Cornell – Page 28 – Mary Ann Steggles

Ervie, Jackie and Shadow at nest, Milda lays an egg…Friday in Bird World

10 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

The end of the week is here! It is rarely of little consequence to me unless something is happening. There are some wonderful things about retirement!

Two new to me ‘previously owned’ books arrived in the post this morning. I have been waiting some time, and what a joy to receive them. One is by Roy Dennis. It is The Loch. A Year in the Life of a Scottish Loch. It was an accompaniment to a television series in the 1990s. The images are beautiful and would have you booking a ticket to Scotland immediately. The other is a study of Peregrine Falcons in New York City by Saul Frank. It is titled City Peregrines. A Ten-Year Saga New York City Falcons. Will keep you posted!

Meanwhile, the kittens have taken over the house. They love nothing more than going in and out of a box and all the wrappings, large paper bags are fair game for an entire afternoon of jumping in and out, and anything that is light enough to be transported can and will be picked up and moved by Lewis.

Lewis decided to take over the large dog bed today with all of the blankets!

Missy fell asleep in the small basket while she was playing.

They bring joy! And they love watching the animals in the garden.

There is news of Ervie and he is still in Port Lincoln!

Lou did a marvellous job yesterday. There was a huge storm in San Francisco and Lou incubated for almost six hours was Annie was missing.

Wondering about Jackie and Shadow? They showed up together on cam 2 on Thursday. In fact, they were on the snag tree and in the nest and Shadow stayed around for some time! There is also a sub-adult hanging about.

Looking at the image above and the chart below, how old do you think this eagle is?

Jackie and Shadow were also in the nest doing some cleaning. The time was 13:38 on Thursday. Getting anxious to see if we will have a replacement clutch.

M15 was extremely busy flushing those female intruders from the territory on Wednesday, which might account for the few prey deliveries to the Es. Lady Hawk posted all the action! We might begin to imagine that M15 wishes he was less popular.

On Thursday morning, a prey drop came at 12:47. E22 got it and ate it but not before 21 had some and then 22. It went back and forth. Both ate.

I love these little chats that C F Marshburn creates for the eagles.

Wonder why there has not been a lot of prey deliveries? D Morningstar posted a very informative video of M15 and one of the female intruders. He cannot risk getting injured. Better the eaglets be a bit hungry than to have their only provider, Dad, disabled or killed.

You can hear 22 in the background calling for fish! I don’t think we will ever forget him!

Ron and Rose are approaching pip watch and now they are having to defend both their nest and those precious eggs!

I cannot think of an Osprey nest I have enjoyed more than Moorings Park. One of the reasons is Harry. Not only is he such a great provider, but he loves being in the nest with Sally and the two kids, and he is getting more involved in feeding the little ones every day.

Unlike eagles, ospreys will remove the fish from the nest to not attract insects and intruders wanting food.

The osplets eyes are open wide, as is their beak. That open beak will get the fish! The eyes of the osprey are large. Poole tells us that they can resolve the details of an object at 3-5 times the distance a human can (11).

The pair hatched on the 3rd of March. They are a week old today. These two have already tripled their body weight since hatch. This weight will double in the nest four days. Their fastest growth is between 15-30 days.

In North America, Western Ospreys, according to Cornell Bird Lab, remain in the nest for 50-55 days before their first flight (the fledge). They will return to the nest to be fed by their parents while they develop their flying skills. While the fledglings may accompany and observe the adult fishing, they are not taught to hunt/catch prey like Bald Eagles do with their fledglings. Ospreys have developed a clear instinct for knowing how to fish after 60 million years of existence.

Notice the white at the tip of the osprey looking at you in the image below. This is what remains of the egg tooth that this little one used to break up that egg shell. Also notice the black line that extends under the eye towards the nape. This helps them to ward off glare so they can see fish in the water when there is bright sun. Yes, football players picked up on this trick from the Ospreys!

These two are beginning to develop. See the cream stripe down the centre top of the back. Notice the little ‘prickles’ on either side. This pair will keep their light woolly down (feathers) for 10-12 days, and then dark charcoal thick down will replace it. This is called the ‘reptilian period’. Their heads will look like black oil has been poured on them. Some copper-red feathers will appear at the back of the head and nape. It is often during this period that osplets get ‘cranky’ and they may begin beaking one another.

There was some concern that Indigo had left the territory of his parents, Diamond and Xavier. That is not the case. He was MIA for about 24 hours, then showed up and spent an entire in the scrape. Wonder what he was up to that tired him out so much? In the Wizard of Oz we are reminded, ‘There is no place like home!’

In Latvia, Milda, the White-tailed Eagle, has laid her first egg of the 2023 season. Sending positive wishes to her and Voids. Milda deserves it. She lost her long-time mate, Ramis, two years ago. She has yet to raise chicks to fledge since then successfully. 2022 was particularly difficult. After almost starving, Milda, who had been incubating here eggs for 8 days with no food for herself, left to eat. The fear was the eggs would not hatch. But, they did. The wee things eventually froze/starved to death. So, yes, please, lots of positive wishes for this much loved WTE.

Milda will likely lay two eggs three days apart. They will be incubated for approximately 35 days.

Voldis and Milda were working on their nest and mating late in February. Arlene Beech shares some of this with us in her video.

Watching raptors incubate eggs is boring. We are almost to the stage where Ron and Rose will stop incubating and feed little eaglets! The same applies to the Venice Golf and Country Club, where osprey eggs await their pip date. There are lots of others. Meanwhile, the Kistatchie Forest eaglets are branching, and soon SW Florida will be branching also. So enjoy a few days of incubation with Annie and Lou and watching Sally and Harry feed their little ones and the two eaglets at Duke Farms. Soon you will be scrambling to find time to check in on everyone. Oh, and then Jackie and shadow could surprise us with more eggs!

It is pip watch for Martin and Rosa at Dullas-Greenaway on the 11th! – yes, tomorrow.

Watching Karl II’s Black Stork family for migration movement. Waba headed north to Eritrea, then turned around and returned to Sudan. Gosh, this little one surprises us all the time. No transmissions from Bonus, Kaia, or Karl II yet.

There has also been no transmission from Zoe from the Port Lincoln Osprey barge. We wait in hope that she will turn up somewhere and someone will see and photograph her.

I wonder how many raptors actually land on ships and travel around. We certainly saw this with Glen, the Osprey, who was on two ships. Now a Burrowing Owl has gone on a cruise.

Gosh, I hope that Zoe didn’t get on a cruise ship!

Thank you so much for joining me today. I am heading off for a wee bit of a break and to catch sight of some waterfowl, I hope. It is not clear if there will be a blog on Saturday morning. It could be an abbreviated one. I will, for sure, be back on Sunday. Take care of yourselves. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, announcements, videos, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog this morning: ‘H’, Port Lincoln Osprey, Cal Falcons, FOBBV, Avianreport.com, SWFlorida Eagles and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagles, Carol F Marshburn and SWFlorida Eagles, D Morningstar and SW Florida Eagles, Patti Lawless Sirbola and Ron and Roses Eagle nest Watchers, Dulles-Greenaway Eagle Nest, Moorings Park Osprey Cam, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Amanda lake and the Latvian Fund for Nature, Arlene Beech and the Latvian Fund for Nature, Looduskalender Forum, and ABC7 Southwest Florida.

Annie lays 3rd egg, KNF-E3 has ‘branches’, Valentine hit by an owl…Thursday in Bird World

9 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day in the Canadian Prairies. The wind was brisk, but bundled up like one was heading to outer space, it is possible to walk through the woods and by the lake without getting too much wind burn. There were few birds and squirrels out, oddly. Perhaps it was all the schoolchildren. Four buses of laughing and sledging young ones. Brilliant. We must start getting them to love nature when they are little!

In the distance but almost in the centre of the middleground, you can see the Bald Eagle nest.

The trees that make up the forest are mostly Aspens and Birch.

The Chickadees were the only birds at the feeders with a single Red Squirrel hoping they would spill some seed!

The Bison were closer today.

Lots of owl action lately. Valentine got hit Tuesday night at the KNF-E3 nest of Alex and Andrai. As cute, fluffy, and ‘intelligent’ these ‘wise’ owls are, they are at the top of the Apex Predators, and they can do a lot of damage with their silent approach and razor-sharp talons.

Construction work near Central Park is causing some urban hawks to abandon their former nesting sites. Flaco, the escaped Eurasian Owl, has discovered that these building sites are good places to catch rats. Oh, Flaco, we sure hope that rat you ate had not consumed rodenticide! For the latest action, please go to Bruce Yolton’s urbanhawks.com

Most everyone was focused on the scrape of Annie and Lou on Wednesday. According to Cal Falcon’s chart, Annie was due to lay the egg around 1600, but by 1230, ‘H’ had sent me a note saying Annie looked like she was uncomfortable. She was! That third egg could be seen at 13:47:15. Most surprised was Lou, who is tiny and wondered what to do to get three under for incubation! Lou was adorable in his effort.

The reveal.

Annie was quick to get up for a break and give Lou a chance to see the three eggs.

Cal Falcons posted a video of the third egg being laid.

Peregrine Falcons are arriving at their scrapes all around the world. In Montreal, Eve and Miro, are thinking about spring on their scrape on the 23rd floor of one of the buildings of the University of Montreal. That scrape faces the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery. A great place for hunting.

Shadow visited the nest near Big Bear Lake he shares with Jackie at 10:23 on Wednesday, the 8th.

Shadow spent more than two hours at the nest just looking out to the beyond.

Now we wait to see if the couple will have a replacement clutch or they will come back in the fall and begin working on nesting for 2024.

Little osplets do not like to wait to be fed! When this happens they will often start cavorting and this usually ends up in some beaking. “Feed us!” Thank goodness Sally arrives. Poor Harry needs some instructions in feeding and a little more confidence.

Harry loves being on the nest with Sally and the kids. They are doing great. Beautiful Thursday morning in Naples, Florida.

These two at Moorings Park eat very well. Harry is an excellent provider. That there is a stocked freshwater pond also helps! No problems, even though they might like you to think there are! Harry is always good with fish deliveries and is trying to do a little feeding. Sally will let him do more when they are older.

E22 might want some of the fish at the Moorings. Today there was one delivery to the nest and it seems 21 got the most of it.

22 loves being on the rails, but 21 almost pushed him off accidentally on Tuesday. Thankfully 22 was alert!

As the sun set, the intruder female settled alongside M15 on the branch. Has this female fought with R23-3 and driven her from the territory? R23-3 has not been seen since Sunday and Marti Lord reports three new females hanging around.

M15 ate well! Look at his nice crop.

The female.

Marti Lord shares some incredible images of the new female with us.

M15 is a good catch. We all want him to find – or have her find him – a strong, fierce, protective, funny, ‘kissable’ mate like Harriet was for eight years. Isn’t it amazing how protective we have become of this amazing Dad?

The two eaglets at Duke Farm are doing fine. There has been some concern about beaking, but this is an experienced nest with lots of food. Enjoy!

Rosie has delivered the first stick of the 2023 season to the Whirley Crane. Poor thing. They must rebuild that nest again this year! I always think of Richmond and Rosie and then recall those lovely platforms all fixed with twigs and railings, waiting for some of the Welsh Ospreys. Still, R & R surprise me with what they can whip up in a short time.

Congratulations to Valentine who has flown to a branch and to Nugget who is up on a branch, also! Nugget is 70 days old today! Well done, you two.

At 0648 both eaglets were on the nest looking for leftover prey.

Alex and Andria are preparing for their eaglets to fledge. In Ithaca, New York, Arthur and Big Red are preparing the nest for their first eggs, which could arrive within a few days. The earliest Big Red has laid an egg was the 13th of March.

Arthur was in and out, and Big Red flew to the nest for a private inspection!

For something a little different. A Great Egret bathing…

Happy Hatch Day to two little Kakapo!

Oh, those gorgeous White-bellied sea eagles. As humans take over more of their territory, where do they go to make their nests? To the tall telecom towers in Malaysia! The telecom companies have been working with Birdlife International in Malaysia to find a solution for wildlife and communications companies. This should interest everyone as storks, eagles, and ospreys also use towers in other countries.

https://www.birdlife.org/news/2023/03/09/king-of-towers/

Quite honestly, I do not know what is wrong with humans. There is not a morning that I do not read about a raptor being poisoned in the UK or a Bald Eagle being shot in the US. The fines in the US are high, so impose them – $100,000 – and the individual gets a criminal record. So why are people still killing the raptors? Respect for all living beings must be instilled in children the minute they are born, and as adults, we must be role models so they can see how this plays out in real life – respect, compassion, and empathy.

Bald eagle found shot in Enumclaw

Last, a shout out to ‘B’. I had listed and discussed the Channel Islands nests and some changes there. At the time I did not know what had happened to FP. Thanks ‘B’ for updating me.

Andor and Cruz have established a new nest area. Dr Sharpe might be able to get a camera there for 2024. So, the best thing to do this year is to check the website for the Institute for Wildlife Studies for updates on West End and Fraser Point.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, and streaming cams that help make up my blog today: ‘H’, ‘B’ Tonya and KNF-E3, Cal Falcons, Falcoun UdeM en direct, FOBBV, Moorings Park Ospreys, Heidi Mc and Moorings Park, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Terry Caman Bald Eagle Live Nest Cams and News, Marti Lord and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Duke Farms, SF Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon, KNF-E3, Cornell RTH, Native Bird Boxes, Kakapo Recovery, Birdlife.org, the Courier Herald, and the IWS.

Big Red and Arthur nest building, 3D legs for geese, Ravens eat Shadow and Jackie’s eggs…Wednesday in Bird World

8 March 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that your week is going well! We have been sent back into the deep freeze. This morning it was -21 C. It is -12 C now, with the promise of much warmer weather at the weekend. Yippeee. When it is really cold, I keep the door to the conservatory closed. Missy and Lewis do not like it these days! They stand and stare but quickly settle into the other living area with nice windows looking out to the birds. Lewis has taken a keen interest in them as of late. It is nice to see both kittens enjoying the out-of-doors safely indoors!

We are going to start with Jackie and Shadow. It is terrific that Ravens ate the two eggs of our beloved couple. I have never said that before! The Ravens arrived at the Big Bear nest at 15:01. They were cautious, looking out for the eagle pair and then getting busy consuming the eggs. Jackie and Shadow can move forward. I have used, and so have many others, the term ‘second clutch’ about the Big Bear nest, but that is the wrong term. The appropriate wording is ‘replacement clutch’ about when the first clutch of eggs is non-viable or lost to predators. At least when they return to the nest, the eggs will be gone. Jackie and Shadow will have closure. Thanks, ‘B’ for letting me know about this!

Jackie and Shadow are going to be on television. Here is the information if you get CBS.

There are currently 2 eggs at the Two Harbours nest of Chase & Cholyn, 1 egg at Sauces with Jak and Audacity (please keep sending best wishes to them), and three eggs at Bald Canyon. I have had no news or seen anything about the Fraser Point nest of Andor & Cruz (they are showing highlights). For those anxious to discover what is happening with Thunder and Akecheta’s nest, Dr Sharpe is travelling to the area at the weekend and will send out a report confirming if there are eggs.

This has just been posted from the IWS Tuesday late.

Akecheta shows up at the old West End nest site where three eaglets fledged last year. Time is 11:31 on the 7th of March.

He was still there at 12:11 enjoying the sun and the view.

Bald Canyon Eggs. Three always make me nervous. Two eaglets are a handful. It is difficult to image the resources and feedings required for three in comparison.

Cholyn at Two Harbours incubating her two eggs. I believe she is 25 years old this year.

Some of the best news is that Jak and Audacity’s seventh egg is still in tact. Today is day 9.

The Channel Islands Bald Eagles are part of a reintroduction project by the Institute for Wildlife Studies. Most of us know Dr Sharpe and his team from the intervention efforts at three of the nests during the 2022 breeding season: eaglet rescue at West End, eaglet rescue at Two Harbours, and Victor removed to rehab from the Fraser Point nest.

You might not know the history of DDT on the Channel Islands. Here is an introductory excerpt from the IWS website:

Bald eagles were present on the Channel Islands until the mid-1950s or early 1960s, but no successful nesting activity was known. The reasons for the decline and eventual disappearance of bald eagles on the Channel Islands are not completely understood. Possible causes include shooting, egg collecting, nest destruction, poisoning, removal of young from nests, and nest disturbance (Kiff 1980). The most likely cause of population declines, however, was the production and use of the industrial pesticide DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro ethane). Between 1947 and 1961 an estimated 37 to 53 million liters of DDT-contaminated acid sludge, containing 348-696 metric tons of DDT, were disposed of in an ocean dump site 16 km northwest of Catalina Island. In addition, it was estimated that another 1800 metric tons of DDT were discharged from the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant outfall, 3.3 km offshore of Palos Verdes Peninsula (Chartrand et al. 1985). The introduction of DDT into the Santa Monica Basin marine ecosystem was implicated in the decline of two other piscivorous bird populations on the Channel Islands, the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) and the double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) (Risebrough et al. 1971, Gress et al. 1973). These declines coincided with the decline of bald eagles as a breeding species on the Channel Islands.

I have mentioned it before, but DDT was also sprayed on Big Bear Lake. The toll this believed to be harmless insecticide wrought on all wildlife is unbelievable and ongoing.

Here are the links to all of the Channel Islands cameras including the falcons.

We are three days away from pip watch at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose in Miami. It is hot at the nest! 86 degrees F. Oh, goodness. We will get to see how eaglets do in the heat. You have observed them when it is cold and snowy.

Pepe and Muhlady have had a wonderful year. Tico and Pearl were on the nest Tuesday at 15:10, having some fish. They are observed flying around the area. Excellent.

On Tuesday, M15 had to contend with an intruder who even entered the nest. Still, he brought in 3 fish, and two prey items – an odd bit of something and a road kill possum. M15 is a constant observer – either in the nest or on the branch – of how the eaglets are doing with their self-feeding. Each of us must be smiling from ear to ear. We all have favourites every year, and 22 has certainly won over the hearts and minds of so many. No longer submissive and cowering but strong and surviving.

Mid-afternoon, Dad brings in a fish and feeds the other eaglet the rest of the road kill.

At 1646, Dad is in the nest cleaning up some of the tidbits that would attract predators and feeding the eaglets their final meal for the day (presumably). E22 is right up there snatching and grabbing that old possum!

Good Night SW Florida. Where is R23-3? Am I missing something?

The two eaglets at Duke Farms each ate well on Tuesday. They are sure growing! Fuzzy little ones with big crops.

In Louisiana, KNF-E1-03, Trey, was almost hit by a falling perch branch!

At the nest of Big Red and Arthur, Arthur flew into the nest early (0626) with more greenery. He checked out the nest bowl and off he went!

Big Red was in later inspecting everything that Arthur did just to make sure it is perfect.

The snow is starting to fall on the nest of our adorable Red-tail Hawks Tuesday evening. It is -1 C with 25 kph winds. Very windy!

The osplets at Mooring Park in Naples, Florida appear to be doing quite well.

Mum Sally needed a quick early morning break.

After the osplets hatch, the Mom stays in the nest most of the time. That said, she does take breaks, and, at this nest, Dad can be seen relieving her so she can have a stretch and a relaxation break. Still, his primary role is food delivery – ‘Daddy Door Dash’ and security. Alan Poole reminds us that the number of fish deliveries doubles and triples in the first 20 days after hatch. This is a rapid growth period.

Ospreys are semi-precocial. This means that they are not as developed as ducks or chickens who, after 24 hours, can walk, are covered with feathers, and feed themselves. Ducks and chickens are precocial. On the other hand, Songbirds are born altricial –naked and require complete care. Osplets are in between. They need their parents to feed them. They cannot regulate their temperature until they are 2 to 3 weeks old.

In terms of growth, osplets should “triple their body weight in the first eight days after hatch and then double that again in the next four days”, according to Poole. By the time they are a month old, they will be 70-80% of their adult size if all has gone well.

The GHOs in Corona, California are growing. That nest is getting tight. All four are doing well. The fourth hatch – about a 1/4 of the size of the oldest – has had some personal feedings.

We all knew it…just from the size, but it has now been confirmed. Sweet Pea or South Plateau Royal Cam chick is a male! A little boy. So nice for a change.

Making News:

We have seen 3-D printers make beaks for eagles and bits and bobs for humans, but, we have been waiting for legs. Now, when will we see these on an eagle? Surely they can use their mind to clinch the toes and talons, right?

Each of us wants to know what happens when one of the birds fledges. This is especially true when they have had a tragedy, such as ND17, when it fell from the collapsing nest. In the UK, at Balgavies Lach, Blue 640, known as The Bairn, did just that – fell out of a collapsing tree, too. That juvenile was spotted in Senegal! It survived its first migration. This is the reason for a huge celebration.

Now this is exciting!

Do you live near enough to the Audubon Centre of Prey in Maitland, Florida, to go for a celebration of baby owls? Oh, it looks like fun! What a great way to get items needed for the rehabilitation of our raptors.

The Cal Falcons t-shirt and hoodie fundraiser has begun for 2023. This design is fantastic, and on Wednesday, 8 March, if Annie is on time, she will lay her 3rd egg around 1600 scrape time.

To look at the options in colour and style, head off to: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/campanile-falcons23 The proceeds go to Cal Falcons not into a generic fundraising at Berkeley.

The Institute of Wildlife Studies (Dr Sharpe) is having their annual fundraiser, also.

Wisdom, the oldest living banded albatross in the world (early 70s) is a grandmother again!

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Keep an eye on Annie and Lou’s scrape and, of course, the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose as pip watch approaches. Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you so much to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that make up my blog today: ‘B’, ‘H’, FOBBV, Jana Maria Johnson Jamar and FOBBV, IWS, IWS and Explore.org, Jann Gallivan and CIEL, WRDC, Superbeaks, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Duke Farms, Tonya and KNF-E1, Cornell RTH, Moorings Park Ospreys, Corona California Owl Cam, Sharon Dunne and the Royal Cam Albatross Group NZ, David Attenborough Fans, Ospreys, The Telegraph, Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey, Cal Falsons, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels.

1 owlet for Bonnie and Clyde, Intruder at SW Florida, Beaking at Duke Farms…Tuesday in Bird World

7 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that the beginning of the week started well for you. We are so happy to have you with us today. There is just too much going on at the nests! Osprey cams are coming online because the ospreys are arriving in the US! The eagles have returned to their nest in Glacier Gardens in Alaska, eggs are being laid, and it is getting hard to remember everything that is going on. And, yes, the beaking has started at Duke Farms for no reason other than dominance. This behaviour will probably start at Moorings Park, too. Just hold your breath.

Monday was an interesting one with the kittens. Missy and Lewis have shown that they have a keen interest in ‘things’ in packets. Missy loves savoury Japanese snacks. Lewis will eat anything, and I mean anything, but he is especially fond of sweet things such as Japanese strawberry-filled crepes. Lewis will carry the little packets away while Missy is the ‘opener’. She would be great at unzipping fish for the Es. Today, a small pack of Madelines was on the island. Madeleines are delicate cakes that are the size of a cookie and in the shape of a shell. The French bakeries in my City make delicious ones. They were meant to go with Monday night’s after-dinner coffee. At 1900 the Madelines were nowhere to be found. Did I put them up, and did I forget? A thorough look in all of the drawers and cupboards turned up nothing.

Missey: ‘I didn’t take the cookies!’ [Any Mum who believes that has her head stuck in the sand!!!!!!]. Just look at that sweet face.

Lewis is now in a ‘cookie coma’.

It took ages to find the cookie packet! With Lewis practising opening doors, it seems the only safe place for any bags of treats – human or feline – is up high under lock and key!

Lewis did get another cupboard door open, too. Inside was a small vase with a handful of Canada Geese feathers picked up at the park over the summer when the geese were moulting. He was running all over the house and having such a time! Sort of playing ‘hockey’ with that feather batting it around. Such energy and agility.

Oops!

Next to boxes with paper wrapping or paper bags (cut the handles), the feathers proved to be great toys.

Lewis is often a very bad influence on Missy! He is not afraid of anything, and his battery never dies. Some of the cell phone companies should find out what his secret is! (He seriously makes me tired just watching him most days).

Missy waits for Lewis to get the paper out of the box. They will play with it for hours.

What joy these two rescue babies have brought. I cannot imagine life without them!

In the Mailbox:

‘N’ writes: Are ospreys born blind? I just saw this on a chat.

Oh, thanks, ‘N’ for sending in that question. Ironically, I saw that and a few other statements on a streaming chat today, too, and was puzzled by it. The leading authority on Ospreys in the US is Alan Poole.

The chicks are born with a furry down that is tan in colour with the distinctive black stripe down the back and the dark eye line to help them with the glare. This is not down as we think of it but it is “actually made up of feathers, simple unbranched feathers” (Poole, 97) – forming what looks like a fuzzy appearance. This helps them regulate their temperature. Now this is the important part to the answer of your question and I want to quote Poole. “Osprey hatchlings are known as ‘semi-precocial’ which means they are a step back in the development from the precocial young of chickens or ducks” (98). “Osprey hatchlings are a step ahead of their altricial young of songbirds, which are born largely naked and barely able to move much of anything beyond their heads or necks to beg for food.”

Two key terms are the thrust of the answer to the question. Precocial. The goslings and ducklings jump out of the nest after 24 hours and can care for themselves. They walk and feed. They turn to their parents for warmth and security. Altrial hatchlings are entirely dependent on their parents. So, what about Ospreys? Well, they are in the middle. They are not born blind like owlets. [A 2010 article from the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey says they are “born semi-altricial, or blind, feathered, and completely helpless.”] It does take a few days for their eyes to focus completely, but they are semi-Precocial, not semi-altricial. This is the bobblehead phase. They see a ‘beak’ and think of food. It could be their sibling!

Ospreys do not normally leave fish in the nest because it attracts predators or intruders. Normally the female will feed the begging chicks before she feeds herself. The new hatchlings can eat 10 small meals a day, the female taking the fish down to the open beak of the osplet.

Here is a good talk by Poole about Ospreys on YouTube. You can watch it in chunks:

If you are looking for a really good book with great images of the behaviours and development of Ospreys, I recommend Alan Poole’s book, Ospreys. The Revival of a Global Raptor. It also includes a section on threats and solutions. It is currently priced at $54 CDN or about $40 US on Amazon. You can also check any of the used book sellers, such as Abe Books or Thrift Books. I have this one and his earlier addition and both were purchased used.

There are many good volumes on Ospreys and over the course of the nest month I will be mentioning my favourites from the UK. Osprey season is starting – learn as much as you can!

At the Nests:

At the KNF-E3 nest, Nugget has branched at 67 days old! Congratulations everyone. Way to go Nugget.

At the nest of Connie and Clive, Connick is perching (standing on the rim of the nest like E21 and 22 at SW Florida).

I love the hatchling ospreys. However, those two little fluff balls at Duke Farms are adorable. However, the beaking has started. Thankfully, they are both about the same size, and hopefully, all of this will end soon.

Fan of Liberty and Freedom at Glacier Gardens in Alaska? Well, the streaming cam is back on early because the beloved couple was on the nest together on Monday.

Here is the link to their cam:

https://www.youtube.com/live/zukDc5a9_RE?feature=share

And guess what? the Ospreys are back at Dahlgren!!!!!! Oh, I wonder how many stuffies will land on the nest with Jack and Harriet this year?

Here is a video that HeidiMc did of the afternoon feedings at the Moorings Park Osprey nest. Sally sure does love her fish! Notice that the chicks are not yet screaming for food when she is eating! Their necks will get stronger, so they do not flop around. They need to hold their heads steady and have those beaks wide open. Otherwise, Mum does not think they are hungry!

The beak that is open is going to get the fish.

Wow, what a Dad. Harry brought in a late fish for Sally and the Bobs. Time 20:09. The Bobs were hungry. Just fantastic.

Turn around little ones!

The first GHO owlet hatched around 05:44 at the nest of Bonnie and Clyde on Farmer Derek’s property in Kansas. Apparently, the name already chosen is Butch Cassidy. After the event, Bonnie and Clyde were vocalising loudly, and Clyde flew to the nest tree.

Clyde is directly below Bonnie on another branch.

The voting has begun for the Corona Owlets of Owlvira and Hoots. If you go to the YouTube live cam page for the Corona Owls, click on the tab at the top to vote. The names have been organised in groups of four possible choices, with ‘Peanut’ appearing multiple times!

M15 brought in a squirrel and 2 fish to the SW Florida nest today despite the presence of a sub-adult at the nest tree. Doing good, Dad.

This was the 16:14 fish that M15 dropped and flew. Those eaglets are quick and it was a scramble. At one point, each appeared to have a piece of fish.

E21 and 22 are perching and working their wings (21 more than 22 with the wings).

M15 appears to have been alone all day. No sightings of R23-3. Everyone is wondering where she is. Does her absence have anything to do with the intruder? This morning, a posting from SW Florida indicated three eagles around the property yesterday. I presume it was M15; we know the sub-adult and, most likely, R23-3.

Good Night, Dad. You are amazing. Your kids are perching and flapping. Today 21 is 60 days old, and 22 is 58 days old. It is hard to imagine that they could take their first flights in less than three weeks. You have put us all to shame because we doubted you…no one will ever forget your great efforts. When someone asks: can a single parent Bald Eagle raise one-month-old eaglets on their own? The answer will be, ‘Of course, M15 did it!’ *

Question: Who (or what) is on the branch below towards the road?

The IR seems to be picking up two figures on the other cam. I do not believe it is R23-3. She would most likely be on the same branch close to M15.

Annie and Lou are taking turns incubating the eggs at The Campanile on the campus of UC-Berkeley. Looks like a bit of delayed incubation. Will we see a third egg on Wednesday?

At the nest of Big Red and Arthur, something caused Dad to work frantically on the nest today. Does he know something we don’t?

On March 4th at 19:15:49 that Jackie looked down at her eggs, reflecting on them before leaving them and the nest. Shadow was flying off, and she paused. A woman on FOBBV wrote that she believes eagles have feelings after seeing Jackie’s behaviour. Of course, they do. Of course. We collectively grieve with Jackie and Shadow as their hope for a family this year dissolved on a cold winter’s day in Big Bear Valley.

Making News:

Oh, I love this. We see so many lonely widowed Canada Geese in my city. These are domesticated geese, but how wonderful…a romance ad answered for a goose! Single mingles for Geese.

Widowed-cemetery-goose-finds-companionship-through-a-personal-ad-CBC-Radio Download

Speaking of geese…remember the Canada Goose couple that took over the old Decorah Bald Eagle nest last year and raised those goslings? They could be back!

This article came in the mailbox from Geemeff. It would be fantastic if every organisation controlling an area where our waterfowl breed would close the space off during breeding season. All too many – at least here in Winnipeg – chase the geese and ducks or send their dogs running. It is horrible treatment and causes great stress to the birds.

https://www.kpax.com/news/local-news/flathead-county/large-section-of-flathead-lake-north-shore-closed-for-seasonal-waterfowl-production

After at least eight years in the making, The High Seas Treaty has passed. This treaty will protect 30% of the high seas. While not everyone agrees about every point, most biologists believe this will go a long way to helping with climate change. It will also help our seabirds!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/05/high-seas-treaty-agreement-to-protect-international-waters-finally-reached-at-un?CMP=share_btn_link

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

My sincere thanks to the following that sent me notes, posted announcements, videos, and stories or have streaming cams that formed part of my blog today: ‘L’, ‘A’, ‘N’, ‘H’, ‘Geemeff’, Alan Poole, Amazon.com, Rhonda A and the KNF-E3 Eagle nest, Window to Wildlife, Ondabebe and Window to Wildlife, Duke Farms, Glacier Gardens, Dahlgren Osprey Cam, Heidi Mc and Moorings Park Osprey, Moorings Park Osprey, Farmer Derek, Corona California Owls, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Cal Falcons, Cornell RTH, FOBBV, CBC Radio, Laura Rose and the Decorah Eagles Love Nest, kpax.com, and The Guardian.

NOTE: A few single-parent bald eagles have successfully raised their entire clutch to fledge. I am thinking of Decorah, who had three eaglets in the nest. You might know of others. Let me know!

Annie and Lou have the 2nd egg…Monday in Bird World

Good Morning Everyone,

In the Mailbox:

‘J’ asks: “I was just wondering if you could talk about R23-3’s damaged talon. Do they heal? Will the actual nail fall off? Will it grow back?”

These are great questions; they have been on everyone’s mind since we first saw R23-3’s injured feet. First, let’s get to some facts in case some do not know. Those talons (and beaks) carry the eagle’s prey and nesting materials to the nest. They are also used to fight their enemies. Talons are essential for the eagle’s survival. Each foot has four talons, three in the front and one in the back, the hallux. The talons are made out of keratin. It is a protein. Human hair and nails are also made out of keratin.

So have a good look at the image below. Do you remember where the main injuries were on R23-3’s feet and talons? She appeared to have multiple marks and gouges, with one main injury on DIGIT IV, the Outer Talon. We saw it early as black, and I even called her ‘black taloned’. I feared that the injury was necrotic and would eventually kill her. There was no soft tissue swelling, just a deep gouge with a dark, dry scab. That scab eventually came off. The female adult appears to be eating and in good health. She enjoys her baths with M15 and socialising with him in the pond and on the branch. In other words, she is not lethargic.

That hallux is important because it digs into the prey items and allows the raptors to carry their food to where they will eat it or feed their young. The talons are grey in colour when the eaglets are in the nest and turn a shiny black as they age and fledge. They will remain that shiny black throughout their lives..

Now back to the question. The injuries on the female R23-3 appear to be healing. She has yet to lose her talon. If the entire talon were to be pulled out, growing a new one would be a very slow process. You might recall that Ervie, the third hatch Osprey at Port Lincoln in 2022, lost a talon. It was believed to be pulled out when he was fishing, but we do not know. It took nearly 8 months to see any growth in that talon.

We know that the female can bring carrion to the nest tree. We have seen her. She is also eating, arriving with a crop when she has yet to take a fish from the nest. We have yet to see the female actively hunting and carrying a large, heavy prey item to the nest tree. We, therefore, cannot make any observations on her ability or lack of ability to transport prey with that right foot.

If the foot continues to heal as it appears to, this female will be fine. Some eagles are flying and living with only one leg, as we have witnessed this year or managing with a leg with an old injury that did not heal properly, as Ma Berry did for years at Berry College. Feet get damaged regularly. V3’s feet are rough at the NEFl nest (with Gabby). Let us wait and watch to see how she does!

Hard to see the full extent of the injuries in the image below. We can, however, determine which is the most injured toe on the right foot.

We can also see some damage on the left foot.

It must be noted that Peregrine Falcons have been observed with talons with broken ends, which do not appear to grow back. In other words, the entire black talon needs to be pulled out and it is possible that it will regrow slowly.

In the News:

How might climate change impact the Northern Hemisphere’s sea birds? This is a great article coming out of Birdlife International on this topic. Have a read!

https://www.birdlife.org/news/2023/03/02/what-climate-change-looks-like-for-north-east-atlantic-seabirds/

Nest News:

Have you been missing Indigo? wondering if he was still around the scrape on the campus of Charles Sturt University in Orange, Australia? thinking that Diamond and Xavier might be having some peace and quiet? No. Indigo is still there! Elain caught him on video!

Jackie and Shadow are so loved. They get more visitors to their streaming cam in the Big Bear Valley east of Los Angeles than any other eagle family in the US. We are saddened by the non-viability of their first clutch of eggs in 2023. It is not clear whether or not they will lay more eggs. The couple has left these two and the wind and ice are pelting down. Love you, Jackie and Shadow! Today, they made the USToday News. Thanks, ‘B’, for letting me know!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/animalkind/2023/03/05/big-bear-bald-eagle-live-nest-cam/11377425002/

M15 is on top of his game. On Sunday, the single parent delivered 3 fish to the nest of E21 and 22 before noon! Way to go, Dad! There were a total of five for the entire day.

Gosh, these eaglets are gorgeous.

The tails indicate the difference. E22 on the left and E21 on the right. Otherwise it is really difficult to tell them apart.

Such beautiful and precious babies. E21 below panting to keep cool.

The end of the day posting from SW Florida Eagles:

I mentioned that Duke Farms’s male will be 23 this year. That hatch date is 11 March. He was taken in as a foster eaglet at Duke Farms when he was a fortnight old. His two recently hatched eaglets are growing and are ever so strong! Just fluffy little snow people…adorable.

The osplets at Moorings Park in Naples, Florida are doing great. No worries at this nest so far.

Monday morning there was some frustration on the osprey nest by the osplets. Sally was hungry and there was a lot of fish. Harry finally gave her a break so that she could eat. The little osplets sure wanted some fish! They were up and waiting as Mum ate. There is nothing to worry about. At this stage of their development, they will eat a little fish many times a day not a lot of fish a few times.

At the Achieva Osprey nest, Jack and Diane have been doing incubation rotations. There are still some days til pip watch for these two.

Big Red and Arthur continue to work on the nest and mate on the light stands. Eggs soon, please!

Big Red and Arthur’s 2022 hatch, L4, remains on the Cornell Campus. Bravo! They are paying her no mind and she is going on about her business hunting in a very prey rich territory.

Happy Hatch Day!

There are now four eggs at the Peregrine Falcon nest in Japan. Will there be a 5th?

Watching for the second egg to be laid at Cal Falcons. Annie has been in the scrape box most of the day.

At 14:51 there was still just one egg. Soon!

At 15:09, Lou is on incubation duties.

‘H’ sent me news that the second egg arrived around 0430 Monday 6 March. Thanks, ‘H’.

Lou is getting the hang of ‘enfluffeling’!

Connie and Clive’s only eaglet, Connick, is looking for roles in more superhero movies. Looks at those legs!!!!! Wow. This eaglet is big and strong.

Connick is a huge, beautiful, well-nourished eaglet! Sometimes there is no place to go when the sun is hot on the nest. Connick can regulate his temperature now.

Gabby and V3 are both at the nest tree today. V3 provided for Gabby the security she needed with so many intruders and hopeful suitors. This nest is pleasantly peaceful now. Have you noticed that it is the same at SW Florida except for the GHOs?

Thanks, ‘T’ for the head’s up. The West End streaming cam was panning around, and guess who the camera caught? Akecheta!!!!!! Oh, it would be grand if they could figure out how to get this camera to focus on the new nest of Thunder and Akecheta. The time is 13:13 Sunday, 5 March. Nice to see you, Dad.

We may not be able to get everyone to stop using rodenticide but each of us can start by remembering that ‘Raptors are the Solution.’ If you know of someone with rodent problems, discuss with them why you do not use these highly designed poisons. If they have domestic pets, it might help save their lives, too. My cat Duncan would still be alive if a neighbour had not used this terrible poison and if Duncan had not caught the mouse that ate it. We will simply not be able to convince everyone but it is worth a try.

I want to thank Dave Hancock and all the folks in British Columbia who work tirelessly to support the well-being of Bald Eagles. There are more Bald Eagles in British Columbia than anywhere in the world. Due to climate change and rising temperatures during breeding and nesting season, Dave Hancock has also been working on eagle nest shades. He is an amazing man who has spent his entire life trying to improve their lives. Some of you will be familiar with the nest cams in British Columbia. They also have a web site with lots of information on eagles.

At the Corona, California GHO nest, the four owlets appear to be very healthy. The fourth is tiny, but size does not mean it is not well. Owlvira seems to be able to manage to feed all of them quite well. Potential names have been posted on chat, and now those are being put into a list for voting.

You can see the size difference in the image below as all are snuggled upright to stay warm.

Thanks so much for being with me today. Take care of yourselves! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that help make up my blog today: ‘B’, ‘H’, ‘A’, ‘J’, Superbeaks, Lady Deeagle55 and Superbeaks, Avianreport.com, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Birdlife.org, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, SWEagleCam.com, Duke Farms, Moorings Park Ospreys, HeidiMc and Achieva Credit Union, Cornell RTH, @Cornellhawks, Kakapo Recovery, JPFalcon Cam, Cal Falcons, SKHideaways and Cal Falcons, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, IWS and Explore.org, Raptors are the Solution, Hancock Wildlife Foundation, and California Corona Owls.

2nd egg for Chase & Cholyn, Tico forced to fledge, and more…Sunday in Bird World

5 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

It was a beautiful day on the Canadian prairies on Saturday, and I did not stay as alert to what was happening on the nests as I might usually. Sometimes that is a good thing! It gave me some time to spend with the kittens in the conservatory, which I enjoy doing. Lewis is a particularly hyper kitty. It is no surprise. He chased toys all over an aquarium the first time we saw him. Missy was quiet like she is now. Indeed, she hardly ever meows but has the sweetest purr. She leaves all the haggling for food and treats to Lewis, a task he particularly enjoys. In early November, both kittens could fit with room to spare on the top spot of the cat tree. No more! Lewis even hangs off the edge.

Lewis enjoys being a dare-devil!

He certainly has a great view of the garden!

Missy was too busy watching birds out of the window to worry if Lewis was going to fall down.

They had a lovely day. Missy even got to see Mr Woodpecker!

M15 continues to bring in prey items. E22 got the first on Saturday which appeared to be a squirrel, bunny, or roadkill. After that, E22 continued to mantle and got the fish. E 21 would steal it from between 22’s legs. You must dig those talons in, 22! Both are eating well, and there is no cause for concern unless something catastrophic happens at the nest.

At 12:06, M15 came to the nest and broke a fish into two pieces (or what it looked like) so each eaglet could eat. He fed one, and the other ate. It seriously doesn’t get better than this. He is an incredible dad who has made several deliveries to his 8-week-old eaglets on Saturday. They will be on the nest for 10-11 weeks til they fledge. At that time, M15 will help them get their flight muscles strong and their flying good while providing prey and teaching them to hunt. I know that we did not ever think we would see this day a month ago but wow. Isn’t it grand?

Each has been working on and off again with the head of an Armoured Catfish that came in around 15:20:41.

E22 mantled the fish head, but then E21 took it.

Around 1700, E22 was still chewing on that old catfish head while 21 had found a dried fish tail hidden in the rim of the nest. Then 21 got excited and started jumping and flapping! 22 could care less. He continued eating!

Good Night M15, R23-3, E21 and 22. Sweet Eaglet Dreams.

There have been two deliveries at the SW Florida nest before 1100. They came around 10:00 and another nice fish at 10:43.

Both eaglets have been spending time on the rim of the nest.

Our great Dad.

Word has come from ‘H’ this morning that Pearl flew to the nest on Saturday and landed on Tico, forcing him to fledge. He has not been seen at the nest since.

Tico was seen across the street with his foot caught in a vine upside down last night. He freed himself. There have been boots on the ground looking for him. They believe he could be in the woods.

If you have been watching the Bald Eagle nest at Camp Margaritaville in Auburndale, Florida, CM2 has passed. This little one was harassed and hurt from the time it hatched for no obvious reasons, as there was plenty of food in the nest. (There is a stocked pond). Whether it died on Friday or Saturday is unknown, but the cause was siblicide. The eaglet suffered greatly. Sometimes we must be grateful that the suffering ends for these precious little ones. Thanks, ‘H’ for alerting me to this tragedy.

Annie arrives to incubate her and Lou’s first egg of the season…talking to it! How precious. Time 08:39:37 4 March.

Cal Falcons tells us when to expect the next egg.

This is a view of Bald Canyon. Thank you, Gracie Shepherd. If you want to see all of the IWS streaming cams from the Channel Islands, go to iws.org and click on the name of the nest in the listings on the left.

Gabby and V3 continue to put a smile on my face. V3 is a good provider and a fantastic security guard. Have you noticed that there are seemingly no more intruders coming to the nest except for the odd fly through juvenile?

V3’s talons have had a rough time lately.

The two eaglets at Duke Farms are growing and eating and are such cute fuzzy little bobbleheads. They look like miniature teddy bears. Did you know that their Dad, A/59 is 23 years old? He is! There is lots of food in this nest!

Jackie and Shadow are spending less time on the eggs. Right now, I wish the Ravens would come and take them so the eagles could move forward. They did visit today. It must be difficult for the eagles to destroy their own eggs.

They might have another clutch, but they might not. If those eggs weren’t in the nest, it would give them some closure. So sad for these two. Amazing parents who gave us Spirit – 1 year and 1 day since her hatch.

At the MN-DNR nest of Nancy and Beau, one egg remains. One broke after Nancy worked hard to protect the two eggs during a strong winter storm. The songbirds are announcing spring is coming. You can hear them in the background of the streaming cam. It is lovely.

Cholyn and Chase are still incubating a single egg at Two Harbours in the Channel Islands. Folks were watching for a second egg and Cholyn did not disappoint. That egg arrived around 18:14:24 Saturday 4 March.

Maria dk caught the moment on video:

Everyone is holding their breath and sending the most positive wishes to Jak and Audacity who are still incubating egg #7 after the eighth egg broke.

‘H’ had me laughing and well, anytime there is siblicide, we look to find the joy in the birds. Dear Angus loves to stand on the back of Florence. Poor thing!

Harry and Sally are doing a fantastic job of being first-time parents. Their osplets both hatched on 3 March. The oldest at 01:29 and the youngest at 20:03. Now, if every female raptor (osprey or eagle) could manage their delayed incubation so that the hatches were this close or closer, the world of raptors would be a much more equitable place.

Seriously, how much more cuteness do we need? Just look at those two lined up so nicely for fish.

We are still some days before pip watch at Achieva in St Petersburg, Florida. The first egg is 25 days old today – so 10-11 days from now, probably making that the 15th of March.

Rosie and Richmond were both on the Whirley Crane today. It seems to take them a few days to get re-acquainted each year but, for us, it is nice to have both of them safe at home.

The Welsh take their ospreys seriously. The final touches to the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn were put into place as the team awaits the couple’s arrival from their winter migration. Ospreys were seen over Suffolk today, heading north!

The Patuxent River Park Osprey platform cams are streaming, and the first bird arrived on Saturday. It is happening – everything is starting at once!!!!!!

Small and lost Atlantic Puff is saved from highway collision in New Brunswick, Canada.

Little-Atlantic-puffin-rescued-on-busy-N.B.-roadway-CBC-News Download

Happy Hatch Day! Another Kakapo celebrates. This is so wonderful. 55 hatched in 2022 and they are still alive!

What should and what can we do to stop the destruction of nature on our doorsteps? There is a new word for it, ‘ecocide’.

This wholesale demolition of nature is described as ecocide – a term put forward by the Stop Ecocide Foundation as “unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts”. Although no law has yet been passed, we know ecocide when we see it. It is a moral red line that is being crossed.

While this is about a particular acerage being taken over in the UK, the concerns extend to the entire globe.

“The dismantling of nature’s complexity can no longer be seen as acceptable fallout to maintain the way we have become accustomed to living, and to support the “growth” agenda to which we have become addicted. The planet is perilously close to ecosystem collapse. Humanity created the problem. It is our job to fix it – now.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/02/we-must-call-out-the-ecocide-on-our-doorstep?CMP=share_btn_link

Big Red has been at the Fernow Light stand nests. Progress is really being made and we are within 9 days of what could be the first egg laid.

Did you watch Bonnie and Clyde raise Lily and Tiger on the Bald Eagle nest on Farmer Derek’s Property in 2021? Well, their eggs are getting closer to hatching this year. Egg 1 is 33 days old, and egg 2 is 30 days old. The incubation period for GHOs is normally 30-37 days….so guess what? We are there.

Guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Thank you, ‘A’ for the link. Sweet Pea is a proficient gardener. Watch out for the squiggling in the nest and those paddles!

Last but certainly not least is a march and a call to end rodenticide poisons. We must all band together to stop these deadly toxins that kill rodents, our beautiful raptors, and other mammals! Raising awareness helps.

It is so nice to have you with us in Bird World. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, their tweets, their posts, their videos, and their streaming cams that help make up the news in my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Camp Margaritaville Bald Eagles, Lady Deeagle55 and Superbeaks, Maria dk and IWS and Explore.org, Cal Falcons, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, NEFL-AEF, Duke Farms, FOBBV, MN-DNR, IWS and Explore.org, Window to Wildlife, Moorings Park Ospreys, Achieva Credit Union, Golden Gate Audubon, Patuxent River Park, CBC.ca, Kakapo Recovery, The Guardian, Cornell RTH Cam, Farmer Derek, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, Terry Carman Bald Eagle Live Nest Cams and News.

Annie lays her first egg, Second hatch at Moorings. huge storm at Berry College…Saturday in Bird World

4 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

Friday was an amazing day on the Canadian Prairies. The temperature ‘soared’ to -1 C. The sun was out, the sky was blue, the snow was melting, and the birds were singing. I had a wonderful walk at the nature centre where I was entertained by frolicking Red Squirrels and Chickadees.

Precious.

Today, I am not going to start with M15 and how wonderful he is. No, it is Flaco, the Eurasian owl that escaped from a small zoo in Central Park and has been living there happily ever after. Everyone loves Flaco and he made The New York Times! Let us all hope that this attention is not detrimental to Flaco’s well being!

Can you imagine that Flaco had no idea what the life of an owl outside an enclosure was? “Never before had the owl seen such wide open spaces. Never before had he been harassed by squirrels, and noisy blue jays and streetwise crows. It was amazing to watch Flaco learn, said Molly Eustis, a stage manager and owl lover, and “think ‘wow this is probably the first time in his life he’s been that high up in a tree!’ and to think how that must feel for him. Or the first time he caught a rat! Or felt the rain falling all around him.” Another observer said, “But then Flaco defied everyone’s expectations. As longtime bird watcher Stella Hamilton pointed out, he was “like a fledgling” mastering the art of surviving, but a fledgling who compressed weeks of learning into a couple days. Despite a lifetime in captivity, the owl had somehow “remained wild inside.”

Why-We-Love-Flaco-the-Escaped-Owl-The-New-York-Times Download

The camera is currently down at the Berry College Eagle nest. The huge storms that tore through the area on Friday ripped enormous trees up by their roots. Thankfully, the eagles and their tree are alright.

In Florida, M15 had delivered four fish to the SW Florida Eagle nest by 1400. The Es were delighted – and yes, E22 did eat almost an entire fish. Neither one went hungry and we should not worry about either of them. They eat or they are fed or both. One of those deliveries was caught on camera. Here comes M15 flying into the nest with a big fish in his talons.

The first fish one arrived around 0700. Shortly after, R23-3 arrived.

She feeds 21 some fish before flying off with that lovely prey.

Sharon Pollock shows us the action:

M15 was not upset. He took it all in stride flying out to get another. He was back in the nest in a few minutes feeding the eaglets. I am so glad that M15 is bringing in lots of fish instead of prey items that have been road kill. Or worse birds that could have Bird Flu. Perhaps he realizes that he could be injured by a collision and then who would care for the Es. Also, fish do not have to be prepared and when Harriet was alive, she was the one that took care of all the plucking and de-furring. Maybe M15 doesn’t like that.

It is 0719. There is this amazing Dad feeding his eaglets breakfast.

Since they have hatched, ‘A’ and I have been discussing gender. Of course, we will never know but, nests with the same gender raptors tend to have less aggression. I would say that 21 is ‘less aggressive’ compared to most older siblings if food is in short supply which it was for only a couple of days. So, in my mind, they are the same – either both males or both females. You might recall the Rutland Osprey nest in 2022 with three large females. It was relatively peaceful. The same for the Port Lincoln Ospreys when there were the three males – Bazza, Falky, and Ervie. So, look at the size of these two next to Dad. Mind you, M15 has lost weight. Females tend to lose 30% of their body weight caring for eaglets…I wonder how much he has lost. Still, look at them compared to him. What do you think?

Have you noticed how energetic the eaglets get (any nest) after a good feeding? E21 really starts flapping its wings.

E22 is eating a nice fish at 1054. The kid has done well at self-feeding and is much more proficient than 21.

M15 feeding the Es at 1343.

M15 delivered another giant fish around 16:16 and fed the Es. Then left some for them to self-feed. All the while, R23-3 was on a branch of the nest tree. She did not bother them. We did get a good look at her foot.

Heidi Mc caught the couple bathing together at the pond today. These two look so happy together. I am glad that M15 has company. They seem to enjoy one another’s company!

Another bath video!

Good Night, M15. You really are the ‘Dad and Mum of the Year’.

Darn that owl! M15 can’t get any rest!!!!!!

The Es are 7.5 – 8 weeks old. The little one at Moorings Park is less than 24 hours old. Heidi Mc prepared a video of its first feeding! Oh, how I wish these osprey parents would kill those fish before bringing them to the nest!

Heidi Mc also caught the hatch. If you missed it, here it is:

The pip in the second egg at Moorings Park is progressing well. This was 1542.

And then there were two at The Moorings. Congratulations Sally and Harry. Well done!

Oh, those two little eaglets at Duke Farms are simply cute. What else can you say about less than 24 hour old eaglets? There is plenty of food. Looks like a rabbit and a huge hunk of fish on that nest. I wonder if they are going to get some of the bad weather that will hit the Ithaca area impacting Big Red and Arthur?

At the Webster Texas Eagle nest, Ringo is really getting some air under those wings! Go Ringo!

Arthur has been working hard during Friday as the winter storm is approaching Ithaca. Big Red flies in to inspect his efforts.

And the snow is coming down on Arthur and Big Red’s nest right now!

Are you interested in the history of the Osprey nest on the Whirley Crane? of Richmond and Rosie? Tony Blake put together a chronological order of the history and happenings. I am so grateful that SF Bay Ospreys posted it for us. If you are new to watching Ospreys or want a reminder of all the exciting things to come, this is for you. It will, of course, apply to most of the other osprey nests we monitor, too!

Richmond and Rosie began breeding on the Whirley Crane in 2016. At the time they would have been three years old, approximately. This makes them 10 years old this year. Did you know that the average life expectancy of an osprey living in the wild is 8-10 years. That said, many live to be in their late 20s. Let us all vow to watch and love this couple and wish them a long life.

A-Chronological-Osprey-Season-SF-Bay-Ospreys Download

I promised ‘A’ that I would look in on the four owlets of Hooty and Owlvira at the Corona California owl basket (?). The oldest is huge compared to the little one but all are alive and seem to be doing rather well. The space is certainly getting tight!

At The Campanile, Annie and Lou have their first egg of the 2023 season!

Happy hatch day, Tangiwai.

Whenever you look at little Sweet Pea at the Royal Cam Albatross nest in New Zealand or those adorable Moli at Kauai’, I want you to remember that plastic is killing them. Now, it is worse. There is a disease that has been found that is linked to plastic and sea birds. They are calling it ‘Plasticosis’. The author says, “When birds ingest small pieces of plastic, they found, it inflames the digestive tract. Over time, the persistent inflammation causes tissues to become scarred and disfigured, affecting digestion, growth and survival.”

So what can you do about it? Refuse to purchase anything plastic. Make it known to the people who sell you produce that you will not purchase items in mesh plastic bags. It doesn’t matter if they are recycled or not. They do more harm to all of the birds and wildlife, just like monochrome filament line. The beaks and little legs get caught up in those nasty bags. We do not need them. Surely we can take home 4 lemons without having them in a bag! Besides you can never truly see how good the items in the mesh bags are when compared with those sold separately.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/03/plasticosis-new-disease-caused-by-plastics-discovered-in-seabirds?CMP=share_btn_link

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cam that help make up my blog today: The New York Times, Tani Denton B3 Branch Buddies and Berry College Eagles, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Sharon Pollock and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Heidi Mc and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida and D Pritchett, Heidi Mc and Moorings Park Osprey, Duke Farms, Paul White and Webster Texas Eagle Cam, Cornell Bird Lab RTH Cam, Tony Black and SF Ospreys, Corona California Owl Cam, Kakapo Recovery, and The Guardian.

Rosie is Home, Arthur is Busy, Intruder lands on Guardian in Nest, …Thursday in Bird World

2 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

The top Osprey story has to be that Rosie has returned to the nest on the Whirley Crane in the Richmond Shipping Yard. Richmond will be delighted! Oh, so happy you are home safe, Rosie.

Just look at those two beautiful eaglets on the SW Florida Nest. They are 7.5 weeks old! It has been a month since their Mum, Harriet, disappeared. M15 has done a fantastic job caring for the couple’s two eaglets, who were a month old. Now they have their juvenile plumage, standing on the rim of the nest, stealing food, and self-feeding. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

On Tuesday, M15 brought a squirrel to the nest. Of course, E22 grabbed a massive piece of it! What a survivor! SK Hideaways caught E22 doing another great eating trick: sit on 21 to get to the beak!

The two eaglets have been enjoying the Florida sunshine and standing on the rails on Thursday. There were four deliveries on Wednesday: 1308, 1338, 1457, and 1505. They came fast and were not large. E22 often got the fish only to lose it to 21.

M15 came to the nest with a small fish at 13:38:16. E22 pulled off something quickly, 21 got some fish, and Dad quickly left. He was gone in 39 seconds! At 13:38:55.

After, E22 searched for scraps while 21 looked out at the big world beyond.

Lady Hawk caught the deliveries and the action in a video montage.

It is 10:30 in Florida as I finish writing on Thursday. The Es are waiting for breakfast.

As I continue monitoring the SW Florida Eagle nest with M15, I try to catch up on other nests we have been watching. These eaglets are growing, and it will not be long until there are fledges. Right now, the first hatch of Alex and Andria at the KNF-E3 nest in the Kisatchie Forest in Louisiana is hovering! Yes, you read that right. He has wind under those wings. Just look. Incredible. The nest is going to become a trampoline for these two eaglets.

B16, the ‘apple’ of Pa and Missy Berry’s talons and eagle eyes is 39 days old today and is now mantling prey when it comes to the nest!

Both of the recent hatches at Duke Farms appear to be doing well. Dad has been on and off the nest checking, and there was an attempt at tandem feeding today. Well done, Duke Farms!

What an adorable image. Two little fluff balls. Pa and Ma make sure that each gets fed and has a little crop.

There has been more trouble at the nest of Liberty and Guardian in Redding, California. An intruder landed on the nest! Gary explains what is happening but, Guardian prevails saving the nest and the egg.

At the nest of the Sauces Canyon couple, Audacity and Jak, egg #7 is holding. If I were Audacity, I would eat on the nest without trying to move! Everyone send this fantastic couple the most positive wishes you can – imagine, seven eggs hoping that one will not break easily and will hatch!

Cholyn was thrown off the nest at Two Harbours in the Channel Islands on Wednesday. There were concerns for her. She returned to incubate the egg overnight, doing a handover to Chase at 0605 Thursday morning. Cholyn is 24 years old – she went right over the cliff’s edge.

Nancy and Beau at the Minnesota DNR nest have lost an egg. It is believed to have broken when Nancy tried to keep the eggs warm and dry during the recent winter storms. Let’s hope for one healthy hatch!

A squirrel has been in the nest at Decorah North chewing on the egg. There is a question of its viability. Eagle back incubating regardless!

We are looking for a pip at the Moorings Park Osprey platform. Sally was acting rather peculiar…maybe the pip has started! Sally and Harry are not giving a thing away. Cannot tell Thursday morning if there is a pip or not.

Arthur is being just his amazing self and delivering sticks for the nest for Big Red. We could be less than two weeks away from the first egg!

Arthur should be proud. He has diligently transformed a pile of windswept sticks with new ones creating a nest for his queen, Big Red. Let’s hope she approves!!!! Big Red can be specific when it comes to stick placement!

Thanks, Sharon Dunne, for the update on the first Moli of the Laysan Albatross Colony on Kauai’ to hatch this year.

Another Kakapo gets its name!

Scientists were delighted when travelling through Madagascar, a believed to be an extinct songbird, the Dusky Tetraka, was seen! Here is that article from Birdlife International. Can you imagine how excited they were?

Found-Mysterious-songbird-rediscovered-in-Madagascar-after-eluding-scientists-for-24-years-BirdLi Download

You will remember my joy when the EU announced that lead would be banned in all 27 European countries in wetlands as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. Here is more information about this bold move. Can we get this to happen in North America? It would certainly be a beginning but we need to ban lead in all hunting and fishing equipment everywhere!

Press-release-Lead-ammunition-finally-banned-from-wetlands-across-the-EU-BirdLife-International Download

While the Bald Eagles and some ospreys nest in the US, the first osprey to return from winter migration to Africa has flown over Hampshire in the UK. It will not be long until we have our first returnees on the streaming cams. Will it be Blue 33 and Maya at Rutland?

I am getting so excited it is impossible to think!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, it is going to be getting soooooo busy. Word has come of Osprey crossing The Strait of Gibraltar. Oh, cold chills are going up my arms. I do so love these raptors.

There is a new osprey platform going up in Cumbria that is hoping to attract a couple! Good luck everyone.

Last is a book review that I have been reading in the evenings after checking on the SW Florida nest.

Raptor behaviour interests everyone, and I wanted to know more about M15. Marti Lord is one of the local photographers and observers of the SW Florida nest. To say that they love these eagles would be an understatement! Their book, Miracle in the Pines – An Eagles Love Story, is an intimate account of a single year in the life of M15 and Harriet. It is 2020. Lord says, “This book is a mixture of my real-life visits to the Southwest Florida Eagles Nest, home of Harriet and M15, to Photograph and observe them, mixed with watching the live cams every day and documenting the activity on the nest. Then I add my own twist of fiction and storytelling to complete the story.”

The story is about season 8. Harriet and M15 had two eggs in the nest. One failed to hatch. Mr Sassy Pants, or E14, was the name given to the eaglet that hatched and tragically died on the nest at 26 days of rodenticide poisoning. CROW removed the body and the non-viable egg. Lord says, “I watched closely to see if there would be any clues as to what Harriet and M15 would do next.” They did move on, and what unfolds is the story of two eaglets, Miracle and Grace, hatched from a second clutch of eggs.

While the book is composed of chapters following the daily lives of the eagles, what struck me most is how Lord shares another perspective, one that those watching the nest on a streaming cam will never have. The family of eagles is observed in the area around the nest. M15 is particularly present once the eaglets fledge. He helps them by the pond, delivers prey; he flies with them. Those stories make this book a really good read, especially if you want to know more about this family and M15.

In 2020, E9 is still in the area, and M15 goes hunting with him. Not only is the season remarkable for the success of a second clutch, but also because this is the year Miracle stays at the nest with her parents squeeing and chasing Dad for fish until the 15th of November. It is just about time for Harriet to lay her eggs, and everyone is wondering when 15 will leave OR will Harriet and M15, who have been working on an alternative nest, have to move house. This intimate behind-the-scenes account of this extraordinary year was such a joy to read. Lord brings to life all of the birds and mammals that live on or come to the pond at the Pritchett property and their interactions with the eagles. And, yes, the GHOs are there and knocking M15 off the branch, too! My only disappointment was that the images were in black and white, and Lord’s photographs of this nest, often seen on the SW Florida Eagles Facebook, are extraordinary in colour. I presume that this was the publisher and a cost issue. It happens far too often now… but, that does not take away from a really detailed and passionate accountant of a year in the life of this Bald Eagle family. I admired M15 prior to reading the book and am more of an ardent supporter now!

How ironic it just was to check FB and Trish Rawlings had posted a picture of Harriet feeding E15!

Just because. A throw back video to a month ago when Mama Harriet was being fed by M15 who was also feeding the eaglets. Yes, it is OK to tear up.

Love. Annie and Lou style, thanks to SK Hideaways. Eggs? Soon?

There is lots and lots of news and nests to cover now. This is a glimpse into what is happening at some of the nests!

Lewis and Missy wish everyone a good end of the week. Did I say they love their big dog fluffy bed?

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, postings, tweets, videos, and streaming cams which help make up my blog: Lucille Powell and the SF Osprey Cam with Rosie and Richmond, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Tonya Irwin and KNF E3, Berry College Eagles, Gary and FORE, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, IWS and Explore.org, MN Non-game Wildlife Program, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Moorings Park Naples Florida, Cornell RTH Cam, Sharon Dunne and Royal cam Albatross Group NZ, Kakapo Recovery, Birdlife International, Alan Petrie Ospreys FB, @WildHaweswater, Marti Lord, NEFL and SWFL Eaglecam Watcher’s Club, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, and SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons.

Hatch at Duke Farms, GHO owlet with family, E22 is the fastest prey grabber…Tuesday in Bird World

28 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Lewis and Missy hope you have had a wonderful start to the week. They are enjoying a new ‘dog bed’. It is so soft, and with their own blankets, they both decided that it was ‘OK’. They are way too big to share the small basket, and neither one will be alone!

They had to do everything together from the moment they came to their forever home. It is like synchronised living. Sleep, eat, drink water, poop, look out the window, play – it is always in tandem.

My goodness. Most of the time we think of a pip and then a wait to see how long it will be until hatch. Well, the first eaglet of the year has blasted out of the egg at Duke Farms. This is one strong eaglet. Want to bet she is a fierce formidable female?

Dad was on the nest checking on the progress.

The reveal came around 14:06.

Well, hello! Aren’t you amazing? Such a strong eaglet! Dad sees his chick for the very first time.

One strong eaglet! A nice fresh fish on the nest for Tuesday morning breakfast!

The first breakfast for Monday came in at 10:28:45 at the SW Florida nest of M15 and the Es. It was very difficult to see what that prey item was, actually. E22 mantled it and got a huge chunk. M15 found some small bits and kept 21 busy feeding him.

Another delivery came at 13:47:05. This time it was a small fish, not tiny but not huge. E21 was up at Dad’s beak first but 22 did his usual work around and got up to the beak to get some of that fish. E22 exhibited no fear as he touched beaks with 21 trying to get some fish. Meanwhile, the female is down in one of the trees not bothering what is going on at the nest. It appears that 21 and 22 play around trying to eat the skin and some bits and bobs.

E22 is the fastest eaglet on this nest and the best at self-feeding. He learned those traits early on when we all thought he might not survive. What a great eagle you will be 22.

M15 came in with another prey item at 14:54:14. It was difficult to tell which eaglet was which, but both got something to eat. I think it was 22 at the end who also had the bone and was chewing on it. Perhaps you held your breath seeing the adult above the nest, but thankfully, it was M15 just getting off the nest at 15:01:36.

I believe it is 21 on the left and 22 on the right by the tail feathers but, I could be so wrong.

M15 came in with another fish for the eaglets at 16:23:21. E21 got some first bites but E22 was quick to get itself into a position to snatch and grab from the right to the left!

E21 is on the left and E22 is on the right.

He just grabbed a big piece of fish!

22 pushes 21 back while keeping his beak up to get the fish.

The fish went back and forth, but E22 got it and finished it off quickly. Dad was back up to the branch at 16:28:38.

That might be the last feeding of the day. It has gone well. Thank you, M15.

They both look a little tattered. Harriet was M15’s first mate. She was a fierce eagle as we know and no one would mess with her chicks, her nest, or her territory. We wait to see how this goes.

I am warming up to her. Injuries, stress, hunger. They all trigger behaviours that might not otherwise take place. Yes, she has pecked and winged but, she has not injured E21 or E22. As we know she did, voluntarily or feeling forced, feed 21. She has protected the territory. M15 will need a ferocious mate to take on this popular territory together.

M15 brought a squirrel into the nest at 093215 for 21 and 22. He did some feeding but, in the end, it seems that 21 took some of it to self-feed. That is 22 getting fed by Dad below.

There appears to be, sadly, a territorial dispute going on at the Redding Bald Eagle nest of Liberty and Guardian. Guardian returned to the nest where Liberty is incubating their single egg for the season injured on Sunday. Injuries appear to be the left eye, the top of the head, and some frayed tail feathers.

A short time in Ron and Rose’s nest, a shift change. I love the chortling.

Everyone is counting down the time to eggs and I am thinking that it is two weeks. Around 13 March for Big Red and Arthur. So happy they are back at the nest on the Fernow Light Stand so that we can watch them raise their eyases.

Meanwhile, L4 is still with the young hawk and still on Mum and Dad’s territory as far as I am aware.

The heavy snowfall promised to hit the northeastern US is now falling on Big Red and Arthur’s nest in Ithaca, New York.

Indigo is still home! And he is loud. Missy and Lewis always want the volume off. For some reason, Indigos’ screeching scares them.

If you want to glimpse the four owlets at the Corona Owl Nest, you need to watch during the night or do a good rewind. There are four of them, and voting will begin on naming the four on March 6. Check out the chat with the live stream: Corona Owls on YouTube.

At Taiaroa Head, home to the Royal Albatross Colony, Sweet Pea does her very first sky call. Lady Hawk caught it for us!

Jackie and Shadow made the news in Greece. I keep saying if love could fill that nest with little eaglets, that nest would be spilling over. Fingers crossed for a successful second clutch and hatch in the future. If you are wondering, yes, it is possible. When Harriet and M15 lost Sassy Pants, M15 wanted another clutch of eggs. Those two eaglets hatched and were named Miracle and Grace.

Making News:

I brought you the news from CROW about a GHO owlet that had fallen out of a tree and was placed in a laundry basket hoping the parents would feet it. The story gets quite amazing. A wellness check was done, the original nest located, a sibling and lots of food in the nest – and even more special, the adults welcomed the ‘lost’ baby back into the family! Thank you, CROW.

They stopped the fireworks in the UK not to disturb this amazing walrus named Thor. Today, he was discovered in Iceland!

Please don’t tell any gamekeepers on those moors!

‘EJ’ sent an article to me explaining it isn’t the type they usually send. It is hard to believe that some individuals take shotguns and are called ‘removers’. They are culling one owl species for another. Honestly, I think humans should leave nature to nature. Do we actually understand what we are doing to wildlife and the planet? — Sorry, I am ‘getting started’. Nothing has convinced me that we are proper conservators of our home and theirs or that we have insights that make us superior. I wish it were different.

https://www.salon.com/2023/02/26/professional-owl-terrorists-scare-off-barred-owls-with-shotguns-in-the-name-of-conservation/

The author says: “Remover” was an accurate term for what Hunt did. But it was a euphemism. Hunt is one of the best in the business at shooting barred owls out of trees with a shotgun. The twenty-eight-year-old, slightly-built wildlife management specialist from Belmont, New York, had spent five winters tracking barred owls and systematically blasting them from the canopy with a twelve-gauge. The goal was to reduce the barred owl population enough to relieve the pressure on spotted owls. It was a divisive study generating high emotions on all sides. But Hunt loved the work. “I’m kinda sad the removal part is over,” she said.”

This is wonderful news. I am certain that when Rita was injured, we wished this might have been the outcome. It was not to be but, for this couple, it was the perfect ending. Congratulations to all!

Here is the whole story:

Incredible-Reunion-Of-Rescued-Bald-Eagle-With-Lifelong-Partner Download

Some bird humour compliments of the Webster Texas Eagles FB page.

The season’s first egg is at one of the Peregrine Falcon’s nests in Japan. Congratulations! For those who would like to watch this scrape, I have messaged the site to get a link. The scrape fledged four little eyases in 2022.

A former student ‘CD’, now teaching her university-level science classes, posted this today. Do you know about these women who saved the birds?

Thank you so much for being with us today! Take care, everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their tweets, notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that help make up my blog: ‘CD’, ‘EJ’, Duke Farms, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Gary and FORE, @Cornell Hawks, Valerie Valicento and Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Corona Owls, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, Maria Grigoriadou and FOBBV, Heidi Mc and WRDC, CROW, BBC, Google Maps, Yorkshire Post, Salon.com, Sydney Wells and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cam and Nests, Webster Texas Eagle Watchers, Ashai Falcon Kirara, Women Who Saved Birds.

Daddy Door Dash…Sunday in Bird World

26 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

Saturday was a huge surprise with the revolving door deliveries at the SWFlorida nest. Just when we worried because of the female’s presence, M15 brought in lots of prey. And once, ‘she’ fed E21 and only once did she get in the nest.

The day started well for the eaglets, E21 and 22. M15 has delivered two fish to the nest. The first was an Armoured Catfish, but the second appeared to be a normal catfish. E21 had a crop, and E22 is working hard on that second fish!

The second fish arrives at 1100. I thought that Dad might feed the eaglets, but he keeps the female away from the nest by doing food drops.

After 21 eats their portion, 22 takes the fish. The time is 1142.

22 kept working on that piece of fish until it was all gone. He is our little survivor!

Meanwhile, while 22 was working on that fish, Dad brought in more mysterious animal organs. E21 grabbed them and ate quickly. 22 didn’t even seem to notice! Time is 12:04.

We must celebrate these two eaglets. They are doing so well under the circumstances and Dad is just doing the absolute best he can for them.

At 13:10:49, M15 brings another nice fish to the nest for the eaglets. This time he is followed by R23-3 (Black Talon). Dad leaves her. Interestingly, while this female was hungry and ate most of that fish, she did feed 21 and didn’t seem to be mean about it. This is disheartening as the morning and yesterday had gone well without her.

By 1317, 22 decides he might get up there and get a few bites. I do not think 22 got any, but he had eaten much of the earlier fish. Still, you can see him moving his beak up. The lunch was finished at 13:19:40, and the female flew up to a branch above the nest.

Lady Hawk caught it in a video showing that the female was not all nice but, she did feed E21 some bites. Perhaps M15 was watching?

The prey items keep on coming. M15 brings in another fish to the eaglets at 15:38:09. 22 is right up there snatching and grabbing. He is very hungry and intends to get this fish!

Our Snatch and Grab King is not giving up on any of this fish even if Dad moves it around to also feed 21.

22 is getting so much fish. He will sleep well tonight and be good if nothing else comes to the nest today. Bravo, M15!

Dad also has a nice crop so he is also eating well today. Simply relief. I don’t know if there are medals for eagles figuring out complicated life circumstances, but M15 would surely be at the top of the list this year to receive one.

At 0800 on Sunday, M15 drops a live fish on the nest. E22 mantles and grabs it first but submits to 21 who eats it all!

It is not clear what happened next on the SW Florida nest Sunday morning.

At 09:15:57, the female with the injured talon, no longer black as the scab had come off, was on the nest with the eaglets. At 09:15:15, M15 had flown down into the nest. Did he want her to leave? Did he have fish? I could see he did not leave a meal, and the female remained in the nest. I suspect she thought there was some fish, and 21 had cleaned everything up. 21 finished eating that live fish at 0857.

Dad at the ND-LEEF Bald Eagle nest has been contending with a rather aggressive female since Mum disappeared earlier this month. It now seems that Dad and her are a couple. She’s a big girl!!!!!!!

People are fascinated by Bald Eagles buried in snow. This is Nancy at the MN-DNR nest.

This is what it was like at the eagle nest of Jackie and Shadow in Big Bear where the winter storm continues to rage.

Jackie and Shadow made The Los Angeles Times. Oh, they are so loved both in California and around the world. Again, if our love could help them, they would have a nest full of eaglets!

Big-Bear-bald-eagles-sit-on-eggs-in-snow-as-fans-watch-for-hatchling-Los-Angeles-Times Download

The weather is much different in Jacksonville, and V3 managed to get a fish on the nest, eat a few bites, and then Gabby came and claimed it. No talons were injured this time, and well done, V3. What a guy you are keeping security watch while Gabby eats. V3, you are fantastic.

No eggs at The Hamlet but HD and HM (Hatchery Dad and Mum) at Decorah welcomed their first egg on Saturday. Congratulations Iowa! Talk about a handsome eagle couple!

For those of you following the love triangle saga at Centreport, New York, ‘H’ tells me that Mum has been mating with D4 and that Mum also mounted D-5. Yes, you read that right. Will we have a lover’s triangle on Long Island?

‘H’ confirms also that Angus and Florence mated ten times on Saturday! Angust brought four fish gifts. One is the Talipia in the image below. Now..when will we have eggs on that nest?

B16 is 35 days old today. Wow. Those eaglets (B16, Connick, Ringo, the ones at KNF) are getting so big and grown up.

Ringo, the lone surviving eaglet, is strengthening her legs and wings! Doing well in Webster, Texas.

More and more postings are showing raptors in rehab because of rodenticide poisoning. When will these designer poisons be banned? Let the raptors do their job and have food without the fear of death!

Did Jack come too close to the eggs with his fish delivery for Diane? Heidi Mc caught it on video!

Sweet Pea is in the post-guard phase for those who follow the Royal Cam Albatross. I do not recall a little Albie wandering from the nest so early, but there he goes (yes, I believe it is a ‘him’ this time). What a brave and independent baby this year!

And last, but absolutely never least, Big Red and Arthur have been on the Fernow Light stand building a nest! Aren’t they beautiful? Arthur will deliver and you can count on Big Red doing the supervising! (She also delivers sticks).

Big Red and Arthur’s 2023 hatch L4 – who no one believed would survive – is still living on the parental territory without any issues from Mum and Dad.

Here is the link to Big Red and Arthur’s camera on the Cornell Campus in Ithaca, New York. This is one of less than a handful of streaming cams focusing on the lives of Red-tail Hawks. Big Red is 20 this year.

https://www.youtube.com/live/ndnr3bwdRzE?feature=share

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, their videos, tweets, posts, and streaming cams that make up my blog this morning: ‘H’, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Stephen Basly and the Notre Dame Eagles, The Sacramento Bee, FOBBV, The Los Angeles Times, NEFL-AEF, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Window to Wildlife, Berry College Eagles, Paul White and the Webster Texas Eagles, Boston.com, Heidi Mc and Achieva Credit Union, NZ DOC, Cornell Bird Lab, and @Cornell Hawks.

Category Archives: Cornell

Ervie, Jackie and Shadow at nest, Milda lays an egg…Friday in Bird World

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Annie lays 3rd egg, KNF-E3 has ‘branches’, Valentine hit by an owl…Thursday in Bird World

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Big Red and Arthur nest building, 3D legs for geese, Ravens eat Shadow and Jackie’s eggs…Wednesday in Bird World

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1 owlet for Bonnie and Clyde, Intruder at SW Florida, Beaking at Duke Farms…Tuesday in Bird World

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Annie and Lou have the 2nd egg…Monday in Bird World

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2nd egg for Chase & Cholyn, Tico forced to fledge, and more…Sunday in Bird World

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Annie lays her first egg, Second hatch at Moorings. huge storm at Berry College…Saturday in Bird World

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Rosie is Home, Arthur is Busy, Intruder lands on Guardian in Nest, …Thursday in Bird World

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Hatch at Duke Farms, GHO owlet with family, E22 is the fastest prey grabber…Tuesday in Bird World

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Daddy Door Dash…Sunday in Bird World

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