Category Archives: cats

Day 4…Welcome to Winter

5 December 2025

Hello Everyone,

I cannot thank you enough for your letters. Please keep them coming! I love hearing from you, and it was so nice to know that you are enjoying the photos of The Girls, Toby, and the garden animals and birds. I have included more today, as well as another video. – More and more of you are in the hospital or have a partner who is. I hope Toby and HY’s antics bring some smiles to what could be very challenging situations.

We went to sleep with snow falling, and it was still coming down when we woke up Thursday morning. It is snowing as I write. Indeed, it has been snowing on and off for several days now.

Temperatures warmed up to a balmy -5 °C. Toby had a marvellous walk in the snow -he loves winter, frolicking through the snow while kicking up his heels in his new snowsuit. This one has one of those ‘silver astronaut blanket’ thermal linings. I was shocked at how toasty warm he was!

He does have boots and a hat – no scarf yet. The boots are so challenging to put on. He doesn’t seem to care – snow brings joy to his step. We clean his feet when he gets in and lotion is applied to keep the pads from cracking. Did I say that dogs are a lot more work than cats?!

Speaking of cats and dogs. Toby and Hugo Yugo had one of their little love fests. Enjoy.

Our Australian commentator, ‘A’, found some interesting news. I think you might be terribly interested in this:

“Watching an episode of one of my favourite shows this morning – Who’s Who in the Zoo (the episode is called Baby Boom). Apart from the babies, the episode covers a female WBSE that was rescued near the Olympic Park forest. From the dialogue, it sounds as though this was definitely one of our girls. Here is the WIRES post about the rescue:

And the excerpt from the episode of the show:

https://www.9news.com.au/national/wildlife-news-incredible-moment-white-bellied-sea-eagle-returns-to-wild-from-taronga-zoo/f7f344b7-08cb-44b3-8796-bce7433c9a0f#:~:text=The%20bird%20spent%20several%20weeks,bird%20got%20injured%20while%20flying.

The show includes them checking her injured/broken wing – initially they thought she would have to be euthanised but they keep trying with her and she is eventually released. 

This was definitely one of our girls. Thought you might be interested. But it’s good to know that people like these are there for them.” 

Reports are circulating of a sighting in the mangroves near the Parramatta River of a juvenile sea eaglet. Could that one be SE35? I sure hope so! Without a Darvic band or DNA, we can never ever be certain but it is so nice that there are people who love these eagles and look out for them!

There were 31 European Starlings at the feeders on Thursday morning.

The Starlings are going after cat and dog kibble. They even ate the kibble out of Brock’s dish.

Notice the beautiful, iridescent green back feathers. Do you know what those white tipped feathers indicate?

Rosemary’s blog has some excellent images and drawings explaining the Starling plumage.

Starlings: Metallic Rainbows | Rosemary’s BlogDownload

Lots of sparrows were on the ground and in the little covered feeder searching for seed.

Mr and Mrs Crow were feeding along with three grey squirrels, one red squirrel, and at least one Blue Jay came to visit today.

The Blue Jay images above were taken with the iPhone and are very cropped – hence their softness. The ones below were taken in late August with the new lighter P1100. Certainly better images! (I am still getting used to this camera). Oh, I miss the green leaves and grass!

Hello Junior.

Oh, it seems like those warm days were aeons ago. I am already sick of the browns and greys of winter.

One of Dyson’s kits.

Beautiful Hope.

A last bit of news. The White-bellied sea eaglet that hatched on that crane in Port Lincoln has taken its first flight.

We hope you have enjoyed the videos, images, and today’s news tidbits. Thank you so much for being with us! Just imagine. It is approximately 108 days til the ospreys begin arriving back in the UK. I can’t wait. The failure of Port Lincoln to have nestlings this year has sure left a hole.

Take care. We hope to see you again tomorrow.

I thought that was the end of today’s offering…BUT. Around 2230, Toby began barking his curly ears off in the conservatory. Much to our surprise, there was a very large deer at the bird feeding table. Not a great shot through the glass in the dark, but this is what has caused all the commotion. What an extraordinary evening.

Thank you to ‘A’ for the news on the sea eaglet in care and to the BOGS near the Olympic Forest who keep an eye out for SE35. Let’s hope they saw it!

Day 3 Welcome to Winter

4 December 2025

Good Morning Everyone!

With the wind, it was -28 on Wednesday. Today will be slightly warmer, but the wind will be bitter.

Thank you so very, very much for your notes. I am so touched that the little video of Hugo Yugo playing with Toby brought such joy to so many!

I was particularly touched when one of our readers sent the following, “Toby and Hugo Yugo! Hilarious. I laughed until I cried. Especially when Toby grabbed her tail. Thank you for cheering me up on the first day of my husband’s cancer treatment. I needed that. I’m going to show the video to him.” We wish you and your family well as you continue down this long journey of treatment, and I hope to have more videos of the feisty HY and Toby for you to enjoy.

Many have asked about Brock. Dear Brock. My heart aches, and tears always fall when I see him in the winter. I cannot imagine what happened to this beautiful, gentle Tuxedo cat to send him into a life of homelessness. Just thinking of him outside when it is -19 C causes me great agony.

We are testing all manner of contraptions to see what he will actually use this winter. Today, he opted to sun himself on the shelf of a strange end table. Raised up off the deck, it provided a good vantage point to rest. I wish there was a heated mat on that shelf. I might try putting one there with some insulating material around a couple of sides to break up the wind but not enough to cause Brock to feel trapped.

His fur is in good shape and quite shiny.

I have accepted that Brock will never come inside the house. So, instead, the quest is to keep finding ways to make his life outside as good as possible. Rigid home insulation has been put on the ground under the deck, with an area isolated off with a heat lamp and a heated pad. Brock must spend a lot of time under the higher area of the deck where we have created ‘his apartment’ because when I put the food in the heated dish and call ‘Kitty, kitty’, he is there in less than thirty seconds. Could you keep him in your thoughts? Winter is just starting, and it is long.

Toby and Hugo Yugo helped put up the holiday garland over the French doors. Then HY spent the next hour trying to figure out how to tear it down! The eucalyptus needed a trim, so HY couldn’t reach it. The joy this mischievous pair brings cannot be measured.

Zonked from all that activity.

Calico’s Tip for the holidays (no matter which one/s you celebrate): Please remember that people do not need more stuff. We only have to declutter later. They do not need you to go into debt to get something under the tree for them. They need you to be happy and stress-free. The best gifts can be your time, a handwritten note, or even a donation, however small or large, to help a rescue or rehabilitator. A homemade card, a jar of homemade jam, and help to clear a garden… be creative. Money does not have to be involved…in fact, from our perspective, it is much more fun when it isn’t.

Our present to be bestie is babysitting her British White Retriever for ten days so she can visit her son. It feels good to be able to do that, and imagine… we are going to have so much fun. Lots of photos will be posted!

Calico also wants you to remember, for her, the outdoor animals this winter. This lovely poster showed up in Manitoba Wildlife Photography FB, original creator unknown. It highlights the struggles that Dyson and her family face each winter.

We are always happy when you can join us, and we love getting your letters. Take care. See you tomorrow for Day 4.

Tuesday Morning in Bird World

10 December 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Morning Update: Sad news coming from Melbourne. One of the CBD fledglings was found deceased on the 28th floor of a nearby building in Melbourne. Thank you, Heidi.

From Death’s Door to Life in the City: The Urban Peregrine Falcon, by Lucy M. Rowland : Articles : TDownload

Challenges for urban falcons:

Peregrine falcon fledglings face many challenges in urban environments, including:

  • Flying into buildings: Fledglings can collide with large, glass buildings, especially if they’re inexperienced. 
  • Falling from ledges: Fledglings can fall off ledges and get injured, killed, or lost.Their parents may not be able to hear them in the city. 
  • Predators: Fledglings on the ground are vulnerable to predators like dogs, people, and cars. 
  • Starvation and dehydration: Fledglings can starve or become dehydrated. 
  • Wind gusts: Fledglings can get caught in wind gusts. 
  • Pesticides and chemicals: Fledglings can be harmed by ingesting prey contaminated with pesticides or by exposure to flame retardants. 
  • Avian flu: Fledglings can contract avian flu. 
  • Competition: Fledglings face competition with other falcons. 

Peregrine falcons are natural cliff-dwellers, but tall buildings in urban areas can simulate the rock ledges they prefer.However, urban environments can be dangerous for these birds.  (AI generated answer to question)

Oh, the snow came down Sunday, covering everything. The garden received between 25-30 cm. Most of us have forgotten when we last had this amount of snow. Thankfully, a lovely young man will be here Monday evening or Tuesday morning to shovel for us. He came and now it is Tuesday morning and it is snowing again!

The snow did not daunt the garden birds and animals. Brock came at 1720 for his dinner – thankfully, we cleared the area where he eats earlier. My heart aches for all the domestic pets dumped, just like this snow! More and more reports come in daily in our city about abandoned pets. If you know anyone considering getting a ‘pet’, whether a dog, cat, rabbit, parrot, budgie, hamster, etc, help them understand that the vet and food bills are high. Pets are not just fun; they are a responsibility for life – to care for and love.

The Guardian is publishing an article on Monday about the trafficking of exotic animals including these two gorgeous toucans. The horrific things that humans do to animals to make a profit. If you see exotic animals posted on social media sites for sale, please take the time to phone the authorities and alert them. You can save the life of one or more wild animals that did not ask to be stuffed in a box or a suitcase without food or water to be sold to someone so that they can have ‘something unique’. This practice reminds me of the egg and animal collectors who set up private zoos and curiosity areas eons ago.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/dec/09/inside-the-illegal-wildlife-trade-booming-on-social-media-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

The big news continues to be the arrival of the first egg for Gabby and Beau on Sunday. Beau saw his egg and then did his turn at incubation. Oh, we have to hope that this year he will be the perfect mate and care for these precious eggs. Gabby has been waiting since Samson disappeared to be a Mum again.

Beau on incubation duty!

Gracie Shepherd gave a great overview of the events!

Beau sees their egg for the first time. https://youtu.be/MwtLmgHhPu4?

Let us all send good positive energy so that all goes well at this nest.

Tonya Irwin posted an image of Anna who laid her first egg at the Kistachie Forest nest with her mate Louis a year ago. We lost both eagles in 2024 – what a sad year it was.

The Majestics continue the work on their nest in Decorah, Iowa. https://youtu.be/MwtLmgHhPu4?

Harvie and Ellie were at their nest on the property of Farmer Derek in Kansas.

Thunder at the West End on Monday.

Jackie and Shadow continue playing with sticks at their nest! https://youtu.be/PI42-LsoJsQ?

Two fish come into Port Lincoln early. One from Mum and the second from Dad. Kasse took the first fish and didn’t share a pinch of it. Wilko gets the second. Mum needs some fish!

I hope the fairies come. It is a gusty day and Mum and Dad need to eat. Indeed, the family needs a good chow down.

Kasse with her fish.

Wilko with his fish.

Dad comes in with a partial fish at 1030 and Kasse takes it! Let’s hope that there are many more fish today.

The day at Port Lincoln ended well with everyone having a good feed before lights out. Kasse is exceptional at holding on to fish and not letting Wilko get them!

Another posting from South Australia. This time I am including this posting because of the fish. Look at the size. Massive fish.

Kielder Ospreys has some exciting news coming form Jean-marie Depart in Senegal.

‘B’ has sent us a lovely article that appeared about Annie and her falcon family. I know you will enjoy it. Thank you, ‘B’.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/california-live/meet-the-peregrine-falcons-that-have-made-uc-berkeley-their-home/3578431/?fbclid=IwY2xjawHET-ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaqT1LeRvXg8ZIa-9nsD7Pwn29VR54wb1U0ZHSz-q9FQoXrZcawEMAgIow_aem_ERqZjovti5-Fbyx8uGvzpA

Sunnie Day posts images of the new platform at the Venice Golf and Country Club.

Looks finished! The cam is up and running. All we need are ospreys.

Continued use of rodenticides in Scotland is causing uneasy question periods.

Inadequate response by Scottish Minister Jim Fairlie to parliamentary question on use & abuse of rodDownload

Bird World continues to be rather quiet. We wait for Kasse to fledge and for some more eagle eggs.

Calico’s First Tip of the Day. Calico knows what it is like to have a loving family and be dumped. We are so grateful that she and Baby Hope are living with us, that they are safe, warm, and with full tummies when they go to sleep at night. Each of us wishes that all kitties could be so fortunate. Calico wishes it more than anyone as she knows what it is to be hungry and cold.

Calico’s Second Tip of the Day. So many issues for outdoor animals. Spread the word in how to care for them in the winter if you find one in need of help.

Calico’s Third Tip for the Day is about feeding birds in the winter!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘B, Heidi’, Peregrine Falcons Melbourne, Lucy M Rowland, The Guardian, NEFL-AEF, AEF Nest Cam Highlights, Gracie Shepherd, Denton Homes, Farmer Derek and Kansas Bald Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore.org, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Bart M and the PLO, Peter Zach, Kielder Ospreys, nbclosangeles.com, Sunnie Day, VGCCO, Raptor Persecution UK, Hungry and Homeless Cat Rescue, Lo Thomas, Tamarack Wildlife Centre

Wednesday in Bird World

4 December 2024

Hello Everyone,

First thing. There is an egg for Ron and Rose at the WRDC nest near Miami in Dade County. 14:34 according to Heidi on Tuesday. Congratulations! Everything looks alright with that egg.

The video: https://youtu.be/sb71R6oInuQ?

In one day, we will celebrate the arrival of Hugo Yugo to our lives. We adopted her on the 5th of December believing that she was a male as we had been told (and requested). The vet would laughingly inform us that we had one of a handful of Ginger Girls. Her name became Hugo Yugo, and it took her nearly nine months to start growing. We would not have given her back for a New York minute.

Wrapped in her blanket, at 11 weeks old, she was all ears. And she was sick. Poor thing. Dr Green quickly put that to rights.

My pal and faithful osprey data collector, Heidi, is worried that I will compromise ‘The Girls’ by bringing Brock into the house. She knows that these four girls are ‘everything’ to me. Brock would need to be ‘caged’ (I have one), and he would need to go to the vet for testing before he could be cleared to come into the house. I do not believe this will ever happen. Brock is too ‘feral’. So, we provide him with high-quality food, water, and 2 warm and safe places to sleep that are dry if he should choose to use them. My Girls are the rocks in my life. They give me the same joy that walking in the forest does. I will do anything and everything to protect them just as if they were my human children.

Hugo Yugo is at the vet’s last year, the morning after we picked her up from her foster family. She was dreadfully ill.

It was terrible. We ached for this little one. A week later, she was still sick, but she was showing some signs of improvement. She loved cuddling in a pink baby blanket. I would wrap her tight like a tortilla and place her in the curve of my left arm to stay warm. That is where she still sleeps today, sans a blanket.

All well at the vet’s on the 18th! She is playing and the vet tells us she will survive.

By the 28th of December (23 days later), Hugo Yugo was ruling the cat tree. We never looked back. She continues to be the boss of the house. The respite worker commented today on how HY chased Calico back into the back corner of the conservatory from the living room. This little Ginger is fearless.

At the vet last week still getting into trouble. It is a small sink but Hugo Yugo did grow, finally.

Tuesday was Gifting Tuesday. This year was Calico’s turn the local charity that would get our funds and any other selections related to that institution. Last year, Missey had this privilege. Local wildlife rehab facilities, feral cat groups, nature centres, you name it, were there for the picking. The one that Calico put her paw on first was the choice. It was Wildlife Haven this year! Then, she had to select the ambassador to be adopted. She put her paw on the printout of Gus, the Turkey Vulture! There you go. Looks like a carrion eater is our adoptee this year! It is pretty fun. We had several others this year. Giving Tuesday is great if there is someone or some institution that will double the donations. It can have a huge impact.

Gabby and Beau spent almost all day at the nest on Tuesday. Thinking eggs? Oh, please!

She looks like she is thinking about it or geez, is this Beau? My old eyes are so bad.

‘J’ reports that an owl struck Gabby during the night but she is OK. Oh, these owls!

It is windy at Port Lincoln and the family is waiting for the first fish of the day.

Noon. No fish yet. Looks like a day when we will be wishing the fairy would appear.

Now that I have gotten it out of head that Kasse has the pink ring, here she is with her bright red ring doing some nice wingers.

Well, it is afternoon. Dad is in the man cave, and he appears to not be interested in fishing. Mum is off the nest. I wonder if she has gone to find fish for her and the two osplets.

Mum did bring in that fish. Then the fish fairy came with 6 fish and Dad rounded up the day with two after 4pm! What a day at Port Lincoln.

Royal Cam Dad RLK is home safely and ready to incubate his egg! Oh, isn’t it a relief when they return after foraging?

One of the eagles was seen on Tuesday.

Giliath!

Thunder and Akecheta spent the night at the West End nest and were there in the early morning.

Hey look who is at Fraser Point! Andor and Cruz.

I did not see anyone at the Two Harbours nest of Chase and Cholyn.

It was a gorgeous day at Decorah in Iowa!

One eagle at the NCTC nest and then two. Bella and Scout visit the old nest.https://youtu.be/F6ZwZg36Vtc?

Looks like the Eagles have the Hilton Head nest! Yeah, George and Gracie. https://youtu.be/kQnHDQbI7KM?

But wait a minute! Bailey the GHO is working on the nest after the Eagle leaves. This is not so good! https://youtu.be/sb71R6oInuQ?

In past instances, the GHOs have taken the nest from the eagles. Think Bonnie and Clyde at Farmer Derek’s. They are not cute and fluffy. GHOs are Apex Raptors, Predators of the highest level.

Bonnie and Clyde paid a visit to the Cardinal Land Conservancy nest on Tuesday.

Hawk Mountain migration update. There are some real concerning numbers there and there are some surprises. See if you can find the raptors that gained in numbers and then which one lost the most?

22 year old Red tail Hawk rescued!

‘J’ sends me a note that had me shaking my head: “I told you I had bought Geo Magazine from April 1978 because it had a long article in it about kakapo. It was a harsh read. Starts with quotes from people in the 1800s – I now know the best way to cook a kakapo, you never know when that might come in handy.  When the author went over there were only 12 (!!!) kakapo left as far as anyone knew, and all of them were males. There were 24 humans watching and protecting them 24/7 and basically everyone was waiting for the species to die out. One, a 24 year old student fell down a cliff and died. But after the author came back home he got the call that 30 more kakapo had been found, so at least it ended with a positive note, everyone hoping that at least one of the 30 would be a female.”

Today, people are still working around the clock to care for these amazing birds. As of November 2024, there are 244 kākāpō alive. They are critically endangered. Fun Facts: The population has actually doubled since 2016. The programme to save the Kakapo was started by the New Zealand Government and the Maori tribe, Ngai Tahu. Conservation efforts include artificial insemination, supplementary feeding, and transmitters to help the staff locate the birds for their annual checks.

New Zealand’s quirky kākāpō are pulled back from the edge of extinction | Natural History MuseumDownload

‘J’ sends us Rita the Eagle’s History Monday:

The visitor to the Achieva Credit Union osprey platform looks down and says, “What the heck is this mess?! And they want me to lay eggs, where?” Thanks, MP for the capture.

Tuesday is always a long day for me. Today was snow and really brisk winds. The roads were terrible. Calico has a project and I had to pick it up at our local photo store – which happened to be about 24 minutes across town on slick roads. I was not impressed with the way our winter is starting. Hopefully I didn’t miss too many events in Bird World!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, notes of concern, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Heidi, J, MP’, WRDC, Heidi McGrue, Hugo Yugo and the Anderson Animal Wellness Centre in Winnipeg, NEFL-AEF, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Sharon Dunne, Judy Harrington, IWS/Explore.org, Raptor Resource Project, NCTC, Deb Stecyk, Hilton Head Land Trust, Hawk Mountain, A Place Called Hope, Natural History Museum, Rita the Eagle, Achieva Credit Union