10 March 2025
Hello Everyone!
UPDATE: Chase and Cholyn have their first egg at Two Harbours.
It is +5 and it was a remarkable Sunday on the Canadian Prairies. There were eleven Canada Geese at the nature centre enjoying the open water while children tried their luck at ice fishing at the other end of the lake.
It is going to snow today with the temperatures dropping to -15 C. It felt like spring on Saturday and Sunday and this was remarkable in lifting our spirits. We were outside without heavy coats!!!!!!! The birds are singing, the squirrels are playing chase, and well, life feels so good. Winter is ending.
The arrival of the geese signal the arrival of spring.
‘PB’ sent me a post showing the Kearney Centre where they have never seen so many Cranes an snow geese at one time at the Nebraska site. Our feathered friends are on the move!
This is the image posted by Michelle Neville and sent to me by ‘PB’. Isn’t this amazing?
All of the staring at the Big Bear triplets caused me to miss the first hatch at Moorings Park. Apologies all around! Thank goodness it is a nest that ‘H’ is watching for the forms, and if anyone ever doubts her observations , well, don’t. Believe her regardless of what all the chatter is saying. She is persistent. She will stay up all night watching frame by frame to make certain she has it. So here is the report, “Moorings Park had its first hatch this morning at 0726, at 39.5 days if it was egg #1. It could have been egg 2 at 36.5 days. This year, eggs 1 and 2 were very similar. So, if there is a DNH (and I’m hoping there is), then I may go back in and modify the hatch order of the eggs.) [We first saw a small pip at 2357 on 3/8. I searched the entire evening, and could not see an earlier pip. Last season at Moorings only two eggs hatched, and the experts on the chat said that egg #1 did not hatch. I think we have egg 3 as DNH in the forms, but I do recall them saying egg 1 didn’t hatch.”
Watching the baby at Big Bear. These triplets are so cute. That first hatch is a bit of a corker. Love this family!
‘B’ reports more weather coming to Big Bear: “More weather is forecast for Big Bear — snow predicted for Tues, Wed, Thurs. Fingers crossed — glad the chicks are still small.
Glad that Shadow brought in 5 fish on Sunday. Better keep busy today! The feedings of the little ones are so cute, especially those tandem feedings.
The rays of the sun kissed those adorable babies.
Lots of food coming to the Big Bear nest! https://youtu.be/r2IjbNsj4Eo?
More than 31,000 souls watched this dual feeding!!!!!!!!!
SK Hideaways caught this dual feeding on video: https://youtu.be/VV9DnU30QAs?
The second hatch at the Kisatchie National Forest E3 Bald Eagle nest is really getting a raw deal from its older sibling. One would have thought that the dominance would have ended. Is there a problem with the amount of food being brought to the nest that is causing this type of bonking?
No food for the younger one this time round.
E04 will get some foo but the viscious attacks have really caused it to be hyper cautious and often not eat.
Andria II is very much aware of what is happening on the nest and made several attempts to ensure 04 had some food.
The Institute for Wildlife Studies has announced Dr Sharpe’s successor and the information for the Adoption Challenge for 2025. Here is the post. This is their big fundraiser and you could get a chance to name an eaglet! One of our readers did just that for one of Akecheta’s triplets. What an honour.
Bald Eagle chart, thank you for checking all those locations and sending this to us, ‘J’: (I cannot make it any larger). E is pip or hatch watch. F is the hatch date.
At the nest of Beau and Gabby, the adults have to watch their talons when they deliver food to Bodie. This big girl really loves her prey. She is gorgeous. It has really been a joy watching this new family raise its first eaglet (yes, I know Beau has been around for a few years, but this is the first year as a ‘family’).
Bodie is so good at the snatch and grab. Beau and Gabby are training their only youngster to survive in the world when it did not have the chance to scrap with siblings! Watch: https://youtu.be/orZm8josGhg?
Mum and Dad were very protective of their two beautiful eaglets during a recent storm in the Dallas area!
Certainly only eaglet at Johnson City is such a cutie and could well have a life of bliss like Bodie.
The triplets at Duke Farm seem to be doing fine. Life can change quickly.
‘J’ sends news that the Osprey ambassador Oliver at Marathon (home to Rita) has died.
It is not an osprey but a Sparrowhawk at Loch Arkaig. https://youtu.be/5eeCTuyXl-8
The loss of butterflies is catastrophic – a wake up call to us!
Butterfly population in US shrinking by 22% over last 20 years, study showshttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/declining-butterfly-populations?CMP=share_btn_url
Upcoming pip watches: Port Tobacco and Sauces starts and we wait for hatch for Bonnie an Clyde at the GHO nest on Farmer Derek’s Property in Kansas.
News from ‘A”: “Tom and Angel are spending time at the nest most days though not all. They are still bringing pine sprigs to the nest and doing a lot of nest cupping so they appear to have largely completed the early structural work (although more baby rails will no doubt be added once any hatchling/s start venturing out of the nest bowl) and are now perfecting the soft surface in the centre of the nest and trying to eject the pine cones that fall into it. There is still no guarantee that they have committed to a clutch at this location this season but we watch and hope. At least they both appear healthy and their pair bond remains strong.
At Taiaroa Head, I’m not sure if you heard the news that the DNA results showed our chick to be a female. She is getting fed regularly and is rapidly becoming a gorgeous snowy-white fluffball. I love that her plumage is unstained by regurgitation, indicating that there has been no incident to cause her undue stress or fear during the post-guard period. She sure is an adventurous small person and has explored the vicinity of her nest, A rat was seen on the camera yesterday morning and ranger Sharyn advised that they have been catching a larger number of rats than usual at this time of year in the traps the rangers set. The albie chicks should be large enough to not be endangered by the rats but apparently they are a major hazard for the little blue penguins, who are only breeding successfully in areas where there is trapping. We need to be incredibly grateful for the work these rangers do to protect not just the albies but also the other native wildlife of this area. “
Thank you so much for being with me today. My goal is to post ‘some’ news each day. It will not be a full account of every nest! I do hope that you find something enjoyable and valuable. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, articles, announcements, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, H, J, PB’, Michelle Neville, Moorings Park Ospreys, FOBBV, Ben’s Weather, SK Hideaways, Kistachie National Forest E3 Bald Eagle Cam, IWS, NEFL-AEF, AEF, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Johnson City ETSU, Duke Farms, Marathon Wildlife Centre, Geemeff, The Guardian