Category Archives: climate change and birds

Has Manaaki fledged? Saturday in Bird World

16 September 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

This is our last blog until we return on Monday 25 September. We hope that you have a great week while we are away!

Today it was cold and rainy. Not a great day for the annual open house at Wildlife Haven, our wildlife rescue hospital, in Ile des Chenes, Manitoba. Normally the grounds outside would be filled with people listening to speakers and visiting with the raptor ambassadors. Today, most huddled inside.

It was good to see so many parents with children aged 5 and up asking questions and being ever so curious about the animals.

One of the highlights of the tour was seeing the new home for Majestic. Majestic is a Bald Eagle that came to Wildlife Haven from Rainy River, Ontario ten years ago. She arrived as a juvenile and is believed to be between 10 and 12 years old. She was starving, dehydrated, and was suffering from an old fracture in her left wing at intake. She cannot live in the wild as she does not have control over her flight feathers but – now – she can fly about landing on various perches within her new enclosure safely.

Meet Una, a Great Horned Owl. Una had problems in the nest, according to the presenter. She was born with a missing right eye and a beak that was not aligned – he is small for the species. As a nestling, Una was neglected by her parents. Today, she is living the good life as an ambassador.

It felt ‘very odd’ holding the tail of an Osprey that was once very much alive.

Or a Red-tail Hawk.

There were tours throughout the surgical wing, the food preparation area, the big flight chambers, and special areas for clients such as otters and fox cubs.

Every wildlife rehab centre relies on donations and volunteers. It is amazing what they do with so little. You can normally find a ‘wish list’ at your local centre of items that are urgently needed and, of course, I will continually remind you about clean used towels and sheets, bleach, washing up liquid, laundry detergent, stainless steel bowls, small hand tools that work, pet food, vegetables from your garden, and items of enrichment such as toys. Clean kennels are particularly helpful in transporting animals or isolating them while they await intake or treatment. So before you bin it, think again. There is some wildlife rehab centre near you that might find those things useful – and they would be very grateful. Thank you!

Meanwhile – the kittens. I am guilty of taking way too many images of Hope. She is growing so fast and every day I can see subtle changes in her appearance.

Calico is getting very restless to get out of the conservatory and back into the house’s main part. The vet says ten days. Meanwhile, Hope is nothing short of energy in a small packet. She wants to play and runs from chair to table to tent and couch and then scurries under the covered area over the dining table and out again. Mamma is tired and, I think, growing weary of this big kid of hers. LOL.

Hope gets excited when anyone enters the conservatory – she wants to play with her favourite feather-dangling toy. She was introduced to healthy cat treats full of flax, cranberries, chicken, and other goodies. Her treats look healthy, like homemade human granola bars with extra protein. I made a line, and sure enough, she followed it to my lap. She is still very nervous, and I try not to breathe or move when this happens. She remains reluctant for me to hold her, so we are going every so slowly.

Lewis wants everyone to know that he is cuddly, adorable and a goof.

Lewis and Missey found a way to look out the window in the old office where Calico first stayed. Little birds were flitting about the apple tree. I am so glad that their closeness has not been jeopardised by the arrival of the two new siblings.

Looks like one of the things that we will be doing next week is building some insulated cat shelters. Winter will arrive on the Canadian Prairies before we know it. The Dark-eyed Juncos showed up in the garden today looking for Millet and Robins are passing through. There are still some hummingbirds being photographed along with Pine Siskins. Geese are everywhere, filling up on grass and grain left on the farmers’ fields before going south.

There is still concern over Hurricane Lee. There are reports that one beloved male Osprey adult, Swoop, is still near the nest at Hog Island in Maine. As I write this, the defined eye of the hurricane appears to have broken up, but this could still bring high winds and heavy rains to NE USA and Atlantic Canada.

Keep all of the wildlife in your thoughts as this system moves. We still have many fledglings and adult Ospreys in Atlantic Canada that have not left for migration.

Annie and Lou are bonding! How sweet. These are rare occurrences this time of year, but what is so good about this behaviour is that we can confirm that both are healthy and doing well.

In South Australia, Ervie is back fishing at Delamere, where he used to join Dad when he was just a youngster. Ervie is now two years old. Happy Birthday, Ervie!

It is always good to see Osprey platforms being replaced or installed for new couples. There are not enough old dead trees in situ for them near good fishing spots. This is a good solution and far superior to them building nests on power poles where they could be electrocuted.

Remember the two Royal Albatross chicks that failed in their first flight? Here is the story of their rescue. Thanks, Holly!

‘H’ brings us up to date on Barnegat Light and Date County:

Barnegat Light – “Duke is enjoying a few days of well-earned rest and relaxation since Dorsett left the area on 9/11.  Duke can often be seen in one of his trees at the north tree line, and Thursday he was wading at the shoreline with some gulls.  Friday Duke enjoyed a nice breakfish on his perch.  Later in the afternoon, he was seen on his perch shaking his tail and drying out his wings.  We love ya’, Duke.”

Dade County – “The juvie, R5, was back at the nest again on 9/15, and this time he was looking for food scraps.  Ah, he is so mature looking!  R5 has been at the nest 5 out of the last 6 days.  There is still some time before nesting season begins for Ron and Rose, but as much as we love R5, some of us are hoping that he will be bitten by the wanderlust bug soon, lol.  R5 is six months old on 9/16.  Happy Birthday, R5 !!”

Flaco, the Eurasian Owl that escaped the Central Park Zoo is doing well despite initial worries some months ago! You can check out more of Flake’s adventures by going to Bruce Yolton’s website urban hawks.com

‘A’ reports: “At Collins Street, F22 had a large crop today when she left the nest at 10:36, and little M22 arrived by 10:41 to take over the incubating until the shadow covered the scrape. He was panting a lot, and both parents this morning were using the technique of standing over the eggs with wings outstretched to shade them, rather than settling down on the clutch. Little dad looks so cute when he does it! He works so hard at enfluffling the eggs. It’s hard work for him to cover them all. He’s going to have major problems when it’s four eyases aged, say, a week to 10 days, without thermal down and exposed to the rain and the direct sunlight.—Yes, I’m going to say it again. WHY OH WHY could they not have strategically placed two small squares of wood to shelter from above and to extend the shelter of the building on the far side!??? What will happen on the first wet day?”

‘A’ continues: “I am genuinely concerned that there is the real possibility of a tragedy at Collins Street this season. Last year was the third consecutive La Nina year. That is not a normal Australian summer. We are about to get back to our usual summers, which include days reaching as high as 43C and I shudder to imagine what that scrape will look like by the time the chicks are, say, 10 days old. There is going to be a period of up to a month when the chicks are very vulnerable to that heat and are unable to escape it along that gutter. Not only that, but dehydration is going to be a potential problem even if they are getting enough food.”

SE31 and 32 were very hot on Friday, too. They were panting to help cool their bodies.

‘A’ reports about breakfast: “Breakfast was something that had been feathered (it looked young, but its feathers may just have been wet – it lacked a head so identifying it was not easy), which Lady brought in at 06:40:35. SE31 was in the right place at the right time, so was already in perfect position for food when it arrived, and shortly after 06:41 tried to help herself to the prey. Lady waited a while for some reason, and SE32 joined SE31 waiting for food. Because he came up on his big sister’s inside, SE32 was in primary position when mum did begin feeding, so was fed first rather than his sister. But Lady is relatively even-handed and is feeding both. The blood appears to be nearly gone from her head. so it must have come from her talons,. perhaps while scratching herself, and there is no apparent sign of what yesterday looked like a wound on her left foot. This is really lovely juicy nutritious red meat, and a decent-sized piece of prey as well. Both eaglets are eagerly grabbing bites, some of them very large. Their manners are impeccable. Neither is being at all aggressive and each is happy to watch the other eat. When they lose a competition for a bite, they just wait for the next one. It is lovely to watch. Lady is doing her best to feed both, and it seems they will end up having roughly equal amounts of this meal.”

‘J’ brings news that there is a new camera at the Centrepoint Bald Eagle Nest.

Gabby and V3 have been very alert at the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest on Friday.

The cameras will return to SWFlorida on the 30th of September.

At the Royal Albatross colony, ‘A’ reports: “Manaaki is hovering so high, he is out of camera shot. Twice, I have thought he has fledged, but he has landed far down the hill and walked back up. He may well go today, but he shouldn’t. He is still not in control of his flying and he still has too much fluff. Another three days is my guess, as he is still not tucking his feet and legs up confidently and is unable to surf the thermals with any real control. Still, he is getting great height on his hovers and staying airborne for increasing lengths of time. He is very serious about his practising, and cast another bolus at 01:40 this morning. So he is preparing to leave and it could be at any moment now. Literally.”

‘A’ returns later with what is ‘sad’ news: “Manaaki has not returned to his nest. UQ is waiting for him, in his new spot near Manaaki’s nest. The general consensus on the chat is that Manaaki has fledged, although we need to wait until the rangers do their walkaround and head count tomorrow to know whether he is elsewhere on the headland. Unless of course he returns to his nest during the night. It is agreed that he was last seen on camera at 16:39:45 and has not been seen since. Other sightings thought to be of Manaaki were in fact of UQ chick (whose hovering skills are way better than Manaaki’s). I am still sceptical because he really did not seem to be sufficiently balanced in the air and still looked very uncertain. Not to mention the fluff he still had. If he has fledged and landed on the water in the bay, he will be spotted and if necessary rescued.  If he has fledged successfully, he has done so at 238 days of age. We wish him godspeed and all the luck in the world out there. We pray we (and he) will live long enough to see him return to his birthplace (some return as early as age three, others not until they are five or even older). One or probably both of his parents will visit the nest over the next few days to make sure their baby has fledged and is not hanging around nearby, needing to be fed. It is so bittersweet watching them wait. If their chick does not return to the nest to be fed, then all their devotion and hard work has paid off. They have done their job for the season, successfully raising a chick to fledge. But somehow, there is a pang as they wait. Sometimes, they come back more than once, just to be sure.  

So now, a year after we watched QT fledge, we are waiting for her parents to return for the new season. Mum YRK and dad OGK. Of course, our hope that OKG will return is very slim indeed, but it does remain a possibility. They ring the bells at the colony when the first returnees arrive home, and then the bells ring out all over the area. They love the toroa.” 

There is good news. While I do not know the number of butterflies in Canada this year, we have noticed a considerable number in the garden and the local parks. Others have mentioned this as well. In the UK, the record of butterflies has grown this summer – excellent news. This does not mean that there has been an increase in the number of insects – so vital to the lives of our songbirds.

Indeed, a group of residents at one of the condominiums in Winnipeg has noticed that the songbirds have disappeared from their property after the management had the grass treated by a firm claiming to be ‘Eco’. If it kills weeds, it will kill insects that the birds eat and often kills the birds. If you know of any well-researched articles on the issue of lawn treatments and songbirds, please send them to me. I hope to help some of my former students prepare a united front and argue against this practice in the future.

UK-butterfly-numbers-bounce-back-after-last-years-all-time-low-Butterflies-The-GuardianDownload

Do you know the Island of Mull on the west coast of Scotland? It is notorious for its wildlife, and the White-tail Eagles are no exception. There are also dolphins and whales to be seen.

The-Sea-Eagles-That-Returned-to-Mull-Hakai-MagazineDownload

While the Ospreys are away, want to watch a different table feeder in Scotland? Check out the one at RSPB Loch Garten. Here is the link. You might see some of those adorable red squirrels.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We look forward to seeing you on the 25th of September when we return from a brief break.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my blog this morning: ‘A, H, J’, Geemeff’, Wildlife Haven, NOAA Hurricane Centre, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, PLO, Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Info, Holly Parsons and Albatross Lovers, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, WRDC, Bruce Yolton, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Sydney sea Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, The Guardian, and Hakai Magazine.

Migration…Wednesday in Bird World

13 September 2023

Good Morning,

Tuesday was a very ‘difficult’ and, at the same time, rewarding and joyous day. Two beautiful Calico cats are off the streets and out of the cycle of producing feral kittens. Needless to say I did not sleep well Monday night. It is the ‘alarm clock syndrome’. Difficulty sleeping for fear of sleeping through the alarm.

Calico’s surgery went well. The vet phoned to say that Calico was ‘very strong’ and a gentle, sweet ‘kitten’. The staff spent much time with her when she was recovering – her story and that of Hope finding us -touched each and every one of them. It still makes me weep at all the things that had to ‘work’ for this to happen. I am indebted to those individuals that reached out to help me find ways to track Calico, who helped by providing the kitten trap for Hope, and to each and everyone whose experience with community cats helped us to have a successful ending to their story.

The biggest issue at the vet’s was the advice to keep Calico and Hope separated overnight. Of course, if Calico insisted, the stress being separated from Hope would be worse than Hope trying to suckle. The distance between the little office door and the one for the conservatory is approximately 65 feet. Calico made it very clear that she was not staying in that room. Lewis and Missey were contained in another room with the door to the conservatory open. Calico bolted the instance the office door opened. Hope came running! For a few seconds, there was a lovely little conversation between Mamma and baby. Thankfully, the only kitten that Calico will ever have is healthy and safe and with her Mamma tonight.

Calico is still in a bit of a haze, but Hope is so happy! Mamma is home. Just look at that round little belly on Hope. Poor Calico. She is just so wee…she weighs 2.3 kg or 5.03 lbs. Hope may weigh that much. Calico will start to put on weight and become healthy.

It is a secret. Hope spent the entire day playing with Missey!!!!!!!!!! They are super friends but don’t tell Mamma.

What fun it was to sit and watch these two with the new scratch post. They took turns with Hope watching every move that Missey made carefully and then imitating it.

Hope really loves this new scratch post with the feathered ball.

Before lights out, Hope got in some playtime while Calico rested. She forgot about where she was and wound up on my lap with the feather teaser. It was too funny – the startled look on her face when she realised that I had reached over and started petting her. Things are coming together. She is no longer 100% afraid of me scurrying off to hide in a corner. Humans mean food, cuddles, treats, and playtime!!!!!!!

What is happening in Bird World? One word: migration. Cornell Bird Lab and BirdCast are predicting that 348 million birds will be on the move as I am writing this Tuesday evening 12 September.

What needs to be done to protect migrating birds?

For-Migrating-Birds-Its-the-Flight-of-Their-Lives-The-New-York-TimesDownload

The National Wildlife Federation gives these ten tips for helping migrating birds – these are things we can initiate that can give instant success.

1.  Keep your cat indoors—this is best for your cat as well as the birds, as indoor cats live an average of three to seven times longer. Even well fed cats kill birds, and bells on cats don’t effectively warn birds of cat strikes.  For more information, go to http://www.abcbirds.org/cats.

2.  Prevent birds from hitting your windows by using a variety of treatments to the glass on your home—check out ABC’s tips at http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/collisions/glass.html

3.  Eliminate pesticides from your yard—even those pesticides that are not directly toxic to birds can pollute waterways and reduce insects that birds rely on for food.

4.  Create backyard habitat—if you have a larger yard, create a diverse landscape by planting native grasses, flowers, and shrubs that attract native birds. You will be rewarded by their beauty and song, and will have fewer insect pests as a result.

5.  Donate old birdwatching equipment such as binoculars or spotting scopes to local birdwatching groups—they can get them to schools or biologists in other countries who may not have the resources they need.

6.  Reduce your carbon footprint—use a hand-pushed or electric lawnmower, carpool, use low energy bulbs and Energy Star appliances. Contact your energy supplier and ask them about purchasing your energy from renewable sources.

7.  Buy organic food and drink shade-grown coffee—increasing the market for produce grown without the use of pesticides, which can be toxic to birds and other animals, will reduce the use of these hazardous chemicals in the U.S. and overseas. Shade coffee plantations maintain large trees that provide essential habitat for wintering songbirds.

8.  Keep feeders and bird baths clean to avoid disease and prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

9.  Support bird friendly legislation both locally and in the U.S. Congress.

10.  Join a bird conservation group—learn more about birds and support important conservation work.

According to ABC, birds need our help now more than ever.  In addition to the ongoing threat of loss of habitat that is becoming magnified by global warming, millions of birds are directly killed due to a number of different human-related causes.

Scientists estimate that 300 million to 1 billion birds die each year from collisions with buildings. Up to 50 million die from encounters with communication towers.  At least 11 million die from car strikes.  Another 1 million may die each day from attacks by cats left outdoors.

Some of these deaths occur year-round but many occur during the peak spring and fall migrations. Some studies suggest that perhaps as many as half of all migrating birds do not make it back to spring and summer grounds, succumbing to various threats on either end of the journey.

14 April 2010, NWF newsletter

There is great news coming out of Cal Falcons. Zephyr (2022) has been sighted more than once! Thanks, ‘B’ for the head’s up!

‘H’ brings us her report on Kent Island and Barnegat Light:


Kent Island –  “Audrey was seen a few times throughout the day.  In the morning, she was seen in ‘Joe’s tree’, and she was obviously scoping out the water below for fish.  Both Audrey and Tom have previously been seen diving from that tree.  The video went to ‘highlights’, and when the livestream returned, Audrey was seen on a dock eating her catch.  Later, Audrey was seen in the same tree in the afternoon.  There are times when the camera is focused on the nest, and an osprey can be heard nearby, but the cam does not pan in that direction.  Many bird nest cams online do not have PTZ capabilities or a dedicated camera operator.  No matter what nest we are watching online, we are always grateful for what we are able to observe.  We only know what we can see, and we learn what we can.”

Barnegat Light – “There were significant livestreaming issues once again on 9/12, especially during the afternoon and evening.  In the morning, Duke was seen in his tree at the north tree line for a while.  There were a few hours in the morning without livestream glitches, and during that time we did not see or hear Dorsett.  Because of that, it is thought that Dorsett may have left the area.  We will continue to follow today, and hopefully the livestream will behave.  Dorsett is the only chick to have survived the storm in late June.  I am sharing a photo from 6/8/23.”

Gabby and V3 were at the nest early on Tuesday. Later Gabby had to deal with the female intruder that has been showing up – she ushered her out of the territory (or so it seems). Wouldn’t it be nice if this nest could just be quiet and boring this year?

These two were chortling back and forth. A chortle is a form of communication between Bald Eagles. It is a series of short rapid chirps which might mean several things. You have to look at the context. In the image below it is a greeting between Gabby and V3. It could, at other times, signal that eagles are going to engage in a dispute.

At the nest of Anna and Louis in the Kistachie National Forest, Louis has brought Anna the first fish gift on camera of the season. This is the couple’s fourth year together. The nest that they use was vacated in 2013. They did not have any chicks for the 2019-20 season. In 2020-21, they fledged Kisatchie in 2021-22, a female, Kincaid. What a great moment it was when Kisatchie hatched – the first eaglet in the forest for 8 years.

M15 and his new mate are working hard on the Fort Myers nest on the Pritchett Property that M15 shared with Harriet for 8 years.

Checking on Australia:

367 Collins Street: It is hard to get those four big falcon eggs tucked. Gosh, this ledge in the CBD of Melbourne is going to be busy in about a month. The nice thing about incubation is it gives Mum time to rest up before caring for the four – and Dad will be able, nearing the time of hatch, to stock up the pantry.

Sydney Sea Eagles: Breakfast was served early – followed by some nice wingersizing. The eaglets are getting stronger and stronger, standing for longer, and walking with much more confidence.

‘A’ was watching adding, “The sea eaglets had a good early breakfast (around 06:07 I think). It was feathered, minus its head, and a really good size. It looked afterwards as though SE31 had the larger crop but both ate enough breakfast. It was a large piece of prey. SE32 was like a toddler teething this morning. He nibbled at mum’s face and beak when she was aerating the nest in front of where he was lying. He nibbled at her wings. He nibbled at her breast. He nibbled at her underfluffies. Then, he turned around and began nibbling SE31. I have no idea what he was doing, but it was too cute. No-one else objected – it was exploratory and perhaps some level of allopreening was involved, but certainly it was not aggressive. The parents continue to be obsessed by the need to bring in more big sticks (kiddie rails, not just sticks) and lots and lots of greenery, as well as dry leaf material to lay on top of the greenery. They are very diligent in their nest work……Oh those eaglets are GORGEOUS. They are starting to get that beautiful russett colouring on their breasts, shoulders and wings. Lunch came in at 14:21, and both eaglets were interested in the food, which looked like another of the large eels (Dad brought it in and Lady quickly came to manage it). SE32 was first at the table, and got the early part of the feeding, but there was plenty of meat on that eel and both eaglets ate well. They were, as is always the case these days, perfectly behaved at the table, patiently waiting when the other was eating, with no beaking or intimidation or acts of submission or fear. It was a lovely thing. These two are doing so well and they are rapidly beginning to look like juvenile sea eagles. Their colouring is just exquisite. The perfection of their camouflage is amazing. They are truly beautiful at this age are they not?” 

Port Lincoln: Dad2 brought in at least three fish before 1400. He took turns incubating so that Mum could eat. Ask me how much I am liking this new male.

‘A’ adds: “At Port Lincoln, dad brought three or four fish today and mum had some or all of two of them. She is doing the vast majority of the incubation time. Interestingly, the eggs were left unattended for just 1% of the 24 hours on Tuesday (and incubated for 99%) but on Wednesday were left alone for 19% of the time (incubated 89%). This may relate to the weather, but I found it interesting. “

Orange Peregrine Falcons: Xavier brought in a nice chunk of prepared prey for Diamond at 06:27. At the time I am writing (14:14 Australia time) no other prey items had been delivered that I could confirm.

What a little sweetie Xavier is…I love this gleeful way he rushes over to incubate those eggs in the morning.

Like so many, ‘A’ has been missing Manaaki, the Royal Cam chick since he began to get his juvenile feathers. Now..he is ready to fly she adds, “Here is the evidence that we are about to lose Manaaki to his destiny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghTGyX8-ADg. I know it is what he is born for and I know it represents a fabulously successful season for everyone at Royal Cam and for parents L and GLY. But oh how I am going to miss this gorgeous creature, with his adventurous mischievous personality and his obsession with gardening and excavating and exploring. 

Now he has cast his bolus (or boluses), he is pretty much ready to leave. There is little fluff left now, and the next windy spell should see him on his way. Treasure these last hours. We may never see him again. I am so sad, but happy too.”

One of those lovely happy endings – a successful rescue of an Osprey caught in fishing line posted on The Joy of Ospreys by D Lambertson.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We hope to see you again soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my blog this morning: ‘A, B, H’, BirdCast, NYTimes, Cal Falcons, Kent Island, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, NEFL-AEF, Tonya Irwin and KNF E-1, Real Saunders Photography, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac Sydney Sea Eagles, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, NZ DOC, and D Lambertson and the Joy of Ospreys.

Three for Melbourne…Saturday in Bird World

9 September 2023

Good Morning All,

Friday was a busy day for me and most of the time I was away from home. However, the moments that I did get to spend with my four four-legged furry friends was brilliant. Hope is now peeking around the corner at me and even came near to my foot when I placed a dish of organic roast chicken down for her! This kitten has so much energy. I cannot wait to get it with Lewis. He is going to enjoy having a playmate.

We are about a metre apart. Hope is curious and getting less afraid by the story!

If Mamma Calico moves her tail, Hope is right on it!

Everyone watches one another. The four of them enjoyed a nice roast chicken dinner – a treat to encourage Missey and Lewis to link ‘treats’ and goodies with their two new siblings.

Each of us hopes that you are well and looking forward to a nice weekend wherever you are. Let’s all try and get outside if the weather is nice! And speaking of outside…every time I go to the park there is litter. There are bins everywhere for litter so why don’t we use them? This post on FB seemed really appropriate.

‘H’ sent me the good news. PLO has its second egg of the season! Oh, I hope this young Dad is an excellent fisher and brings those fish into the nest one after another. Can I ‘hope’ that this couple might fledge all of them just like 2021 with Bazza, Falkey, and Ervie?

There is other good news coming out of Port Lincoln!

‘A’ is musing about the Royal Albatross chicks: “the rangers have confirmed that Miss NTF fledged on 7 September. She had been off exploring (or perhaps finding an ideal place from which to fledge), as the chicks often do for a few days before fledge, but they have confirmed her gone. She was last seen on the morning of 7 September so we think she fledged some time after 11am on Thursday. Godspeed sweet girl. Quarry, who has been out and about for the past couple of days, returned to her nest this morning and seemed to miss Miss NTF. The two girls had been hanging out a lot. UQ on the other hand is less pleased to see Quarry, who needs a restraining order whenever she is in his vicinity. Manaaki is less tolerant of her and clacks his bill at her if she gets too close. Poor little UQ is much more timid. The winds are not super strong today, though Quarry and Manaaki have been doing a lot of wingercising in the wind there is. It could be any time now for either of them. It looks as if Quarry will be next to go, then Manaaki and finally UQ. But we will see. I again emphasise that these are precious hours we are spending with Manaaki now. And once he launches, there is no guarantee we will ever see him again. Will we live that long? Will Manaaki? Will the climate permit a return? They fly into an uncertain future, but don’t we all?” Those worries of the state of the ocean, of long line fishing, of climate haunt all of us as well look at these long-lived seabirds.

Manaaki looking out to an uncertain future.

Lady Hawk caught Gabby and her new mate V3 in the pouring rain and has some super close ups for us.

I was contacted by several individuals today about Mini and was told that there was much anxiety about her condition. My day allowed me no time to go and observe Mini until she was at the nest after dark. At the bottom of everyone’s desires is for Mini to thrive – we care, we worry. We want her to be whole and live a long, prosperous life. The fact that Mini somehow injured her leg causes great anxiety to everyone. We will never know what caused that injury. No one saw what happened. Unless she goes into care, we may not even know what that injury is. There are many, many theories, but that is all they are – theories. Until a vet/a vet technician/or a rehabber has a bird in hand, a diagnosis cannot be made, and sometimes sophisticated tests and scans are needed to determine the problem and the possible treatment. The DEC does not normally give permits for a bird that is flying. There is a reason for this — it is extremely dangerous for the bird. No one wants to endanger Mini’s life further. Her injury is now old. She has been adapting. Life is not perfect but she is living it.

Life in the wild is extremely challenging for all raptors – for all wildlife. Each day is about survival. Some days there is a lot of fish and other days there are none. Whether or not Dad is delivering or Mini is fishing is not known. It could be both. On Thursday Mini had several nice poop shots. I am not clear about what happened on Friday and, of course, she is often not on the nest.

I urge everyone to enjoy the time we have left with Mini at the nest. To treasure her, to wait for her to come in at night to rest her leg – she is very smart to do that. In a couple of year’s time, I would very much like to see a two-year-old osprey land on this nest with a wonky leg. That would be marvellous so…with that in mind, I really hope that Mini is a male and not a female. Send her positive wishes. Treasure all that she taught us, for she did teach us much about endurance and determination.

Mini did seem to put her weight on both legs when she landed on the nest from the perch at 20:26.

Mom has been spotted landing on the nest so she has been here at least until today. That is good news because under normal conditions the males will not leave until the females do. With the climate changing we do not expect these fledgling ospreys to travel all the way to South America and they might well spend the winter in the Carolinas or Florida.

At the Minnesota National Arboretum nest, Dad brought in 7 fish – yes, you read that correctly – 7 fish on Friday!!!!!!! That is one well fed fledgling. One of those beauties was lost overboard. Hopefully some other hungry creature will discover that tasty meal.

‘H’ reports on Molly and Dorsett:

Kent Island –  Molly was last seen (so far) on 9/5.  Her dad, Tom, was seen almost every day up to 9/7, but we did not see him on 9/8.  That does not mean that Molly or Tom have formally begun their migration, they may simply not be on camera.  We shall see.  Audrey was seen in “Joe’s” tree, and for the second consecutive night, Audrey spent the night at her nest on 9/9.  It is surprising to see Audrey this late in the season, but we are thrilled to see her.

Barnegat Light – Dorsett and her dad, Duke, seemed to have a good day.  The camera operator managed to catch Duke taking a bath, and the highlight of Dorsett’s day was a live bunker that her dad delivered to her for supper.  Dorsett decided to eat the whole fish atop the 24th street pole.  Yum!

‘A’ reports on the breakfast for the Sea Eaglets: “a nice large fish was brought in at WBSE early this morning (around 06:40) and both eaglets had a good breakfast. SE31 got the early bites, then SE32 moved up beside his sister and ate without fear or intimidation. The two were perfectly behaved throughout the meal.”

So many love the Collins Street falcons and my inbox was bursting with news of the third egg! Do you think they will go for four?

Xavier just melts my heart. He is the cutest little male falcon and his mate Diamond often gives this poor guy such a rough time. So happy he got some egg time…it must actually feel nice to be able to do duckling style and rest for a bit…just thinking about Mini and how it helps her leg.

‘A’ reports: “Manaaki was fed by one of his parents at about 6pm this evening (9 September) – we don’t know which one because it was not within camera view but our little man gets so excited, wheeing away. I do love that sound. And we will miss it until this time next year. But I cannot wait to see whether YRK (and maybe even OGK) return over the next two or three months. He is the footage of Manaaki’s feeding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj35d68kQ6g&t=2s“.

News has come to me Friday night from ‘B’. We have wondered about the fishing at Cowlitz PUD. This is a new discovery. “The river where they fish has been full of silt and mud from a landslide up north awhile back which we never heard about…” ‘B’ continues by saying that a drive by a couple of weeks ago revealed sandbars in the river that were never there previously. This is so sad but let us hope the eagles and the ospreys have another source of food. Thanks so much ‘B’.

There is often a lot of confusion about feeding birds. Audubon has a short article to help us.

When-Its-Okay-or-Not-to-Feed-Birds-AudubonDownload

Speaking of feeding birds. Chiang Mai is north of Bangkok in the beautiful mountains. It is one of my most favourite places in the world. There is an historic walled city full of Buddhist temples. Just outside the walls is a small French area with some of the best coffee and lemon tarts to be found anywhere. Check out a feeding table in this northern Thai city!

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

Thank you to the following for their comments, alerts, posts, videos, and streaming cams: ‘A, B, H, L’, PLO, NZ DOC, Lady Hawk and NEFL-AEF, PSEG, MN Landscape Arboretum, Kent Island, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, Sea Eagle Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Karen Leng and Orange Australia Peregrine Falcons, and Audubon.

Fish deliveries…Tuesday in Bird World

5 September 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Well, I could not possibly have anticipated what was going to happen but look who showed up at the feeding station today? Just like her Mama Calico.

Yes, the kitten that we could not find. Someone is going to help me trap her! I am not sure that Calico will be pleased. LOL. The kitten is about 62 days old.

This lovely young woman came over with the trap, smelling Sardines, everything to try and get this young lady into the kitten cage and feel safe. Wish us luck!

Calico watching out the garden doors as the trap is being set for her baby. Ironically, Calico’s baby is almost the same size as she is!

Today, Missey and Calico spent the entire day together in the main part of the house with Lewis in the conservatory. They all had poached chicken. We live in hope that soon all three will be integrated along with the kitten, perhaps.

It is 2130. The woman who loaned me the trap is on her way to help me transition the kitten to a kennel. Yes! We have the kitten. It took about three and a half hours. Overjoyed. Overwhelmed.

Osprey World just gets more quiet as the remainder begin their journeys with the last few Dads on the nest feeding chicks.

Harry has been feeding Chirpie again at Alyth today.

Aran was still at Glaslyn.

Blue 022 was seen around Poole Harbour. He left for migration last year on 10 September. No sign of CJ7 or the trio.

Dad brought at least three fish before 1400 to the Minneapolis Landscape Arboretum fledgling on Monday.

Swoop is still at Dunrovin!

Dad is still delivering to Coco at Sandpoint. At least two fish arrived on Monday early in the day.

Bruce is still delivering at Seaside. Oh, they get so excited. I am not sure the kittens are more afraid of the falcons than the ospreys when the latter are screaming for fish arrivals!

One adult on the perch at Boulder. I have not see the juveniles getting fish for several days at the nest.

Fish is still being delivered to an Oyster Bay fledgling.

Fish is being delivered to the Collins Marsh nest in Wisconsin. The juveniles are flying off with their meal!

Di Bennett and Tweed Valley report on the locations of both Poul and Glen. Will Poul stay in Morocco or continue heading south?

Want to know more about migration and how climate and changes in land use in West Africa are impacting UK birds? Have a read.

Osprey-Shortened-Migration-Scottish-Wildlife-TrustDownload

Mini was at the Osprey platform in Patchogue this morning. She is still favouring that left leg. This time she looked hungry and flew off early to try and get some fish from Dad.

At 1900 Mini flew to the perch. She was coming from the left side of the brewery. She has both feet extended and appears to be drying off her feathers.

The left leg appears to be giving Mini some issues as she holds it up. Hopefully our gal will slow down and rest that leg on the nest.

Good night, Mini.

‘H’ brings us up to date on Molly and Dorsett:


Kent Island – Molly flew to the nest early in the morning, but she didn’t stay long.  She was then not seen on cam for almost twelve hours.  At 1830 Molly flew to the nest, and it was nice to see that she had a huge crop. She seemed to have a lot to say, but she didn’t stay long at that visit either.  SOD’s, Molly.

Barnegat Light – Duke brought four fish to the nest for Dorsett.  What a good Dad!  Around 1830 Dorsett landed on the nest, and she was holding her right foot up a bit.  When she placed the right foot on the nest we could see a small bloody wound on one of her toes.  It seemed to be a minor injury though, as it did not affect her ability to handle the fish Duke delivered at 1901.  She held the fish with her right foot and eventually flew across the cove with the fish.

Gabby and V3 were at the nest in The Hamlet near Jacksonville working for the new season. Gosh, it is so nice to see them! Some worry that V3 might not be up to the job this year but, let’s wait and see. He is a year older and these two look to be bonded. We have no idea what they have been up to off camera.

Thunder and Akecheta were at their old West End nest in the Channel Islands on Monday.

On the Cornell Campus, Big Red and Arthur are up on the ledges of Bradley. So good to see them!

The Sea Eaglets had an early fish breakfast Tuesday morning! Yippeee. ‘A’ reports: “

At WBSE breakfast was early for a change, with Dad bringing in a medium-sized whole fresh fish shortly before 06:39. Lady was straight in. SE32 was slow to get up. Lady started eating herself while SE31 dealt with a PS (medium sized, a little thin but way healthier than yesterday’s) and then headed for the table, where she got the first bites just before 06:41. By 06:42, SE32 is on his feet. He too deals with a (healthy) PS before heading closer to the table. Lady is still feeding SE31. Through most of the feeding, Lady fed first one, then the other. SE31 ate more than SE32 but that was largely because SE32 could not be bothered making a huge effort. When he decided he did want to eat, he quickly shuffled further forward to get himself into prime position and then proceeded to eat a dozen or two bites consecutively. He had another similar bout of eating at the end of the feeding, eating most of the last dozen bites or so. Both eaglets had smallish crops after breakfast, though SE31 had a larger one than SE32. 

Dad brings in another fish soon afterwards, at around 10:52. It looks like a big one. Lady takes a moment or two to arrive at the table, as does SE31. And although SE32 has been sleeping on the table, he is not eager to jump up and rush to start eating. He takes his time. The fish is on the large side of medium and Dad has already eaten the head (and a little more). :Lady takes a couple of minutes to start feeding the eaglets, and by the time she does, at 10:55:20, both are ready and waiting, up at the table, and 0SE32 gets the first bites. This pair are very civilised at meal times over the past week. I have not seen any intimidation of any kind, let alone beaking. They have been absolute angels at the dinner table. SE31 waits patiently until it is her turn for a bite or two, at 10:57. Lady then feeds SE32 almost exclusively. He eats fast and with confidence. He is getting a lot of food in a short period of time. It is after 11:00 when SE31 gets her next proper bite. Lady then feeds the two alternately for a few bites, then returns to feeding SE32. 

Throughout this, SE31 is extremely patient. At no point does she try to steal a bite, push in front of SE32 or in any way intimidate or bonk him. She just waits beside him while he eats. When she is offered a bite, she takes it, but that is all. SE32 has had by far the best of the first half of the feeding, but as the feeding wears on and his crop enlarges yet further, he is less enthusiastic about taking every bite and leaves many of those he is offered for his sister. Over the second half of the feeding, SE31 gets more of the food. By the time the feeding is over, both eaglets have very healthy crops indeed. Both have eaten well, Lady has had a good share of that fish herself, and there was no dispute at all between the eaglets. This nest is just lovely to watch. Even on the days when a single large meal is brought in, no-one really seems to go hungry and there is never any type of unpleasantness between the eaglets. They just play and sleep and snuggle. And wait patiently. SE31 is getting really good up on her feet now and is really enjoying practising her walking and wingercising. SE32 is quite a few days behind, as he spent a while cowering while SE31 was growing into her changing body, as it were. He will catch up soon, but for now, he is still very ungainly and often needs his wings for balance.”

Mum and Dad incubate their egg at 367 Collins Street for a few minutes. Looking for egg 2!

Xavier and Diamond are incubating their three eggs at Orange.

At Port Lincoln, mating continues – not always successful.

‘A’ reports that there is action in NZ. Four of the Royal Albatross chicks have now fledged. She also adds, “Poor UQ chick has come down from his hilltop nest to sleep next to Manaaki (who was asleep when he arrived, so may be surprised to see him there when he wakes up). I am pretty sure UQ is seeking either safety in numbers or simply a safer distance between himself and Miss NTF higher up the hill. She is a very pushy and precocious female and has made UQ’s life more than a little difficult, given he is a somewhat shy and reticent albie. He gets on well with Manaaki, though, so obviously feels better down there than up on his hill. So cute, the two of them. As I said, there are two male and two female chicks whose nests we can see (or almost see) around Manaaki. Miss NTF has taken a fancy to the camera, which Manaaki regards as his, so there have been several altercations over the camera, with much clacking of beaks. She thinks she rules the hilltop but Manaaki has other ideas. These four have been an absolute joy to watch these past seven months, each with a very distinctive personality (and, as I mentioned the other day, each currently has a very different ‘hairstyle’ in regard to where each chick wears their remaining fluff – one of the chatters did a cartoon of all the chicks with all their hairstyles about a week ago – very accurate and just TOO funny).”

The third osplet at Osprey House in Australia has died of siblicide.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H’, Alyth, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Jeff Kear, Mary Kerr and Glaslyn Osprey Group, Poole Harbour Ospreys, MN Landscape Arboretum, Dunrovin Ranch, Sandpoint, Seaside, Boulder County, PSEG, Collins Marsh, Tweed Valley, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Kent Island, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, NEFL-AEF, IWS/Explore, Suzanne Arnold Horning and Cornell Hawk Chatters Club, Sydney Sea Eagles, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, and PLO.

V3 arrives back at NEFlorida!…Friday in Bird World

1 September 2023

Good Morning,

Calico had her vet appointment and I cannot possibly describe the relief. No HIV, No Feline Leukaemia, her teeth and ears are perfect. She is between 8-10 months old so the vet let us choose a ‘birth’ date for her and we picked 2 November, the day Lewis and Missey arrived. Calico does have mastitis and is on an antibiotic and she will have ‘the’ operation and be microchipped on the 12th at 0800. Everything is good. She was cleared to join Missey and Lewis but she is so tired from it all that she is sleeping and sleeping. I have to add that while Lewis howls like you are pulling his toe nails out when he is in the car, Calico was polite and sweet during each and every event this morning. What a sweetie she is.

Lewis and Missey will get to meet their new sister tomorrow now that she is all clear for any issues – how lucky are we? No obvious fleas, ticks, parasites, etc. And all tests came back negative.

On the way to the vet.

Here are some interesting facts about Calico cats taken from the Website All about the Calico Personality:

  • Calicos are one of the subjects of “The Duel,” a popular children’s poem by Eugene Fields. The poem describes a fight between a “calico cat” and “gingham dog.”
  • Because of their rarity, Calico cats are considered lucky by many around the world. The Calico cat is thought to bring good luck and fortune to the homes and families that adopt them. They are also considered to be a little magical because of their three colors.
  • In the 1870s, Calico cats were named the official symbol of fortune in Japan. They’re sometimes called “money cats” here and elsewhere.
  • The Calico cat became the official cat of the state of Maryland in 2001. The Calico cat was chosen because the colors of its fur are similar to that of the Baltimore Oriole, which is the official state bird.
  • According to Irish folklore, if you have a wart that you want to get rid of, just rub it against a Calico cat’s tail.

You will recall that I have been feeding and cuddling with Calico for months and months outside. She was brought into the house at 1900 last Saturday, the 26th. After that, extensive effort was put in by the neighbourhood to find any kitten or kittens. One of the neighbours ran over to tell me that the kitten had been found late Thursday. Well, it turns out that ‘a kitten’ was found and turned in to the Humane Society. It was processed through their intake the morning of Friday, the 25th – thirty-four hours before Calico moved in. I am not convinced it is Calico’s kitten because the posting said 2 weeks old. But if it is, it is a beautiful white kitten that someone is going to love. Calico’s kittens would have been approximately 54-55 days old. Still, it tells me that people know what to do if they see a lost kitten! No other sightings that I am aware of currently.

‘H’ report at Fortis Exshaw is fantastic, “Overall, it was an extremely quiet day.  The female intruder flew to the nest alerting at 0646, and after twelve minutes she flew away.  We did not see her on cam the rest of the day.  The male intruder has not been seen since the afternoon of 8/30.  We would occasionally hear an osprey call, but not often.  The highlight of the day was a surprise visit by Banff.  At 1130, Banff casually flew in and landed on the right side of the T-perch.  We were absolutely delighted to see her.  She was calm.  The intruders were not around, and Banff knew that.  She exuded confidence and maturity.  She appeared regal.  She shifted her position once in a while.  She preened a bit.  She roused once.  She surveyed the entire area.  Was she reminiscing?  After all, she had spent her entire life there.  Of course, I know she wasn’t reminiscing, ospreys live in the moment.  But while I watched Banff on that perch, I was reminiscing.  Everything that had transpired over the past few months, good or bad, happy or sad, flashed before my eyes.  After twelve minutes, Banff gracefully and majestically flew away toward the river.  Was that ‘Goodbye’?  We did not see her or hear her for the rest of the day.  We will continue to look for her, just in case.  Banff has made it.  She is ready.  “Well done, Banff.”  

Thanks, ‘H’. You have done. great job reporting on this nest. It is so wonderful to see Banff thumb her nose at the intruders but, at the same time, allow all of us to see that she survived it – she survived it all. Go Banff!

Mini did a good PS at 0602 before flying off the perch at Patchogue. It is impossible to tell what happening with her left leg. She does not return to the nest during the day like she used to, and from the size of the PS she is being fed off-camera or catching her own – my bet is on the former.

I would give anything to have GPS tracking on Mini. After watching and worrying for so long, she has become so big a part of so many people’s lives it is difficult to let go and not know how her life is unfolding like we do that of Poul.

Tweed Valley’s sat packed fledgling, Poul, is in Spain. Great time!

The main camera has not returned to the Sydney Sea Eagles cam. ‘A’ has been watching: “Dad brought breakfast for the eaglets (I presume a fish) at around 07:37. Lady had flown in and taken control of it within 10 seconds. She is impressive. I can’t see any heads so I don’t know who is in front and whether both are being fed, but she is feeding eaglets, so based on yesterday and the four days before that, I am sure all is well.”

Update: “As of about ten minutes ago, the nest camera came back up at WBSE. The time stamp says 23.32:12 when the screen changes but the time just before the screen changed was 21:27:27 (which wasn’t the correct time either). It is currently 21:41 in Sydney (1 September). Lady is on the nest with the babies, who are sleeping peacefully. SE32 looks even bigger than last time I saw him! “

Mum and Dad2 at Port Lincoln. Still hoping.

Dad2 is a really good provider for Mum.

There was one super large fish that arrived on the Boulder County Fair Grounds nest. One happy osplet and one wishing and hoping some will be left!

At Sandpoint, Coco had at least one fish delivery part of which she left on the nest and there was also an intruder. Everything is fine. Coco is getting fed well.

There is at least one of the two fledglings coming to the nest at Collins Marsh. I did not see any fish deliveries to the nest on Thursday.

Gorgeous fledglings getting some nice fish at the Dunrovin Ranch Osprey Platform in Colorado.

These female Ospreys can fish. Just look at the catch Maya pulled on the nest! Now, where is Blue 33? He flew off on Wednesday. Was he checking the territory to make certain that the fledglings were all dispersed before he leaves? He is always there until they are gone and this year Maya is still there with him.

‘H’ other reports:

Barnegat Light – Dorsett is still enjoying her life at the bay, and her dad, Duke, continues to provide fish for his girl.

Kent Island – I didn’t see a single fish brought to the nest for Molly on 8/31, but perhaps she had a meal or two off the nest.  

Osoyoos – The livestream has been offline for the past two days.

Thanks, ‘H’.

The big news is that the AEF is 99% certain, based on physical markers, that V3 is back on the NEFlorida Bald Eagle Nest near Jacksonville on 31 August! We wait for the arrival of Gabby.

Muhlady and Pepe are both at Superbeaks!

The beautiful view of the Glacier Gardens Bald Eagle Nest.

David Abram writes what the salmon were like in 1988 – the eagles in Alaska have historically lived on salmon.

I got up and walked over to the water’s edge; the stream, I now saw was thick with salmon, boiling with salmon, all jostling and surging against the current in fits and starts – it was as though the stream was made of salmon! I gazed and gazed for a couple hours, then went back to my tent and tried to sleep, but couldn’t. So I hiked back into the middle of the night and stood staring into that moon-illumined river of fish, and then I waded out into that mass of sparkling, silvery muscles, all shoving and lunging against the water’s flow. In the middle of the stream, I was up to my knees in salmon, but they didn’t care – didn’t even notice; they bumped into my legs and then plunged on past with a single-minded determination I’d never encountered before, nosing aside their dying cousins who were floating back downstream on their sides, too exhausted to swim, with their mottled skin starting to peel off. Yet the vigorous salmon around me just nudged me out of the way, wholly intent on making their own way upstream to reach the remembered place of origin – their spawning place – so they might deposit their eggs, and fertilize those eggs, before they too began to fall apart and die.

D. Abram, ‘Creaturely Migrations on a Breathing Planet’, Emergence Magazine, vol. 4, pg. 146.

Pat, one of Martin and Rosa’s trio this year from the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle nest, has been released. How wonderful!

M15 and his lady seem to be quite the couple. So happy that he has kept his territory – M15 certainly deserves it after the stunning year he gave us following Harriet’s disappearance in early February.

How long will our changing climate support the Chum Salmon that eagles like Hope depend on for their food?

Xavier gets some precious egg time while Diamond takes her break.

A prey delivery at 12:31 (off camera) got Diamond off the eggs and Xavier some more incubation time. Oh, what a character he is!

At The Campanile, Lou and Annie are bonding – something they continue to do since the eyases fledged.

The Black Stork nest in the Karula National Forest in Estonia is quiet. All three fledglings of Karl II and Kaia have now left the natal nest and begun their journeys south towards Africa. Kalvi flew first and has the satellite tracker. This is the information at the time of my writing.

This is the area where Kalvi is foraging.

This short video shows the last time that the storklets of Karl II and Kaia were together.

The last data:

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, H, PB’, All About the Calico Personality, PSEG, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Sydney Sea Eagles, PLO. Boulder County, Sandpoint, Collins Marsh, Dunrovin, LRWT, NEFL-AEF, Superbeaks, Glacier Gardens, Linda Russo and NEFL and SWFL Eagle Watcher’s Club, Emergence Magazine, Dulles-Greenway Eagles, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, SK Hideaway and Cal Falcons, Maria Marika, MadliaA, Fortis Exshaw, Wildlife Conserve of NJ, Kent Island, Looduskalender, and All About Black Storks.

CK7 dies in Wales…Wednesday in Bird World

30 August 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Thank you so much for being with us today. Summer is winding down. People are taking the last of the holidays and our Osprey nests (among others) are almost going quiet. The hummingbirds and Blue Jays continue to come to the garden so neither has started their southern journey and soon, many more species will join them. The house is quiet as the kittens continue to learn the smell and sound of one another. Despite fall nipping at our heels, it is expected to be 34 degrees in southern Manitoba on Saturday.

Calico has settled into a routine and is playing more and more. Tonight, for the first time, she went onto the Ladybird blanket and fell asleep before I finished reading. She goes to the vet on Friday, and I hope for an all-clear to allow her into the rest of the house. Lewis is curious but a wee bit jealous, and Missey is pretending she doesn’t notice anything. We will see. Missey is the Alpha cat.

Calico’s book of the month recommendation. [I took the rug out because of putting cat food down, and neither Calico nor I like this bloody old floor – a remnant of long ago.]

Anyone want to play?

Nite, nite.

There is good news coming out of the meteorologists regarding Idalia. She is now degraded to the strength of a category 2 hurricane. But the new track has changed and the eye is headed decidedly northwest and will not hit Fort Myers or St Petersburg as a category 3 or 4 hurricane. There will still be lots of water but the sustained winds are no where what was earlier predicted. This does not mean that Idlia is not dangerous – every storm is dangerous!

Notice how far that white cone area extends northward. We want all our migrating birds to sit quiet. And to all my friends in the path of this storm, please stay safe. You are on our minds and we are sending out positive wishes.

Hurricane Franklin’s cone will veer east and should be no threat.

The winds of Idalia can clearly be seen impacting the Bald Eagle nest of Connie and Clive at Captiva on the Barrier Islands.

Let’s check on Fortis Exshaw since it has been one of the problem nests. Thanks ‘H’ for your report! “Fortis Exshaw – The intruders were on the nest or perch a few times throughout the day, but most of the time, the nest was empty.  We did not see Banff.  She did not come to the nest, and we did not see her being chased around.  We may have seen less of the intruders today due to the fact that they had not been concerned with Banff.  There were a couple of brief osprey chases seen in the distance, but they could have involved the intruders and another osprey.  Some thought that they heard Banff’s voice in the distance a couple of times, just briefly, but it was difficult to say.  It seems that Banff may have finally learned to stay away from the nest, and the entire area that had become hostile and dangerous for her.  This is a good thing, and a necessary lesson for her to learn.  It seems as though Banff has received a year’s worth of education since she fledged on 8/13.  The last time we saw Banff on 8/28, she was well.  We will be watching and listening for Banff today. “

Today I wanted to see who was home in the UK, but first, let us deal with a tragic death. CK7 was an eleven-year-old osprey from Tweed Valley who died in Wales. His tracker indicated that he had stopped. The search in difficult terrain has not revealed the corpse, but people will continue to search. Our hearts go out to Di Bennett and the team at Tweed Valley. CK7 had been in the wildlife hospital after being trapped in netting. He was released on the 10th of August at St Mary’s Loch. Everything looked perfect, and it appeared that he had set off on his migration. Then something strange happened, and he reverted course and headed to Wales. His tracker indicated a stationary position on the 18th of August.

Here is the latest news from Di from Tweed Valley.

29th-August.docx-Google-DriveDownload

Tweed Valley: Poul is making excellent progress!

Rutland Manton Bay: Both Maya and Blue 33 were on the nest and it looked like they still had some intruders.

Dyfi: Cannon is 98 days old and Seiont is 96. Everyone is wondering if both of them will be home to mark a century. It would be the first time for this nest that both fledglings stayed 100 days before making their departure.

Glaslyn: Aran and the two fledglings, OH1 and OH2 were home.

Poole Harbour: I observed both Blue 22 on the nest and Mum, CJ7, who had delivered a fish. 5H3 was also there. There could be other fledglings about and I just did not see them – indeed, I imagine all three are home. CJ7 may leave first.

Llyn Brenig: I caught a glimpse of one fledgling -7B5-and another on the perch but I cannot confirm if they are one and the same.

At Patchogue Mini flew in at 0619 screaming for a fish and promptly flew off towards the lake.

Here she comes!

Gorgeous. One of the reasons that I advocate for Darvic rings and trackers on special birds like Mini is to find out how their lives unfold – good or bad. This young lady is simply beautiful. She is being fed off nest by Dad. The latest news from Hawk Mountain does not indicate a big swing in Osprey migration yet. Thank goodness due to the weather south of Mini!

A few raindrops falling as Mini was perched for a bit.

Hawk Mountains migration count to 29 August 2023.

Boulder County: All fledglings home. Eating well. Two with a fish at one time and the one without has a nice crop already.

Sandpoint: Three fish delivered on Tuesday and one took over 2 hours to finish!

Thank you ‘H’ for your other reports.

“Forsythe –  Once again, there was no sign of Ollie.  And, for the second day in a row, Oscar made a brief stop on the nest, perhaps for the last time.  He just wanted to make sure that his girl was not still around.  You are a really good Dad, Oscar.”

“Barnegat Light – Dorsett’s latest favorite hangout is the utility pole at 22nd street.  And, she doesn’t miss a thing from that vantage point, lol.  Dorsett saw Duke flying across the bay with a fish and she was back on her nest at 24th street within seconds to grab the fish from her Dad.”

“Kent Island – Molly had been waiting a long time, and Tom arrived with a nice dinner fish.  Molly must be eating off the nest, as she has been seen with a crop sometimes when she arrives at the nest.”

“Osoyoos – There is plenty of fish, and the young fledgling seems to be luvin’ life.”

Moving to Australia:

First up, Ervie. Our dear Ervie!

Port Lincoln: With no eggs at any of the South Australian Osprey nests that I am aware, there is plenty of time for Mum and the new Dad. They will certainly go down as trying!

Sydney Sea Eagles: It is raining and the camera has been on and off but the little eaglets are doing just fine – both of them.

The Godwits are arriving in Australia from Alaska! Just think about that.

Godwit ID for UK birds. It is the Bar-tail that flies from Alaska to Australia.

They make history flying from Alaska to Australia.

More little osplets hatch in Australia!

In Orange, Xavier loves to have his egg time. Diamond arrives with a huge crop and her chest feathers looking all fluffy. Xavier takes his time giving up his shift.

Lots of excitement with the Royal Albatross chicks in New Zealand.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. Stay safe!

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, videos, reports, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, H, M’, Noaa, Window to Wildlife, Tweed Valley, LRWT, Dyfi Ospreys, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Llyn Brenig, PSEG, Hawn Mountain, Boulder County, Sandpoint, FortisExshaw, Conserve Wildlife of NJ, Osoyoos, Kent Island, Forsythe, PLO, Pikorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre, BTO, Sydney Sea Eagles, Wildlife at Osprey House, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC.

Eggs, migration, the impact of hurricanes on raptors…Tuesday in Bird World

29 August 2023

Greetings Everyone,

It is 28 degrees C on the afternoon of the 28th of August on the Canadian Prairies. On Saturday, it is expected to be 34 degrees C. That is hotter – by several degrees Celsius than where my son lives in the Caribbean.

Our summer weather began to change 5-6 years ago. I joked and said it was time to put in a swimming pool – “If it is the shot next year, I am getting a pool!”. Before 2017, people would have laughed at the thought of a pool. Our summers never got hotter than 20 degrees C, and they were short, with the first frost normally in August, sometimes early August. The last snow might have been 15 May. Well, it is all different. I didn’t put in the pool, but I might build a pond for the birds and small mammals late next spring. Remember – water is essential to their lives. Leave out containers of water. Ensure they are topped up at night – many critters are nocturnal.

The weather has caused so many problems this year for the Ospreys. The storms and flooding led to starvation at many nests. The overfishing of Menhaden was another, but the weather has just thrown everyone for the proverbial loop. It has led to the infamous wildfires and played with the birds’ arrival and departure dates. In Manitoba, we have had the type of weather that I grew up with in Oklahoma as a young child. Large hail, winds ripping trees out, and tornadoes. The displacement of wildlife from the affected wildfire areas will have a lasting impact for decades until those old, big, beautiful – trees can regrow.

Missey, Lewis, and Calico continue to do well. The biggest shock has been Lewis. I know to open the office door – enough for cats to put their noses through. Whenever Lewis gets close to Calico’s nose, he leaps backwards. It is hilarious. Missey is more reserved, preferring to sit on the top of the wood stove playing with pussy willows and acting like she is not interested in her new sister. We have moved Calico’s appointment date to this Friday, 1 September. That way, she can be integrated into the family a little earlier. Today, she has been playing with me and with toys by herself. Perhaps she can recapture some of her lost kitten hood.

Our giggle of the day comes from Osprey House in Australia posted by Linda McIlroy. Wouldn’t we love to see crops on all the osplets like this one?!

A blast from the past!

A recorded Webinar from Cornell Bird Lab on the race to save our vanishing birds.

As many of you are aware, there is a category 3 or 4 hurricane heading towards the western shores of Florida that is expected to cross the entire state. Weather systems such as hurricanes can cause such harm to raptors and other wildlife. We have celebrated in the past when we discover they survived Hurricane Ian, for example. Lost nests but not lost birds! Here is some information if you are wondering how hurricanes can impact our beloved feathered friends.

How-do-hurricanes-affect-migrating-birds-All-About-Birds-All-About-BirdsDownload
Flooding-Hurricane-Season-and-Extreme-Weather-Impacts-on-Wild-Birds-Association-of-Avian-VeterinDownload

Fledglings getting fed well at the Dunrovin Ranch Osprey nest of Harriet and Swoop. Indeed, fledglings continue to be well fed around the world as the adults – mostly but not exclusively the males – fatten them up for migration.

Idris continues to fill the fledglings to the brim at the Dyfi nest in Wales.

At Glaslyn, Aran is bringing in the fish. His new mate, Elen, has left. She took the place of Mrs G, the oldest osprey in the UK, this year. Mrs G was 21-24 years old (unringed so not known for sure how old she was) and did not return from migration. Elen proved she was a very worthy successor taking amazing care of the two fledglings this year.

Dad has not delivered fish to the Patchogue nest for either Sunday or Monday. It is 1730 nest time there. Everyone is missing seeing Mini. Maybe she will come and rest her leg. She is, no doubt, being fed off nest like many of the other families are doing.

Mini flew in at 1800. Oh, what a strong flyer she is and she did not look like she was starving even thought she was really doing a lot of fish calling!

You can see her coming in near the top left.

‘H’ gives us her report on Fortis Exshaw: “The action started early.  At 0614, we heard Banff calling as she approached the nest.  Two minutes after Banff landed, she was buzzed three times by the male intruder. The intruder flew to the tall pole, and then landed on Banff twice.  Then the intruder stood on the nest, and proceeded to jump on Banff three times, then flew away.  But the intruder wasn’t done, he soon returned and hit Banff on the fly, and Banff was knocked overboard.  For the next several hours the intruders were on and off the nest, the horizontal nest perch, and the lookout post.  The male even brought in some nesting material.  At 1306 Banff was calling, then she flew under the left side of the nest toward the pond, turned toward the road, and then flew back east, and all the while she was being chased.  At 1654 Banff landed on the nest and was immediately dive bombed then jumped on by one of the intruders.  Banff managed to fly away.  Banff was involved in another chase at 1858, and she briefly landed on the nest for a few seconds, but was not hit.  At 1918, Banff flew over the nest being chased.  At 1948 Banff flew toward the nest being chased and she immediately diverted rather than land on the nest.  She seemed to clip her right wing on the nest as she passed by.  At 2054 Banff was again being chased.  She touched down on the nest and was immediately hit by an intruder, then she was dive bombed, and Banff flew off the nest.  Are you noticing a pattern here?  Banff is definitely eating, and is most likely still being provided fish by Louise.  If Banff has managed to catch some fish, it may be supplemented by Louise.  We do not see Louse on camera.  Louse knows that the entire area around the nest has become hostile.  It seems that young Banff has yet to fully come to that realization.  I wish Banff would stay completely away from the nest area, hang out near Mom, and perhaps practice fishing.”

‘H’ catches up with some other nests:

Forsythe – The last remaining fledgling, Ollie, has not been seen since early on 8/27.  On 8/28 Oscar landed on the nest briefly at 11:11.  He made a quick survey of the nest, and then he flew away.  That was our only osprey sighting of the day.

Osoyoos – There were at least four fish brought to the nest by Soo and Olsen. They and their fledgling are doing well. 

Barnegat Light – Duke continues to provide fish for his hungry fledgling, Dorsett.  Daisy was last seen on the nest the night of 8/27.

Kent Island – Audrey was at the nest on 8/28.  She helped Tom with nest defense, and she brought a fish for Molly.”

Thank you so much ‘H’ – we appreciate your continuing reports on these nests knowing that FortisExshaw is a very difficult nest to observe.

There should be no more concerns about SE32 at the Sea Eagles nest. 32 appears to have caught up in size to 31 and the meals are very civil. Both eaglets stuffed at the morning feed. It is a wonder they could even move.

‘A’ remarks: “The civility continues at WBSE. The breakfast fish (another nice large one, minus Dad’s breakfast) around 07:45. SE32 was slow to get up to the table, but started his breakfast first. SE31 was busy organising her morning PS. When she eventually dealt with that, she was keen to practise her walking. Her balance is improving and she got up to the table, then flopped down. She soon got a bite, though Lady was concentrating on feeding SE32, giving SE31 a bite here and there. SE31 is happy to sit beside her little brother and watch. Once again, no bonking or intimidation. Just two happy eaglets in the morning sun, knowing there’s plenty of fish for both.”

“Oh my. Just look at the size of the thighs on those sea eaglets! And those extra-round little bottoms. Just darling!! And those tails are really coming along now – especially SE31’s. It looks like lace. Dad and Lady are doing one of their raucous duets around 13:33:30 (usually reserved for around 6am). “

“SE31 is getting much steadier on her feet. She seems to enjoy practising her walking. She sits up looking very pleased with herself afterwards. Both these two have really large crops. Lady coaxed each of them to eat until they could eat no more. Somehow that big fish has been devoured. Have a look at their relative sizes now. It is as though SE32 has caught up to SE31 in size. I presume he is still the smaller of the two but not by much. I am now wondering whether the genders I had assumed all along are in fact correct. Maybe we have two males here, one of which was younger and went through a state when it was more nervous than the other. Unfortunately, as they do not band these eaglets, we won’t know unless they end up in care (which I suppose is highly likely, based on previous seasons). But certainly, SE32 has grown quite dramatically over the past three or four days, since he began eating his fill several times a day. Just lovely to see how healthy and happy they look, with their gorgeous feathers sprouting on their shoulders and wingtips and their little tails growing. “

‘A’ also checked on Xavier and Diamond for us. “At Orange, Xavier has just come bouncing into the nest box with a starling, which surprisingly, Diamond takes and flies off with. This buys Xavier some precious egg time, and as always, he chats to his eggs as he settles down to brood. Oh he is the sweetest little falcon. These little males are adorable, aren’t they? Like Alden and then Lou at Cal Falcons, both similarly small but gorgeous. Diamond and Xavier had another of their lengthy half-asleep bonding sessions this morning, from 04:54:52 to 05:39:08. These two are SO cute. “

‘A’ also adds: “We are worried about an intruder at Orange. There has been an unknown falcon upsetting Diamond and Xavier at exactly the worst possible time. Of course they would not desert their nest box and their eggs. This is their territory and they will defend it. But of course the very last thing this scrape needs is the loss of a parent. Diamond is a very large, powerful female, but we would not want her risking her safety. And Xavier is essential to the provisioning of this scrape, so he too cannot be injured. There are suggestions that this might be a previous fledgling – Indigo or even Izzi! These two have tended to have male eyases and it is the males who return to the natal nest area, is it not? So far, the intruder is not causing major problems, but s/he is hanging around. If it is a female, of course, the problem could become more serious. “

Thanks, ‘A’.

There are no eggs at Port Lincoln, but I quite like the new male. He is good to bring Mum fish, and they are trying. Let’s all send them a wink, nod, and some good positive energy. We might be surprised! I cannot think of anything nicer than this Mum having a nest full of osplets but also full of fish – and everyone living to fledge!

It is to be noted, as ‘A’ reminded me this evening that none of the other Osprey nests in South Australia have eggs either – so either they are all late (at least historically) or we won’t see any osplets this year! I prefer to think that they know something we don’t and the eggs are just late.

There are no eggs at 367 Collins Street yet. This is the latest update.

The death of a single Kakapo rattles the world. There are now only 247 of these gorgeous green non-flying parrots alive in the world.

It is that time of year when window collisions are happening more frequently. Here is a good little article to help you or someone you know understand how to deal with a bird that has hit a window.

We are experiencing Hummingbirds on their migration from the north to the south. If you are also, please provide sugar water for them. Do not purchase this at the shop with the dye…make your own. The recipe is simple: 4 cups of water to 1 cup of white sugar. Heat to dissolve the sugar only. Cool before putting in your hummingbird feeder. These little ones need all the energy they can get, and right now, some of the flowers no longer have nectar. They are dried up due to the summer heat!

Thank you so much for being with me today. For everyone in the area of Hurricane Idalia, please take care. We hope to see everyone with us soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H, PB’, Linda McIlroy and Raptors of the World, Susan Butler and FOBBV, Cornell Bird Lab, ATV, Dunrovin Ranch, Fortis Exshaw, Kent Island, Osoyoos, Forsythe, Wildlife Conserve Foundation of NJ, Ian Dragnet and Friends of Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, PSEG, Sea Eagle Cam, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, PLO, Nazz Derbz and Peregrine Falcons Melbourne, Kakapo Recovery, and Maureen Eiger.

Fledge at Osoyoos…Sunday in Bird World

27 August 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Saturday was a beautiful ‘fall’ day – yes, ‘fall’ day on the Canadian Prairies. The top of the trees have a kiss of gold and it was a perfect morning, after feeding Missey, Lewis, and Calico, to head and check on the American White Pelicans that spend their spring and summer near me breeding.

Oh, I am very blessed. Three amazing rescue kittens. So sweet and so gentle.

Calico has moved in to be part of the family. Early Saturday evening I went to feed her. She ate like she had not seen food before and she began to follow me home. At one point she rolled on her back and I sat on the sidewalk and rubbed her tummy. No milk. All dried up – not like on Thursday when there was some milk at one teat. No indication of anyone sucking. I carried her the full block home. No one growled – I guess I smelled of Calico for so long that Missey and Lewis just accepted her. Still, she has a special room with several baskets, a carrier, an open donut bed and anything she could want including a small area to hide behind a basket. I will sit and read to her and stroke her and we will take time integrating into the rest of the house.

Letters went into mailboxes for the area where Calico had her kittens. Posters have gone up. Sadly, if there were any surviving kittens, I do not know what they look like, but people around here are good, and they will bring any kittens to me if they see them on the streets – if they can catch them or let me know where they saw them. For now, Calico is safe. No more life on the streets – it is a new beginning for her and us! She is sleeping in a basket on top of a quilt made in the early 1800s by my great-great-great grandmother. I spent much time scratching her face and rubbing her. Not a burr in sight. Slee well, Calico!

At least a third of all North American White American Pelicans arrive in Manitoba in spring and depart late summer or early fall. They are truly a wonderful sight. Many grab a picnic lunch and sit on the shore of the Red River, watching them at a place called Lockport – there is a dam, and they catch the fish when they come over. There were a few Cormorants today.

On Thursday, I wrote to Michael St John in Barbados to see if there had been any further sightings of Blue KW0. Ah, he wrote back and sadly had not see the British osprey blown off course last year since March. Oh, but wait…Saturday afternoon I received a note – did I bring Michael some luck (he thinks so) – twice since our correspondence, he saw and photographed this famous osprey. Oh, fantastic!
I look forward to seeing Blue KW0 in person later this year and meeting Michael and everyone working so hard for wildlife on the island. Thanks for allowing me to share the photographs, Michael.

Speaking of famous Ospreys, Zoe is infamous for some reasons many do not like to discuss but, many of you might not know who she is. Fran Solly wrote Zoe’s Story back in August. I will post it here in case you do not know what could be the sad ending to the only surviving osplet from Port Lincoln in 2022.

Prior to her departure, Zoe was often characterised as a ‘fish eating machine’. Her two siblings perished due to siblicide in the nest…it was quite sad and there were times I found myself upset with Zoe especially when it was clear that Mum was so hungry. Middle was an especially sweet osprey, but food deliveries were down for a period, and many believed that Dad might have been having health problems.

Zoe’s sibling Ervie (2021) used to fish with Dad at Delamere. I wonder when they were last seen fishing together? Does anyone know?

Mum with her new mate. Remember, for identification, it is the markings on the head that never change from year to year. Take photographs and compare them from all angles. It is unclear whether or not the couple will successfully produce eggs in their first year together. Many do not. We wait. There is no urgency. The ospreys do not migrate, but the breeding season coincides with better weather and fish.

These special times of seeing Mini on the Patchogue nest could be drawing to a close. She arrived on the platform Saturday morning at 0855 with a chunk of fish. She worked down the last of it at 0901 and flew off. She has developed a good strategy for holding on to small pieces by using her beak. And we can get a good look at her leg. Yes, it is still a bit wonky.

Mini makes funny faces. I want to remember her like this – spunky and full of life. She did not let anything get her down and she delighted in the most curious of things – a sandal and a piece of cardboard.

Good night, Mini!

At Glaslyn, 0H2 had four fish deliveries…0H1 was nowhere to be seen. Thanks, Aran! The birds are moving south. Everyone feels a change of seasons.

Fish continue to arrive at the nest of Idris and Telyn at Dyfi in Wales.

Saturday morning, Maya was still enjoying being with Blue 33 for another day at least. These two are such a very special couple.

People often ask if the females deliver fish to the fledglings..yes, and often before they fledge! CJ7 has been busy delivering fish to 5H5 at Poole Harbour on Saturday.

There was also a goshawk that landed on the nest and Blue 022 drove it away. This is so scary. The couple lost a chick last year to a goshawk and we do not want anyone to get injured or worse now. It is migration time – even in Poole Harbour where thousands of birds on their way to Africa stop over to rest and feed before crossing the water to France.

‘H’ brings us up to date on what has been happening at Fortis Exshaw. “The intruder osprey pair that completed a nest takeover a few days ago was on and off the nest throughout the day.  Louise was last seen at the nest or perch three times on 8/24, and possibly once on the 25th.  On 8/26, Louise may have landed on the T-perch once and the tall pole once, but it was impossible to say.  There were quite a few times when we heard Banff either in the distance or closer to the nest, but for the most part, she stayed away from the nest.  Perhaps Banff had heeded our warnings!  At 0857 we heard Banff approaching, and the female intruder jumped up to intercept her.  We did not get a good look at Banff, but we knew it was her.  There were also other times when we knew the intruders flew off the nest to chase Banff, because we had heard her.  A couple of times when the intruder pair was on the nest, they alerted when an osprey flew close.  It could have been Louise, or another osprey, but Banff tends to announce her arrivals, lol.  Listening to Banff’s vocals at 1409 and also at 1757 was particularly notable, and enjoyable.  We could hear her chatter starting in the distance and progressively getting closer to the nest.  We did not see her (thankfully she did not land on the nest).  But what was utterly delightful was the ‘cheerfulness’ heard in her voice!  Banff actually sounded ‘happy’.  She was having fun.  You go girl!  I was grinning from ear to ear.  Banff was adjusting to her new life, out and about in the world without needing the nest-of-her-youth as her anchor.  Banff is technically still youthful, but after facing and surviving the many trials and challenges she has had to endure since she fledged, she is no doubt, wise and skilled way beyond her days.  So, to summarize, it was a relatively uneventful day . . oops, uh . . wait just a minute . . At 2049 Banff was heard calling, and she landed on the nest!  She may have been chased, and she immediately assumed a slightly submissive posture.  In less than twenty seconds, Banff was dive bombed and hit twice.  She then quickly flew off the nest.  It seems that the intruders constantly have the nest in their crosshairs and they are on Banff like ‘white on rice’.  Banff is still learning to accept that she is a defenseless ‘sitting duck’ on the nest, and she is not safe there.  Good night, Dear Banff, stay safe.  Good night, Dear Louise, and thanks for continuing to take such good care of your girl (our girl).”

Oh, what a terrible season Louise has had. Our hearts really go out to her and Banff. Thank you ‘H’ for your careful monitoring and concern for this family.

Here are the other four reports by ‘H’.

Kent Island – Tom brought four fish to his young lady, but Molly wanted more.  Molly stood on the nest in the afternoon, staring down at the water, contemplating and triangulating.  Then she plunged straight down toward the water.  We could hear a splash, and we had a brief glimpse of her emerging from the water empty taloned.  Nice try, kiddo!  Audrey was last seen on 8/24.

Osoyoos – There was an empty nest for a large part of the day, but Junior may be perching just out of our view.  I only saw two fish brought to the nest, but I might have missed one, and Junior may be eating off nest.  All seems to be well for this osprey family.

Barnegat Light – Duke delivered five fish for Dorsett.  Dorsett was still eating fish #4 on the utility pole when she saw her dad flying to the nest with another fish.  So she held onto her fish and flew back to grab fish #5.  Dorsett had two fish at once!

Thanks, Suzanne Arnold Horning, for chasing after any Ms still on the Cornell Campus. Your photos are always heartwarming. Nice to see one of the Ms!

Well, it was a grand day – full of prey – for the sea eagles! ‘A’ fills us in: “For the first time last night, Lady didn’t sleep with the eaglets. Soon after midnight, she went to the perch branch behind the nest, where she slept for the remainder of the night. She was keeping an eye on the youngsters, but they were alone on the nest. They are awake, waiting for breakfast, at 06:22…..”

“There is a chunk of that fish left at the back of the nest. It appears to be the tail and attached flesh and may represent a quarter of that large fish (I have no idea why Lady went to so much trouble to get the flesh off the bony parts of this fish while leaving this chunki at the back of the fish, I have no idea. She must have eaten it through the middle and then finished off the head end (which they seem to prefer starting with for some reason). SE32 has been aware of this for a while, and has even approached it to consider a nibble, but he is simply way too full. SE31, however, has a much smaller crop, and at 12:15, SE31 reaches out and grabs the open end of the fish tail, pulling it towards herself. Smart girl, SE31. She looks around, perhaps hoping a parent will come and help her. She then surveys the fish again. She is unable to work out the problem and resumes wingercising. The size discrepancy between the two eaglets, while still obvious, appears to have shrunk significantly over the past three days. SE31 was getting close to twice SE32’s size, but just have a look at them now! I am starting to believe in this nest turnaround. This is the third day of SE32 gaining confidence and eating plenty. While he began by retaining a little caution, he has now thrown that entirely to the winds and is acting as though he is the dominant chick on the nest. SE31 is deferring to him, reinforcing his belief that he is top eaglet. He is quite prepared to rear up and stare SE31 down on the rare occasions it is necessary, and the timid submissive little man we saw only four or five days ago is a thing of the past. This is an entirely new nest. What a joy it is. And the fishing has been excellent for the past few days as well. I do wonder what would happen if the fish suddenly disappeared for a day or two. Would things revert to an SE31-dominant situation? Or would the relationship that currently exists survive a food shortage? Let’s hope we do not have to find out. Just after 12:36, Lady arrives with a small-medium fish for lunch. SE32 is closer and sits up. SE31 remains in duckling position an