I got up early – it was cool for a change and not so humid and headed to Fort Whyte Alive. It has been a few days since I walked around that trail checking on the little ones and oh, was it good, to get out and get some exercise. What is that phrase? “Use it or lose it!” I remember a surgeon telling my mother that after she had broken her hip and it was all pinned…she did not want to get up. Well, she did when she realised that laying there might mean spending her entire life like that. Thank goodness.
The cutest Little Red wasn’t afraid of anyone walking by.
There were little ones around. Here are some images of them..and their proud parents. There are not many families and it was such a delight to turn a corner and encounter a family out foraging.
Hooded Merganser chicks! There were 18 of them at the final count.
The Canada Goose family with four chicks is doing fine. The males always follow behind, keeping the little ones in line! The rain has provided much-wanted new grass for everyone! And no worries, that chick is wet from the recent rain – is not ill!
The giggle for your morning continues to come from the Loch Arkaig nest. Gosh that chick is a character. Thanks, Geemeff.
Mini missed out on breakfast which must have caused her to be a little grumpy. Then she had a nice feed of fish around 11:42 before the Bigs came over and Mini moved away…she would definitely have linked more fish. Our girl is so skinny. She really needs to bulk up with the weight but it is difficult with the three Bigs. Well, Mini started staring at Three after puffing herself up…and then…
Despite having some fish, Mini’s crop is hollow and it is very hungry. This chick – as I will keep saying – needs fish to ‘bulk up’ for migration. Note the ‘thick’ legs and toes.
‘R’ reports that Mini picked another fight in the afternoon. Mini is hungry! Watch the video again and see how she puffs herself up to look bigger—perhaps sizing out the siblings. She needs to eat…and today, like other days, has been slim pickings. At 20:32, Mini finally – in desperation – grabs a bite meant for a larger chick. That bite was all Mini got. The fish was gone. This nest desperately needs more fish so that Mini can get a nice big crop…she is so thin.
When Ferris Akel was on the Cornell Campus Thursday evening, M3, the third hatch of Big Red and Arthur for the 2023 season fledged from the light tower to Rice to join the two other siblings who had previously fledged. Congratulations. Stay safe, sweetie.
The little one at the MN Landscape Arboretum nest had a few feedings on Thursday. Not much fish and adult female eating often and not offering, often off the nest for long periods not protecting the chick from the weather…makes me ache.
A nice fish came on the Collins Marsh nest and both chicks and Mum ate well. Nice.
Only Bob at Cowlitz PUD had a nice fish feed before tuck in Thursday night! In fact, this little one had several nice fish dinners on Thursday…and just look at it grow.
Oyster Bay continues to flourish.
The camera pixellation is not so defined as others but it is easy to see that both of the chicks – Kewok and Naika -on the Seaside osprey nest in Oregon are thriving this year.
It has been a good day at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Osprey platform and oh, Little is getting a private feed right before dinner. I so wish this was Little Mini eating…
Massive chicks – three of them at Carova Beach North in the Outerbanks.
The trio at Wolf Bay in Alabama are bigger than Mum…
In Finland, you will remember that the female went missing on nest #3. The father continued to bring fish filling the nest but the chicks were too young to self feed. One died and two were taken into care. There is now good news on two fronts. The two chicks taken into care are doing so well that they will be placed as fosters in other nests. And the Dad did a 30 minute sky dance for a new female and has even delivered fish to her. She could not find a better mate than Tuulos.
There are two chicks for Beau and Hope at Newfoundland Power – Snow Lane Platform.
Several fish for the duo at the Clark PUD nest in Washington.
Blue 022 comes in and checks out the supplies at Poole Harbour and returns with a nice fish and then another one so the chicks have a big tea before bed.
The ringing of the two osplets of Idris and Telyn is available on YouTube: (414) RINGING 2023-YouTube. For some reason it will not allow me to embed it for you. Those chicks were a female weighting 1920 with Darvic ring 7B3 and a male at 1515 arms with ring 7B4.
Everything is fine at the Llyn Brenig.
Laddie makes sure everyone is fed before they are tucked in for the night – and now, they are waiting for the breakfast fish!
One of the Great Spirit Bluff fledgling Peregrine Falcons was killed by an owl on the 22 June. That was Alice P58. All of the others, Thomas B59, Kami P59, and Jaycee P60 are still alive (do not believe the rumours they have all died).
‘H’ found some worrisome news about WBSE 30.
There are now three chicks at the Patuxent nest..if you go your eyes do not need to go to the doctor! There is a foster placement at the nest.
‘H’ checked on two other nests on Thursday – Fosythe and Kent Island.
Forsythe had already had three fish in the afternoon, with a feeding at 1412. “I decided to observe their behavior to determine how well the chicks had been fed throughout the day. They both waddled up to Opal, and ate peacefully side by side. No sign of aggression. Verdict: they had plenty of fish throughout the day. ‘Big’ obviously had that feeling of ‘food security’, as you say.”
Kent Island: “I am aware of at least 4 large fish brought to the nest by Tom. The fourth delivery was at 1522. The chick was well fed.”
‘H’ also recommends a season tribute to the SW Florida Eagle Cam by LizM- again I am getting blocked but the title is (414) A Season to Remember Season 11-You Tube. It sure was a bittersweet year at SW Florida!
Mini is not the only one wanting fish. Soledad has been waiting for a prey delivery for over a day!
I need to go and check on Mini before I post this. I am so worried about Mini. She needs fish – a really good feed. My concern is that the big ones just take the fish now and leave nothing.
Well. Mini is being brilliant and staying close to the right side of Mum so that whenever a fish comes in, she is at the ‘good eating spot’. The others appear to be more interested in wing-flapping this morning, which is good. Mini ate from 0625-0636, then pulled at the leftovers on a bone at 0757. She eats again from 0853-0906. There appears to be not a lot of fish on those bones – Mum and Mini cleaned them up quickly. Hopefully, Mum is also feeding Mini faster, so it gets more before the others come around. Please wish for fish for Mini today!
Telling Mum she wants fish!
Eating.
Pulling on that bone.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Wish for fish! And take care of yourself if you are out in the heat. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, and postings that helped me to create my blog today: ‘H, Geemeff, R, T’, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Ferris Akel, MN Landscape Arboretum, Collins Marsh, Cowlitz PUD, Seaside, Boulder County FG, Outerbanks, Wolf Island, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Newfoundland Power, Clark PUD, Poole Harbour, Dyfi Ospreys, Llyn Brenig, LOTL and The Wildlife Trust, Australian Raptor Care and Conservation Inc, Patuxent, Forsythe, Kent Island and Explore, SK Hideaways and SJCH Falcons.
Thank you for your wonderful notes and your cheerful suggestions on what you do when you feel stressed. Gosh, what a wonderful ‘Bird Family’ I have! so caring and compassionate. ‘M’, I will watch those sparrows netting under the Ospreys at Patchogue! Every time I get mad at Big for raising its head when Mini has a chance to eat I promise I will seek those birds out!
There is some good news coming in from Sunday. I have already posted it but everyone is so thrilled that Duke has returned to Daisy at Barnegat Light. Gone a little over 72 hours. Not sure if he has eaten. Duke looks thin and was interested in Daisy’s fish. Daisy has done magnificently as a single Mum for a few days despite losing two of three chicks…she could ahve lost them all. It is sad to see a big healthy Middle, a fat little osplet, on the nest dead. What a few days it has been in osprey World.
Happiness is a walk around a duck pond or through the forest when the sun is warm on your face and at every turn there is a new surprise. Today it was in the form of little ducklings and goslings and all the birds enjoying the bird bath or the fledgling Blue Jays trying to crack a peanut so that it is the right size to eat.
The Canada Geese or moulting. There will be feathers all over the area around the pond for the next 4-6 weeks. T hey undergo an entire moult and cannot fly during this time.
This lucky family had five goslings. Dad was behind being security guard.
A juvenile Mallard.
Proud Mum had several of those little fuzzy duckling juveniles.
Coming home, the fledgling blue Jays were having a wonderful time in the bird bath!
Our top tip of the day comes form Amy Tan and it is great advice – costing around $1-$5 – to keep birds from colliding with windows and being injured or dying.
Now see the spider webs.
For the first time, Ospreys are breeding in an area of Germany where there were none! The ringing of the beautiful osplets today. Talk about happiness.
It is only 1515 at the Barnegat Light nest of Daisy and Big Bob. Daisy has already brought in four fish on Sunday. Big is eating well and Daisy is eating, too. They will be fine unless another catastrophic event happens. Daisy adjusted quickly to being a single Mum providing for the nest – the weather did not cooperate but she will get to raise one healthy chick to fledge, hopefully.
Daisy protecting her only surviving osplet. Big is 26 days old today.
Well, of course, the good news is that Duke has returned to Daisy and their nest. He looks thin. He was gone over 72 hours.
‘H’ notes that Daisy hid the body of Middle on Duke’s arrival. Poor Mum. She did her best and we have no idea what Dad went through…just glad they are together with one chick. ‘H’ also confirms that Duke did steal the fish that Daisy had but went fishing and brought another one in for the family. Poor guy. He was so hungry. Wonder where he had been?
The other great news is that Little Mini at Patchogue lucked out and had two good meals so far on Sunday. The first was at the crack of dawn at 0500 and the second came at 13:28. Little Mini ate the entire fish! No one else was interested. This is what will save our Mini…and it is Sunday. So good going!
Oh, thank goodness. Mini got a little more fish from the 1707 delivery. How much before the big ones come to the table…well, unknown. Mini is so hungry it is not leaving the table but is increasingly intimidated by the bigger siblings.
Mini stays and starts getting fed again at 1812. What a relief. Nope. The Bigs come back! Mini needs to grab that fish. Mum offers and he keeps his head down.
Mini has a tiny mini crop.
Mini did really well Monday morning. Right up there with Three eating! This is a really good break through for our wee one who is getting so many feathers it is hard to tell 4 from 3.
Thanks Stephen for this great photo of another survivor at South Bend.
Continuing to be grateful to the Finnish Osprey Foundation for removing the surviving chicks from nest 3 for care.
At the Forsythe Nest, ‘H’ confirms that Oscar brought in 13 fish on Sunday. Big was extremely aggressive and almost pushed Middle over the edge. That aggression died down a bit and Middle did eat. Let us hope that this all stops. Big is 34 days old and Middle is 33.
Osoyoos: ‘H’ was then that called the pip! Sunday 23:21. Oh, I hope this nest has a good year without the heat domes of past.
Boulder County Fair Grounds is sometimes not an easy nest to watch. There is plenty of fish but Little sometimes appears to get shut out. It had a couple of reasonable feeds by 1600 on Sunday.
Cowlitz PUD: Did not see any fish deliveries up to and including 1330 nest time. Where are the fish?
Seaside: Those two chicks are really growing! Would love to ship the Cowlitz baby over to them some days!
RVA Ospreys, James River: Two Ospreys on the nest on Sunday. No clutch this year. Maybe next.
Great Bay Ospreys: LOTS of fish. Some dominance issues with the Big sibling but the second hatch got some fish!
Moraine Preservation Fund: Trio are doing well and this is a nest where the Dad steps up to feed the chicks! We need more of that wired into their system!
Outerbanks 24/7: Chicks are well fed. Betsy flew off with a fish at 1431 when kayakers came too close to the nest. The osplets pancaked. There need to be barriers around the nests and notices to people in boats, motorised or not.
Oyster Bay: Everything is good.
Maryland Western Shore for Old Town: Fantastic day!
The Bridge Golf Club Ospreys, Noyack, NY: Trio on the nest. Larger two siblings will not let the very tiny third hatch eat. To be fair, the second hatch is quite thin and the little one is so tiny and so hungry. This nest is not thriving.
Sandpoint: Chick hatched on 22 June. Eating well.
Cape Henlopen: No ospreys and the Black Vultures have come to use it as a spot to rest and scope out the area.
White Stork Nest, Tukums, Latvia: Since the rain this nest has been doing fantastic. Storklets growing and appear to be very healthy.
The construction of the new nest for Martin and Rose is now finished. Thank you Window to Wildlife. Pi and Pat were apparently watching from a distance. It is approximately 6 ‘ x 3’.
‘A’ is worried about some events at the nest of Angel and Tom and Deyani. She writes, “at Angel’s nest, there was no food brought to Deyani today (Sunday). She visited the nest several times during the day, attacked the nest a little, pancaked for an afternoon rest for a while, but left late in the afternoon and did not return. There were early evening storms in the area, and about an hour ago, there was very heavy rain and thunder. Then, about 15 or 20 minutes ago, and once more as I type this, there were several shots fired. They were about 30 seconds or so apart and there were three or four of them. Then, as I said, about a minute ago, another shot rang out. It was pitch dark when the first shot was heard. They were fairly close to the microphone (which is in a tree at least 100 metres from the nest). I have no idea what anyone would be shooting at out there in the dark, but I sure hope it’s not Angel. The others would not be visible to a shooter. I am presuming all is okay, but it’s always worrying. Deyani is unlikely to be starving, and could easily have been fed off-nest today, but we will see what happens tomorrow. She is a strong flyer and seems able to manoeuvre around the trees well, so I am fairly confident she will be fine.” Lamping is the term for hunting at night with lights. I really hope that nothing untoward has happened to anyone in our hawk family. This is one reason the location of nests is often not disclosed. — Angel is sleeping on a branch Sunday night so is OK.
Window to Wildlife has a fundraiser to upgrade Angel’s camera for next year. Information is under the streaming cam above the live chat. There are lots of worthy fundraisers out there….
In the mailbox: ‘D’ shares a photo from her holidays. An osprey nest above a Go-Kart track in a busy shopping mall in North Carolina. She was surprised that the ospreys were not bothered by all the humans and the noise and adds that when asked the people at the mall and track said that the osprey return every year.
Ospreys have had to adapt based on humans taking over their natural habitats and cutting down dead trees. Ospreys prefer the top of a dead tree with a clear view in every direction. This differs from eagles that like to build their nest on the tops of conifer trees. Both have suffered good nesting sites due to our increasing demand for land, and artificial nests and platforms are being constructed in almost every country. Living around humans is a high cost compared to a nice site near a lake. “The Ospreys’ ability to adapt to and prosper within urban and suburban areas, combined with their recent reproductive success and thriving populations, has resulted in conflicts between Ospreys and the electric utility, communication, and transportation (e.g., aviation) industries. Human–Osprey conflicts vary widely in scope and scale, ranging from minor conflicts, such as an individual Osprey nest built on a human-made structure (e.g., cellular tower), to major problems, such as local populations of Ospreys directly or indirectly impacting human safety near civilian airports and military airfields through nesting and movement activities. Creative, mutually beneficial management and mitigation practices for both people and Ospreys are needed to allow for the successful coexistence of Ospreys and humans, especially in landscapes highly altered by humans.” Here is the full article from the Journal of Raptor Research:
Thank you so much for being with me. I hope to cover more of the international Osprey nests tomorrow and in particular, the UK ones where ringing is taking place. Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to everyone that sent notes, videos, tweets, posts, and operated streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘A, D, H, M, T’, Amy Tan and Nor Cal Birding, Gregarious Joris Toonen and Ospreys, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, PSEG, Stephen M Basly, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Cowlitz PUD, Seaside Ospreys, RVa Ospreys, Great Bay Ospreys, Moraine Preservation Fund, Outerbanks 24/7, Maryland Western Shore for Old Town Home, Bridge Golf Club, Sandpoint Ospreys, Cape Henlopen State Park, Latvian Fund for Nature, Window to Wildlife, Forsythe Ospreys, Osoyoos Ospreys, and the RRP.
I am just starting my blog for tomorrow and the news on the TV is on – I don’t have TV at home (only the wifi cable) so sometimes it is a bit of a treat but this is all about weather – no BBC news. There is SNOW in British Columbia (Kelowna), flooding in Alberta, 20 tornadoes in Mississippi, and deadly storms moving from Texas to Florida. Of course, I am thinking about all the birds and wildlife – there are many others thinking about people! Please stay safe!
It is a beautiful day in Manitoba. The thunderstorms that were forecast have not happened. The breeze on the island is a nice change from the hot humid city.
A beautiful spot to have dinner while watching Barn Swallows and Dragonflies eat the mosquitoes and the huge horse flies!
Ringed-billed Gulls are one of the most common birds in North America. They are easily distinguished from other gulls by their mustard yellow bills and that thick black ring. But look at those eyes…in the 9th and 10th centuries, the Chinese perfected porcelain and high-fire glazes. One was celadon – designed to mimic jade. But the range of celadon hues went from light watery blues to olive green. That eye is also extraordinary with its kohl-like liner. Soft grey feathers on the back and wings and a black tail with white splotches complete its beautiful ‘costume’. Of course, the mustard yellow leggings match the bill!
It was difficult to tell the species of ducks…there were definitely Mallards and Green-winged Teals.
There were wee ones paddling about.
This is one of a pair of Tundra Swans at this pond, but at another, there were twelve. The Marina owner told me there were initially two, then six last year, and that number has now doubled. Everyone is delighted! We even had one lone Tundra Swan wintering over in a pond fed by an Artesian Well near Oak Hammock Marsh this past winter.
The roads were lined with Crows and Red-winged Blackbirds. There were hundreds of ducks and a Bald Eagle flew over the pond at dusk. Pelicans and gulls were flitting about along with a myriad of songbirds.
I learned two exciting things this evening. The first one is fascinating in light of changing climatic conditions. Bald Eagles are now at Hecla Island in January because there is ice fishing. Remember – migration is more about a constant food supply than it is about temperature. Eagles prefer cooler weather as opposed to the hot (sorry Florida!). The second is that American White Pelicans have breeding nests around Deer Island. I hope to go by boat before I head home.
I am hoping to see a few more Bald Eagles flying low on American Eagle Day!
Speaking of eagles, our dear Murphy is back in his own enclosure, free to have a nice bath in the pool and eat his food without his ‘little baby’ taking it! Murphy gave us all hope that the impossible could be made possible through love and compassion.
Thank you for all the notes about Little Mini at the Patchogue Nest. Sundays are always difficult with Dad not being able to bring in many fish. This generally translates into the big siblings being ravenous on Monday. Still, Mini seems to have eaten well enough.
‘L’ wrote that Little Mini had a nice late feeding! Well done, Mini.
Tiny Little not only had the private late feeding but everything is back to normal…he got the first fish while the others slept and preened. Way to go Tiny! You are not so tiny anymore…look at those lovely feathers coming!
The Marders have retrieved the two osplet bodies. Thank you ‘SW’ for sending me that message. I am so pleased that people want to follow up and find out what caused this tragedy, as it might lead us to understand what has happened at some of the other nests that lost osplets. The surviving chick appears to be doing better. Fingers crossed.
‘A’ has been anxiously awaiting two events – Deyani’s fledge and the second egg at the WBSE nest in Sydney. Here is her report:
“Lady did not leave the nest after she returned from her break this morning (as per my earlier email), but I note that she has a very healthy crop, so obviously had a nice breakfast during her short break this morning. Just before 11:31 she stands, stretches and reveals – ONE egg. Still no potential sibling. I repeat – if it is not laid in the next few hours, we will have a gap of more than 72 hours between eggs (it’s already closing in on 70 hours). That is Not A Good Thing. The only salvation will be a mixed-gender nest where the second hatch is female. Otherwise, I would be anxious for a second hatch.”
Lady laid her second egg today. It was visible at 0704. Hard incubation begins!
“As night fell, Deyani was glowing in the dark, just like her beautiful mum. Her chest is quite snowy-white and she looks almost ethereal. Oh how we will miss this energetic little ball of fun. She and her gorgeous parents have been an absolute joy this season, have they not? I am already looking forward to next year, with the hope that this time, the hawklet can have a sibling.”
It is a really good thing that Deyani has not fledged. It has rained – pouring down rain and that brings me to memories of Little Yurruga or Indigo as ‘A’ reminded me. Young fledges are just learning about wings. The weight of the water is terrible for them as can be the cold and damp.
Soaking.
Deyani has the most gorgeous blue-green-gray eyes.
The Barnegat Light nest is extremely unstable. ‘H’ reports that Little got 13 bites of fish today which is noting to sneeze at but the significant changes have been that Big is now beaking and intimidating Little along with Middle.
At the Boulder County Fairgrounds, Little seems to have had at least one great meal. Look at that bulging crop!
It is difficult to see how much Little is getting fed at the South Cape May Meadows nest. Zeus and Hera are good parents and there is fish – the big ones need more than Little. Send good wishes.
Cowlitz Only Bob had some fish…oh, I wish there were more. This nest can, at times, be hard to watch…hoping.
The Italians are rejoicing. The Osprey Re-introduction scheme appears to be taking off!
Storks make me happy. Karl II and Kaia with their surviving three. Rain is forecast to come on Thursday!
It has been an excellent – and tiring – day, and it is nearing midnight. The nests that we have been worried about are alright, including Little at Barnegat Light. There was enough food. We need to wait and hope the aggressive behaviour dissipates.
‘R’ introduced me to Temple Grandin. Do you know this amazing woman? If not, check her out. I brought with me a copy of her book, Animals Make Us Human. She is remarkable for her dedication to making the lives of animals and their emotions understood. Will write a good synopsis when I am finished. Good night, everyone!
Thank you for being with me today. Please take care of yourself. Do not go out in the storms and be safe if you are in their path. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, recommendations, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: “A, H, L, R, SW’, Google Maps, World Bird Sanctuary, PSEG, Marders, Sydney Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, Boulder County Fair Grounds osplets, SCMM, Cowlitz PUD, SK Hideaway and Cal Falcons, Gregarious J Toonen and Ospreys, Hawks Aloft Inc, and Loodeskalender Forum.
Thursday was a wonderful day full of field birding in the area of Delta Marsh at the southern end of Lake Manitoba and Island Park in Portage la Prairie. At least 29 species of birds at Delta Marsh – almost all vocalising while the Pelicans and Terns were busy catching fish. To be out among the living – in fields near a big lake – well, it simply lifts one’s spirits! The area is maintained by the Province of Manitoba and Ducks Unlimited. Those are the folks that I have a love-hate relationship. I am grateful that they expand and maintain wetland areas in our province such as Delta Marsh and Oak Hammock Marsh. Both are major flyways for migration. My only problem is ‘duck hunting’….
The haze from the wildfire smoke clouded the sky. Overhead, 77 Canada Geese were heading north in it. Do they know the fires are up there? Chevrons of 70-150 geese have been flying north for several days now. These geese have no goslings to care for….remember I am very worried about the numbers this year. They are heading for food, space, and cooler weather – although surprisingly it has cooled down the past couple of days in the southern part of Manitoba.
Three American Robins flitted about the parking areas. There are so many insects and mosquitoes…what a fantastic place to live and hunt. It was so quiet…no one else about save for a couple of men fishing down the road.
A female Yellow-headed Blackbird serenaded me from the path.
While her mate, across the path, was warning me to keep walking!
At a great distance, the Black Terns were fishing in Lake Manitoba.
A pair of Northern Shovelers were in a shallow pond nearby. It was such a variety of habitats.
At Island Park, a Goldeneye was being followed by eleven little ones.
A Mallard couple were resting in the sunshine while a female Mallard had a raft of ducklings she was trying to manage.
Did you know that a group of flying ducks is called a skein? If they are in the water, it is a raft, and if they are walking on the ground, the group is called a flock or a waddling.
Oh, these babies are so cute.
Sometimes it is just so wonderful to leave the city behind and be in a place where all you can hear is the sound of birds!
‘A’ sent this to me yesterday. You don’t have to be a Royal Albatross fan to smile when you hear SP do a skycall. It just melts your heart. Oh, we need to clean up how those ocean trawlers cast those long lines and stop the beheading of the osprey. We need to demand that they take the six simple steps to stop the killing of albatross as bycatch. Here they are- have a short read and educate yourself, and then set about studying which fish sold is responsibly harvested – if you eat fish.
19 June 2023 is World Albatross Day. This year’s theme, selected by The Albatross and Petrel Agreement, is Plastic Pollution. Here is more information:
Now imagine that sweet little chick on the South Plateau trying to eat fish with an ocean full of plastic. You can help by refusing to purchase any items made of plastic. We now know that recycled plastic is not good for the environment. Choose alternatives.
We are now four days away from American Eagle Day in the US on 20 June. A posting by Sassa Bird reminds us of the challenges that eagles such as M15, E22, and Jackie and Shadow face every day.
While I was away today, Little Mini at Patchogue was eating and growing, eating and sleeping and growing. Seriously waking up and finding out that this fourth hatch had breakfast while I was still sleeping just makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
So the first fish comes around 0545 and like Wednesday, the big siblings are ‘sleepy’. Little Mini is gonna’ get the proverbial worm – in this case, a private 20 minute feeding. Little Mini has a huge crop at 0604 when he stops eating. The crop Little Mini had at 0748 was hilarious. Mini did not get any of the 0956 fish and the kid scared the wits out of me when he is hanging over the nest at 1414. Another fish lands on the nest at 1418. Little Mini is good. He sees it is a big one and he hangs back while slowly making his way around the rim of the nest so as not to alert the other three. Did someone on chat call them ‘The Three Witches of Patchogue’? At 1513, Little Mini is at the beak. Then another fish arrives at 1622, another at 1726, and at 1848. Little Mini was up and ready to eat at 1858. He didn’t get a lot but then another fish shows up at 2031. I thought Mini would go up but he didn’t bother.
0545:
0743:
Little Mini’s crop at 0748. Have a giggle.
This nest needs better rails!
1424 – making his way around the rails.
1729:
1858:
1903. I wold say that Mini did very well in terms of fish today. Mum has been so good to feed him better and thankfully those big siblings are not earlier risers. These parents are amazing. Dad fishes all day and Mum feeds almost all day long.
2018: Still has a crop.
Oh, I hope that this pattern that has been set for a few days continues at Patchogue. Little Mini got the early fish this morning as well. It is fantastic.
0622
0634
0804. Little Mini is getting feathers and has clown feet…oh, joy. Look at that lovely crop.
The Memorial Wall has grown to include 70 birds from the streaming cams now. The latest was Little Benjamin from the Karula Forest Black Stork Nest of Karl II and Kaia. I mentioned this in Thursday’s blog – it must have been heartbreaking as this is the first time Karl II has ever had to do this horrific deed. So many nests are struggling and osplets dying…take a look at that listing for the last two weeks alone! We hope that there is enough food for the five in the family. Send good wishes to this Estonian couple. Black Storks are so rare and everyone has tried to help.
Little Benjamin sitting upright moments before.
Kathryn found another Osprey nest with a trio. This one is at Great Bay, New Hampshire! The chicks hatched on 24 May and the 27th of May – yes the last two on the same day seven and a half hours apart.
Kathryn says there is some submissive behaviour but, in the last image, you can see that all three have big crops!
Here is the link to their camera:
Sunnie Day reports that the Iowa DNR Osplets are doing great.
‘H’ reports on the Forsythe Nest where there are four osplets. Both ‘H’ and I are extremely concerned for Mini who had only 30 bites of food on Thursday and 34 on Friday. This is not enough to sustain life.
At South Cape May Meadows, there is new life. I kept hoping Mum would give us a good look, but no. Sure are a nice looking couple – let’s see how he does with fishing, and she does with feeding!
Oh. surprise. ‘H’ noticed the second hatch this morning at SCMM!
Every time I watch the Boulder County Fairgrounds nest, I start to have palm sweats. Then I am proven wrong…the wee third hatch gets to eat!
Just look at that face! Seriously, osplets can be joyful and enthusiastic when eating fish!
The third hatch at Oyster Bay has a fat little bottom.
Tom and Audrey’s first hatch at Chesapeake Conservancy is a cutie.
The only osplet at the Cowlitz PUD is doing great!
‘A’ looks at Deyani and remarks, “I’m glad we have our exquisite hawklet for at least one more day. Every moment is becoming more precious as the time for fledging grows ever nearer. Will we ever be ready? I doubt it.” Beautiful – and not a bunny will be left on that farm! Deyani has the most beautiful water blue eyes.
Everything seems to be just fine at Severna Park ospreys. Middle is practising some self-feeding. And Big is as big as Mum.
All three at Barnegat Light are either in the Reptile phase or entering it. Fingers crossed for Little Bob. Still tiny and still precarious feeling.
The trio at Dunrovin Ranch in Colorado are big and doing fantastic.
Those two at Jack and Harriet’s nest in Dahlgren are doing great, also. Nice big crops and growing like weeds…and I am not seeing so many toys in that nest now. Thank goodness.
At Loch of the Lowes, Laddie brought in a big fish, and everyone ate including Mum, Blue NC0. Nice.
Idris and Telyn have BIG Bobs…I blinked. Just look at these two.
CJ7 and Blue 022 are such great parents. It has been a joy to watch them raise chicks for the second year.
Those amazing wildlife rehabbers! Two osprey chicks hatched from eggs and fostered. Thanks, Sunnie Day.
HARWICH PORT — 06/14/23 — A couple of osprey chicks await to be re-nested. A couple of osprey chicks were re-nested at Bud’s Go-Karts where there is an existing nest. Wild Care Executive Director and Wildlife Rehabilitator Stephanie Ellis has raised the birds from eggs that were removed by wildlife officials from nests built on chimneys in Osterville and Falmouth. The chicks were placed into surrogate nests along with chicks their same age to be raised by a new set of parents.
MERRILY CASSIDY/CAPE COD TIMES
Thanks Sassa Bird for this joyous story. Bald Eagle parents – more than 30 years old have healthy triplets.
Thank you so much for being with me. I am up and out early, so there could be news I miss. Please send your positive wishes to those struggling, including the little one at Forsythe who seems to be shut out of early fish today. We may lose this baby. Take care, everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, postings, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘A, H, Kathryn’, NoAA, Albatross and Petrel Agreement, ABUN, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, Sassa Bird and the AEF, PSEG, Eagle Club of Estonia, Great Bay Ospreys, Sunnie Day and the Iowa DNR, Forsythe ospreys, SCMM, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Chesapeake Conservancy, Cowlitz PUD Window to Wildlife, Severna Park, Barnegat Light, Dunrovin Ranch, Dahlgren Ospresy LOTL, Dyfi Ospreys, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Sunnie Day and Harwich Point, and Sassa Bird and Alaska Rain.
So what do you do when you worry? This morning after seeing Tiny shut out of food at the Patchogue nest for another day, it seemed like a good idea to head out for a walk in the forest despite the 29C temps. Tiny has not eaten since it had a huge crop late Saturday. Nothing is better to clear the mind than walking through trees with a slight breeze and looking at ‘the living’.
Fort Whyte Alive is restoring and building wetlands. They are being so careful not to disturb the waterfowl that the new area is intended to benefit. Two days ago, I could see only two Hooded Mergansers despite others saying there were three. Today, I turned, and there were three! Two drakes and a hen. Then turning away – I did not make a peep, but I sure wanted to – there was another hen with ducklings! There were eighteen. After so few goslings and Mallard ducklings, this was just overwhelming. Hooded Mergansers do breed in southern Manitoba but, according to all the ‘counts’, they are more populous in eastern Canada and Ontario than where I live.
Happiness in a pond full of Dragonflies and mosquitoes! A tip: if you go to wetlands and there are mosquitoes about, do not wear open-toe sandals. Yes, I did. LOL. Silly me. But I did have on long pants and a long sleeve shirt. Thank goodness. The running joke in Winnipeg is that people get eaten so severely by mosquitoes that they feel like they have given blood to the Red Cross. There were t-shirts to that effect for one year. The Dragonflies must be eating well!!!!!!!
In addition to the Hen, there were also two Mallard hens with eight ducklings. This was just a wonderful sight.
The two Mallard drakes were having a siesta!
Hooded Mergansers are ‘climate endangered’ according to Audubon. Many hope that the species is adjusting to climate change.
There are always Red-winged Blackbirds standing sentry at the top of the trees, flying around and following the humans on the paths if they get too close to their nests. This fella kept a really close eye on me and was vocalising very loud.
But then…just around the bend, there were geese with their five goslings. Talk about growing! This is the couple in the water two days ago.
Just lovely. School children were everywhere with nets checking the water, some were in kayaks or canoes, and others were heading to the Interpretative Centre. It is a great place to introduce youngsters to nature and hopefully, they will grow up to be good stewards of the land.
Lewis and Missey literally go and hide when they hear a Peregrine Falcon! It is incredible. Not frightened by eagles or anything else but let those falcons start and off they run! Her name is Soledad, the only eyas of Monty and Hartley at the San Jose City Hall scrape. Nice name.
Soledad is one ‘tough cookie’. Very strong and curious…she goes all over the place! After a meal, of course.
Sometimes Monty looks terrified.
In case you are going to miss, Deyani, SK Hideaways did a really cute video of this gorgeous hawklet before she fledges!
Patchogue is heartbreaking. The fish have changed. There are big bony ones coming on that take a long time to feed so that by the time it could be Mini’s turn, the Big ones are hungry again. Mini is very intimidated but that does not stop it from watching and trying to get up to some fish. It has been beaked by one of the big siblings and has lost out on food on Monday – at least anything more than a few bites by 1606 that I have seen.
Mini hopeful at 1607, but no fish left. This little one had tried and tried. Did I say that I have to go for walks in order to watch this nest now? Pray for lots of fish…we need a fish right after one another.
Mini had only a few bites of food today and was brutally attacked by the older siblings. How sad this has all become. It is unclear if any intervention could take place. ‘L’ is on it -. PSEG says that the osplets are all “doing fine”. It is 2300 and Mini has not eaten for 52 hours…OK. 3-4 bites. By Tuesday evening it will be the very critical 72 hours. Let us all collectively hope for a fish.
It is Tuesday morning and three large boney fish came to the Patchogue nest prior to 1019. Mini had 3 bites before it was sent into submission. The little one tried to chew off a bone. Mini is starving and persistent and a survivor…if it gets a chance. Mum was being so slow to start to feed it from this fish that I thought she was going to refuse. Mini does not understand.
Mum works around that bony head of the fish and finally starts feeding Mini a few decent bites. Is it possible Mini will get the rest of that fish before the others wake up? If so, Mini will survive to live again. Go Mini!
Tears. This nest desperately needs fish delivered like this or Mini will continue to be shut out and desperate. Send your most positive wishes. We need Mini to be another week older and he should be able to handle the Big ones better.
1100. Still being fed. Mum is fighting the bones and trying to eat, too. Mini is getting a crop. So Mini went more than 60 hours. Tears. Come on Mum…feed this baby more quick!
Mini ate until 1108 when the Big ones came up. Now why can’t Mum feed Mini as fast as she does the Big ones? It would make all the difference.
The weather has turned nasty in the UK with thunderstorms, high winds, lightning and hail. Maya kept the three osplets warm and protected as best she could teaching them to tuck their heads in. The minute the storm stopped Blue 33 was on the nest with a fish. Yes, he caught it during the thunderstorm for his family. Great guy! My choice if I were an Osprey!
It might be clear in Rutland but it is pitching down rain at Glaslyn. Elen is keeping the babes warm and dry.
The camera at Dyfi seems to be down.
At Llyn Brenig, Mum is spread out in a great umbrella protecting her chicks.
Dylan is home with Seren at Llyn Clywedog. The storm is passing.
At Loch of the Lowes, Laddie delivered another small gold fish. This nest is hungry. The issue is down to intruders.
Good feed on Tuesday. No animosity at LOTL. Yippeee.
At Loch Arkaig, the storm arrived quickly and left. Dorcha took great care of her Only Bob in the heavy rain and hail – but not until she had bolted off the nest when loud thunder frightened her. Just listen to the wind and heavy rain. Poor thing.
No shortage of fish at Poole Harbour. I saw one on the nest while CJ7 was feeding off another. All Bobs are little reptiles now.
Continuing to watch the Evergy Topeka Peregrine Falcons, where the third hatch is only a day younger than the two oldest and yet…the plumage is underdeveloped. Grateful that the feathers are starting to come out of the shafts but, what will happen to this baby?
‘H’ reports that the feedings remain civil at Barnegat Light. That is fantastic news…We all know that this can change. All it takes is a bad day for fish deliveries to set the nest off so please enjoy it now! You can see they are turning into little reptiles…itchy and a little anxious, they will be.
Birds in Helping Hands reminds us:
We are monitoring the Great Spirit Bluff Falcon scrape. There was a fierce GHO attack and Savannah defended the nest. Hoping she returns and is uninjured.
Newmann, the Dad, has been dropping off food. Savannah has not been seen since the GHO attack. Send your wishes. The eyases are old enough that Dad can raise them alone but our thoughts are with this brave Mum who might have fought that owl to the death to save her chicks.
Young Benjamin has caught up with the other storklets and is now six days old. This is excellent news. This wee one was so tiny. See the change!
There are still four storklets at the nest of Karl II and Kaia in the Karula National Forest in Estonia. There were numerous feedings throughout the day and at the evening feeding by Karl II the storklets had huge crops. Kaia arrived to feed but seeing no one was hungry enjoyed all the fish herself. the parents have to eat, too. This is great news – everyone full and the storklets all growing.
Bety and Bukacek’s storklets are growing and growing and doing fabulous. There are five of them.
This is the latest update on Dulles-Greenway Pat:
Ithaca, New York needed rain. We noticed this on Ferris Akel’s tours and it was getting it on Monday. The Ms were soaked! But with all that beautiful plumage, they are fine. Big Red was on the nest at one point and you could not tell her from one of the Ms.
Not sure they moved!
Murphy and his Eaglet have now been separated. Here is the latest news from Wild Bird Sanctuary.
If you are a fan of Kielder Ospreys then you will be delighted to hear that Blue 437 named Elsin, the only offspring of UV, and grandchick of Mrs G and 11 (98) – the original Glaslyn pair – was spotted in Cumbria. He survived his first migration!
Thank you so much for being with me this morning as we skipped around the nests. My focus remains on Mini at Patchogue (as well as Mini at Forsythe who had 36 bites this morning and Boulder County that I need to check on). Send your best wishes to all the nests. Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog this morning: ‘H’, ‘L’, ‘SK’, San Jose City Hall Falcons, SK Hideaways and SJCH Falcons, SK Hideaways and Window to Wildlife, PSEg, LRWT, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Llyn Brenig, CarnyXWild, LOTL, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Evergy Topeka Falcons, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, Birds in Helping Hands, Linda McIlroy and Raptors of the World, Maria Marika, Eagle Club of Estonia, Mlady Buky Stork Cam, Celia Aliengirl and BE Live Nest Cams and News, Cornell RTH, Kielder Forest, and Wild Bird Sanctuary.
On Saturday, I checked on Mini at Patchogue the first thing and then went off to count goslings and ducklings. I do not even know what to say. The numbers are dismal for hatches this year. Last year, we had floods that ruined the eggs. Some couples laid replacement clutches. But this year, there were simply not the number of geese in the parks to start and even fewer now. We know that the heat has driven all those without little ones north to find food and cooler weather. But what happened to their eggs in the first place? I am hoping that some of our goose specialists will have some answers later in the summer.
I have been following this goose couple all season. Like the other couple, below, they used the nesting baskets provided for their eggs. If there were predators about, this is why their eggs were safe. Why only one hatched for these two is not known. They have always had one little one tagging between them. They are very protective and with reason. This gosling is precious!
There was one other goose couple. They started out with nine youngsters and are now down to five. How adorable is this? A train in the water – Mum and Dad at either end keeping track so no one gets lost or left behind.
Looked and looked. Came across a pair of Hooded Mergansers and some turtles sunning themselves.
And a pair of Mallards with six ducklings.
At the nature centre, the geese and ducks generally remain in the confines of the wetlands, not venturing out as some of the others in our City might. There is a considerable absence of young this year. I then went to another site that I check regularly – where the Osprey flew over head the other evening. There were 38 Canada Geese and 16 goslings of varying ages.
The American White Pelicans were swimming around the edge of the pond and then decided to cross. They are lovely.
When I got home, it was a relief to see Junior enjoying the water in the bird bath and Scraggles on the fence eating a peanut. The garden is sooooo very quiet. (taken through window screens so not so clear)
Scraggles sees me and is frozen…he is living in a tree just down the lane. Wish I could find where Dyson is! The City cut down her original tree as it did Scraggles and she has relocated…
But, first up, there was an intervention at the Cornell Red-tail Hawk nest of Big Red and Arthur. Thanks to streaming cam watchers and volunteers, there was ‘movement’ noted in the ears of two of the Ms. Veterinarians from the Janet Swanson Wildlife Hospital observed and identified the problem as being maggots. They also noted that M3 was keeping its 3rd eyelid over its eye, indicating pain. Arrangements were made to intervene as leaving the infestations could cause pain, infection or damage to the ear and nerves. The intervention was successful and the Ms are now back in the nest with Big Red and Arthur. Thank you! Cause of the maggots: an abundance of prey!
Mini might get shut out of some meals, but, more often than not, Mini leaves with a big crop. On Saturday, there was a moment when the Third tried to intimidate Mini. It went away but was back at the table within a few minutes. Many of Saturday’s fish were very large. Everyone at the Patchogue Nest ate. One thing is for sure – Mini is growing! Those wings are getting bigger. Oh, I hope we are on the stretch to knowing that Mini will survive and fledge!
Mini waiting at noon for the next fish and it arrives. A nice big one.
Mini decides to sleep on the fish but is still in a bad spot for feeding.
Mini moves out of the way.
Oh, but Mini watches and waits and then just look at all that fish that is left and who is up there for a feeding.
After…a nice crop.
Just look at our Little Mini. Clown feet, the red copper feathers at the nape of the head. This osplet is changing and in the nest few days will look very different! Little Mini is going to have some nice feathers growing from that wooly charcoal coloured thermal down. Look carefully at the size of Little Mini’s wings. Not so ‘Little Mini’ anymore. Thankfully.
Throughout the day, Little Mini had a good crop. Dad always brings in at least one nice fish at the end of the day if not two. Mini was too full to eat! All is well.
It appears that Mini might have been shut out of all the early morning feeds at Patchogue. A fish has been left in the middle of the nest to encourage self-feeding and while Mini can sit at the open end and pull some flakes, he really is not yet able to hold it down and pull to get enough food. I am hopeful Mum will feed the little one. Big is now hoping and wing flapping.
‘H’ has been watching the Boathouse Osprey platform of Skiff and Dory closely for the first sign of a pip and it came Saturday morning! Day 39 for egg 1. ‘H’ reports that it was a quick hatch. Dory was not giving any secrets away but the first full view of the chick came at 1338. Thanks, ‘H’. Already wanting fish!
While there is jubilation at the Boathouse, there is growing concern at the Forsythe Nest that ‘H’ has been monitoring. Here are Saturday’s observations. “The aggression seems to be getting worse. There were 9 fish deliveries, but they were all small or small partials. Feeding 0750 to 0808 -Mini did not start out next to Little, and managed to get some bites, but when Middle slid back a little bit, Little attacked Mini. By 0757 Mini was back in a pretty good place [4,2,3,1]. Mini got some bites until Middle dropped back, and at 0806 Little again attacked Mini. Mini didn’t make it back. Total bites for Mini = 35. Feeding 0835 to 0900 – Mini started out eating beside Little and got many bites before Little even started to eat. Little already had a big crop. By 0840 Little wanted to eat, and beaked Mini (Mini never retaliates, simply goes into submission). At 0856 Mini was back at the table eating beside Middle. Big and Little had dropped out. Total bites for Mini = 45. Feeding 1030 to 1045 – Positioned [4,1,2,3]. Positioning stayed the same. There was no aggression. Total bites for Mini = 30.nFeeding 1158 to 1206. Positioned [1,4,3,2]. At 1159 Little beaked Mini, but shortly thereafter, Little dropped out. Mini soon came back and ate. Middle dropped out at 1204. Total bites for Mini = 29. Feeding 1603 to 1610 -Positioned [4,1,3,2], Mini should be good right? At 1606, Little lunged at Mini right across the front of Big, Mini dropped back. Then, Little beaked Big and Middle. Big attacked Little. Little then attacked Mini who was already in submission. Big attacked Little again. At 1607 Big and Middle ate. At 1609 Little tried to get back to eat, and was beaked by Big. Big wouldn’t allow Little to return. Then for some reason, Big beaked Middle. Mom, Opal, finished the fish. Total bites for Mini = 6. Feeding 1645 to 1654 – Positioned [3,4,1,2] Mini stayed tucked in submission from the start. So I went back to see what had transpired before the fish arrived. Well, for some reason at 1644 Mini beaked Big a couple of times. So Big punished Mini. Mini tucked and stayed tucked. They lined up to feed right around where Mini was. Little beaked big up at the food line, so Big beaked back and Little was out. So, Little had just a few bites, Middle and Big finished the fish. Bites for Mini – 0. Feeding 1735 to 1745 – Positioned [1,2,4,3} Mini had 2 bites and then was beaked by Little, then Big beaked Little. At 1736 Mini tried to stand up and was beaked by Big!!! So Mini stayed in the back. At 1743 Mom reached over and gave Mini one bite. At 1744 Little turned around and beaked Mini. Bites for Mini = 3. Feeding 1803 to 1812 – Mini tucked when the fish arrived. The other three ate. At 1805 Mini tried to approach the feeding line next to Little and is beaked. Ditto at 1807 and 1810. Bites for Mini = 0. Feeding 1855 – 1908 – Mini tucked when the fish arrived. But Mini did approach the line, positioned [1,2,3,4}, got one bite of fish then was beaked by Little. At 1857 and 1859 Mini tried to approach and was beaked by Little. At 1903 Mom reached out and gave Mini 4 quick bites, but as soon as Little realized it, she beaked Mini. Total bites for Mini = 5.
Sunday morning saw improvements for Mini at Forsythe. ‘H’ reports: “Feeding 0539 to 0606 – Huge live fish,From the start, Little beaked Mini pretty badly, Mini out. Ditto at 0545, 0546, 0552 0604. At 0553 Big beaked Little. Each time Mini tried to engage, s/he was beaked by Little. Now, I was encouraged by the size of this fish, because the large fish tend to increase Mini’s chances of getting a private feeding at the end. Well, inexplicably, with 75% of the fish remaining, Oscar took it off the nest!! Cringe. Really Dad? Bites for Mini = 0. Feeding 0650 to 0716 – Oscar had taken the previous fish to the perch to eat, and he brought back 1/2 of the large fish. Mini got bites early, Little was late to the table, but by 0652 Little beaked Mini. Again 0655 Little attacked Mini when Mini raised up; that time Big beaked Little very aggressively and Little was out. Big laid down beside Little, between Little and the feed line, so Little couldn’t get back! One time Little tried, and Big raised up and gave her ‘the look.’ So, Middle and Mini ate. By 0706 Middle dropped out. At 070648 Mini walked away with a large crop, but Mini returned at 070830; and walked away again at 071030; and Mini returned to feed at 071315. Both Middle and Big returned for a few bites later on, but Little never did make it back to the front. Total bites for Mini = 102 YES!!!
‘H’ reports that the Dahlgren cam was down all day. She notes reports of two good feedings at Severna. Her observations of both nests at Patuxent revealed that all is well.
Kathryn reports on the Carova Osprey nest. She observes, “The dad has delivered 8 fish so far today. And it is only 3:30pm! They are averaging one fish per hour. It seems like the chicks are rotating feedings and one usually naps while the other two eat and then the one eats at the next feeding. Here they are all amazed because the dad brought two fish at once and one was flopping around! A commenter suggested this may have been done purposely by the dad to get them used to an alive fish! So cool.”
The fish are not always plentiful at the Cowlitz PUD nest. Most days, they might be said to be ‘pitiful’ compared to the size and number being brought to Patchogue. One nice sized fish did get on the nest on Saturday after Kathryn observed only a couple of tiny ones and the Only Bob got a feed.
The wee one had a nice crop and Electra had a good meal, too.
Imagine raising these little osplets from eggs found in a chimney. Sunnie Day posts a heartwarming story from MSN.COM:
Syndication: Cape Cod Times
ORLEANS 06/10/23 Wild Care’s Stephanie Ellis feeds just days old hungry osprey chicks their breakfast of ground quail She raised the birds from eggs that were removed from nests built on chimneys in Osterville and Falmouth by wild life officials The mission next, get the chicks placed into surrogate nests soon along with chicks their same age to be raised by a new set of parents Cape Cod Times/Steve Heasli in ORLEANS 06/10/23 Wild Care’s Stephanie Ellis feeds just days old hungry osprey chicks their breakfast of ground quail. She raised the birds from eggs that were removed from nests built on chimneys in Osterville and Falmouth by wild life officials. The mission next on ORLEANS 06/10/23 Wild Care’s Stephanie Ellis feeds just days old hungry osprey chicks their breakfast of ground quail. She raised the birds from eggs that were removed from nests built on chimneys in Osterville and Falmouth by wild life officials. The mission next, get the chicks placed into surrogate nests soon along with chicks their same age to be raised by a new set of parents. Cape Cod Times/Steve Heasli.
‘A’ has been pondering the nest of Angel and Tom and the upcoming fledge of Deyani.
“Can I nominate Angel as mother of the year? She only raised one, I know, but the sheer horror of watching her mate kill their first-born shook her to the core, and her ability to raise the second hatchling as she did, smothering it with love and protection, hunting for it alongside Tom to make sure it was properly fed until he got his act together, putting up with constant bombardments from the blue jays and their extended family, literally bouncing off her at the rate of up to a dozen hits per minute, was nothing short of inspirational. Even when Deyani was nearly as big as mum, Angel was on the nest during rain, sheltering her baby to the best of her considerable ability (she is a fantastic mumbrella, with those warm and cosy underfluffies looking very safe and appealing), spreading her wings to cover a huge area. She has been absolutely devoted.” “Meanwhile, it just occurred to me that rarely has a chick been so lucky to be born second on a nest. (Yes, I know, it’s a bizarre thought, but true.) I do miss that first hawklet, even though we only knew the little one for a day. It was such a sweet little cutie, and I will never forget its adorable face as it looked up at its dad and yawned. It was our final view of the chick alive. At least its death was quick – hawks are obviously relatively efficient in that regard. But I think a lot about what Deyani has missed out in without her sibling and Angel’s grief was truly something awful to watch. She was heartbroken. And very very angry. She knew she still needed Tom but she didn’t have to like that fact! I hope she has forgiven him for his error – he has done his best to do his best, as it were, and as I mentioned, he even fed Deyani the other day (or, rather, Deyani took food from his beak in a manner reminiscent of feeding). I hope they stay together now and build on what they have done this season. It is such a lovely, peaceful, prey-rich area to raise chicks.”
I did not, as mentioned earlier, check on many nests on Saturday. I am so grateful to those who monitor Osprey nests for me and those who send me news of nests I have been monitoring for one reason or another but did not on Saturday. ‘SP’ sends me new screen captures of the eyas from the Evergy Topeka Peregrine Falcon scrape. Oh, goodness. The wee one looks much better now that those feathers are breaking out of those quills. Now this really is a relief.
Dmitri’s storklet is certainly growing and eating – thriving under the care of this generous and compassionate man.
Dmitri has his storklet outside on the ground in this short video.
Ervie looking good! I kept the comment so you could see it is Ervie. Hard to locate that tracker the way he is situated.
Don’t these Osprey Mums know that we want to see that every chick gets fed?! Barnegat Light 1815 Saturday.
On Sunday, ‘H’ was able to get sight of some feedings, “Feeding from 0644 – 065230. Little was in the back, kind of clueless as to how best to get fed. After several minutes Little started to move around Big and got two bites from Daisy. But, clumsy Big inadvertently knocked Little into the back row again. It was a long time until Little finally got beside Big and began to consistently get bites. Soon Big and Middle dropped out. They are clumsy and awkward, but, there was no intentional bonking between any of them. Total bites for Little = 17.
Crossing the Pond and look at those healthy chicks of Idris and Telyn at the Dyfi Osprey nest in Wales.
What a beautiful Osprey family – CJ7 and Blue 022 – and their trio at Poole Harbour.
Lady
Laddie has had to spend too much time guarding the territory and needs more time being able to fish for the family. There were no less than six intruders seen. Laddie delivered a fish in the morning and one around 1330. Blue NC0 was fish crying for her and the kids Sunday morning.
At Loch Arkaig, we have the ‘bobbing’ Bob. The Only Bob seems to like to beak Dorcha’s talons. It reminds me of a nicknack my grandmother’s had – a bird that would bob its head and pick up a toothpick. The Only Bob is 11 days old today, and you can see it is entering the Reptile phase. See that oily black head. Louis delivered at least five fish on Friday and is known for being diligent…the chick is definitely not hungry!
It is also time to begin checking on Dad and Lady at the WBSE nest in the Sydney Olympic Park. It is now time that eggs could be laid! ‘A’ is going to keep tabs on this couple for us. She reports, “Shortly after 2pm, both Lady and Dad were back on the nest in Olympic Park. Dad arrives first, around 14:02, and arranges a stick before just standing in the middle of the nest for a couple of minutes, looking around as if surveying the area. Checking it for potential threats perhaps? Lady joins him just before 14:07. Dad does some aerating in the centre of the nest as Lady watches. They then stand in the middle of the nest for a moment. Their visits to the nest are becoming increasingly frequent. These two are definitely trying for an egg (or two). Lady is not only ‘receptive’ but appears to be actively encouraging mating, which would lead one to presume her ‘window of hormonal opportunity’ is open.”
I know that many of you are interested in bird feeders and their cameras and this particular video caught my eye. There is a Cooper’s Hawk that visits!
Thank you for being with me today in Bird world. Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped to create my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, Kathryn, ‘SP’, Cornell RTH Cam, PSEG, Audubon/Explore, Forstythe Ospreys, Outerbanks 247, Cowlitz PUD, Sunnie Day and MSN.com, Window to Wildlife, Evergy Topeka, Storks on line, Janice Love and Friends of Osprey Sth Ads, Barnegat Light and Conservation Conservancy of NJ, Dyfi Osprey Project, Poole Harbour ospreys, LOTL, Friends of Lock Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, and Gettysburg Live Cam.
I want to thank everyone who has sent in names of nests with three or more osplets and to those who have helped to get each bird’s name on the Memorial Wall that we have lost this year. We are at #50. If you know of a nest or see I am missing a nest on a streaming cam that had a loss, including a parent, please let me know. You can e-mail me at maryannsteggles@icloud.com OR add a comment. Thank you! And thank you to ‘T’, who helped me with some of the Golden and Imperial eagle nests today.
It was hot and humid on the Canadian prairies and the storms that were brewing showed up in the late afternoon. The lilacs and the garden are the richest British Racing Green. Stunning. I did not do a comprehensive check of all the nests today. Sometimes we all need a break and it has been a tough week. Spending time with little ducklings sure helps the spirit! These little ones were running all over the place. Hard to count!
Someone at the park must have tossed birdseed (millet?) into the gravel by the pond’s edge. The ducklings are keen on finding it.
Andy N Condor always puts a smile on my face. Some great news – an adoption!
Please send all your positive wishes to Cal Falcons. We know what intruders can do and Annie appears to have had a fight with someone.
The IWS (Dr Sharpe and colleagues) have a dedicated page to the Bald Canyon eaglet that swallowed the fishing hook. Yes, if you do not know about this, it is terrible. Here is the story and the link for future updates. Thanks, ‘B’.
Please contribute to the rehabilitation of Eagle 45/D from the Bald Canyon eagle nest on San Clemente Island. He swallowed a fishing hook attached to a fish on 6/1/23. We rescued and transported him to a rehab facility near San Diego on 6/2/23. Donations made to IWS for 45/D’s care using the Donate button below will be forwarded directly to the rehab facility. We will provide updates below as we receive them.
Status Updates:
6/3/23: The fish hook is in the lower GI tract and “free-floating”. The veterinarian was unable to remove it endoscopically. A specialist will be examining 45/D on 6/4 and a plan will be developed for the hook removal.
There has been lots of wishful thinking that E22 might just stay at the Fort Myers nest. S/he certainly feels comfortable and has enjoyed the pond. Well, on Saturday, E22 catches its first fish on camera. Heidi McC shows it in real time and then in slow-mo. My goodness. Happiness.
The Pritchett Family website for the SW Florida cam has confirmed this…and I have seen the image blown up. It is not pond debris – it is a fish!
I sure would like to see Big and Middle over at the Achieva Osprey nest catching their own fish. Some chatters believe that Diane is back bringing in some fish after injuring a foot. That would be fantastic as the dust-ups are getting pretty rough. They remind me of Ervie and his sibling, Bazza, at Port Lincoln.
At 1625 both are eating fish but Big always seems to get the largest. Another fish comes in later and Big gets it as well. That time is 1937. It could be the last delivery from Jack of the day.
1627:
The 1937 delivery:
Send some good wishes for these two. They need some fish to get strong and then go on their own way. There will be no love lost between the two of them!
As I look at all of the struggling osprey nests, I often see the term ‘survival of the fittest’ in the chat comments. In his book, Reconnection. Fixing our Broken Relationship with Nature, Miles Richardson says that Charles Darwin in his Descent of Man regularly used the term ‘love’ instead of the survival of the fittest. He argues that Darwin moved away from the term stating that he was not referring to the “victory of one over the other”. Einstein suggests that we are all part of something larger, just a piece of nature where we all belong together and survive by cooperation – as many Eastern religions have stressed since their origins. Watching Big and Middle at Achieva it is hard to think about love and cooperation. Once animals became objects – for example, in modern farming – our connectedness to them ceased to exist. Richardson believes we need to get this back – to realise that it is not a competition but that we must cooperate for our planet’s survival. I wish to travel and return to a place pre-human, pre-industrial, to see our ospreys. They have been here for more than 60 million years.
At Patchogue, Mini has been eating but Big has also been beaking at times. Very unpleasant because that older sibling is just so much bigger. Mum is very much aware of her tiny baby though and makes sure it gets under her and I also believe that she makes certain it gets fed. We can only hope that the huge fish that are coming on this nest continue so that the three big ones are full and Mini gets fed and none of the others notices! or cares.
Where’s Mini? Big sibs are full. Three is eating. Is Mini on the other side?
Mum tucking in Mini carefully.
The last feeding of the day and Mini is up there having some good fish. After being fed for a bit, one of the bigger sibs seems to take exception but Mini went to bed after doing a full crop drop. No major aggression – the Big ones just have to stand tall and ‘look’.
1906: Really nice crop. Everyone else sleeping except for big whose head you can see above Mum’s. She wants some more fish but Mini has a nice crop.
We take this nest and be joyful – one day at a time. If Mini survives, I have a tiny bottle of champagne sitting and waiting.
Early Sunday morning, Mini waits and gets a private feeding. Do you get the distinct impression that this wonderful Mum keeps some food back form the Big ones for Mini? It sure seems like it!
Three preening after breakfast. Big goes up for more. So far so good. A day at a time.
The trio at the other PSEG nest at Oyster Bay seem to be doing alright as well. Gosh, they are so much closer in size.
At Severna Park, Middle waits and watches rather than engaging with Big. If there is fish left or Big is full, Middle eats. Middle has gone without on Saturday for all feedings. This is the 0807 feeding.
13:59. You will notice that the fish deliveries are down. Big got all of this fish, too.
1558 Feeding. “Middle started out in submission, but worked his way around the other side of Olivia, and managed to get bites for 6 minutes, then Olivia moved! So, big attacked. Olivia pulled the fish to the other side of the nest and fed Big. Middle snuck around and got a few more bites. Ended up with a small crop.” Thanks, ‘H’.
‘H’ reports that the feeding at the Patuxent I Osprey platform was super. No aggression at the feeding observed and both ate well.
At the Patuxent II nest. “A slightly different story, there is aggression by Big. At 1317 they all ate harmoniously for the first 10 minutes, then Big decided s/he wanted to dine alone, and beaked Middle and Little, so they were out. After several minutes, Middle worked its way back to the table, but it took quite a while longer for Little to get back. Big decided it was OK, and dropped out shortly thereafter anyway. The net result is that all were well fed. It was 40 minute feeding.”
As far as I am aware, the other nests are doing alright. We have no other deaths on Saturday.
Iris’s nest, full of leaves, tells it all but Iris is a survivor and amidst the floods and droughts, she knows where to find the fish. Here she is on Saturday with one of her ‘whopper’s on the Owl Pole. It is unfortunate that she did not have a reliable mate after Stanley. She certainly has good DNA on her side of the genetic markers – she knows how to build the best osprey nest I have seen and wow, can she fish…she is as good as it gets.
Just look at that fish!
At the UK nests, everything is going well for Idris and Telyn and their two Bobs at the Dyfi nest. Those kids have grown fast and as you can see, we are in the Reptile phase. They are 10 and 12 days old today.
Aran and his new mate Elen are keeping the two Bobs at Glaslyn well fed.
CJ7 and her mate Blue 022 have three beautiful and healthy osplets at Poole Harbour. No issues!
Condensation on the Manton Bay nest and the way that Maya stands to feed the Bobs tends to obscure what is happening. That said, there is nothing to worry about on this nest. The wee Bobs of a few weeks ago are now getting their juvenile plumage!
Loch Arkaig – the home of Louis and Dorcha – is doing just fine with its Onoy Bob. Louis is right there for a deliver for his mate and wee one.
Except for Llyn Brenig where the third hatch died, all of the other UK nests appear to be doing well.
The two Dulles-Greenway eaglets that fell from the collapsing nest of their parents, Martin and Rosa, are together again in rehab – . That is wonderful news. They can work those wings and get to be strong fliers.
Poor Flora. Earlier she was up on a high branch with one of the adults but tonight a strong wind is blowing and she is all alone and the branch is very thin. You can see that this eaglet is frightened in the storm.
I do not know if it is the same storm system or not but Daisy is holding on for dear life at the Barnegat Light osprey platform in New Jersey. She has two osplets under there that hatched on the 31 May and 1 June that can’t be fed due to the high winds. I do not know if Duke can even fish. there is a coastal flood advisory for Barnegat Light and the winds are blowing at 31 kph. ‘H’ reports that the third egg hatched at 05:13 for Daisy and Duke. Let us wish them good weather and calm winds.
All the nests along this coast will be impacted.
There is something to smile about. Look at this beautiful White-tailed eaglet that was banded on Saturday in Tatarstan region of Russia near the Volga River. Isn’t it adorable! Just look at that big beak! It is a boy! Thanks ‘T’ and thank you for letting me know that this area is rich in prey for the eagles. Let us hope that Sarpike moves her nest to this region!
As I say often, every nest can change on a ‘dime’. They need habitat, strong old trees, birds and mammals to eat, fish to catch, and clean water without toxins. Begin at home. Help when and where you can. Educate others. Build a web of caring people. Everything helps. If you see an animal in need, stop and observe. Have the number of the wildlife rehabber in your phone. Call them! You will feel better for every life you save.
And one more thought. Do you grow a garden? do you have extra produce? do you know someone who does? Our wildlife rehabber has just asked for donations of fresh veggies or for people to grow a row in their garden for the animals – kale, carrots, lettuces, beans….I suspect that every rehab centre needs fresh veggies. Check it out.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care all. See you soon.
A special thanks to those who sent notes, created videos, wrote FB posts, articles, or run streaming cams that helped to create my blog this morning: ‘B’, ‘H’, ‘R’, ‘T’, Andy N Condor, Cal Falcons, IWS, Heidi MC and SWFlorida Eagle Cam, Achieva Credit Union, PSEG, Severna Ospreys, Patuxent River Park, Montana Osprey Project, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, LRWT, Geemeff and Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Loudontimes.com, Dulles-Greenway, Barnegat Light and NJ Conservancy, Tartasan WTE.
It has been one of those weeks. Thankfully, it is ‘baby’ season and an excellent reason to get out amongst the ducks and the geese and count the newly hatched. Three duck mamas were quacking away, trying to keep the little ones together. It was hilarious. Those ducklings are so fast, darting hither and yon, enough that Mum just can’t keep track of them. It was adorable. I could see no goslings – yet. Not at this park, but there were 9 male Wood Ducks and not one female in sight. Perhaps they were on the island incubating eggs. At any rate, it was lovely. The day’s heat had cooled, people were smiling, and everyone seemed to want to chat.
As Father’s Day nears, I am eternally grateful that mine taught me the beauty of nature, the happiness of sitting quietly in the garden, that feeling of joy when a Cardinal lands on your upturned hand and takes a seed but, most of all, a responsibility to make the lives of animals and birds better, if I could. He helped me connect to nature and to something far bigger than myself.
‘H’ sent me a link to a TED talk this morning. She knows me well – I get very upset when humans on chats apologise for ‘anthropomorphising’ animal feelings. She knows I am a big follower of Marc Bekoff at the University of Colorado and Jane Goodall and their studies of animals and emotions. She knows that I watch adult raptors grieve when their children die. So she sent me a talk by Ron Magill. Some know Ron Magill as ‘the Eagle Guy’ from the Miami Zoo. The nest that Ron and Rose have was the brainchild of Magill. But, he is more than just eagles, and in this 18-minute talk (please listen to all of it as you will miss the best parts if you don’t!), he tells us the story of Quasi, an orphan lion cub at the Miami Zoo. Keep the link. When anyone on a chat tells you animals don’t have feelings – don’t get mad; educate them! Thanks, ‘H’.
How many Osprey nests had four eggs and four hatches? Blue 80 over at Threave Castle has four in the nest, too. It will be interesting to see how that plays out compared to the US nests. For awhile, the monitors of this nest (there is no streaming cam) thought there to be only three but up popped the fourth head. So far so good.
Yesterday, I said that “If there is a nest that gives me hope, it is Patchogue on Long Island.” Thursday was a pretty good day for Mini so let’s go through it.
This Mini-Bob has attitude! Please look at it below with those three enormous siblings lined up behind it. Mum looks down directly into its eyes. She is good to feed that baby if it gets its beak up close to hers. This Mini has to be a female…oh, how I wish we would know for sure.
Four osplets, one little Mini – and yet so civil. Fish come on the nest – nice ones – every couple of hours and the kids line up and eat if they are hungry. Mini was right up there at 1507 and was still going strong until he was so full – and hot – and got under Mum’s tail for shade at 1531.
I want to give a shout out to this great Dad who just keeps bringing in the fish! I did not count the number today but it certainly makes a difference when you have a nest with chicks spread like this one…just monster sized big siblings and there, in the centre of the nest, Mini – who is just starting to get into the Reptilian phase.
‘L’ writes that a delivery at 1600- a small gold fish – resulted in Little Bob being a little aggressive to Tiny – who did not get any food then.
Dad just delivers fishing – Daddy Door Dash Supreme. He should get some 5 star rating in TripAdvisor! A late fish came on the nest and I could not find Mini. Well, he was right up on the right side of Mum and he did get fed. Mini did not have a huge crop – or he did a crop drop which could have happened – but he did get fed for a period of time (about 15 minutes). I am astonished by this baby on this nest of ‘huge’ siblings.
At the 0930 delivery, Mini did not get any fish. And now I am beginning to worry about Mini’s survival. The big siblings are now bashing one another. Mini got up to the beak and could have eaten but was submissive. He should have snatched those few bites…they all add up. So this nest is far from being out of the woods. A s the three larger siblings grow and require more food, it might be impossible for Mini to get up there. Let us wait and see if he can figure this out.
At the Severna nest, a big fish came on the nest at 10:08:37. Big already had a huge crop from an earlier fish but, she still had to get up front. By 10:33 Middle is eating having previously moved up under Mum’s tail. Middle is still eating at 10:49!
At 16:31, a massive fish comes on the nest. It is big enough to feed both chicks and Mum to the brim!
Big will go first regardless of its already huge crop – Middle still has a crop from an earlier feed, too.
By 1654 Middle has positioned himself on the opposite of Mum and is getting fish. This chick has come a long way in figuring out how to survive on this nest! Bravo Middle.
At the Forsythe nest of Opal and Oscar, Oscar keeps bringing on the fish just like the male at Patchogue. Little Mini is right up there eating. All appears to be well with the world here with so many deliveries on Thursday.
This is Mini getting fed, not Little! Mini is stretching its neck to make it really long.
‘H’ notes the following times at Forsythe: “Forsythe: 1052 feeding, Mini in the back, got two bites (smallish fish). No bonking. 1225 feeding, Mini worked its way up to the front and got at least 32 bites, again it was peaceful. There was a pretty significant beaking match between the two oldest at around 0929, but not at a feeding.”
No bullying at the Dahlgren Osprey nest. The two are both enjoying being side by side eating fish.
There are two osplets for Duke and Daisy at the Barnegat Light Osprey platform on Thursday! Thanks ‘H’.
So far the only Bob at Cowlitz PUD is doing fine…perhaps the other two eggs will be DNH.
The team at Patuxent River Park went to Nest 1 and removed the youngest osplet, and fostered it with another family. They did not, however, go to Patuxent II where it is believed that Mini died at least a day ago.
The eyas at the San Jose City Hall continues to do well. ‘M’ asked me about the shiny black area on the crop. This is nothing to worry about. The crop gets full, the chick goes into food coma and rolls on the stones/gravel of the nest rubbing the feathers off. Those will grow in and be beautiful before fledge!
The eyas at the Evergy Topeka Falcon Cam is getting some more feathers. Notice, however, that the wing and contour feathers have not broken out of the quills. ‘SP’ contacted the administrators of the nest about the condition of Little, and she was delighted with this response: “I have been in contact with our wildlife biologist . We’ll be banding the chicks on Friday and wildlife personnel will check on the viability of the smaller bird. If it needs to be rehabbed or needs any special attention, we’ll learn that on Friday and ensure that it gets the help it needs.” Now that is the kind of response we want from those in charge of these streaming cams. This is fantastic news.
Checking on some Canadian Osprey nests. There are three eggs at Newfoundland Power. If it is a typical year, there will be no fledges. I hope it isn’t for a change.
At Osoyoos, Soo and Olsen laid their eggs on the 21, 23, and 25th of May so we have a ways to go til fledge.
Fortis Exshaw has had to endure much smoke from the wildfires. Eggs laid on May 9, 12, and 15.
The Dulles-Greenway trio have been named!
At the UK, nests there is often all manner of information available. For example, look at this fish delivery table for Llyn Clywedog! Dylan does not quite double his deliveries from last year but, almost.
When asked where the fish came from, this was Alastair’s reply. Please note the amount of fish that are put in the Reservoir each year. Imagine how that might impact some of the US nests positively!
Alastair Cameron: “based on observations by John Williams the perch seem to come from the shallower “fingers” of the reservoir as it merges into smaller gulleys at the edge of the reservoir. Dylan certainly seems to go to perch when the weather is wet (perhaps easier to see when there is rain on the surface) or hot, when the trout are swimming deeper. John has also observed that at least some of the brown trout seem to come from another reservoir called Nant y Moch, a few kilometers away. Llyn Clywedog Trout fishery stock the reservoir with around 40,000 trout per year, mainly rainbows but some browns as well.”
It is difficult to image – my goodness do you ever wonder where time goes? – but the eldest osplet on the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn is now turning into a reptile. The soft downy is gone from the back of its head and that oil spot is starting to come!
Elen and Aran seem to be doing fine. the wee Bobs got covered with grasses and Aran spent some time uncovering them while Elen had her tea.
Louis and Dorcha’s only Bob having some fish supper before the sun goes down at Loch Arkaig. Some are ‘hearing’ chupping from the second egg. Could we really have another hatch? I doubt it.
CJ7 was busy feeding her two Bobs at Poole Harbour before dusk as well..fill them up and maybe they won’t wiggle all night! gosh, these Mums must get tired…and by morning, CJ7 and Blue 022 had their third!
Geemeff brings us Scottish Osprey nest real estate news. Louis’s old nest at Loch Arkaig is currently occupied by Affric & Prince. The couple keep returning to Nest One, and even had two mating attempts there last night. No idea why their own nest failed, but this one’s available and we’d love to have a resident pair again.” That is fantastic news. Louis is busy with Dorcha and the Only Bob at nest 2 so, perhaps, he will give this couple a lease!
There has also been a hatch at Kielder Forest, nest 5A. Mr and Mrs UV.
What about Angel and Tom’s little RTH5? ‘A’ gave me a big giggle – which one needs after some of the nest sadness, when she told me, “I woke up this morning (it is 9am) and immediately checked my darling Angel and RTH5 and suddenly, there was this strange hawk in the nest. It stands up all the time and looks upwards instead of down. It swallows voles, mice, birds, lizards and every other small thing that moves. It had six feedings before noon today, and then continued on eating in the late afternoon. It just eats and eats and eats. I had no idea a RTH could consume so much in such a short time. They are hunting and eating machines (or at least RTH5 is insatiable). She (I do think we may have a female here, though it is still too early to tell, and the hawklet is still way smaller than mum, but I wonder about the sturdy legs) is even more adorable.”
We could say the same for Big Red and Arthur’s Ms…simply adorable. Walking eating cutie pie machines. The advantage that Big Red’s kids have is the long ‘runway’ for them to strengthen their legs and wings.
Wetlands are one of the most important aspects of biodiversity. We are seeing them destroyed around the world and yet, they might hold part of the secret for revitalising our planet. Around the world, these wetlands are under attack by industry wanting mining and now a huge area near Lake Victoria could fall to agricultural development. The area is the largest wetlands in Kenya, Yala Swamp. What are humans thinking? and why are there individuals who are not trying to fix our relationship with nature instead of harming it?
Not a great image – really cropped – but look at Murphy’s Baby flapping its big wings! Smile. Murphy and Baby doing fine. Nest not so much!
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon.
I am very grateful to the following individuals and groups for their notes, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that helped to make up the information in my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, Geemeff, ‘L’, ‘M’, ‘SP’, TED Talks, PSEG, Severna ospreys, Forsythe Ospreys, Dahlgren Ospreys, new Jersey Conservancy, Cowlitz PUD, Patuxent River Park, San Jose City Hall Falcons, Everay Topeka Falcon Cam, Newfoundland Power, Osoyoos, Fortis Exshaw, Dulles Greenway, Alastair Cameron and Llyn Clywedog Osprey Group, Window to Wildlife, Cornell RTH, Birdlife International, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Poole Harbour Ospreys, and World Bird Sanctuary.
Good Morning Everyone, and the very best of Mother’s Day to all those female Raptors and to several males who stepped in to be both Mum and Dad this season – yes, that is you, M15. We are grateful for all the joy you give to us and mindful of all the challenges that you face daily. Our goal is to try and make your lives easier – one person, one bird at a time. Today we have two raptor mothers whose lives are full of anxiety – keep them in your hearts. They are Blue NC0 at Loch of the Lowes, whose mate is unable to fish and there is a baby and Lucy at Lake Murray who lost her mate, Ricky, last week. To all the female humans who have stepped in to care for a living soul – human, bird, or otherwise – I hope that you have a lovely day!
Yesterday was the Big Count and I was shocked when I went to count the ducks and geese at one of the local ponds and found that the males outnumbered the females 4:1 – both Mallards and Wood Ducks. It was not a nice scene for a couple of the females not paired up with males. Those that were were cowering at the edge go the water, hiding.
The males were everywhere. I have never seen anything like it. Hardly any females.
This lucky female had her mate protecting her from the younger males.
In the garden, it has now become crystal clear why there is so much suet disappearing from the log! Little Red can pull an entire ball out of the holes and scurry it away!!!!!!!!!!!
The White-crowned Sparrows arrived yesterday with a few Harris Sparrows and Pine Siskins.
If you have trouble attracting birds, I highly recommend one of these tray feeders instead of the tube ones. They are easy to clean. Yes, the squirrels can get to them as well but everyone has been sharing without much fuss including Mr Crow.
Besides..Dyson needs to eat, too. It looks like she might have babies.
You need to mark your calendars. We have not been able to see Thunder and Akecheta’s eaglets this year since they moved their nest. Dr Sharpe and his team will be banding them on the 15th of May and then on the 27th of May, Chase and Cholyn’s only eaglet will get its bling. Here is the announcement. I am so excited to see those West End babies!!
I want to start with some really good news. When the nests lose a mate, we have to take it one day at a time and we also have to hope that the osplets are old enough for the Mum to leave the nest to find food – or, alternatively, for the male to brood/incubate. On Saturday, around 1647, Lucy brought in a whopper of a fish to the Lake Murray Osprey Platform in South Carolina. It was MASSIVE. She was still feeding the osplets two hours later and there was still fish left for her!
One day at a time. Anything can happen. Send positive wishes to this nest, please!
It looks like Lucy got some fish and she has spent Saturday night on the perch watching out for the babies.
Laddie and Blue NC0s first hatch of the year is here.
Here is a video of that little one just after hatch at LOTL by Geemeff and the hatch in slow motion.
Is Laddie injured? is that fish blood? He did manage to bring in a big fish to the nest for Blue NC0 and the little one…scroll down to see what happened to that fish.
Laddie took a nice fish to the nest and then Blue NC0 dropped it. This is not a good start with a hungry Bob and another one pipping.
There is now a warning at the LOTL streaming cam. I am posting it here as Geemeff sent me with a big question – why not put out a fish table! Take the bold step and help this family until it can be determined what is going on!
Viewer warning Please be aware that, due to the current situation with the male osprey, there may be scenes on the live webcam that some viewers may find upsetting.
Concern over male osprey, LM12 A number of you have contacted us over the last several days with concerns about the male osprey at Loch of the Lowes, LM12. Whilst we can report that LM12 is being seen from the hides, flying from time to time around the reserve and occasionally coming to the nest, it would appear that he may have sustained an injury meaning he is unable to hunt. At the time of writing, he has not brought a fish to the female on the nest for several days now.
Please know that we share your concerns, especially now that there is a small chick on the nest, and we will continue to monitor the nest around the clock. Sadly injury, illness and even mortality can and do regularly occur on wild osprey nests. Whilst we enjoy a privileged view into the lives of these two ospreys, it’s important to remember that they are wild breeding animals. The Trust has a non-intervention approach as we believe that it’s important to let nature take its course, with all the highs and lows that entails.
Please be advised that staff do not currently have the capacity to respond to your kind messages of concern. Thank you for understanding
Please keep Laddie and Blue NC0 in your thoughts and send them the very best and most positive wishes that you have.
Sad. Falco, the Eurasian Owl that escaped the zoo in Central Park, is eating out of dumpsters and searching for rats near dumpsters. Yes, he is doing the part of ‘Raptors are the Answer’ for New York City but what a life…but, of course, I am looking at this from a human perspective. Maybe he has so many big rats in NYC that he is full to the brim and never hungry as he might be in the wild of the wild. Bruce Yolton states, this is not the idyllic wild life one might imagine for this owl far away from its native home. It is Day 100 since he escaped. The top video sitting by the dumpster waiting for rats; the second in a tree in the park.
Smiles all around at the nest of Leucistic Red-tail Hawk Angel and Tom. Tom knows what he needs to do! More prey came in, and RTH5 went to sleep with a full crop and some pin feathers showing Saturday night. ‘A’ reminds me that RTH5 will be two weeks old tomorrow. Just look how big it has grown, and so happy that this nest has stabilised for Angel and her young mate so that this baby can survive and thrive, we hope.
RTH5 had a nice big crop Sunday morning!
Big Red and Arthur’s Ms are doing just fine despite the odd fly around that nest full of dead animals. Big is now doing preening of its younger siblings instead of pecking and that is fantastic…she will be a good little mama like her mother, Big Red.
Good Night Big Red. Happy Mother’s Day.
Arthur is healthy and is a great provider just like Idris is with his big fish for Telyn on Saturday at Dyfi. Look at that nice fish!
Blue 33 has the fish ready for Maya and the baby after the first hatch.
After Maya fed the little one, with Blue 33 watching, Blue settled down to be with his mate. Oh, I do love this osprey. My pick of the crop of them!
On Mother’s Day, Maya and Blue’s second egg hatched at 0636 and ten minutes later, Maya was feeding both chicks.
Geemeff has the hatch on video for us. Just look at how strong that second hatch is minutes after it enters the world…my goodness. There are two eggs to go. Happy Mother’s Day, Maya!
In St Petersburg, Florida, 56 day old Big Bob at the Achieva Nest helicoptered at 17:10. Winds had picked up a little with a few rain drops falling.
Diane brought in two fish on Saturday. The first at 0704 which Middle stole from Big at 0722 and a second fish at 0852. If there were alter deliveries, I did not see them.
Abby and Victor are both 10 weeks old. They hatched 18.5 hours apart on the 3rd of March. Abby flew for the first time on the 8th of May and it is possible that Victor will take his first flight on Mother’s Day!
Talk about two very healthy osplets. This is how birds can look – check out that plumage – when a community or a business decides to stock a pond. With climate change – and we have seen this with the storms and the drought this year at the nests, and it is just beginning, the heat. It is up to us to ease their lives and stocking ponds is the least we can do. The other would be to keep anglers off – no monofilament lines, sinkers, or hooks.
At Cal Falcons, Rosa is really working those wings. My goodness this big female is growing so fast and doing so many things that we have missed by having all those males on the nest in previous years. What a nice change.
At 1332, E22 was on the branches of the nest true and just after 1400, she was down at the pond with M15. E22 is not sleeping in the nest or on the branches tonight for the first time. Is E22 at another tree? nearer the pond? or did our little one finally depart? We wait.
Harriet would be terribly proud.
SK Hideaways caught what could be our last sighting of E22. Tears of joy but bittersweet. What an amazing eaglet E22 is – and what an incredible year at SW Florida. We now wait to see what will happen with M15.
There is an awareness campaign by the American Bird Conservancy. Please read and consider not using these products that harm our precious raptors and birds.
And a reminder from our water fowl:
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care all. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘H’. ‘A’, Geemeff, ‘S’, Jess Gallivan and CIEL, Lake Murray Ospreys, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Geemeff and LOTL, Sue Wallabanks and Friends of Loch Arkaig ospreys, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Bruce Yolton, Window to Wildlife, Cornell RTH, Dyfi Osprey Project, LRWT, Geemeff and LRWT, Achieva Credit Union, Moorings Park Ospreys, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, SW Florida Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways and SW Florida Eagle Cam, and Michelle Minalak Lampey.
Wednesday was a tough one. Thursday was better, but there are still two worrisome nests – Achieva’s and Angel’s. When it gets too much – and it does for everyone, we need to step back and change what we are doing. There has been no food for the little one at Angel’s for a day, and the little one has only had a few bites. I do not expect it to survive and, as of this morning, I, too, will step back.
It is true – go out and spend some time in nature, go for a walk, say hello to people you don’t know…at the end of all, you feel better. That is precisely what I did – a spin or two around the pond, stopping to chat with everyone along the way. The Wood Ducks are back.
Not in any great numbers, about five males and a couple of those sweet little females. There were a handful of Mallards and several hundred Canada Geese. It was sunny and dry, and everyone was happy to be outside.
There is green grass coming and some vegetation growing quickly so they can feed.
In the garden, Dyson sees me. She knows that I am taking her photo. Isn’t she lovely?
The table feeder is becoming more popular as the birds get used to seeing it in the garden.
While Dyson and the Starlings were eating peanuts, the Crows were assembling in the big tree in front of my house. It was planted in 1902 so 121 years old. I will not start about our City’s tree trimming policies! Normally when the Crows gather they are here to escort the GHO out of their neighbourhood!
Specific events tell me spring is here, and hopefully, there will not be any more snow. The first is the arrival of the Canada Geese, then the Dark-eyed Juncos and Blue Jays. The second is the opening of the local farmer’s market. There are a few ingenious farmers who have built greenhouses, not to grow flowers like the Dutch arrivals in our area in the 1950s but, to grow – strawberries. The farmer’s market opened yesterday, and those berries had not only the aroma of a ripened berry in a field but the most delicious flavour. Well done to those trying to figure out how to grow things locally that might be otherwise flown in from thousands of miles away – and have no taste and be polluting the planet. The third is the arrival of all the annual flowers and herbs to be planted in flower boxes or gardens. Today was a celebration of all of those – the geese at the pond, a trip to the farmer’s market and a box full of herbs and, instead of a hanging basket of flowers, a Tiny Tom Hanging Tomato vine. How will it do? All of this helped to wash away the anger and some of the sadness over the death of DH18.
In celebration of these spring rituals, the kittens and I will enjoy a lovely little Japanese sponge cake with strawberry buttercream filling.
Do you know Aldo Leopold? He was talking about biodiversity and stewardship of land before any of the more recent environmental movements. He died in a fire in Wisconsin helping a neighbour in 1948. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin but loved escaping to his weekend refuge without modernisation. I love his sense of humour. One time during a flood – and you have to understand that his cabin is the family escape from the world of humans, Leopold writes, “There are degrees and kinds of solitude. A n island in a lake has one kind; but lakes have boats, and there is always the chance that one might land to pay you a visit..I know of no solitude so secure as one guarded by a spring flood; nor do the geese, who have seen more kinds and degrees of aloneness than I have. ..So we sit on our hill beside a new-blown pasque and watch the geese go by. I see our road dipping gently into the waters, and I conclude with inner glee that the question of traffic, in or out, is for this day at least, debatable only among carp.” (27)
Leopold observes, “Conservation is getting nowhere because it is incompatible with out Abrahamic concept of land. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” (xviii) I highly recommend his little book, A Sand County Almanac. Essays on Conservation from Round River. Written like a diary, Leopold says of March, “One swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of a March thaw, is the spring.” (19) Leopold takes you through the months, and he loves his spring geese. It is more than just Leopold’s close observation and love of all things wild. He stops to make us think about the value of our land and why some, like trophy hunters, will never be able to understand those of us in the minority who see the word of living things connected and sacred. “…our bigger-and-better society is now like a hypochondriac, so obsessed with its own economic health as to have lost the capacity to remain healthy. The whole world is so greedy for more bathtubs that it has lost the stability necessary to build them, or even to turn off the tap…Perhaps a shift of values can be achieved by reappraising things unnatural, time, and confined in terms of things natural, wild, and free”. That was written on the 4th of March 1948 right before his death. It could have been written yesterday. Today, the situation with DH18 continues to weigh heavy on my mind and I would substitute in much of the quotes of Leopold the term wildlife instead of land…we think we own it, it is a commodity that we can abuse…that kind of thinking has to stop.
Our smile for the morning comes from the Cal Falcons and the food tug-o-war caught by SK Hideaways. Then marvel at how well falcons tend to feeding three chicks! Most of the time (Angel and Tom excluded) falcon and hawk nests are incredibly energetic and full of laughs.
Right now we need all these precious joyful moments that we can garner. It has been a ‘depleting week emotionally’ for all of us.
Check your clocks. Banding is taking place at Cal Falcons between 0830-0900 Pacific Time. The cameras will be off during the banding. A video of the event will be uploaded after. There will also be the annual Q & A session with Sean and Lynne (see further down for details) tomorrow.
The Australian Raptor Care and Conservancy has provided an update on SE30! Oh, she is doing well. This is the kind of news we want and need. Thanks, ‘H’.
George Smith gives us an update on the Rutland Ospreys. Quite a good read and happy to see that Maya and Blue 33 are attempting to raise their fourth set of four osplets. Wrap your head around that one. Some nests cannot manage even two! But four sets of four. Super couple! Some of their fledglings are out chasing down nests and mates. Have a read!
Thanks for posting some successful rescues. We all know about Dr Sharpe but there are also other rescues for monofilament line as well as non-human caused issues. CROW was at Captiva last year with the Osplets. CROW intervened when E17 and E18 at SW Florida had conjunctivitis. There are so many more. In the incident below, the eaglet appeared to have half its body ‘stuck’ to the nest. It was removed because it was weak..information below. It was successfully released after this 4 May 2012 intervention. Thanks, Deb.
M15 still gets my vote for ‘Dad of the Year’ for Raptors. E22 knows precisely when there is a food delivery and is on it!
There are a lot of Peregrine Falcons hatching in the world and the first one at Cromer Peregrine Falcons is here.
You can watch this white little fuzzy with its pink beak and toes here.
Today is banding day at Cal Falcons. There is a Q & A scheduled. You can go to YouTube and search for Cal Falcons 2023 Banding Q&A. You can get a notification to watch it live and they always archive the event if you miss it. For me, it looks like it is at 1300 but if you live in California, I bet that time is 1100.
We are all aching for Angel and her baby. Tom has not provided any prey today. He has not been seen. Angel has left the little one for long periods of time – once an hour – to go hunting but came back to the nest empty taloned. Whether or not Tom is still around or if the prey in the area is so limited is unclear. The little one cannot thermoregulate its temperature, and it should be fed much more often than is happening. At the same time, Angel is also hungry. The chick’s last meal was Thursday morning.
It is dusk and Angel has left the baby again to go hunting. I hope she finds some food for them. The possums and other creatures often come out at dusk. Oh, I hope she finds some food. Remember, I told you that this situation is very dire and it is. Unless Tom steps up and begins to deliver prey regularly it will be difficult, if not impossible, for Angel to feed the two of them and provide security and warmth. The area is obviously not prey rich like that of Big Red and Arthur. It is heartbreaking.
Angel did not have any food when she returned. Many believe Angel is at a disadvantage as the prey can see her coming since she is leucistic rather than camouflaged. This creates a huge problem if that is the case. Tom is not helping. Please send your good wishes…I wish some food would drop from the sky. The forecast does not look good. Rain for 5 days in a row at the nest…we could easily lose this baby. Personally, if I owned the land this nest is on, I would put out a prey table now!
If this year has already been too much for you, you might want to step away from this nest. Come back on Monday and see how things are going.
We are really waiting for a pip and a hatch at Big Red and Arthur’s nest on the Cornell campus. The changeovers have been swift. These two work like a well-oiled and cared for machine. There is little time to even get a glimpse of those eggs.
When Big Red lost her mate Ezra, everyone thought she was ‘nuts’ picking such a young mate as Arthur. Well, she wasn’t. He is an uber hunter and wooed her with the number of squirrels he could catch! I know there is a lot of chatter about how young Angel’s mate Tom is but, I just don’t think it is that. There is either hardly any prey to be had in the area, he is not the father of the chick so really has not much interest, or he is just a dud.
Cute little Arthur.
Big Red.
You may recall that a group at Cornell University worked diligently to get the windows on campus fitted so that bird strikes do not happen. Several of Big Red’s fledglings have been injured or died. Now there is movement in other places to ensure that birds are safe. Thanks, ‘S’ for sending me the latest news on what is happening in Washington, DC. This needs to go international.
This is the weather at Big Bear Valley today for Jackie and Shadow.
The eagles did a nest check.
Looking for a US Osprey nest to watch? You cannot get any better than Moorings Park. Victor and Abby still have up to seven fish meals a day. Neither has fledged although they are spreading their wings!
Achieva is a tough Osprey nest in the US to watch. It is on my list of not recommended nests. At the present time, food is also scarce and Big Bob, number 1 is acting like Zoe at Port Lincoln. Jack delivers the fish, Big takes it and neither Diane or Middle get anything to eat. As we know, there is a drought in the area that is causing canals to dry up and fears of wildfires. This means that all those Ospreys are fighting for little fish.
These beautiful osplets have their juvenile feathers and they need more fish. It is always a problematic nest but with climate change and so many ospreys in the St Petersburgh area, the competition for fish could become ruthless and many ospreys might not survive. They might have to move further north. Let us hope that both survive to fledge.
Little Decorah Hatch – DH2 – is doing fantastic. What a crop…the joys of being an only nestling.
The crop on Chase & Cholyn’s only eaglet is equally as large at Two Harbours. And check out those thighs!!!!!!!!
Precious trio to Martin and Rosa continue to thrive at Dulles-Greenway.
There is good news coming out of SF Bay Ospreys!
The winds at Loch Arkaig were so intense on Thursday that Louis was literally blown off the nest while incubating. Thankfully, he returned, unharmed. Geemeff caught it on video:
There is some concern and a little bewilderment at the Osoyoos Osprey platform in British Columbia. The nest was that of Soo and Olsen. ‘H’ sent the history of the nest in terms of egg laying: “Egg laying history for Osoyoos Osprey Cam: 2016- Apr26. 2017- May 14 (late because they had to wait for Canada Geese goslings to exit the nest) 2018- Apr 28. 2019- May 5. 2020- May 2. 2021- Apr 29. 2022- May 6.” No one knows for certain if the male at the nest is actually Olsen. Some believe it is a new male. It is now 4 May and I actually wondered, last season, if Soo and Olsen might lay their eggs earlier to try and avoid the sheer magnitude of the heat in the area. That is certainly not the case and, as of this evening, the nest is not ready.
Fellow Canadian, Deb Stecyk who administers the Bald Eagles 101 FB Page has posted the following call for action following the death of DH18. Many of you will recognise our request for simple emergency numbers under the streaming cams. Some of you will recall the sheer panic two years ago when the foster osplet fell off the Patuxent River Park platform. ‘S’ and I phoned – her halfway around the world to try and get help. The park office was closed but thankfully a staff member checked and returned with a canoe – just in time as the tide was going to start to go out. Deb’s is a good plan and a good protocol. We need to work towards finding a rapid response for all the raptors that are on streaming cams now – and it needs to be universal.
One of the two eaglets at Duke Farms has ‘officially’ branched on Thursday. Congratulations! They have both done so well this season.
Tom and Audrey at the Chesapeake Conservancy Nest have their second egg. It was laid 74 hours after egg 1.
As the coronation of King Charles III approaches, Australia’s gift is a donation of 10,000$ to help save a beloved parrot of South Australia. “The government has pledged $10,000 to help conserve the critically endangered “shy and rarely seen” species in honour of the monarch, on behalf of the people of Australia.” Will the king’s views on conservation influence any changes towards wildlife, biodiversity, land management, etc in the UK? We wait.
There is lots of good news out there in Bird World. I am getting so excited to see the Cal Falcons banded and to see the list of names the children select so we a vote. Of course, waiting for Big Red and Arthur’s first hatch of 2023 is agonising. So, all of the nests are doing well but Angel’s and Achieva where Middle really needs some fish and so does Mum, Diane. Again, Angel’s baby needed feedings every few hours, not a few bites in a day. Angel is extremely hungry as well. Send her your love.
Thank you for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you so much for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘S’, ‘H’, ‘A’, Geemeff, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, George Smith and the LRWT, Deb Stecyk, MN Bound Eagle Family, Gracie Shepherd and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Cromer Peregrine Falcons, Window to Wildlife, Cornell Bird Lab RTH, American Bird Conservancy, FOBBV, Moorings Park Ospreys, Achieva Credit Union, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, IWS and Explore.org, Dulles-Greenway, SF Bay Ospreys, Geemeff and Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery, and the Woodland Trust, Duke Farms, The Guardian, and the Australian Raptor Care and Conservancy.
