birds – Page 27 – Mary Ann Steggles

Boone and Jolene lose their nest tree…Monday in Bird World

30 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Please mark your calendars. It isn’t stripped bass – they, too, need the Menhaden and so do our ospreys. Remember Cobey from the Colonial Beach nest and let them see that people care. Thanks, ‘PB’.

Thank you so much for all your lovely letters and comments. You have no idea how much I appreciate hearing from you. I don’t always answer quickly, but I will answer. I promise. For everyone who has raked their leaves in the corner of their lot and left them, thank you. The key is to not mow them, to not blow them (who invented those noisy machines?), and to not stuff those leaves in bags. Just contain yourself and leave them alone. The insects will thank you and the songbirds in the spring will thank you even more.

Most of you are aware that my ‘right hand’ person is Heidi. I simply could not make it through all that data without her — or all the deaths. We try to prop one another when we just can’t stand another little one losing its life because there was not enough fish. A few weeks ago, Heidi attended the Hawk Watch Migration count at Cape Henlopen. Heidi has permitted me to share her day with you. In doing so, I hope that you might get so excited that you will head out to learn about migrating birds and how to identify them! It is an exhilarating experience.

I had a blast at the Hawk Watch platform at Cape Henlopen, Delaware on Saturday. The platform is built on top of an old WWII military bunker located at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware on the Atlantic Ocean. It is just south of the mouth of Delaware Bay, and almost directly south of the infamous Cape May New Jersey Hawk Watch platform on the other side of the bay.

There was a lead hawk spotter-counter there, named Jen. Jen has 25 years experience, and lives in Colorado. She relocates to the area each fall to lead the hawk count. There were also several other experienced spotters arriving throughout the day, some of whom were also from out of state. The spotters all had binoculars and scopes, but they primarily used their binoculars.

I was pleased with my binoculars. I had been worried that I may not be able to find the birds when the spotters called them out, but I did very well in being able to get most of the birds into my view. Haha, except for the Merlins… they were so darn fast, I was only able to see a few of them before they flew southwest behind some trees.

The weather was nice, with a light NE wind. Some spotters had hoped for a little less bright sun for enhanced viewing. But, the hawk watch had their highest total hawk count, and the highest osprey count to date this season. I picked a great day to go there.

I remember what Gessner said in his book “Soaring with Fidel.” It was when he was on the Cape May platform, that he was apprised of the hawk spotting technique: GISS = ‘general impression of size and shape’. The other folks at the platform were very helpful in giving me tips.

Ospreys were fairly easy for me to identify, except when they were very far away and were headed straight for the platform. To my eye, at that distance and aspect, they could have been a large gull. Those folks were so good though, they could still tell it was an osprey even that far away.

The ospreys made me smile. There were so many of them (298). Some ospreys flew high and were off to our left or right, but some were lower and flew right over us. Many were already carrying a fish when we spotted them. I was told that on average (depending on the wind of course), it might take an osprey only about 20-25 minutes to fly over the water from Cape May to Cape Henlopen.

I’m guessing that the viewing platform is less than 500 feet from the Atlantic Ocean. I saw several ospreys diving and fishing. If they missed, they would simply rise up and dive again. Most were successful in catching their lunch. I was told that sometimes the ‘O’s would find a tree to perch and eat, but that many of them would simply just hang on to their catch and keep on flying. Indeed they did… I saw many ospreys carrying fish that just kept on going, and I suppose they knew they had a ready meal when they decided to stop.

I also did pretty well at identifying the bald eagles, even the juveniles. At one time, Jen modified someone’s sighting and said that a particular bald eagle was not an adult, but a sub adult. Wow. Jen also pointed out an adult ‘baldie’ that was missing a couple of primaries on the right wing. I could see that the feathers were missing through my binoculars.

They counted a record number of sharp-shinned hawks. I got to know their shape and their pattern of wing flapping (thanks to Jen’s tutelage). I didn’t have the confidence to call any of them out when I saw them… but, I would smile a little to myself when the spotters would call out “sharpie.” The spotters could spot peregrines, and state if it was a juvenile. They knew ‘cooper’s’ from ‘sharpies’ based on their different styles of wing flapping. And, they spotted several kestrels.

One of the spotters alerted us to an adult bald eagle chasing an osprey holding a fish out over the ocean. So, I quickly found the scene in my binoculars and watched as the eagle was directly upon the osprey. The ‘O’ dropped the fish, and the two birds parted ‘amicably’, lol! Another spectacular scene happened over the ocean… After we were alerted, I quickly viewed it with the naked eye… A previously identified peregrine stooped to try to catch a merlin, but the speedy merlin got away just in the nick of time! Wow again!

Oh, gosh… I was simply blown away by this experience. It was fantastic. After seven hours on my feet, turning around and around, and straining my neck to look up, I was exhausted, hurting, and sunburned (note to self… don’t forget the sunscreen next time). I have a lot to learn about hawk watching, and I am looking forward to it.

Heidi sent us some images:

Thank you Heidi for sharing this awesome experience with us! I am so happy that you got down to Cape Henlopen.

Where did the time go? I remember this wee one eating and now it had its fledgling flight. What a beautiful chick. 64 days old. S/he is stunningly gorgeous. I suspect a ‘she’ with that amazing necklace – the only one to survive of the three that hatched at this nest this year.

That ‘other’ Australian osprey is now a dark little reptile!!!!!! Growing Home’s Only Bob is thriving. In a few weeks, this little dark pesky osplet will look like the one above.

At the Charles Sturt Falcon Cam in Orange, Australia, we are preparing to get out the popcorn and watch Xavier and Diamond’s first eyas of 2024 hatch!

In Ithaca, Suzanne Arnold Horning caught up with Arthur. Big Red and Arthur traditionally start checking on their nest in November (if my old memory and notebooks serve me correctly).

I did not know this!

Monty and Hartley are at the San Jose scrape. https://youtu.be/RH_D9M-FGVQ?

Gabby and 24E1 spent the night at the nest tree.

Heavy rain arrived late on Sunday.

Audacity is working on the nest in the Channel Islands that she shares with Jak in the hope that they might have even one single egg to hatch this year. https://youtu.be/MVtTqzgcVhc?

Lady slept with her babies on the nest. One is more interested in what is happening off the nest while the other is self-feeding. Oh, these babies are growing up just a little bit too fast.

‘A’ comments: “Still waiting for my sea eaglets to leave, and so are the currawongs. As I mentioned in an email last week, the currawongs have been particularly bothersome this season, swooping the parents and generally attacking the nest way more than I have seen in previous years. It is not a great sign, is it. We can but hope, but we have to admit that past experience does not suggest a good outcome. I am worried.

At WBSE everything was very civilised at lunch, with mum feeding the half half of a fish to both eaglets fairly even-handedly. The two are, as you mentioned in your blog, the best of friends, and they have been getting along famously for a while now. In fact, I continue to insist we have a pair of brothers in these two. There is no female aggression between them. They had a minor period early on where basic pecking order was established based on age, and SE34 was fairly confident fairly soon, so there was only a relatively short period where SE34 was even vaguely intimidated by his older sibling.

The pair have been an absolute joy to watch, as is usual with this nest. I give the credit to the parents, of course, who are like a well-oiled machine at this point. Dad has kept food on the nest very reliably and Lady has doled it out, making sure her younger son was never overlooked. These two gorgeous nestlings are the result of their dedication. Now, we watch with extreme apprehension to see whether they can be the fledglings that beat the currawongs and manage a successful life as juveniles. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Every year I grow to love the two eaglets at this nest and every year, we have a tragic outcome because of those damned pesky small birds. I get why they do it, and I can’t help but admire their courage and their teamwork when I see variants of it in my own garden and in mum’s, but when it impacts our eaglets year after year, it becomes very depressing indeed. These guys prefer fish to currawong anyway! I wish the currawongs would work that out. How many currawongs have been eaten on that nest? I haven’t seen a single one. ” “I’ve been watching my gorgeous sea eaglets this afternoon. Mum has been feeding the pair a fish mid-afternoon. They are well-behaved. Lady is still feeding them although it appears both are very capable of self-feeding at this stage. Mum slept with them on the nest last night, at the back of the nest, near the perch branch, but still, very near to her babies and keeping close watch over them. We don’t even have GHOs here, and I am unsure whether any of our owls are predators for the sea eagles. Which reminds me, that GHO you showed in your blog is adorable, and I know that they are mortal enemies for bald eagles and ospreys but to me, they are still the cutest creatures. Those legs are SO strong (as are their feet) and the silence of their flight is quite eerie. I told you about the gorgeous large Powerful Owl that flew within a metre or two of me in the back yard a few months ago. It flew so close and it was so large and yet it was virtually silent. There was no sound of beating wings, just a very slight rustling as the wind passed through the feathers. I felt so privileged.”

Beautiful fall footage of Boone and Jolene’s nest tree taken before the tree and nest were destroyed by Hurricane Helene. https://youtu.be/tzrHesJqNNA?

Talk about cute. This reminded me to put out some apple pieces for the garden squirrels!

Holly Parsons is getting way too excited about the pip watch coming up for Xavier and Diamond. She is so excited she posted a video about how chicks get out of eggs to show us how much hard work it is for them. No wonder they are soooooo tired after hatch! https://youtu.be/Ptr-kS09H4w?

Melting glaciers in Europe are causing some countries to stop measuring their depth because they no longer exist. Others are having to redrawn national boundary lines. Water will have a huge impact on humans, but also on our beloved raptors.

Melting glaciers force Switzerland and Italy to redraw part of Alpine border | Climate crisis | The Download

Calico’s Tip for the Day: Ditch the toxins and embrace white vinegar. Calico is constantly bugging me about the gallons of white vinegar. Now this brilliant cat has found a beautiful chart with everything we can use it for and help save the environment!

Take Calico’s Quick Quiz. How many uses of white vinegar did you know about? And did you learn something? I had no idea about perfectly peeled eggs! We are going to try that tomorrow for our picnic.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, blogs, articles, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog: ‘A, H, J, PB’, Virginia Osprey Foundation, Osprey House Environment Centre, Heidi McGrue and The Joy of Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Holly Parsons, Suzanne Arnold Horning, Lisa Dulany, SK Hideaways, NEFL-AEF, NestFlix Memories, Olympic Park Eagles, Wildlife Haven, Holly Parsons, The Guardian.

Sunday in Bird World

29 September 2024

Hello Everyone,

Sunday morning. Baby Hope is the protector of the realm this morning! She decided that there was no way that The Boyfriend would come into the house after he had breakfast. He now arrives at 0900 and 1700 for ‘wet’ food. There are two of them. One has white on both sides of its nose – this one – and the one who is quite skitterish has white only on the right side.

Greetings from a sunny and HOT Saturday on the Canadian Prairies.

Every bird spent some time having a bath today! Water is so essential when it is hot even more so than food! And it has to be changed and filled lots of times a day.

Years ago we had a neighbour, Alf. Alf kept a journal throughout his life, no matter where he was, including being in a British submarine during World War II around Sri Lanka. He always included everything about the weather, who he saw, what he did, and the major news events. Alf was amazing. Every morning, he went swimming with the high school team at 0700. He rode his bicycle up and down the lanes near our town, often picking blackberries and bringing us a pail. Many years after he retired, he started studying German and Russian. On New Year’s Eve, he was always at the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. Alf taught us so much during the time I lived near him while reading at the University of Leicester. The fates worked in my favour in 2003. I was able to visit with Alf a few weeks before he died. He began to feel unwell during the morning swimming and died peacefully in the ambulance en route to the hospital. Alf never married. I think his neighbours were his family and he certainly treated us that way. I want to take a page out of Alf’s playbook and start tracking the garden animals in a properly bound journal. I might even force myself to learn how to draw!

Lately, the digital world has been giving me a headache. The sorting of the photographs, information. While I cannot imagine not being able to find information quickly compared to ordering articles and books through inter-library loan, I want to slow down and pick up a journal and see what was happening in the garden last year on this date. Analog. Today, I would write that the European Starlings returned. Did you know their beaks are not correctly shaped for eating most seed? They like unshelled peanuts, meal worms, and soft suet. On Saturday we picked up the Starlings’ favourite suet and today their meal worms should arrive. What perturbs me is the fact that so many people are highly selective in the birds that they want to feed. Yes, Starlings are an ‘invasive’ species. They can’t help that some humans introduced them into North America. And personally I think they are stunningly beautiful and they are not more aggressive in the garden than the Jays or the Sparrows. In fact, the most aggressive animals are the squirrels. There are more entries on a search engine for bird food to prevent Starlings from wanting to eat at your feeder than what they like to eat. Oh, that irks me.

Saturday evening was amazing. It was so warm. The geese were busy feeding at the fields on the way to Oak Hammock Marsh. They had a presentation on the geese that come to the marsh and then we went out to see the murmurations of the Rusty and Brewer’s Blackbirds (the Red-Wing and Yellow-heads left on migration several weeks ago). We get Canada, Cackling, Snow, White-fronted, and Ross’s geese and the morphs. Tonight there were Blue-winged Teal, two Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese and a speckled breast White-front juvenile. Tens of thousands of geese did not fly in at once like they would have had the weather been colder. They need to eat more than they need to sleep. Most will come to the safety of the marsh at 0100 or 0200 and go out feeding again around mid-morning.

Oak Hammock is a combination of wetlands, the marsh, and the Tall Grass Prairies.

What is unusual at the end of September are the number of mosquitoes!

The Trumpeter Swans at a distance. One overwintered about 2 km north of the wetlands at the site of an Artisan spring.

The colours were so beautiful and the water was as smooth as glass.

It was just the perfect night.

In the UK, those amazing Pink-footed Geese are arriving from Iceland and Greenland.

Country diary: The annual spectacular of noisy, feathered visitors | Birds | The Guardian Download

We need to know as much about Menhaden as we can. They are critical to keeping the ospreys in Chesapeake Bay alive. https://youtu.be/2Tvq8W8QtLM?

After Helene. Gabby and 24E1 continue work on their nest.

Still wet at SW Florida.

It is raining in Ithaca, New York at the nest of Big Red and Arthur.

It is always nice on a Saturday listening to Ferris Akel’s tour. Today, there were some excellent waterfowl, including gorgeous Great White Egrets, Blue Herons, and Gallinue.

And some female Wood Ducks!

It was the start of a beautiful day at Big Bear Valley.

The cameras picked up a person walking their dog close to the nest tree.

A sub-adult Bald Eagle is working on the US Steel nest of Claire and Irvin in Pittsburgh. https://youtu.be/zmF87AzhDPU?

WingsofWhimsy caught the visit on video. https://youtu.be/mdcE0Oq_A_M?

There was an adult Bald Eagle at the Duke Farms nest on Saturday!

Boone and Jolene’s nest in Johnson City, TN was destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Let’s be grateful no eggs or chicks were in that nest.

Do you know about the streaming cam to the nest of the Sooty Falcon? https://www.youtube.com/live/mhZtCdEuRe4?

eBird describes the Sooty Falcon thus: “Slim, long-winged, long-tailed falcon that is built for long-distance migration. Adults are all gray, while juveniles have pale, spotted underparts. Breeds on cliffs along the coast or in the desert. During migration and winter, spends most of its time on the wing, and can be seen over any habitat. Quite social, and often seen in loose flocks of dozens or more. Adult is very similar to the dark-morph adult Eleanora’s Falcon, but Sooty is paler gray. Immatures also very similar, but immature Sooty has an unbarred tail without a rufous tip. Much longer wings and tail than Peregrine Falcon. Larger and lankier than other falcons.”

They are seriously cute.

“Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor), Allée des Baobabs near Morondava, Madagascar” by Frank.Vassen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The Peregrine Fund describes the challenges these falcons have: “The Sooty Falcon is categorized as Vulnerable. Some of the threats this lovely falcon faces including habitat destruction, especially in the form of human developments cropping up at important breeding sites, and disturbance. Feral cats also pose a threat to this falcon.”

Those cute little Olympic Park Sea Eaglets had some fish for lunch! Not a bird. Gosh, these two are little darlings. https://youtu.be/JiVqBbKBKX0?

Pip watch for Xavier and Diamond!

Thankfully these two are not going to fledge in the next week!

The first pair of White-tail Eagles are breeding in Northern Ireland in 150 years.

White-tailed eagles: First breeding pair confirmed in Northern Ireland in over 150 years – Raptor Pe Download

There are no plans for anything to happen to the Achieva Nest. I wrote to the Tampa Bay Raptor Centre and bucket trucks are in high demand right now and the ospreys will need to rebuild their nest on their own.

It is relatively quiet in Bird World right now. Instead of taking a full break, I will be writing a shorter blog until we get the hatches in Australia.

Take care of yourselves. We will see you in six days.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, announcements, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J’, Oak Hammock Marsh and Ducks Unlimited, The Guardian, The New York Angler, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Bald Eagle Cam, Cornell Red Tail Hawk Cam, Ferris Akel Tours, FOBBV, PIX Cams, WingsofWhimsy, Duke Farms, eBird, CarnyXWild, OpenVerse, Nesting Bird Life & More, Ildiko Pokk, ETSU-Johnson City, and Raptor Persecution UK.

Saturday in Bird World

28 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I am starting to put all of the things that excite me or late updates here at the top. On Friday evening 24E1 brought Gabby her first fish gift of the season. She devoured that fish. I know that many have been cheering for Beau. Beau is not at the nest. 24E1 is and Gabby appears to be more than happy with him. His toes are ‘not that bad’ and actually appear to be healing. He is perfectly capable of protecting the nest, taking care of Gabby, and we hope providing for her and their eaglets, if that happens.

Gabby was working on the nest. She knows he is coming. Look at the delight on 24E1’s face when Gabby accepts the fish!

Friday was the most glorious day. There was a clear blue sky. Not a hint of a cloud! There was a nice breeze and the temperature was 22 C. As I write, the European Starlings have come in to try and get as many meal worms out of the nut cylinder as they can. Little do they know that I ordered them 22 lbs of meal worms. They will be here on Sunday.

Mr Crow got into the action, too!

It was Open House at Wildlife Haven. The Director said they wondered if they were taking a huge risk having the event so late in the month, but, no. It was fabulous. Last year it was 15 September and wet and cold. The vet who is doing her internship for a year as part of a project through the University of Guelph was amazing. I learned so much! And I asked a lot of questions for all of us!!!!!!!!!

First up a little bragging. I never win anything. And today, by putting the feather to the raptor (12 different ones), I won the book prize. It is a marvelous volume that I will enjoy.

We got to visit with one of the GHO ambassadors. It was found at the bottom of the nest. The parents would not feed it and then it was discovered why. It was born with only one eye and its beak was crooked so it could not hunt or survive in the wild.

Isn’t this owl a sweetie?

The volunteer with the GHO sent me over to Rick who was hosting a display on Kestrels. He does videography as well as taxidermy. I learned so much about how long it will take to get my Cooper’s Hawk approved for ‘stuffing’.

That is the female Kestrel on the top. She is larger than the male. Rick has a blind and monitors a small population of these raptors. He says the females are ‘fierce’. The males not so much. Want the territory protected? Call the female!!!!!!

Patients are brought to Wildlife Haven by Conservation Officers, Volunteers, and the general public. At intake, they try to get as much information as possible so that the patient can be returned to its territory on release. The goal is always to get them back to the wild. Next is the examination room where there is a host of machines such as an x-ray to try and determine what is needed.

Tess said that the centre is lucky. It has all of the facilities needed including a surgical centre so that raptors with broken wings can be put on the mend and not euthanised.

There are oxygen rich incubators if needed.

Cages for animals awaiting diagnosis. They are using stuffies so that the real animals do not get stressed.

A stuffie stands in for the Bald Eagle who did have wing surgery and is in one of the larger areas awaiting transfer to the flight pens.

The sub-adult Bald Eagle that had the surgery.

You have all heard about imping. Replacing a missing feather with another which is glued in place. According to Tess, you can only imp 2-3 feathers if you want success. Most of the raptors have many more feathers missing either their primaries, tail feathers, or both. She did say that in Manitoba, most of the hydro poles are insulated so that the birds are not electrocuted. She has not seen an electrocution from a power pole.

As I walked around I took notice of all the things that are needed in case you are feeling like making a donation. Those clean old towels are needed all the time! Dawn detergent. Bleach. All manner of stainless steel or plastic container that could be used for feeding animals. Look on the shelves below! If you clean out a house for someone moving (or otherwise), please consider donating items to your local wildlife rehabilitation clinic. They go through gallons of bleach and Dawn!!!!!!

Those old clean towels and sheets are always needed. If you are feeling ‘flush’, a good laundry set is always wanted.

One thing we haven’t thought of – bees wax paper. They use it for bandages for turtles! You can put the beeswax paper on the incision or wound and it actually keeps it from getting infected. They can use these for a fortnight without changing them and they are removed easily with a tongue depressor.

There is a turtle in there with a beeswax bandage under that leaf.

Majestic, the Ambassador Bald Eagle.

It was a great event. The new vet tech is fantastic. I said that at least twice. Her goal is for every animal to live in the wild. She said that the area of wildlife rehabilitation veterinary science is relatively new compared to large animals or domestic pets. One aspect that she is keenly interested in is the resilience of the animals. Can a turtle live in the wild with only three legs? Why not try it? Monitor them. The answer is, ‘Yes, they can’. What about a raptor with one leg? It was not that long ago that the wildlife would be euthanised. Now, some wildlife vets are ‘sticking their necks out’ to see precisely who can live with what injuries and thrive. I highly recommend that you seek out your local clinic and find out when they have Open House!

‘MP’ suggests that it is the right time to get that platform at Achieva fixed before the new breeding season starts. I sent a note to the Tampa Bay Raptor Centre to see if they could help. It is possible that there are so many animals in need that this could still be low on the priority list. The platform needs a new perch if not two of them. The dish needs proper drainage but with the ability to not allow eggs or nestlings to fall down and die or break. Was the tree trimmed to stop raccoons? What about other predators?

Oh, goodness. Falcons are the cutest! Don’t you love how they talk to their eggs?!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/qjh2vn1-vh4?

The Royal Cam chick’s name is Kiwa. Just lovely and the meaning is perfect.

Gabby was in the nest on Friday.

No one at the Newfoundland Power nest…it seems they have all headed south.

‘J’ reports that both eagles have been seen at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands eagle nest.

The Bluff City Bald Eagle streaming cam is up and running. The nest appears alright.

The wind is still blowing reasonably strong at Pa and Missey Berry’s nest in NE Georgia.

If you missed the live Ventana Wildlife Chat live, here is the recording. https://youtu.be/yLBrKSws3Zg? This month focuses on “…the Condor Crew highlight the arrival of our condor “rookies” in San Simeon, while our new interns, Rachel and Griffin, offer a glimpse into the developing personalities of these young birds. We also share some exciting nesting and flock updates, including a video of wild-hatched condor chick 1315 being fed by his dad, and Bucky (1087)’s release date from Oakland Zoo.“

What an adorable family. The Olympic Park Eagles in Sydney.

You still have time to guess the day and time the first egg will hatch at Port Lincoln. Put it under the streaming cam in chat! A big thanks to Brad M for keeping us great historical records and organising all the information including the daily log of nest happenings. It is invaluable. The link is at the top of the chat.

‘PB’ reports that the Seaside Bird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, Florida, suffered substantial damage due to flooding.

‘J’ sends us Rita’s Fun Fact Friday: Rita the Bald Eagle

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Time for Fun Fact Friday! Enrichment for good health! It is very important for any facility that takes care of birds and other animals to provide an environment with lots of enrichment to help them thrive. For a raptor, like Rita, having various perches of different heights with different materials covering them helps to keep her feet healthy, and the wood provides a good surface for her to “feak” her beak to keep it clean and sharp. Being able to bath in her bath tub and having a water mister helps with feather conditioning. A variety of prey items, some of which can be placed in containers that require her to use her foraging skills, is very stimulating. A few examples that simulate foraging in the wild are to place prey items in a floating bowl in the bath tub to be “fished out” or to freeze the prey in ice blocks, or put it in egg cartons or cardboard boxes with holes cut out so the prey is still visible are all great ideas. This allows the eagle to “hunt” and tear at the container to get to the prey. Another idea was to provide a sisal rope toy that the eagle could flip around and stomp on like it would do with sticks or prey in the wild. There are lots of ideas for enrichment online. When researching ideas, I came across a YT video of an eagle that was given a carved out pumpkin! That’s a great idea since Halloween is coming up and the stores will have pumpkins! Those caregivers carved holes in it and stuffed it with prey items sticking out so the eagle could forage for its food. With that idea in mind, I brought a ball for Rita, and Kelly and Laura put fish in for her to pick out! She had such a funny expression when she first saw the ball. Kelly and her team are always striving to provide the best of care for Rita with enrichment in her environment and diet that can help her thrive. They are the bestn and your support can help provide some stimulating enrichment for Rita! Thank you! JK #ritathebaldeagle

The Hawk & Owl Trust withdraws from the Hen Harrier brooding scheme!

Hawk & Owl Trust withdraws from hen harrier brood meddling sham – Raptor Persecution UK Download

Friday evening we took a quick spin over to The Mint. On our way to Wildlife Haven, we noticed hundreds of geese feeding on the grass at The Mint. I wondered if they would return to the pond at night for its security.

That did not happen. There were a few geese in the pond along with some ducks, but not many.

Is it because of this?

Calico’s Tip for the Day comes from ‘Everything Gardening’. Get yourself a nice cuppa and sit back and leave the leaves alone.

Missey and Hugo Yugo wish you a fantastic weekend. They want you to take care of yourself. Get outside if you can. Listen for the birds. Pet a cat! And be back with us as soon as you can.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, MP, PB’, Wildlife Haven, SK Hideaways, NZ-DOC, NEFL-AEF, Newfoundland Power, Achieva Credit Union, Berry College Eagle Cam, ETSU Bluff City, Olympic Park Eagles, Raptor Persecution UK, The Canadian Mint, Winnipeg, and Everything Gardening.

Eagles are OK…Starlings return to the garden…Friday in Bird World

27 September 2024

Good Morning,

Gabby is in the nest this morning. She is OK. The hurricane is in Georgia. Send good wishes to Pa and Missey Berry at the Berry College Eagle nest.

First up. A few weeks ago, Sharon Pollock sent me the name of an organization that fights for the rights of those who can’t fight for themselves. Earth Justice is taking those who seek to trawl Alaska’s coral reefs to court. I want Earth Justice to represent the Menhaden of the Chesapeake Bay and the dying Ospreys. When I take my little mini break, I will be working on my presentation to them. A copy of it will go to those behind the fight in Virginia. If you have any articles on the dire consequences of the Menhaden commercial fishing in the Bay, please send them to me? I want a comprehensive bibliography. Let me know if you were part of any groups observing or dealing with osprey nests that had chicks starve to death. I need details and details.

It is to be 29 C today. Blue clear skies. A breeze. And it was a lovely day but the winds were really gusting. The sand was blowing in the countryside north of the City when we went to see if there were any geese feeding. None. The ones we saw were at a golf course. Beautiful green grass and a pond! Smart geese.

At 0915 Thursday morning, the European Starlings returned to the garden. Oh, it was so good to see them! They left the garden in the late spring. They share the large flat feeder with the sparrows and the Blue Jays while crunching down on the seed cylinder. One is having a bath! They have been away for a few months and look ‘thin’ to me. They will now stay over through the winter. These are non-breeders. See all the silvery white lines on their breast and heads!

With the hurricane winds bearing down on Florida, look what happened to migratory patterns! Who says birds aren’t smart????????

As I write this, the hurricane is 5 hours from making land fall and I am really concerned about our birds in Florida and in the area north of the Florida panhandle as Helene is still set to be a strong cat 2.

Connor turned on the Captiva Osprey cam so that we can see the impact of the storm. That said, at the time, Helene is north of Captiva and the Barrier Islands.

Gabby is on her nest in NE Florida south of Jacksonville hoping it stays put. The only way that you can tell what is happening with the storm is to view the nest using cam 4.

Gabby is still there.

Gabby is decidedly hunkered down in that nest.

Will check in on Gabby now and again. Stay safe, sweetie!

She left the nest at 1723.

It is really whipping and twisting Gabby’s nest tree at times.

Winds are much stronger.

Helene is a cat 4 and the eye will be 150 miles west of Jacksonville.

Pretty gusty at SW Florida.

M15 and F23 have arrived at the nest with sticks ahead of Helene making landfall.

The SW Florida pair left the nest at precisely the same time as Gabby – 1723! That is the most exciting thing to come out of watching this storm so far.

Tornadoes, gusts of wind, heavy rain. Perhaps all of the nests in Florida will dodge this hurricane.

The arrival of the Pink-footed Geese to the UK is pretty close to the top of my bucket list.

Connor talks about the new cameras at Captiva and shows us the fish bone in Jack’s legs and how, eventually, it will dry and shrink and come out! Go to 7.29. https://youtu.be/AhgcJ23s9Fo?s

Geemeff sends us an article on starving ospreys due to the overfishing of Menhaden. Thank you to everyone who sent in a letter. Hopefully this issue will not die until the situation in the Bay has changed!

https://dailyprogress.com/colonial-beachs-osprey-season-was-a-disaster-birds-starved/article_8ddda70a-e8bc-5b50-8c16-f5b94c5647f3.html

I did not see anything but rain at the Newfoundland Power Osprey platform at Snow Lane. Have they all left?

I don’t know what it is about the two little sea eaglets this year. My all time favourites were SE25 and 26 because 25 took such good care of its sibling, teaching it how to do things with 26 rising to the occasion regardless of its foot/leg injury.

The whole family is soaking wet. Gosh, that nest must smell!!!!!!!

Heidi has been following the Growing Home Ospreys in Australia. Just look at that cute little osplet. Are you feeling osprey withdrawal? Check out their streaming cam!

Egg 1 is 33 days old today at Port Lincoln. I am thinking Mum should be resting all that she can because in another week she won’t be able to! Have you put your guess as to the hatch date and time in the Port Lincoln chat?

At the US Steel nest of Irv and Claire, a subadult had to be asked to leave! https://youtu.be/QhlhE6F3e04?

Gary brings us up to date on what is happening with the Redding Eagles, Liberty and Guardian. https://youtu.be/6sNco6LgaJw?

In the UK, Wild Justice is filing a formal complaint against Waitrose and the high street chain, Marks & Spencer for using toxic lead ammunition to kill the gamebirds they sell in their shops!

Wild Justice lodges formal complaint to Competition & Marketing Authority about Marks & Spencer & Wa Download

There is nothing that makes me madder than someone with a camera stressing out wildlife to get the perfect ‘shot’. I have seen individuals with their long lens (600 mm) standing underneath a tree with a Bald Eagle only to have that eagle leave the nature centre for good. Or the dozen or more that rushed the Great White Egrets when they landed on their tree to roost at night. Seriously. Humans poison the ocean, destroy habitat, leave garbage everywhere, put out rodenticide to kill rats that harm the entire food chain and another forty or more despicable actions that harm our beloved animals and feathered friends. It needs to stop!

‘You could single-handedly push it to extinction’: how social media is putting our rarest wildlife a Download

‘The Girls’ are getting into some kind of hibernating mode despite the hot weather. Hugo Yugo can almost always be found in the little house at the top of the cat tree. Baby Hope is in the basket, Calico is hiding somewhere resting so no one pounces on her, and Missey loves to pose!

Hugo Yugo still sleeps like a little child. She has to have her head on my left arm, under my chin. Slightly uncomfortable and causes insomnia!!!!!! Oh, but do you think I move? Of course, not! She is my adorable tiny little Ginger with the weepy eyes.

Calico’s Tip for the Day: We came home with a small bag of apples right off a tree and a bag of caramels for making caramel apples. They just scream fall to me! Have you tried to make them and the caramel fell off the apples? Calico doesn’t want me to be sad this year so she has found the solution!!!!!!! If you purchase apples they will have had a wax coating applied to help preserve them (unless you pick them off a tree). You can soak the apples in very hot water or dip them in boiling water to remove the wax. But that is not all, you then need to make certain that they are thoroughly dry before you dip them in the caramel.

Calico also suggests that if you haven’t had a caramel apple for years, make some. Be a kid again!!!!!!!!!!

“caramel apples” by divadea is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Today, we will be attending Wildlife Haven’s Open House. Stay tuned for some images of their raptor ambassadors including dear Majestic, the Bald Eagle. Take care! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff’, Sunnie Day, Window to Wildlife’s Captiva Osprey Cam, NEFL-AEF, Jacksonville Weather, SW Florida Bald Eagle Cam, RSPB England, Window to Wildlife, Daily Progress, Newfoundland Power, Olympic Park Eagles, Heidi McGrue, Port Lincoln Ospreys, PIX Cams, Gary’s Eagle Videos, Raptor Persecution UK, The Guardian, and OpenVerse.

Hurricane warnings for Florida…Thursday in Bird World

26 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

We hope that you are all well, and for those living in the path of Helene, please stay safe. We are thinking about you and keeping you in our warmest thoughts. Send your warm thoughts to all our feathered friends in the hope they have found their safe places. SW Florida streaming cam is down this morning. Swaying happening at NE Florida.

It is hard to believe it is fall. Gosh, golly. Wednesday was a beautiful morning. The sky was a clear blue, not a whisker of a cloud. No wind. No forecast for rain. The temperature is set to rise to 27 C. We have to remind ourselves that it is really the end of September and not July.

Mr and Mrs Junior were in the garden very early looking for peanuts. There are three Crows that come regularly together, nest mates. When there is a problem with other species, such as the GHO in their territory or a cat in our garden, there will be eight of them around the back of the garden. At one time, the combined count for the two families and their nestlings was eighteen. Did they disperse? I only saw one killed on the road. We must remember to have a small portable shovel in the boot of the car. If you see a dead animal on the road or street, take it to the boulevard so that the carrion eaters are safe to feed.

Junior has always stayed over during the winter. I have said that before, and we feed Crows all year along with the sparrows, woodpeckers, and chickadees (the others that remain). I wonder about their food sources outside of our garden. The area around me is getting denser and denser with little green, save for a few small parks. Indeed, the loss of habitat for our wildlife is truly concerning.

Speaking of food sources, we were shocked when we went to the country on Monday. Next to our acreage, there are now two HUGE reservoirs. They are about three stories tall, 1/6 of a mile by a 1/6 of a mile. The flood waters from the Boyne River are pumped into the holding ponds to irrigate the potato crops in the summer. There was no need for irrigation a few decades ago, and now the potato farmers have to store water. What happens if the rain and the snow in the Pembina Hills that feed the river dry up?

I have spent part of the day working in the containers on the deck. The pepper plants that show no sign of any more produce are in the compost pile. The soil is now heaped around the cherry tomato plants that are loaded – heavily laden – with tomatoes. The Curry leaves and Sage need to be dried along with the mint and the Rosemary. There is enough celery for everyone to have some for their Thanksgiving dinner that lives in earshot of me. It wasn’t a great year, but it was a good one. Now, we will try to grow lettuces, boy chop, green onions, etc. in the house for the winter. I sure hope Hugo Yugo stays out of that grower!!!!!!!! She is into everything these days. Is it because she is so tiny? Baby Hope sleeps atop the highest cabinet to see what everyone is doing—her private spot. Hugo Yugo cannot get up there! And neither can Calico—just Missey.

It is market day. Will the dumpling lady be there or will we be disappointed again? I must learn how to make these! At one point in my life I did know, but I need a refresher course. The last market day is approaching soon and it would be nice to have some more of the local honey. It is delicious – and, thankfully, the vendor was there.

Calico gave each jar of honey her ‘sniff’ test and voted on the honey from the downtown hives. How interesting.

Speaking of Florida…

The weather in Florida is going to be bad for all the nests with Helene potentially plowing through the State as a cat 3 storm. Everything is set to intensify beginning today. It will hit Captiva and Fort Myers first and make its way northeast hitting the nest of Gabby. Send good positive energy to all the birds and let us be thankful that there are no eggs or chicks in the nests.

Evacuations are now underway in various areas of Florida.

Check out this article:
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/24/weather/helene-florida-storm-preparations

How do hurricanes impact our feathered friends?

How Do Hurricanes Affect Birds? | Audubon Download

How will Rita do during a hurricane?

Great article about the Melbourne falcons in The Guardian!

Life amid the carcasses and droppings: what I learned from watching Melbourne’s peregrines on webcam | Ailsa Piperhttps://www.theguardian.com/culture/2024/sep/25/melbourne-peregrine-falcons-webcam-stream?

Jackie and Shadow have ousted the Ravens from the nest as they make plans for the 2024-25 season. https://youtu.be/5WxWE0iweQg?

Looking out over their territory of Big Bear.

You need to know that your voice can make a difference. If you believe strongly about our wildlife and their quality of life, then we cannot be silent. As a child, I love the little circus and all the animals. I cannot imagine, for a second, supporting any or watching any animal do tricks for humans! How barbaric. Disney has now stopped its animal shows.

I hope that our voices will also ensure that any company, no matter its country of origin, will never be allowed to conduct industrial fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Can you imagine seeing the little ospreys eating lots of fish instead of starving to death? That is what you are fighting for! I was notified today that my letter has been received and will be read to the Committee meeting today. I made it short and to the point – commercial fishing of Menhaden has, according to the research that has been conducted on nests on either side of the Bay, in both Virginia and Maryland, seen only osprey deaths. ‘H’ and I are still entering the statistics but there will be more than 100 nests recorded – every osprey chick perished. Every one. I compared that to heat in other areas including Osoyoos where Olsen pulled a rabbit out of a hat and 2 out of 3 of his chicks lived despite the 40 C heat and lack of fish. That tells you how bad it was in the area of the Chesapeake. And the boats cannot be allowed to fish at the mouth of the Bay either. We will not give up and will continue to fight to stop Omega.

Despite the date passing, if you did not send a comment, but wish to do so, then please write to the individual below that acknowledged my letter:

‘MP’ writes that Jack is on the Achieva Osprey nest several times a day. Stay safe, Jack! Winds are beginning to pick up.

I really hope that Gabby and 24E1 will fill that egg cup sufficiently so that the eggs do not get lost or fall.

The pair at NE Florida flew off the nest as rain and wind began. Stay safe out there Gabby and 24E1.

At least one eagle at the SW Florida nest on Wednesday. M15 has seen many hurricanes. The nest that he shared with Harriet did not always survive the fierce winds, but they did! Let us see what happens in the nest few days.

M15 and F23 were working on the nest late Wednesday night.

Lovely little video of M15 bringing the first fish gift of the season for F23.https://youtu.be/hRrvbPHR0gc?

Claire and Irv are working hard at the US Steel nest in Pittsburgh.

Here is a video of the action: https://youtu.be/Ry0WUJtGPgA?

‘MP’ caught one of the adults at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest on Wednesday near Dallas.

A really nice summary of a bittersweet year for two Newfoundland osprey nests by Ian Winter. Please pay attention to his comment about how Newfoundland Power refurbished the nest of Hope and Beaumont and the belief that this was the contributing factor in Hope caring for these two dark plumage osplets that lived to fledge. Years past I have wept as her chicks died early on. So, if this is true and that caused her maternal instincts to kick in, then I am suggesting that the people who care for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest get up there and fix the most beautiful nest that could be imagined! Then let’s see what happens there.

Eyes continue to be on Malta with all its illegal poaching right during migration!

A good news story! We need them all the time and a vet that can save a wing problem so a stork can fly again is gold.

A wonderful post from Dunrovin Ranch with a tiny summary of the successful year of the ‘JuneBug’ at the osprey nest with new female, Winnie.

Adorable tiny Xavier only wants some eggie time.

https://youtu.be/RUOtARU8NLg?

Just look at how big that White-tailed eaglet is getting! And oh, so cute. 38 days old in the picture…39 days old today. It is so hard to tell how big it is. That crane is huge where the nest is located.

You might not have seen Tim MacKrill’s presentation on Osprey migration. I posted it in previous years. You can grab a cuppa and learn so much from this talented young man. https://youtu.be/JXWgoSF-Yrk?

Goodness. That Calico is smart. She heard me complaining about having 53,000 digital photos in my phone. She started reading ‘Wirecutter’ when an article about decluttering photos in your phone popped up. She even read it with having a ‘winkie’ in her right eye. Calico thinks that you likely have so many photographs in your phone that you won’t be able to find your favourite one of her! She says you can thank her later!!!!!!

Wirecutter: Your Phone’s Camera Roll Is a Mess. Here’s How to Clean It Up.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/clean-organize-store-phone-photos

Thank you for being with us today. We will find out what Top Flat chicks name will be. Voting closed on the 26th. I wonder what it will be. Please take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, MP’, noaa, Sunnie Day, The Weather Network, NEFL-AEF, The Guardian, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Rita the Bald Eagle, NestFlix Memories, PIX Cams, JBS Wetlands, Ian L. Winter, CABS, Maria Marika, Dunrovin Ranch News, Nesting Birdlife and More, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Osprey Leadership Foundation, Menhaden Defenders, Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, and The New York Times.

Wednesday in Bird World

25 September 2024

Good Morning,

If I had one wish, it would be for Jackie and Shadow to raise an eaglet this year to fledge. I am certain that you feel the same. Maybe we can send them the most positive energy. I cannot think of a more deserving couple – they are already working on that nest. They live in ‘hope’.

‘R’ wrote, concerned about me. It wasn’t me, it was one of my dear friends and reporters. I, on the other hand, worry that the albatross won’t survive the five to six years out on those rough seas with those long line factory ships. Or that the oceans, especially the Southern Ocean, are getting too acidic. I am far too cranky and will be cheering those albatross on and those ships to go extinct! Thanks, ‘R’ for worrying about me. And I am sorry if the cemetery plot got anyone weepy. It is a response to my best friend having to deal with all of the red tape attached to her husband’s death. I want things to be simple for my kids, like it was for me when my mother died. The real difficulty is which monument maker can create an osprey with a big fish? So don’t be sad. I will be kicking around for far more years than you might want!!!!!!!!!!!

Right now I am sitting over Devonian Lake. It is so quiet. The geese are out feeding. Only a few ducks and gulls remain on the lake. I did have a big of a giggle. One of the extraordinarily large homes had its drive way full of geese eating pebbles!!!!!!! Full. Packed in there like there was a Taylor Swift concert. It was a strange sight.

These moments have to be the most bittersweet in all of Bird World. The parent returns, waits and waits for the chick to feed them, and they are gone. They will never see one another again. The adults will not see one another again until they return to breed. What devotion. I wish their world is a safer place for them and for all our feathered friends so that these huge sea birds that can live longer than many humans return year after year to their mates to raise chicks.

‘A’ remarks: “Oh, our babies are gone. When I went onto automatic and checked the albatross tab, there were no chicks in camera view and TF’s nest and his play nest were both empty. I felt such a pang and tears prickled my eyes but I try to remind myself that he is on the adventure that is his lifetime and this was what he was born for. I just wish the human destruction of little TF’s world did not create so many hazards for our fledglings. And I also remind myself that darling YRK is home. The returning breeding birds are arriving steadily now, and it is wonderful to see them. These are our survivors.

Papa LGK came in to feed his son at lunchtime today (12:52:17) and called out for TF chick, just as mum LGL did when she came in yesterday after he fledged. We wish LGK a tummy full of squid and safe travels until his return. We hope to see him and LGL in about a year’s time. (Hopefully, their next egg will hatch in late January 2026 (one chick every second year).

The voting for TF’s name closes tomorrow (26 September) at 5pm NZ time (NZ is two hours ahead of eastern Australia, so two hours ahead of Collins Street, Orange and WBSE). The link for voting is https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/namethechick/. “

You know that I love my Blue Jays! Now Mr and Mrs Junior are the only ones coming to the garden. Here are four things you might not know these things about Blue Jays! https://youtu.be/VndKdMKXY1c?

Junior does not migrate. Sometimes Mrs Junior does.

Speaking of migration, I think that you will like that book that Calico and I are digging into: Bird Migration. A New Understanding by J. H. Rappole. It is written in non-scientific language. Everything is crystal clear. I liked that the author went back and examined previous theories about migration. What he says will not be knew to you if you have been reading my blog. Birds migrate because of food – not weather! The Black-capped Chickadees live in my garden all winter as do the ones at Bird’s Hill Park – they have an abundance of food resources and do not require moving to a different geographical area. We have Bald Eagles that remain in Manitoba breaking open thin ice to catch fish. The Geese are migrating, following the harvest down to the US from Canada because there is a super abundance of food.

The error in past thinking is that it was weather than drove birds to migrate. Rappole talks about the innate clock, seasonal changes (such as the end of the growing season and harvest) that lead to migration. He discusses the fact that outside of their breeding grounds many of the migrants are highly vulnerable in territories occupied by other birds that are resident year round. You might want to order the book through your library – its price is $47 CDN from the on line retailers. If it were $20, I would say go for it, but this is for those really interested in the nuances of migration. For that reason, Calico gives it her 9 paw award.

Gabby and 24E1 were on the nest tree earlier on Tuesday. There is no way to know if Beau is in the area as the cameras, now only two of them, are focused on the nest tree.

There is flooding in areas north of the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest and the weather forecast is for bad weather in the area of the nest. The eagles will take cover during that tropical storm watch. At least six days of rain with thunderstorms are brewing for Gabby and 24E1.

Please note that I have cancelled out the city around the nest to avoid divulging its location.

There is an eagle at the NCTC nest.

Wings of Whimsy gives us the Bald Eagle nest round up for the week ending on the 22nd of September. Check it out to see who is at home and who isn’t. https://youtu.be/MFCzzzgMHoE?

Hawk Mountain’s count for the week in migration:

I was so happy to see so many of you talking about the sea eaglets and how cute these two are. They certainly are!

That fish is in a video. https://youtu.be/N3eDQpZoJc4?

For those of you who remember Phyllis Robbins, she said she would appear as a ‘red leaf’. Look at that beautiful red leaf!

Incubation continues at Collins Street. ‘A’ writes: “Dear little dad at Collins Street is the funniest falcon. This morning around 11:09, mum got up and flew off the ledge. She was back after a mere minute, obviously aware that dad was nearby. He arrived on the ledge 15 seconds or so later with a scrap of food for mum. She grabbed it from him on the ledge and flew off to eat it. Dad hustled along to the scrape and settled on his eggs, chirping away to them as he did so. He has the cutest little chirps when he talks to the eggs. I love his chatting away to them. I’m sure those chicks will recognise dad as soon as they hatch. Such a cutie.

When mum returns at 11:27:34, Dad holds his ground and chirps for a little but his protests are short-lived. He soon gets up, and shortly before 11:28 he dives off the ledge and allows mum to resume incubation duties. “

M22 brings in a ‘dove’ for lunch for F23. https://youtu.be/VdX9Dju1M30?

The same at Orange.

Calypso, Ervie, Giliath, and Bradley are going to have some siblings soon. I wonder if we might get some females this year? Otherwise we might have to think about a translocation project to get these fellas a mate!

At the Growing Home osprey platform, a really nice fish dinner came in for that little one – and with both parents on the nest, they are keeping this baby ‘secret’ just like it was a famous film star’s children.

More on the topic of Menhaden and what must be done if we are to save the ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay. Brian Collins has really hit the proverbial nail on the head in this post. Please, please write your Senators and Congressional Representatives. Do it for Cobey, the Colonial Beach Osplet that starved to death before our very eyes.

Natural England’s report on Hen Harrier breeding across the UK:

Natural England reports drop in hen harrier breeding attempts – Raptor Persecution UK Download

Stop for a moment and have a look at the bird photographer winners of 2024. You might even seen a cute little peregrine falcon in the winners.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2024/sep/24/bird-photographer-of-the-year-2024-winners-in-pictures?CMP=share_btn_link

Many of you enjoyed Margaret Renkl’s book, The Comfort of Crows. Renkl has published a hard copy journal for people to use as a weekly diary of what is happening in their own gardens. It is called Leaf, Cloud, and Crow. Lots of pages for writing, sketching and it all begins with the first week of winter in late December. It is a great follow up to The Comfort of Crows where we get a glimpse of how an accomplished author celebrates the ordinary which is extraordinary right outside her window. It is also a good follow-up to Amy Tan’s book The Backyard Bird Chronicles -Tan didn’t know how to draw and took classes. But who cares what your drawings look like? Do your own chronicles! Watch how the birds and animals, the foliage, changes from season to season. Then do it again the following year. By the time you start your third year, you will know instinctively when the Dark-eyed Juncos will arrive and you will have your bag of White Millet on hand.

I have been scribbling for years in my Manitoba Bird book, a gift from my grandson, Carter, eons ago. I think it is time to take it to the next level and record the daily happenings. Thinking about those new little instant cameras that print photos…that might be fun to add to the mix. I might have helped run a School of Art, but, I cannot draw! or paint. Photographs are good but increasingly I am getting frustrated with digital images. When you have 58,000 on your phone, how do you find the one you really want? Frustrating.

Our ordinary gardens then become extraordinary.

Calico’s Tip for the Day! It can save your life, and it comes from a former student.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, announcements, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, K, R’, FOBBV, Sharon Dunne and the Royal Cam Albatross FB group New Zealand, NEFL-AEF, Weather Channel, NCTC, Wings of Whimsy, Hawk Mountain, Olympic Park Eaglets, Nesting Bird Life & More, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Growing Home Ospreys, Brian Collins – Menhaden, Little Fish, Big Deal FB, Raptor Persecution UK, The Guardian, Margaret Renkl.

Tuesday in Bird World

24 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Monday was a whirlwind day for us. There were many joys, including seeing Canada Geese feeding on field after field of grain that had just been harvested! They were flying in and landing around 10:00. I did not stop and get any images, but just the beauty of fall and the geese feeding on those golden fields made my day!

Then we went and picked out a cemetery plot! I am going to make a point here – really, I am. It isn’t as morbid as it seems although the emotion of death can creep in. It was nice to have my daughter with us. We got reacquainted with a place that was always ‘home’ in my heart – the tiny hamlet of Graysville. New people purchased my fifteen acres, painted the horse barn recently, and I saw two beautiful Quarter Horses in the fields. They had lined the long lane with willowy Poplar trees from the road to the house on both sides. The property looked loved – and that made me very happy.

You might recall that my friend’s husband died quickly. Thankfully they had time to discuss matters, but they did not have the time to get all of the paperwork in order. That is why we were at the cemetery along the river just south of Graysville. My attitudes toward cemeteries and golf courses has changed immensely as the City I live in concretes every square inch of grass that it can. Our birds need safe, quiet places, and no better place than a cemetery or a golf course. Of course, the geese don’t bother the cemetery residents, but I wonder if golfers love them! Still, keeping that in mind, instead of flying my children around the world to deposit some of those ashes in various beautiful places, they will seep into the soil near the edges of the Boyne River. A Gull flew over while we were there. Everything felt good. As my former neighbour said, ‘Pick your neighbours!’ and I did – those who lived near me in life will keep me company in death. So SW1/4 of plot 187 Riverside Cemetery is it. Now, to get on to a proper marker – something creative in the form of an osprey? Surely, with a big fish!

So boxes ticked off. The point is not to put off what you can do today whether that is telling someone how special they are to you, going for a quiet walk to help get over some of modern life’s anxieties, or phoning a friend. One never knows what tomorrow will bring, so do it now. Thinking of a birding holiday, go for it! Register if you want to take up that painting class you always wanted to. Live life.

A new book arrived while I was away. Bird Migration. A New Understanding by John H. Rappole. Calico and I will keep you posted!

‘J’ sent news that two of the small Kakapo population have died.

Two other deaths involve White Storks that were fitted with trackers. They have both died as they made their way to Africa for their migration. One in Egypt and the other died in Turkey. I hope to have more news later. Thanks, ‘T’.

There are still fledglings at Newfoundland Power’s Snow Lane osprey platform. Beaumont is really rejoicing in having chicks to feed this season. What an amazing father he has been. The second chick got one at the nest and the first chick ate a fish on a building. It appears that Beaumont is now delivering fish elsewhere.

The Royal Cam chick fledged and Cornell Bird Labs caught it on video. Watch this gracious seabird take its first flight. Wonder what the wind under the wings feels like? https://youtu.be/JEPh2WFtij0?

At the NE Florida Eagle Cam, Gabby woke up to a bright morning with 24E1.

Please note that not all of the cameras will be operational at the NE Florida nest as per this post:

Omega is destroying Chesapeake Bay. The Bunk are gone. The whales and dolphins need the Menhaden as do our beloved Osprey. Many of us hope that with the attention that the issue is getting, Omega will be ordered to halt its operations! Yesterday they had 8 boats out!!!!!!!! Stay tuned.

Want to get the latest updates on the condor fledglings? the status of the flock? Thursday is the monthly Condor Chat with Ventana Wildlife.

Oh, oh, I love it when those little beaks join in with Lady and Dad. Have a listen as the sea eaglets join in the morning duet! https://youtu.be/48EjAMoLuCA?

Gorgeous closeups. These are the sweetest eaglets! https://youtu.be/gCTsigfyYTg?

More sea eagle cuteness. https://youtu.be/WyC-YClWSqI?

Mum and Dad at the Port Lincoln barge enjoying a quiet morning. In a fortnight they will be very busy – and so will those fish fairies!

More fish need protecting.

These are some of the issues fish in Canada are facing:

Noxious fish have been introduced internationally. George is feeding Only Bob a Tilapia. This beautiful osplet is doing so well.

The ‘baby’ is now two months old!

Jackie and Shadow are back! At the nest. https://youtu.be/o9uAdniPNMU?

Thank you so much for being with us today. In a few days I am going to take a wee break before we have hatches at Port Lincoln, Melbourne, and Orange. It will be some time before our eagles have eggs! I will keep you posted when my mini-break is taking place! Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, videos, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, T’, Kakapo Recovery, Newfoundland Power, Cornell Bird Lab, NEFL-AEF, Lisa Russo, William Dunn and Menhaden- Little Fish, Big Deal, USFWS, Ventana Wildlife Society, NestFlix Memories, Nesting Bird Life and More, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Canadian Wildlife Society, and Osprey House Environment Centre, and WingsofWhimsy.

Royal cam chick fledges…Monday in Bird World

23 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

My goodness. Sunday was the most glorious autumn day. It seemed everyone was outside, eating ice cream, having a last picnic, watching the ducks and geese. There were Wood Ducks, Mallards, and lots of Canada Geese at the pond.

.This was the pond in the afternoon. I can’t describe how beautiful and crisp the fall day was.

In the evening, we were at the nature centre. At least 100 Cormorants perched in three trees between Elliot Lake and Devonian Lake. The gulls flew in first, perhaps 500 or more at the lake’s western end. The Geese arrived late. They will feed twice a day. They leave the lake around 1000 and return a few hours later to rest on the water. Then they go out to feed again, returning around dusk. Because the weather is so nice, they stay and feed at the fields later than usual.

The ‘Cormorant Trees’:

Some sounds of the geese coming in – kinda’ like ‘white noise’…the geese are flying in at a distance. You can see some…they landed at the lake to our left, not the one in front of us for the most part.

It was a great evening. Next week we will be at Oak Hammock Marsh for their goose flight and we hope to return to Ft Whyte before Thanksgiving (October 14).

‘A’ has just sent news that Top Flat Chick, the Royal Cam chick, has fledged: “We have just had the confirmation from ranger Sharyn. And of course, I am crying. I wish our sweet TF chick safe travels but doubt I will live long enough to see him return in five years. :Mum LGL has just been in and has been looking for TF to make sure her baby has really gone and no longer needs her to feed him. She has had a good look around and waited patiently on the nest for a while, just to be sure, but I think she knows he is gone. TFT fledged yesterday apparently.

This is always SO hard. Knowing the dangers that lie ahead, and these chicks have had no parental training in hunting or foraging for food. Of course with our eaglets and osplets, we often never see them again and never know what happens to them, especially here in Australia where we don’t band our eagles or falcons (though we do band some of our ospreys).

But this morning, 23 September, was the official fledge date for TF chick. I’ll go and have a little cry now. My sea eaglets are close to leaving too, and like the albatrosses, the world they will face out there is a very hard one for them. I would love to see Lady and Dad training these two to catch fish, as we did see with one of the fledglings last year I recall, but of course the smaller birds are relentless and this season seems worse than the last in that respect. “

‘A’: “Dear little dad at Collins Street puts such a smile on my face. He loves to chat to his eggs with a tiny high-pitched chirp. He is adorable. He has not been bringing food to the ledge this week – mum is heading off on her own to get food or to access one of the pantries. When M22 arrived to relieve her this morning, he had a huge crop. Meanwhile at Orange (speaking of falcons with large crops – yes, we’re looking at you, Diamond), the companionship between Diamond and Xavier is just a joy to watch. This season, Xavier has been spending quite a bit of time just hanging on the ledge, keeping Diamond company. It is just too sweet.// I love their 4.45am bonding sessions where both of them fall asleep in the middle, then wake up 45 minutes later and continue as if they hadn’t paused at all. TOO funny. They are a wonderful pair to observe year-round, as their relationship is hysterically funny to watch. “

Port Lincoln would like you to help guess when the first egg will hatch. Put the day and time you believe will be the winner in the chat under their streaming cam.

Geemeff and ‘SP’ found another article on the dire consequences of the Menhaden commercial fishing on Ospreys. This really does need to stop. Tomorrow I will gather information and provide you with the address to send a letter before 2 October if you feel so inclined. They should outlaw industrial fishing within 3 miles of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and anywhere in the Bay —- and if someone is brave, outlaw it altogether! Ospreys are starving to death at a rate in excess of the deaths of DDT (or so it is believed now). Remember the problem is Virginia. The other states have laws!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/09/22/chesapeake-bay-osprey-menhaden-virginia

If you cannot access the article, ‘B’ prepared a PDF copy for us.

Mystery of disappearing ospreys might have controversial explanation – The Washington Post Download

Please examine the map and you will see how that mouth of the Bay must be protected. Can any Menhaden get to Maryland?

Anyone can write. What is crucial is that the Menhaden have to get through Virginia waters in order to feed the ospreys lower in the Bay. Check out the maps. Here is the information on who to write to – the deadline is looming. 25 September at 1000.

‘J’ sends news that the little eaglet who had yet to fly but had survived its nest collapsing has been killed by a coyote who breached the enclosure at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care.

I wonder how many males are still delivering fish to young osprey fledglings? Beaumont certainly is in Newfoundland!

Jackie and Shadow wanted to let everyone know that they are fine after the threats of the Line Fire. https://youtu.be/PacRB76JN4w?

It will be so wonderful to see Shadow with his sticks and beautiful Jackie at the nest in the morning’s diamonds!

Gabby and 24E1 were at the nest on Sunday.

M15 and F23 were busy at the nest in Fort Myers! Nice to see them again.

A great look at Diamond and Xavier and their incredibly ‘darling’ behaviour. https://youtu.be/2eopuwN5dxE?

It was a bird breakfast for the Olympic Park Eaglets.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, announcements, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, J, PB, SP’, NZ DOC, Port Lincoln Ospreys, The Washington Post, Google Maps, Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, Thomas Lilly, FOLFAN, Newfoundland Power, SK Hideaways, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Elain and Holly Parsons, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, and Olympic Park Eagles.

Sunday in Bird World

22 September 2024

Hello Everyone,

As is typical, I am writing my post on Saturday. I had hoped for some sun and wind to dry up all the rain, but, the rain is now coming down harder and harder. Three Crows were frantically pecking at the nut cylinder. I noticed that they gave each other space so that they could eat. All was going well until Dyson arrived! The Crows flew off. They returned later for a big bowl of cheesy dogs. I can see Junior at the feeder sorting through the peanuts. Where is Mrs Junior? It is always worrisome when one or the other does not show up at the morning feeder.

Dyson is moulting. She isn’t sick! She is so strong and healthy. It makes us happy to be a part of her life. I wish we could get the trees to grow faster or convince her to please just stay in our garden. No roads!

It has really started pouring. And yeah, Mrs Junior just flew in to get some peanuts!!!!!! Relief.

In Canada, Beaumont continues to deliver large fish to the nest where his two fledglings might like to scrap for the dinner! Both are eating well and Beaumont is making sure each is fed.

Dad and at least one chick are still at the LDF nest in Kuzeme Latvia.

Right now there is harmony and peace at the NE Florida nest of Gabby. She doesn’t seem to care if the male has necrotic feet in places. They are on the branches together, side by side at times, and in the nest making nestorations. If Gabby gets to raise little eaglets in peace this year, we should all jump up and down with joyful tears.

They have been on and off the nest on Saturday. The AEF has ‘temporarily’ designated the male as 24E1 (year, eagle, first visitor).

The eyes of the male visitor remind me so much of those of Samson. I know it isn’t, but for a split second.

The SW Florida streaming cams are up and ready for action starting today or tomorrow.

It was a beautiful day at the nest of Bella at the NCTC. Didn’t see any eagles.

You can help support conservation by buying stamps! Aren’t these beautiful?

These will be available in the new year. There are currently others for sale – some designed by adults and other junior winners. They are lovely.

The little eaglet in Australia is doing so well and this little fluffy bundle of joy has a name – Lukin.

Bradley and Shultzie. Yes! Good thing there are two perches. It’s always good, just like the Blue Jays, to get a total head count before sunset.

Judy Harrington brings us up to date with the Olympic Park Eagles.

The new pair in the USK Valley in Wales left late. They didn’t breed but hopes are high for 2025.

FAREWELL TO THE 2024 GILESTONE OSPREYS — Usk Valley Ospreys Download

Bird Flu is possibly the reason for the decline in Peregrine Falcon populations in the US. Like everything else, it is still with us – it just isn’t making the news like it did. That is a shame.

Why Are Peregrine Falcon Numbers Falling in the United States Again_ _ Audubon Download

Xavier flew out for the morning breakfast hunt. Diamond waits patiently to see what he will return with for her meal.

We blinked and the Olympic Park Eaglets grew and grew. When did this happen? They are more steady on their feet. Their wing feathers are growing in. They look like eagles, not nestlings. SE 34 is learning to self-feed.

Will we see the Royal Cam chick back on cam before fledge? Possibly not.

Pippa’s Mum is the first to return: Royal Cam chick Atawhai (Miss Pippa) and Lillibet’s Mum YRK is the first to return to Taiaroa this year. You will remember her amazing mate, OGK – some of us still tear up at the thought of him. OGK has not been seen since he went missing in 2022.

The Only Bob at Growing Home is so fortunate. It will never ever have to share a fish with a ravenous sibling. Look carefully. Tiny white bobblehead.

The fight for the survival of the osprey (and other wildlife) in the Chesapeake Bay is on and hinges on the curtailing of the industrial fishing of Menhaden.

In The Arena: Dr. Bryan Watts | Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Download

There is always something to learn about migration: “For migrating birds, fall brings difficulty and danger. To reach warm winter climes, many birds must fly hundreds or thousands of miles, expend immense amounts of energy and successfully dodge storms, skyscrapers and other potential threats.

Still, scientists have long assumed that a basic trade-off made migration worth the gamble: Once birds arrived at their wintering grounds, they wouldn’t need to work so hard to stay warm, saving substantial amounts of energy. “But nobody ever tested this,” said Nils Linek, a behavioral ecologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany.

Now, Dr. Linek and his colleagues have done so. Their findings, based on a partially migratory population of German blackbirds, challenge the conventional wisdom. Even in the depths of winter, blackbirds basking in balmy southern Europe or northern Africa did not spend any less energy than those riding out the cold in Germany, the scientists found.”

Read on to find out more.

Study Reveals Bird-Migration Mystery – The New York Times Download

On line tool is helping with bird collision and renewable energy in Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Nepal for the past two years.

Online Tool Prevents Bird Collisions in Flyways Across the World – BirdLife International Download

Calico’s Tip for the Day. You have heard us mention numerous times the need to halt bird collisions. Residences indeed account for more deaths than skyscrapers. Hard to believe? I know, but it is true if you take all the deaths due to our windows collectively. So what is the problem? People do not know how to stop the birds from hitting their windows. Calico says that you must space the decals on the OUTSIDE of the window at least 5 cm or two inches apart. That’s right. You cannot just put one decal on the outside of your window and hope it will work; you never put it on the inside. The most economical method is window paint. Again, on the outside of the windows. I liked using the white or the yellow. Squiggle everywhere. Let your children or grandchildren help. The window paints come off easily.

Nova Scotia’s official bird (I know that everyone knew that, right?) on an iconic boat, the Bluenose II.

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

Thank you to the following for the notes, posts, videos, articles, images, tweets, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘PB for today and for Saturday’s Tweet from Dr Greene’, Newfoundland Power, LDF, NEFL-AEF, NCTC, USFWS, Port Lincoln Osprey, Judy Harrington and Olympic Park Eagles, Jeff Kear and USK Valley Ospreys, Audubon, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Olympic Park Eagles, The Royal Albatross Centre, Growing Home, Bryan Watts and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Sharon Dunne, Bluenose II, USFWS, Birdlife International, and The New York Times.

Smooth sailing Iris and Finn, Sum-eh and Antali…Saturday in Bird World

21 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Dr Greene just posted his fond farewells to Iris and family!

The garden feels intensely wet still. Hopefully today’s wind will help dry things up. Every tree and shrub got a good start to getting ready for their hibernation!

We have a full day on Friday. It started with a visit to the Japanese exhibition at The Leaf made possible by the local bonsai group. This was followed by a good old walk at the nature centre, and a birthday party for the oldest grandson. At the end of it all, life felt good. Still alive. Not ready to whither like the vines and leaves are doing.

The exact origin of torii is uncertain. “torii” means “bird sitting,” possibly referring to birds perching on the crossbeams. Torii gates are used to separate the ordinary world from the sacred, and they can be found at both Buddhist and Shinto sacred sites in Japan.

A Zen dry garden.

Cranes. Tsuru. Symbols of longevity and good luck. Thought to live 1000 years, the birds mate for life and also symbolize loyalty. They are a common motif in Japanese art.

By the time we got to the nature center, it was 21 C. There were some ducks on Devonian Lake and a few ducks at the other ponds. Songbirds included American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadees, and White-throated Sparrows. Geese were heard overhead.

Good News. Firefighters save Willow and Scout’s Bald Eagle nest from the Airport fire in California.

https://youtu.be/-5ZKEXpZuCk?

Niagara Bee looks sad and empty. This osprey platform needs a predator baffle—feel free to message them on FB! If a Raccoon killed that Osprey, as indicated by the camera footage, then this is a must, an absolute must.

The osprey on the perch at Charlo is eating a fish. It is either Charlie or C16. I cannot tell. C16 was 100 days old on 20 September.

Jack was on the perch at Achieva in St Petersburg.

Beaumont comes in with a magnificent fish for one of the fledglings.

And another delivery!

Deliveries still coming in Latvia.

Quiet at Hellgate Canyon.

Thanks, ‘PB’ for the latest update from Dr Greene:

The season is really coming to an end except for Australia and Florida.

Two difference choices of Spanish fledglings to get to Africa!

The Olympic Park Sea Eagles are doing really well. Just look at them lined up so nicely.

Waiting for breakfast at Port Lincoln.

Growing Home video about their Ospreys! https://youtu.be/VBZrz4EDdmY?

Want to know which branch Gabby is on? or the visitor? or Beau? NEFL-AEF posted us a nice graphic.

There is something very nice about watching Gabby with this male when they are working in the nest together.

Some action at the SW Florida Bald Eagle cam on Friday. https://youtu.be/ev4bTBpILAQ?

Were you watching the Royal Albatross in 2019? One has just been seen off the coast of South Africa!

You are probably sick of listening to me about the need to control the commercial fishing of Menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay if our Osprey are to survive. Please send your comments to the individual in the posting below before 2 October if you think that watching Osprey chicks starve to death because a Canadian company is taking every last one of the Menhaden is wrong. Thank you. Please do it for Cobey, the Colonial Beach Osplet who starved to death on his nest along with 99% of the other chicks in that area.

In the latest issue of The Journal of Raptor Research (vol. 58, no. 3, September 2024), an article looking at window strike had some interesting information:L. “Raptors occupying urban environments may be more vulnerable to window collisions than rural raptors because of the greater density of buildings in urban areas. Although large buildings such as skyscrapers cause the greatest number of bird collisions per building, the vast numbers of residential homes across urbanized landscapes collectively pose a far greater risk (399).” Please put up window collision stickers, use window paint markers, Feather Friendly strips, whatever it takes! Thank you.

Calico’s Tip of the Day: Dryer Balls. “Dryer balls are most commonly made of tightly compressed wool, but can also be made of plastic or rubber. They help prevent laundry from clumping together in the dryer by tumbling between layers and separating fabric. This action allows warm air to circulate better which can even help reduce drying time. (Maytag)”. We discovered that with an average load, using four dryer balls, the amount of drying time was cut in less half and at a lower temperature. All towels were fluffy.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care of yourself. Have a lovely weekend. 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: ‘PB, SP’, The Leaf, Ft Whyte Alive, CBS News Los Angeles, Niagara Bee, Charlo Montana, Achieva Credit Union, Newfoundland Power, Nesting Bird, LDF, @Hellgate Osprey, Progretto Falco piscatory, Gregorius Joris Toonen, Olympic Park Eagles, Growing Home Ospreys, Jerinelle Wray, NEFL-AEF, Androcat, Sharon Dunne, Thomas Lilly and Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, and The Journal of Raptor Research.

Category Archives: birds

Boone and Jolene lose their nest tree…Monday in Bird World

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Eagles are OK…Starlings return to the garden…Friday in Bird World

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Hurricane warnings for Florida…Thursday in Bird World

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Royal cam chick fledges…Monday in Bird World

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Smooth sailing Iris and Finn, Sum-eh and Antali…Saturday in Bird World

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