Category Archives: bobbleheads

Thanks to Clive, CE9 goes to sleep with a crop…Wednesday in Bird World

18 January 2022

Hello Everyone!

The temperature was -9 with 15 km/h winds and 85% humidity. It was the wind and the humidity that were the issues at the nature centre. That cold wind just went through all the layers. It was the first time my hands have been cold and I always wear the same gloves. It was eerily quiet.

Few were out in the forest and a lone deer was walking around not paying any mind. He looked over at me. What a beauty. How privileged to be able to see these gorgeous creatures in an urban environment where they are safe. I caught up with him again as I wandered on the paths.

It was a good day to get out for a walk and for a few minutes move past the worry of the little one at Captiva. We expect every raptor parent to be a Harriet or an M15 and the truth is, they aren’t. They are all individuals. To get a combination of great parenting, a super source for prey, and not bad weather is a big feat for all of our raptor families. Sometimes it doesn’t work out and watching a little eaglet hungry on a nest bursting with fish is almost too much. There is hope though and all of you continue to send your most positive wishes to the Captiva nest. At 18:11ish, Clive – please note this – Clive – begins feeding the wee one. At 18:22 and then again in a minute, the little eaglet had the best crop that I have seen. I am absolutely in tears. Tears of joy. As ‘A’ notes, Clive watched the nest and I am certain he is concerned for his baby crying for food when the nest is full. Thanks, Clive, for stepping in and feeding CE9.

The kittens offer a welcome respite. Missy is just a bundle of fluff and sweetness. Lewis is ‘something else’. It is rare that he sits still.

In the mailbox:

You will remember the removal of the Bald Eagle nest – with the eagles in the area – from a microwave tower – in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina caused such furore and for good reason. Highly illegal. Many of us wrote to the USFWS. I am pleased to report that along with those who wrote to tell me they had received responses, I received one as well this morning. One reader, ‘B’ wants us to note the crime tips address to report such illegal activities to protected wildlife. Put it in your phone if you live in the US. Thank you to everyone who took the time to write. So many responses appear to have led to a form letter and that is a good thing. The governmental agencies, wherever we live, that are responsible for the protection of our raptors, need to know that the public is outraged when there is non-compliance.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works to conserve and manage both bald eagle and golden eagle populations to assure both species continue to thrive.  

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection act prohibits anyone from disturbing the birds without a permit.  Disturb means to cause injury, interfere with normal breeding, feeding and sheltering behavior or nest abandonment.  Penalties for doing so could result in fines up to $5,000 or imprisoned up to a year or both.  The Service has developed a National Bald Eagle Management Plan that helps to determine appropriate buffers and distances from certain activities to protect our bald eagle populations.  

Bald eagles are increasing in numbers throughout the State, showing greater tolerance to human presence and establishing new nesting territories closer to development.  

This expansion of territories exposes them more frequently to human activities, and they continue to adapt.  We are committed to working with others to continue advancing eagle conservation and protection while enabling partners to meet their operational goals. We are able to confirm there is an active investigation.

Per Service policy, we do not comment on active investigations, nor do we share information regarding holders of permits and activities as some of this information is considered Personally Identifiable Information and cannot be released.  The Service welcomes tips regarding this case.  Information can be submitted at: https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips

‘A’ sent us more news about the floating platforms to help wildlife on the Yarra River in Australia. Brilliant idea especially after the flooding we had in Manitoba.

https://www.docklandsnews.com.au/floating-wetlands-set-to-transform-the-yarra-river-in-docklands/

Leicester and Rutland Wildlife Trust reminds us:

Not raptors but a thank you to a special young woman who dedicated her life to saving wildlife. Today is Dian Fossey’s birthday. One of the released condors by the VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY in 2022 was named after Dian.

Speaking of VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY, they were able to clear the roads up to Big Sur after the horrific weather to deliver lead-free carrion to the Condors! Yes.

At the nests:

The short throttling and some head beaking by the oldest eaglet on the KNF-E3 nest have caused 02 to be a little wary of its sibling. I notice that Alex has been on and off the nest and that the wee one has waited this morning for the oldest to eat before it ventured to the table. At 0939 the second hatch also had a private feeding. The eaglets are 23 and 20 days old. Normally with Bald Eagles any aggression ends at around 30 days but, this was unexpected and one has to wonder about hormonal changes with the growth of the blood feathers. Or a slow down in food deliveries.

At 0736, E01 is eating and E02 is holding back before going up to the table to avoid confrontation and beaking. Smart move little one. Notice that it is watching.

02 is up at the table and Dad is on the nest. Both will have crops.

At 0748, E02 had a nice crop.

At 0924:

At 0938, E02 gets a bit of a private feeding.

At 1028, both have medium sized crops.

Oh, gosh, golly. Anna has her mojo back. She is doing great feeding KNF E1-03. Little fella had a huge crop and could hardly move at one of the later feedings. Images from 3 different afternoon feedings.

Crop was so big, 03’s head just fell to the side in a food coma.

There continues to be concern for the eaglet at Captiva. CROW is aware of the situation and monitoring it but there are laws and hurdles and one must be mindful. It is much better for the eaglet to be on the nest. There has been speculation as to if there is something wrong with the eaglets beak but, from my seat, the bites have been too big and Connie has been too quick to pull back and eat those that are a proper size. It is unclear what she expects a new little eaglet to do. She should be waiting and holding and encouraging. Let us all hope that this happen and CE9 begins to thrive. As someone said, we would all hate to see an eaglet starve on a nest full of fish. So let us all send positive wishes that the adults gather themselves and get the feedings going properly.

The eaglet’s talons look dehydrated to me. Maybe it is the angle but I like to think about those fat little pinkies at SWFlorida and above at the KNF nest. Let’s see how CE9’s are in a few days if it gets some good meals from Dad.

There is just so much fish juice going on this baby. But, you can see a bit of a crop in the second image and right now, that is all I care about. This baby needs fish and it needs a wash.

I am going to sleep a little better tonight. I want you to look at its crop. It is hungry and it is figuring this out, too, and is getting some of that fish. Time 18:12:25-18:13:29. Clive, you need to step in more often. You are a great provider. I guess you need to feed this baby til Connie figures out what to do! Not every female is a natural mother.

The weather has shifted at Big Bear. Shadow has delivered two fish to Jacket so far on Tuesday and it is only 1300. The first arrived at 11:10 and the second at 12:03. Things are good at Big Bear. Bless their hearts they aren’t going to let any Crows get these eggs!

Shadow, you are wonderful!

Eating first fish.

Sweet Eagle Dreams, Jackie.

If you missed Jackie and the snow storm, SK Hideaways caught it in video for all of us.

These days whenever I am a little frustrated with a nest, I just go and check on Superbeaks! Pearl has lost her Mohawks. You will see in later images that Tico still has his. They are so curious about what is happening outside and below the nest. These two ‘always’ have big crops. Mum of the Week Award goes to Muhlady!

We are into week 5 and going into week 6. During weeks 5-6. they should be poking their heads out of the nest rim and observing the world around them – which they are doing. The parents will begin to spend more time near the nest but not directly in it with the eaglets. The eaglets will be fed by the parents up until about week 6 when they should be self-feeding. Of course, we know from watching the nests that the parents will feed them on and off much longer, encoring self-feeding so they can become fully independent. By week 6, they should be standing and walking with some ease. Their juvenile feather growth continues. By the end of week 7, they should be nearing their full growth. These eaglets are just spot on in terms of their development. Thanks for the close ups, cam op!

Just look at this healthy eaglet!!!!!!!!!

And now for the other end!

Check out the tail growth from a different view.

Last meal of the day on Monday. Tico is nearest to us. You can still see the dandelions on top of his head which should be gone by Wednesday. Muhlady is feeding Tico and he is stealing pieces of fish when she is slow to offer. Well done, Tico.

Thunder and Akecheta were checking on the state of their nest at the West End in the Channel Islands today.

Is it possible that our Gabby has another potential mate? Seriously. He is quite handsome. Actually, he is stunning. Or did he just happen by Monday evening? V3 will make quick work of this one!

And he did. V3 is on the perch at 1700 Tuesday evening!

This image of Gabby and V3 on the Lumberyard Branch is making the rounds. I don’t know where it started…but smile.

For all the Redding Eagle fans, Gary has a video up. The solar panels on the camera could not get charged during the fortnight of storms and rain in the area. The camera is now up and here is a great video showing Liberty (she is 24) and Guardian (he is 9) at the nest!

At the WRDC nest or Ron and Rose, it is clear that Ron has been working hard to get a nest ready and look at that soft egg cup. He sure does love to cuddle up in it and try it out. I wish I could speak Eagle but I wonder if he is trying to tell Rose that the eggs go in that nice soft spot. What do you think?

“Now, Rose, all you have to do is lay the eggs in this nice little space in the centre of the nest.” “Then I will bring you lots of fish, and in about 38 days there will be little eaglets just like us to feed.”

Indigo paid a visit to the scrape box! It has been several days despite his loud calling being heard. Nice to see you, Indigo. Elain made one of her videos showing Indigo entranced with spider webs. Enjoy!

Zoe is 123 days old. She is hoping for fish today. Zoe loves to be served…but, when she figures out if she goes fishing and she finally catches one..well, our girl will be off and running. She will be so excited. Fish! Anytime she wants one (if she catches it).

That is a quick look at some of the nests we are watching. There are many more – all working on repairing nests and getting ready for their breeding season. Send warm wishes to the little one on the Captiva nest. Positive energy can do wonders.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, tweets, announcements, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: ‘A’, ‘B’, Window to Wildlife, USFWS, Dockland news, LRWT, Mighty Gals, Ventura Wildlife Service, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, FOBBV, SK Hideaways and FOBBV, Superbeaks, IWS and Explore.org, NEFL-AEF, Gary’s Eagle Videos and the Redding Eagles, WRDC, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, and Port Lincoln Ospreys.

Egg swap at Royal Albatross Cam…Tuesday in Bird World

17 January 2022

Hello Everyone!

The start of the week was rather exciting with the pip of the Royal Cam chick’s egg! The worries about Jackie in the snow and the two eggs at Big Bear. Of course, we shouldn’t worry. Shadow and Jackie have this! Oh, I adore them. My only worry is CJ7 at Captiva which will be explained as this blog unravels today. I have written CROW to find out if there are any circumstances in which they might intervene. I probably will not hear back but, if the chick gets conjunctivitis, they might. They did with E17 and E18 at SWFlorida several years ago.

I found Dyson on top of the neighbour’s house at the corner watching me. Notice how ‘wooly’ she is and those gorgeous little ear tufts. Oh, she is a sweetheart in her winter coat. The squirrels begin growing extra fur in late September here inn Manitoba. Those many layers help them to stay warm in our brutal cold.

Robert Archambeau used to tell us to look ‘to nature’ for colours and patterns to inspire ceramics. I imagine that a lot of textile designers might like to do the same. This is a European Starling in non-breeding plumage. Note the white dots on the chest indicating the ‘non-breeding’. But look at the espresso brown wing feathers lined with that rusty taupe. Then there is that brilliant emerald green sometimes changing to blue and purple depending on the light with its light tips. I mean this is a real beauty. It kept watching me til I was finished…one of the first times I have been able to capture a Starling and see its eye. I love how the camera and this lens cuts through that branch and gives us the detail of the bird with some boke behind.

There were so many Starlings that came to the suet feeders today.

This is not a great photograph but I am including it for a reason. Notice the dark stocky male to the right and then look below. Cornell says that there are white spots all over during the winter but, this is obviously, not evident in these bird’s plumage. The bird at the lower right (not the House Sparrow) is a non-breeding female. Look also at the light marks around the dark eyes. In breeding season, the long beaks of the Starlings will be a bright yellow. You can see a hint of this on the bird to the far left.

One of Dyson’s babies from last summer is enjoying the nuts and sultanas around the small roofed feeder on the deck today. What a little cutie pie.

Making News:

Another unnecessary and painful death on a grouse moor hunting estate! Maybe the only way to get the gamekeepers and the property owners to abide by the law is to take away any licenses that are associated with grouse hunting. There has to be something that will break this endless cycle of raptor deaths that are entirely unnecessary and inhumane.

Barn-owl-found-dead-in-a-crow-cage-trap-on-an-Angus-Glens-grouse-moor-–-Raptor-Persecution-UKDownload

Did you know?

On Monday, I wrote about an incident that occurred on the KNF E3 nest with E01 launching an aggressive attack on E02. I wanted to check and see how old E01 was at the time and the eaglet that hatched on the 26th of December was 20 days old. We note that the blood feathers are just starting to grow in and there remain numerous ‘dandelions’ from the natal down as the layer of thermal down grows in fully.

The eaglets have had their breakfast and everything appears to be fine on Monday morning. E01 is attempting to stand and flap its wings and I caught E02 trying to do the same and walk.

In the top image, the eaglets’ crops are full and E02 is letting its now getting heavy wings flop to the side. Also note that there is plenty of fish on this nest so food insecurity is not an issue with the dust up that happened on Sunday. It is the ‘clown feet’ stage. Notice how much larger E01’s feet are than E02.

E01 is ‘itchy’. This might be a better image to see the size difference in the feet of the eaglets.

The little one of Anna and Louis is a darling. It just wants some Coot! And Anna loves her Coot, too. Sometimes it appears she gives the eaglet a bite but, she does not. She leans down, then changes her mind! Am I more frustrated than the baby eaglet?

Anna leans over to feed little E03 and changes her mind.

“Wait Mama. Can I have a bite?”

Finally…a half hour later.

There are lots of fish on the nest of Connie and Clive at Captiva. An early feeding at 07:56.

Connie fed the little one and at 08:50, there was a little crop.

At 0900, you can see that little crop better.

Want some more fish? It is 09:39.

A little more fish and lots of fish juice around 10:14. Connie is a messy feeder. Poor baby is just soaked in fish juice. Connie does not feed the eaglet a lot.

By 11:39, the little one is wanting some more fish! Maybe not this time. Mum is really wanting some lunch, too.

By 12:26, the eaglet is really wanting some of that fish. “Hey, I want some fish, too!” Connie has eaten half of it. This little one is going to crawl out of that egg cup one day and start nibbling at those fish. Just wait!

Despite some observations, CJ7 was never stuffed – maybe half. The adults certainly eat and it does get fed but, it is frustrating watching at times. Connie ate half a fish. Yes, I know the adults have to eat, too. But, gosh, golly…stuff the little one and then eat, please. Stuff it full. Don’t stop half way over with a bite and then eat it, Mum.

Finally at 13:10:55, some bites but only after Connie moved to the other side – barely missing CJ7 went she stepped over the egg cup.

Sometimes I feel that I am too much of an auntie so I was thrilled when I accidentally found this comment by fellow Canadian, Deb Steyck, writing about Captiva on the 16th.

“Yesterday there were 8 fish visible on the nest so the pantry is full the adults just have to work on the delivery of better feedings. Sometimes i wonder if both adults are new parents; even Connie seems a bit rusty at feeding does make you wonder. By the end of the day yesterday there was a small noteable crop but not full like we would expect especially with frequent feedings and only one eaglet on the nest.”

Seriously I ache for this little babe. I hope that Connie gets her act together. There is so much fish juice. Will this cause an eye infection?

The little one was actually able to hold on to this big piece and eat. it will be the last meal of the day.

Jackie has had a miserable several days ever since she laid that second egg. That storm in Big Bear appears not to be going anywhere soon – and I do hope that it would so that prey could be brought and Jackie relieved.

Jackie is covered at 0200 on the 16th of January.

At 0727 on the 16th it appears that Jackie has gotten up and removed the snow from her back and head. The weather remains a misery. 2540 persons are watching and worrying for Jackie.

There is a winter storm warning for an area south of BB Lake. The forecast for the BB Lake area is as follows:

By 10:51:55, it is clearing a bit but the wind is still very strong.

Oh, bless his heart. Once everything had cleared, Shadow appears on the nest with prey for Jackie and even gives her a break as he takes over incubation a few minutes after she finishes eating. Jackie was so happy to have the food and the break. 14:04. Thank you, Shadow!

Jackie returns at 15:52 and Shadow is off incubation duty. I love how he sees her coming and begins to call, the high pitched calls and the chortles. So sweet as they greet one another. The equivalent of the Albatross sky call.

Just look at how long and sharp those talons are! I thought trimming Lewis’s nails was bad enough. Imagine!

All is well at the Northeast Florida nest of Gabby and V3. V3 will fly in and Gabby will be there seconds later. They have worked on the nest and slept at the nest. While there may or may not be any eggs this season, the pair appear to be a bonded couple and V3 seems to have established himself. There have been no intruders at the nest for some time now. They are a lovely couple. Wishing Gabby the best, the very best.

V3

V3

V3 on the left and Gabby on the right.

Want to see a crop?!!!!!!! Gabby had an amazing dinner!!!!!!! Would love to see CJ7 look like this. :))))). Just saying.

E22 is no worse for wear after having Harriet deliver a huge fish on top of it at the Southwest Florida nest she shares with M15. Later in the day both were looking out of the rails at the world beyond.

As the sun sets over the Central Florida Superbeaks Bald Eagle nest, Tico and Pearl are going to sleep with nice big crops. Nite everyone!

Mum and Dad were both bringing sticks to the ND-LEEF Bald Eagle nest – the natal nest of our own Little Bit ND17.

At the Osprey platform on the grounds of the Achieva Credit Union in St Petersburg, Florida, Jack delivered a fish to Diane at 07:28. After the couple continue to work on the nest periodically.

FO and Mo were both at the Captiva Osprey platform in Florida today.

I was so hoping that the Florida-Gainesville Osprey nest would be up and running this year but, sadly, no. This was the announcement from the University:

“Unfortunately, at this time, there will not be an osprey camera for 2023. The nest was located on the lights at the softball ballfield and these lights were changed (to new LED lights) in the fall of 2022. We are not sure if the ospreys will build a new nest with the new light structure. Please stay tuned for updates about whether it is possible to install another osprey camera in 2024. Thanks for your support! And don’t worry, the osprey parents (Stella and Talon) will build another nest somewhere if not at this exact location.“

Zoe is 121 days old. On the 16th of January in Australia, Mum delivered a fish and so did Dad. Those deliveries came at 14:10 and 17:29. Zoe appears to have a nice crop from the earlier feeding. Mum will arrive in about five minutes with a fish for her girl.

At 10:44 after fish calling, Zoe flew off the nest and returned a minute later with a fish. She did not catch it. Her feathers are not wet. It was a hand off from one of the parents. Gotta be.

Zoe is certainly vocal!! She is 122 days old today.

Sixteen minutes later and Zoe is still eating her fish.

If you are missing Indigo highlights by Elain, Indigo has been heard outside the scrape box but has not been inside for more than two days now.

The egg of L and GLY has been swopped out for the dummy egg at 10:08 Australian time Tuesday Jan 17. Everything seemed to go smoothly. Fly spray added to nest to prevent fly strike when the chick is returned from the incubator. It is ‘egg citing’ on Taiaroa Head. Love the NZ DOC that does so much for its beloved birds. I would love to see their misters on some of the osprey nests in the Pacific NW (Canada and US). Or feeding hungry chicks if something happens to their parent/s?

And a pip has been confirmed. There are currently three eggs in the incubator at Taiaroa Head.

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

Thank you to the following for their posts, their announcements, their videos, and their streaming cams that make up my screen captures: Raptor Persecution UK, A Mighty Girl, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, Window to Wildlife, Deb Steyck and Bald Eagles 101, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, SWFL and D Pritchett, Superbeaks, ND-LEEF, Achieva Credit Union, U-Florida Gainesville, Port Lincoln Ospreys, and NZ DOC.

Poor Jackie…Monday in Bird World

16 January 2022

Good Morning!

I hope that you had a lovely weekend and that it has been a nice beginning to the week! It remains warm in Winnipeg. So warm that the snow on the glass roof of the conservatory melted on Sunday and the snow in the parking pad is sludgy. It is a good day for a walk. Whether I will head to the nature centre or finally take that drive an hour out of the city to see the chickadees – well, I have not decided. I love going to the same place, 20 minutes from where I live, and see how the visitors change from day to day. Will keep you posted!

On Sunday there were many visitors to the garden feeders – 38 European Starlings and about 60 House Sparrows. One Black-capped chickadee and Dyson and gang. About 30 Crows flew over head after chasing the GHO out of the neighbourhood. It is a regular occurrence during the winter. The GHO has a nest on the golf course a few blocks away. What is puzzling me is: where are the Blue Jays?

A Request: Just check this out.

I was so impressed by the perches (some osprey nests on the streaming cams do not provide these for their birds and that is sad). And the hide. Can you help with any images? See the information below.

Checking on our nests:

Oh, the weather just continued to get worse at Big Bear. Poor Jackie. She is one devoted mother. She has been incubating the eggs since the second was laid yesterday before 17:11 with a break but I have seen no food. No doubt Shadow has not been able to hunt and I do not know if this couple had a stash prepared.

We are all aching for this warrior Mum but, Jackie has lived in Big Bear Valley for now 11 years and she is used to the weather. Eagles have 7000 feathers to keep them warm and dry. My only concern is her need for breaks and food. Help, Shadow!

Shadow came in and relieved Jackie. She returned at 1408 and Shadow didn’t want to get off the eggs. Oh, sweetie. They have this!

Shadow is doing a great job.

Jackie arrives!

The weather is just horrific up on the nest at Big Bear. I don’t blame Shadow for not wanting to get off the eggs. Poor Guy. He is either going to have to go and hunt or perch on those madly swaying branches.

The snow is getting deeper by 1600.

Here is the exchange in video by Gracie Shepherd. The exchange begins at 12:43.

Shadow’s reluctance to give up incubation is caught on video:

We are sitting in our houses warm and dry. Just looking at Jackie makes me want to bundle her and Shadow up and bring them inside along with their eggs. They are, however, quite fine. Probably a lot better than if it were 45 degrees C!

1656 are watching Jackie and wishing her well (and warmth) as the winds and ice pellets fly on to the nest at 20:00 Sunday evening.

So how do birds stay warm in the winter? Here is some information from the British Trust for Ornithology. Most of the songbirds in my garden and others in winter need to eat the equivalent of their body weight in food to stay warm. They lose, according to this article, approximately 5% of their body weight during the night staying warm to stay alive. So, if you can, find some energy rich suet and peanuts and put them out for the birds! They will thank you. The world will thank you.

Garden-birds-in-winter-BTO-British-Trust-for-OrnithologyDownload

When Dad got up at 14:40 on Sunday to check her eggs, it looks like there could be a pip in one of them. Of course, it could just be nesting material, too, but if it isn’t a pip, we are getting close. Missy relieved them shortly after.

All of the other nests are fine with their eaglets eating well and growing. I have not spotted any problems and the eaglets at SWFlorida and KNF E3 continue to be little darlings with little if any beaking. Indeed, I have seen none so far on Sunday and it is about time they would grow out of this phase unless something happens in the food supply chain.

Anna feeding KNF E1-03. This is a sweetie pie.

Louis always keeps a lot of fish. Anna and the wee one will never need to worry about being hungry. Louis is awesome. These Louisiana eagles sure love their Coot. Maybe it is a nice change from fish??? The little one loves it as much as Anna!

The KNF gang looked at the unhatched egg and established that it is the first egg that was laid – the pointy one. It is now 46 days old and no hope of hatching so KNF E1-03 is from the second egg.

I am biased. Andria is a fantastic Mum. She is always checking to see if one or the other of the eaglets wants some more bites. These kids love their Coot just like E1-03. They are adorable and their plumage is changing. Just look at the natal down dandelions that are disappearing to reveal the deep charcoal thermal down. And you can really see the pin feathers when they move about. Growing before our eyes. Love this couple – Alex and Andria.

Alex and Andria enjoying a meal on the nest together after 01 and 02 are filled up! Just look at the crop on 02. One of those puffy pillows it appears.

01 is already in a food coma. Andria is checking to make sure that 02 is completely full. “Have som4e more little darling.”

Seriously, they look like old carpets or towels to me. Those dandelions are breaking off and look – KNF -E3 O1 is getting its mohawk!!!!!!!!!!! (look at the image above)

Big crop on KNF-E3-01.

Are you sure you have had enough, little baby?

The two eaglets are sleeping in food coma but ‘A’ reports something disturbing: “Then, at 16:02:10, as mum was getting another bite of food ready, the larger one suddenly and without any warning or provocation pecked the younger one on the top of the head, then grabbed it by the back of the neck and twisted. Then it grabbed it again and this time actually lifted it up by its neck (the little one was still in submissive pose with wings spread). It dropped the smaller eaglet again, then picked it up a third time and shook it. The entire attack lasted less than six seconds.” The eaglets will stagger over and go to sleep as if nothing happened.

I missed this attack. What in the world would cause KNF E3-01 to do this?  ‘A’ reports that the confidence of the little one is not phased as it went back up to eat some more, even with an enormous crop, and had to undue itself from the cuddle puddle it was in with the larger sibling. Good! How old are the eaglets? Osplets will start battering one another once the blood feathers come in from 8-12 days old. Must check!

E21 and E22 are adorable. Please watch this beautiful eagle family if you haven’t been because you are afraid of some beaking. The eaglets are adorable. They are growing fast and you cannot beat the parenting of M15 and Harriet. They have this whole process nailed down to the finest details and if M15 thinks E22 has not had enough – he gets in and gives the little gaffer some more food. These eaglets are so secure. They wait patiently for Harriet to feed them. No fighting. Nothing. I mentioned the other day that I felt that they were males. They could be two females, too but not an older female and a younger male. They are just getting along too well! The best nest I have watched for years was PLO’s 2021-22 Osplets – the three boys – Bazza, Falky, and Ervie. Oh, sure, they dusted up all over the place once they had fledged but that is normal survival in the wild. They have to work on it at home!

Keep an eye on the area around their mouth for it to turn yellow. This will happen at about a month of age.

A cuddle puddle.

E21 is full to the brim and Harriet is filling up 22.

Food coma.

CJ7 almost got walloped by a huge headless fish today. There is so much food on this nest – fish everywhere you look. Clive is an excellent provider. Ah, just a nervous auntie but I wish Connie would fill that little eaglet up with a lot of food a little more often. It is only tiny and needs those 45-60 minute feeds all day long.

I am really grateful to the readers who sent me a note and asked me why I was not mentioning Superbeaks. What a fabulous Bald Eagle nest this has turned out to be. Exceptional. Pearl is 38 days old and Tico is 37.

Wondering where the second eaglet is? They are on the opposite side of the nest looking away from the camera. This is why we can usually only see one!

It looks like the eagles in the Channel Islands are starting to get interested in their nests and thinking about much needed renovations for the 2023 season. Guess who was caught on camera today? Chase and Cholyn at the Two Harbours nest! Parents of Lancer (2022).

Akecheta was at Tor at the West End nest but I did not see Thunder nor did I see any eagles at the nest site.

If you are wondering about deliveries to Zoe, Mum brought in 2 fish for her girl yesterday, the 15th. In fact, it has been Mum that has been making the deliveries to the Port Lincoln barge. Wonder what will happen today?

Gabby and V3 have been at the nest tree. One is often perched on a branch seen by the other cam. There has been no active working on the nest for several days. Perhaps we will have to wait for another one of those fertile fortnights for Gabby or maybe all three have passed and we will wait for next year. Either way it is alright. It will give Gabby time to really get over the loss of Samson and also to see if V3 is going to last.

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

Thank you to the following for their posts, their videos, their streaming cams that form my screen captures: ‘A’ for her report on KNF E3, Ospreys Only, FOBBV, BTO, Berry College, KNF-E1, KNF-E3, SWFlorida and D Pritchett, Window to Wildlife, Superbeaks, IWS and Explore.org, PLO, and NEFL-AEF.

It’s 2 eggs for Jackie and Shadow, 2016 Royal Cam chick returns…Sunday in Bird World

15 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Oh, what a lovely weekend we are having on the Canadian Prairies. It is currently -5 C with a 4 km/h wind. It is lovely. Just lovely except that it is ‘grey’. No blue sky. No sun. Looking forward to a walk in the forest today! Will keep you posted on what I see. I hope the weekend has been kind.

Making News:

Eagle Nest Removal. One of our blog family did some additional research on the removal of the nest on that cell tower that I mentioned a day or two ago. ‘B’ located a news article from South Carolina with information including the e-mail address to write if you are concerned by these actions. As we are all too aware, nests are being cut down and blown down by weather and it is breeding season. You should read the article carefully. The eagles were present and around – this was NOT a disused nest! Indeed, it is outrageous that it was removed.

I will include a link to the article. ‘B’ draws our attention to a final paragraph. If you wish to voice your concerns about this incident – please use the e-mail below. The link to the article is below the quote and above the albatross image. Thank you for taking the time to speak up for our raptors who cannot speak for themselves!

“The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources responded to reports of the removal of a large raptor nest in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has initiated an investigation regarding the removal, and inquiries concerning this incident should be directed to Office of Communications, United States Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Regional Office at fw4_comms@fws.gov .”

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2890157123613/fed-investigating-removal-of-mt-pleasant-eagle-s-nest

The 2016 Royal Cam chick, Moana, has been confirmed to have arrived at Taiaroa Head after 7 years at sea. Talk about incredible. Just think about that. She is very steady on her feet and Ranger Sharyn wonders if she didn’t arrive earlier and wasn’t spotted. She settled down by her half-brother GLY for a bit. Oh, my goodness. This is fantastic news.

“American Golden-Plover with Yellowlegs” by Dendroica cerulea is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Have you ever seen a Golden Plover? We do not, as far as I know, attract them to Manitoba but, oh, they are so gorgeous. I can only imagine them at sunset!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/14/country-diary-a-golden-glint-in-the-gwynt?CMP=share_btn_link

More lead poisoning. I was going to try and put together a form letter for everyone to send to their various agencies but, the laws regarding lead vary from State to State and Country to Country. If this is an issue where you live – and it certainly is in the US and Canada – find out what the laws are. We know that some states have partial led bans. Get informed. Then use some of the information from posts such as the one below to write to your state and federal agencies asking them to ban lead from fishing and hunting equipment. Your letter should not be longer than a page and it should get to the point with facts.

Lincolnshire detectives warn that the poisoning of raptors could lead to human death. “The RSPB has described Lincolnshire as “a national hotspot” for the persecution of birds of prey”. How sad. Why do people believe they have a right to kill or severely injure animals or birds?

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-64225792

The AEF has made a memorial video of Samson. It shows some beautiful close ups of him, images of him and Gabby, and their kids. Get a tissue. I assume that they have now determined that something fatal has happened. So very sorry and sad. He was a magnificent partner and dad and I will just never forget the tender care he gave to Legacy and Jasper and Rocket. I did not watch this nest the year of Jules and Romeo).

There has been some discussion about physically challenged raptors. Here is another example of an eagle with one leg that landed on the Fort St Vrain nest in Colorado. Wonder when it lost its leg? and how it hunts its prey? There are places where challenged raptors can live out their lives; ‘L’ send me some information on them but, what about in the wild? Is it a case for not euthanising raptors if they have a single leg injury? I am, of course, thinking of our beloved WBSE26 right off the top but, there are others. I don’t know the answer. I am thinking out loud. Is it inhumane to even think that eagles could be freed with one leg? It is curious.

Checking on the nests:

Jackie laid her first egg on 11 January at 15:58. It is a horrible day in Big Bear Valley. It started out rather nice and quickly changed into high winds with pelting hail/rain/snow. Jackie will be laying egg 2 on this miserable day. Shadow has taken turns incubating and the pair have been on and off and always one of them around the nest at Big Bear.

At 12:28, there was still only one egg. The weather has changed the hour prior and is starting to get quite nasty for our darling Jackie.

Gabby at 13:54 Saturday. The cameras went out shortly after.

The second egg was laid before 17:11 on Saturday the 14th. In miserable weather. Poor Jackie. She must be hungry, too. Let us all hope tomorrow is a better day.

It looks like it is a much nicer day in central Florida for Superbeaks.

The first image is an unusual one. I am posting it here so you will see the blood feathers coming in on Pearl’s wing.

Connie and Clive’s little eaglet has fish juice on its feathers. It cannot be helped. Poor thing. Connie definitely likes to eat and I have yelled at her a few times to feed the baby! There is fish on the nest. Once Connie gets started and is not distracted, the eaglet normally winds up with a crop. Poor little one is also learning how to handle those huge bites…hence all the fish juice everywhere.

Anna is a bit like Connie. She sure likes her fish! Anna is making KNF E1-03 really stretch its neck to get any food. I must admit to getting irritated at both Anna and Connie. I want to see them feeding that wee babe til it can’t move and then having a big lunch themselves! Oh, well…they are never going to listen to me.

At the KNF E3 nest of Alex and Andria, E01 and 02 are doing fantastic. They look like two old wooly grey carpets. There is always an adult around but both can regulate their temperature now and it is a lovely day near Kincaid Lake in Louisiana.

Lots of good feedings and M15 and Harriet together in the later afternoon. These two are such sweethearts. I wonder if they are both male?

Ron and Rose were working on their nest on Saturday. That Rose is certainly a sweetheart. She is so smitten with her man.

MO and FO have both been at the Captiva Osprey platform nest on Saturday. (This is the same osprey).

Jack and Diane have been at the nest on the parking lot of the Achieva Credit Union in St Petersburg. They seem to be vigilantly watching for intruders instead of actually working on any aspect of the nest. Diane’s leg looks like it is almost entirely healed. Wonderful news.

Jack went fishing and came in with a nice fish breakfast for Diane at 07:52.

In Australia, Zoe had no fish deliveries on the 14th and nothing so far (noon) on the 15th none. The waters are very choppy. She is 119 days old. Mum and Dad could have trouble getting their own fish. Mum delivered one fish on the 13th. It looks as if Zoe is hunting around in the nest for leftovers, even dried fish. Is she catching her own? I don’t know but Mum and Dad fish at Delamere where Ervie does and Zoe might have followed them. Surely the parents are encouraging our girl to become independent and move out of the nest. She isn’t fish screaming either but that could be because Mum and Dad are not visible.

Nearly 1600 on Sunday for Zoe and no fish deliveries for more than 48 hours. She is either extremely hungry or she is fishing and eating off cam.

We will end in Australia with Elain’s nest highlights from Orange and the family of Diamond, Xavier, and Indigo.

Beautiful Diamond.

Save for poor Moana and Jackie, it has been a very quiet day. Pip watch soon for Berry College!

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

Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Sharon Dunne and Royal Cam Albatross Group NZ, Openverse, The Guardian, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, BBC, AEF, FOBBV, Superbeaks, Window to Wildlife, KNF-E1, KNF-E3, SWFL and D Pritchett, WRDC, Achieva Credit Union, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, and Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross.

Rose and Ron bonding…Friday in Bird World

13 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Here it is, Friday the 13th. I wonder how many people reading this are superstitious?

On Thursday afternoon, I put on the heavy coat and took out the camera and battery, warmest boots, scarf, toque and headed out to the nature centre. It was -12 degrees C with only a 4 kph wind and 84% humidity. Damp. It was a lovely day in the forest and a few friends were around the feeders.

Several Red Squirrels were running about enjoying the peanuts knocked down from the feeders by the birds or another squirrel ‘friend’.

‘Squirrel Friend’ in action!

A sweet little female Downy Woodpecker enjoying the suet. I love feeding suet in the winter because, unlike peanuts and Black Oil seed, have to be cleared up regularly.

The Black-capped Chickadees are simply precious. They flit about taking one seed, fly to a branch, open and eat it and fly back to get another – all day long.

What a treat it was to see a White-breasted Nuthatch.

Merlin Sound ID alerted me to a Yellow Flicker in the area but I did not see it. The deer were not around today near the hide.

Making News:

It is easy to worry about our favourite feathered families with the heavy rains and floods that have been happening in California (and at other places in the US and around the world). That makes it so much of a relief to see that Annie and her new male friend are at The Campanile and are safe.

They are putting sat pads on Ospreys in Senegal! It seems that the people in Africa are as curious about where their ospreys go to breed as we are to find out where they winter. This is just grand.

Creating new wetlands is a good thing.

If you missed The Flight of the Osprey presentations/shows/talks, Geemeff has reposted the links so that you can watch/hear:

The expectations are that Avian Flu will continue to kill domestic and wild birds. Are you noticing any shortage of eggs? Tests are going on now as duck hunting season is in full swing in places like California. The researcher in this article ” will deliver her samples to UC Davis, where lab personnel will test them first for avian flu in general and ultimately for the specific strain known as Goose/Guangdong (Gs/GD) lineage highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Gs/GD HPAI is the deadliest and most infectious bird flu ever to strike Europe or North America, according to wildlife epidemiologists. The strain ravages domestic poultry flocks and can sicken and kill more species of wild birds across a greater geographic area than any previous outbreak, leaving an unprecedented trail of death. So far, the virus has affected more than 52 million domestic poultry birds in the U.S. and has been tested for and confirmed in 4,362 wild birds across the country.” 

this-bird-flu-pandemic-is-terrible-and-strange-bay-natureDownload

The first eagle in SW Virgina confirmed to have bird flu. This year there could be some very serious hardships.

I was interviewed last week about the impact of war on wildlife. Today there is an article appearing in The Guardian about Hooded Crows around Babyn Yar near Kyiv. Keeping in mind that there has been so much destruction in Ukraine, it is a very interesting article to read.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/12/country-diary-the-silently-screaming-ravine-is-now-filled-with-bird-chatter?CMP=share_btn_link

In the mailbox:

‘L’ send me the latest Audubon news that shows their lobbying of the federal government has included many of their concerns about the environment and wildlife. Thanks, ‘L’. Have a read:

https://www.audubon.org/news/recently-passed-federal-funding-package-makes-investments-natural-climate

‘A’ has noticed that Clive is bringing a lot of trout to Connie and CJ7. Where is the trout coming from? That is such an interesting question. Thank you for asking it, ‘A’. I am reminded of when Dylan has brought Brown Trout into the nest at Llyn Clywedog that he shares with Serena Blue 5F. Dylan could get them from the local Reservoir but often humans are there fishing. I was so impressed with John Williams who tracked Dylan in a round about way and discovered that Dylan will escort intruders up to 25 miles away from the nest and it seems he stops along the way back home to fish! So now, where does Clive get those trout? Believe it or not, Captiva is well known for its winter fishing which includes Trout. Fresh Water Fishing Advice said this, “Spotted seatrout fishing is good in Captiva year-round. The season to fish for spotted seatrout in the region is high between January and October. The best time of the year to catch spotted seatrout in the area is between April and June.”

Checking the Nests:

The two eaglets at Superbeaks are growing and growing and then growing some more. It is difficult to get a screen capture of both of them together so I was pleased about the first image. It is early morning and Pearl and Tico are waiting for a fish delivery and breakfast. Their crops are empty!

Tico is 34 days old and Pearl is 35 days old today.

It is not long until fish arrive on the nest and these two get fed til they are full to the brim.

It is a wonder they can bend over. I am very impressed with these parents, PePe and Muhlady.

The two eaglets at the Kistachie National Forest E-2 nest of Alex and Andria are nothing short of precious. So civil to one another.

It is possible that KNF-E1-03 will be an only eaglet this year. In fact, this chick could be from the second egg. No matter. It will thrive under the watchful eye of Louis and Anna.

17:42. Probably the last meal of the day for the wee eaglet. Some people love the little pink feet but I love those little wings and the peek at the tail appearing.

Tonya Irwin gives us a short video of Louis taking care of E1-03 Thursday morning. Louis is such a proud daddy.

Shadow saw the precious egg that Jackie laid at 1600 on Wednesday early Thursday morning. Tine 07:06:22. After this, he flew out and returned with a nice fish for Jackie.

Jackie does not want to begin hard incubation until she is sure the second egg is in the nest. Otherwise the eaglets would be too different in birth times and this could cause severe rivalry. But, Jackie also knows that she cannot leave the egg alone or the Crows will get it. Little Fiona came to the nest but Fiona will not bother the egg.

One good way is for Jackie to perch near the egg – or Shadow – protecting the nest should a predator arrive.

What a sweet look – a marvel. Jackie looking at that egg she has laid. Oh, let us all hope that this is a good year for our Big Bear Valley couple. They deserve it. What fantastic parents they were to Spirit.

Notice how Jackie is sleeping over the egg to protect it from any predators but it is not yet hard incubating so if there is a second egg, the eaglets will hatch closer together. What a brilliant idea to keep the Crows at bay.

The California news is already celebrating Jackie and Shadow’s first egg! Oh, how wonderful.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/the-scene/the-first-egg-of-2023-arrives-for-big-bears-beloved-bald-eagles/3071805/?_osource=db_npd_nbc_knbc_eml_shr

Connie and Clive’s little one had a nice big crop today. There are lots of fish on that nest! Some of them are hidden. The little one looks fine despite some concerns over Connie eating more than she is feeding the chick. It does not look like the second egg will hatch. Like the KNF-E1 nest, it is possible that this chick was actually from the second egg.

Gabby and V3 were working on the nest this morning. He is rather handsome. I know he is not Samson but there are things about him that remind me of Samson – like his tight ‘jeans’.

HeidiMc caught Ron and Rose bonding in the WRDC nest in Miami yesterday. They are such a funny eagle couple! I love how Rose nibbles on Ron’s feathers. Oh, so sweet.

The beaking at the Southwest Florida nest of E21 and E22, kidlets of Harriet and M15, is not that bad. The problem is E22 who does seem to stare E21 right in the eye and then aim at him/her with its beak and then E21 shows 22 who is boss.

Look carefully. You are going to see black dots. Those are not bugs. The plumage is beginning to change. Yes, already. You will see the thermal down but you will also begin to see tiny black dots where the shafts of the feathers are emerging. You will also notice that the egg tooth is disappearing.

E22 you should never look 21 in the eye. Never!

For now, 21 is the oldest and is the boss. Just leave things alone.

A short clip from SK Hideaways showing E21 and 22 eating a meal and rather behaving. They do not always. E22 can still get rough.

It is raining in Fort Myers and Harriet is keeping the two wiggle worms underneath her!!!!!! M15 has a big rabbit on deck for dinner when it stops.

Indigo the beetle-slayer! and Diamond chaser. Indigo is so proud of his beetles. Just imagine what it will be like when he gets his first ‘real’ prey!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is lots of news and things happening in the world. It is hard to keep track of everything and report on all the birds. All of the hatched eagles at every nest appear to be doing just fine. That is wonderful news. Diane at the Achieva Osprey nest appears to be so much better on her her injured leg. She even flew off with a fish in that leg’s talon today. I do not think we will see any more chicks at Captiva or KNF-01. Keep watching as we have Berry College Eagles coming up and for all of the Royal Albatross fans, the pip on the Royal cam chick is about a fortnight away?

Thank you so very much for being with me. Please take care of yourselves. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their questions, their tweets, their posts, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: ‘A’, ‘L’, Cal Falcons, SKHideaways and Cal Falcons, Project Tougoupeu FB, BBC Dorset, Geemeff, Bay Nature, L Doyle and Bald Eagles Live Nests and Cams, Audubon News, Superbeaks, KNF E3, KNF E1, Tonya Irwin and KNF-E1, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, HeidiMc and SWFlorida Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, SWFlorida Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, SK Hideaway and SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, and Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross.

Eggs, Coots, and more…it is Thursday in Bird World

12 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that the week has been good to you. I think of everyone in the paths of the storms that I am reading about and I hope that all of you are safe.

I am repeating the story of Jackie laying her first egg. 3884 people were watching the nest at the time. It went up to over 4000. Incredible. Jackie and Shadow are much loved. It just made me giddy and all of us wish this couple the very best of luck this year. Let us hope for good weather, no predators and nothing untoward.

From the Bookshelf:

I continue to sing the praises of Slow Birding. It is my pick of all the books I have read so far as being one of the most informative and easy to understand. If you like picture books, it is not for you!!!!! Last night I tackled the chapter on American Coots. They visit us and last summer I had the privilege of seeing several at the ponds around our city on a daily basis. I want to share with you what I learned – it is fascinating.

Coots are not ducks. They are rails but they spend their time in the water – like a duck. Their bodies are a deep espresso brown black, the head a darker shade than the body. Their bill is white with a shield that ranges in colour from a deep red-brown to brick red. You can see this below. They have red eyes. Stunning. Their secondary feathers have a white trim and there is a tiny white line going down the middle of the tail to its tip. Their feet have toes and those toes have evolved over time to have phalanges that help them to swim.

“American Coot (Fulica americana)” by Jacob McGinnis is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

In the image below notice the red on the head of the chick.

“Mud Hen or American Coot (Fulica americana) feeding her baby” by Peggy2012CREATIVELENZ is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Some interesting facts about Coot behaviour:

  • Baby Coots have red heads. When predators are about they will stick their heads deep into leaves or into the nest so the predator cannot see them. As they age they can dive and camouflage their head by being under water. There is, on average, a five day spread between the first hatch and the last.
  • Adult Coots can tell the parasitic eggs (eggs laid by another Coot in their nest) from their own eggs due to patterns on the shell.
  • Adult Coot parents divide up the brood – older chicks with fading red heads and younger ones with red feathers. Chicks who kept their red feathers were the favourites of the adults to be fed. Unlike ducklings who can forage themselves, baby Coots are fed by the parents.

Making News:

Did you know that the Kakapo Recovery group check out the Rimu fruit, essential for Kakapo survival, to determine when breeding will begin? I didn’t.

More raptors are arriving in wildlife rehabilitation centres now that they are having to scavenge for food. Often this means that they are eating the innards left from hunters in the fields and woods – those are loaded with lead and it sends them right into care if they don’t die first. Sadly, this Golden Eagle got help but it was too late. This is entirely preventable. Write your representatives and urge them to ban all levels of lead in fishing and hunting equipment! Now. Thank you.

I would give just about anything to see a pile of ducks quacking away in my local park’s pond. They will return in the late spring. For now I have to rely on stories of others. I hate no idea, however, that Wigeons whistled, did you?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/11/birdwatch-whistling-wigeons-winter-highlight?CMP=share_btn_link

Nest News:

How many of you worried and fretted that Connie had not fed the little eaglet? I sure did! Connie has now fed the eaglet – about 24.5 hours after it hatched! Yippeee. Oh, I bet that first bite of fish tasted good! Little one holding its head up nicely. There is no sign that the second egg is pipping but it could be. Perhaps the egg that hatched was actually the second one laid. We wait. The raptors will teach us patience whether we like it or not!

Connie fed the little one again at 13:39 and at 14:20. I am making an assumption that the feedings will be nearly hourly from this point onwards for a few days during daylight hours. Clive has brought in Mullet and Trout. Good job, Dad.

Thursday>. No obvious pip in the second egg at Captiva.

Oh, that little one at the KNF E1 nest of Anna and Louis is just a cute little butterball. Will that second egg hatch? I cannot see a pip there either. Oh, those little wings. Adorable. Just adorable. No signs of a pip in the other egg.

I do not see a pip on the second egg at KNF-E1 Thursday morning either but it could be there.

One big difference that you might notice is that Andria feeds her eaglets more often than Anna. That is a really good thing for those two eaglets especially the second hatch as it remains much smaller than the first. Both are being civilised and both are well fed and cared for – no worries here.

Jack and Diane were bringing in bark to the nest in St Petersburg Florida. I am sure hoping that they leave it as a liner to cover up that hole. Last year their eggs rolled in there and with the help of Crows, the couple had no osplets. The year prior they fledged three. Diane’s leg appears to be improving daily.

Both PePe and Muhlady have brought in fish to the nest. These eaglets, Pearl and Tico, are so lucky. What a great source for fish their nest has.

Pearl is really getting her juvenile feathers.

Just look at this beautiful eaglet.

Gabby and V3 were both at the nest this morning. V3’s talons have really taken a beating but they appear healing or healed. Then off to secure the territory while Gabby stays home! What a guy.

Gabby lets out a big cry at 09:46.

Both V3 and Gabby are at the nest tonight on their respective perches watching for intruders and probably hoping to get some rest.

We have all noticed the large number of intruders at Gabby’s nest – and, of course, no Samson is what started all of this. The Centre for Conservation Biology has noticed that Bald Eagles spend more time guarding than they did 20 years ago due to the growing number of eagles in the area. Here is an article that arrived in my inbox today. It really sheds some light on what could be happening in The Hamlet.

chesapeake-eagles-shift-behavior-the-center-for-conservation-biologyDownload

They continue to work on the nest at Big Bear. With body temperatures of 105 degrees, Jackie and Shadow can melt the snow on the nest very quickly. Keep an eye out for any fluff being brought to the nest bowl. That will signal egg laying.

Well, goodness. I said watch for the eagles to bring in soft nesting material and look what happened late Wednesday afternoon!

That nest bole has been occupied for longer than an hour. I am not ready for this! But it just might be that Jackie is!!!!!!!!!!! She certainly wouldn’t listen to me.

Oh, tears. Jackie just laid her first egg. Beautiful. Between 1557 and 1600. Jackie made it look easy.

There is a fully history of the Big Bear nest under the streaming cam. It is very possible that Jackie is the 2012 hatch of Ricky and Lucy. In 2019, Shadow arrives at the nest and refuses to leave. Eventually, Jackie’s mate Mr BB leaves the area. Jackie and Shadow fledged Cookie and samba in 2019. Tragedy strikes for the pair in 2020 and 2021. Last year Jackie laid eggs on 22 January and 25th. One of those hatched. It was Spirit who stole our hearts and who fledged on 31 May.

Jackie was still keeping that precious egg safe at 1800.

E21 and 22 are really enjoying the fish that was brought in on Wednesday. they are cuties. Both M15 and Harriet fed the little ones fish and both were nicely behaved. Yes.

Indigo loves bringing beetles into the scrape that he has caught. Today there were four that Elain caught in her video! Indigo is so proud of his catch.

Ron and Rose are still working on the nest in Miami-Dade. Today, Ron brought Rose a fish in the nest. How sweet.

I am waiting for the pip watch at Berry College for Pa Berry and Missey. Last year they raised a strong eaglet B15 that stayed in the area and entertained people well into the fall with his flying skills. They are not on YouTube. You must Google Berry College Eagle Cam.

The eagles are working on the nest at Duke Farms.

And the new couple at the Captiva Osprey nest, MO and FO, are working on eating a catfish (or is it a shark?) and mating at the same time. Good luck with that.

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

Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that make up my blog: Openverse, Kakapo Recover, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, The Guardian, Window to Wildlife, NF-E1 and E3, Achieva Credit Union, Superbeaks, NEFL-AEF, Centre for Conservation Biology, FOBBV, SWFL Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, WRDC, Berry College Bald Eagles, and Duke Farms Bald Eagles.

Egg stealing, eaglets and more…Bird World for Wednesday

11 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

The month of January is flying by. My children are back in their classrooms teaching and I am enjoying the benefits of retirement – being here with you and the birds. I must begin with a request. If you have been writing to me at my outlook address (check your e-mail) and I have not responded, my apologies. Lewis finally chewed through the entire cord despite my putting electric tape all over it. He does not like the cord to the Mac Air – thank goodness. I will get a replacement but, I think moving forward please send letters to me at this address now that I have this other machine: maryannsteggles@icloud.com

Doesn’t he just look innocent? I blamed it on teething but I think Lewis is just ‘nuts’ about dangly things. In the image below, he has uncovered a window that was ‘wrapped’ so that he could not get to it. Surprise! The foamy stuff that has dried over the years caused me great anxiety. Of course – he found it! Terrible Mum put him in ‘time out’ until I could remove the window to the basement! You would have thought I was pulling his toe nails out. Poor thing. I wonder what he will think when I do trim those nails this evening?

Missy is a very big girl and she is not even six months old. That is the beautiful blanket that was given to her when she was adopted – I love the pastel granny squares. Perfect for such a sweet girl. The issue is her size! This is my grandmother’s old quarter-cut oak dining table. It is 50 inches in circumference (without the leaves) or 127 cm. Stretched out Missy is 38 inches or 96.52. How do you say Maine Coon? BTW. Yes, they have taken over the dining room table. They like the light on – like a heat lamp!!!!!!!

They are not fighting. Missy sleeps with her head on Lewis’s leg. Seriously. They are almost always inseparable. Never seen anything like it.

In the Mailbox:

Question: ‘A’ wonders if Indigo is capable of catching his own prey.

Answer: The majority of the resources that I read and have checked state that Peregrine Falcon Fledglings in North America can and do catch their own prey after about 4 weeks from leaving the scrape. So Indigo is certainly capable. He has been bringing in beetles which we all presume that he has caught. It reminds me of Izzi with his cicadas and then eating them like popsicles on the ledge of the scrape. If Indigo has not caught a bird yet, he is able to and should be doing so soon. I asked how much an adult peregrine needs to eat in a day and from several centres that do peregrine falcon recovery, the answer is approximately 70 grams of food a day is good for an adult – that is apparently equivalent to two Starlings or Blackbirds.

This video is actually from the 30th of December so it is now 12 days ago. Indigo arrives at the scrape with a large bug. He is so pleased with himself over these bug catches that it leads one to believe that they are his first successful hunting forays. Good protein in those bugs, too, for our young lad.

In the News:

Gemeff sent me this news item the other morning and it was too late to include in my blog for that day. You might think that egg collecting and putting feathers in ladies hats died out in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Turns out Scotland Yard has been working on Operation Easter Egg for 25 years. This is very sad, indeed. I am reminded of the four eggs stolen from Taiaroa Head where the Royal Albatross nest late in 2022. Despicable. You can find the entire story at Raptor Persecution UK.

‘A’ has written to me about the torrential rains and flooding that Melbourne has experienced. Have you ‘A’ or any of our other readers in Melbourne seen these floating platforms? and if so, are they working to help wildlife? I would love to have a personal account. They look brilliant and I am reminded of the floating loon nests that I just wrote about in my blog posted on 10 January.

Most of the people who read my blog know that helping wildlife makes you feel good. Many of us recognise the animals that come regularly to our gardens. An article appearing today in The Guardian carries the following message from the author:

Getting to know animals as individuals with varying personalities and behaviour grants them elevated importance. But be aware that it is likely to push you closer to vegetarianism and inspire you towards conservation. Because once you have a relationship and an attachment to another living creature, they become part of your sphere of compassion. And then there is no choice but to protect both the animal and its environment. 

Kate Ahmad, The Guardian, Befriending a wild animal will make you a better human – here’s why

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/06/befriending-a-wild-animal-will-make-you-a-better-human-heres-why?CMP=share_btn_link

Ever wondered what it would be like to go to a Red Kite feeding station? I have and I would love to see these magnificent raptors. The Bellymack Hill Feeding Station is near Castle Douglas and the Galloway Red Kite Trail. This is a great little 10:04 minute video created by visitors to see the kites being fed. They also got to see other farm animals. At 1400 every day, food is put out for the raptors. They have hides where you can watch. Your admission helps buy the food. So, if you travel to anywhere in the UK, check and see if there is a Red Kite feeding station! Watch them for me! And if I get there first, I will publish lots of photos.

We all have dreams and like seeing Red Kites in the Wild come to feed, I really would like to see Ospreys migrating to their winter homes and then go on a trek to photograph and count them in those winter regions. Jean-Marie duPart goes up and down the Senegalese coast and into the parks and rivers in search of ospreys and he reports back. There seems to be more good news this year for various nests. You can catch his reports on FB by searching for his name: Jean-Marie Depart. He works for Nature et Oiseaux Sénégal .

The Nests We are Watching (some of them):

Connie and Clive’s first eaglet together is a cutie – CE9. So happy for this eagle couple after all they have been through.

Little eaglet is tuckered out. Hatching is hard work!

Some fish for the wee one? That first feeding will just be little bits and bobs and some fish juice and saliva. It is actually unclear whether the eaglet has been fed. Certainly Connie has eaten!!!!! Little one will be strong and hungry tomorrow morning screaming for fish.

Lady Hawk caught the hatch in a video. Dad Clive was on the nest when it hatched. The chick hatched at 11:22 on Tuesday. For whatever reason, Connie has yet to feed it despite fish on the nest.

Louis and Anna’s little eaglet is a chubby little one…so sweet. Anna is already covering up Louis’s fish – hoping that those nasty flies and mosquitoes will stay away. Maybe these nests need Zappers! I think the fact that the beautiful Spirit Bluff peregrine falcon chicks jumped to their death because of black flies has me on edge now when I see lots of insects. And, yes…we need insects. I am not proposing that we don’t have them. We need more actually but, maybe just not on smelly eagle nests when there are babies.

KNF E#-01 and 02 are doing well. Both have had big crops and there is no issue about an eaglet not being fed. Everything is going along fine.

It continues to look like Pearl is self feeding at the Superbeaks nest while Tico is being fed …that said, Muhlady also feeds Pearl but the oldest eaglet is trying. She is just over a month old.

At the Southwest Florida Bald Eagle nest, Harriet got a break around 0742 Tuesday morning. M15 took over the feeding and let Mum hang out having a break. M15 is fantastic. I love it when he feeds the eaglets because each gets to eat. He will also step in and feed the little one, this year little E22, if 21 is getting the majority. I often wonder if he came from a nest where he was the last hatch with a big sister? Things are fine at this nest!

These kids had a bunny breakfast. While eagles bring many things to their nests, some of the prey M15 delivers is road kill – bunnies, cats, etc. Bald Eagles eat almost anything – fish, ducks, Coots that they have caught, other mammals they have hunted, and carrion.

M15 and Harriet have given E22 several little private feedings. Fantastic.

The weather is nasty at the nest of Shadow and Jackie in Big Bear Valley today. Strong howling winds, blowing snow/ice. I really hope our gal doesn’t decide to lay her eggs during this period of bad weather. This storm caused power outages, etc even in San Jose where Sequoia has her scrape (an hour south approximately).

The winds have calmed down slightly.

They have calmed down for Sequoia, also.

It poured on the University of California-Berkeley campus. I hope that Annie is safe. So glad no chicks in the nest for Annie. Weather, wet weather, is difficult when there are new chicks. Many studies show that the decline in Peregrine Falcons in the far northern region is often due to rain – the damp cold and hunting for prey become issues for the adults.

The weather looks pretty good in Iowa. Both eagles were at the nest at Decorah, near the trout hatchery, at dawn. They later worked on the nest.

In Australia, Zoe was at the nest early hoping for a fish on the 11th. Before Dad arrived she turned and I would almost guess she had already had something to eat. Look at her profile. This is at 07:11. I think our girl is catching fish although it is a bit of a mystery. She did leave the nest between dawn and the time the fish was delivered. Was it enough? or did she get a fish drop off camera? I am so curious about this huge crop.

Dad obliged at 0714. Zoe is 116 days old today (115 when this fish was delivered in Australia).

For Achieva Osprey fans, Diane and Jack have both been at the nest today in St Petersburg, Florida. Jack brought Diane a fish and Diane was seen defending the nest. Her leg must be getting better. Such good news! Now if a fairy would repair the hole in the centre of that nest.

Thank you so much for being with me today. It is so exciting having a few more little eaglets to enjoy – and also to have a few nests with eaglets developing at different stages. It is a real way to visually see the changes from week to week at different nests. Somehow I always find I remember these developments easier if I can ‘see’ them rather than read about them. We should be watching for pips at both Captiva and KNF-E1. Pips will be coming up at Barry College in a week or so. Take care all. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their letters, tweets, announcements, blogs, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures today: ‘A’, Geemeff, Orange CSU Peregrine Falcons, Raptor Persecution UK, #BirdTheFeckAtHome, The Guardian, Red Kite Feeding YouTube Video, Window to Wildlife, Lady Hawk, KNF E1 and KNF E3, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Achieva Credit Union, Superbeaks, SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, FOBBV, San Jose City Hall Falcons, Cal Falcons, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org.

A hatch for Connie and Clive…Tuesday in Bird World

10 January 2022

Good Morning,

Lots of eagle parents busy feeding eaglets – from those a month old at Superbeaks to newly hatched. It is ‘egg citing’.

Making News: Hopefully all manner of organisations and individuals will keep a very focused light on the gaming estates in the UK. Will the judiciary finally give sentences to gamekeepers that are appropriate for all the laws that they have broken? Will they give sentences and fines long and large enough to deter this horrific behaviour. Sue Belcher wrote a poem about snares. Read it. If you don’t live in the UK but love our raptors and other wildlife, it will help you to understand what the fight is about. I am happy to spread the word on the plight of wildlife caught in these medieval devices. Thank you Sue!

Checking on some of the nests we are watching:

At 11;22, Connie and Clive have their first hatch at the Captiva Bald Eagle cam. It is to be really celebrated. Connie and Joe lost their two beautiful hatches, Peace and Love, to rodenticide secondary poisoning in 2020. No eggs in 2021. Then Hurricane Ian came and tore down Connie and her new mate’s nest, Joe. Congratulations Captiva!

Jackie often lays her eggs in March. Generally egg laying is timed to the availability of prey items. Despite that historic fact, Shadow and Jackie have been mating on the nest today and Jackie continues to check out the nest bowl. Will we have eggs early at Big Bear Valley?

It started off as another f/soggy day at the Kisatchie Forest nest of Alex and Andria. ‘A’ was the first to alert me to the fact that the weather is often very different on one side of the lake from the other. Andria dig a really good job keeping those feisty little eaglets with their clown feet underneath her so they would stay warm and dry. No thermal down yet so this is important. It is coming!

More chair rails, Alex!!!

E3-02 was so full that he could hardly get himself up and over to the dining table for the next meal.

As the sun set Monday night in Alexandria, Louisiana, two very full eaglets tucked in tight under Mum sleeping. Beautiful.

Eaglet E1-03 is a cutie pie! Louis is filling the nest with Coot and fish already. Anna has changed so much since her first hatch, Kisatchie. He didn’t know what to do and Anna didn’t know how to feed an eaglet. Of course, they got it together but, we sat at the edge of our seats. Now Anna is experienced and this little one is simply a cutie who loves its fish and Coot. Look at those precious wings.

Oh, such a chubby little baby. Cute. So cute.

If you have not watched the nest of Louis and Anna, it is a good one to have on your list. Here is the link:

This is the status of the pip for Connie and Clive at 17:41 Monday evening.

Both Gabby and V3 were in the nest at 06:51 Monday morning.

V3 was last seen at the tree at 1531. There had been an adult eagle land on the nest tree with an injured eye and talons but it would not have been V3.

At 18:05, Gabby waits on Wallenda. She is still tucked on Wallenda and waiting for V3at midnight.

At Superbeaks, Pearl appears to be doing some self-feeding.

And, oh, goodness. Every eaglet or osplet should know that you NEVER look your sibling directly in the eye. It is definitely not a good idea.

Big PS before bed.

At the nest of Harriet and M15, the two eaglets, E21 and E22, are doing grand. E21 is 6 days old today and E22 is 3.5 days old. That is actually a big difference. Both are eating well and Harriet is feeding them as much as each needs. E22 does not need as much food as E21 – so don’t panic and count the bites and worry if they are not equal! It is all good in Fort Myers on the Pritchett property.

Harriet gave E22 a private feeding while 21 slept – Harriet is experienced and smart! Lady Hawk put it on video for us.

Martin and Rosa have been doing restorations at the Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam in W Virginia on Monday. Oh, those talons make me ache. Send some very soothing hand cream to the nest, please!

Indigo had a very interesting day. Check out Elain’s video:

So what is up with Annie and the ‘new guy’? I am not sure. He was till working on his prey deliveries the other day.

Book Review: Loon Lessons. Uncommon Encounters with the Great Northern Diver by James D Paruk (2021, University of Minnesota Press).

Loons. Who doesn’t love a loon? Anyone spending time in the forest and lake areas of Canada or Minnesota – or other places – has memories of their calls -the tremolo, yodel, or wail. I have tried hard to ‘see’ them because I have listened to those calls for years but, did not get sight of the diving waterfowl. I finally did. I will not tell you that I love loons more than big bad raptors – I don’t. But they are iconic for the province that I live in and I want to know more about them so I can appreciate their life, its blessings, and challenges more. This book really helped me on all accounts. The book is full of 30 years of experience by today’s leading expert on loons.

As a former academic, ‘scholarly’ articles can be a bit dry and daunting especially if they are in any of the fields of science (sorry). What I noticed immediately was that Paruk’s friendly and accessible writing style immediately drew me in. What a wonderful way to open a preface by saying, “To appreciate any organism, I am convinced we do not need years of training – all we need to do is watch our children marvel at a deer or a squirrel from a window. A sense of wonder and our innate curiosity can lay the foundation for developing and maintaining an appreciation for the natural world.” Excellent. The volume is divided into 12 chapters moving from biology, courtship and nesting behaviour, migration, conservation threats, and how loons are adapting to a changing world. The book is printed in black and white and at first you might ask, “where are the photographs of this magnificent bird with its black and white plumage”? You will find those images in the middle of the book – and I learned, looking through those images – that some loons have other coloured plumage such as the Red necked Loon!

Besides behaviour, one of the things that I was most interested in reading first were the challenges that loons face and what is being done to help them. You may have seen the artificial floating nests with avian guards (a bit of a camouflage cover over the top) on some loon streaming cams. These help the loons protect their nests and keep them safe from predators. The floating nests also keep the eggs out of harms way in times of flooding. It was very clear to me that the Bald Eagles who nest on the shore near Hecla Island and whose nests were destroyed by the 2022 flood might benefit from some floating platforms of some sort. There are other ways that we can help.

The threats to the loon sound like a broken record for all birds including raptors – mercury affects the central nervous system and it is present at very high levels in many of the ponds and lakes in the northern part of my province. As a natural occurring material, it was released into the water when the land was dredged for the many hydro-electric dams. Lead. Oh, what a culprit lead is – and please tell me why, knowing what it does to all birds and wildlife – has it not been banned? I clearly believe that humans that have the power to stop painful deaths or long term rehabilitation must wear bloody blinders. It is making me angry and I wonder how they would feel dying of lead poisoning? On page 173, Paruk states, “In recent decades, the EPA and USFWS failed to pass further measures to reduce the use of lead in hunting and fishing gear despite mounting evidence of its toxicity in the environment”. He continues by adding that six states took it upon themselves to pass legislation curtailing the use of certain levels of lead in fishing equipment. Those states are New Hampshire (sinkers 1 ounce or less), Massachusetts (lead sinkers on two reservoirs loons use for breeding), Maine, New York, Vermont banned “the sale of lead sinkers of one-half ounce or less and restarted their use as well.” Washington State banned the use of lead tackle on 12 of the 13 lakes used for breeding by loons. Since 2010, no additional state has done anything to ban lead ——–that was 13 years ago. It is time our American friends reading this blog get busy lobbying for the end of lead – the end of it period. Not just certain amounts. All lead. Paruk states, “I am left wondering how many more eagles, loons, condors, cranes, and swans have to die before a change in policy is warranted. The EPA was designed to protect the health of humans and the environment…acknowledges that lead is toxic to wildlife but not enough to warrant a national ban of lead tackle. Despite the mounting evidence that ingested fishing tackle leads to numerous wildlife deaths, the EPA refuses to recognise that there is a serious problem nationally. Because the federal government has failed to act on banning lead tackle, the responsibility shifts to state governments to take action” (174-75). If you want to do something to help the wildlife in the US, then US citizens reading my blog should carefully craft a letter to their state environmental officials copying them to the EPS and the USFWS demanding action now. Mercury and lead but there are also serious environmental threats to loons and other wildlife – including oil and its spillage such as The Deep Water Horizon in the Gulf. The other day I posted a copy of a Tweet indicating that licenses to drill for oil and natural gas off the coast of Alaska – pristine waters – were being accepted and had one application. Are they serious? Of course, monofilament fishing line is a source of painful injury or death. Other polluted waters, habitat loss, etc. The list is endless.

It is a really good read. You can learn so much just about loons, their behaviour and their migration but you can also get in deep with the challenges they face and how these might be rectified. Price in Canadian dollars: $34.95.

(Disclosure: I do not receive free books to review. If I see a new book that interests me, I buy it and am very happy to spread the word on those that will educate us, cause us to be curious, raise our awareness.)

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, tweets, posts, announcements, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: @Belcherspoems, Window to Wildlife, FOBBV, KNF-1, KNF-3, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, Superbeaks, Lady Hawk and SWFL Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle Cam, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Cal Falcons, and Amazon.

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.

Bobbleheads, pips…Sunday Morning in Bird World

Good Morning Everyone!

Oh, Saturday looked promising for a nice walk in the forest. No! It was only -12 C but the winds were gusting more than 16 kph which means wind burn. I ‘decided’ reluctantly that it would be a good morning to clean house while listening to Ferris Akel’s tour. At the same time, I was very much aware of the European Starlings – all 40 of them – that had descended on the garden. Out went two new cylinders -a plain butter bark one and a seed cylinder. The images are poor because of the light. The Starlings came not just to eat but to ‘sun’ themselves on the tips of the lilac branches rotating their bodies to get warm. Brilliant.

These Starlings are nothing short of gorgeous. They live in harmony with the many sparrows that show up at the feeders. It is the squirrels that cause most of the havoc claiming the entire 10 metres of lilac bushes as their own.

All four of the squirrels were out and about – Dyson and two summer babies and Little Red. The images of them could not be lightened any more. It is unfortunate as this little summer offspring of Dyson is so cute. My offering is one meagre image. This little male was finding peanuts in the snow and eating them. So sweet.

My top story is a shout out to the wildlife rehabbers and the vets in Prince Edward Island for undertaking only the second spinal cord compression injury and the eagle surviving! When I was a professor, one of the things I valued was curiosity above almost everything else. ‘What if I did this?’ ‘How can we improve that?’ ‘Could something like this work?’ Questions that often result in our wildlife having a second chance at life. I wish more vets and rehabbers were as curious as some who make milestones in our understanding of raptor injuries and the potential with groundbreaking surgeries. Congratulations to everyone.

prince-edward-island-bald-eagle-receives-rare-surgery-heads-to-new-home-in-halifax-victoria-newsDownload

More good news. Another six of the Bald Eagles who suffered in Minnesota from phenobarbital poisoning (and some with high lead levels) were recently released. The staff at the wildlife rehab centre had to physically remove the poisoned/euthanized pets from the stomach of these beautiful birds before they could be treated. There were thirteen in total. One had Avian Flu along with the poisoning and died. Another two died leaving ten that were nursed back to health.

3dc655-20230106-eaglerelease2-webp2000Download

‘A’ has reminded me that pip watch will begin in one week at the Royal Albatross Colony on Taiaroa Head. The Royal Cam parents are GLY and L. What is so fascinating to me is how the NZ DOC recognises the impacts on Climate change and is trying to do something about it! ‘A’ included this quote from Ranger Sharyn Broni when she wrote, “

Virtually all the eggs will be hatched in the incubators as the increasingly hot summers make the risk of fly strike too great. We see the effects of climate change on these large birds quite markedly. During the 1950s for example, this type of work would have been unnecessary. By the 1990s conditions were more frequently hot enough to cause fly strike at some nests some of the time. It was during the 1990s that methods to repel flies and also to keep toroa cooler on the nest began. By 2018 fly strike is almost a certainty if the egg is left at the nest to hatch.

The dummy egg holds the parents on the nest while the egg hatches in the incubator over several days. The nest will be sprayed with AIL (Avian Insect Liquidator) to clear out any flies that may be living in the nest. The newly hatched chick has AIL applied to it prior to it being returned to the nest.“

It is a whole lot better cleaning out kitchen cupboards and little ‘kitten’ things all over the house while listening to Ferris Akel’s Saturday Morning Bird tour of the Montezeuma/Ithaca area of the Finger Lakes area of upstate NY. I can stop and look if I hear something of interest or just listen. Ferris is a great advocate for being outside and for birdwatching as a way to let the stress of the world go! I will keep reminding all of us this winter as it is far too easy to stay inside on bad weather days. And sometimes advisable to do so!

There were Snowy Owls, swans of various species, gulls of various types including a Black-backed gull, Canada geese, Red-tail Hawks (a young adult with a red tail and light eyes), Northern Mockingbird, and Bald Eagles on the morning’s tour.

The images were chosen for very specific reasons.

Snowy Owls like ‘snowy, northern climates’. There are always a few around a small airport that Ferris frequents. They are commonly seen in the fields of the province where I live, and one, as you know, is in Southern California this winter!!!!!

A juvenile Tundra Swan with the grey head. Strangely, we have one still living in Winnipeg in an area that has some open water. It should not be here. Will it survive? So far our temperatures have not been constant -32 to -38 C. So, I am hopeful. Our climate is changing so it will be interesting if more stay in the future.

It is Bald Eagle hatch season in the US and while we all get giddy over little pink tootsies, it is good to know how the little eaglets change in their appearance until they become the iconic bird with it sure white head. The image below – look closely, has the yellow smile I spoke about yesterday in the eaglets on the Superbeaks nest. Its eyes are still dark but not as dark as the month olds at Superbeaks. They will continue to lighten. The cere, mandible, and beak are all espresso brown. The head is brown and the body has scattered white and brown striations on the chest. The eagle at the top fits nicely into being a year and a half old according to Avian Reports picture chart on eagle development (below this image). If it were a year old it would have prominent white streaks in its head.

The two eagles below are an adult pair. The beak and the head are definitive means of attributing age. Look at the chart often. It will not take you long to single out the age. But, always remember, eagles can get ‘stains’ on their feathers, especially the tail feathers and sometimes the head. So then look at the beak!

This is a gorgeous Red-tail Hawk. We know that it is at least a year old because it has its red tail. But the eyes remain light so it is not a full adult yet. What a beautiful hawk. My goodness you would think that it was a copy of a young Big Red with its extraordinary apron.

Those eyes are part way between a juvenile (blue/green) and an adult (dark chocolate).

Ferris spotted Big Red when he entered the Cornell Campus. For some reason, the sighting was very emotional. Big Red will be 20 years old this year. What she has gone through to survive that long is beyond imagination. As far as we know, she has only ever had one chick not fledge and that was K2 who had to be taken into care because of a beak/jaw infection/deformity and who had to be euthanised. She is the most famous Red-tail Hawk in the world and rightly so. She will be laying eggs in mid-March.

Ferris caught up with Big Red on one of the light stands as the light was really going late in the day. You can see the wind is really blowing. She is holding on tight to the bars of the stand. Every sighting of her is a joy. It is 1 degree C and the wind is blowing at 14 kph on the ground so it is really windy on the top of the tower. Evan the tower is moving a lot.

Ferris also found L4, the 2022 fledgling of Big Red and Arthur. It was the first year that Big Red had four eggs and had four fledglings. No one believed a 19 year old hawk could do that – Big Red is changing everything we know about Red-tail Hawks in the wild.

In this side view, you can clearly see that the eyes are still light. Not yet a year old.

L4 looking up as some Canada Geese fly overhead.

Little E22 is already such a cutie. Harriet and M15 are a dynamic duo. The DNA running through those two eagles gives us very strong eaglets right out of the broken egg shell. E22 is standing up pretty good…only a few hours after hatching.

Want some fish, E22?

By late afternoon, it was apparent that 21 and 22 had several feedings. There was fish juice all over them. Any bearing came accidentally from 22 whose eyes are not yet focusing. Harriet and M15 must be the most patient feeders!

At 1757, they both had juice and matted feathers everywhere especially 22. The following image gives you a terrific look at that egg tooth and how it extends so much below the mandible. Imagine the eagle on its back hammering away.

Harriet and M15 are great partners. It was only a matter of time before 21 bonked 22. So Harriet, who had been feeding the pair alone, called in M15 to help. Lady Hawk caught the tandem feeding in the following video.

At Anna and Louis’s KNF E-1 nest there have been plenty of opportunities Saturday morning to see the eggs but, no obvious pip. Eggs are 39 days old and 34 days. Average hatch time in Louisiana is 35-39 days so folks are sitting on the edge of their seats to see if this young couple will have a hatch (or two) this year.

Both Anna and Louis have been incubating and rolling the eggs. Louis is a great provider and Anna has proven to be a really good eagle Mum. I was so hopeful they would have two chicks this year as the food resources are there but, it might well be that they, again, have only one. One is fine!

Oh goodness. There is a pip seen after 1300 Saturday. Jumping up and down! Tomorrow there will be a wee one for Anna and Louis. (could be later in the day on Sunday depending on its progress)

At 1652, you can really see the progress that little eaglet is making. Well done!

It is raining in Louisiana this morning. Louis covered the eggs with nesting material not giving us any hint as to how the hatching is going!

At the E3, nest of Alex and Andria, the two eaglets are growing like bad weeds in the garden plot.

Look at the bottom of E3-01!!!!!!! Well fed eaglets, both of them.

Eggs are being rolled at Metro Aviation. It is unclear if there is a pip. I saw a black spot but I think it is nesting material. Will these eggs hatch? The first egg is 42 days old today. The second egg is 39 days. Remember the average is 35-39 for Louisiana Bald Eagle eggs. It is possible that neither egg is viable. But we wait and hope for this couple.

At Berry College, Pa Berry was on the nest. We have some time before pip watch for these two Georgia Bald Eagles. Egg 1 is 26 days old today and egg 2 is 23 days old.

All is well at Superbeaks! Both are on the nest and I haven’t had to scream yet today about the lack of chair rails…but, oh, I wish these eagles would strengthen the sides of this nest.

Rolling eggs at Captiva. Next week is pip watch for Connie and Clive at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest. That is a very clear camera image!!

At the Captiva Osprey nest, Andy and Lena are now replaced by FO and MO. They need to bring more nesting material and everyone would love to see some fish gifts. There is still time! Rumours have it that the pair mated on the nest for the first time on Saturday. I did not see it and I screamed at the rewind on the camera! I can neither confirm nor deny.

Elain continues to keep us up to date with her daily video summaries from Orange. Indigo made only one appearance on the 7th of January! Much more quiet, yes.

Geemeff posted an article on Twitter that is really informative about tracking devices and how they are so useful to our understanding of the movements, behaviour, and challenges our wildlife face. It is a really good read!

how-tracking-technology-is-transforming-our-understanding-of-animal-behaviourDownload

So where does a disappearing elusive Australian Painted-Snipe go if no one has hardly ever seen one? Just look at how lovely it is in the image above. I love that white eye line.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/08/vanishing-bird-the-mystery-of-the-near-mythical-australian-painted-snipe?CMP=share_btn_link

Keeping closer to home and keeping in mind that lovely book, Slow Birding (I think it is the favourite of 2022), I want to remind all of us that we can do things at home now or next year to enrich the lives of the visitors to our own gardens.

  • Provide shelter. No, it doesn’t need to be some elaborate structure. It could mean leaving some of those tall perennials in place to provide a place away from the wind or rain. If like me you have had to cut trees down (yes, sadly), place the limbs and branches around the garden preferably stacking them. Great shelter. In addition, the rotting wood will provide great feasts for birds that feed on insect life. I have several different 60 cm tree trunks that are now about 20 years old. The birds peck away at them in the spring and summer as they are slowing breaking down into a kind of mulch.
  • Looking at the seed and garden catalogues and wishing. Consider – and you must consider your own planting zone – climbers for shelter in the fall and winter but also plants that are bird, bee, and butterfly friendly in your area. I am looking for quick growing berry bushes and a couple of trees with berries right now to plant in the spring. The birds will all thank you.
  • If you have the space, the finances, and the physical ability, why not set up a couple of bird feeders? Feeding the birds really gives them a boost and a better chance at winter survival. Also consider seeds with shells and no shells. All of my garden birds love the Black Oil Sunflower Seeds but the empty shells make a huge mess. You can purchase already hulled seeds. (I rake mind and push them to the back of the mini-forest where they break down and help the soil). If you do put up feeders or bird feeding tables, you have to be able to clean them. Feeding birds is also about responsibility to them so they do not get disease. “The National Wildlife Health Center recommends cleaning bird baths and feeders with a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach. (If there is visible debris, scrub it off before soaking in the bleach solution.) Dry out the feeder before hanging it back up”.
  • Want to give the birds some treats? These ideas I originally found on the RSPB website. You can blend birdseed with unsalted nuts, raisins, and lard and press it into moulds or over pinecones and hang outside. Do you have some old hard cheese that could be grated? (no Blue apparently). Birds love it. My Starlings are loving pieces of apple and pear as well as raisins, sultanas, and currants. It is a good way to use up some bruised fruit. I put chunks into a tray feeder.

It is always my pleasure to bring you some of the recent news about our feathered friends. I did not cover Zoe today but rest assured, the girl is eating! Dad brought her a fish yesterday and it is believed Mum added one to that as well. Most days she has 3 fish delivered by Daddy and Mummy Door Dash. Oh, they must be wishing she would move out of the house?? But, they will dutifully continue to feed their girl. No fear. They are dedicated. It is nearing noon in Australia as I write this and Zoe is 112 days old and she is yelling at Mum who is on the ropes for a fish. Time to become independent dear girl. Or are we set to break other records? She is exploring the area but is she exploring places where she could catch fish? And Ervie! Oh, I wish someone would submit some images of Ervie. Missing that beautiful boy.

Oh, thank you so much for being with me today. It is wonderful to know that there is such a supportive community ‘out there’ for our feathered friends. Please take care! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their tweets, announcements, articles, posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: ‘A’ and NZ DOC, Ferris Akel Tours, Avian Reports, SWFL Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Haw, and SWEagle Cam and D Pritchett, KNF 1, KNF 3, Metro Aviation, Berry College Eagle Cam, Superbeaks, Window to Wildlife, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Geemeff, The Guardian, and Port Lincoln Ospreys and Friends of Osprey.