6 September 2024
Good Morning Everyone,
I hope the week has been good for you and that you have some plans to be outside this weekend. We will be off searching for cranes and watching for geese landing at night.
Do you put off things? I have and it was time that I did something about a few extraordinary things waiting for attention. Sitting safely in a fireproof box were several beautiful letters by ‘KM’. They include stories of birding decades ago when she was a child. Eagleman Charles Broley would visit their house.
Broley was a bank manager for RBC in Winnipeg, where I live. The branch was on Corydon Avenue. Broley is also more well-known for being a bander of eagles and more. The Lower Beverley Lake website, where Broley also lived, states:
Eagle Platform, Location: Blue Heron Point
Many prominent people have resided on Lower Beverley Lake, and Charles Broley was one of them. It can actually be said that he “soared with the eagles”! The Broley family lived at one end of Whiskey Island where we can still see the white cottage Charles Broley acquired in 1913 when he was a banker in Delta. Following his retirement in 1939, Charles Broley became widely known in Canada and the United States as the “Eagle Man” when he began to band and study bald eagles: by the age of 80 he had banded over 1000 of these birds, climbing by rope ladder up lofty trees to reach their nests, It was he who first sounded the alarm about DDT, realizing that this widely used pesticide was responsible for the increasing sterility of the mature birds. Most of his work was done in Florida, but he also dealt with several eyries in the Lower Beverley Lake area. Life Magazine ran a full photo feature on Charles Broley and the National Geographic produced a documentary on his impressive work with eagles. His wife, Myrtle, was a well-known author and his daughter, Jeanne Broley Patric, still summers on the lake and publishes stories and poems.
Why am I mentioning Broley today (I have previously posted about him)? Several reasons. The first is that we are now in the ‘between’ season. Most ospreys have begun their migration. Most, not all. A few dads or wanna-be mates in the UK are still providing fish; it appears that the entire family of Iris are still in Missoula. Dr Green saw four ospreys soaring together – Iris, Finnegan, Antalia, and Sum-eh. So, the oldest had not begun her flight south; she was getting fish elsewhere or fishing for herself. What a joy to see them all. The eagles return to check on their nests and make some restorations, clearly marking their nest in their territory for any would-be takers. The only active nest with chicks right now is the Olympic Park Eagles. Diamond and Xavier are incubating eggs with Mum and Dad at Port Lincoln and M22 and F23 at 367 Collins Street. The long and short of it is that this is a good season for reading!
I highly recommend Eagle Man. It gives such good insights into the life of eagles. You can only purchase it used. This is the cover for one advertised on ABE books.
Amazon does not have any copies, but this is a reasonable synopsis of the book’s contents.
Check your library and all the used book sellers if you want a copy.
I was honoured to receive a photograph of Charles Broley in the garden of the head of Michigan’s Audubon Society in the 1950s and an eagle feather. The framer did a wonderful job. I asked for a thick envelope attached at the back to include letters and articles about Broley.
The frame is a beautiful walnut – the image wasn’t straight, so it appears cropped. Our Eagleman Broley has his hat of the day and overcoat. My husband looked down and thought it was my Dad. Yes, they sure do look alike! My Dad loved birds and was the first to introduce them to me, but his life was with other things with wings (planes), and he was not a birder. Oh, how I wish he had been.
Could you look closely at the colours in the feather? I apologise for the strange green reflection from the ceiling! There is a beautiful shimmer of a pinky apricot in that feather that is hard to see. Perhaps it is better in the image above. The apricot kisses the white and charcoal feathering on both edges. So kind of ‘KM’ to think of me.
The eagle feather will hang next to a very special Osprey feather, from a juvenile that got to fly, but sadly not for long. She was electrocuted. Thank you, ‘CD’.
Again, I want you to notice the colours. The walnut frame was picked specifically because of the tip of Heidi’s feather. The deepest black espresso bleeds into a marvellous orange, then ochre and cream at the tip.
The two birds were very special, and I hope that by framing them and including all of the documents associated with them, someone will appreciate them after I have spread my wings and flown.
‘SP’ sent us a link to an article on the research on wind turbines by Audubon. They categorically note that painting one blade black, something that has been known for some time, will save the lives of our feathered friends. It is simple. The real question is why don’t these companies do the right thing and fix the issue? We have, for example, wind turbines in Manitoba right in one of the major migration routes for raptors. You would be sick if you visited that place because of all the beheaded eagles. No one has done anything and I suspect the company doesn’t care!!!!!!!! It is a huge issue because these enormous turbines – and they are enormous – are getting installed everywhere. I have yet to see a black blade on one of them.
At the Hellgate Canyon nest, Antali was persistent in coming to the nest in hope of fish. It paid off. Poor Finnegan could lose his talons.
Johnny is still at the Fenwick Island nest feeding his juvenile!
There is at least one fledgling getting fish at the Newfoundland Power nest of Beaumont and Hope. I cannot confirm the presence of the other fledgling or adult. Some of you might know.
C16 is still getting fish deliveries at Charlo Montana. Yum, yum.
The fledgling at Cowlitz is 100 days old on 5 September (or as I write this). We know from the Dyfi Osprey Project that the longest a fledgling has stayed at the nest was 109 days. That was Padarn in 2022. Hopefully, this miracle youngster, who the Bald Eagle did not take as itsre, two siblings we will flourish – and it looks like it could be well prepared for migration just like Beaumont and Hope’s two kiddos.
I did not see any activity at the Fortis Exshaw’s Osoyoos nest on Thursday.
Harvie is busy delivering fish at Fortis Exshaw’s osprey platform near Canmore Alberta. It appears that both fledglings are still in town.
At the Sandpoint nest, River is still home. River flies off with fish from perch. Cannot confirm if Keke is still present. Keo is delivering.
It looks like CJ7 and Blue 022’s family might have finally departed for migration. What a wonderful year it has been with that little 4th – 5H6 – turning out to be such a formidable sibling on that nest. That tiny, tiny little thing not only survived amongst much bigger siblings, but thrived. I really look forward to seeing him return in 2026!
There are still two juveniles from the Kurzeme nest in Lativia at home! Both are wearing Red Darvic rings – difficult to read the numbers. They have survived any other larger raptors living in the forest.
We are all fascinated when Bald Eagles raise Red-tail Hawklets as their own. This is the story of a 14 year old California youth that photographed a family of eagles raising a hawklet. A lovely read! And, yes, you ,ight have guessed – this is the story of Tuffy2 (not Tuffy from 2019).
If every monument, every building in every city would turn off their lights during migration, the lives of billions of birds would be saved. Imagine. Thanks, ‘PB’ for spotting this. Gosh…imagine. Contact your City Hall and make them aware of this important undertaking, your Councillor or anyone who will listen. You CAN make a difference!
Geemeff’s Daily Summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:
Daily summary Thursday 5th September 2024
No avian activity as is the norm now, but the weather has perked up and blazing sunshine with positively tropical highs of 25°C is forecast for the next two days. A pity our family didn’t get to enjoy similar weather before the chicks had to be removed in order to save them via a translocation programme – Louis was able to bring a final fish for breakfast which Dorcha served up on that last morning together before the chicks left the nest on 1st July, link to that video: https://youtu.be/Q_HakxODigs
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 20.53.24 (05.35.20); Nest Two 20.50.26 (05.44.14)
Today’s videos: none
Bonus recipe from our very own Woodland Trust Scotland George – make some bramble whisky!
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/08/bramble-whisky
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/LEMJm8XBfas N1 Lachlan eats one fish, departs with another 2017 (thanks Scylla)
https://youtu.be/o-WY7x6x5Xc N1 Whose nest is it anyway? Rannoch and a Hoodie 2019
https://youtu.be/VOXzZ-0vTSo N1 Confirmed: final sighting of Louis 2019
https://youtu.be/1310c1jFxaU N1 Who’s on the nest before Vera gets breakfast from Louis? 2020
https://youtu.be/7pj8uTDrCKc N1 Confirmed: final sighting of Louis 2020
https://youtu.be/j4z65mVcjkI N2 Sarafina departs and the Hoodies move in 2022
https://youtu.be/BV2mAedbJ9o N2 Hoodies on the nest force Louis to abort landing with his fish 2022
https://youtu.be/vPO_llkryLo N2 Mobbed by Hoodies, Sarafina loses her fish! 2022
https://youtu.be/4ekm0Uf7r7c N1 Misty morning sunrise 2023 (timelapse)
https://youtu.be/C5w-9s869M4 N2 Juvenile Sparrowhawk visits 2023 (zoom)
Watch the Loch Arkaig Osprey livestream 24/7 and join in the conversation here:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam
And some other interesting stories that caught Geemeff’s eye to share with us. Was it humans that took that nest??????? My money is on the power company coming to change the light bulbs. We have seen this before. Remember when the men put the two chicks in the woodchopper? It was sickening. They could have waited a month. This is very disturbing.
Partnership working for the benefit of Ospreys:
https://m.fairfaxconnection.com/news/2024/sep/04/dominion-energy-park-authority-connect-to-help-ospreys/
And a mystery – where’s the nest gone? If weather, there should be evidence of the nest remains at the base of the pole. The two fledglings sitting on top of the pole are probably fish-calling rather than distress calls, I would imagine:
https://eastgreenwichnews.com/mystery-of-missing-osprey-nest
After this female was shot (!) the chicks were taken into care. One didn’t make it, but the other was returned to his natal area:
https://wchstv.com/community/wild-appalachia/wild-appalachia-young-osprey-release
Waba, the Black Stork, son of Karl II, is feeding in a beautiful area as he makes his way to Africa for migration.
When I travel to visit my son in Grenada, the mangroves are places of peace and tranquilty. They are home to many species of birds including our beloved ospreys. Like wetlands, they are important habitat. El Salvador could be losing some of theirs.
The vanishing mangroves of El Salvador: ‘All our efforts may only slow the destruction’ https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/sep/05/mangroves-el-salvador-forests?CMP=share_btn_url
Gorgeous Gabby. Will she finally have chicks again with Beau after her beloved Samson disappeared?
Those cute little falcons in Orange. Diamond wants food, Xavier wants to cuddle with his ‘eggies’. Adorable. https://youtu.be/Kvf6sYH-qnM?
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care! We hope to have you with us again soon.
Thank you so much to the following whose notes, posts, images, articles, videos, and streaming cams helped me to write my post this morning: ‘CD, Geemeff, KM, PB, SP’, NEFL-AEF, The Guardian, Montana Osprey Project, @Hellgate Osprey, Heidi McGrue, Looduskalender, fairfaxconnection.com, eastgreenwichnews.com, wchstv.com, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Audubon, Gateway Arch FB, LDF, BoPH, Sandpoint Osprey Cam, Fortis Exshaw Canmore, Alberta, Fortis Exshaw Osoyoos, Cowlitz PUD, Newfoundland Power, Charlo Montana, Audubon.org, Lower Beverley Lake News, Amazon, ABE Books, SK Hideaways, Save our Menhaden.