Please send your most positive wishes for our eagle families as Hurricane Hillary approaches their nesting areas.
The cam is down at the West End Eagle nest of Thunder and Akecheta and showing highlights. The area was told to evacuate late Saturday. There are reports that the stormy weather is hitting the Los Angeles as I write this. Please send your most positive thoughts to our bird families.
The camera at Big Bear- home to our beloved Jackie and Shadow – is really shaking and it might not be online for very long.
The scene at Two Harbours home to Cholyn & Chase.
Fraser Point home to Andor and Cruz.
Keep them all in your hearts. Hurricane Hillary is the first storm since 1939 when a tropical storm made landfall in Southern California. It is a cat 4, 145 mph. Let us hope that the cooler waters help to slow the storm.
Things are starting to quiet down a bit. There are a few more birds left to fledge. We have to imagine that in 2-4 weeks, all of them will be on their way to their winter homes. For the juvies, what an adventure will be in store for them. Let us all hope that those who lived to fledge this year will make it and return in 2 years to try and find a mate and raise their own families.
The images are not good as these two are moving about, but even at a year old (Missey was found in July 2022 and Lewis in August 2022) and not siblings, these two could not be closer. They play together constantly and wash one another, sleep beside one another, and hold paws. I am continually amazed at their remarkable bond.
These two will shortly have a ‘new sister’. I hope that they learn to love her. Since last fall, I have cared for a feral cat, a Calico. This late spring, I began to call her and move the food dish closer and closer to the garden door. At the beginning of July, I accelerated the feedings and attention. The goal (at first) was to trap her and take her to be vaccinated, dewormed, and fixed. Then release her back into the wild. That shifted when she allowed me to stroke her and scratch her head. Now I sit beside her while she eats. We have a trap and release programme in our City for feral cats, and because of Lewis and Missey, I also have a wonderful vet who has offered a significant discount since Calico is a feral. So…the race is on to see who is first. The vet can see her on the 14th for all the health checks, vaccines, deworming, etc but not the surgery. The waiting list for the operation is currently at the end of November. I am unclear about the trap and release programme openings. They will call.
Our neighbourhood has two other feral cats, but this petite female has won our hearts and minds. Her spending another winter in -35 C temperatures doesn’t sit right. It is incomprehensible. (We hope to trap the other two and get them to the Humane Society to be fostered for socialisation and adoption). So, it could be the 14th when Calico joins us. Wish us luck as we integrate her into the family.
Lewis watching Calico eat.
My father loved animals – and could not stand to see one go hungry. He was the one that took care of all the strays in our neighbourhood when I was young, and that practice continued until he died in his 90s. People knew, and they would ‘dump’ their cats at our house, knowing he would care for them until he could find good homes. It feels good to carry on his legacy.
There is a lot of news about rescues, unusual bird sightings, and near tragedies. I am going to share a little more with you than usual today. It is all very interesting and should motivate us to get out and help – including stopping people from cutting down trees where there are active nests. More birds are getting caught in fishing lines, not just our raptors. This is a massive problem in North America.
We can help by committing to cleaning up a specific area once or twice a year. You can do this alone or organise a group. Wear latex gloves and have a container that will not allow you to be pricked by the hooks. The problem, then, is how to dispose of this mess. Every lake area should place containers for people to leave their broken lines and hooks or dispose of found debris. If not, contact your local wildlife rehabber to ask how to dispose of the items safely so they do not return to the environment.
Is it really possible not to see one of those huge Bald Eagle nests in a tree?
It has been three years since the Dolan fire swept through Big Sur. The new release pen for the condors is now open.
How are the birds adapting to survive in the heat? This is a great article by Bay Nature. Please have a read…I learned so much. Tactical pooping?
It isn’t about raptors but it is about the growing threats to wetlands which are essential for our birds and other wildlife. So what did happen to Grace? and her wetlands?
Lots of bird counts going on right now. Many are coming up with some surprises. These are Red-Billed Cloughs – pronounced ‘Chuff’. They live along the western shores of the UK and Ireland.
In 2002 a pair of Cloughs was noticed in Cornwall. It was later discovered that they had arrived from Ireland. The population has grown. These birds eat insects and larvae and are often mistaken for Crows. Aren’t they gorgeous with their shiny scarlet bills and legs? Even those yellow Darvin Bands look perfectly selected, but the deep ebony plumage with that hint of blue-green on the wings is also so dramatic. Notice the curve of the long beak. It is perfect for going after the insects and larvae that the Cloughs eat.
Big Red and Arthur’s 2022 fledgling L3 was released on Wednesday. A bittersweet moment. So happy to see her with her beautiful red tail flying in the wild but so sad for her sibling M2 who died of a collision on the Cornell Campus the same day.
It is relatively quiet in the nests. There are a few more birds to fledge, some raptors thinking about eggs in Australia, and now beaking at the Sea Eagle nest. Quiet is nice for a change.
Around the nests:
WRDC: I have not watched this nest for some time since R4 and R5 fledged, but goodness – today, R5 grabbed a fish right out of Rose’s talons as she flew by. Way to go, R5 – didn’t even drop it. But this was only the beginning. Rose tried to steal the fish, but R5 held strong and then R4 appeared in the nest. These two are getting really good training for when they are out living independent lives.
Hellgate Canyon: Marlene Harris got a great screen capture of Iris. She is still here – and should be for the rest of August! Gosh, isn’t she looking good?
Let’s go to some good news coming out of Fortis Exshaw from ‘H’: “
First, the news: they have names! Names for the 47-day-old osplets: Chick #1, believed to be a female, has been named Banff, after the nearby Banff National Park in Alberta. Chick #2, believed to be male, has been aptly named Jasper Junior, or ‘JJ’ for short. In addition, Mr. O, the family’s savior who came on the scene to help Louise shortly after Louise’s long-time mate Jasper disappeared, has been named O’Hara, after Lake O’Hara in Yoho National Park, British Columbia. Lake O’Hara is located about six miles from Lake Louise in Alberta.There were no fish delivered until the afternoon. Banff and JJ had eaten well on 8/2, so we weren’t worried. Intruders may have been the reason for Louise and O’Hara not bringing in fish. Both Louise and O’Hara had flown to the nest a few times to ward off intruders. Then, as if it had been choreographed, two fish were delivered eight minutes apart. (Conversation between Louise and O’Hara: “OK, O’Hara, it looks like the intruders have vacated the area, so let’s feed the kids.” O’Hara replied, “Yes, Louise, let’s do this!”). O’Hara delivered a nice size fish at 1405, and it was claimed by Banff. Then, Louise delivered an even larger fish at 1413. Banff abandoned her fish in an attempt to grab the new fish. So Louise said, “Okay, kiddo, then I’m going to take the fish you had,” and she jumped over Banff and picked up the first fish. But, Banff said, “No, wait Mom, that’s mine,” and reclaimed it. That made it easy for JJ who was able to claim the second fish. Perfect! Each sibling ate their entire fish and had huge crops. (the quality of the images is poor, as parts of the video screen remain severely pixelated)”
Patchogue: I could stare at Mini all day long. Soon she will be gone and these moments are very precious. What a beautiful bird she is.
Three fledglings were at the nest Friday. (I do not know the two older siblings well enough to tell if both have been coming to the nest or only one of them.) Mini was wanting a fish, and so were they.
Steelscape: Still on highlights.
MN Landscape: Hot. Chick is trying to stay cool and hoping for fish.
Boulder County: Only cam #2 is operating.
Finland #1: No one on the net and then they see Dad flying in with breakfast. Dad really stretches to try and protect his legs.
Finland #4. Wet and hungry and fish crying – very loud!
Ilomantsin: Wet and hungry, too. Dad leaves after bringing in a breakfast fish. The other sibling is hoping he returns soon with one for it.
Kuopio: Oh, the winds are powerful. One chick has a nice crop, and another digs into a fish. Three is hoping more will arrive.
Port Lincoln: Dad continues to bring Mum fish as she stays on the nest. When will we have that first egg?
Time to return to ‘H’s other reports:
Forsythe: Ollie is very hungry. Oscar delivered one fish to the nest on 8/3, at 0724. Both Owen and Ollie vied for the fish, with Owen the victor. Owen took her fish off the nest, and to the best of my knowledge was not seen on camera the rest of the day. The last time Ollie had a fish to eat (that we know of) was at 0920 on 8/1 (Ollie did acquire one fish on 8/2, but lost it). Is Owen being fed off-nest? If so, it wouldn’t make sense for Oscar not to bring fish to the nest for his other fledgling. Perhaps Owen has learned to catch her own fish. There are two ‘ponds’ near the nest, and basically they are simply holes in the marsh that trap water, and perhaps small fish as the tide goes out. Ollie was seen diving into those ponds three or four times on 8/3. She apparently did not catch a fish. Ollie knows that she has to try to feed herself at this point to survive. This is a sad situation. I hope Oscar will bring Ollie an early breakfish today.
And great news just coming in from ‘H’: “Oscar delivered a small whole fish to Ollie at the nest at 0926.”
Osoyoos – Olsen delivered 6 fish for his family, and Soo also fed a meal from a leftover fish. Junior has been starting to exercise his wings a bit.
Barnegat Light – Lol, Dorsett is a real beach kid. She simply loves spending time along the shore of the Bay. Dorsett worked up a voracious appetite, and made sure she was on the nest at supper time when Daisy served up her daily bluefish!
Thanks so much ‘H’ for all your reports today!
Let’s continue to send out most positive wishes to all those nests that continue to struggle.
Despite it being nearly the end of Osprey season in the Northern Hemisphere, I want to recommend one of the best Osprey books on the market. In Canada, it is $20 plus $3.99 shipping. This is an amazing price.
Tim Mackrill graduated from my old alma mater in the UK, the University of Leicester. He managed the Rutland Water Project and wrote the incredible history of their Ospreys for ten years before moving over to the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation. His speciality is Osprey migration. The images are excellent; thorough information covers everything from the different sub-species of ospreys and their plumage to their habits, breeding, migration, translocations, building nests, and everything to know about the chicks from breeding, development, and fledging. Tim did not miss a beat when writing this easy-to-understand book on our favourite raptor. If you only have one reference book for ospreys on your shelf – this is the one I recommend.
Thank you so very much for being with me today. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘H’ – for your great reports and the cover image, CBC New Brunswick, Joan Dice and the Trio and Other Eagle Nest News, Ventana Wildlife Society, The Narwhal, BirdGuide.Com, Cornell Bird Lab, WRDC, Marlene Harris and Cornell Hawk Chatters, Fortis Exshaw, PSEG, MN Landscape, Boulder County, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Forsythe, Osoyoos, NJ Wildlife Conserve Foundation, and Tim Mackrill and the RSPB.
It is 22:20 Friday, the 28th of July. Things should be getting quiet in Osprey World. The chicks should be fledging or fledged, working those wings and getting them strong. The fledglings and those about to fledge should be adapting well to self-feeding. Dads should be delivering more fish to the nests while the Mums also are fattening up like the osplets – preparing for migration. There should be a magical lull where everything is alright, but – it isn’t. ‘MP’ has just written to tell me that Mum could be missing from the Steelscape, Inc nest. There is still one osplet on the nest nearing fledge, and one has flown. ‘H’ just sent me a note that Louise is missing from the FortisExshaw nest and that Mr O has protected the nest and osplets from an intruder. The Scottish Wildlife Trust has now acknowledged that Blue NC0 is probably dead. I listed her on the Memorial Wall 13 days ago. Things are volatile in the nests of our Ospreys, so please, join me in sending them all your very best and most positive energy.
Update: ‘MP’ has written to say the female at Steelscape has returned. Good news. Maybe she is sunning herself and eating fish preparing the chicks for her departure while Dad is upping the deliveries to help the chicks get ready.
Lewis still does not care and he certainly doesn’t mind having the cat tree house all to himself even if he no longer fits. It is hard to imagine that they will be a year old now – Missey already is and Louis was born about the middle of August.
We are all anxious for more of the news from Australia now that the cutest little sea eaglets have hatched. Well, Collins CBD is now live! ‘H’ sent me the links…
And yes…there is a falcon on the north facing camera Saturday morning in Canada….yippeeeeeee.
This wonderful rescue spread around the world like wildfire. Thank you to the dozens of people who sent me the link to the stories! Osprey -water logged and exhausted – hitches a ride on a boat.
Oh, I respect Isabella Tree. In this short article, ‘Don’t Be Afraid to Rewild’ for The Guardian, she explains what rewilding is to gardening and it isn’t about letting it all ‘just go’. “Our gardens, now, must help us in the battle against the climate crisis. The planet is on fire. Water is catastrophically scarce. The sprinklers, mowers, leaf-blowers, high-carbon gismos, peat compost and chemical inputs pushed on us by garden centres – the billion-pound horticultural industry that Titchmarsh has been defending to the House of Lords – is as bad for the planet as industrial farming.”
California Condors. The Ventana Wildlife Society is doing amazing things and there is a lot of good information on tagging, on a 20+ year old Condor with lead toxitocisis. The effort to move this Condor from the Oakland Zoo to the LA Zoo for quick surgery is incredible and again shows us that there are people out there who will do anything for the wildlife. Ventana WS has a Condor chat every month. Check it out. They also post the Zoom chat on YT later if you cannot make it.
Update on the Dulles-Greenway eaglet that remains in care:
It just feels good that so many incredible and ordinary people are trying to make a difference…I hope it spreads like a bad cold. Imagine if we woke up to find everyone feeding the animals, insisting on ponds being stocked, signing up for shore clean-ups, refusing to buy plastic, finding ways to limit their use of fossil fuels, putting away the leaf blowers and planting Milkweed and other native plants for the birds, bees, and butterflies. Wow.
A Swing around the Nests!
Let’s start with ‘H’ because she has some concerns on her nests….
Osoyoos: Fishing remains very difficult. There were three small fish brought to the nest on 7/28.Feeding from 1509 to 1512, a very small fish. Chick #2 was beaked and intimidated by #1, and was prevented from eating. Feeding from 0517 to 0526, a slightly larger fish, and once again chick #1 prevented chick #2 from joining in the feeding. At 1719 Olsen brought a fish to the nest, and Soo flew away with the fish. There was no feeding. She must have been absolutely starving.Chick #2 last ate a decent meal at 0647 on 7/26. On 7/27 chick #2 ate a total of 24 bites of fish at four feedings. On 7/28, chick #2 had nothing to eat. And, even though chick #1 has eaten some small meals, it is not enough, especially considering the heat. The high temperature in Osoyoos is predicted to be 34 Celsius on 7/29. The osplets are 32 and 33 days old.”
Fortis Exshaw:
It was not a good day at the Exshaw osprey platform. There were only two fish brought to the nest, including one by Mr.O. The last fish was delivered at 1040. Intruders seemed to be the problem. Mr.O flew to the nest at least six times to help provide defense against intruders. And, Louise was not seen after 1456.At 1642, there was a terrible altercation at the nest between Mr.O and an intruder, ending with their talons becoming locked together, and both of them tumbling overboard. Mr.O was not seen after that. As darkness fell, an osprey flew to the T-perch, and we are hoping that it was Louise assuming her usual roosting spot.”
Kent Island – All is well for this family on the Chesapeake. This lovely 47 day old girl of Audrey and Tom will soon have a name!
Barnegat Light – Oh goodness, Dorsett was so very close to fledging on 7/28. Many times we were on the edge of our seats. Just look at the height of that hover. Dorsett is 59 days old, and today will be the day for her first flight! (I’m positive, lol)
Forsythe – The fishing has been poor for a few days, most likely due to the extreme heat which is expected to last at least another day. Oscar only managed to deliver three fish to the nest for the two fledglings. Opal was last seen on 7/25, and she may be taking some time for herself at this point in the season.
Thanks so much, ‘H’. We are not sure if Louise is missing so please continue, as always to send positive wishes to all the nests especially those in trouble or that could be facing difficulties.
Patchogue: Mini got a nice fish and took it up to the perch to eat…milestone after milestone this chick has shown us that she can survive and do well, not just ordinary but, very well.
There has been some concern on the chat and by ‘L’ about Mini’s voice. I s it hoarse? is there a case? Unfortunately there could be many causes including food stuck in the wind pipe or bacterial or fungal infections. It could be the dirt in the area and we don’t know where Mini is now most of the day. That said it would be extremely stressful to have people chasing Mini to try and get her to a rehabber now that she is flying. Let us all hope that this is ‘nothing’ but if she should appear ill on the nest, then PSEG should be notified as well as Brookhaven Wildlife 631 451 8696. They are the closest. Do not call them unless Mini is sick on the nest. If she is eating and flying about sit back and observe.
Mini wants a fish!
Good Night, Mini.
Allin’s Cove East, RI: Both osplets fledged on Friday!
Steelscape: Three gets on the other side of Mum and gets some fish. During the afternoon Dad delivered 3 fish while Mum was away.
Carova Beach: Fledglings/Juveniles continue to come to the nest sometimes with pieces of fish.
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum: Many nests are struggling in this area with only a single parent (lots of missing males) and intruders. We are fortunate that this little one is doing well after a terrible beginning to the season. Dad is doing his very best to get fish on the table despite the ravaging heat that has come and gone over the summer.
A nice fish before bed.
Bridges Golf Osprey: The fish just keep coming. These two are so ready to fly. They are looking particularly well.
Sandpoint: Waiting for fish.
Loch Arkaig: Has Louis been injured or is this blood from his latest fish delivery?
Dyfi: Lots of big fish coming on the nest for the fledglings of Idris and Telyn. Some of the nests in the Pacific NW of Canada and the US would like just one of those a day! Maybe Forsythe, too….the size of the fish is incredible.
Alyth: Lots of hungry fledgling squawking for fish!
Cowlitz: Nice fish for the fledgling.
Oyster Bay: The fledglings are really doing well and there appears to be enough fish being delivered for all. This has been a good nest all year.
Wolf Bay: There seems to be – like the other nests – one fledgling with a fish and another one wishing it was theirs.
Boulder County: Three gorgeous osplets – Big Sibling has fledged (on the 26th and returned to the nest after a minute and 17 seconds) but all still like Mum to shade them and feed them…despite the fact that they are getting good at self-feeding.
The Dorset Hobby Falcons: Fantastic. No hunger at this nest! Stop and notice that all that white fluffy is giving away to some beautiful silky deep charcoal coloured feathers.
San Jose City Hall: Hartley and Monty are happy to see one together. Wonder what Soledad is doing? I sure wish these fledglings would check in on camera!
Sydney Sea Eagles: Both of the little fluff balls are doing so well…you can almost see Lady ‘glow’.
West End, Channel Islands: Thunder and Akecheta’s 2023 fledglings – Scout and Starlight -can often be seen at the old nest that was used in 2022 and before. Gorgeous fledglings and so happy to see them together. We missed seeing them grow up on the new nest this year so this is a real treat.
One last smile…little ducks! You gotta’ love them.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for all their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, G, H, K, L, M, MP, S, R’, Sunnie Day, NJ.com, The Guardian, Ventana Wildlife Society, Mirvac, Fortis Exshaw, Osoyoos, Kent Island, Conserve Wildlife of NJ, Forsythe Ospreys, PSEG, Allins Cove East, Steelscape, Inc, Carova Beach, MN Landscape Arboretum, Bridges Golf Club, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Dyfi Ospreys, Alyth, Cowlitz PUD, Wolf Bay, Sharon Pollock and the Dorset Hobby Falcons, Boulder County Fair Grounds, SK Hideaways and SJ CH Falcons, Sydney Sea Eagles, IWS/Explore.
There was a fish delivery at 0816 on the Patchogue Nest and Mini, who was on the perch at the time, flew down to snap that breakfast up! Mum was on the nest at the time of the delivery and flew off….it makes you wonder if the adults aren’t counting who gets what fish during the day. This family is so good at keeping all four of their fledglings fed. It is heart warming.
Mum is so proud of her little fourth hatch. She was on the nest when Mini did a big ‘ps’ at 0844 and then Little Mini did laps around the nest. gosh, she is a good flier. Mini returned at 0846 with Mum watching every flap of her wings!
Off she goes!
Look at Mum’s beak…there is Mini flying in front of the Blue Point Brewery.
Great landing. Darn that black bin bag!
Little Mini is so smart. The others are away from the nest and Dad flies in with a nice fish at 1052 Monday morning. Way to go, Mini!
There were many other fish deliveries. Fish 3 arrived at 11:26, fish four was at 14:23, and another fish came at 15:50. I did not watch for fish after this. Mini got the majority of these and it looks like Three had one with Mini on the perch. The 1550 fish was taken by Dad off the nest either to feed himself or another one of the siblings off nest.
Good Night Mini – good night Mum, Three, and One.
Good Morning Mini.
Well, no surprise, I am celebrating Mini! What a precious osplet who defied the odds – and I mean defied the odds with most of the nests from New York along up along the Chesapeake producing less than one osplet a nest! You are looking at a miracle.
If you are thinking about the heat and its impact on the birds, think no more. ‘R’ sent me an article from The Washington Post on what is happening in Phoenix. — Please, no matter where you are, find a way to leave our water for the birds. It does not have to be anything fancy. An ordinary bowl will work fine. They desperately need hydration.
Attempts to safe the world’s rarest bird might have a chance!
Spinning Around the Nests:
Glaslyn: Both of the lads have now fledged. Aren’t they gorgeous?
Bridge Golf Club Ospreys: What a change from the earlier fish deliveries. Today five fish were delivered!
Steelscape: I cannot comment on the amount of fish that the third hatch had today but all three are alive at the end of Monday evening.
Sandpoint: Mum Keke is on the nest with the only osplet, Coco. Fish deliveries appear to have slowed a bit as fledging is approaching.
MN Landscape Arboretum: Gosh, golly. This Mum really turned herself and this nest around. There are nice fish being brought in by the 21 year old male and the chick is growing magnificently.
Collins Marsh: There are two beautiful osplets growing like one of our Canadian wildlfires in this nest…incredible result after the sadness of losing Malik in a forced fledge and no nesting last year.
Great Bay: It is hard to believe that this nest and so many lost all their chicks around the Chesapeake Bay. Water so close and yet – no fish. Overfishing of Mehenden? Need a quote or an outright ban on fishing. Need re-stocking?
Cowlitz: We had a fledge on the 24th and the little one has successfully returned to the nest. Well done. You can just see the chick’s tail.
‘PB’ found a great image of this nest with its protective shield. If you know of a nest that should use this device, then please feel free to take a screen show or go to the Cowlitz PUD FB page for 30 March.
Seaside: It was a windy day with some precipitation.
Boulder County: ‘PB’ caught one of those osplets getting a lot of height! Fledge watch! T hanks ‘PB’.
Dunrovin: Flapping and hopping. Someone is going to fledge soon. W ill it be Snap, Crackle, or Pop?
Fort Calhoun Station, Omaha Nebraska: The only osprey nest in eastern Nebraska and now with a streaming cam. One nicely feathered chick. Here is that link:
Island Beach: the two osplets of Beau and Bay are getting some good hovering in.
Osprey House Environmental Centre in Australia: Two of the eggs hatched on the 24th. One left to go. Don’t you just love these little osplets? They are so cute. Just wanting a little bit of fish.
Llyn Brenig: Both of the Osplets took to the wind and flew, one right after the other!
Salt Water Cove Harbour, Newfoundland: Just look at that Osprey nest! BTW. In Canada, Newfoundland is known as ‘The Rock’.
And now for ‘H’s report:
Fortis Exshaw – “There was a total of seven fish, including two headless offerings from Mr. O. Mr. O also contributed two sticks for nest maintenance, and he provided on-nest intruder defense during one of Louise’s feedings. One of the two 36-day-old siblings was doing some serious wingers!”
Forsythe: Oh dear, another day with few fish for the fledglings. Oscar delivered fish at 0607, 0933, and 1812. Ollie managed to grab the first one, while Owen won the battle for the other two. The nest was fairly civil, however, with no major kerfuffles. And, guess what? After some major head-bobbing and triangulating, one of the sibs (thought to be Ollie) dove into a small pond adjacent to the nest! She did not appear to come away with a fish, but she must have seen one. Very cool Ollie!
Barnegat Light – A couple of mini-milestones for 54-day-old Dorsett: she ate her first fish tail, and she managed to get several inches of lift off the nest while vigorously flapping her wings.
Osoyoos – All is well for the Ospreys in Osoyoos. Soo and Olsen are doing a fantastic job raising their 29 and 28-day-old youngsters.
Dahlgren – The nest remains a frequent gathering and dining spot for the family. How did that nest get so small?
McEuen Park – Those three gorgeous osplets are nearing fledge. And, one of them even sleeps standing up.
Thank you ‘H’. Mini was a fourth hatch miracle. For the ospreys, the Fortis Exshaw Nest is another. What a fairytale story.
Do you want to know about the California Condors? the impact of the vaccine for HPAI on their population? why not join Joe and his crew on Thursday for a live chat.
An up-to-date study out of Northern Colorado on the eagle population and the post-fledge period – video. Post-fledge is the time the eaglets (or any Avian) spend with their parents before they leave their parent’s territory and become independent.
Let’s end with a big smile – one of our favourite Peregrine Falcon couples, Lou and Annie – bonding.
Thank you so much for being with me today. There is so much action on the nests right now with impending fledges it is difficult to keep up! Tomorrow I will focus more on the UK and European nests. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning. ‘H, PB, R’, PSEG, The Washington Post, Science, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Bridge Golf Ospreys, Steelscdape Inc, Sandpoint Ospreys, MN Landscape Arboretum, Collins Marsh, Great Bay, Cowlitz PUD, Seaside, Boulder County, Dunrovin Ranch, Ft Calhoun Station, Friends of Island Beach, Osprey House, Linda McIlroy and Raptors of the World, Gerard Hickey and Ospreys of Newfoundland and Labrador, Fortis Exshaw, Forsythe, Wildlife Conserve Foundation of NJ, Dahlgren, McEuen Park, Ventata Wildlife Society, Northern Colorado Front Range Bald Eagle nesting Programme and SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons.
I want to thank everyone who has sent in names of nests with three or more osplets and to those who have helped to get each bird’s name on the Memorial Wall that we have lost this year. We are at #50. If you know of a nest or see I am missing a nest on a streaming cam that had a loss, including a parent, please let me know. You can e-mail me at maryannsteggles@icloud.com OR add a comment. Thank you! And thank you to ‘T’, who helped me with some of the Golden and Imperial eagle nests today.
It was hot and humid on the Canadian prairies and the storms that were brewing showed up in the late afternoon. The lilacs and the garden are the richest British Racing Green. Stunning. I did not do a comprehensive check of all the nests today. Sometimes we all need a break and it has been a tough week. Spending time with little ducklings sure helps the spirit! These little ones were running all over the place. Hard to count!
Someone at the park must have tossed birdseed (millet?) into the gravel by the pond’s edge. The ducklings are keen on finding it.
Andy N Condor always puts a smile on my face. Some great news – an adoption!
Please send all your positive wishes to Cal Falcons. We know what intruders can do and Annie appears to have had a fight with someone.
The IWS (Dr Sharpe and colleagues) have a dedicated page to the Bald Canyon eaglet that swallowed the fishing hook. Yes, if you do not know about this, it is terrible. Here is the story and the link for future updates. Thanks, ‘B’.
Please contribute to the rehabilitation of Eagle 45/D from the Bald Canyon eagle nest on San Clemente Island. He swallowed a fishing hook attached to a fish on 6/1/23. We rescued and transported him to a rehab facility near San Diego on 6/2/23. Donations made to IWS for 45/D’s care using the Donate button below will be forwarded directly to the rehab facility. We will provide updates below as we receive them.
Status Updates:
6/3/23: The fish hook is in the lower GI tract and “free-floating”. The veterinarian was unable to remove it endoscopically. A specialist will be examining 45/D on 6/4 and a plan will be developed for the hook removal.
There has been lots of wishful thinking that E22 might just stay at the Fort Myers nest. S/he certainly feels comfortable and has enjoyed the pond. Well, on Saturday, E22 catches its first fish on camera. Heidi McC shows it in real time and then in slow-mo. My goodness. Happiness.
The Pritchett Family website for the SW Florida cam has confirmed this…and I have seen the image blown up. It is not pond debris – it is a fish!
I sure would like to see Big and Middle over at the Achieva Osprey nest catching their own fish. Some chatters believe that Diane is back bringing in some fish after injuring a foot. That would be fantastic as the dust-ups are getting pretty rough. They remind me of Ervie and his sibling, Bazza, at Port Lincoln.
At 1625 both are eating fish but Big always seems to get the largest. Another fish comes in later and Big gets it as well. That time is 1937. It could be the last delivery from Jack of the day.
1627:
The 1937 delivery:
Send some good wishes for these two. They need some fish to get strong and then go on their own way. There will be no love lost between the two of them!
As I look at all of the struggling osprey nests, I often see the term ‘survival of the fittest’ in the chat comments. In his book, Reconnection. Fixing our Broken Relationship with Nature, Miles Richardson says that Charles Darwin in his Descent of Man regularly used the term ‘love’ instead of the survival of the fittest. He argues that Darwin moved away from the term stating that he was not referring to the “victory of one over the other”. Einstein suggests that we are all part of something larger, just a piece of nature where we all belong together and survive by cooperation – as many Eastern religions have stressed since their origins. Watching Big and Middle at Achieva it is hard to think about love and cooperation. Once animals became objects – for example, in modern farming – our connectedness to them ceased to exist. Richardson believes we need to get this back – to realise that it is not a competition but that we must cooperate for our planet’s survival. I wish to travel and return to a place pre-human, pre-industrial, to see our ospreys. They have been here for more than 60 million years.
At Patchogue, Mini has been eating but Big has also been beaking at times. Very unpleasant because that older sibling is just so much bigger. Mum is very much aware of her tiny baby though and makes sure it gets under her and I also believe that she makes certain it gets fed. We can only hope that the huge fish that are coming on this nest continue so that the three big ones are full and Mini gets fed and none of the others notices! or cares.
Where’s Mini? Big sibs are full. Three is eating. Is Mini on the other side?
Mum tucking in Mini carefully.
The last feeding of the day and Mini is up there having some good fish. After being fed for a bit, one of the bigger sibs seems to take exception but Mini went to bed after doing a full crop drop. No major aggression – the Big ones just have to stand tall and ‘look’.
1906: Really nice crop. Everyone else sleeping except for big whose head you can see above Mum’s. She wants some more fish but Mini has a nice crop.
We take this nest and be joyful – one day at a time. If Mini survives, I have a tiny bottle of champagne sitting and waiting.
Early Sunday morning, Mini waits and gets a private feeding. Do you get the distinct impression that this wonderful Mum keeps some food back form the Big ones for Mini? It sure seems like it!
Three preening after breakfast. Big goes up for more. So far so good. A day at a time.
The trio at the other PSEG nest at Oyster Bay seem to be doing alright as well. Gosh, they are so much closer in size.
At Severna Park, Middle waits and watches rather than engaging with Big. If there is fish left or Big is full, Middle eats. Middle has gone without on Saturday for all feedings. This is the 0807 feeding.
13:59. You will notice that the fish deliveries are down. Big got all of this fish, too.
1558 Feeding. “Middle started out in submission, but worked his way around the other side of Olivia, and managed to get bites for 6 minutes, then Olivia moved! So, big attacked. Olivia pulled the fish to the other side of the nest and fed Big. Middle snuck around and got a few more bites. Ended up with a small crop.” Thanks, ‘H’.
‘H’ reports that the feeding at the Patuxent I Osprey platform was super. No aggression at the feeding observed and both ate well.
At the Patuxent II nest. “A slightly different story, there is aggression by Big. At 1317 they all ate harmoniously for the first 10 minutes, then Big decided s/he wanted to dine alone, and beaked Middle and Little, so they were out. After several minutes, Middle worked its way back to the table, but it took quite a while longer for Little to get back. Big decided it was OK, and dropped out shortly thereafter anyway. The net result is that all were well fed. It was 40 minute feeding.”
As far as I am aware, the other nests are doing alright. We have no other deaths on Saturday.
Iris’s nest, full of leaves, tells it all but Iris is a survivor and amidst the floods and droughts, she knows where to find the fish. Here she is on Saturday with one of her ‘whopper’s on the Owl Pole. It is unfortunate that she did not have a reliable mate after Stanley. She certainly has good DNA on her side of the genetic markers – she knows how to build the best osprey nest I have seen and wow, can she fish…she is as good as it gets.
Just look at that fish!
At the UK nests, everything is going well for Idris and Telyn and their two Bobs at the Dyfi nest. Those kids have grown fast and as you can see, we are in the Reptile phase. They are 10 and 12 days old today.
Aran and his new mate Elen are keeping the two Bobs at Glaslyn well fed.
CJ7 and her mate Blue 022 have three beautiful and healthy osplets at Poole Harbour. No issues!
Condensation on the Manton Bay nest and the way that Maya stands to feed the Bobs tends to obscure what is happening. That said, there is nothing to worry about on this nest. The wee Bobs of a few weeks ago are now getting their juvenile plumage!
Loch Arkaig – the home of Louis and Dorcha – is doing just fine with its Onoy Bob. Louis is right there for a deliver for his mate and wee one.
Except for Llyn Brenig where the third hatch died, all of the other UK nests appear to be doing well.
The two Dulles-Greenway eaglets that fell from the collapsing nest of their parents, Martin and Rosa, are together again in rehab – . That is wonderful news. They can work those wings and get to be strong fliers.
Poor Flora. Earlier she was up on a high branch with one of the adults but tonight a strong wind is blowing and she is all alone and the branch is very thin. You can see that this eaglet is frightened in the storm.
I do not know if it is the same storm system or not but Daisy is holding on for dear life at the Barnegat Light osprey platform in New Jersey. She has two osplets under there that hatched on the 31 May and 1 June that can’t be fed due to the high winds. I do not know if Duke can even fish. there is a coastal flood advisory for Barnegat Light and the winds are blowing at 31 kph. ‘H’ reports that the third egg hatched at 05:13 for Daisy and Duke. Let us wish them good weather and calm winds.
All the nests along this coast will be impacted.
There is something to smile about. Look at this beautiful White-tailed eaglet that was banded on Saturday in Tatarstan region of Russia near the Volga River. Isn’t it adorable! Just look at that big beak! It is a boy! Thanks ‘T’ and thank you for letting me know that this area is rich in prey for the eagles. Let us hope that Sarpike moves her nest to this region!
As I say often, every nest can change on a ‘dime’. They need habitat, strong old trees, birds and mammals to eat, fish to catch, and clean water without toxins. Begin at home. Help when and where you can. Educate others. Build a web of caring people. Everything helps. If you see an animal in need, stop and observe. Have the number of the wildlife rehabber in your phone. Call them! You will feel better for every life you save.
And one more thought. Do you grow a garden? do you have extra produce? do you know someone who does? Our wildlife rehabber has just asked for donations of fresh veggies or for people to grow a row in their garden for the animals – kale, carrots, lettuces, beans….I suspect that every rehab centre needs fresh veggies. Check it out.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care all. See you soon.
A special thanks to those who sent notes, created videos, wrote FB posts, articles, or run streaming cams that helped to create my blog this morning: ‘B’, ‘H’, ‘R’, ‘T’, Andy N Condor, Cal Falcons, IWS, Heidi MC and SWFlorida Eagle Cam, Achieva Credit Union, PSEG, Severna Ospreys, Patuxent River Park, Montana Osprey Project, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, LRWT, Geemeff and Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Loudontimes.com, Dulles-Greenway, Barnegat Light and NJ Conservancy, Tartasan WTE.
The skies have been weirdly overcast. The ‘look’ is partly from the wildfire smoke infiltrating Manitoba. It has, however, been drizzling for part of the day, making it a bit cooler at 22 degrees. They say our air quality poses a ‘low’ risk today because of the rain. I wonder about the poor birds and mammals in Canada’s western provinces. How are they doing amidst this outbreak of fire?
Lewis has taken over one of the chairs. Claudio tells me that I can clear up his hair stuck to the wool with washing up gloves. I need to try this!
Several times a day, Missy and Lewis take turns washing one another’s faces. My goodness, they are such a delight. The sheer joy animals bring our lives is so difficult to describe. Hold them close.
Just a note for all those Canada Goose fans. Decorah Goose Cam is shutting down. The new couple do not seem interested in using the nest. We will look forward to another successful year in 2024.
The loss of Pale Male, Central Park’s notorious Red-tail Hawk, who died at the age of 33 years in the loving care of Bobby Horvath took the birding community by surprise.
Thirty-three years. What a long life flying between high-rise apartment buildings in the area of New York City’s famous park. It was a long life and yet, of course, the loss is felt. Just like friends and relatives who have lived to ‘a ripe old age’, it still leaves a hole. For me, the death of Pale Male made the presence of Big Red and her three hawklets on the Cornell Campus much more significant. We didn’t get to watch Pale Male’s life play out – unless you happened to be living in NYC or visiting – but, since 2012, Big Red has been the star of one of the few Red-tail Hawk streaming cams in the world. She is the ‘Queen’. She is not young. So every day with her is simply precious.
Kelly Sorenson of the Ventana Wildlife Society writes that the use of the HPAI vaccine was approved on the 16th of May as an emergency measure to try and save the Big Sur and Pinnacle Condor Colonies in Central California from H5N1. The resolve to save these beautiful birds has made news around the world.
The quarantine pens resulted from a huge fundraiser of the Ventana Wildlife Society. They raised 85,000$ to build them to enclose the California Condor community against the avian flu that is killing the condors in Arizona.
The total number of condors in Central California is currently 91 since the Dolan Fire of 2020. Ventana Wildlife continues to rebuild from that horrific fire that took so many lives.
Let us hope that the protective measures that are being employed will help during this tragic outbreak of H5N1 in the region. Arizona lost 20 of their flock this spring. Incredibly sad.
R5 fell out of the WRDC nest and was quickly rescued. On Wednesday, he was returned to the nest successfully without any alarm to R4. Well done, WRDC.
Lucy was vocalising during the late afternoon at the Lake Murray Osprey platform. LMO has done an incredible job of trying to keep the GHO from any further attacks after the predation of C1. Looks like the strobe lights, golf carts, picnickers and loud music are working. Other osprey nests with predation by GHOs should take notice – and also, check out the metal barriers installed by Cowlitz PUD against Bald Eagle attacks at their osprey nest in Washington like that which happened last season.
Lucy is fishing and taking good care of C2 who has a huge crop as best she can with these daily and night intruders at her nest.
We are on pip watch at the Dahlgren Osprey platform of Harriet and Jack.
I woke up to news form ‘H’ that the pip hatched early morning on the 18th.
Angel and her baby continue to do well although Tom either has trouble hunting or is a little unreliable. There was lots of food on Tuesday with a single delivery of a bird by Tom on Wednesday (please correct me!). As ‘A’ notes, Angel left the little one for several hours and either was unsuccessful in hunting or ate all the prey herself. Hopefully today there will be lots of food. The difference in this nest and Big Red’s is striking including – the eyases at Cornell are hardly ever left alone. Still nervous as there is a ways to go for Angel and Tom and RTH5.
The third osplet hatched at Rutland’s Manton Bay nest of Blue 33 and Maya. Oh, goodness, there is five days difference between Big Bob and Little…with one egg left to hatch!
So far, so good at Loch of the Lowes.
Louis brought in three really nice fish for Dorcha today. Gosh, he has always been such an extraordinary mate.
Dr Sharpe is really out there working to get all of the eaglets banded and, I presume, to say goodbye to the nests that he has so lovingly taken care of for many, many decades on the Channel Islands. These two beauties belong to Andor and Cruz.
More pictures from when Dr Sharpe banded Thunder and Akecheta’s eaglets the other day.
E22 is still at the SW Florida Eagle nest in Fort Myers. There are some incredible images being taken by the photographers on the ground. Oh, how I wish someone would make a book about this year!
This beautiful image came from the streaming cam. E22 is such a beauty and how wonderful to continue to see you.
B16 is 116 days old and fledged 38 days ago. She continues to come to the nest at Berry College in Georgia and her loving parents continue to provide prey for her. What a beauty!
Our dear Ervie, the 2021 third hatch at Port Lincoln osprey barge, continues to get photographed in the area that he has called home since he fledged. I wonder if he is still fishing with Dad?
Lou and Annie’s chicks are awfully precocious this year. Rosa has already been looking out of the windows, a behaviour seen a week or so before fledge. Now all three of them have been caught glimpsing at the world that will soon welcome them.
Luna has also joined Rosa in trying to catch moths! Oh, the legacy that was Alden…his spirit, not his DNA, lives on at The Campanile.
Iris may or may not have any eggs in her nest. One was laid, are there two? Hopefully the Corvids will be there to claim them while Iris is off catching whoppers like the one today. It is incredibly sad that after 2018 – that was five years ago – that Iris did not have a reliable mate. She would, as we can see, be an amazing mother with good DNA.
As it nears midnight in Canada, Blue NC0 is awaiting the first fish delivery of the day to the Loch of the Lowes from Laddie for her and the two little bairns. There was a nice late fish by Laddie on Wednesday evening. It looks like Mum still has a crop but those little ones will be ravenous.
Maya is waiting for her delivery from Blue 33 at Manton Bay also.
My last check on the Moorings Park Osprey platform for the day shows Victoria eating away whenever he can. He has not fledged yet. Abby fledged ten days ago! It is so nice at home with Mum Sally, Victor just might want to stay forever. I don’t blame him. It has to be one of the most stable osprey platforms in the US.
Keep sending all of your good wishes to every nest. They need all the help that we can muster for them.
Thank you for being with me today. So much going on! Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: Geemeff, ‘H’, The Legend of Pale Male, Cornell RTH Cam, The Guardian, Ventana Wildlife Society, Heidi McGrue and R Nest Eagle Nest Watchers, LMO, Sheila Staley and Osprey Friends, Window to Wildlife, LRWT, LOTL, Geemeff and Friends of Loch Arkaig, IWS/Explore, Jann Galliva and CIEL, SWFL Eagle Cam, Rebecca Dawn and SWFL Eagles, Berry College Eagle Cam, PLO, Fran Solley and Friends of Osprey Su Bus, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, Montana Osprey Project, and Moorings Park Osprey Platform.
It has been a rough evening. As ‘J’ reminds me, there is something to celebrate in all the sadness, “DH17 is alive on the nest and would not be if it had not been for the intervention of the AEF.” Both eaglets were tethered together, and yes, we must never forget that one is alive because of your efforts. I want to bring you the latest news, and if you do not recall all the ins and outs over the past week, some are here. We will try to find some good in this tragic mess and move forward. Unless there is any other communique from the AEF, we will now work to change the law.
This is the latest communique from the AEF:
Terry Carman (founder of Bald Eagles Live Nests and Cams on FB) once said that she wore her emotions on her sleeve when it comes to the eagles. I am so glad that she does and so many of you do also. Empathy.
You will find numerous definitions for empathy is you do an online search. There are three forms of empathy. They are cognitive empathy where we try to put ourselves in someone else’s position so that we can understand what they are thinking and feeling. Then there is emotive empathy where we put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. This is more than just thinking; it is feeling with them. “When we see someone being sad, for example, our mirror neurons fire and that allows us to experience the same sadness and to feel empathy. We don’t need to “think” about the other person being sad – we experience it firsthand.” The last type of empathy is empathic action. This is what the term says – action. This involves various levels of helping, including getting help or simply doing nothing if that is what the individual desires. What keeps me going – instead of screaming and saying ‘the heck with it’ is being part of such an amazing empathetic community with each of you.
As the AEF requested, we mourn today, but tomorrow, let our outrage turn to action in DH 18’s name. The law has to change. No one owns the raptors. We are stewards, and we are responsible for observing, caring for, getting help when needed and following the law. As ‘B’ said when he wrote to me, “Mary Ann — I, too, am just beyond words for the sadness of poor DH18’s fate. This poor eaglet was doubly hurt by humans, first by the fishing line that caused the initial injury, and then by the resistance to letting 18 be helped.”
Anyone who has followed this story knows precisely what happened at Dale Hollow. Some of the comments were ” “The issue with fishing line brought to nests probably occurs at non-camera nests all the time, but we just don’t know about it. This is nature.” That is true, but that is not an excuse when we see the problem before our eyes and know the dangers! Besides, it is legal under USFWS regulations to intervene under these circumstances. One reader notes, “Just because it happens at nests that we cannot monitor should not preclude us from helping when we are aware of the problem.” Another excuse given on chat was: “The monofilament line on the nest does not necessarily mean that it is a man-made problem. The line could have snapped with the hook in the fish’s mouth. That is not the fault of the fisherman.” The reader wonders if it is then the fault of the fish! Another observation from ‘H’, “I think part of the problem with some human’s approach to helping wildlife is that many people simply do not really respect the animal’s right to life. They apparently feel that the lives of animals in the wild are not as valuable as ours, or even of our domesticated pets.”
It is time to modernise the laws regarding intervention. The USFWS articles need to allow for accredited wildlife rehabbers to immediately attend to any nest that has monofilament or baling twine on it – to be removed or to assist in untangling the eaglets. A blanket permit so that people do not have to wait over the weekends to get the permissions. It really is that simple.
Dale Hollow posted a short statement above the official notice of the AEF.
The AEF’s comment:
Wildlife has rights. There will be other crises, but let us not step back from the work needed to ensure that a situation like the one that unfolded at Dale Hollow never happens again.
As of Wednesday, Angel is having to be everything to the little chick. She left the nest to find prey for both of them and was away for thirty minutes. She did return with lunch. She is fortunate that the weather is dry and warmer so that the little eaglet does not get too cold or wet. It really is unclear what is the matter with Tom. There are many theories. Angel needs help – that is the main thing!
These are the time stamps on Wednesday from the moderators of the chat: Mouse [TOM] Feeding1 at 7:06:00 am. At 7:36:57 Feeding2, with the leftovers. Seen on PTZ. 1:23:26 Angel returns with Prey. Set aside. 1:35:40 Tom brings prey. Angel ate half. 2:37:41 Feed3 SEE PTZ. This makes things hopeful. Tom needs to bring prey! So twice so far on Wednesday. Progress.
Arlene Beech captures the prey deliveries by both adults on Wednesday.
There have been some questions as to whether or not Angel is at a risk of being Leucistic – a risk of not getting a suitable mate. I am just beginning to explore the research papers on this topic. I have come across a good study from South America about a population of Leucistic birds, the Southern Caracaras, that have an advantage over their darker-plumaged relatives. You might want to have a read. I will continue to pursue this topic in the days ahead.
Look at Murphy’s Eaglet. My goodness s/he has really grown!
Llyn Clywedog’s KA7 is giving some grief to Dylan and Seren. Nice to see you KA7! Oh these youngsters without mates or nests…or sometimes with them but roaming around causing some mischief.
In Winnipeg, Ella and Pip now have four falcon eggs on top of the Radisson Hotel. Fantastic!
Glen’s transmitter has pinged and all is well with the Tweed Valley osprey spending its first year in Morocco. This is great news for Sasha Dench and the Flight of the Osprey team. With HPAI running rampant in The Gambia, it is a very good thing that Glen Blue 708 stayed in Morocco!
Kids – you and old – join in sending in names for the Cal Falcons!
We know that there are eagles and now a Condor is living in the wild and surviving with one leg. I always think of WBSE26 when I see a posting like this.
Big Red and Arthur. Got a good look at the eggs. Are there little cracks or pips? The back one still looks suspicious. May 4th is circled in red for Big Red and that is today. Will we get a pip?
At 1957 Big Red called Arthur. She wanted a break. He was there in a couple of seconds!
I am not clear on the fish deliveries at Achieva today. Diane brought in a fish at 1745 and Middle Bob is waiting his turn hoping some is left.
Middle got no fish. Big is an open pit. Maybe another fish will come in…the case of the big sister and the little brother.
M15 brought in two dinners for E22 today! He is still feeding this precious fledgling.
Together. Beautiful.
Beautiful Bitty.
SKHideaways caught the day in video…I hope we have many more of these! It is impossible to think of a day without hearing E22’s squeegeeing. Can we get a ringtone?
Iris is a superstar. She is not a youngster but right now she is battling several things – a flooding river so it is completely difficult to get fish and a very aggressive much younger female attacking and wanting her nest and her fish. Louis is no help. Despite the conditions with the river, Iris did manage to get another whopper. But, please keep Iris in your heart. She really doesn’t need to have to deal with all of this.
Monty is not going to let anything endanger the eggs that him and Hartley are incubating – including one from last year.
I just checked on Angel and her precious baby. She was feeding the little one. All is well. Nothing sweeter than a little round fluffy nestling…this one is a cutie pie.
Thank you so much for being with me this morning and for reaching out to help the Dale Hollow eaglets. It was a long rant on the issues at Dale Hollow and I won’t do it again. It was reassuring to see the AEF tackling the problem of the rescue at the core. Every living being matters. We are all interconnected in ways that many do not fully understand. Keep little DH18 in your heart, and continue to send good wishes to Angel. Let’s work to get the intervention law on manmade objects in a nest changed! Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog this morning: ‘J’, ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘B’, AEF, DHEC, Window to Wildlife, Arlene Beech and Window to Wildlife, ResearchGate, World Bird Sanctuary, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Clywedog Osprey Group and John Williams, MB Birding and Dennis Swayze, Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys and Mary Cheadle, Cal Falcon Cam, Ventana Wildlife Society, Cornell RTH, Achieva Credit Union, SK Hideaways and SW Florida, Montana Osprey Project, Sk Hideaways and San Jose City Hall.
It is Saturday. The weekend started for many yesterday afternoon…and for some of us, it is always the weekend! I hope whichever is the case for you, it is all good.
It is almost the end of April. The calendar might say spring began 5 weeks ago, but here on the Canadian Prairies, it does not always feel that way. Today it did, even with some grey skies until late. In the garden, a younger crow has just flown down to check out the cat kibble at my neighbour’s because ‘Calico Cat’ is outside eating the kibble on my deck. It is always a busy time in the garden from 1800-1900. Everyone wants to eat something before they go to roost for the night. Mr Younger Crow must be hungry. He is now below the feeders picking up some of the Butter Bark that the Starlings tossed out of the feeder when they were picking out the Meal Worms. It is not easy for urban birds. As he settles to eat, another fat (literally) cat with a collar darts out…it is pretty sad. The time that the birds need to be eating is also the time that humans get home from work and let their cats out. It is against the law. But no one will enforce the bylaw. There are not enough workers to do that, and it has never seemed there was a will. The goal when the bylaw was passed was to reduce the feral cat populations in the City.
But, never mind. Everyone got something tonight to eat, and that is what matters. Soon I will not be able to see them so quickly as the buds are getting ready to pop open. Green. Seriously, it is time for the green in the garden.
Read to the end of the blog today for some info on a new video of DH18’s rescue.
Your first smile of the morning comes from the Two Harbours nest of Chase and Cholyn…poor baby has such a big crop it can hardly move!
Our giggle of the morning is a short 3-minute video from the Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam. Have a smile to start your day!
And then there is the sheer joy of the morning. Bonus is a Black Stork. He was one of the Estonian nestlings of Jan and Jannika that were removed to be raised by Urmas and Dr Madis when Jan went missing. Bonus was fostered by Karl II and Kaia. In his migration, Bonus’s transmitter stopped working in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Yesterday, that transmitter started sending signals again. Bonus is alive! Bonus is flying north and is at the Israeli-Jordanian border. He must have spent the winter in Sudan with Waba! Now. Jump up and down. And realise that transmitters can go ‘off’ – I am thinking of some UK Ospreys, including Glen. If the administrators turn the transmitter completely off, you will never know if they are alive in seven months. Just a thought. Thank you, ‘T’ for letting me know. Over the moon!
The latest news on DH18- I am so glad to hear he is eating well and is bright and alert. Hopeful. Continue to imagine a new buffet for him full of succulent morsels carefully prepared.
Many of you will not have seen this quick action by Bella at the NCTC nest in 2021. I am so glad that Deb Stecyk posted it again. Fishing line as we are well aware is a huge hazard to the well-being and lives of our raptors. As humans we need to do better in cleaning up the messes we leave and also those that others make. Good bi-annual clean-ups of shorelines – rivers, lakes, streams, small ponds, all help. Sadly, one of the biggest dangers is the fish that break the line, hook in their mouth, and go on to be caught by the eagles and ospreys. These are brought to the nest to feed the chicks only to have the line bet in the chick’s mouths and tangled amidst nesting material, legs, wings, and necks. This is what happened to DH17 and 18.
There is something else that should be done. A blanket permit to the licensed wildlife rehabilitation centres allows them to approach a nest that has a monofilament line on it that is or could endanger the life of the eaglets. It is a no-brainer. Not randomly, but to the centres that can organise the rescue. This would save many lives and a lot of injury or death to the raptors. This should be our next effort – in honour of Dale Hollow 18 whose life could be seriously compromised because of the delay. Letters would go out to the USFWS as well as the licensing agent in each State.
Flo comes to the platform to mourn the loss of her babies.
‘A’ sends news of a hatch underway Friday morning at the nest of RTHawks Angel and Tom!
Angel and Tom have a hatch! Thanks, Gracie Shepherd. Notice how Angel preens the little one. so sweet.
It should have been wonderful…it wasn’t. *DISTRESSING* ‘A’ writes, “I cannot believe what has just happened at Angel’s nest. Tom arrived for morning duty at around 07:42 and saw his chick for the first time. It is an absolute darling – fluffy white little sweetheart, yawning and looking up at dad. He looks startled and spreads his wings as if he is mantling. He has his back to us, but we hear the chick’s distress sounds. Angel lands on a branch behind the nest at 07:44:48, at which point she can see what is happening in the nest. Tom leaves a few seconds later, at which point we see that the chick is dead. Tom has killed it. Angel is very distressed. She has already vocalised her displeasure at him as he left the nest and she is now very uncertain. She tries to allopreen her baby. She is vocalising constantly. She broods the second egg, her dead baby in front of her on the nest. She leaves the nest around 08:07:14. Tom returns at 08:07:47 and looks down at the nest. Angel can be heard in the background, still angrily vocalising at Tom, who looks up, then back down at the dead baby. He may be realising what he has done. He is obviously confused. He is touching the baby with his beak. I cannot keep typing right now. This is the saddest and most unexpected thing I have seen.”
‘H’ sends news of the third egg at the Osprey platform of Duke and Daisy at Barneyghat Light in New Jersey.
Both Es on the branches of the nest tree at Fort Myers on a grey Friday morning.
There are lots of osprey intruders flying about in the UK at the moment. They do not have nests or mates yet. Some of these turn out to be very interesting ospreys. In this case, it was a grand chick of Mrs G at Glaslyn.
You can see the moss in the nest above at Aran and Elen’s nest at Glaslyn. You will also see it in other nests. Here is a statement on what the Ospreys are doing as they incubate eggs and prepare for hatch.
The little eyases at Cal Falcons are two weeks old. They will be banded on 5 May. Mark that in your calendars. Thanks Cal Falcons for showing us how much they have grown in two weeks with all those prey deliveries! Great job Annie and Lou.
The first venture out of the scrape was to be about a week away but one of those pesky little ones decided to tumble out. SK Hideaways caught it for us.
A question came in the e-mail from ‘N’ who wonders how the little falcons in Rome who lost their mother, Vergine, are doing. Here is a link to the camera. The chicks appear to be fine. Alex is feeding them and doing the best he can.
Sunnie Day reminds us that in some areas, the twine used to hold hay or straw bales together is as dangerous to the raptors as is the fishing line. They have sure pulled a lot out of Montana nests with some chicks dead in unmonitored nests. So sad.
I am so glad that Murphy and his eaglet are still making news. It is a good feeling story. Murphy may never feel the urge to incubate a rock again but, he was noticed and thoughtful individuals gave him and the eaglet needing a parent a chance. It worked. Joy all around.
We have a first egg today for Karl II and Kaia at the Black Stork Nest in the Karula National Forest in Estonia.
Condor chat by the Ventana Wildlife Society for April! Avian Flu Update. Rebuild. Population Status. Nesting. Reducing lead poisoning in Condors.
Everything is alright with the little eaglet at Decorah Hatchery.
There is more news coming out of the Raptor Resource Project and the six goslings that jumped. They have reviewed the footage and discovered what happened to the sixth baby.
Wow! ‘R’ sent me some exciting time lines for the Achieva Osprey platform. Middle Bob is doing really great thwarting Big Bob from both attacking it and getting to the fish. Fantastic. What a change in behaviour!
Speaking of Achieva. I do not know why that chat attracts people who not only supply disinformation but also like to be extremely hostile and have no knowledge of Osprey’s behaviour. Call them out if you know they are wrong! Block them. Whatever it takes.
As you are aware, the Kakapo are one of the world’s most endangered Species. The New Zealand Government and the Kakapo Recovery have done everything they can to increase the numbers and protect and assist the Kakapo if sick or injured. A single stoat made its way on to one of the uninhabited islands where the Kakapo live. It could have killed every non-flying parrot. Luckily that Stoat was found!
What is a stoat? The stoat is a small predator with a long, low-slung body that makes it particularly well-suited to hunting small rodents and rabbits. I think they look like weasels. Stoats can quickly kill an adult rabbit, which is much larger than itself, with a bite to the base of the skull.
It is that time of year. Everyone is finding bunnies and baby birds and worrying what to do about them. Sassa Bird posted a reminder for us from Audubon. You might not find yourself in this situation but, guess what? A friend or family member might so have a read so you can help if required.
It is also time for a few other information sheets. Spread the word. People want to do the right thing. Do not feed the ducks and geese bread. They love the stuff. It is sugary and salty and it will stop them from eating the plants that are good for them. In addition, it could also cause deformities such as Angel Wing – we saw this at my local park pond last year – and the ducks had to be euthanised.
Many of you are wanting to help the birds with materials for their nests. It is important not to put out anything that could harm them. This includes dryer lint if you have used detergents with fragrance or any softener or dryer sheets. Dryer lint also contains microfibres. Do not put out pet hair if your pet has had any treatment for fleas and ticks like Revolution. It kills birds! Do not put out human hair as it can cut the legs of the birds just like monofilament line. String and yarn if the pieces are too long can be deadly.
So what can you offer to the birds? Here is the information from the David Suzuki Foundation. Please pass it along to others!
Get the tissues out. On the AEF Twitter page, there is a new video of the rescue of DH18 – from an entirely different view. The boat to go to the site, the climb, and our dear DH18 getting care at the bottom of the tree. Go over and have a look. Grab the tissue..and then look at how big DH18 was.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Continue to send your best wishes to DH18 who is healing from its surgery and who will have more surgery in the coming days. We continue to be grateful to everyone who rescued this eaglet in need. Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘R’, ‘H’, ‘A’, ‘S’, IWS and Explore.org, Dulles-Greenway, Birdmap.it and Looduskalender, AEF, Deb Stecyk and NCTC, HeidiMc and Window to Wildlife, Cornell Angel Hawk Cam, Conserve Wildlife, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey Project, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, Birdcam.It, Sunnie Day, CBS Sunday Morning, Eagle Club of Estonia, Ventana Wildlife, Raptor Resource Project, Achieva Credit Union, Kakapo /recovery, Audubon, David Suzuki, and the AEF.
Oh, good morning to everyone! Have you been checking Twitter or FB for a recent update on DH18? So have I! I want to imagine the little fellow recovering from surgery in a lovely soft nest where he is warm with a vast crop, having filled up on a gourmet quail dinner. You deserve it, 18!
News has come that DH18 is in ‘guarded’ condition. Please send all your positive wishes to this little warrior. I am not a violent person, but this whole situation has me imagining a human with a fishing line wrapped so tight around their ankles that it cuts the skin to the bones for a week. How would they feel if people said they couldn’t be helped?
While you look at the image of DH17 standing on the rails today, please smile. Look at that sweet face and those legs now free of monofilament line and looking forward to a beautiful future in the wild. I keep saying thank you to each of you because that rescue yesterday was only possible because you cared because you believed that intervention was necessary and were willing to work to make that happen. So look in those beautiful eyes and remember never to give up, to keep trying.
There is some great news coming out of Achieva. ‘R’ writes, “At Achieva, Mum brought in a fish and 2 positioned himself at the rail so 1 could not get to him. I thought she was going to knock Mum and 2 off the nest, but her attempts were futile! Mum fed the whole fish to 2! After awhile, 1 just backed off and watched. I couldn’t believe 2 actually had a crop. Then…..just before your email, Dad brought in a fish which Mum fed to 1. After most of it was finished 1 tried to self feed and 2 walked over, grabbed the fish from 1 and finished it whole. Looks like his survival skills are improving. There is hope!”
If you are interested, the t-shirt fundraiser for this year at Cal Falcons is open for four more days.
As we all know, the falcons grow up so fast and are gone so quickly into the wild. Here is a condensed day in the life of these lovely eyases of Lou and Annie captured by SK Hideaways.
Oh, this one is cute…close ups of these darling chicks.
Have you been wondering how the PA County Farm Eagles are doing? Have a look! All three are really growing their juvenile feathers. Bravo!
‘H’ reports that banding took place at the WRDC today. They did measurements and weighed the eaglets R4 and R5 including taking DNA samples. Here those babies are with their new bling.
R5 is working away at its self-feeding skills as R4 looks on.
It is very true. M15 is going to need a holiday after this breeding season. He is continually trying to feed his babies while fending off intruders that literally come to the nest to grab the food! Today he was plucking a bird for them when he had to turn into security guard and territorial protector.
Earlier M15 had brought in a squirrel, a small one. E22 got it – and worked the entire thing to his complete delight while 21 watched. Gracie Shepherd caught it on video!
Kathryn reports on the Lake Murray Osprey nest. She says, “Every time I check on these osplets that are so stuffed they can’t even move! I love how the mom, Lucy, goes out of her way to make sure C3 eats well. Such a nice nest so far. There has been minimal bonking and the mom just puts food in her beak between them when they did bonk each other but I only saw that in the beginning.” This is wonderful news!
We are so lucky that there are BOGS that keep up with some of the fledglings. Just look at Ringo from the Webster Texas Bald Eagle nest. Perfecting that flying like the Es and B16 and the kidlets down in the Kisatchie National Forest.
Loretta is keeping eyes on the First Utility District Osprey platform for me. The first of the three hatched yesterday. The adults are Ricky and Lucy. Nice fish coming in to feed the little one. It started raining later in the day and Lucy could not risk feeding the baby so, Ricky fed Lucy her dinner. I thought maybe he would incubate/brood but, Lucy didn’t want to give up the responsibility. They are a cute pair and I hope that you will put this nest on your list to watch. It is in a really beautiful setting and it looks like the lake has some good fish. (This will be my first time keeping tabs on this nest).
The Decorah Goose nest had some visitors today but it is empty as I begin writing for tomorrow’s blog. News has come in that the sixth gosling that had trouble swimming and was believed to have temporary paralysis in its leg did not make it. That is very sad. The other five are doing splendidly and have taken to the water like ‘ducks’. LOL.
We are all concerned with the impact that the current strains of HPAI will have on our raptor populations. I know that many of you, like myself, scream when one of the adults brings a shorebird or a duck into the nest to feed to the chicks. Cal Falcons held one of their fantastic Q & A sessions with Dr Victoria Hall of The Raptor Centre in Minnesota. This is an hour’s presentation, and it is excellent. I urge you to listen even if you do it in hits and spurts. You will learn a lot – and that is what we are all doing – learning.
Lots of great questions. Is there a vaccination? How complicated would that be? Where is the highest outbreak now? How does HPAI impact trade? When might this outbreak stop soon? How might this impact zoos? Is this a risk to humans? Are Bald Eagles more susceptible than Peregrine Falcons?
HPAI has having a global impact. ‘R’ sent me this very informative article. Have you seen it?
The UK appears to be particularly hard hit with birds at the wetlands and ponds and along the coast dying in ever increasing numbers.
One of the biggest concerns in the US right now are the Condors, carrion eaters who are particularly susceptible to HPAI.
I will continue to post some of the latest stories on this influenza that is tragically impacting our wildlife. In doing so, I want to remind you to do something you might think is silly. If you go for a walk like I did today, you need to bag your footwear and disinfect it. I do not know if that is even enough. There are geese all around the parking lots of our parks and nature centres. Do they have HPAI? We don’t know. They could be carriers. If so, it is possible that their ‘ps’ could get on my tires, and I could spread the disease. In the Q & A session with Cal Falcons, the measures taken to ensure that HPAI doesn’t spread have been thoroughly considered. Let’s listen again so we know what we could do to help stop the spread.
Two well-fed little eaglets. The Decorah Hatchery eaglet and Two Harbours eaglet.
Decorah Hatchery chick. Losing its baby down. Getting that mohawk and that lovely dark charcoal thermal down growing in so that it can regulate its own temperature.
As the eaglet ages, the pink ‘mouth’ turns yellow.
Chase and Cholyn’s only eaglet gets special attention, too. Just look at that crop. Both the Hatchery eaglet and Two Harbours can now eat all the parts of the prey and their crop will process this material. Anything that cannot be fully digested will form into a hard pellet or a ‘cast’ and they will ‘cast it off’.
The three eaglets on the Denton Homes Bald Eagle nest in Decorah, Iowa are slightly older than the ones at the Hatchery. Look at the two images and see the difference a week can make.
The three eaglets at Bald Canyon are fantastic. What a great rescue that was by the IWS on Tuesday. So grateful to Dr Sharpe and his team who take such good care of these Channel Islands Bald Eagle families.
Thank you so very much for being with me this morning. Please continue to send your best wishes to DH18 this morning, who is in guarded condition after the surgery to remove the dead tissue from his legs yesterday. DH18 has the best care. We wait. Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, observations, videos, tweets, posts, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog this morning: ‘R’, ‘S’, ‘J’, ‘H’, ‘A’, ‘L’, Kathryn, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Achieva Credit Union, Cal Falcon Cam, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, PA Game Commission, WRDC, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Gracie Shepherd and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lake Murray Ospreys, Jon Truman and Webster TX Eagle Watchers, First Utility District, Decorah Goose Cam, The New York Times, @Mark Avery, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, IWS and Explore.org, and Denton Homes.
Oh, it is so good to wake up on Thursday! The goslings lept and one had a temporarily paralysed leg which will not hamper its life or return to the family, hopefully. The monofilament line has been removed at Dale Hollow and there is rejoicing around the world. As several commented – if we had not been watching Dale Hollow we could not have facilitated the rescue. Maybe that is a reason to continue watching. What do you think? I definitely want to see DH17 fledge this year.
Based on a posting by Dave Hancock of Hancock Wildlife, there is some discussion that eagles often leave their nests after the human incursion. Of course, Dave also supported the intervention yesterday at Dale Hollow. It is an interesting observation that goes back to the time and notebooks of Charles Broley, the Eagle Man, in Florida, who was the manager of a bank in Winnipeg not far from where I live. There is another point of view on this and that is the eagles leave when something dire has happened on their nest to find a safer nest. For example, Thunder and Akecheta had their eaglets banded with no move of the nest until the eaglets tumbled. Which one is it? At this moment in time, we have two widowed Bald Eagles – M15, a male, and River, a female. M15 is young, and River is not so much young. Will they keep their nests? get new mates? All of this is to unfold.
Our giggle today is brought to you by Lewis. It seems that Lewis has outgrown his cat tree ‘house’. It is hard to tell in the picture. We have had large cats before weight nearly 20 lbs. Lewis has enormous feet and legs and is very muscular. Missey has stubby stout huge legs. They are going to be big kitties!
Loretta is reporting that the first hatch at First Utility Osprey Platform happened! Oh, it is so cute.
You can catch this osprey family here at this streaming cam:
The best thing is that the AEF rescue of the Dale Hollow Eaglets DH17 and DH18 was a success. It took an army of people to raise the concerns, to pull the strings, to do what it took to get action at this nest ——–and it worked. So what did we learn? Never give up. If you see entangled eaglets, you shout out to anyone and everyone to get help. And do not take ‘no’ for answer! They said no one could get to the nest on this tree – it was too high, the slope was too steep. Wrong. It was done. So never give up and never give up hope. Doing the right thing is the thing to do. We do it for those who cannot do it for themselves.
The babies tangled in the line prior to the rescue.
· ***UPDATE: I’m told the eaglet is under the care of the American Eagle Foundation based out of Pigeon Forge, TN. They will take the eaglet to the University of Tennessee Veterinary Hospital for care. Then it will be determined if the eaglet can return to the nest — if it is physically capable.”
This is from Resee Collins:
Thank you for your concern about the Dale Hollow eaglet nest situation. Please see attached statement from the American Eagle Foundation (AEF) regarding the eaglet rescue effort conducted today in coordination with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), Army Corps of Engineers, Eastport Marina, the Dale Hollow Lake Marina Operator’s Association and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A tree climber from the American Eagle Foundation accessed the nest, removing all fishing line and debris from the nest, examining the older eaglet who appeared fine and removing the younger eaglet for examination on the ground by AEF veterinarian Dr Mike Jones, an avian specialist. Dr Jones determined that the younger eaglet would need medical treatment due to the fishing line and is transporting the eaglet back to AEF for rehabilitation. The adult female eagle remained in the area during the rescue attempt and is expected to return to the nest to care for the remaining eaglet soon.
It is my understanding that a Video podcast with the responders is available and a montage of the eagle rescue will be posted on the TWRA website and Dale Hollow youtube channel.
Special thanks to all responders who coordinated to make this rescue happen, especially to the expert team from American Eagle Foundation. Best of luck to the younger eaglet for a successful rehabilitation and quick return to the nest, if medically possible.
This is all great news. I know that many, myself included, have written to thank Nick Dwyer for his great tree climbing and rescue skills. He has posted a note thanking all of us and suggesting that if we really want to thank him to give him a 5 star review on Google. I will figure out how to do that and any of you that want to join in, that would be great. He did what was said to be impossible – maybe he can become the national rescuer of eagles in the US! He says on his website that he not only cares about trees but also the animals that live in them. What a wonderful person!
I urge you to read the article below. ‘A’ says, “The tone of this article is wonderful – they basically make it really clear that the DH powers that be did everything possible to ignore the public pressure for intervention, including taking down the FB page to stop people commenting. Prior to that, they had been draconian in their response to any comments whatsoever suggesting that DH18 was in trouble, that the filament was tightly wrapped around his leg just above the foot and was cutting into the flesh. It was obvious to viewers and while they were insisting that there was no immediate danger to the eaglets, DH18 was losing circulation to his right foot.”
Another great video of those goslings leaping from SK Hideaways!
The latest I have seen on the sixth gosling.
It was also a delight to see that Middle Bob at Achieva continues to perfect its methods to keep Big Bob at bay so he can eat! This was at 13:45. It was a nice big fish and Diane even had some late lunch after Big and Middle.
As Murphy’s eaglet gets older, what is next for this pair?
Wild Bird Sanctuary gives us their timeline:
Murphy and his Eaglet made the CBS News. All of the news stories can only help raise awareness of our raptors and hopefully will educate and generate kindness and care within the broader human population.
The weather at the Pitkin County Trails Osprey Platform is very wintery. The eggs were uncovered overnight with the expectation that the third is due today. We wait in hope for this family.
Congratulations on their hatch day to three Condors but, especially the beloved Iniko 1031, daughter of KingPin (deceased in Dolan Fire) and Redwood Queen. Happy Hatch Day, Iniko! You have had a very eventful life.
At SW Florida, the Es continue to delight and also help M15 protect the nest. What warriors he has fledged! They are such gorgeous and strong fledglings.
The Venice Golf and Country Club Osprey cam is down. They will replace it but there are there osplets, growing nicely, on that nest. Yes!
Just listen to those chicks of Annie and Lou’s when Lou comes in to do a routine wellness check while Annie is away. Gracious. Missy and Lewis go running out of the room!
Geemeff reports that Louis and Dorcha have their third – and let’s hope – final egg of the season at Loch Arkaig. Congratulations Louis and Dorcha!
We have a second egg for Aran and Elen at the Glaslyn nest. Wonderful. Aran was ready with fish and present when the egg was laid. Mrs G trained him well and Elen will benefit. Oh, I love this male Osprey and he seems so delighted to have a new mate.
There are now three eggs at Dunrovin! Wow. Hang on to your hats. It is going to get crazy when all these eggs begin to hatch at the same time!
Oh, what an exciting few days it has been. What lessons did we learn? Do not hesitate to help! If you see endangered wildlife, get on the phone to the proper authorities but, then get on the phone to the media. Give them the human interest story. It could mean saving a life…we owe it to our feathered friends to protect and care for them.
Thank you for being with me today. Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, their graphics, videos, article links, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: Loretta, Geemeff, Deb Stecyk, ‘H’, ‘A’, First Utility District ospreys, Dale Hollow, Nick Beers NC5, Angela Edwards and Bald Eagles Live Nests and News, Southern Living, Decorah Goose Cam, Decorah Eagle Chat, Achieva Credit Union, Wild Bird Sanctuary, CBSN.ws, Carol Craig and Osprey Friends, Ventana Wildlife Society, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Cal Falcons, Geemeff and Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery, and the Woodland Trust, Sheila Staley and Osprey Friends, and Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn.
