Category Archives: California Eagles

Sue and Otto died of Avian Flu, Zoe leaves barge?…Sunday in Bird World

29 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

There are two big news items this morning. The test results on Sue and Otto, the beloved Syracuse University Red-tail Hawks and Zoe, the Port Lincoln 2022 Osprey fledgling.

Sadly, it was no coincidence. Testing reveals that Sue and Otto, the long time resident Red Tail Hawks at Syracuse University, had Avian Flu. There are still tests pending. How did they catch it? They either ate infected prey, came into contact with the saliva of an infected bird or the feces of an infected bird. We know that Avian Flu is around. We read about it several times in a fortnight and yet, when it hits home to two much beloved Red-tail Hawks, it becomes more real. Our condolences go out to everyone.

This is a very frightening situation with regard to birds and waterfowl in the area. It is a distance of 59 miles from Syracuse to Cornell which is at at the southern end of Cayuga Lake.

Sue and Otta together in a much happier time. They raised 28 eyases to fledge.

Here is the announcement:

In other news:

People can make a difference. We do not have to sit back and let developers and governments allow sacred woodlands to be destroyed. Have a read!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/28/brockley-residents-raise-100000-to-save-patch-of-ancient-london-woodland?CMP=share_btn_link

On Ferris Akel’s Saturday tour to the wildlife areas around Ithaca, New York, there were lots of ducks – Red Heads and Canvas Backs – Canada Geese and Tundra Swans along with Mallards and Mergansers. Oh, I do miss the waterfowl and can’t wait for April when they start returning to Manitoba to breed.

The waterfowl in the images below, captured during Ferris Akel’s tour, is at the northern end of Cayuga Lake. Please look at the map I posted above to locate Cayuga Lake, Syracuse, and then Cornell so you know where Sue and Otto had their nest and where Ferris takes his tours (he does not go to Syracuse on Saturdays).

A Common Merganser.

An adult Tundra Swan and below it a juvenile.

Note the grey head and the bill which is not solid black – the indications of a juvenile Tundra Swan.

A group of 3 adults and a single juvenile Tundra Swan preparing to land on Cayuga Lake.

A Mute Swan. Note the different bill.

Notice the orange bill and the bulging nodule above the bill plus the black patch from the eye to the bill. A Mute Swan. Mute Swans are larger than Tundra Swans. The Tundra Swans have a black bill and black legs.

A good comparison of the Mute Swan and the Juvenile Tundra. Despite the Mute being farther behind, you can see how much larger these swans are than the Tundra.

A pair of Mute Swans.

Bald Eagles on a partially frozen pond – both adults and juveniles.

Always nice to lurk and listen to Ferris’s tours and then jump up to look if he finds Big Red, Arthur, and any of the kids on the Cornell Campus. No hawks today!

Nest News:

I have to start with Zoe who is 134 days old today. Yesterday (Sunday in Australia) she left the barge and flew to White Flats where there is a River and a Reservoir. Dad brought her one fish on Saturday; it is not known if she caught any fish herself . She remained on the barge in the rain Saturday evening. What ever possessed our girl to fly off and head inland instead of staying by the water is beyond me but, if you recall, Solly also travelled inland at times surprising everyone. Has our girl left her natal nest for good? I feel a little overwhelmed with Zoe leaving. She was always there, screaming for fish. I imagined she would be there much longer.

She flew off the nest at 07:55:43. It was windy and the water was choppy.

Zoe prepares for her take off.

Zoe has been gone for almost four hours at the time I am writing this. Will she return to the barge? Or will these beautiful tail feathers be our last sighting of her at Port Lincoln? It is always a bittersweet moment. We want the fledglings to have their freedom and we want them safe at home.

If this is the last we see of you, Zoe, other than photographs and sat pak tracking, live a long life. Life it fully, have many chicks, stay safe, always have a full crop.

It has been a rough year at the Port Lincoln nest losing Little and Middle Bobs. Mum and Dad were brilliant throughout it all. They will be eating fish alone in peace without a screaming Zoe. They will be building up their strength again before it is August – and if time flies as fast as it has, we will just be seeing the UK Ospreys leaving for migration when Mum and Dad think of eggs again at Port Lincoln.

Parent enjoying a fish meal in peace without Zoe screaming wanting it. The time is 12:18.

There were 277 votes cast in the naming contest for the oldest eaglet at Kistachie National Forest (KNF) E3 nest. Hello Valentine. Votes for naming Valentine’s younger sibling will start next Friday at noon nest time. Then it will be the turn of Anna and Louis’s little one to get its name. We will vote on one out of three pre-selected names.

Valentine got to the table first but, 02 was not long in getting up there to enjoy some nice fresh fish.

Gabby and V3 were together at their nest early in the morning near Jacksonville. This is V3. Note the nick under the nostril on the right side.

This amazing new couple. V3 in the back, Gabby in the front.

Can you find Connick?

That little eaglet of Connie and Clive’s is changing rapidly!

Connick loves the freshest fish on the nest…don’t blame him/her. The old fish must be dry and a little hard.

The sun is setting on the Captiva Bald Eagle nest of Connie and Clive and little Connick is cheeping and wanting some last fish – he is watching Connie eat. Don’t blame him! “Fill me up Mum!” Connie finished the fish and I did not see the wee one get any before fed. Connick was full already. He just wanted a topper. It is a long time til breakfast. At least 12 hours if not a little more.

Everything seems to be going fine at the nest of Ringo and Boots in Webster, Texas. Isn’t this wonderful? You might recall that little Boots had literally been plucked (back of head, nape, and upper back) of feathers. But, Boots wants to live and that is precisely what is happening – and the beaking has stopped. Wish we knew what started those frenzied attacks when the eaglets were so young but, at the same time, it is just nice it is over. So grateful for Paul White’s videos and updates.

It is little Boots time for some food.

If you are US Steel eagle fans, the eagles are working on the nest!!!!!

Nancy and her mate were also busy in Minnesota.

It is always a winter wonderland scene in Decorah, Iowa when the snow falls. Isn’t that just beautiful? What a gorgeous view for the eagles.

Nest restorations include new corn husks. Have you noticed all the different materials the eagles use for the interior of their nests depending on where they live?

This is the scene at Decorah North. I did not see anyone there today.

Jackie is gorgeous in the morning light coming from the sun rising over Big Bear Lake in California.

Jackie was quite alert today. The Ravens/Crows were around making noises at 0933 and I heard them again when I checked back at 1058. I wish they would go away and not want those eggs!

Everyone is doing fine at Superbeaks. They are working those wings. Pearl is 51 days old today and Tico is 50 days old. The next couple of weeks will speed by in a flash…and then we are into fledge watch around 77 days for Florida Bald Eagles.

What an amazing nest this has been to watch this year. I thank everyone who recommended it to me. Pearl and Tico are so healthy and PePe and Muhlady were amazing parents. There appeared to be not a hungry moment on this nest.

It is hard to spot any remaining dandelions. There are just gorgeous espresso juvenile feathers. Beautiful dark eyes and of course the beak is dark black and grey almost ombre style.

At the opposite end is our little butterball cutie pie, B16 at Berry College. Before we blink, B16 will be standing and walking just like Tico and Pearl.

Dad came in with a huge rabbit. B16 was really hoping that Mum might give some of that for lunch but, no, she went and dug in the pantry til she found something nice and ripe!

Ron and Rose can just crack you up! Heidi Mc caught an unusual moment from today for us.

Jack continues to deliver fish to Diane at the nest in St Petersburg. Eggs should be laid if Diane is on her normal schedule this coming week.

Mabel and Angus have been hanging out today at the Captiva Osprey nest. No eggs yet either! Soon maybe. Or not.

It looks like there is some question about whether or not the nest rails are high enough. No, they are not!

Last but never least. Annie and the New Guy caught on streaming cam. Thanks SK Hideaways.

I am so very sorry to have brought you the news about Sue and Otto. Avian Flu is deadly and it can spread like a wildfire. It has not dissipated during the winter months in North America as some might have hoped. Please keep all the birds and wildlife in your most positive thoughts.

Thank you so much for being with me. The nests are all in good form. No worries at all. Looking forward to seeing you soon! Take care of yourself.

Thank you to the following for the announcements, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Red-tailed Hawk Tales, The Guardian, Ferris Akel Tours, Friends of Osprey, Port Lincoln Osprey, KNF-E3, NEFL-AEF, Window to Wildlife, Paul White and the Webster Eagle Watchers, Pix Cams, MN-DNR, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, FOBBV, Superbeaks, Berry College Eagle Cam, Heidi Mc and the WRDC, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, and Achieva Credit Union.

If you would like to subscribe so that the blog comes to your inbox daily, just fill in the information below. There is normally only one posting per day. On occasion two. I do not want to fill your e-mail. there are no ads nor are there any fees – just a large group of people from around the world joining together who love raptors.

Will KNF-E3 01 be Valentine or Trey?…Osprey memories…Saturday in Bird World

28 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone.

It is 2230 on a Friday night on the Canadian Prairies and it is -24 C with a wind speed of 13 kph. A little breezy. Temperatures are set to fall to -30 Saturday with an extreme cold warning due to wind chills which will go below -40. They are warning us not to be outside if it is not absolutely necessary. Many of you, especially in Australia, are at the opposite end with high heat. Everyone, please take care, wherever you are.

As of Saturday morning at 10:33, 230 votes have been cast for little KNF-E3 01. Of those 49% favour Valentine and 39% voted for Trey. There is still time but it looks like this baby could be Valentine.

A Trip down Memory Lane:

Every once in awhile I like to mix things up and a video posted today on FB reminded me of a very special Osprey, Blue 5F Seren. We are still in Bald Eagle season in the US waiting for the two Osprey nests in Florida – Achieva and Captiva – to have eggs. The Ospreys will be packing their bags in Africa soon to return to the UK and Europe. Some are not as familiar with the UK Osprey nests so I thought, before the season starts, that it would be good to introduce you to the nests and the adults that we expect will be returning in late March or early April. I hope to dig into the archives on Saturday and again on a weekday. I hope that you are amused and learn something. I will work my way through four nests that are on streaming cams in Wales: Llyn Clywedog, Glaslyn, Dfyi, and Llyn Brenig – in no particular order. There are now 7 ‘known’ pairs of Ospreys breeding in Wales. In 2022 they produced 17 chicks. If you take the 14 adults and the 17 chicks, that means 31 Ospreys of ‘known’ origins in Wales. There are others, unringed. It is not certain how many of these unattached birds there are OR unknown nests. What is known that at least 5 of the chicks fledged from Llyn Clywedog have returned. They are KS7 (2018), KS8 (2018), KA7 (2019), 550 (2020), and 551 (2020). That is marvellous. All of those returnees are Dylan’s chicks either with Delete his mate from 2016 through 2019 or with 5F Seren.

Here is the hatching chart for Llyn Clywedog thanks to John Williams.

We are going to start with a hilarious video from the nest Llyn Clywedog in the Hafren Forest off. Blue 5F Seren’s first chick is hatching. Seren was not young when she bonded with Dylan. She hatched in Rutland in 2012, making her 8 years old. She had spent some time at the Pont Cresor platoform where she was courted by Aran, had a nest, laid eggs and then Aran would go back to Mrs G. This is how John William’s puts it in his blog about the ospreys of Llyn Clywedog:

In 2018 she formed a polygamous pairing with the male from the Glaslyn nest Aran. She laid 3 eggs in the Pont Croeso nest unfortunately the male concentrated his efforts on providing for his main nest and didn’t feed 5F at all. So she had to hunt for her self which left her eggs exposed to predators, and the elements. Unfortunately these eggs failed to hatch. Last year she spent a lot of time with the young Dyfi male Tegid (ZI) also at the Pont Croeso (near Glaslyn) nest. It was thought that they may of returned there in 2020 and attempt to breed there. But 5F had other plans.

Some say Mrs G sent her packing in 2020. Others see it as a big relief when she left the Glaslyn/Pont Cresor nests and made her way to Llyn Clywedog and Dylan. I adore her. Dylan is unringed. He ousted the much loved Dai Dot to take over as the male at the Llyn Clywedog nest in 2016. Dai Dot was extremely popular and it was unclear if Dylan would be popular but, he has turned out to be a very interesting male chasing intruders off as far as 25 miles and then stopping to fish for Brown Trout to take back to the nest (figured out by John Williams over the last few years by driving and watching).

Seren Blue 5F was seen yesterday in her usual spot, in nice form, in The Gambia, eating a fish. Indeed, she has been photographed most of the winter. She leaves Wales and lands on her favourite tree in Africa. How marvellous is that. We will look forward to her return. She is a much loved Welsh female who has now raised 7 chicks in three years.

When you watch the video imagine that Seren has laid eggs but, of course, they never hatched. Here is that video:

In this next video, Dylan will arrive with a fish after seeing his first chick for the first time. Strong little one. Ready to eat. Did I saw that all three of these chicks will fledge. Quite an accomplishment!

All three hatched and Dylan and Seren are tandem feeding. Three osplets is a handful. They were all males: 550 weighed 1250 grams at ringing; 551 weighed 1350 grams and 552 weighed 1450 grams. All fledged.

In 2021 only one of three eggs hatched. It was a male, Blue 496 (quite the character) weighing 1400 grams at ringing. Also fledged. In 2022, Seren and Dylan further fledged three very healthy chicks. This is the information on their numbers, gender, and weight: 553 Is female weighing 1710g at 40 days old; 554 is Male weighing 1485g (40 days old); and 555 is also male weighing 1410g (37 days old).

Oh, it will not be long until all of the Ospreys begin their migration from Africa and the Iberian peninsula to the UK and Europe. I cannot wait! Now that I have said that at least twice today, I know you know I am excited. Here is a beautiful sunset from Friday at the Chesapeake Osprey Conservancy in the US.

In the Mail:

‘L’ sent another news story about the adoption of Sanibel on US National Save the Eagles Day. Thank you ‘L’. It is always wonderful to hear good news and an eagle who cannot be released getting a special home.

Sanibel’s Story: In Honor Of U.S. National Save the Eagles Day 

Nest News:

The eaglets at the KNF-E3 nest of Alex and Andria are adorable. Alex flew in with a fish around noon and 02 got the first bites. 01 already had a big crop and hung back. 02 remains the ‘king’ of snatch and grab and got those first bites that 01 thought were theirs.

Voting for KNF-E3 01’s name is ongoing until noon Saturday. Three choices are Valentine for the Valentine Lake Trail, Trey who is the husband of Lucy Lewis, the Forestry Supervisor since 2017, and I am not sure about the connection of Tercel to the area. I associate Tercel with falcons or third hatches. There must be a local connection! I will continue exploring. Valentine is currently in the lead. We will know tomorrow at noon. Next week there will be the naming of 02. It really is exciting to be part of chasing what they will be called. I would love to be a little fly on the wall listening as to how they come up with the 3 choices.

Alex arrived with a fish and fed the eaglets til they just about popped.

At the end of Alex’s feeding, both eaglets are so full that they can hardly move.

Food coma!!!!!!!

Adorable.

All is well over at the nest of Anna and Louis where there is a single little butterball growing and growing and growing.

Did something happen at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest? Just look at the clown feet on Connick! No, no, no. There are hardly any fuzzy little eaglets left!!!!!!

Natal down is coming in and there is a cute little tail. If you look carefully, the beginnings of the feathers. I know…it seems like Connick just hatched yesterday!

Oh, that little Berry College eaglet of Pa and Missy is the cutest thing. Still soft and fuzzy. They have to develop quickly but it just seems like it is overnight and the wee ones are getting feathers.

Ron and Rose are the cutest eagle couple. Ron came in with a nice headless fish for Rose…they are so sweet together. It is so funny to see Ron in the nest cup all the time.

Ron always looks like he is smiling!

HeidiMc caught Ron and Rose with a bit of a controversy over stick placement. Too funny. Reminds me of Shadow with his sticks and the SWFlorida nest from M15 wants Harriet to shift.

It is a beautiful day today at the Achieva Osprey nest in St Petersburg. Both of the ospreys have been around. No eggs yet.

That early morning sun is just gorgeous. It paints the nest a perfect rose gold. Diane is beautiful.

In Australia, Indigo is still around. He has been heard in the evening and morning but has not been to the scrape. Indigo is likely catching his own prey now. Mum and Dad enjoying some quiet moments together.

After the attacks by the Corvids, Jackie and Shadow are taking no chances. Check out this perfect swap over caught by SK Hideaways.

A quiet moment looking at the precious eggs.

Shadow has been doing a great job relieving Jackie so she can have a break. Sometimes Jackie just doesn’t want to get up and go! Having seen raptors do amazing stretches after incubating or brooding for long periods of time, they must get stiff just like we do.

Both eaglets at Superbeaks are flapping their wings and self-feeding. The adults continue to feed them as well and no one is going hungry, not even for a second on this nest in Central Florida.

There are very few natal down dandelions left on the eaglets. They are almost completely covered with beautiful ebony/espresso juvenile feathers.

Another feeding after the IR camera clicks in.

And last here is a link to the page that will take you to January’s Monthly Condor Zoom Chat by the Ventana Wildlife Society.

https://www.ventanaws.org/zoom-chats.html

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, announcements, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: ‘L’, Llyn Clywedog and John Williams, CarnyxWild, Chesapeake Conservancy and Explore.org, Virginia Zoo, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, Window To Wildlife, Berry College Bald Eagle Cam, WRDC, HeidiMc and the WRDC, Achieva Credit Union, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, SK Hideaways and FOBBV, FOBBV, Superbeaks, and Ventana Wildlife Society.

If you would like to receive my blog daily, please subscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time. No ads, no fees, just a community of people that love raptors – and other bird species – that want to make our planet a better place for them.

Ervie enjoys a festival, Annie gets treats…Friday in Bird World

27 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

It is late Thursday and snow is falling gently in the garden. Everyone on the Canadian Prairies is preparing themselves for the Polar Vortex that is set to arrive sometime Friday evening. It will keep us in very frigid temperatures for about a fortnight. So tonight it is -7 but it will be dipping down to -24 C tomorrow with strong winds, then into the -30s. I will be fine but this has to be a shock to the birds outside. There were more than 40 Starlings today at the feeders along with about 60 or more Sparrows. The squirrels were out as well eating as much as they could. It has to be so difficult for them.

The kittens are, of course, fine. Lewis likes to snuggle in with all the textiles in a drawer and Missy is drawn to sleeping in large plant pots. At times these are the strangest kittens I have ever had the privilege to share my life with. They are adorable characters!

In the Mailbox:

A request has come in to remind everyone that if they have Dark-Eyed Juncos visiting their gardens to please put seed, particularly Millet, on the ground for them. They are ground feeders! Thank you.

Making News:

There is news coming of Ervie from Fran Solly and Friends of Osprey. I haven’t seen a tracking for Ervie for awhile so this was such a treat. There is apparently a big festival with helicopter rides where he normally fishes so he went some where else to get his meals but, Fran notes that he also hung around to watch some of the people at the festivities. Relief.

Some people are just discovering how beneficial birdwatching is to human health!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/27/birdsong-boosts-mental-wellbeing-for-90-of-people-uk-poll-finds?CMP=share_btn_link

Great news coming out of University of California at Berkeley. Drones are banned from the campus area where Annie raises her family. Thank you so much!

Denial, watering-down terms to make horrific acts like stomping five Goshawk chicks to death palatable. When will it stop? When will people come to their senses that the persecution of raptors is not OK.

Hen harrier chicks stamped to death in nest: how the shooting industry manipulated the narrative

Kakapo that went into care have responded positively and will soon be returning home. Great news.

The tiny eaglet that was found with some puncture wounds at the base of its nest tree has responded well to the treatment given by CROW. The sad news is that the nest where it was to be returned has been taken over by GHOs. (Did those owls attack other nestlings? the parents? Did I say I am not a fan of GHOs after Harriet and M15’s ongoing issues). Poor baby will be raised by loving hands. And will probably never be able to be released. So little. Just look at the egg tooth. This eaglet is going to take considerable resources. If you can, think of sending a small donation for its care – you can specify that it goes to this baby’s care. Someone will be feeding it non-stop during the day just like its parents would. Sweetness.

At the nests:

If you missed it, CE9 has been named Connick after Connor and Nick at Window to Wildlife. They did all the work getting the cams and platforms back up for the eagles enabling all of us to be able to watch the Captiva Eagles, Connie and Clive, and the Ospreys, Mabel and Angus. Great choice!

The feeding that started in the image above resulted in a huge crop for Connick.

The snow that was falling last evening at the MN-DNR (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources) Bald Eagle nest has melted. When the camera was running this morning I could hear ducks and geese. Then the camera rotated and showed us a great place for the eagles to get their prey – absolutely close to the nest!

Both Nancy and her mate were at the nest doing some work.

The snow was also gone at the Berry College nest of Pa and Missy. That little B16 is such a cutie and it is working those wings to balance itself trying to get out of the nest cup already! This little one is strong and is going to be a handful. The other egg is not viable. There is rabbit, squirrel, and fish on the menu thanks to Pa’s great hunting.

The snow is also gone from Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ. Mum is rolling the two eggs.

Jack and Diane continue to visit the Achieva Osprey nest in St Petersburg. No eggs yet. Soon.

All of those nests are great. I just about had a heart attack today when I saw Pearl at the Superbeaks nest back up to ‘ps’ and she just about slipped off the edge. It was a hold your breath moment. The railings are gone around that left branch – or so it seems. I cannot see. Pearl immediately got her grip and moved forward.

It is hard to imagine but little B16 will be this size in 35 days!

The wings are being exercised.

Pearl is gorgeous.

Alex delivered a fish and Andria went to help defend him and the nest against an intruder! There are so many intruders I am surprised that the males ever make it to the nests with prey for their families.

Things settled down. E01 and E02 are growing and growing like bad weeds. Remember to go on chat tomorrow at noon CT and put in a name suggestion for 01. It might make it to the finals.

Right now it is easy to tell the two eaglets apart. 01 has many more dark juvenile feathers.

02 has a nice crop that was revealed after that stretch. Looks like a real butterball sitting there.

The little one at the KNF E1 nest benefits from being an only eaglet. No one to share that fish with but Mum!!!!!! And Anna does love her fish dinners.

Anna loves to make sure that 03 has its crop full to the brim. Just one last bite, sweetie.

Gabby and V3 were in and out of the nest on Thursday. These screen captures were taken around noon.

SK Hideaways caught the new guy bringing Annie a gift! Oh, thank you, new guy!!!!!! It’s a Starling and Annie doesn’t flinch…she doesn’t mind Starlngs. Only a brief tug-o-war. Remember…Diamond hates them. So hopeful for about three eggs in Annie’s scrape and three very active eyases. That will keep the ‘new guy’ busy.

Remember to go on chat at the KNF E3 nest tomorrow, Friday until noon on Saturday to propose a name for 01. The rangers will take the entries down to 3 and have a public vote. I missed the Ventana Wildlife chat today about the condors because I could not sign on to their Zoom. The link will be posted sometime on Friday to the archived event and I will include it in Saturday’s blog. Those are always informative sessions. We wait for Osprey eggs.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Please take care of yourself. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, announcements, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Fran Solly and Friends of Osprey, The Guardian, Cal Falcons, Raptor Persecution UK, Kakapo Recover and the Wildlife Hospital – Dunedin, CROW, Window to Wildlife, MN-DNR, Berry College, Duke Farms, Achieva Credit Union, Superbeaks, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, NEFL-AEF, and SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons.

If you would like to receive a copy of my daily blog, please feel free to sign up. We would love to have you as one of our feathered family. I try to send one blog per day so as not to overload your inbox. Sometimes there are two if something is happening. There are no ads, no fees. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Remembering Sue and Otto intruders everywhere…Thursday in Bird World

26 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that the ‘almost’ end of the week is looking good for all of you.

Thank you for your notes about the kittens. They are doing great. There are times I wonder if I will survive! My entire house looks like a kitten day care!!!!!! They prefer boxes and paper shopping bags to any kind of toy from the pet store. They want to sleep in baskets with soft blankets, on top of tables with soft blankets, and in drawers. I am trying to remember to cut all those handles – and you should, too. They can get their necks through them. They have been playing with this bag for a couple of weeks now. Taking turns being inside and out. It is just about torn to shreds! Lewis always appears to be chewing on something and Missey is always a darling – oh, no, she never causes any mischief! Never! LOL.

In the News:

Sue and Otto are remembered. It is a lovely article about this adored pair of Red-tail Hawks. In it, I also note that they are giving different days for the birds death. I will try and confirm which is correct.

https://news.syr.edu/blog/2023/01/25/remembering-su-sue-and-otto-syracuse-universitys-resident-hawk-pair/.

A Place called Hope – one of my all-time favourite wildlife rehabilitation centres – is asking for help. Unusual donations. They want more specimens of raptors killed by rodenticide and lead. They are gathering evidence so that a bill can be passed in Connecticut to stop the sale of both rodenticides and lead. Do you work at a centre that can help? And even if you don’t, read the request. It is shocking how many deaths there are so quickly….we need to stop this, we need to help our raptors.

The faces of some of those affected and some who have died due to rat poison and lead.

The joy I felt at seeing Cattle Egrets, in the pastures and small allotments in Grenada following the goats and cows, is hard to describe. Imagine being a farmer in the UK, changing your way of doings things to bring health to your land, and now you have cattle egrets! Just imagine how thrilling – a sign of a healthy space.

The article below gives a good history of the cattle egret. It is a really good read while demonstrating that biodiversity can work if we make the effort to change our practice. “Numbers of cattle egrets are booming in Britain, boosted by wildlife-friendly farming where cows are grazed on gentle rotations designed to improve soil quality and boost invertebrate populations.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/25/cattle-egrets-uk-wildlife-friendly-farms-have-had-a-few?CMP=share_btn_link

In Melbourne, scientists are wondering if a change in climate is the cause for the rise of the ‘devil bird’ in Melbourne’s suburbs. If you live in Melbourne, have you seen one of these?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/26/unusual-sightings-of-devil-bird-across-melbourne-raise-migration-mysteries-for-researchers?CMP=share_btn_link

We don’t get to see the Layman Albatross nesting on Kauai, Hawaii on streaming cams, only through the postings of Hob Osterlund. Thank you, Holly Parsons, for this re-post on the hatch of the little Moli.

A Sanibel eaglet that fell out of its nest now has been adopted and has its forever home. Congratulations!

In the Nests:

Louis and Anna’s little chick is doing fantastic. Oh, they had a soggy start to Wednesday after the storms pushed through the area but, everyone is fine.

Cody got the camera up and running at the E3 nest. Thank you Cody! You can really tell the difference between E01 and E03 now. E01 being the one with the most juvenile feathers. It feels like it happened overnight!

Just look at how well those eaglets are camouflaged in that nest. Both have serious crops from being well fed.

Coot is still on the menu. There must be an absolute abundance of Coots on Kincaid Lake this time of year.

02 is stretching its wings much to the curiosity of big sibling. They both have fuzzy Mohawks and you can see the feathers coming in along with those huge feet!

There is information on the chat roll for both KNF-E1 and KNF-E3 about naming 01 which I am presuming can only be Alex and Andria’s 01 chick from the E3 nest. “We will have a 24hour poll to name O1 on Friday the 27th starting at noon and ending on Saturday the 28th at noon. 3 names will be selected by local Forest Service employees then voted on in the chat.” Send in a name…give that little eaglet something to wear proudly all its life. Mark your calendars..this Friday til noon Saturday to come up with a great name. Then the 3 finalists.

It really was a scary time. On the 24th of January the Ravens came to the nest of Jackie and Shadow. Shadow came to the rescue. How terrifying for Jackie! The Eagles have to be constantly vigilant against Ravens and like Harriet and M15, the GHOs. Those Ravens know that Jackie has two precious eggs and they want them!

Here is another view of the threat by the Ravens.

Ranger Sharyn comes by and does a weight check on Sweet Pea. That is one of the nicknames that the South Plateau chick has at the moment. There will be a naming contest after the middle of February when all of the eggs have hatched. I wonder what the name will be? Names become important – they often help us to remember the birds easier than if they have a number. Scientific studies have also shown that our attachment to the wildlife/raptors/sea birds is more intense if they have a name. I am all for whatever it takes to help people care – and to help others to understand how important it is to care for these beautiful birds – all of them – before it is too late.

I am reposting one of Sharon Dunne’s screen captures of L and GLY together during the changeover. Just a gorgeous couple. Thank you, Sharon.

‘A’ sent me the link to this video capturing the moment that GLY sees his chick for the first time. Thanks, A!

The feedings for CE9 continue to go well. The little eaglet has responded in kind by growing and growing! CE9 is sweetness in a tiny bundle. So glad this little one is thriving.

Oh, sweetness in a food coma.

At 12:47:21 Clive feeds Connie and Connie feeds CE9. Precious. CE9 just wants lunch not fooling around parents!!!!!! This little eaglet will have its name today!!!!!! Wonder what it will be?

The last meal of the day at Captiva as the sun sets.

You may have also noticed that Connie continues to bury the unviable egg in the nest now.

The weather forecasts do not look good. The winds are really starting to pick up at Pa Berry and Missy’s nest in Georgia. B16 remains a beautiful little energetic fluff ball. There is some speculation that B16 is actually the second egg hatching at 36 days. Second eggs tend to hatch earlier than first due to delayed incubation. Chatters note that this would be in line with hatching last year also. One wonderful eaglet is fine.

Missy is making sure that the hatches are tight so little B16 is warm and dry. I would love to see these eagle nests catch a break one year from the snow and ice…we will see what happens later today and tomorrow as that system sweeps through the US.

The ospreys at Achieva have been mating and alerting from the nest. Are we going to see eggs in the next week?

The cam operator gave us some very good close ups at the Superbeaks nest this morning. Pearl is 49 days old and Tico is 48 days old today.

Texas already had the storms and the tornadoes and thankfully, the Webster Bald Eagles are just fine! Ringo and Boots up and eating well. Thankful for small miracles as there were no less than 14 confirmed tornadoes in Texas on the 24th.

Nancy and her mate were at the MN-DNR nest working on getting things ready for eggs.

They were working on the rails today.

The predicted snow is starting to fall on the Mum at Duke Farms and her egg. Oh, this poor dear. I remember a couple of years ago her being buried under snow. They survive of course but, it is so hard to watch. We just want to help them and ease any misery and pain they might have.

The snow and winds have hit Iowa and the precipitation is accumulating on both the nests at Decorah.

So far, the snow has not reached Pittsburgh and the US Steel Bald Eagle nest.

There are a lot of intruders. Harriet has had to defend the nest and now Bella is having to defend the NCTC nest. Stay safe, Bella. We do not want a repeat of last year where you were injured and gone for nearly 3 weeks.

Heading to Australia to check to see if Zoe is on the barge nest and yes, there she is. Zoe is 131 days old on Thursday in Australia. Yesterday Mum brought her one fish. I wonder if there will be any deliveries today. It is 1500 and I see no deliveries yet – unless I missed something. Zoe looks remarkably well fed and in good health.

Diamond was in the scrape box on the waterpower of the Charles Sturt University in Orange. It is now 15:21 and Indigo has not been seen or heard so far today.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, announcements, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: ‘A’, A Place Called Hope, The Guardian, Holly Parsons Albatross Lovers FB and Hob Osterlund, Terry carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and New and WAVY.COM KNF-E1 and E3, FOBBV, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, Sharon Dunne and Royal Cam Albatross Group NZ and NZ DOC, Window to Wildlife, Berry College, Achieva Credit Union, Superbeaks, Paul White and the Webster TX Eagle Group, MN-DNR, Duke Farms, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Pix Cams, Deb Stecyk and the NCTC, and Port Lincoln Ospreys.

If you would like to be a member of our bird loving family, we would love to have you join us. There is normally one posting per day unless there is some big excitement. I try hard not to load up your inbox. No ads, no fees. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Cute little butterball babies…Wednesday in Bird World

25 January 2022

Good Morning to Everyone!

It is almost the end of January. Just a few more days. It is cold today. -21 C. Bright beautiful sun, though.

There are countdowns ongoing and contests beginning to start on when the UK Ospreys will return. Then, of course, there is Iris. When will she arrive at her nest in Missoula? As for me, I am glad that there is still a bit of a reprieve before all the Bald Eagle nests and Ospreys come on line.

As I sit here at my desk looking at an image of Aran with his wings outstretched on the perch at Glaslyn, there is a part of me that just can’t wait! If I skip the pages to get to March on the Glaslyn calendar, I see that Mrs G returned on the 26th of March with Aaron Z2 returning to Port Cresor on the 31st. That time with the two of them alone in the valley before Blue 014 and Aran came home from their winter migration was almost as good as a soap opera…no, actually it was better. Aran arrived on the 10th of April followed by Blue 014 the next day on the 11th. Mrs G’s first egg was laid on the 19th. Good thing those two got down to business right away or Aran might have been kicking those eggs out of the nest!!!!!!!!

On the opposite side of the bulletin board is the Loch Arkaig calendar with its notation that Louis and Dorcha returned on the 11th of April in 2022. So, the clock is ticking and it is normally Blue 33 and Maya that arrive first at Rutland – around the 23rd of March. Let’s see if that happens this year.

Also just quick note – the storms going through Louisiana took out some of the boxes on the cams at the Kisatchie National Forest. Cody will get them up and operating as quickly as he can. He says “The eagles are all OK”. Good news.

In the Mailbox:

Geemeff has written with a request. Did you watch the The Flight of the Osprey series? If you did, they would like your feedback!

“️We’d love to get your feedback on the Flight Of The Osprey expedition, the communications you received, and what you’d like in the future. The survey takes under five minutes and will allow us to continue to build on and strengthen our work. #TogetherWeFly Thank you!”

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf0RAQdZ1PO5s1y1Cf7OEt6BblJgr44LDusdllh6kflr_iG1w/viewform?pli=1

‘L’ sent me a listing of the wildlife rehabbers in the US and Canada. If you do not know who your nearest wildlife centre, check the list (I cannot vouch that it is 100% complete). Put their number and address in your cell phone. If you are out and see an injured bird, you can phone them and ask what to do. And if you really want to get serious about volunteering, you can check out their workshops. Every rehabber needs help. They do not earn salaries. Everything is by donation. That includes the driving of injured wildlife to their clinics. So check, see what you can do…and keep up the mantra of gently used and clean towels and sheets – they use lots of them. Do a collection in your neighbourhood in the spring when people are cleaning out! Petfood is another item, bleach, detergent…the list is long. Thanks, ‘L’.

https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/beginners/helping-birds/raptor-rehab-centers-u-s-canada/

Making News:

There could be a reason we are not seeing Thunder and Akecheta at the West End nest. Are they building a new nest elsewhere? I wonder if the fright of the eaglet falling out of the nest and having to be retrieved by Dr Sharpe has caused this change?

CROW is taking care of a very tiny bald eaglet that fell out of its nest tree.

Did you know that there is a Superb owl (Super Bowl for Owls) contest? The winner will get $5000 for their wildlife rehabilitation centre? I did not know today until the Audubon Centre for Prey wrote and asked me to vote for Sanford.

You can see the competition and vote here:

https://www.bonusfinder.com/about-us/blog/the-superb-owl-awards

Audubon also put out its special anniversary edition of Eaglewatch. There is some seriously interesting information inside the pages of this report.

audubon_florida_eaglewatch_2022_v11_web-accDownload

Conservation without Borders has received many requests about the whereabouts of Blue 708 Glen (Tweed Valley Juvenile) – he seems to like Morocco!

The latest announcement from GROWLS. It does not sound like there will be any camera at all during the breeding season for 2023.

At the Nests:

It seems to be a good day at the nests without any undue problems of beaking or lack of prey. So nice! Would love a period of calm before the storm of the Osprey arrivals!

Sometimes when it all gets too much or you just need a break, head over to the Royal Albatross family. They are nothing short of sweet, adorable, and gorgeous. One chick every two years. This little one is very special.

GLY has returned home and has seen his chick for the first time. What lovely moments! L is now out foraging.

There will be a contest to give Sweet Pea its Maori name. Ranger Sharyn says it will take place after mid-February when the last egg has hatched.

Elain is giving us beautiful updates and a feeding of the Royal Cam chick. Thanks Holly Parsons for the posting!

Gabby and V3 were at the Northeast Florida Bald Eagle nest at 0730 doing some restorations. Gosh, they are a beautiful couple.

Gorgeous Gabby.

If you can see both of the right sides of their faces, you can easily tell them apart. Look at the shape of their heads and beak but, the real giveaway is the ‘V’ shaped nick below the cere of V3.

It has been raining in Webster, Texas. At the time Paul White published this video, the eaglets were having their second meal for the day. Ringo got a lot of the first bites, then Boots had some and then when Ringo was getting full, Boots starting getting all the fish. Both eaglets had nice crops and were full at the end of the feeding. It was very civilised.

Little CE9 was also fed well. CE9 will have a name on the 26th of January. Have you sent in a suggestion? If not, message Lori Covert on Instagram. And just a note, the Ospreys Mabel and Andy are named after Lori Covert’s maternal grandparents, not parents.

We all love Indigo and will be sad to see this beautiful juvenile falcon leave its parents territory. It is difficult to get so attached and have them leave and go on their way. It is, of course, why I like banding and sat paks. With banding, there is a chance to find out about the dispersal and survival rates. We can also find out about the history. Of course, with sat paks – which are much more expensive – we can track the long journeys of migrating birds as well as the ones who stay close to the nest.

It is always a treat at this time of year to have the juveniles still around, returning to the scrape so we can see them. Hello Indigo!

The Berry College Eaglet B16 is doing fantastic. It continues to be one of the cutest, chubbiest little babes. Adorable. Not sure what is up with B17 but if there is only one hatch, that is just fine!

Pa Berry was feeding his baby early this morning.

At the KNF-E3 nest, 02 has mastered the snatch and grab but, at the same time, he often gets bony pieces because he can’t or won’t wait. Several times Andria has had to save him. Here is an example that Rhonda A caught.

Book Review:

If you have been following my blog, you might remember that I have sung the praises of Joan E Strassman’s 2022 volume, Slow Birding. The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard. No fancy pictures just great writing and a challenge to all of us to learn about the birds that live near to us, to study them, to get to know them intimately.

One of the things that drew me to Strassman’s book was the fact that it was not a guide and it was not a book that would encourage you to run or drive or fly hither and yon to add to your Life List of Birds. Indeed, it is quite the opposite. Over the years I have received many letters from talented women who told me their lives were ruined by their fathers who stuffed them in the car before dawn on a weekend morning to go ‘birding’. The problem was…the male ran off leaving the wife to care for the children, often in the car, for hours. One told me that the best thing was ‘the donuts’. Another told me that she is just now, at the age of 65, learning to love birds.

All of us know about these life lists. E-bird often encourages it. But what we need isn’t a bird ticked off on a list but a real understanding of a bird’s behaviour, an intimate observation over time – days, weeks, years. Strassman challenges us to see the things around us and to understand them.

The book that I want to talk about today was written long ago by Florence A Merriam. Birds through an Opera Glass was published in 1896. 127 Years Ago. It has to be the first book, written by a woman, on ‘slow’ birding. It has been out of print for decades. The Leopold Classic Library prints copies on demand. Like Strassman’s, there are no colour images but, rather, black and white illustrations from Baird, Brewer and Ridgway’s History of North American Birds. Also like Strassman, Merriam is an excellent writer bringing her observations of the birds living around her to life with their strange behaviours and song.

This is a quote on how the nuthatch got its name:

“But his most interesting name is – nuthatch!  How does he come by it?  That seems riddle.  Some cold November day put on a pair of thick boots and go to visit the beeches.  There in their tops are the nuthatches, for they have deserted the tree trunks for a frolic.  They are beechnutting!  And that with as much zest as a party of school-children starting out with baskets and pails on a holiday.  Watch them now.  What clumsy work they make of it, trying to cling to the beechnut burr and get the nuts out the same time.  It’s a pity the chickadee can’t give them a few lessons!  They might better have kept to their tree trunks.  But they persist, and after tumbling off from several burrs, finally snatch out a nut and fly off with it as clammy as if they had been dancing about among the twigs all their days.  Away they go till they come to a maple or other rough-barked tree, when they stick the nut in between the ridges off the bark, hammer it down, and then, when it is so tightly wedged that the slippery shell cannot get away from them, by a few sharp blows they hatch the nut from the tree!  Through my glass I watched a number of them this fall, though some of them wedged their nuts far into cracks or holes in the body of the tree, instead of in the bark.  One of them pounded so hard he spread his tail and almost upset himself.  The fun was so great a downy woodpecker tried it, and of all the big school-boys!  The excitement seemed to turn his head and he attacked a beechnut burr as if he would close with it in mortal combat!”

Merriam writes about The Kingbird:  “The sobriety of his plain blackish coat and white vest are relieved by a coloured patch that may sometimes be espied under his crest, and also by a white tip to his tail, which when spread in flight, has the effect of a white crescent.”  

Birds Through an Opera Glass, 1896

The list of birds that Merriam covers is massive but she also gives hints to people who want to observe birds. 1) Avoid light or bright coloured clothing. 2) Walk slowly and noiselessly. 3) Avoid all quick, jerky motions. 4) Avoid Talking. 5) “If the bird was signing, but stops on your approach, stand still a moment and encourage him by answering his call. If he gets interested he will often let you creep within opera-glass distance. Some of the most charming snatches of friendly talk will come at such times.” 6) Make a practice of stopping often and standing perfectly still. “In that way you hear voices that would be lost if you were walking…” 7) Conceal yourself against a tree or pulling a branch in front of you. Merriam also advises that anyone wishing to observe birds should consider the time of the day and the weather. “They follow the sun!” “In spring and fall you will find them in the fields and orchards early in the morning, but when the sun has warmed the south side of the woods they go there; and in the afternoon they follow it across to the north side. During heavy winds and storms you are most likely to find birds well under cover of the woods, no matter at what time of day; and then, often on the side opposite that from which the wind comes.”

Merriam challenges us to begin with the simplest – the birds that you see and hear on a daily basis. For her it was the Robin. What would be your bird?

I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to learn more about Robins, Crow Blackbirds, Ruffled Grouse, Nuthatches, Chickadees, and 65 other species. It is $19.66 CDN from Amazon. There is a link in the book for a free digital copy. It will be the best $20 you have spent. I promise. Just remember it is full of a great narrative and knowledge but not beautiful photographs!

Thank you so much for joining me today. It is always a pleasure to send you the news about our feathered friends, especially when it is all good. Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their tweets, posts, announcements, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: Geemeff, ‘L’ and Birdwatching Daily, CIEL and the IWS, Dana Campbell and the Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters plus CROW, Audubon Raptor Centre and Bonusfinder, Audubon Raptor Centre, Conservation Without Borders, Celia Aliengirl and Bald Eagles Nest Cam and News and GROWLS, NZ DOC, Elain and the NZ DOC, NEFL-AEF, Paul White and the Webster Texas Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, and Rhoda A and the KNF-E3 Bald Eagle Nest.

Both Red-tail Hawks found dead at Syracuse, another fish on E22’s head?…Tuesday in Bird World

24 January 2022

Good Morning to all of you,

Thank you so much for your letters and your comments. I really do enjoy hearing from you. I cannot always answer immediately but, I try not to be too long!

I am having to have a big laugh because I don’t want a big cry! No, no, nothing to do with birds. It is auto-correct! I have gone over this blog twice and keep finding the auto correct correcting things after I have moved on…it seems I have to check the words 3x before it stops. (I do like it to catch my spelling as I go so it is a bit of a double-edged sword for me). So I hope when you read this that the word ‘allopreening’ will be there and not ‘alley preening’!

It snowed a bit and the winds were blowing at times in the gardens. The European Starlings came early to feed off the suet cylinders. There were 43 of them! That is the highest count I have had all year.

The House Sparrows were absolutely everywhere. At the feeders. On the ground foraging and in the lilacs. Everywhere I looked there was a sparrow. Squint. They are in layers blending in to the lilacs and feeding with the Starlings at the suet.

The kittens loved watching them flit about. No Dove today. I hope it has found a wonderful and safe place for food!

Making News:

I am shaking my head in complete disbelief. Just the other day I posted the passing of Sue, the beautiful RTH and mate of Otto, at Syracuse University. She died of what appears to be head trauma on the 18th. The photo of Sue in the announcement was taken in the Oakwood Cemetery on that same day. Otto was found dead on the 19th in the cemetery. Did he also die on the 18th? or the 19th? I find this simply too much of a coincidence and it makes me highly suspicious that something caused these two beautiful birds to meet their demise that is not immediately evident. We will find out from the necroscopy, thank goodness. But that does not make this less a tragedy. If these deaths are not an accident or a natural cause, then the sadness is deepened. Condolences to everyone at Syracuse University and all those that loved Sue and Otto.

Did you know that the Ventana Wildlife Society provides lead free ammunition to hunters in specific counties in California to help halt the Condors (and other wildlife) from getting ill or dying from lead poisoning?

The VWS website gives all the information on what they offer and who is eligible. If you know of someone who hunts or is a rancher in these areas and they continue to use lead ammunition, please have them get in touch with the VWS immediately. The Condors will thank you!

The VWS produced a really short video about Cedric and his recovery from lead poisoning.

Do you want to know more about Condors? Do you love them as much as I do? Why not check out the monthly Zoom chats with the folks at the Ventana Wildlife Society? Go to ventananews.org and click on the link that you see below, to the left.

Skycalls, fluffy white chicks with cute pink bills and feet, allopreening adults, what isn’t there to love about an albatross?

Lady Hawk gives us some real cutie pie images of the Royal Cam chick in this video.

No Osprey egg yet at the Achieva Credit Union nest in St Petersburg, Florida but, we should be looking towards the end of January if our gal, Diane, sticks to her previous pattern of egg-laying.

They have mated on the pole, on the nest and probably around the neighbourhood…when do you think there will be an egg?

CE9 can really handle those big bites that Connie gives it. If Mum would only stop putting her beak under CE9’s, I think they would get a success rating of 100%. The wee one continues to benefit from numerous feedings per day and is growing stronger and stronger.

CE9 and Dudley.

Connie decides it is time for a feeding.

Clive arrives to check on his baby and the pantry and then is off doing territorial protection.

A bit of a stringy mess.

From an empty crop to a full one.

CE9 is getting very, very full.

Nap time. How many whole and partial fish can you find on this nest?

As the sun sets over the Captiva Bald Eagle nest of Connie, Clive, and CE9, the little one gets its last fish meal of the day.

In 2014, the Bald Eagles at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ laid their first egg on the 17th of February. In 2022, the first egg was laid on the 17th of January – precisely a month earlier. This year that first egg was laid on 20 January so the eagles are sticking with this earlier nesting time. It only makes me wonder – as we wish for eggs from Gabby and Rose – if it might just be too hot in Florida for such a late hatch?

And just like clockwork, there is a second egg at Duke Farms!

It looks like Alex on the KNF-E3 nest trying to coax the two eaglets, 01 and 02 over to have some nice fresh fish.

Can you see the Mohawks?

Mum flies to the nest and both adults look over to the lake. Is there an intruder?

Are the parents testing the youngsters? Alex took off and Mum flew back to the branch. That whole fish is still there. Wonder if anyone will move to the table and try to eat it?

E01 is trying to balance itself to stand and walk. 02 looks on with interest.

Walking on a stick nest is not as easy as it looks.

The parent watches when its chick pecks at the fish. The babies are growing up with those big heavy wings and feathers coming in.

Would you like some fish?

Confidence is back in 02. The meal went well.

Do you like the Pittsburgh-Hayes Eagle nest? Mum and Dad were there today – and mating ——in the snow!

There are winter storm warnings for various parts of the US including Oklahoma, my old home State, and a system tracking up through Iowa, Ohio, and into New York. I went to check on Big Red’s nest to see if she was getting the snow that was hitting Pittsburg and the camera was down. Then the computer did a funny thing and there was Superbeaks. I was not expecting this image. It is smaller here but filled up my entire screen almost – and I held my breath. Do not, listen you two, look so far down that you go flipsy.

What is of such interest below? is it a parent on a lower branch?

There are not a lot of ‘dandelions’ left on these two as those almost black juvenile feathers continue to grow longer and longer.

Oh, it is windy on the nest of Jackie and Shadow at Big Bear. The storm system is east of the Colorado River and is not expected to hit them. Yippeeee. They get a break. Shadow brought in prey and is incubating while Jackie has a break.

The wind is gusty. You can see it blowing the feathers on the back of Shadow’s head above and then it is calm below.

Do you know why raptors roll their eggs? FOBBV reminds us: “Eggs are rolled regularly to prevent the embryo & egg membranes from sticking to the shell & to distribute albumen & heat evenly.”

Thank you, Sharon Pollock. I wish my eyes were a little better but, what a beautiful sight that was of Jackie and Shadow soaring together around and over the nest tree. Just amazing.

Mabel and Angus are sure a handsome couple at the Captiva Osprey nest.

What a difference! The warm sunshine of Florida to the hoar frost in Iowa at the Decorah Eagle nest. It sure is beautiful.

Fans of the Redding Eagles…there was an adult on the nest today!

The cuteness of Ron and Rose caught by HeidiMc.

It is not clear what is happening with the second egg at Berry College. Are those marks or is that chick trying to get out of that shell?

This is little Boots at Webster, Texas raising its head for a bite of fish. It ‘appears’ from the posts today that things are going well and Ringo is behaving her/his self.

Worry spread through the SWFlorida Eagle fans as blood appeared on the top of E22’s head – it was another fish landing there!

Someone will be watching to see if this is just blood from the fish or a possible scratch caused by the fish on the nape of 22.

22 ate well and there was little if any beaking that I could see today.

Zoe is 129 days old. Mum delivered a single fish to her girl yesterday and, she might well have had a fish off camera. Today Zoe left the nest and it appears she might have returned wet from an excursion or she might have tried fishing off the barge (the camera was stuck on zoom). It is really hard to tell. What we do know is that Zoe is still home. From my perspective she looks ‘well fed’ and healthy.

One last tidbit about the falcons…but not Annie and the New Guy or Indigo but Sequoia and her mate at the San Jose City Hall scrape. Seems you have to be careful where you stash away your prey in San Jose, too.

Who is Sequoia’s mate? HeidiMc found out! Shasta is a very interesting falcon.

What the poster below doesn’t say is when you set out and kill any insect or animal, it has a severe impact on the food chain. Think mice and rats. Secondary poisoning in domestic pets and raptors is real. We need those insects, we need the pigeons (yes people put poison on their roofs to kill the pigeons – those pigeons could kill our beautiful peregrine falcons), etc. So take care and talk about this with your friends and loved ones.

Thank you so very much for being with us today. Tomorrow I will have a review of Florence A Merriam’s Birds Through An Opera Glass. Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their announcements, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: HeidiMc, Red-tailed Hawk Tails, Ventana Wildlife Society, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, Achieva Credit Union, Window to Wildlife, Duke Farms, KNF-E3, Pix Cams, Superbeaks, FOBBV, Sharon Pollock and FOBBV, Raptor Research Project and Explore.org, Redding Eagles, HeidiMc and the WRDC, Duke Farms, Bel-A-Donna and Berry College, SWFlorida Eagles and D Pritchett, Port Lincoln Ospreys, and Pollinator Friendly Yards.

If you would like to join our wonderful birding community and receive a copy of my blog in your inbox daily, please feel free to subscribe. I desperately try not to load up your inbox and there is generally only one blog per day unless something really crazy happens and I think you will want to know asap. You can unsubscribe at any time!

Captiva adults named Angus and Mabel…Monday in Bird World

23 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

For those celebrating the Chinese New Year or Tet, I hope that you had a wonderful time with friends and/or family and that your upcoming year will be all you wish it to be.

I am always on about the weather but, this week will be reasonable on the Canadian Prairies. The meteorologists are forecasting that we will be thrown into the -25 degree C range beginning in a week and that those extreme temperatures will last for at least a week. I am not looking forward to this because it causes me to worry about the few birds that visit the garden that really should have gone South sooner or the tundra swan north of me. Without our technologically advanced clothing, humans actually cannot endure those blustery temperatures like the birds. Still, I worry about them when I see their little legs. So there will be lots of high protein, high-energy suet cylinders all around the lilacs for everyone in a week.

Today there were the sparrows and dear Dyson who has managed to consume almost an entire hard seed cylinder in 36 hours. Can you see her? She blends in well. She also scares all the other little songbirds away when she runs through the lilac bushes making sure her summer children do not bother her while she is eating.

The European Starlings arrive around 12:30. They are as good as some of the European and Japanese trains that are on the ‘minute’. The Starlings only eat (as far as I can see) this cornmeal-peanut butter mixture formed into cylinders. It is high energy and helps keep them fit and warm.

The lighting was not good and I had the camera set to automatic but, this image of the Dove came out not so bad. The kittens really love seeing ‘their’ friend.

Making News:

We are going to start with the horrible reality of Avian Flu because other than the news items, the state of Bird World is really pretty good late on Sunday evening, the 22nd of January, the Year of the Water Rabbit.

Avian Flu has been found in bears! While everyone really hoped that this killer would ‘go away’, it isn’t. Every week new outbreaks are documented in birds that require euthanasia. It is sad and what scares me most is that it could become much worse in the spring.

Three-Montana-Grizzly-Bears-Euthanized-Last-Fall-Tested-Positive-for-Avian-Flu-The-New-York-TimesDownload

We have read about the killings of raptors in the UK. We know that storks are shot when they migrate over certain countries. We also know that beautiful eagles and hawks are shot in the US and elsewhere. I cannot even imagine, for a second, aiming a gun at a bird to try and injure or kill it. Not even if I were starving. Today, APCH has a new patient – a Red Tail Hawk that was shot! This makes me angry.

Another victim of lead poisoning. Rainy has been receiving medical attention since she was admitted to the Winged Freedom Raptor Hospital. What I want you to notice is how tiny that piece of lead is that was causing her to be deathly ill. Now imagine a hunter leaving the innards of a deer full of lead shot and the carrion eaters consuming that lead so that they have a meal and can survive another day with food.

Here is the update. So happy for the good news.

Nest News:

The new pair of Ospreys at Lori Covert’s Captiva Osprey platform have been named Mabel and Angus after Lori Covert’s maternal grandparents.

Love is in the air at The Campanile on the University of California-Berkeley campus. Annie and the ‘new guy’. Thanks Sassa Bird for the re-post and to moon-rabbit-rising for those amazing images.

SK Hideaways caught The New Guy and his amazing scraping..a world record?

Oh, it is a windy day for Jackie at the Big Bear Valley nest. You can hear icy-snow pelting the camera lens. Jackie takes it all in stride.

Jackie is so peaceful. On Sunday, Shadow delivered a fish and tried to incubate. Jackie told him ‘no’. I guess he will have to resort to the ‘stick persuasion method’ tomorrow. :))

It has been a busy Sunday at the Achieva Credit Union nest. Jack and Diane are mating, making nestorations, and Jack continues to provide fish gifts for Diane during the day. Well done, Jack! I might even think there was a new invigorated ‘you’ this year! You are being very attentive. Keep it up!

Indigo is still chasing his parents at Orange! He is so adorable…who would ever mind all that screaming? Elain’s highlights from the 22nd.

CE9 is still being fed well.

Lots of crops and a moment, over by the fish, when it seemed that CE9 would be self-feeding well before expected. So how long do you think it will take before CE9 is nibbling these fish?

Sweet little CE9. It will have a name next week. Did you vote? Go to the Window for Wildlife FB or Lori Covert Instagram and send them your name. Needs to be gender-neutral.

Oh, it is soaking at the Captiva Eagle Nest of Connie and Clive Monday morning. That did not stop Connie feeding little CE9. Oh, this baby is a sweetie. Moving around when it hears Mum so it can have some more of that fish Clive has stacked on the nest.

The wee babe is growing. Look at it compared to the egg today. And CE9 is able to handle those big bites of Mum! Such a relief that things are going well here.

The kids at Superbeaks just seem to be getting bigger by the day. That nest is going to be crazy when they both start to vigorously flap those wings. What a wonderful nest this has been to watch — it was like watching the Albatross. We could not see any of the early behaviour and we were not stressed.

You can get a really good look at the thermal down underneath the feathers in the image below.

Ron brought Rita a really nice fish to the WRDC nest in Miami-Dade.

HeidiMc’s latest video of Ron and Rose. Such characters!

B16, Missy and Pa Berry’s nestling, has been enjoying lots of rabbit.

Missy wanted to feed the wee babe the minute it hatched. She had to wait til morning and she filled it with rabbit…there must be lots of rabbits around Berry College in Georgia.

B16 is a cute little butterball of a baby. Pa Berry has several rabbits and a squirrel on the nest. Good thing as the snow is starting to come down on Missy and B16.

For those who have not been able to check on the Port Lincoln Osprey barge, Zoe is still on the barge. She flew in this morning and the minute she put a talon on the nest she started screaming for fish. That’s our Zoe!

Zoe has her landing gear down as she approaches the barge.

Zoe got caught in some cross winds. Rudder full open. Raised the wings to correct and slow.

For a moment I thought she had something in her talon. That would have been so special.

Landing at 09:18:10. Zoe immediately starts screaming for fish!

Zoe is 127 days old. Yesterday Mum and Dad each brought a fish to their big girl. On the 17th of January Zoe brought a fish to the nest but, she did not catch it herself. It was a delivery off the barge.

Nancy and her new mate at the MN-DNR nest have been working on the railings at the nest early Sunday morning. It is quiet now. Snow is starting to fall.

It is very difficult to see but it would appear that the redness on Boots’ neck and back from Ringo plucking, has dissipated. In the video clips that were posted by Paul White on Sunday, there appeared to be civil behaviour. There is a huge difference in the size of the eaglets. Let us hope that all of the beaking is over.

The nest in Webster, Texas home to Ringo and Boots.

Ringo.

Little Boots. See how the area that had been plucked appears to not be red. White fluffy down on the head. A real change and a nice one. The nest has been beak free for a couple of days.

Everything seems fine at the Webster TX nest Monday morning. Little Boots is having what appears to be a good breakfast.

All is well with Gabby and V3. You can hear the wind blowing hard on the nest tree in The Hamlet Sunday evening. The nest is ready and in good shape with a nice soft egg cup – if we have eggs this year from this new couple.

It is a beautiful nest. I know that we are all hoping to see little eaglets. Fingers crossed.

Dr Peter Sharpe is one of our heroes. The care and attention he gives to the Channel Islands eagles is unparalleled. He also helps other groups in the area including Cal Falcons. Just look at this landscape and imagine taking a boat and climbing a cliff to save an eaglet that has gotten out of the nest and that is clinging for life literally to the rock.

Akecheta was looking out from the rocks on Sunday at 17:57 and Thunder flew across the frame below.

Iowa has snow. The camera at Decorah North caught a beautiful deer sleeping in the snow today.

I wonder if the eagle was watching the deer below the tree.

At the southern end of New Zealand is the Taiaroa Head near Dunedin. That is where the Royal Albatross colony lays their eggs. The Royal Cam chick hatched a few days ago. It is already growing – doubling its weight, etc. Incredible. The NZ DOC rangers do wellness checks which include a quick examination and a weigh in to make certain that every chick is healthy and progressing well. Here are some images from the Royal Cam nest for today.

Flystrike (and the larvae that the flies leave) is a real threat to the health and life of the wee albatross chicks. Notice that big fly trying to get under the adult! Flystrike is a threat to the nestlings for a fortnight (2 weeks) after the chick is returned to its parent and placed in the nest. You will continue to see checking for fly strike and spraying around the nest and in it until then.

This is L, the Mum, brooding the chick.

The rangers are so very gentle when they remove the chick from the nest.

L stimulating the beak of her chick to feed. So sweet.

Harriet gave E21 and 22 their final feeding of the day around 18:20. By 18:30 both eaglets had very large crops. That is the little one, E22, closest to Mum’s beak.

It is a soaking Monday morning. Harriet kept the babies dry and then needed to feed the chirping wiggle worms.

It turned out to be a nice day rather than a wet one at the Kisatchie National Forest nests Monday. That is KNF-E3 02 sitting up with its clown feet. Feeding of Coot appears to have gone well.

Baby of Anna and Louis was enjoying a non-rainy day feed as well.

Thank you so much for being with me this morning. Take care everyone! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their tweets, posts, announcements, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: The New York Times, A Place Called Hope, Winged Freedom Raptor Hospital, Window to Wildlife, Sassa Bird and Cal Falcons plus moon_rabbit_rising, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, FOBBV, Achieva Credit Union, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Superbeaks, WRDC, Heidi MC and WRDC, Berry College, Port Lincoln Ospreys, MN-DNR, Paul White and Webster Eagle Watchers FB, NEFL-AEF, IWS and Explore.org, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, NZ DOC, SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, KNF-E3, and KNF-E1.

We would love to have you as part of our bird loving family. There is normally only one post per day unless something special happens. You can unsubscribe at any time.

First egg for Duke Farms, Ringo stops beaking, Royal cam chick hatches…life in Bird World for Saturday

21 January 2022

Good Morning to Everyone,

To all of our readers celebrating The New Year, The Year of the Water Rabbit or for those celebrating Tet, the Year of the Cat, in Vietnam, we wish you joy, good health, prosperity, and a long life. Have a wonderful holiday. I hope that you were able to spend it with your family, friends, or loved ones.

So what is entertaining the kittens! The Dove was as fascinated with them as they were with it. Tomorrow we are putting up a high table feeder for this Dove so that it might be able to eat without fear of the neighbourhood cats killing it! It spent part of the afternoon in the tree that you can see. That is a ‘female’ Maple. It has those helicopter seeds. I do wonder if the dove was able to eat some of those.

Making News:

Oh, my goodness, tears of joy. Redwood and Phoenix’s chick is now a fully grown juvenile and seen for the first time at Big Sur.

A little history for those that do not know the California Condor community. Prior to the Dolan Fire that began 18 August 2020 and destroyed much of Big Sur, the top male condor in the Big Sur Colony was Kingpin 167. Redwood Queen was known as ‘Slope Slug’. She spent all her time down the slope of the hill because the other condors harassed her so much. She was the one at the bottom of the hierarchy (just like all new ones are). THEN something magical happened. Kingpin 167 paired with Redwood Queen 190 and she instantly rose to the top of the ranks. Their most famous chick was Iniko 1031 who survived the Dolan fire as a nestling in a large Redwood Tree. Iniko was famous. Images of the young condor with the fire crackling around the tree went viral. Iniko survived the fire only to be injured when a male condor came into the nest. Redwood Queen arrived to save her chick. Iniko was injured when it was shoved out and down the nest. Iniko was taken to the Los Angeles Zoo for medical care and rehabilitation. Kingpin 167 is presumed not to have survived the fire and died. He has not been seen since. Redwood Queen pairs with 477 Phoenix, aptly named because he also survived a horrific wildlife, earlier. Their first egg laid in the old tree where Iniko hatched was not viable. The pair moved to a tree in Pinnacles National Park that Phoenix had shared with his former mate. There they raised 1174 in 2022. How lovely for both of them – both survivors of wildfires.

The VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY has all the information about all of their condors and their programme to protect and improve their lives on their website. Today, however, there are many celebrations because the chick of Redwood Queen and Phoenix has been seen at the feeding station at Big Sur. This is a place, high in the hills, where the VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY brings carcasses (without lead or any other toxins) for the Condors to feed on. We all know about the dominance issues with the little eaglets and ospreys, so you can well imagine what it is like in this pecking order!

In the UK, fury is growing over the most recent killing of raptors. Hopefully the voices of the people will become so loud that those politicians and police that are to protect the birds and obey the laws will change and do what is right.

I love Goshawks despite their raids on Osprey nests. Just like I love Red Kites – all raptors. Geemeff reposted this Tweet. It is so difficult to explain how people feel when day after day and week after week, the illegal killing of raptors in the UK continues in or on those estates where grouse are hunted and killed. The entire country should rise up against the privileged — and it is the privileged that own these estates and have hunting weekends on them. A small group that have loyal ties (both figuratively and literally) that allow this to keep happening.

I would also like to say the it takes skill to kill one goshawk but five??? So many of the bird community offering rewards to find the culprits which will be individuals associated with the hunting estates. Mark Avery says “Both RSPB and Wild Justice have each offered rewards of £5,000 for evidence leading to a conviction and Rare Bird Alert has started a crowdfunder to add to that sum. Let’s see the British Association for Shooting and Conservation and the Game and Wildlife ConservationTrust do something similar if they are serious about rooting out wildlife crime, but it would take a lot more than that to persuade me that they are. By the way, I haven’t heard or seen any comment from the local MP –  a guy called Matt Hancock.” The collusion needs to be stopped…and people need to do the right thing.

For those of us worried that something might have happened to Richmond, the resident male Osprey mated with Rosie, at the Richmond Whirley Crane in SF Bay, Richmond is fine. There he is in the streaming cam below! Oh, wonderful. Rosie migrates and she normally returns to her Richmond right around Valentine’s Day. The couple raised Brooks and Molate in 2022. Sadly, we lost Molate when he died on the nest. As far as I know the precise cause of death is not known.

Kakapo Recovery have positions open. If you or anyone you know might qualify to work for them for the next year, please check this out. I wish I were younger! What a privilege to help this species thrive and grow in numbers.

A Check on the Nests:

So happy to announce that there was a peaceful feeding at the Webster TX Bald Eagle nest. Yes!!!!!!! No beaking at all. Thanks Paul White for letting us know. The pleasantness has continued all day. The real question is why did it start and excel to such viciousness…but, the great news is that it is over for a day, so let’s add another day, and another one and see two fledge. Yes.

There is only one day separating them in age. Ringo is the oldest – hatched on the 12th of January – so 9 days old today.  Ringo stopped beaking on his 8th day. Boots is the youngest and hatched on the 13th.  There is only a day’s difference.  8 days old.

I have been checking Duke Farms now and again but, not often. Thanks Paul for posting these images on Bald Eagles 101 for us. Congratulations to Duke Farms.

Beautiful Jackie first light. 20 January 2023.

This is a video to go with Shadow flying in and wanting a turn at incubation on the 15th. What a great guy. I love these two…they are so funny. Shadow with his big sticks and wanting time with the eggs. Precious.

Elain’s highlights from the 20th at the scrape of Diamond and Xavier. No worries. Indigo is there in full volume. Gosh, we will miss him when he leaves the territory!

All is well at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest.

CE9 and the parents really have this feeding thing down…the little one is going to get stronger and stronger. Isn’t this just such a relief? Just look at the fish on that side of the nest!!!!!! This baby should never be hungry.

Nice crop after the first feeding of the morning. Little one is stronger, is using its wing tips to balance – and is eating well. Bravo.

CE9 snatched that big piece of fish out of Connie’s beak before she could change her mind. Way to go CE9!!!!!!!!!!

Here comes another biggie!!!!!!!!! Never fear. CE9 is on top of this. He has figured it out. Mum gets a big bite, then wants to think about whether she should feed it or eat it. CE9 says ‘feed it!’ and he grabs. Gets it.

CE9 is getting fluffier and fluffier, too and you can see this cute little eaglet with its little tail. So thankful that all that fish juice did not cause any problem to its eyes.

Fish everywhere! This nest has really turned around. Thanks, Clive for all the fish and giving the little guy a boost the other evening. It sure helped.

Life is good at Superbeaks. Seriously. These eaglets are huge!!!!!!!! They will absolutely be the size of their parents in about 10 days. Like all other raptors, their wings will be longer than their parents to help them fly at the beginning. Think of a very large turkey!

Pearl.

Tico is panting to regulate his temperature in the hot Florida sun.

Working those wings.

The Royal cam chick has hatched. Congratulations to L and GLY and to all the NZ DOC rangers and everyone at Taiaroa Head.

I did not watch the KNF E3 nest today but, ‘A’ filled me in. Her description of what happened is detailed and wonderful and I want to share it with you (with her permission). This flowing record is a precise recount of how the dominant eaglet often gets fed and the others down the line might not. Were the parents preoccupied with something? We do not know. It is, however, a relief that E02 was full to the brim. A week ago I was giving Adrian the Mum of the Week award. Things change quickly and E01 did quite a bit of beaking and shaking – enough to give E02 pause to be cautious. Survival. Survival out of the eyes of both eaglets.

Alex brought a new breakfast fish in to the KNF3 nest at about 06:48. Mum flew up to a perch branch and left things to dad, who looked a little confused. The eaglets were ready for breakfast! At 06:51:20 mum flies off. Dad is still unsure, and eventually he flies up to a perch branch, then away. The chicks are surprised and disappointed and go back to sleep. Mum reappears at 07:03:51 and starts feeding 01, who is first to the table. Little 02 waits a few  moments for 01 to have some food, then edges up to mum’s beak but at 07:12 it still has not had a mouthful. 01 considers turning away from the table, full already, but sees 02 getting close so considers changing its mind and going back for more fish. In the end, it decides not to bother, Finally, at 07:12:38, 02 reaches the beak but by now, Andria is eating her own breakfast. The little one waits patiently, while 01 waddles away and collapses in the middle of the nest, in a food coma.  The little one moves even closer to mum, reminding her that it still has had no breakfast. At 07:13:18 it gets its first (and only) mouthful. It tries to nibble at the fish. Mum flies off at 07:14:14, having fed 02 a single mouthful of breakfast and nothing more!! The little one continues to attempt to self-feed. The headless, largely uneaten fish is a much easier proposition for 02 than yesterday’s ancient coot, and it is getting some bites from the fish but soon gives up. The pair settle in for a snuggle. 

When mum returns at 07:28:04 she is empty-taloned. She does not attempt to feed the chicks, instead aerating the nest, moving some sticks around, and then brooding the eaglets! She flies off the nest at 07:37:36, having still not fed 02 more than one mouthful of breakfast. There is a hardly touched, decent-sized fish sitting on the nest. Just before 08:08 a parent (Alex?) arrives, surveys the scene, and aerates the nest. He goes to the fish and little 02, having just had a reasonable PS, rushes up to his beak to be fed, as 01 watches but doesn’t get up. Finally, 02 is getting some breakfast. But not much, as Alex feeds it only a mouthful, at m two,08:09:56. before flying off at 08:09:56. Little 02 resumes nibbling at the fish (try the headless end, sweetie, not the tail) but eventually gives up. Dad returns a few minutes later with a stick, which he positions carefully. He then flies off again, without feeding either eaglet. By now, 02 is getting really hungry. It falls asleep in a cuddle puddle with 01. 

Dad is back with another stick at 08:32. As he moves around the nest to place his stick, dad is followed by 02, who is desperately hoping for food. But dad flies off the nest at 08:40:15. Mum is back at 08:53:42 but sits on the nest for a full 20 minutes. It is after 09:13 before she finally moves to the fish. Little 02 is up to the beak in a flash and finally gets some bites of fish. It is soon joined by 01, who takes over front position. Little 02 remains patient and finally gets fed breakfast. Afterwards, both eaglets have massive crops. 

‘A’, 20 January 2023

There were many other feedings during the day. Both eaglets ate well and there is no cause for alarm.

11:00:53

12:22:20. E02 getting fed. E01 in food comma from the earlier feeding at 11:00.

4:56:44. E02 eating again.

By 15:10, E01 is up at the table getting the bites. Good thing little one was up there first!

Zoe is quite the character. She is 126 days old today. And yesterday, Dad brought her 2 fish. She had to wait on Saturday until 15:23:40 for a fish delivery and oh, wow. She was so excited to see that fish coming in. What is interesting is that Zoe had been away from the nest for approximately an hour. She flew in to the nest, did the toe dance, and the fish arrived. What I am suggesting is she was where the parents were fishing and saw them heading to the barge with the fish OR was somewhere near enough to see them flying in with her dinner.

If you are wondering when Zoe might leave the nest, Calypso the 2019 female fledgling left on 9 February; Solly left the nest area for good on 2 February. Zoe has some time yet before parents begin to think about eviction. Of course, Ervie was there a way longer!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gabby and her ‘man’.

E22’s eye is fine. Is there a pip at Berry College – will find out in the morning! So much going on but, for right now, it is all good.

Thank you so very much for joining me today. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, their announcements, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures for my blog: Ventana Wildlife Society, Raptor Persecution UK, Geemeff, SF Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon, Kakapo Recovery, Webster Texas Eagle Cam Watchers, Paul Kolnik Bald Eagles 101 and Duke Farms, FOBBV, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Window to Wildlife, Superbeaks, Sharon Dunne and the Royal Cam Albatross Group NZ and the NZ DOC, KNF-E3, Port Lincoln Ospreys and NEFL-AEF.

Would you like to subscribe to this blog? We would love to have you as part of our daily mailings. You can unsubscribe at any time! There is normally only one posting a day unless something ‘big’ happens in Bird World.

CE9 at Captiva eating well, dual feeding at KNF-E3…Friday in Bird World

20 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

It is a good day or, rather, I should say, Thursday was a great day in Bird World.

Thursday turned out to be a fantastic day for a walk at the nature centre. It was only -8 degrees C with a wind of 8 km/h. Did the 5.65 km trail. It felt good to get out and breathe in some fresh air. There were even a few critters around.

This male Downy Woodpecker was having a real go at this pole.

Then he decided he would check out the Black Oil Seed feeder tube.

This little Red Squirrel has figured out how to get the peanuts out of the feeder. The sky was too bright behind and I cannot lighten the image any more but, I hope you can see him a bit. He was adorable.

His friend, on the ground, found some peanuts, too. The colour of their plumage is so beautiful. Love that red with the black tips on the fur of the tail.

The Black-capped Chicadees flitted in and out to the feeders when the others were not there.

The squirrels were everywhere!

There was a White-breasted Nuthatch on the square feeder when I turned the corner. We normally think of them feeding upside down on a tree or a tube feeder but, there it stood. Notice the long beak and then stop for a moment. Everyone knows that raptors have a back toe called a hallux. But did you know that the Nuthatch has one, too? The White-breasted nuthatch has three toes in front and the hallux or back toe which is long, behind. It helps them to grip tree trunks so that they can forage upside down!

Compare the length in the image below of the hallux and one of the front toes.

The Nuthatch sees me, gets its peanut and prepares to take off into the forest. It was a lovely day. Thankful to have real birds to see!

In the News:

Warming temperatures are causing fewer swans to winter in Britain. What if the tundra in Russia warms as well? I am very interested in the story of the swans. During the summer, there was a family of Tundra swans at one of the wetlands that I frequent. I took some poor photographs of them for you. As it happens, a Tundra Swan that should have migrated is wintering in Manitoba in the area north of me about an hour known as the Interlake. It has discovered an area of water fed by an Artesian well. Will it be able to get food? will we get really cold temperatures? or is Manitoba set for continuing warmer winters that might suit some swans? I wonder.

It appears that the warming climates in the UK might not be beneficial to the swans during the winter.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/19/bewicks-swan-population-vanishing-britain-climate-crisis?CMP=share_btn_link

Checking on the nests:

As it happens I was confused about the name of the eaglet at the Captiva Nest and had seen and been given different ones. then I confused all of you. Apologies all around! ‘F’ and ‘M’ wrote to confirm (thank you both) and I mention this below but, for everyone – it is Captiva Eaglet 9 or CE9. (LOL. I had CJ7 on my mind once – apologies. Thinking about Osprey!)

The worries at both the Captiva Bald Eagle nest and for any for the second eaglet at KNF-E3 clearly can take a back burner. Connie and CE9 are doing well. There is nothing wrong with the ability of the eaglet to open its beak and eat as seen in the second image below. The wee one has a full crop also.

That late feeding of Clive the other evening made all the difference in the world to this eaglet getting strong in order to hold that head up. Fantastic.

The eaglet is getting stronger. We can see this by how it moves around the egg cup and is holding up its head – not much bobbling. The eyes are clear and focused so none of that fish juice seems to have caused any issues. This will all help with the feedings. Sweet little one. So happy to see this. Such relief.

I am just so over the moon for the turn around on the Captiva nest that I don’t know what to do! The next couple of images are from later in the afternoon. Baby has a nice crop and less juice on the head. Magnificent.

A new Coot had been brought on the KNF-E3 nest and a nice large fish. The eaglets are pecking at the Coot and Andria gives them a good feed from the fish. E02 ate first and this time nothing E01 did deterred the little one from the table. It is amazing how seeing food on a nest can calm things down!

The pair had a good feeding with Mum at 16:16. You can see the crops. Oh, oh, and fat little bottoms with tails. 02 is getting its mohawk. Watch for their ‘lips’ to turn yellow!

Thanks to ‘A’, I did not miss the dual feeding for the last meal of the day. Alex flew down to the nest at 17:47 and joined Andria in feeding the eaglets. E02 was stuffed!!!!!!! It was a good day. Nice to see the babies going to bed full to the top of the crop. Alex brought that fish in at 17:46. A nice big half of one so lots of food for all.

At the KNF-E1 nest of Anna and Louis, Mum makes E03 stretch that neck (this is great for building good muscles) for its fish. Not a big crop from this feeding but fine.

If the eaglets at Superbeaks are not bursting at the crop, we might wonder what is wrong. They appear to be doing some self-feeding and some winger sizing. Towards the end of the day Muhlady lands on the nest to give the pair a feeding. Tico is eating first and getting some nice bites. Pearl is watching from behind. After awhile, Pearl decides she is ‘fed up’ with Tico’s grabbing all the prey and she becomes dominant. No worries. Sibling stuck at the back and wanting food. A series of images from Thursday so you could see how big these eaglets are. Another feeding followed. Muhlady likes to keep those babies full and happy.

Both eaglets still have a few dandelions on their heads. Pearl is darker overall as she has lost more of the dandelions on her body than Tico.

Wingersizing and self-feeding.

Big world out there for a 5 week old eaglet.

The eaglets are walking on the nest and are the size of a turkey about now. They have grow so well and Pepe and Muhlady have been amazing parents to these two. At 42 days or 6 weeks, the eaglets will be the size of their parents. Can you believe it? Look at how strong Pearl is and how steady she is on her legs now…improving every day.

Big world out there!

This is where I can identify the eaglets. Tico is nearest to us and Pearl is behind Mum. She waited and did not get a good location. Tico began eating first at the 16:04 feeding.

Tico got some really nice bites! Look at Pearl watching closely.

Tico gets more and more bites and Pearl is getting impatient. She wants to be fed by Mum, too.

Enough. Pearl wants some bites and she tells Tico.

You can see how dark Pearl’s head is and her body compared to Tico’s.

Pearl gets fed but Tico is a real good one at the snatch and grab. No one goes away hungry.

Meal is finished. Pearl is on the left and Tico is on the right. Now you can see their plumage differences better.

As the sun goes down, the pair are fed again just so they go to bed with a full tummy. What a fabulous nest. So lucky to be able to watch this family of four.

As many of you know, M15 dropped a fish on E22. There has been much concern over E22’s eye. E22 has been eating well and following with its eyes today (Thursday). This morning, Friday, E22’s eyes look much better. The Pritchetts have posted a bit of a long stating that E21 has been bit of a stinker this morning. See below with this morning’s images.

These details are form the Pritchett website.

“9:45a H still on the attic. E’s resting at the rails. 9:49a H flies to the drive snag. 9:50a M in with a squirrel. E’s move close to M , watch it being defurred. E21 warns E22 off, E22 submits. 9:57a M feeds E21, E22 moves away.”

Here is the link to their page. You will also notice that they state no intervention will take place. I find this interesting after E17 and E18 and their conjunctivitis. But…what is important is that E22’s eyes seem much better!

https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/southwest-florida…/

Wingersizes:

At Big Bear, Shadow brought in an American Coot yesterday. Jackie has been feeding off of it. For those that do not know, a Coot is not a duck. It is specifically a rail but, it swims in the water and forages in the ponds. It is black with a distinctive white beak and a brick-red cere. They are large and the eagles eat off of them for days!

Shadow is up to his old tricks to get Jackie off the eggs so he can have some incubation time — it is called ‘Let’s Move some Sticks’!

Notice that Jackie’s beak is clean when she leaves. It will have the marks of eating bloody prey when she returns.

You can get a good look at Shadow’s hallux (right foot) in the image below.

Here comes Daddy!

Jackie is back with a slightly bloody beak. She must have had a nice Coot lunch.

As evening arrived, the snow flakes began to fall on the nest of Jackie and Shadow at Big Bear.

Zoe is 124 days old. Dad delivered 1 fish for his girl on the 20th (Australian time/day). She is anxiously awaiting more deliveries today. The camera showed a view of the old barge ? with an Osprey on it. I could not see a tracker but it does not mean it wasn’t Zoe. It was 07:09. She has been flying more and PLO are wondering if she is following Mum and Dad to fish.

Osprey is almost in the centre. Head turned to the right, back towards us.

In Florida, Jack and Diane have done an amazing job transforming that Achieva Osprey nest. My goodness, it doesn’t look like the same place. Let us all continue to hope that the bark brought in will help with that hole that the Crows and squirrels made last year that cost this couple their clutch.

Adjustments being made at Captiva Osprey platform. MO and FO returned to the nest after. I am not thinking eggs in the immediate future. No soft materials in that nest and no defined egg cup.

But, of course, they will go ahead and lay the eggs tomorrow just to show me that there is an egg cup hiding there in the centre and we can’t see it!

Sadly, the reign of terror at the Bald Eagle nest in Webster, Texas continues. The little one is only safe from the beaking when it is under Mum. It has found a way to hide but, clearly this situation is painful. It is unclear ‘why’ the eldest sibling, at such a young age, has launched into such brutal attacks when there is plenty of food on the nest. Bobbleheads cannot focus and often have beaking sessions when they are young but, it is rare to see such frenzied attacks. It reminds me of DH14 towards DH16 last year at the Dale Hollow nest last year. So very sad. I hope the behaviour stops before the wee one dies.

Let’s leave on a good note. The ‘new guy’ at The Campanile has finally brought a prey gift to Annie!!!!!!!!!! Yipppppeeeeee.

There are major and wonderful gains at Captiva with CE9. There is fish and both eagles at KNF-E3 ate well. Jackie and Shadow are fine. Gabby and V3 are fine. Diane and Jack seem to be thinking of eggs and Diane’s leg is good…and I forgot to check at Berry College! Egg 1 is 36 days old and egg 2 is 33 days old. We are still a little shy of pip watch and it seems nothing has happened. Saturday maybe!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, their videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: ‘F and M’, ‘A’, The Guardian, Window to Wildlife, KNF-E3, Ron and Ruth Aguillard, KNF-E1, Superbeaks, SWFlorida Eagles and D Pritchett, Carol Shores Rifkin and the NEFL and SWFL Eaglecam Watercress Club, FOBBV, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Achieva Credit Union, SK Hideaway and Cal Falcons.

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.