Category Archives: Black Storks

Telyn home at Dyfi, Dylan at Clywedog??…plus eaglet hatches…Monday in Bird World

27 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Sunday was a beautiful day in the Canadian Prairies. Spring is arriving, and the small ponds around the City and parts of the river are melting. The Geese are beginning to return. I saw four this morning during my walk, and others have reported them returning on eBird.

There was one lonely goose on the open water at Fort Whyte Alive.

Several were in the sky, flying toward our Assiniboine Park and the River. It is exciting seeing the end of winter. Can’t wait to see ‘green’ as in grass and leaves!

We will start with an incredible video of M15 delivering a Bluegill to the eaglets at the SW Florida Bald Eagle Nest. Shot by The Real Saunders Photography, who are on the ground in Fort Myers. What a different perspective!

On Sunday, M15 brought three fish and a piece of ‘something’. I can’t be positive, but E22 got the majority, if not all, of the prey. He appears to continue to provide feast and famine days for the eaglets as he eases them into what will be living in the real world. There were no big dramas yesterday. M15 also found time to have a nice splash about in the pond. He has done it! Will the Es fledge this week?

The winds are blowing UK Ospreys onto their nests. Blue 022, the mate of CJ7 at Poole Harbour, flew on to the nest on the 26th of March. Other arrivals are being reported around the UK. The nest at Poole Harbour is part of the Roy Dennis relocation efforts to bring Ospreys back to the area after a more than 200-year absence. Last year CJ7 and Blue 022 fledged two historic osplets from this nest. Sadly, one was killed by a Goshawk.

Blue 22 was joined by an unringed female. Come on CJ7!

Telyn has arrived home at the Dyfi Osprey Platform in Wales just after noon on the 27th. Now we wait for her mate Idris to get home.

A second osprey has been seen on the nest at Clywedog, but the camera has gone down and no firm confirmation that it is Dylan. Sure hope it is!

The three osplets at the Venice Golf and Country Club in Florida appear to be doing quite well. They are certainly well camouflaged. You have to look carefully to tell the stripes on their backs from the sticks.

Arlene Beech reports that the first Osprey has arrived in Poland for the 2023 season.

It was so nice to check on Abby and Victor and find them both up eating Sunday morning. The average number of fish coming to the nest is 5-6 a day. Many of those are being brought in by Sally. It appears that on Sunday, Harry delivered one early fish. Thank goodness the water feature below the nest must be teeming with food. Sally has no trouble bringing fish to her, Abby, and Victor.

Everyone is preening and itchy. Look at the image above. The tail feathers are starting to come in also.

Sally keeping the osplets shaded. Where is Harry? He has been off camera for a couple of days. I am used to him being on the nest and there being a few more deliveries. Sally caught fish yesterday.

Abby and Victor were so full of fish they could hardly move and then Sally decided to feed them some more after the IR light came on. Just look at the crops on Sally and the kids.

‘A’ is a keen observer of the Moorings nest and she writes about Sunday, “Not only is Victor rapidly learning how to get to the beak, even if he has to go between mum’s legs or hide under her wing, and he seems to have renewed confidence. As I think I mentioned yesterday, he has developed a technique for not being beaked by Abby – as he becomes aware of Abby raising herself up to beak him from behind, he does the same himself, stretching his neck and standing literally on his tiptoes to get himself high enough to prevent her from being able to bring her weight down on his head. Abby retreats nearly every time. Victor has now learnt that, so he seems quite confident to continue eating even in Abby’s presence.” Thanks, ‘A’. There are no worries at this nest at the moment!

At the Achieva Osprey nest, Jack flew in with a huge fish around 0830. Diane has been busy feeding the trio. It is so difficult to see the behaviour on this nest this year without the camera zoomed in closer!!!!!!!! I cannot tell how the osplets are doing in terms of the feedings only that there are still three alive on the nest. The third hatch, despite being only four days younger than the eldest, is quite small.

Jackie and Shadow were at the Big Bear Valley nest early Sunday morning.

Shadow has been bringing in lots of nice fish. If those prey gifts could be eggs in that nest, it would overflow.

Congratulations to Bella and Smitty on their first hatch of the 2023 season at the NCTC nest.

Big Red was also on her nest early Sunday morning!

And the camera pans over to the Bradfield ledge and catches her trying to keep out of the wind. Is this a new improved zoom?

The three eagles of Martin and Rosa in the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle nest in Virginia continue to do well. What more can we ask when three are in a nest, and one is much bigger? They are doing well! There are, as of today, seven Bald Eagle nests in the US with three eaglets. Wow.

Ron and Rose continue to trade off duties caring for the two eaglets. Everything is going along splendidly.

A whole new meaning to ‘sleeping with the fishes’.

Rose indeed found an incredible mate when she landed on Ron’s nest! Lucky girl.

We are still waiting for a pip at the nest of Liberty and Guardian in Redding, California. I am not ready to give up on their only egg this season. Send them positive wishes, please.

Bella and Smitty had their first hatch on the 25th of the 2023 season. This is great news. The couple did not have any eaglets last season.

PA Farm Country now has their third hatch of the four eggs on the nest this season. Wow. They are going to be busy!

Pittsburgh-Hayes had their first hatch of the 2023 season at 12:03 on the 26th. Welcome H19!

Six hours old.

Congratulations to Nancy and Beau at MN-DNR on their first hatch of the 2023 season. Hatch occurred early Sunday evening.

https://www.youtube.com/live/l95k-iKfh8Q?feature=share

Bonding is happening at the scrape on top of San Jose City Hall. This new couple replaces Shasta, Annie, and Grinnell’s son, Sequoia.

Proud Owlvira standing with her three owlets in Corona, California. They have all ‘branched’ to the rim of the nest.

Pip, Tootsie, and Hoots must be full as each is ignoring the mouse in the nest that Mum delivered a few minutes earlier.

Here is that delivery:

Checking on Karl II and his family and their migration back to Estonia. Karl II’s last transmission was as he was almost leaving Turkey. No news today. Kaia had one ping in Chad and nothing since. That was several days ago. Waba remains in Sudan. Bonus’s last transmission was in the fall migration in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.

If you want to take part in voting at Cal Falcons for your favourite memes, go to https://calfalcons.berkeley.edu Click on either the FB or Twitter links, and you will find the ‘Vote Here’ link. Have fun!

There seem to be more cases daily, and this is just the tip of the iceberg, as so many never appear on the FB site. It is a simple fix. Imagine all the resources saved, never mind the pain and suffering of the carrion feeders. So explain to me why this is not happening. The EU has banned lead. You cannot hunt waterfowl in England, Wales, the wetlands of Northern Ireland and Scotland using lead but, the programme is not comprehensive. A voluntary initiative in the UK to stop pheasant hunters from using lead indicated that 94% of the pheasants tested had been killed with lead shots. It needs to be a mandatory ban on all lead in all hunting and fishing equipment. It is simple. Every news outlet is looking for a story. Give them one. Pepper the local papers and outlets with the reasons for not using lead then make it mandatory. It will take a few years but people will comply (for the most part). Just do it! And not piece meal.

Voluntary-UK-initiatives-to-phase-out-toxic-lead-shot-for-pheasant-hunting-have-had-little-impactDownload

Here is the link to the story about the EU banning lead that appeared about a month ago in The Guardian and in my blog at the time.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/15/ban-on-hunting-birds-with-lead-shot-in-eu-wetlands-hailed-as-huge-milestone-aoe?CMP=share_btn_link

Thank you so very much for being with me today. I hope to have another unique story from Barbados for tomorrow for everyone. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, announcements, tweets, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: Real Saunders Photography, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Ospreys of Poole Harbour, Dyfi, Venice Golf and Country Club, Arlene Beech, Moorings Osprey Park, Achieva Credit Union, FOBBV, Deb Stecyk and the NCTC Eagles, Cornell RTH, Dulles-Greenway, WRDC, FORE, Pix Cams, MN-DNR, SK Hideaways and San Jose City Hall, Corona Owl Cam, Live Owl Cam, Looduskalender Forum, Cal Falcon Cam, Phys.org, Terry Carman and Bald Eagle Live Nests and News, and The Guardian.

Blue KWO, Karl II’s family is on the move, hatch watch. It is Friday in Bird World

24 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Can you believe it is the end of the week? The days fly. It is so lovely that the weather is becoming milder here in the Canadian Prairies. The sky was blue again today, and the winds were brisk, but the temperature was quite nice. I hope to finish a survey of the nests in my neighbourhood before all of the appearing buds turn into leaves. It is an area – nests – that I am not entirely familiar with so I am hoping to learn and if I find anything useful, I will be sure to share it with you.

Four Chickadees were flitting about in the garden this evening about an hour before sunset. This one (above) was smart. It spent a lot of time at the suet cylinder instead of taking one Black oil seed, breaking it, and returning for another.

The chickadee was not the only one interested in the new suet cylinder. We can always count on Dyson! So, so good to see her out and about on a nice day. Dyson will probably finish that entire cylinder by Friday evening or Saturday morning!

The kittens were happy to ignore everything in the garden and play with one another on their big cat tree.

Tim Makrill, the Director of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, has tracked down all the missing information and some excellent images of Blue KW0, the female Osprey that found herself in Barbados, not Scotland. It is a great read. Thanks, Tim! And thanks, Geemeff, for sending the link to me. I might have missed it this morning.

A Transatlantic Flight

I am certain that each and every reader continues to check on the Es. You must be delighted at the change in confidence in E22 since he branched. On Thursday, the little one got the White Ibis that M15 brought at 0821. He plucked that bird like a pro!

E22 mantling his prey.

E21 will share some of that bird of 22’s.

Lady Hawk caught the delivery of the Ibis, the chase by an intruder, and E22’s amazing grab on video for us.

And then Dad arrives with a fish a few hours later. E22 is up on the branch but jumps into the nest, getting the fish before 21 can even figure out there is prey (well, almost).

The scramble for the fish.

22 is on a roll but, 21 is getting hungry. Hoping for prey for both equally, actually. They are in their 11th week. It will not be long until they fly.

E21 has made it to the porch. Oh, I hope that these two are careful with that GHO about.

The fourth fish delivery on the 23rd went to E21! M15 is really feeding the babies on Thursday! There will be at least two more deliveries before the day is over. M15 continues to amaze me.

Moorings Park Ospreys. Sally and Harry continue to be incredible parents for these three-week old osplets, Abby and Victor, who hatched 18.5 hours apart. Abby has not stopped beaking Victor or shaking him by the neck and Victor has not stopped getting his revenge. Both are eating and growing. That is what matters. There were six fish delivered on the nest on Thursday.

Looking carefully at the osplets, you will notice that Victor and Abby are getting the beginnings of feathers. They are not ready to do any self-feeding but the pair are starting to peck at the fish.

‘A’ reports that both Abby and Victor ate their Friday breakfast like little ‘eating machines’ especially Victor. Some dominance but Sally and Harry are incredible parents. Just incredible. This nest is good!

All three of the Dulles-Greenway eaglets are doing fine today. DG3 seems to have not suffered any ill effects from being out of the egg cup for over 5 hours on Wednesday.

Can you find the ear of DG3? That little black dot to the left of the mouth. It will be covered with feathers before fledge.

There is sad news coming out of Decorah, Iowa, today. This is the Decorah North nest.

A view of the Decorah nest later in the day.

It was a bit of a soggy day at Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest. Just look at the size of those two eaglets! They both have good thermal down and a few dandelions left. My goodness. Did we blink?

Clown feet time!

This has been a superb eagle nest to watch this year. Both eating well and growing. You can see their feathers starting to come in, too. They still have the white-lined mouth. Watch for this to change to yellow.

Today is hatch watch for Liberty and Guardian. Gary says the second egg at this nest should, based on past history, that the egg will hatch Saturday-Monday. Here is his explanation looking at the data for the Redding nest.

We are also on hatch watch for Nancy and Beau at MN-DNR and for Bella and Smitty at NCTC. We could have several hatches on the same day!

It is raining in Ithaca, New York and there are no eggs in Big Red’s nest – yet!

Oh, how I wish the Achieva Credit Union streaming cam had a better zoom on it. There are three little osplets being cared for and they all look to be faring rather well – from a distance!

Rose and Ron continue to take turns feeding the eaglets at the WRDC nest in Miami. They are both doing just fine. Indeed, if you watch carefully they are beginning to reach back and preen. Fat little bottoms and ute little tails. Ron is doing a wonderful joy keeping the fish coming to the nest and helping Rose feeding and brooding.

You may recall that Trey, the only eaglet of Anna and Louis, was struck 16 times by an owl the other evening. Here is a very informed response as to why this might have occurred from Steve Shively, one of the Rangers at the KNF.

A gorgeous sub-adult/juvie eagle visited the nest of Gabby and V3 today. Could this be Jules or Romey? The head development indicates a bird of approximately 2.5-3 years. Fledglings do return to their natal nests! Samson certainly did and we are happy with that result.

Thanks to everyone that joined in the Cal Falcons fundraiser. Oh, they surpassed their goal. Well done! Despite the fundraiser saying the funds go to the Regents, I understand they are then earmarked for the falcons. (It was the same way at the University where I was a professor and administrator).

Thanks to ‘L’ for her note another egg arriving at First Utility Osprey Platform today at 14:38:41.

Sunnie Day has the laying of the third egg on video. Apparently the first egg has failed, so after this third egg, there are two good eggs in the nest.

Ervie’s tracker is working. Here are his latest exploits. We know this great third hatch of 2021 is doing well. Indeed, if my memory holds, only two fledglings from Port Lincoln are confirmed to be alive and well – Calypso from 2019 and Ervie from 2021. Both are in the Port Lincoln/Eyrie Peninsula area. There could be others, not spotted but it seems strange that no one has seen Bazza or Falky or DEW.

It would be reassuring if all levels of government would make respect for the environment and all living things a priority. With that in mind, Audubon has published an article on the lobbying going on to stop the Willow project in Alaska. Every time I read about oil and gas in Alaska, I think of those beautiful Bald Eagles that go up there or live there for the salmon. Think Glacier Gardens. Please let your representatives know that you do not support this project before it is too late.

https://www.audubon.org/news/construction-days-away-groups-ask-court-halt-massive-willow-oil-project?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-newsletter-engagement_20230323_wingspan_&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=engagement_20230323_wingspan&utm_content=

Ever wonder where the ‘Crossing over the Rainbow Bridge’ came from?

If you travel to areas of the Iberian Peninsula or Alsace, look up! The White Storks have the most enormous nests in some of the most exciting places!

There is good news coming from the Karula National Forest Black Storks. Karl II is in Turkey! He crossed the border. Kaia is near Khartoum and Waba continues his foraging in Sudan.

Karl II.

Kaia.

That is a mix and a mash of things happening in Bird World. We have a little more time with 21 and 22 before they fledge but not long. What a very bittersweet moment that will be. Let us all hope they visit the nest for 4-6 weeks, learning from their super day, M15, how to navigate the world. How can they not succeed?

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Take care. Looking forward to having you with us again soon!

Thank you so much to the following for their notes, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that helped to form my blog today: Geemeff, ‘L’, A’, Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Vijay and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Moorings Park Ospreys, Dulles-Greenaway Eagle Cam, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Rose Swailes and Decorah Eagles Love Nest FB, Duke Farms, Gary and FORE, Cornell RTH, Achieva Credit Union, WRDC, Tonya Irwin and the KNF Eagle Cam Fans, Bird Cam Network and NEFL-AEF, Cal Falcons, First Utility Ospreys, Sunnie Day and First Utility Ospreys, PLO, Audubon.org, Lorig Basmaijan and New England Nature Enthusiasts, and Looduskalender Forum.

E22 branches, DG3 out of the nest for 5 hours, 3rd hatch at Achieva…Wednesday in Bird World

22 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

It was simply a gorgeous day in the Canadian Prairies. The temperature worked up to -1; there was a cloudy sky and little wind. It was a perfect day for a walk at the nature centre until….DG3 decided to go walkies in the nest and found itself over by the rim! Needless to say…I didn’t go out but, stayed home, baked cookies, read your lovely letters, and enjoyed the kittens.

We have been shifting furniture. A bit of spring cleaning. Not sure the dried hydrangeas will survive. When the kittens first arrived, they enjoyed tearing them apart and eating the pinecones I had collected on my walks. In the winter, I smear suet over them and put them in the lilac bushes. Let’s see if these hydrangeas last! Not counting on it.

Missy and Lewis used to fit together on top of their climbing tree. No longer.

Dyson was here today eating peanuts. So lovely to see her and the three babies from last year. Little Red was running on the hydro wires on the lane and the lilacs were filled with birds, including Mr and Mrs Woodpecker. Life is good. Each survived the winter including Little Red who had to find another home after the garden shed was torn down to make way for the conservatory.

The woodpeckers love the logs with the drilled holes filled with suet.

Michael St John and I continue to track Blue KW0 and its adventures getting to Barbados from Scotland. Hopefully, Tim at the Roy Dennis Foundation will discover the owner of that mysterious band and where and when this lovely osprey was ringed in Scotland. This morning Geemeff sent me a really good article on birds – all manner of birds – hitching rides on the big ships. Geemeff asks an important question: do they land on the boats out of choice or necessity?

With Ships, Birds Find an Easier Way to Travel

Jackie and Shadow have far worse weather than I do. Glad Jackie isn’t buried under that snow. They continue to visit the nest and are seen mating on the tree.

The wind could not have been more perfect at the Southwest, Florida Eagle nest of M15 and the Es. E21 was on the rim of the nest, letting the breeze blow against its wings. E E22 was in the nest. Then E22 began to flap his enormous wings, and at 17:04:34, he branched. It was magnificent. E22 was 73 days old on Tuesday.

After making it to the spike, E22 explored other branches higher up. Our brave little one. Yahoo….22.

Poor 22 had another first yesterday. It got hit by the GHO while it was sitting on the rim of the nest. Thankfully 22 went into the nest and not over the side! Thanks, Heidi!

All three eggs have now hatched at Achieva Osprey in St Petersburg, Florida. The third was Tuesday, the 21 March around 10:00. The hatch dates for the three are March 18, 19, and 21 so there is only three days difference between one and three. Not bad. Jack and Diane will be particularly busy. Fingers crossed.

Moorings Park Osprey platform. Just look at Victor’s ‘ps’. Looks healthy! And he has a fat little bottom—time 0739, 21 March.

A considerable fish came to the nest at 10:48. It had its head and Sally worked away trying to get the flesh from the bones.

That time Sally took allowed Abby to get herself into a right state.

Victor and Abby are 19 days old today. You can still tell them apart by their heads but Abby is now bigger.

Abby remains aggressive. She demands to eat first. Victor, of course, doesn’t like it.

Victor goes into submission. Good lad. There is lots of fish left. Either Victor needs to wait or he needs to carefully move around to the other side of Sally.

You can see how Ally is working away at the head of that fish.

Victor is very hot. He has moved around the rim but Abby is keeping him at the side. Come on Abby! There is fish left and you have had lots.

Victor got up in the shade and Abby followed him.

At 12:02, Abby is in food coma. Victor is up in the shade of Sally and there is fish left. Come on Victor! Come on Sally. Now is the perfect chance.

Harry’s eyes remind me of Blue 33.

To the relief of all, Victor is eating!

Victor got some fish and Sally finished the tail at 12:34. That means that she fed Abby, Victor, and herself from 10:48-12:34. Remarkable.

Thank you, Sally, for shading the babies!

Of course, Victor does not know when to leave a good thing alone. He went on a ferocious attack on Abby. Victor, everything is fine. Leave Abby be! No revenge is necessary.

In Virginia, Martin and Rosa continue to do well with the three eaglets at Dulles-Greenaway.

I do not know about the weather but these little ones cannot regulate their temperature yet and the oldest has gotten out of the egg cup and over to the rim of the nest. It needs to get back! This happened around 11:00 on Tuesday.

The chick is still moving at 12:37.

The oldest was out of the nest cup for over 5 hours. At one point, Rosa went over to encourage it to get closer to the egg cup. It must be extremely hungry, and I hope it has not gotten a chill. And then, a miracle happened. All three are in the nest! Tears.

The female eagles are at a loss as to when this happens. Most will not help because they could harm the little one. You might remember that one of the Es got out of the nest cup this year, and Harriet did use her beak to roll it back under. That was a brilliant solution.

I cannot see DG3’s head in this image.

Then a few minutes later it is there and seemingly tired.

Now all three are back in the cup. Thank goodness.

DG3 feeling better a few hours later.

At 17:04, the trio were enjoying a meal.

I continue to have mixed feelings about Rose. Thankfully Ron is feeding the eaglets! Rose flew off early on Tuesday morning and Ron flew in and fed the little ones.

Rose returns and does a feeding. Did she bring the fish?

She’s gone again. Ron is looking after the little ones. No worries. Ron is really rather amazing and is having a wonderful time looking after his babies while Rose eases herself into motherhood.

‘H’ has sent me a note. Apparently Rose has done an amazing feeding of the eaglets. She is being patient and offering small pieces. It was 16:16. Thanks, ‘H’. I do hope that Rose gains more confidence. ‘H’ says there was no beaking and both left the meal with nice little crops that you can see in the image below.

Bravo, Rose!

The two eaglets at Duke Farms are older than those at Dulles-Greenway and WRDC. They hatched on the 27-28th of February and are 23 and 24 days old. Their thermal down is coming in and Mum and Dad do not brood them all day long.

They also have enormous crops. It is a wonder they can sit! or move.

The Latvian White-tail Eagles, Milda and Voldis, continue to incubate their eggs. Gosh, these are beautiful eagles.

Arthur and Big Red continue to work on their nest. It seems that Arthur is very much aware of the construction across Tower Road. Let us all hope that this does not cause issues for this Red-tail Hawk couple on the Cornell campus this year.

Meanwhile in Mlade-Buky, The Czech Republic, everyone is awaiting the return of White Storks, Bukachek and Betty.

Checking on Karl II and his family. Waba continues to forage in Sudan. There was a hiccup on the tracker, but it shows that Kaia is on the move north from Chad. Precisely where is unknown. Everyone feels that Karl II should be arriving in Estonia at any time but there is no tracking news. We wait.

How long does a Bald Eagle live when it is cared for? fed? Mrs B was at least 49 years old when she passed. Wow.

Flaco, the escaped Eurasian Owl from the New York City Zoo, thrives in Central Park. Check out the latest on Falco and other NYC urban hawks with Robert at urbanhawks.com

In Canada, especially in some of the most beautiful parts of our country, the developers are taking over land traditionally supporting Bald Eagles. Dave Hancock and his foundation are working diligently to replace nests in trees lost to developments, including parking lots! I have mentioned it before, but it is worth pointing out again in case you missed it, Dave is including a sunscreen because of the rising summer temperature in the lower mainland of British Columbia.

The geese are taking over some unused Bald Eagle nests in Iowa. This one in Decorah had goslings jumping last year to our delight. Now there are eggs again this year! Bravo.

Red Tide has come to the coast of the Barrier Islands in Florida. So what is Red Tide? NOAA says, “Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae—plant-like organisms that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. While many people call these blooms ‘red tides,’ scientists prefer the term harmful algal bloom. One of the best known HABs in the nation occurs nearly every summer along Florida’s Gulf Coast. This bloom, like many HABs, is caused by microscopic algae that produce toxins that kill fish and make shellfish dangerous to eat. The toxins may also make the surrounding air difficult to breathe. As the name suggests, the bloom of algae often turns the water red.” In fact, not all of the waters are red but, this can be very deadly as you can see form the Plover below in the care of CROW.

How will this impact our eagles and Ospreys?

If you are watching the Loch of the Lowes nest and are confused because you cannot see the Blue Darvic ring for Blue NC0, it appears it has split and come off. I cannot emphasise how important these rings are in identifying the birds. The recent mystery surrounding Blue KW0 would not even exist without that ring!

Maya and Blue 33 continue to reacquaint themselves after their return to Rutland after their winter migration.

The Scottish Government is trying to come to grips with the illegal killing of the raptors because of the grouse-hunting community. They have now implemented a grouse shooting licensing bill. It is a first step. Still, the legal system must deal with those who defy the laws allowing gamekeepers to get off with little or no penalties for horrible crimes against these amazing birds, such as stomping on five Goshawk chicks in the nest!

Breaking news….Scottish Government introduces grouse shoot licencing bill

I want also to introduce you to a lovely Ukrainian tradition today. One of my former students from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, CD, teaches at a university in northern Manitoba. She posted that March 22 is the Day of the Forty Martyrs. Her baba (grandmother) would make bread (pasta) covered with little dough birds. Of course, I saw the post and thought how interesting. Here is the story from the Ukrainian Cultural Centre:

The importance of this day, which comes immediately after the spring equinox, pre-dates Christianity in Ukraine. According to folklorist Olexa Woropay, on this day the magpie puts forty twigs in its nest and forty larks migrate from south to north. Bird-shaped buns called zhaivoronky were baked – forty of them, of course – and were given to children so that the poultry breed well. Some traditions report the children playing with the forty bird-shaped buns, tossing them into the air to invite all the birds to return from their winter migrations.

What a marvellous tradition! Guess who is baking paska today?

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care all. Remember to get outside, even for a few minutes if you can! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, announcements, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: Geemeff, ‘H’, ‘CD’, Hakai Magazine, FOBBV, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Heidi Mc and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Achieva Credit Union, Moorings Park Ospreys, Dulles-Greenaway, WRDC, Duke Farms, Latvian Fund for Nature, Cornell RTH, Blade Buky, Bald Eagle Live Nest Cams and News, Urban Hawks, Hancock Wildlife, L Rose and Decorah Eagles Love Nest, Diane Lambertson Captiva Island Eagles and Ospreys, LOTL, LRWT, Raptor Persecution UK, and the Ukrainian Cultural Centre.

Maya’s home! hatch at Achieva, Egg at Centreport …Sunday in Bird World

19 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

If you live in the United Kingdom, Happy Mother’s Day! And what a fantastic day it is with Maya landing on the nest. Blue 25 is there, and our guilty male, Blue 33, comes in with a fish! Thanks, Geemeff, for the head’s up!

Look at Blue 33’s eyes – like, oh gosh, what do I do now? Too funny. Go home, Blue 25. You just wanted free fish anyway!!!!!!! This is such a relief!

Oh, you can almost ‘smell’ spring on the Canadian Prairies. The snow is melting, and we have reached the balmy temperature of -5 C. Incredible. the Pileated Woodpecker has decided the garden is a good breakfast stop, and I must remember to fill up the suet logs for him. The Sparrows are singing and one Blue Jay has returned. Meanwhile, the Chickadees are busy in a tree in the front where I cannot see them. Are they making a nest?

Lewis has loved watching the squirrels and birds out the garden door! So happy he enjoys looking outside and not getting into mischief 24/7. He has only been inside the fridge twice now, and I have discovered that the loose tea packets sound like cat treats. I could not imagine what was making him so crazy. Of course, then he just had to have some treats. LOL. Thankfully he runs it all off during the day and night. Meanwhile, Missy lets Lewis get into trouble. She waits til the middle of the night for her turn when no one is looking!

After all the running around watching the birds and squirrels from room to room, Lewis is exhausted! Guess who takes up the entire big dog bed? and who has to sleep in the little basket?

The first hatch of the 2023 season for Jack and Diane at the Achieva Osprey Platform in St Petersburg, Florida came Saturday morning! 10:22:21 seems to be about the time. These are Tiny Tot Tumbles parents and there are two more eggs to hatch. Congratulations to everyone at Achieva.

Jack looks down at his new baby – proud dad.

M15 seemed to be entered into some speed fishing derby this morning. He brought four fish to the nest for the Es, nice size fish, from 0927-12:54. I stopped watching after that, knowing that the pair were good to go for another 48 hours if necessary! M15 didn’t stop with those four deliveries, he kept on going! Are you trying to impress the new lady, M15, like you have impressed us this year?

So many fish and birds were landing on the nest today that 22 was eating one and had a spare! And 21 was so full he didn’t want it. My last count of deliveries was six.

At 17:54, M15 came down from his branch and fed the eaglets the bird that he had brought. Talk about sweet.

Lady Hawk gives us some close ups of the female and in the background you can hear E22 squeeing very loudly – if he didn’t we would think something was wrong, right? Gosh, I am going to miss that sound!

M15 has already brought in food to the Es on Sunday morning as I prepare to publish this blog. Amazing Dad and Mum.

We all love Indigo. We also know that Diamond and Xavier do, too. Alas, they are trying hard to suggest to Indigo that he is now old enough to strike out and find his territory, and it isn’t their scrape box! Poor Indigo. Oh, this reminds me of life with Izzi!!!!

Cute little Xavier. He will let Diamond take care of Indigo!

If you have been watching the Moorings Park Osprey platform, the beaking is sometimes very difficult. Abby is quite the aggressive young lady when she wants to be, and she signals to Victor she is the boss. You need to watch the feedings because Victor is getting fed. That is what we want to see. Victor eating. And he is!

The key is for the one being beaked and being submissive to never look the dominant chick in the eye. It seems to set them off. The feedings below were at 11:26 and 14:21.

The dominant chick needs to be reassured that they will get food. The younger ones learn, if necessary, to give in to that and wait their turn. Abby now has a darker, blacker head.

Victor does not always get fed at every meal. The key is that he is eating and this phase should pass. There is plenty of food and both Harry and Sally are good parents. It is part of growing up on an osprey nest. At the 1654 feeding, Victor was in an awkward position. I presume he wanted to stay out of Abby’s way. He did get some fish.

That is Victor up at Sally’s beak. He is getting some bites of the fish before Abby attacks. She is being extremely aggressive despite there being enough fish for both. Let us hope that Abby goes into food coma and Victor gets some more.

Abby leaves the feed with a nice crop and Victor wants Sally to keep feeding. Where is the fish, Mum?

Victor is fish-calling. There is nothing left. What we need, is for Harry to fly to the nest with another great big fish for the last meal. Fill Abby up, and then Victor can have a good old feed. That is what he needs.

The one thing I like about eagles is that they leave prey on the nest for the Mum to feed the babies. Ospreys do not do that. They do not leave anything that will attract predators or insects. So Sally and the chicks are heavily reliant on Harry for prompt deliveries. Any break in the pattern will set the dominant chick off into survival mode where they worry that food is in short supply.

These images are from an earlier feed in the afternoon.

If you were watching the Moorings, Harry came in right on time with a nice chunk of fish. It was 19:12. Abby was still full and Victor was right up at the table! Victor is the one that is lighter and with the more copper head.

Victor is still getting fed at 1937 – so a 25-minute dinner. Note that Abby is in a food coma and does not care what is happening. This is how you keep a nest from falling into siblicide. Good management of deliveries when things get ticklish. Over the years, I have seen the female remove fish from the nest and return with it to feed the little one once the dominant pass out. (A good example was Blue35 at Foulshaw Moss in Cumbria 2 years ago).

Victor is still fed at 19:45. Abby is now at the table. No worries for our little one tonight. He just ate a huge amount of fish!!!!!!!!!!! Throughout, Victor continued to do crop drops to hold more food. Smart.

Even with Abby there, Victor has not backed down and continues to be fed. This is all good. It is 19:48. There is also a lot of fish left. Thanks, Harry!

R4 and R5 each had nice crops when I checked in on a late-feeding Saturday. Rose is getting there. Just have patience. There is plenty of food for these two, and she has Ron as a backup as she learns her new role.

Ron giving them an early morning feed.

Rose feeding in the afternoon.

Evening meal compliments of Dad, Ron. I did not see one of the eaglets eat. Full from an earlier meal? Issues? We would expect both to have their beaks up. It has been difficult to see how much prey the little ones get on the one camera as the adult’s back is to us, blocking the view.

Jackie and Shadow are still taunting us with the thoughts of a replacement clutch. Jackie was in the nest bowl yesterday and both were at Big Bear again today. We wait.

Jackie wasn’t the only one to check out the egg bowl. Shadow joined in the action, too. Now we need something to fill that ‘egg’ cup!

At the nest of Martin and Rosa at Dulles-Greenway, the third hatch was underway Saturday night as the sun was setting. Last year they raised a single super-eaglet. This year the pair are going to be triply busy!

Worried about the two eaglets at Duke Farms? Don’t. They are both doing fantastic.

Sometimes you get lucky, and today was one of those days. Tico and Pearl were up on their nest at Superbeaks, getting fed by Muhlady! They are doing precisely what eaglets are supposed to do. Remember this. When they fledge, they should return to the nest where the parents feed them while they, the eaglets, get their flying and hunting skills perfected. This can be a month or a little longer.

Connick is no longer ‘little Connick’. Clive and Connie continue to sit on the branches on the natal nest showing Connick where he will branch.

At the nest of Trey, KNF-E1, the GHO attacked all night! Poor little eaglet. Listen and watch how well Trey protects itself.

Oh, how I miss seeing the action at the nest of Thunder and Akecheta. What a blessing it is that they come to the old cliffs and nest so that we can see they are alright. Both eaglets were there on and off today, early morning and at dusk.

What an amazing eagle. I would love to see you with those little ones this year, Akecheta. You were incredible with the trio last year!

As we all know, it has been a turbulent season at the Centreport Bald Eagle nest on Long Island. Dad is no longer with us and there were a number of suitors vying for Mum and the nest. There was even a death spiral between two of then – D4 and D5. Neither died. The winner appears to be D3! Now, it looks like there is an egg.

Why is Mum not incubating the egg 24/7? It is called delayed incubation. This helps all eggs laid to hatch closer together and ultimately helps stop siblicide on nests!

A visitor was at the nest of Gabby and V3 in St Petersburg, Florida. An Osprey! According to Gracie Shepherd, this osprey is a regular visit to this nest. His name is Bogey, and he is waiting for his mate, Bacall. Someone liked the movies that named these two! Time 16:57.

Big Red and Arthur have been mating and continue to work on their nest on the Cornell Campus in Ithaca, New York. L4, the feisty little hatch from 2022, remains in or near the territory of her parents. They have tried to suggest she move but it looks like L4 is staying put.

The storks are back in Germany. These storks are in Chemnitz-Wittgensdorf and have their nest on an old industrial factory’s chimney. The nest is approximately 28 m off the ground. Here is the link to their camera which is part of a research project with the Saxon State Foundation for Nature and the Environment (LANU Sachsen).

https://www.youtube.com/live/pgtil9B_7qw?feature=share

BirdLife International does not want us to give up. Their scientists want us to understand that there are conservation efforts that are being rewarded. The following articles remind us of this, “For example, in 2005, the Azores Bullfinch was Europe’s most threatened bird, with a population of just 40 pairs. SPEA (BirdLife in Portugal) helped to restore its native laurel forests, and it now numbers more than 1,000 individuals. On the other side of the globe, the Tahiti Monarch is recovering from just 19 birds through the hard work of SOP Manu (BirdLife in French Polynesia), who have managed to control not one, but nine invasive species.” We have to get out there and do what is necessary. What is good for our birds is also good for us! and our planet.

https://www.birdlife.org/projects/preventing-extinctions-bringing-the-worlds-most-threatened-birds-back-from-the-brink/

Migration is so dangerous. It is so hard to imagine the distance travelled in such a short time and the challenges that all the birds face. The other day the news carried a photograph of a kestrel that had flown from the southernmost part of Africa up to Northern Europe. Incredible. I am starting to use the other maps available to track the Black Storks of the Karula National Forest in Estonia as well as following the news on Looduskalender.

Still no news from Kaia or Bonus.

Remember to do what you can to protect their habitat, to save them from rodenticides, fly traps, song bird traps, shootings, monofilament line, lead ammunition and fishing gear, galvanised items, and the more than other 4o or more things that impede their lives.

We will be watching many places for a hatch, but Bella and Smitty at the NCTC nest – who have been fending off intruders – should have a pip on the 22nd of March. Getting ready for pip watch with Liberty and Guardian at Redding, too.

There continues to be no transmission from Zoe.

Thank you so much for being with me today and to those who wrote in hoping to help find out who banded Blue KW0. It is a considerable mystery with no records in Scotland, Canada or the US, but we hope to locate a bander in the Caribbean who did. Keep your fingers crossed. I will let you know if we are lucky! Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, announcements, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: Geemeff, Geemeff and LRWT, Achieva Credit Union, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Moorings Park Ospreys, WRDC, FOBBV, Dulles-Greenway, Window to Wildlife, Tonya in NO, IWS and Explore.org, Lisa Schwartz and the Bald Eagles of Centreport, NY, NEFL-AEF, Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters, LANU Sachsen, BirdLife International, Looduskalender Forum, and FORE.

16 fish for Trey, hatches and arrivals…Saturday in Bird World

18 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

It is the start of the weekend. What is going to happen today in Bird World? The Ospreys are arriving in the UK. It is like each one got a separate train car, so one or two arrive, we take a breath, and another is spotted on a nest! It is going to be a busy few days.

Before we get to what is happening at the Eagle and Osprey nests, I want to update you on Karl II and his Black Stork family. We have not heard from Karl II since he landed in Chad in September. His tracker is working and he has begun his journey back to the Karula National Forest Black Stork Nest in Estonia. We wait for the tracker to kick in for his mate, Kaia. Now, to get home through Ukraine. What a relief. There is also news of Waba, who remains in Sudan foraging.

The latest tracking has Karl II heading to Khartoum.

Waba remains in Sudan between Murshid and New Halfa.

Sometimes you wonder what is happening. Then you go back to information that you already know and apply it to see if it is a fact in the new instance. So, the Red-tail Hawk Big Red fills her eyases up with food if she doesn’t want them to fledge. It could be a sunny day, and you wonder what she is doing, and then a storm comes, and you go ‘right’ – eyases can’t fly with wet feathers. So, on Friday, Anna and Louis brought 16 fish to Trey on the Kisatchie National Forest E1 nest. Wowzers.

M15 has been busy. There were at least five prey deliveries to E21 and 22 on Friday—feast and then famine—just like life in the wild. M15 is teaching these two so much! Or are the females leaving him alone today so he can hunt?

Vija gives us the video of the fifth delivery of the day. Look at that mantling job of 22!!!!!!!!!! We are all so proud of you, little one.

Oh, and a fish. 22 is making up for 21 stealing all its fish.

This is what E21’s branching looked like from the ground. Thank you Lisa Russo, SW Florida and Saunders Photography!

Here is that branching in a video clip by Lady Hawk.

Today and a few days old…hard to imagine.

Good night M15, good night Es.

It is no secret that I worry about eaglets that have a difference – such as two days – in their hatch or if they have a first-time Mum, OR if both of these instances collide. I have fretted over Rose’s feeding techniques at the WRDC nest. She is getting there slowly. It reminds me of Anna at the KNF-E1 nest two years ago with her first eaglet, Kisatchie. She gave him huge bites, and he didn’t know how to hold his head. Of course, they figured it out, and he fledged, big and bold. Rose is figuring it out, and Ron is helping her!

It is 1700 at the Moorings Park Osprey platform. Sally is stuffing Abby and Victor. The pair behave themselves during the feedings (most of the time) and do their usual beaking about when Sally isn’t brooding. That is pretty normal and as long as both are eating well, everything should be fine. It is sometimes difficult to watch as they can get really rough with one another.

It is hot and Sally is shading the babies while they eat. (So difficult to get a good screen captures of them).

You can see the thermal down coming in. Look at those little bodies below. I always think it must make them ‘cranky’ – all that itching and hormone changes.

Notice the copper-red feathers coming in at the head on Victor, below.

Our cute fluffy chicks look more like their relatives, the dinosaurs today. Of course, they are actually dinosaurs.

If you squint, you can see those crops getting full. All is well at the Moorings. That is Victor closest to you.

Harry brought in a nice fish at 1915 and Sally immediately began ‘stuffing’ Abby and Victor. Their crops were so full they could hardly move after. Well done, Sally!

Victor has his beak wide open! Just look at how dark these two are now.

There are two hatches (3?) at the Venice Golf and Country Club Osprey Platform. The camera drives me crazy as it is so low a resolution that you can hardly see what is happening. That is why I do not report on this nest very often. You can tell there are two because of the stripes on their back if you look close enough – squint, hard!

At the Achieva Osprey nest, Diane is not allowing Jack to come and incubate, and she is acting as if there could be a hatch. The three eggs were laid on 08, 11, and 14 of February making the oldest 37 days today.

The two eaglets at Duke Farms are nothing short of being little darlings. So sweet. No trouble. Experienced parents, and the weather has turned warm enough for them to be out from underneath Mum and Dad for a bit.

Rosa and Martin are working hard to keep the two new Dulles-Greenway eaglets fed and warm – DG3 and DG4. Will there be a DG5? They are our little fluff balls today, just like the ones at the WRDC. I am always fascinated by the eaglets, some born with those dark goggles and some not.

Shadow and Jackie have been on and off the nest today at Big Bear. We are all waiting and watching you two!

Baiba gives a montage of the work that Jackie and Shadow did a couple of days ago! We are in suspense as to how this will work out but…hopeful.

Meanwhile, Liberty and Guardian are getting no rest at their nest in Redding, California this year. They can hardly incubate their only egg without an intruder popping up.

Blue 33 has been a busy boy since he returned from migration. Goodness gracious, the energy he has. Not only has he had to hang out with Blue 25, who seems to be wanting to hedge her bets in case her mate doesn’t return, but he has also been caught mating with 25 and even brought her a fish. Incredible.

Maya and Blue 33 are a ‘super’ couple having raised two sets of four osplets. Some nests have trouble keeping up with two chicks – not these two. Many of you have asked about the ospreys that kick other male’s eggs out of the nest. I often post a video of a couple but I did not realise that Blue 33 was one of them until today when Geemeff sent me the following note:

#Maya got her name in 2014, was known as #Mrs5R and was paired with #Blue28. She’d laid 3 eggs but then #Blue33 arrived, evicted Blue28, kicked out the eggs and spent the rest of the season bonding with Maya. The pair returned the following year and to date have 23 chicks!

Geemeff, 17 March 2023

Geemeff added that we do not know how old Maya is; she is unhinged. Blue 33 is a 2011 hatch. Blue 25 is the long-time mate of Blue 11. Both hatched in 2010, and the couple has been together since 2013.

Blue 25 is relaxing a little too much in the nest Blue 33 is building for his mate, Maya.

Osprey arrival at Theave! They are coming and they are coming in steady!

How many of you could write an article for The Guardian on how birds changed your life or inspired you to love birds? I bet every one of you! Here is an interesting read about someone who fell in love with an NZ parrot, the Kea.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/16/the-new-zealanders-have-finally-done-it-theyve-turned-me-into-a-bird-lover?CMP=share_btn_link

Anyone who knows me, understands that Mr Crow is a big part of my life. Last year, he blessed me by bringing his three fledglings to my garden many times daily until they came on their own. It was the same with Junior, the Blue Jay. Today, one of the Blue Jays came to the garden along with a Pileated Woodpecker. Spring is coming! The woodpecker has been here all winter but, the Blue Jays took off late in the year. So nice to have them back. But, back to the Crows. ‘R’ sent me a very interesting article that I would like to share with you. Its focus is on the repopulation or the saving of the Crows

This crow is ‘very intelligent’ — and it’s struggling to survive in the wild

Plans to repopulate Hawaii’s forests with its “very intelligent” crows have been upended in part by its natural predator, the Hawaiian hawk. Now scientists are tracking the hawk in order to save the corvids.

By Dino Grandoni

March 17, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT

FERN ACRES, Hawaii — Amy Durham wound the straps under the wing, over the wing, under the other wing, over the other wing, making sure the backpack-like device stays comfortably strapped to the Hawaiian hawk for many months.

“This may be your best work yet,” said Diego Johnson, one of her colleagues holding the straps on the chocolate-colored hawk’s chest as Durham secured a lightweight GPS transmitter to its back.

These San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance researchers are trekking around the mountainous jungles of Hawaii’s Big Island not just to understand the ‘io, one of the state’s only birds of prey, which is considered at risk. It’s crucial, too, for restoring an even more endangered bird species — the ‘alalā, or Hawaiian crow.

Known for its problem-solving abilities, the Hawaiian crow is one of the most remarkable bird species in the world. The ‘alalā, whose name means to “yell” in the local language, is one of the only birds in the world known to naturally use — and even make — its own tools.

Yet this distinctive crow that many dub “very intelligent” has been extinct in the wild for two decades, with the only about 120 alive in human care today.

So far, plans to repopulate Hawaii’s forests with its native crows have been upended in part by the ‘io. The hawks are the crows’ natural predator, and have come after the corvids during prior reintroduction efforts.

The ʻio, the endemic and endangered native Hawaiian hawk species, is one of only two native raptors found in Hawaii. (Eric J. Franke for The Washington Post)

The wing feathers of an ʻio. (Eric J. Franke for The Washington Post)

The talons of an ʻio are tagged by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance scientists before its release for future identification. (Eric J. Franke for The Washington Post)

By tracking the hawks, scientists with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources are trying to figure out where it is safest to reintroduce the crows so they can again thrive in the wild. At the heart of their research is a riddle: How do you protect two rare birds when one keeps attacking the other?

“They’ve coexisted for many, many, many years,” said Bryce Masuda, conservation program manager for the zoo. Now his team is trying to get these two bird species found nowhere else on Earth to coexist again.

Bringing back a ‘family god’

Ever since people set foot in the Hawaiian archipelago, humans have been enthralled by the islands’ crows.

Its glossy black feathers adorned Native Hawaiian robes. Its imposing beak and piercing eyes led some families to regard the ‘alalā as a manifestation of an ‘aumakua, or “family god” that watches over them.

When Capt. James Cook arrived in Hawaii in 1778, many murders of crows stalked the islands’ volcanic hillsides.

The Mauna Loa eruption of 2022 is seen at dawn from the southeast area of Hawaii Island. (Eric J. Franke for The Washington Post)

A fence line along a gravel road separates invasive animals from the native forest in the Puʻu Makaʻala Natural Area Reserve. (Eric J. Franke for The Washington Post)

An ʻalalā, the endemic and endangered Hawaiian crow species, on an aviary window at the Maui Bird Conservation Center. (Eric J. Franke for The Washington Post)

Over the centuries, a variety of factors — disease, destruction of forests for farming and cattle ranching and predation by cats and other nonnative animals — conspired to drive the crow’s population down.

By 1992, there were only 13 ‘alalā in Hawaii’s forests. The last wild ones were spotted a decade later. The only ‘alalā known to exist today live in a pair of breeding centers run by the San Diego Zoo on the Big Island and Maui.

A picture of one of the survivors caught the attention of Christian Rutz, a behavioral ecologist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

For more than a decade, he had studied a different corvid species called the New Caledonian crow. Without any training, chicks in New Caledonia, a French territory in the South Pacific, pick up sticks to collect grubs from crevices. At the time, no other crow was known to naturally use tools.

But Rutz suspected there were others. When he saw the Hawaiian crow’s straight beak and forward-facing eyes — features perfect for holding and manipulating twigs — he phoned the San Diego Zoo’s bird conservation center.

A manager told him the Hawaiian crows were always flying around with sticks in their bills. Rutz was stunned. “I booked myself pretty much onto the next flight to Hawaii,” he said.

The Washington Post, 17 March 2023

There are osprey sightings at Chesapeake Conservancy and Patuxent today, too!

If you have been looking for the GROWLS streaming cam, it doesn’t exist. Possibly because of the attention last season, the land owners do not want a camera on the nest where Junior hatched, and Malala was adopted. Sharron Palmer-Hunt advises that they will put up the camera that they have when a suitable nest is located.

Since it is St Patrick’s Day when I am writing, let us all wish the luck of the Irish to Jak and Audacity at Sauces Canyon. Their seventh egg – lucky number 7 – is still holding!

There are many in the UK fighting for justice for the raptors. Trying to get those that are responsible for maintaining the laws to do their job. It is incredibly frustrating to find the evidence and then stand bewildered when no one does enough about it to cause real change. Hats off to those who diligently work for the raptors.

Isn’t it time that game shooting was stopped?

If you live in the UK, why not add your name to help stop the trawling of Sandeels so that birds like the Puffins can continue to have a food source?

Thank you so much for being with me today. I will try and include a look at a few other nests that have been neglected at the weekend. Take care of yourselves. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that help make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘R’, ‘Geemeff’, Kisatchie National Forest E-1, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Vija and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lisa Russo and SW Florida Eagles and Saunders Photography, Lady Hawk and Sw Florida Eagles, WRDC, Moorings Park Ospreys, VGCCO, Achieva Credit Union, Duke Farms, Dulles-Greenway Eagles, FOBBV, Baiba and FOBBV, FORE, Theave Ospreys, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Chesapeake Conservancy and Explore.org, IWS and Explore.org, Raptor Persecution UK, and @MeganMcCubbin.

Jackie screams at Ravens, Saving Albatross…Friday in Bird World

10 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

It is hard to turn on the SWFlorida streaming cam and not see M15 there with a big fish feeding the Es. So far on Thursday there were 4 feedings and M15 has already fed both eaglets breakfast Friday morning. When 22 slid right in by 21, I almost fell out of my desk chair. The environment on this nest has changed so much since our worries of a week ago. The food security that M15 has established is really working wonders, bringing a normalcy back to this beautiful eagle nest. When do you remember 21 giving 22 a thorough going over? Many thought 22 might not live – including me. Well, I am sure happy to have to eat those words! Life is good. In fact, even the GHOs are cooperating. Their owlets, there are two of them, will fledge and be away from the natal nest before the Es even branch! That in itself is a miracle and will stop a lot of potential problems. M15 and the eaglets are very blessed.

Those four feedings were 09:18:14, 10:10:28, 14:43:40 (a massive catfish), and 15:58:25 with another big fish. Here are a few images from those feedings.

09:18:20. 21 is going to eat first. Notice those beautiful feathers coming in on the back of 21. The eagles are losing their fluffy white natal down, they have grown their thermal down, and now the feathers that will mark them as juveniles are growing in. The eaglets are healthy, they are developing as they should, and I noticed that 22 is even standing on its feet.

09:19. E21 is really enjoying this nice breakfast.

09:34. E22 did not mess out. Look, E22 has a really nice crop.

M15 hangs in there, surveys what is happening and manages by moving the prey and himself to make sure both of his children get fed. Lovely. It is almost impossible to hold back the tears of joy just looking at how well this family is doing. I think it gives us hope for other nests that find themselves missing an adult at a crucial time.

10:10. 22 is there for some bites. You can really tell the two apart now. Glance at the image above. It is like someone took a crochet hook and tied in some feathers to the down and made a gorgeous cape for 21 with some black fringe at the terminal end of the tail. Beautiful.

14:44. Huge catfish lands on the nest. This is really a nice one and it is going to feed everyone. I know that some of you are now beginning to worry that M15 is taking such good care of the eaglets that he is neglecting himself. Let us hope not. He has to take care so that he can be all things to these two babies. There is still a long way to go before they fly the coop er’ tree.

This is the image that really brought tears to my eyes today. It is 14:52. Both of the eaglets have crops, they are side by side, they are facing dad. 22 looks as if he is smiling. There is no tension or fear in this image. Instead, it is two eaglets and their dad in the sunshine enjoying a catfish meal together.

When I captured this screen image, it was almost one week since Harriet went missing. M15 is doing her proud. Notice also how heavy 21’s wings are now. They are drooping just like they are supposed to. Also notice the size of the feet.

No animosity between the eaglets although 22 remains careful and quick to duck if he thinks 21 might beak. Actually smart. It will help him later when he is around lots of birds that want to take his food.

22 really does like to peck at the nest overs. A survivor.

15:10 and the rest of that catfish belongs to 22 and Dad.

You are amazing M15!

As the eaglets try and sleep, rain is beginning to fall on them. I wonder if M15 will go down to the nest? No, he did not. He is doing sentry duty on the branch. Let us hope that the GHOs are so busy feeding themselves and the two owlets at night that they do not have any time to go fly into M15.

The Friday morning first feeding was around 0800. 21 ate and then 22. A distraction for Dad in-between. Both eaglets are quite fine. My friend ‘A’ wrote that it was the first time she didn’t check on the SWFlorida Nest first. Gosh, that is the most wonderful thing to say.

21 at 0805.

22 eating at 0826.

You can Make a Difference:

Do you eat tuna? swordfish? Do you know someone who does? Do you know how it is caught? is it by pole? or is it by long-line trawler? The problem right now is one of trust. What certification can we trust? Here is an article from the BBC. There are many more, some supported by the long line fishing industry to make you think that line fishing is sustainable. It is not. There are ways that long line trawlers can make fishing safe. Some groups and countries will even provide free sparkly lines or the boat crews can bait the lines at night or put them over the side BUT are those ships churning fish into the bellies of boats 24/7 really doing the right thing for the environment? for the birds? I have stopped eating fish altogether – it is one way to be sure. 90% of the ocean’s fish, since the end of the nineteenth century, are gone. Feeding humans is causing the birds that rely on the fish from the sea to starve. Do you really need that can of tuna?

Can-eating-fish-ever-be-sustainable-BBC-FutureDownload

There is a battle going on right now to save the Albatross – all of them but, especially the Antipodean Albatross. Since 2005, their population number has decreased by 60%. In 20 years, if we do not dramatically change the way tuna and swordfish are caught, these gentle sentinels will be extinct. Someone I know -and I am sure you have seen her name if you are part of the Orange Peregrine Falcon FB group- Holly Parsons, reached out to me. She is on a campaign to stop people from eating tuna and swordfish and to do something about the deaths that are occurring due to long line fishing. This is, of course, something very dear to my heart and to another friend, ‘R’.

A beautiful video – so well made – and short. Please watch and then share it! The more people that understand the issues and step forward to end long line fishing trawlers, the better the world will be. Thank you! Thanks Holly for reaching out.

In the News:

Falco, the Eurasian Owl that escaped when vandals cut its cage at the New York City Zoo, has been delighting viewers around Central Park. But can the owl survive in the wild? Many are afraid that it cannot.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/09/flaco-owl-central-park-zoo-new-york-bergdorfs?CMP=share_btn_link

Two female bald Eagles fighting in Nova Scotia, Canada get so enraged with one another over a territory or prey defence – and so tangled – that both ended up in rehab. Great little video (note: there is a cruise ad at the beginning – just bear with it to get to the story).

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2623341&jwsource=cl

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/talon-locked-bald-eagles-treated-at-nova-scotia-s-hope-for-wildlife-1.6261910?utm_campaign=trueAnthem: New Content (Feed)

What an idea. Train a team of Spaniels to sniff out and kill rodents to save the lives of birds – it is a Welsh trial but, I am wondering if a team of these dogs would not work to aid those islands with Albatross that are getting bitten and killed by rats??? What do you think?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/08/meet-jinx-the-dog-on-a-mission-to-protect-welsh-bird-colonies-from-rats?CMP=share_btn_link

Germany is taking the injury and/or killing of raptors seriously. Let’s see this happen with those that keep getting their sentencing postponed in the UK. It is time to stand up for wildlife and the environment – no matter where we live. The raptors cannot go to court and speak for themselves, neither can the Buzzards, the White-tail Eagles, the Storks – all of them. They need our help since we are, in fact, the ones that took away their pristine environment, turned them into hats and fancy dress, and put their eggs in cases while poisoning the water and land where they get their food.

‘H’ and I have been making lists of what kills ospreys for almost a year now, going back and forth. Conservation without Borders posted a list of 37 items that need tackling to make the world safe. Have a read – lots we haven’t even considered! What can each of us do to help?

Do not dye birds for fun! It kills them. I want to ask: what idiot would think this is a good idea? Once again, you can help. If you hear of anyone – or any civic project – that is going to release artificially coloured birds – you try and stop them. Reason with them, phone the news stations, whatever it takes to peacefully stop a potential death sentence.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/07/new-york-pink-pigeon-flamingo-gender-reveal-party?CMP=share_btn_link

Big Red and Arthur’s fourth hatch in 2022, L4, is still on the Cornell campus. There is also what seems to be a light coloured Red-tailed male around. Here is Cornell’s tweet:

OK. They are not raptors – not by a long shot but, I do dearly love these flightless parrots of New Zealand – the Kakapo. The Recovery project is continuing with naming the 55 that survived to be a year old from the 2022 hatch! What an incredible number of survivors. Aren’t they adorable?

In the Nests:

The ‘New Guy’ at Cal Falcons and Annie have been eating and mating on the ledge. Sharon Pollock captured the action for us. Will we have some eggs in that scrape at The Campanile soon?

There is an injury to the talon of HD at Decorah. How will he fare?

We saw Diamond soaking wet and in much need of a trip to the salon yesterday. I didn’t have images of Indigo. Elain has caught that wee fledgling! So happy Indigo made it to the scrape.

Angus brought a live Sheepshead fish to Mabel at the Captiva Nest – and she dropped it when flying off. So sad for her. The video capture by HeidiMc is quick. Don’t look away!

Connick, the only eaglet of Clive and Connie, seems to eat and be in a perpetual food coma. He is growing and growing. Really strong thick legs and such beautiful thermal down. Cute little tail that he seems to like to wiggle. Just look at Connick’s mohawk…too funny. He still has his light grey mouth…watch as it will turn to yellow.

Connick, that crop is so big. Can you even lift yourself up?

As we get closer and closer to pip watch for Jackie and Shadow, the Ravens are being relentless in their harassment, flying all about the tree. Thursday morning Jackie went flat to protect the eggs. Then she began doing several alarm vocalisations. We are 5 days away from pip watch. Jackie and Shadow are being extremely vigilant. After the eaglet/s hatch, they will need to continue this high level of security. The eaglets will not be safe from predation until they are about a month old.

I have not checked on all the nests today. Jak and Audacity at Sauces Canyon do have a third egg. Typically the shell of the third can be thinner than the others. Let us all collectively hope that this one egg might make it to hatch!

I did check on the Black Storks, Waba and Udu. Waba is the 2022 hatch of Karl and Kaia and Udu is a 2021 hatch from the Karula National Forest nest in Estonia. Waba continues to fish in the Sudan.

Udu is in Turkey but not around the earthquake area.

There has not been tracking information for Kaia since she landed in Chad, from Karl when he would be flying to his wintering home form the Nile, or from Bonus who was last heard from when he was in the Western Desert. We hope that when spring migration begins, their transmitters will start to send signals. Zoe has not sent a transmission for 36 hours. Friends of Osprey are not worried as she is in the area where there was no cell coverage before. Send everyone your positive and good energy. ‘H’ just wrote to me and said that Zoe has now missed another tracking notice. Please send good wishes that she is simply out of range.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, their tweets, videos, and their streaming cams that make up my screen captures and blog: ‘A’, ‘H’, Holly Parsons, Southwest Florida Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, CTV News Atlantic, The Guardian, CABS, The BBC, Live Ocean, Conservation without Borders, @Cornell Hawks, Kakapo Recovery, Sharon Pollock and Cal Falcons, Raptor Resource Project, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Window to Wildlife, Heidi Mc and Window to Wildlife, FOBBV, and Looduskalender English Forum.

Anna and Louis have a hatch, pip for Connie and Clive…Monday in Bird World

9 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that you had a lovely weekend. Maybe some time to watch some birds? or did you stay glued to the screen over the Es at Southwest Florida? It was beautiful here on the Canadian Prairies with a reasonable temperature but, the wind remained such that being outside had you gasping for breath. I am hoping to get out this coming week! Til then I am still working on all my new year’s cleaning! How can two kittens, not big cats yet, leave behind so many furry balls every day? It is like they invite friends over and party all night! Quietly.

I love the Starlings that come to my garden. I would not want them to ever stop coming. They are on the Red List in the UK – they were one of the first birds I posted when I began listing the 20 or so out of the 160 odd that are vulnerable to extinction. Here they are in murmuration.

Have a read. The decline in winter birds that migrate to the UK and their empty nests has many worried. Once there would have been 2 million Starlings murmuring in Somerset at dusk, now there is only 25% of that number. What is the cause?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/08/uk-wintering-birds-sharp-decline?CMP=share_btn_link

HeidiMc has a lovely video of a day in the life of Ron and Rose..greetings, working on the nest, lots of chortling and a fish delivery. A nice celebration of a new relationship! Thanks H.

And another video by Golden Gate Audubon. Peregrine Falcons have been spending time on Richmond and Rosie’s Whirly Crane Osprey nest in SF Bay. I wondered if they were any of the fledged CalFalcon chicks but they answered this in the description – no. If they find out where the falcon was banded, they will let us know. Until then…he or she is a cutie.

There is news of WBSE27: On the 14th of December, WBSE 27 was at Swan Bay on the Karuah River. You can see Sydney and then the red pin. It is a distance of 188 km.

Isn’t she beautiful? I wish Lady and Dad knew their baby was safe and doing well.

WBSE27 is 17 months old and is going through her first moult. As a result she has shed her tracker which was attached to her tail. WBSE 27 is banded so any future sightings will be from the band and not the tracker. “Now SE27 starts the new year afresh – while we can no longer follow her adventures, we have a wealth of information to analyse and share! We are happy that she has found her way in the world after such a rocky start. She is familiar with a wide expanse of the Hunter Region of NSW, and has established travel corridors, roosting and feeding areas. We hope that in the next few years she’ll be able to find a territory, mate and nesting site, and one day produce chicks of her own to continue the journey.” Tears. After watching these beautiful babies thrive on the nest, it is a tragedy that they are so attacked by the smaller birds to the point of near death or death unless someone finds them and takes them so they can have the care they require. WBSE30 will get a sat pak tracker when she is released and we will be able to watch another baby.

My wish for the new year is that all of the sea eagle fledglings go and sit in front of the Discovery Centre – right away after fledging – and are taken into care so they will be able to thrive in the wild knowing how to hunt prey and fly well like 27. OR that someone comes up with a solution to the Currawongs, Boobook Owls, and Magpies that harass them til they are no longer in their parents territory, are injured, or stave to death.

Suzanne Arnold Horning caught Big Red and Arthur out in the sunshine on Sunday. Big Red first and Arthur the second image. Thanks SAH.

There are birds that instantly will draw me to tears – tears of joy and relief. In Ferris Akel’s tour of 7 January, we saw Big Red and L4 hunting. Cornell has posted a tweet showing L2 on Sunday morning. Also Karel Sedlacek had Arthur on his iPhone presentation on Sunday. So why am I so happy? All of Big Red and Arthur’s kids from 2022 are accounted for: L3 is in care but preparing for release in the spring (we believe). L2 and L4 are hunting in their parent’s territory. Sadly, we lost L1 when she hit a glass corridor at Cornell (shame on them for having no bird proofing on that!). This is the very first year that I can remember fledglings being present in January! There is obviously plenty of food and Mum and Dad are not anxious for them to go anywhere. Tears of joy.

Finally a good look at both of the eaglets on the Superbeaks cam at once and look at those crops. Goodness these eaglets are being well fed and nicely cared for by Pepe and Muhlady. Notice also that a big stick has been placed across that opening to the left! Yes.

Big crops for both E3-01 and E3-02 at 1302 on Sunday! And it looks like there are still about nine fish on that nest. Alex is a great provider.

Alex came in yesterday and diffused a bonking event. E3-01 was 12 days old. Bonking seems to start with the growth of the thermal down (or at the age of about 8 days in Ospreys). It is hard to watch and entirely not understandable with a nest with so much fish but, in fact, food sometimes has nothing to do with it. Just a dominance issue. Thanks, Alex, for stepping in. Not worried about them…the eldest just making sure the little one knows who is boss!

Sunday. Look at the fish on the nest of Alex and Andria. Both babies eating well.

The key is to let the older sibling eat til it is about to pop and then feed the younger. This is only a problem if there is not enough food. On this nest there is tonnes of fish. No shortage here and both parents are willing to feed til they each have a crop as in the image above and below. The eldest can be a stinker.

Anna is listening to the eggs as she has a fish lunch at the E1 nest in the Kisatchie National Forest. There is a pip in one of the eggs.

And there is a hatch!!!!! Welcome to the world, E1-03.

Oh, precious. Louis will start hauling in the fish now. Can’t wait to see what he brings in – last year he was so excited he brought in 11 and Anna brought in 9 for a total of 20 fish on the nest in a single day. These eagles in Louisiana hatched at Kincaid Lake eat well!

MO and FO are still there. Reports are coming in from the SW coast of Florida that a lot of Ospreys are now returning to the area. I hope there are not too many nest fights. Will Lena return? Is Andy still out there?

MO and FO are working on technique.

E21 and 22 are fed well. There is some beaking at times. Still, they are adorable. How many eaglets has Harriet raised? Everyone to fledge as far as I know. I do not worry about these two at all.

Gabby and V3 on alert today.

Both Gabby and V3 were sleeping at the nest tonight. You could see Gabby on cam 1 and V3 on cam 2.

It is nearing 0700 and Zoe is awake wishing for a breakfast fish. Mum and Dad appear to be trying to get their girl to go out and fish for her own breakfast. Yesterday Dad brought a fish and Mum brought a fish but the times for the deliveries were late in the day: 16:42 and 17:50. So our girl went to sleep full to the brim. Today she is 113 days old.

A screaming Indigo!!!!!!!

I wanted to stop and check on Karl II’s family – the Black Storks from the Karula National Forest in Estonia. There has been no transmission from Karl or Kaia since they were in Africa and this is expected. There has been no transmission from Bonus since he was crossing the Eastern Desert in Egypt and I do not know yet what to think about that. Urdu (2021) remains in Turkey near the Aegean Sea although he flew west and not south. Perhaps Udu will stay in Turkey??

Little Waba (2022) seems to have really settled in to staying in Sudan on their side of the Nile. He is actively fishing.

A few bobble heads to watch and keep you yelling at the screen when they are beaking. It does end! It is often not nice to watch. If it drives you crazy, take a few days off. It looks like Diane at Achieva has a problem. She flipped in the nest into that hole in the centre. Last year that ‘hole’ at their eggs. No sense laying them this year if that hole that the squirrels made is not patched!!!! It appears that the eggs at Metro Aviation are not viable. The female is new replacing a long term mate of the male this year. The new female is very restless on the eggs tonight. Maybe a miracle late hatch? It would be nice as that nest has a history of successful fledges.

Last, congratulations to Connie and Clive on the pip of their first egg at Captiva. Last year their eggs were not viable. Wonderful news after the tragedy of Hurricane Ian, too.

Thanks for being with me today. Take care all. See you soon!

Thanks to the following for their notes, posts, videos, announcements, tweets, and photos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: The Guardian, Heidi Mc and WRDC, Golden Gate Audubon, Raptor Recovery Australia, Suzanne Arnold Horning, @CornellHawks, Superbeaks, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, Window to Wildlife, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, NEFL-AEF, PLO, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, and Looduskalender.

Early Saturday in Bird World

10 December 2022

Good Morning Everyone from a snowy, icy landscape – the Canadian Prairies. As many of you suggested, it was a huge culture shock going from bright sun and warm seas to frozen. It is always good to be away but, it is equally nice to get ‘home’. Thank you for all your wonderful letters and best wishes. I had an epic time!

The big news is still coming out of Samson and Gabby’s nest in The Hamlet near Jacksonville. Will there be a nest take over? will Gabby get a new mate? where is V2 this morning as I write this? did Samson appear? Wow. Everything else pales in comparison.

This is a short catch up on some news that we are following this morning.

I want to start with a disgusting arrogant display that has gone viral. It was posted by Geemeff, one of our readers.

What a disgusting individual.

Was it Samson visiting the NE Florida nest? We would have to see his toe – one is flattened. But, gosh, it sure looks like him.

Maybe the word is out and all of them know that Gabby is now single (sadly) and they are lining up for her to choose? They should try bringing her fish!

There was a musical nest. V2 was there and gone, then Gabby left and V2 returned, and then he saw Gabby and escorted her back to the nest.

Postings of a third visitor.

But where was V2 last night. It looks like Gabby spent the night alone – again!

Gosh, I love these daily videos that Elain posts of the highlights at the Orange scrape in Australia of Diamond and Xavier. That little Indigo reminds me so much of Izzi – chasing the parents out of the scrape in the morning, pair bonding, and snacking.

Why do I like them? Elain edits the entire day into a short video and includes the main highlights.

Now for a few smiles.

Falcons in the Middle East fly in their own 747s. Challenger the famous US Eagle in the care of the American Eagle Association likes to fly SW Airlines.

Have you been following the World Cup of Birds? Let’s see who is left standing! Pick your favourite bird out of those left and follow what happens. Morocco stunned everyone when they beat Brazil putting the Rufous Bellied Thrush out of action. So will Moussier’s Redstart take home the cup? England is playing France today – the Robin vs the Gallic Rooster! Stay tuned.

For all Osprey fans, there is an Osprey still in Londonderry today – at the Bann Estuary. Does this bird know something we do not know? I mean seriously shouldn’t he be sunning himself in Spain right now or Africa? or does he need to get out of town quick?

Zoe is flying over shallow water and getting those wings to work. Dad brought Zoe 3 fish yesterday and Mum brought her 1. They are taking good care of their daughter! Here is her most recent tracking release.

We haven’t done a check on Karl II’s family recently so let’s have a look and see where Waba and Bonus are today.

Waba is still loving Sudan and fishing at the Nile River.

Bonus started flying over the Eastern Desert. There has been no transmission since the 4th of December. We wait. Please send Bonus your best wishes.

Thank you for being with me for this quick look at what is the main story in Bird World – Gabby and her nest. Send out your warmest wishes to Rita who is healing nicely in Miami and to dear Alden and Samson – we wish you would still appear! Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams, videos, and posts which make up my blog this morning: NEFL-AEF, Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam Project and Cilla Kinross and Elain, American Eagle Live Nest Cams, Southwest Airlines, Raptors of the World, Port Lincoln Ospreys FB, Looduskalender, and Geemeff.

Harriet lays her first egg of the season! and more news in Bird World

30 November 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

I want to thank everyone who sent an e-mail or who made a comment about the loss of Orange’s dear darling Rubus. It was extremely difficult for everyone not least of all those wonderful people at Orange. We all loved the feisty little eyas. What joy he brought!

It would be helpful if there were an international protocol in place that everyone agreed on and knew. If a raptor is grounded and does not flee when a human approaches, it should be placed in care for an examination. No guessing, no regrets. Just a clear protocol. If the raptor requires care, it can receive it. If it doesn’t, it is released where it was found or at its nest, if known. Perhaps protocols could be put in place in memory of Rubus.

Meanwhile, Indigo is doing very well and thriving. Wonderful news. This is him yesterday eating a huge prey item! So glad he is visiting the scrape.

“Sulphur-crested Cockatoo” by NathanaelBC is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

It is not about raptors but, after the week we have had and now with Harriet having an injury from the GHOW hit last night, we need a laugh. We seriously need a laugh just to take us away even for a few minutes. This Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo will certainly help.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-30/cockatoo-video-dropping-pot-plants-melbourne/101710478?fbclid=IwAR2dBBKdcL_6wP-BBMZYqu9IC3iaThR1hi0dMv1wI_hkPV5nwOpS_Pn2sjk

“G’ sent me a great article on Glen, the only surviving Tweed Valley osprey fledgling. It is a great article and you realise how miraculous this bird’s adventure has been – almost blown out to sea, having to flap its wings for 36 hours over the ocean! And finally finding a small piece of land to rest for 11 hours. Thanks, ‘G’. Glen deserves a long and safe life.

Here is the link:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-63795390

Congratulations to M15 and to Harriet for their first egg of the 2022 season! The time was 18:09:34. M15 was there with Harriet during her labour.

Sharon Pollock posted a video of the happy moment:

At the nest of Pa Berry and Missy, Pa has had to deal with a GHOW strike like Harriet did the night before she laid her egg.

Many of you will have seen Tiger Mozone’s name on the PLO chat. Tiger runs a FB group re Ospreys and is encyclopaedic when it comes to the history of UK Ospreys. Tiger and Chloe Baker have a web site with much information on the UK Ospreys – magicats. He also has a Twitter account. Check him out.

Tiger and I have been chatting today about the state of the fish at Port Lincoln. I have been – well, almost, pulling my hair out over the lack of fish. Is it because of commercial fishing? flooding and silt? changing water temperatures due to climate change? Dad’s age? You have probably asked yourself the same thing. So far no one seems to have come up with an answer but Tiger and I talked about practical or possible solutions. I have always maintained that fish must be provided. But how do you provide fish? Well, large commercial-like tanks such as the ones that the Ospreys in South America steal from is one solution. Tiger thinks a fish pond or stocking the lagoon where the barge is located. I wonder how many regulations there are for doing this? Are there any more than all of the permissions required for intervention?

Zoe is wide awake and wanting fish. Dad will deliver early today. I wonder if she spotted him flying off.

Did you know that there is a river that was created and stocked just so photographers could take images of Osprey fishing? Yes. It is the River Gwash and Tiger told me about it today. So if you can build a river in the UK and stock it so Ospreys can fish and charge people to photograph them in a hide doing just that then, why not stock the lagoon where the barge is and – from a safe distance – allow people for a charge to photograph them? Why not? It might bring more tourism to the area, too! That along with Osprey Excursions.

The Gwash River runs through Rutland, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire.

Other places stock ponds and lochs for the osprey such as Rutland and Keider. It is time that everyone considered this as humans have mismanaged our planet so much. We owe it to these beautiful birds.

Alden has still not been seen. A video clip of Annie reacting to the visiting male.

Dear Gabby waits for Samson’s return. If you did not see my correction, Samson was not injured. There was a posting on FB showing what appeared to be an injury to Samson’s head; I carried that information in a blog. The AEF wishes for everyone to know that he was not seen injured when he was at the nest. I had posted the update in a later blog but it seems some did not see it. Apologies for any confusion.

This is the latest announcement from the AEF on FB at the time of writing this blog:

We know that Bella returned to her nest after three weeks and there is a story surfacing out of Hanover of the resident female returning to her nest after being absent for a week. It gives me hope that Samson will return!

https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/2018/04/09/hanover-nests-resident-female-eagle-returns-fighting-expected/497774002/

Jackie and Shadow always put a smile on my face and here they are working on their nest at Big Bear. Adorable. I received a note that Shadow had been away since the 24th returning today, 5 days later (the information is second hand but comes from a trusted source). So, let us all take a deep breath and believe that Samson just took a wee break before it all begins, too.

The Southern Royal Osprey are a delight to watch and I know that many of enjoyed watching Lillibet, the 2022 Royal Cam chick grow and fledge and the marvelous care that YRK gave to her daughter after OGK went missing in May. There is a new Royal family and Dad, GLY, is incubating that precious egg. Sharon Dunne (aka Lady Hawk) has published a video of the new family and some visitors.

Migration News:

Waba is still in the Sudan.

Bonus is still in Turkey but he has started moving South! Well done, Bonus.

There is a silver lining in today’s news with the arrival of the first egg at the Bald Eagle nest of M15 and Harriet in Fort Myers, Florida.

Please send your best wishes to Rita so that she is strong enough for her operation. ‘H’ wrote this morning to tell me it is scheduled for 1500 Eastern time today. Send good wishes to Alden and Samson wherever they are please come home if you can, and to everyone at Orange and all those who loved little Rubus. He is much missed.

Thank you for being with me. This is not a very long blog but I hope there is something good in there for everyone. I am now ready to try and start packing! Take care of yourselves. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: ‘H’ and ‘G’ for their notes, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and S Pollock, Berry College, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Cal Falcons, NEFL-AEF, River Gwash Ospreys, abc.net.au, York Dispatch, FOBBV, NZ DOC and Sharon Dunne, and Looduskalender Forum.

Shaded nests for eagles, prey drop for Rubus and other news in Bird World

23 November 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

I hope that you are well. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States. In Canada, we have already had our harvest festival in October but, as one of the readers reminded me, it is a time to give thanks for all of those in our lives — so to all of you wherever you may be, ‘thank you for being part of this great community’. Your empathy, caring, understanding, and joy are remarkable and this year we have been so much together. And to all of our feathered friends, thank you for the joy and the tears and for reminding us that we are all in this world together, not separate.

Dyson sends greetings from all of us to all of you. She hopes that you have plenty of ‘nuts’ for your celebration while reminding all of us to share with the wildlife.

There is simply not a lot going on in Bird World. Only one thing seems to be on anyone’s mind now that Zoe has fledged. When will Rubus fly up to the scrape?  Rubus has flown. Shines reports that Rubus was on the ground and observed to fly 200 m to his perch. Indigo has been up in the scrape box and so have the adults. And he flew some more later and picked up a prey delivery (see below). Life feels good right now. All are well.

Interesting to note that Xavier was in the scrape box ‘scraping’ – is he already thinking about next year? A scrape is a shallow indentation in the gravel or sand in which the eggs are laid.

It is extremely heart warming to know that all of the staff at Charles Sturt University keep an eye out for the falcons. Rubus was found on the ridge of the Printery Roof. Here is a video showing a prey delivery for Rubus from Xavier. So, we can all relax. Xavier and Diamond are taking good care of both Indigo and Rubus and there are all kinds of caring eyes looking out for them!

Thanks ‘A’ for sending me the link to the video and this comforting news!

If you missed Zoe’s fledge, here is my short video clip. She was really working her wings earlier and her first flight took her right down to Dad’s shed. Perhaps Ervie will come and join them for a good old ‘chin wag’. Zoe is 66 days old.

Mum is in the nest and Dad is on the ropes. Zoe is still down in the shed. She will figure out how to fly back up to the nest. If I recall, this is what Bazza did last year! Please correct me if I am wrong.

There should be no worries. Zoe flew up to the nest at 1451 and booted Mum off. She is now prey-calling and I presume that one of the adults will be out to get their girl a nice fish for her accomplishment!

Zoe later flew back and forth to the perch and around the barge. It appears from all the time tables that Zoe did not get a fish after fledgling. Thanks to ‘A’, here are the major events from the observation board for Port Lincoln for the day: Fish count: Dad: 2, Mum: 0 Fish times: 08:37, 11:49 08:37 dad with headless fish, mum takes it away 08:46 mum returns, Zoe self feeds 9:00:56 Zoe eats the tail.

10:54:45 Zoe fledges from the nest and ends up in the mancave Facebook post on fledge 

11:49:45 Fish tail end by Dad. Zoe was in the mancave 11:55 Mum eats the tail. 14:51:55 Zoe returns to the nest, where mum was, who then leaves

18:40 Zoe from nest to close perch (and back and to the perch) and flying around the barge

‘H’ made a video clip that shows Zoe’s fledge and her subsequent flights which are not included in mine. Thanks so much ‘H’.

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Making News:

Dave Hancock of Hancock Wildlife is building shaded nests for the eagles to help them with the increasingly number of heat domes that are part of climate change in British Columbia. Here is an image of one of those nests with the Delta 2 Eagles.

The British Trust for Ornithology is watching with great concern as the migrant birds from parts of Europe arrive in the UK for their winter holidays.

BirdLife’s 2022 Photography Awards are in and there are some stunning images.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2022/nov/23/the-2022-birdlife-australia-photography-awards-in-pictures?CMP=share_btn_link

There are many categories and many birds that will be familiar that are in those winning shots including the Albatross, BooBook Owl, Wood Ducks, Petrels, Wrens, and Lyrebirds. Enjoy!

What you might not know is that you do not have to be Australian to enter. Maybe think about submitting some of your images next year. One section of the Birdlife website that fascinated me was the ‘tips and tricks’ to getting bird photos. Mine would never win any awards but I would love to be able to take better photos of our beautiful feathered friends. To check out on the regulations for the annual awards and to see the tips and tricks, please go to:

birdlifephotoaward.org.au

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In Senegal, Jean-marie Dupart reports that he counted 331 Ospreys in a stretch of beach measuring 143 km. That is fantastic news!

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In the United States, the Osprey breeding season starts after the Bald Eagles. Jack and Diane at the Achieva Osprey nest in St Petersburg, Florida have been visiting their nest. I wonder if they even know where to start with all the weeds that have grown up!

I keep heading over to the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta to see if I can catch them at the nest but, no luck today!

I didn’t find anyone at home at Fraser Point either and they are playing highlights on the Two Harbours cam.

Harriet and M15 have been on and off the nest today. Many thought that today might be the time for the first egg’s arrival but, it doesn’t appear to be the case. Perhaps tomorrow!

Gabby is looking particularly gorgeous these days. She is keeping her eyes out for any intruders near the nest she shares with Samson at Jacksonville, Florida.

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No 12. The Red List: Ring Ouzel

“Alpine Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus), Karwendel mountains, Austria” by Frank.Vassen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

In his description of this beautiful Blackbird with its white half moon torque on the male, Nick Baker says, “It’s the thinking person’s Blackbird, the connoisseur’s choice; a passerine, that keeps itself to itself and is somewhat exclusive, hiding away from the cheap (ing) twittering masses of other perching birds, other than the odd curved, Wheatear and pipit.”

“Ring Ouzel male” by Rainbirder is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Baker likes the stunning black birds because they are elusive one has to “invest some kind of effort to find one makes them all the more appealing…” Baker lives in Dartmoor, where a small population of these passerines “hangs on.” He says “the situation is about as delicate as the frosted feather edges on the bird’s breast.”

This lovely print shows the adults and the wee one. Notice the silvery wing panels on both the male and the female. You can see them easily in the photograph by Rainbirder above, also. The male’s crescent moon is pure white while the female’s is ivory barred with a rust brown. Instead of a black chin, the female has vertical barring, dark chocolate on white. Once again, I think that the female is just as stunningly beautiful as the male – her head, back and tail are not the pure deeply saturated black. In fact there is more variety to her plumage. The spots on the chest of the juvenile with its brown head, back and wings remind me of the work of Denmark’s most accomplished ceramic artists, Priscilla Mouritzen.

“Ring Ouzel (male left female above young right)” by Wildreturn is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The ring ouzel is a member of the thrush family. It grows to approximately 24 cm or 18 inches in length. They are smaller than Blackbirds but are often misidentified as being a Blackbird unless you see that stunning half moon panel.

They breed in the drags and gullies of the steep valleys from mid-April through to mid-July normally having two clutches. Their nests are located close to the ground in dense heather or in a crevice. It would be very rate to see them nest in a tree. They feed their young earthworms and beetles and as adults they eat insects and berries.

The threats that these birds face are quite numerous. The predation of eggs is a start because of nesting close to the ground. They are disturbed by humans, their habitat has been destroyed due to deforestation in the areas where they winter in Spain and in Africa. Climate change has had a significant impact on the bird. The authors of the book noted below, possibly the very best study of these birds, notes that the landscape of the North York Moors might become completely unsuitable for them in the future.

One of the best books on this species is this volume, The Ring Ouzel. A New from the North York Moors. The retired duo hiked, observed, and gained considerable knowledge which they have passed on to us in a delightful little book. I keep thinking how wonderful they were to find this specific place now and provide us with insights into a bird that is most elusive.

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Migration News:

I am still following two of the four fledglings from Karl II’s Black Stork family from the Karula National Forest in Estonia. Those two are Waba and the foster chick, Bonus. The only surviving strolling from the last brood of Jan and Janikka.

Bonus remains in the area of Turkey (Konya Province) where he has been for what seems like forever. It is an area that can get cold in the winter with snow and everyone is hoping that he will decide to get moving!

Waba remains in the Sudan feeding on the Nile River. He travelled 242 km in the last few days (his tracker was not transmitting for some of that time).

Both of the Black Stork juveniles seem to have found water and lots of food and it appears that each is reluctant to leave their respective locations. It is always a relief to know that they are well but, like everyone else, I hope that Bonus will get an itch to fly and that he will head south to catch up with the remainder of his family in Africa.

Thank you so very much for being with me today. We will be keeping an eye on Zoe as she perfects her flying skills along with dear Rubus and Indigo at Orange. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: ‘A’ and ‘H’ as always – so grateful, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross and gang, Port Lincoln Ospreys, British Trust for Ornithology, ave Hancock and Hancock Wildlife, The Guardian, Achieva Ospreys with Jack and Diane, IWS, SWFlorida Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, NEFL-AEF, Openverse, and Looduskalender Forum.