving north, expanding their territory because of climate change. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/30/butterflywatch-gatekeepers-spread-north-scotland?CMP=share_btn_url

Scotland is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. It is home to so many raptors. So why not rewild 33% of Scotland. This film asks that question. Our narrator is a 26 year old who has eco- anxiety. Take some time to watch. It isn’t just Scotland. There are some gorgeous images and thought provoking questions. Even a good comparison between Scotland and Norway, the Oder Delta between Germany and Poland, and other sites that have rewilded. Happy ecosysystems and biodiversity link to the nature and climate crisis. https://youtu.be/FFypWj1bjPk?

Missing story time with Calico and the other three girls is not a good thing. I apologized this evening profusely and we settled down with treats and a good book. It got Calico’s Ten Golden Paw Award and she thinks you might want to put it on your holiday list for those special children in your life. It is not about raptors, but about seals and comes to us from Wales. The main characters are the seals that come to the island to have their pups and to rest. The other central character is Tina, a little girl who lives on the island where her Mum is the local vet. It is summer holiday season and Tina is determined to make the holiday goers that come to the island understand how to respect the seals. The book is: Rescue at Seal Bay by Gill Lewis. The only colour illustrations are on the front and back covers. All others are black and white drawings, just in case you wanted to know. The story is really good and Calico didn’t mind not seeing images in colour! It is listed at $14.99 CDN at the online retailers.

Calico found a lot of books written by Gill Lewis. We just ordered another one for her birthday – Sky Hawk. It is about Hen Harriers! I can’t wait to read it.

Smile for the day. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/JPkhvnseMUSZKTni/

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J’, OpenVerse, National Geographic for Children, Eagle Cam, Judy Harrington, Rohan Geddes, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Hawk Mountain Migration Chart, pressreader.com, Fran Solly Coffin Bay Community Notice Board, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Nesting Bird Life and More, Elain, NEFL-AEF, Androcat, Raptor Research Project/Explore.org, PIX Cams, FOBBV, IWS/Explore.org, Joanie Millward, Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, The Scottish Rewilding Alliance, Gill Lewis, Harley Thomas White.

Fingers crossed for the sea eagles…Wednesday in Bird World

30 October 2024

Hello Everyone,

Thank you so much for being with us. It is nearly the end of October! Tomorrow is Halloween. The following day is All Souls Day, and when I lived in England, we were preparing to celebrate Guy Fawke’s Day on the 5th of November. I have lots of beautiful memories of ‘Guys’ in wagons, bonfires, and jacket potatoes in the back garden with friends. It marked fall. The back garden of our house on Gorse Road in Grantham had fruit trees, mostly apples and plums. They were delicious and by the beginning of November all had been picked and eaten or given to friends and neighbours. The ones that had fallen were left for the hedgehogs to eat. Shallow bowls of water were always left on the back step for them, too. When we first moved to the UK, hedgehogs were the stuff of children’s stories. Our son decided to bring one inside the house. Yes, those of you who are British will know what happened next! Fleas flew everywhere. It was a solid cloud. Our dear little friend quickly found its way back to the orchard – and if memory holds, not a single other hedgehog made its way into the house.

The past several years have been really challenging. I never know if I am waking up to a toddler or a teenager. It is difficult navigating through life with a partner whose Lewy Body Dementia is getting worse. I have learned more about dementia in the last couple of years than I ever imagined. Well, to begin with, I never imagined caring for a person with dementia a decade younger than I am, but it happens more often than you might think. There are beautiful moments, and then, in a blink, his world and mine change. I have learned to grasp onto those times and hold them tight. Thank you for bearing with me through these transitions. My reports are not as long and do not include as much academic information – Bird World is relatively quiet right now (thank goodness) and my real focus is always the ospreys. Thankfully, the Northern Hemisphere’s breeding season is not here yet and will not be in full swing until the new year. In the meantime, I am so grateful for the garden animals and The Girls and for the fact that I can go for long extended walks in the parks and forests near to where I live. It all helps keep my mind in balance!

I did have a laugh. One long time reader and friend thought that Missey had done Calico in. No, Calico was not eaten by Missey! Yes, I know Missey looks huge in the images. She is large; she is a Maine Coon, but she is also mostly fur. Missey does look formidable, something out of a medieval forest lurking with magical creatures. Calico is, however, very much alive and well. Both Calico and Missey like to think that they are the boss, but the real boss of the house is Hugo Yugo. She is the tiniest, bossiest little ginger female I have ever met. She will rush to finish her food dish and then leap off the counter and run to push Calico away from her dish so she can eat it. That single fact has helped Calico lose all that weight. Just look at how trim she is. The vet will be pleased when she sees her in November for her annual check up. When we brought Calico in from the cold outdoors, we did not know when she was born. The vet guessed how old she was and based on that we picked November 2 for her birthday. This, of course, means that we will be having another one of those wild parties on Saturday.

Sadly, as The Girls have now all passed the year mark, they do not run and play at night like they used to. I surely miss that!

The real boss of the house! And if you are wondering, Hugo Yugo did run and jump on Calico to get that spot in the purple chair.

I have said it once and I will say it a million times, Baby Hope is nothing short of the sweetest thing around. Look at her staring at Hugo Yugo as HY is getting ready to leap to the top of the cat tree.

Calico and Baby Hope never cause an instant of trouble. It is always Hugo Yugo and Missey. If things are falling down in the middle of the night, you can count on it being those two.

Two Crows were at the big tray feeder. I counted. This one carefully took six peanuts including this one, the seventh, in his beak. Incredible. The Crows are ‘off’ the cheesy dogs. I also find that very interesting. They started wanting only peanuts in early September. We start out with huge piles on the tray feeders – big and small – and scattered on the deck for the squirrels. They will be gone within an hour! I am not kidding you.

Junior and the Mrs were also after those peanuts. Just look at that pile of peanuts on both those feeders. These Corvids are busy! They are in competition with three grey squirrels and two red ones.

Just a quick note. Yesterday I included the day’s sightings at some of the Bald Eagle nests. I did not mean to imply that eagles had not visited ETSU-Johnson City. I had just not seen them yesterday. Boone and Jolene have been regularly visiting the nest and refurbishing it!

Wildlife groups and rehabilitation clinics continue to plead with people not to use the fake spider webs. Here is another one:

What is going on in Bird World? Well, the focus is on the Sea Eaglets at the Olympic Park in Sydney. And the questions that are on everyone’s mind are these: Are the eaglets eating (either being fed or getting their own prey? OR Will they wind up grounded near the Discovery Centre and wind up in care – which if they are not so emaciated, would not be so bad. As far as I can tell the only bad scenario is that these fledglings are not seen fed and are not grounded by the Discovery Centre so they can be rescued. So fingers crossed. I will post all the news that I can find.

SE34 looks to have a crop in the image below.

Video of eagle flying. https://youtu.be/rlZYZ4Zx21k?

‘A’ sends the Ranger’s report from Sydney:

Here is last night’s report from WBSE:

“October 29: Eagles were seen on the river around 7:30 –then shortly after on the mangroves – one with a fish. While doing surveys in the wetlands nearby between 7am and 8:30, there was no sign of either eaglet. Around 8:15, an eaglet was seen flying across the Armory grassland, being chased by the usual swoopers. It was seen on top of one of the old Navy-era mounds, then flew off again. One eaglet was reported by a member of the public along one of the pathways, but was gone when we investigated. We think this is SE34 and it is flying strongly and moving about. There were more sightings during the day, and one of the eaglets was seen from the ferry, flying along the river. Early evening, Dad was seen with a bird, taking it to River Roost. Neither eagle returned to the nest today. At dusk, the adults were at River Roost. The picture is from a sighting yesterday.”

‘A’ remarks: “I can hear those damned currawongs from the open WBSE tab, which I check regularly in the hope that one time, I will see an eaglet back on the nest, eating some fish. But all I hear are currawongs. It’s worrying, and oh so sad. I really thought this year might be different, due to the lengthier time the youngsters spent dealing with the swoopers while still having the nest as their ‘safe spot’. But it seems not. And what is really worrying to me is that it seems to be the parents who are letting the eaglets down. I was hoping that, like last season, the parents would help the eaglets by feeding them and showing them where the fish were. Watching their parents hunt would surely have helped immensely. But apparently this is not happening. “

In the Central Business District of Melbourne, there is a peregrine falcon scrape. Everyone held their breath as one of the chicks got a little too close to the ledge. https://youtu.be/0nKnS5II4rU?

They are getting their juvenile feathers as you can see clearly in the images below. They will be walking soon, tall and strong. They are learning to pluck by watching the parents who are bringing the prey to the nest and plucking it before them.

‘A’ remarks: “At Collins Street, the littles are self-feeding, and at least from dad’s point of view, it may well have reached the dump and depart phase. He brought some prey early, about 06:12, but one of the humongous fluffballs grabbed it from him and dad considered, then thought better of trying to retrieve it. The triumphant chick took its prize down into the gutter to eat it in peace, so dad retrieved what looked like a very long leg (or perhaps a piece of wing) from the scrape and began feeding it to one of the others. 

The third chick sat motionless, intently watching the scene unfold, from the back corner of the scrape. Eventually, it moved forward and into the feeding line. When dad responded by offering it food, it stole the entire piece and took it back into its corner of the scrape, where it proceeded to self-feed. Dad continued feeding what was left of his leftovers to the remaining chick. 

So in the end, everyone ate breakfast, but it was hardly the most organised or coordinated of feedings. Everyone ate in their own place and in their own time. Dad just went with the flow, handling the situation with aplomb. These three are already a massive handful for their parents, especially poor little dad, who is dwarfed by his offspring. This family is just TOO funny. “

These kids at Collins Street are so precocious. They are developing right where they should and one decided to take the prey from Dad and high tail it to the other end of the ledge!

Oops. Dad arrived Wednesday morning on the ledge and those triplets let him know that he can only come with his talons full! https://youtu.be/ej47XnKN9JE?

At Port Lincoln, Wilko eats first but Kasse wants some fish and gets some! He scoots up and Mum notices. ‘A’ comments: “At Port Lincoln, there was a bit of bonking at 06:32, but dad brought in a small whole fish at 06:41 and everyone was happy. Kasse is up off hisd tarsi and onto his feet today. He seems to have a fascination with feet that reminds me of a sweet girl called Lindsay. She too had to be reminded that other people’s toes were not toys. But Kasse is playing with Wilco’s toes and with mum’s. Just adorable. “

Diamond feeds Yira and Garramma their second breakfast. Xavier had a good go for a few minutes!

And Yira steals breakfast! https://youtu.be/URxLf7lZE-4?

At NE Florida, all that nest needs is eggs! Gabby and Beau are just putting the finishing touches on an amazing nest.

All is good in SW Florida. These two love a bath as much as our Starlings do! https://youtu.be/LyDlJfL2ukA?

The six kestrel chicks are doing well.

Black Stork Migration. Here is the Bird Map chart for the 30th of October. Waba still appears to be in the very south of Egypt at his last transmission.

Despite the fact that ospreys are what make me wake up in the morning, I love all birds and there are some that pull at my heart strings more than others. Jackie and Shadow are one of those couples. Jackie was at the nest looking at it and out over the territory while Shadow was finding the best sticks for cot rails. This couple lives in hope – the eternal hope that maybe this year they will be able to raise another eaglet together.

Polar Bears. The Canadian province where I live is often called the world’s Polar Bear capital. At our local zoo, three live in a large open space with pools and dens built a few years ago. In the north, in Churchill, the bears are hungry. If they come into the town three times, they are shot. Not tranquilized, but killed. They are hungry. The sea ice has retreated, and there are fewer seals they rely on for food. It is hot in Churchill and parts of the Arctic. It is unclear when the entire ecosystem that supports them will collapse, but there is evidence to show that it is beginning to happen sooner than expected. So what about captivity, like our zoo? What are the pros? And cons?

This is a good read. It asks a lot of important questions.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/29/polar-bears-are-back-in-britain-but-should-they-really-be-living-here?CMP=share_btn_url

What a great post from Connie Dennis in Nova Scotia. How often do we hear people say or read that our dear feathered friends, mammals, and fish do not have feelings? They are sentient beings; their behaviour towards these beautiful creatures will surely change once people recognize this. For a good read on animals and birds as sentient beings look no further than Marc Bekoff, The Emotional Lives of Animals.

The trailer for the documentary on California Condors from the Ventana Wildlife Society: https://youtu.be/dgCVAA-NNig?

Geemeff sends us some really good news. Don’t we wish we could get together and buy the Chesapeake Bay and stop the fishing? They say, “One more parcel of land for nature, one less for the #IdiotsWithGuns who like to kill in the name of so-called ‘sport’.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/29/wildlife-trusts-buy-rothbury-estate-in-largest-land-sale-in-england-in-30-years

While that is a good thought-provoking read about polar bears, we are going to close today with a good news story about a juvenile rescue. We need these good stories!

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care everyone. Stay safe out there.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, J, SA’ Valerie Wright , Judy Harrington, Kerry Allen, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Deborah Victoriana, SK Hideaways, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Falcon Cam Project, NEFL-AEF, Androcat, Charter Group Birdcams, The Guardian, Connie Dennis, Ventana Wildlife Society, Tamarack Wildlife Centre.

Sea eaglet fledglings being harrassed….Tuesday in Bird World

29 October 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Greetings from a beautiful day on the Canadian Prairies. We hope all of you are well. Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope have the perfect idea for what to do on a cool fall afternoon.

At Melbourne, F24 is searching for prey for the triplets. https://youtu.be/f8zV8-Qp_zU?

How many times have we seen an immature eagle bring its very own fish tail to a nest? It happened at Captiva. https://youtu.be/0YrQh375GBY?

Beau and Gabby continue to work on their nest at NE Florida. We are a month away from eggs at all the nests (or thereabouts).

M15 and F23 continue work on their nest as well fortifying the crib rails. https://youtu.be/8BBKEm1CH4U?

Ron and Rose are busy at the WRDC nest!

Hope has been at the Port Tobacco nest on and off and flew in with a big fish late Monday morning.

No one has been at the Bluff City nest in Tennessee so far.

Duke Farms is working on their camera.

Gigi has been on the ND-LEEF nest. A male eagle has also been seen.

Eagle on the NCTC nest on Monday.

The fledglings are being seen. Now are they being fed?

‘A’ writes: “October 28: An empty nest but a couple of sightings during the day. During the morning, we think one eaglet was heard in the mangroves. The parents were circling overhead. Lady was seen with a fish, circling over the whole area. We were listening for alarm calls from the swooping currawongs and ravens, which alert us to where an eaglet might be. Early afternoon, we spotted an eaglet in a casurina by Wharf Pond – just over our heads, with a couple of currawongs in attendance. After a while, it flew off strongly, out of sight. Later, both eagles were reported with prey over the river, though both fed themselves and when seen again had no catch. Just after 3pm, I saw one adult circling over the Armory area. One eaglet spotted again in the area – it’s hide and seek . We watched as the eaglet, we thing SE34, hoped along a wire fence-line, with ravens pulling and poking it. It finally flew off along the pathway, landing clumsily in a tree. The swoopers found it again, both currawongs and magpies. By standing still, the swoopers gradually left and it was resting. We think it flew off again late. A long day for 2 eaglets out in the world.”

They are busy at the Decorah North Bald Eagle nest including eating fish on the nest! https://youtu.be/sT3OmgA-Ueo?

At SW Florida, M15 and F23 are like an exquisite machine working together in a kind of blended harmony. Just image when Harriet went missing. Did anyone believe that M15 would raise those two beautiful month old eaglets to fledge? He did. Did we ever believe seeing all those female eagles fight for fish on the nest with their worn talons that he would find a beautiful mate like F23? And just look. Their second breeding year together. I can’t wait! https://youtu.be/-tgJiE7otoU?

Gammatta and Yira are full of energy. https://youtu.be/MUnHxeRvIhM?

Breakfast at Port Lincoln. More fish and more fish. Wilko and Kasse are little eating machines. Aren’t they beautiful?

As we prepare for the Osprey breeding season next spring in the northern hemisphere, why not begin to grow your knowledge? I will be posting articles from the most basic to several theses that deal with specific aspects of the fish hawk’s behaviour.

Osprey Bird Facts | Pandion HaliaetusDownload

Lily and Margot found!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/28/parrots-missing-london-zoo-found-cambridgeshire-garden-lily-margot?CMP=share_btn_url

‘J’ sends us a book recommendation (I have not read it yet), but I thought you might be interested:

Calico’s Tip for the Day!

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

Thank you for to the following for their posts, notes, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, J’, Nesting Bird Life and More, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, The Real Saunders Photography, SW Florida Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, WRDC, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, ETSU-Johnson City, ND-LEEF, Rohan Geddes and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, tulsaducati, Androcat, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Osprey Cam, RSPB, The Guardian, Taschenbuch, Winnipeg Missing and Found Cat Watch.

Monday in Bird World

28 October 2024

Good Morning,

Oh, we had a fun time Saturday afternoon. For the past four years, CPAWS (Canada Parks and Wilderness Society) hosts a Halloween walk with games and treats at Bird’s Hill Provincial Park. We headed out to get our 2k exercise and check out the chickadees. Had they returned? And would they land on our hands for seed?

Decorations lined the paths, which were clearly marked. There was that peculiar smell of fall, the musky sweet aroma of the fallen leaves under our boots, so familiar that one never forgets it from year to year.

To the right of our dear witch are the golden leaves of the Oak trees, so plentiful in the park. There were conifers, aspens, and birch.

When we were in Nova Scotia, our remembrances of the trip were the Red Maple Leaves we collected and the pine cones. There were no Red Maples in the woods, but we did find pine cones to add to the bowl on our dining table. They are so tiny compared to the ones we brought home from the Annapolis Valley.

The Black-capped Chickadees were not shy. They would get their seed, fly quickly to a branch to crush and eat it, and then, just as quickly return for another. The energy they expend getting food is admirable. It is their familiar song – the chick-a-dee-dee – that filled the air on Saturday.

I had no idea how many calls these cute little birds had until I checked the information on the Cornell Bird Lab site.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior – Black-capped Chickadee – Poecile atricapillus – Birds of the WorldDownload

‘A’ remarks on SE34’s fledge: “The rain had come over this morning shortly before SE34 fledged. It looked grey and overcast and as if it were raining or about to do so. It was not great fledging weather, but soon after SE34 fledged, the sun came out and things were looking a lot brighter. 

In the minute before fledging, SE34 had been struck by a swooping currawong on the nest (09:58:40). The currawong then flew to a branch right in front of SE34’s face, about a metre away, and the two vocalised at each other before the currawong flew off. SE34 hopped and flapped around the nest, making vocals indicating his displeasure. Just before 09:59 the currawong swooped again, this time met by SE34, who flapped and vocalised at the currawong. SE34 moved up the perch branch, and at 09:59:06, the currawong again swooped past him. SE34 hesitated for a second and then fledged, flying off in pursuit of the currawong, or so it appeared. 

We did not see either eaglet for the remainder of the day, so I am keenly awaiting the ranger report for this evening. “

In Port Lincoln, Wilko and Kasse have stopped the slight agro as they move out of the reptile phase. Totally grand. I have loved how Kasse tried to make herself bigger and looked Wilko straight in the eye. Would not be surprised if Wilko is a male and Kasse a female. But we will have to wait – and wait for a long time maybe. Everyone believed Calypso to be a female and she turned out to be a he with a mate this year. I often wonder at how Falkey and Bassa shot out of Port Lincoln like Zoe if they weren’t females….just weird thoughts on a Sunday morning sitting in the sun. Of course, Tiger Mozone told me in jest years ago not to question the person ringing the raptors. But, of course, I do because only DNA testing or seeing an egg is the absolute mark of gender. https://youtu.be/foDdB91SsI4? (more below)

I hope that eel that Lady kept from the ospreys is for the sea eaglets!

‘A’ comments on what I am worried about, too – have the sea eaglets been fed? “I’m concerned too. Here is yesterday’s ranger report, which doesn’t actually give much comfort:

October 27: SE34 slept on the front rail of the nest overnight – were the parents nearby? Early morning swoopers were about and swooping SE34 as he moved a little about the nest branches. SE34 moved up higher, then back to the nest again. A currawong came close, clipping/ SE34. The eaglet flew off then, strongly – flying out and up. So SE34 fledged today around 10am, at 81 days from hatching. Then, he was out of sight. The ground crew reported adults down on the river and SE33 possibly out of sight in the mangroves. At 1:20pm, no prey had been brought back to the now-empty nest. Around 1:30pm, one fledgling was seen flying over Ermington Bay, landing on the power tower. Then, when flushed, it took off over Wentworth Point and the residential areas – and away. The parents were circling overhead. Later, SE33 was seen flying back towards the general forest area again. As well, an eaglet was reported earlier on the ground in the area near the nest – SE34 – in the restricted access area. After 5pm, the adults were seen circling high overhead. There were several sightings of them, so SE33 seems to be moving about. We are unsure where SE34 is at the end of the day. Will the adults return to the nest area? Will either fledgling?

When SE34 fledged, he had just been struck by a currawong swooper, and it seemed to me, watching the footage of the five minutes or so leading up to the fledge, that SE34 took off after the currawong, chasing it. I was pleased to see that it was not the other way around! But SE34 definitely appeared to me to be chasing his tormentor. That attitude is a good one, at any rate. But the fact that it has been seen on the ground near the nest is not a great sign. Still, the parents are obviously aware of where the fledglings are, and are keeping an eye on them, though that’s not the same thing as feeding them. Obviously, I am waiting anxiously for tonight’s ranger report, which should be posted in about an hour, two hours at most. I’ll let you know as soon as there is word from the BOTG at WBSE. We are reliant now upon their reports, and it is a wonderful thing to know that they are out every day in that forest, watching and listening for the eaglets and their parents. It is a great comfort to have their daily updates on what the fledglings are doing and whether they are with their parents or getting fed. Things are a little unsettled at the moment, and I would give a lot to see those eaglets return to their nest. But whether they have the physical strength or the flying skills to do so at this stage is dubious. So obviously, we are hoping the parents will bring food to them wherever they are perched. SE33 has apparently at least stayed off the ground, which is more than can be said for SE34, who is in serious danger as long as he remains there, vulnerable to feral cats, foxes and even dogs, not to mention the swooping smaller birds. I am sick with worry about both of them and it makes us feel so helpless.”

If you missed it, SE34 fledged while being harrassed on the nest by Currawongs and then chased. S/he flew out of the forest in a path very similar to the adults. Wishing 33 and 34 long and productive lives with lots of eels. https://youtu.be/neBjn5AZJO4?

Just look at how much Bubba at Growing Home has grown!!!!!! https://youtu.be/A8PjiB8snC0?

Wilko and Kasse are doing so good at Port Lincoln! 22 and 19 days old now. Beautiful juvenile plumage coming in. They survived the dreaded reptile phase and now we can just breathe nicely. Of course, the fish fairies are always there should there be the need, which is another bonus for these two beauties.

These two at Port Lincoln are so adorable. I am absolutely smitten by Kasse.

The Majestics have returned to Denton Homes to rebuild their nest! https://youtu.be/gr5CQ3p5nKM?

Breakfast arrived as the golden rays of the sun kissed the scrape of Diamond and Xavier.

At 367 Collins Street, breakfast was served at the cooler end of the ledge. Goodness me those little chicks knew to run down there and stay where the sun would not beat down on them. One went and the other two followed. As far as I can remember, this is the earliest the chicks have moved down to the other end and used this scrape in the shade. Mum has a great perch to watch her triplets, too.

Beau and Gabby are dedicated to their nest in NE Florida near Palm Court.

Wings of Whimsy gives us a round up of what is happening at 17 Bald Eagle nests from the 21st to 24th of October. https://youtu.be/erEAiieAfj8?

One of the images from the video summary is from the John Bunker Sands Wetlands where Mum and Dad are busy at work fixing up that beautiful nest of theirs.

Stars and Stripes are back at Avon Lake. https://youtu.be/4JZzxe9Sxx8?

Research is giving new insights into bird migration.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/28/high-flying-life-of-australias-birds-revealed-in-new-detail-thanks-to-weather-radars?CMP=share_btn_url

This is the problem.

Calico’s Tip for the Day is don’t turn into a bear that hibernates. Get out and enjoy nature, make it part of your life regardless of clock changes and weather! It will make your life so much better.

From the article: “It’s easy to pass birds without really seeing them or to walk through a park without paying attention to the trees. We can become so caught up in our own thoughts and conversations that we miss the sensory gifts nature has to offer. By tuning in to the sights, sounds and sensations around us, by listening to the birds, we can transform passive wandering into an immersive experience. When we truly notice nature, something magical happens.”

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/oct/27/the-clocks-go-back-but-now-is-not-the-time-to-hibernate?CMP=share_btn_url

And last, please leave the leaves. Spread the news. It will save you time to do other things. If you must, just pile the leaves but do not put them in bags! or grind them up with a mulcher. Just let them sit. Read a good book.

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: ‘A, H, J’, Heidi McGrue, Cornell Bird Lab, Olympic Park Eagles, SK Hideaways, Rohan Geddes and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, NestFlix Memories, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Trudi Kron, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, NEFL-AEF, Wings of Whimsy, The Guardian, Brian Collins – Menhaden, Little Fish, Big Deal, Pollinator Friendly Yards.

SE34 fledges and SE33 flies over the Paramatta River!…late Saturday in Bird World

Good Evening,

Again, because of these important developments in the Olympic Park, I am posting on Saturday night instead of Sunday morning, and I will return on Monday.

First news. SE34 fledged at 0959:08 Sunday October 27 amidst attacks by the Currawongs. He was honking and flapping his wings just as he might as an adult. He flew off to the right.

Look at how big that Currawong is – that is not our eaglet. SE34 is behind the big branch.

SE34 leaving the nest.

It’s pear season! The trees in Nova Scotia were full, and each bite promised juice running down our chins. We now have delicious pears in the markets in Manitoba.

This time of year reminds me of my father. When I was a child, he would take me on his boat with his best friend to an island in the middle of a lake. No one lived there, but there were pear trees. My dad and his friend would bring three bushel baskets: one for my paternal grandmother, who would make pear preserves, and the other two for us and for “ES.” Once home, each pair was carefully wrapped in newspaper and placed in boxes in our garage to ‘ripen’. They were delicious, and the juice running down my chin on our trip to Nova Scotia reminded me of my father. What a gentle soul he was. Almost as soon as we had started eating the pears out of the boxes, it was time to pick the pecans from our neighbour’s tree. They were not the tiny, tasteless pecans I buy now, but meaty, long halves full of flavour. While many went into cakes and pecan pie, they were also made into pralines. Oh, goodness, those were so good. Sweet memories.

What a glorious day and what wonderful news of SE 33 flying over the river. We can all breathe a sigh of relief that this fledgling overcome the Currawongs, got out from the bush near the nest, and can now be taught to be an eagle by Lady and Dad. S/he was flying by the river roost. I don’t know about you, but I am utterly in tears! Thanks Jen for the video! https://youtu.be/rlZYZ4Zx21k?

SE34 is in the nest being dive bombed by the Currawongs as I write. The yet to fledge sea eagle is honking at them like Dad and Lady!

The latest from Ranger Judy:

And, of course, if you missed it, the other good news is that the chicks at 367 Collins Street refused to bake in the hot Melbourne sun and made their way to the shadier end making F24 move house! (And, apologies. Yesterday I called her F23 in error. Thanks SP for noticing that!). https://youtu.be/6Umglw1ZJp4?

Xavier was in with prey, out and back again and fed the chicks. One appeared to take the leftovers from Diamond when she flew into scrape and was self-feeding. It was a tad confusing. Yira and Garramma are quite content even if my mind is boggled.

Great video celebrating their 3 week hatch date from Heidi! https://youtu.be/f1R-aHZMY6I?

Waiting for Dad to bring in a breakfast fish at Port Lincoln. He is off the barge and we assume he is diving for fish. And he was! At 820, Dad arrives with a really nice fish for the family. Well done, Dad! I love how Kasse joins in with Mum to call Dad and cheer him into the nest with the fish. That little one is really cute and this morning, Kasse raised her head up, stretching it really high while looking Wilko right in the eye. I wonder if Wilko is a male and Kasse is a female.

Everyone is going to be stuffed.

At NE Florida, Beau and Gabby work on and off from dawn to dusk working on their nest despite eggs being about a month away. It is now full of moss with lots of pine boughs. Beau loves working on the crib rails.

Gary gives us the latest on the starter nest for Liberty and Guardian at Redding with some great historical information. https://youtu.be/OVVAcyDeOOk?

I have been on a mini rampage for several years about our need for trees. I am not going to tell you about the importance of trees for our planet – you already know that. I also know that most of you recognize that in order for our birds to thrive, they need trees!!!!!!!!! All I could do was stop on the side of the road and stare at the trees in Nova Scotia. The trees on the prairies were destroyed by urbanization – Winnipeg can’t contain itself and spreads out like mercury on a floor! The farmers when they modernized and purchased larger and larger tractors cut down trees, too. If we are to help our planet and our feathered friends, we need to fight for ancient trees and plant new ones.

They could seriously have diverted around the tree. Human efficiency is nothing short of deplorable.

Calico’s Tip for the Day is borrowed from our friend, Connie Davis, in Halifax:

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, graphics, and streaming cams that helped me to write this post: ‘J, SP’ Olympic Park Eagles, Se McGregor and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Judy Harrington and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Heidi McGrue, Port Lincoln Ospreys, NEFL-AEF, Gary and the Redding Eagles, and Connie Davis.

Saturday in Bird World

26 October 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I want to once again thank SK Hideaways for putting together the Memorial video of dear little Nox. So many have reached out to say how sad they are at his passing and how much they enjoyed it. Nox (Equinox) was a very special little guy. One of those amazing birds that come into our lives that will never be forgotten.

It was a nippy albeit beautiful fall day on the Canadian Prairies. The only leaves remaining on my property are on the small Cranberry bushes and the lilacs. Everything else is bare and brown, and the grey-brown dismal, taupey days of early winter are heading our way.

The park looks pretty desolate.

There have been only two Blue Jays lately, Junior and the Mrs. Only two Crows. The Starlings continue to dominate the numbers at the feeders. Around the City there are still Canadian geese feeding on the grass and ducks in the ponds and at the river. It is time again to go and check the numbers and see how many are flying in and out at night.

Mr Crow enjoying a peanut.

One good thing that did happen today was an apparently successful mating between Gabby and Beau. Last year he just didn’t know which end was which! https://youtu.be/bAIeeFqm72Q?

That mating was on the nest! And Gabby didn’t seem to nip or be off putting. All good signs.

The pair to continue to work on their nest bringing in sticks and moss. Fingers crossed for a successful year for these two – can I say ‘finally’.

F23 and M15 continue to work on their nest in SW Florida while guarding their territory. https://youtu.be/bs2Dq24r01M?s

At the Sydney Olympic Park, SE34 is still on the nest after having its elder sibling SE33 fledge yesterday. SE33 was located on a low bush near the nest after spotters heard Magpie calls. It is unclear if any food is going to SE33 or if he can get out of its location.

SE34 might fly at any moment.

A nice whole fish came to the Port Lincoln barge for Mum, Wilko and Kasse at 0711. Wilko seems to be behaving his/her self better.

And more for Kasse.

Mum had some fish, too. Yeah!

‘A’ is monitoring our little osplets: “Meanwhile, at Port Lincoln, Dad brought in a large whole fish at 07:09 this morning and both osplets ate well. Dad retrieved his leftover fish at 07:34 and ate hungrily but returned the tail end about ten minutes later, so the kids had a second breakfast at 07:44. I saw no bonking and little Kasse is an eager eater, definitely not intimidated by its sibling, which is good to see. 

These two are deep in their oily teenager phase but will soon emerge from it as those gorgeous shades of bronze appear on their heads and necks.  Meanwhile, those round tummies and fat little bottoms are testament to their good health and always make me smile. These two are just SO cute. I don’t think Kasse quite understands bonking – he looks confused more than scared. “

In Melbourne, the triplets are moving up and down the gutter and have no trouble getting back into the scrape box.

Dad brings prey to the kiddos in Melbourne! https://youtu.be/L4V9bEG3w0A?

The kids choose the cooler other scrape with the cover and F23 follows her intelligent children! https://youtu.be/6Umglw1ZJp4?

Breakfast was early at Orange.

Diamond brings in a Galah for the kids. https://youtu.be/fRDIoRcJYTE?

‘A’ remarks: “All is well at Orange, where a pile of fluff slumbers in the corner while Diamond watches from her favourite position perched on the ledge. Here is the summary of this morning’s activity:

26 Oct FEED 05.55.22 leftover; 06.49.53 scrap; PREY 06.06.08 X feeds; 07.39.04 X feeds/07.42.43 stashed on MW ; 07.57.36 feeds; 09.04.30 feed; WATCH 07.46.10 Yira selfie

At Collins Street, the chicks have taken advantage of their newly found mobility to immediately change scrapes. When I tuned in this morning, the scrape was EMPTY and of course for a moment, I panicked, before I realised where they had to be. Sure enough, on the north facing camera, we can see two chicks sleeping in the sheltered scrape, with a parent perched on the comfortable spot that was added to the front of the sheltering structure, so the parents can comfortably use the perch rather than getting stiff perching on the edge of a board. They used some sort of car-tyre rubber, I believe, to create that perch and it is obviously very comfortable for the adults, who can get up and out of the melee to a good supervision spot. Perfect. A great addition. 

So this makes us happy because the shelter at that end is SO much better, giving mum a break from her mumbrella duties and also improving the safety of the chicks themselves. You know how much I wanted the scrape at the south end of the ledge actually removed altogether, forcing them to use the northern end, but the chicks have done that of their own accord as soon as they were able. TOO funny. I wonder whether they will stay at the north end, return to the south end, or split themselves between the two scrapes. It could get very awkward for feedings and confuse the parents no end. 

Anyway, that’s the big news in Australia’s falcon world this morning. “

Clive’s Ride made more news stations. Clive is possibly the most positive story to come out of Hurricane Milton.

There’s an eagle at Decorah North in Iowa!

Gracie Shepherd caught Mr North and DNF having a bath today! https://youtu.be/B-vDfnf0NvY?

I missed her on cam but the chat says that Hope was doing some nestorations early Friday at Port Tobacco.

I did catch the two darlings of the Big Bear Valley, Jackie and Shadow, perched looking out over their territory.

‘J’ sent a link to a video showing Jeffrey the Pinecone on Jackie and Shadow’s nest is bigger than Fiona! https://youtu.be/Oqy1JFa4r4o?

Liberty and Guardian were home working on their nest in Redding, California.

Sadly, today I added Nox and the little fourth hatch at the Coobowie Osprey Platform in South Australia to the Memorial Page.

How do war zones – and as I write this tonight there are many of them – impact our raptors, their lives, and their migration?

I have been concerned about the Black Storks that have migrated through Ukraine. Now I try to keep an eye on Waba whose last transmission was on the 18th of October when he was in Israel. I hope to goodness he is now out of Israel and well into Africa.

Active European warzone impacts raptor migration: Current BiologyDownload

Cal Falcons gives us a favourite Nox moment. https://youtu.be/uzDzj0htaXQ?

As we continue to monitor the issues surrounding Osprey’s deaths in the Chesapeake Bay, Geemeff sends us to reports on the impact of commercial fishing of Menhaden on osprey deaths. Thank you, Geemeff.

https://www.cbf.org/news-media/newsroom/2024/all/as-osprey-populations-struggle-manager-continue-deliberations-on-chesapeake-bay-menhaden.html

and from William & Mary University:

CCB’s latest osprey study continues decades of work on behalf of the species

Calico’s Tip for the Day could save your pet’s life: Do not use scented candles, air fresheners that plug in, or any time of air freshener spray. There are also essential oils that are extremely dangerous. You might be putting a few drops in water in one of the new plug in contemporary diffusers. Please check with your vet to find out which oils are safe! This is why.

‘The Girls’ wish you a fantastic day! And a lovely weekend. Remember to sit outside and listen for the birds! They sure would like to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, J”, Nest Flix Memories, NEFL-AEF, Androcat, SWFlorida Eagle Cam, Olympic Park Eagles, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Nesting Bird Life and More, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Falcon Cam Project, AccuWeather, Decorah North and Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, Gracie Shepherd, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, FOBBV, Nature Lover Bird Life Odyssey, FORE, Current Biology and British Trust for Ornithology, Cal Falcon Cam, cbf.org, William and Mary University.