Category Archives: endangered species

Eagles are busy…Thursday in Bird World

9 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Hope ‘hopes’ that everyone has a wonderful day! This morning she decided to be contrary and not pose!!!!!!! Go figure.

Oh, the temperatures climbed to a balmy +2 C on Wednesday and all the snow melted. Sunset happens at 1630. It is dark. Did I say that I hate winter? And now as 2300 approaches, it is snowing rain. The feral feeder is filled and I have attempted to make it a little weather proof. Those poor cats that live outside. Let’s see if we have a resident in the shelter tonight.

The girls had a lazy day. Hope and Missey continue to watch their favourite cat/bird video. And, yes. It is true. Miss Hope, the Queen of the ‘High Five’ taps on the screen until I come and turn her video on. I am well trained. Missey went to sleep on the wicker only to look up and see a male Northern Cardinal, and she immediately bolted right back with Hope. In other news, Hope got caught in ‘the act’ when I went to find Calico. She is certainly a robust young kitten! I do not know how Calico managed to keep this kitten so safe and well-fed out in the wild.

Hope is a perfect example of why you try to socialise the kittens of community cats. She is simply lovely. Thankful every day that Calico trusted me and wanted to come inside and that Hope has joined us.

Missey’s eyes look like they will pop out when the Cardinal is on the screen…she is getting ready to leap!

Hope’s ‘guilty’ look. Calico still produces so much milk…she waddles around the house!

Will these three have a little brother after all? Wait and see! We certainly could use a male influence here in Cat World. :))).

At Port Lincoln, Dad is in the shed and Mum and the kids are wishing he would go fishing.

Waiting.

Mum and chicks are still waiting for breakfast and Dad is still perched in the shed.

Dad left and Mum took a break…still no fish. It is nearing 1300.

Dad came through with a fish, and a man and his three-year-old son provided four supplementary fish for the family! Thank you. You are helping to keep this family alive.

Meanwhile….Xavier has delivered two breakfasts to Marri and Barru.

Check out this video of the storm a few days ago!

Remember. We are getting so close to fledge that you might as well go and purchase the tissues and have them ready. What a great year it has been at Orange. How delighted for Xavier and Diamond. Now…there are bushfires in some areas of Australia along with a drought. I just do not want it to pour down rain in Orange for the entire fortnight following their fledge. Cross your fingers and toes with me, please.

So what is happening at the Parramatta River in Sydney? I am not seeing any updates for two days now. All was well then. Let us hope it stays that way.

Now to the US and the Bald Eagles readying for the 2023 season.

At NE Florida, Gabby and V3 continue to be hopeful and work on their nest near Jacksonville, Florida.

Lady Hawk catches two mating attempts.

Near Fulton, Illinois on the Mississippi River, there is concern for Valor 2 – once part of the infamous Lover’s Trio Bald Eagle family. Dennis Becht has gone out to try and find Valor 2 and get him help.

Here is the latest update on Valor 2 from Dennis Becht.

Connie and Clive are working diligently on their Captiva nest – parents of Connick. No word on Connick’s release from the Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey at Maitland. He could not have better care. They were waiting til all of his feathers grew in to release him. What a great facility!

Eagles at Decorah.

New nest building at Decorah Hatchery?

Alex flew in to the KNF-E3 nest to do some nestorations.

Checking out the nest bowl at the E-1 nest of Louis and Anna in the Kisatchie National Forest.

Eagles were working at Dulles-Greenway.

It is always a beautiful view at Big Bear Valley – but it is always better when Jackie and/or Shadow are there!

Franklin and Frances have been busy at Bluff City.

D3 was at Centreport today.

29 Days to hatch watch at Superbeaks!

Black Vultures checking and cleaning the NCTC nest of Bella and ________.

Audubon’s report on the 2023 Eagle breeding season in Florida is here.

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Check out the size difference between genders in these raptors.

It is that time of year when all that lead that went into the animals that were hunted and killed gets eaten when the eagles and other carrion eaters find the innards left in the field. That lead is toxic just like all of the fishing equipment that continues to be used that is lead. Time to switch!

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For those of you that still have fall, remind everyone –

Please tell everyone you know not to celebrate with balloons. There are beautiful alternatives. Use safe biodegradable paper. OR let’s ditch the decorations altogether and celebrate by donating to shelters for animals or humans! Just imagine.

All of our wildlife have emotions.

John Love is responsible for reintroducing the White-tail Eagle in the UK. He dedicated his entire life to these magnificent feathered creatures. Go to roydennis.org to see the video tribute.

The Ventana Society announces that the quarantine pens for HPAI – to save the California Condors – are now on their way!

Because things are at the end does not mean they are any less important than those at the beginning. Indeed, it is often the reverse. Humans cannot survive without insects. So every time someone puts chemicals on their lawn to make it look beautiful, the insects get poisoned and then the birds that eat them. Let us all begin to re-think our attitudes before it is too late. This is a grim report.

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From ‘H’ for all of us – thank you! We do what we can with what we have.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, articles, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, H, Sassa Bird’, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Sharon Pollock, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk, Dennis Becht, Window to Wildlife, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, FOBBV, Baiba, Sara A, Centreport Live Cam, Superbeaks, NCTC, Audubon Eaglewatch, Elite Falconry, Science of the Total Environment, Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew, Sassa Bird, Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, Ventana Wildlife, The Guardian, and Emily Dickinson.

Thank goodness for the Fish Fairies…Tuesday in Bird World

7 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

It drizzled again today. There were so many birds at the garden feeders that sometimes it seemed like a solid wall of wings fluttering about. The Starlings ate at the suet cylinders and the table feeder, but I also noticed that they were cleaning out the bowls of kibble for the stray cats my neighbour leaves near her garage. Everyone was hungry! Everyone ‘is’ hungry. The cat’s outdoor feeder has now been positioned so that it is covered, and the dishes stay dry from the rain and snow. Tomorrow will be another shelter for another stray – a huge demand. Every shelter in our city is full and cannot take any more cats, yet there is a constant list of new finds. People struggle to feed themselves and their children to pay rent or mortgage. I have said this before, but it is so worrisome – that which gives us joy and comfort is thrown out to the street, hoping that someone else will take it in or that our ‘best friend’ will find food somewhere and stay alive. It is the beginning of winter. This breaks my heart.

A lovely chat over tea and cardamon buns this afternoon with my granddaughter revealed that the homeless in my city with mental health problems are also struggling. There is no affordable housing. A young man who cannot live alone and whose father died recently was lucky to find a placement, but many do not. She says that they are put on the street and have to try and find a place to sleep in the homeless shelters – people are no different than the cats and dogs, the family pets, that are abandoned. My goodness, what a world we live in. We can delight in discovering that a thirty-something singer now has over a billion dollars in net worth while families struggle to feed themselves on a few hundred dollars a month. Sorry. There is a point to all of this.

Donations to help wildlife are way down. Ordinary families that used to donate to their local wildlife centre – either in the form of cash, volunteering, or wish list items can no longer afford to do so. If they cannot afford to keep their family pet, we know they cannot afford to feed the birds and other animals in their garden. It is a vicious circle, and I have no answer. There is so much waste, and with some ingenuity, a couple of individuals can arrange to collect the food waste and find a suitable place to deposit it for the birds that would happily devour it. Of course, I am thinking about the Crows. (I did find a spot to feed the local ones, but it is a secret to protect their safety because of local health regulations).

Many of you reading my blog will find that the increase in food prices – what? 30% plus – has impacted your way of living. Remember, one thing you can do is to put out water. Water is life. Every animal and every bird needs water to survive. If you are up to it, you can remind your friends and neighbours that the wildlife rehab clinics much need those clean, used towels and sheets. If someone dies and their friends and family do not know what to do with their things and are simply going to ‘get rid of them’, ask if you can check if there is anything that might be useful to the local rehab clinic near you or the animal shelters. You have yet to learn how valuable your actions can be for the shelters and clinics that are now struggling. So, thank you in advance!

My girls are spoiled. Today, Hope spent much time sleeping in Missey’s basket. I think Missey has decided to ‘give it’ to Hope. Hope is a little sleepy head in the image below. Hope and Missey spent much time watching their bird video while Calico tried to find a place to sleep ‘without Hope’. I can promise you that will never happen!

Things are a little out of order because I am so excited about what is happening on the Parramatta River that I have brought it up between the day’s events with the kittens.

I am still so excited about seeing the sea eagles flying around the mangroves near the River Roost of Lady and Dad that I can barely sit still. I can only imagine the joy the adults have in raising their eaglets from egg to fledge to freedom, knowing that they have taught them everything to survive – something that they have not been able to do in past years.

These images were taken by the BOGs and posted on the Sydney Sea Eagle cam, and shared all over FB. They are marvellous and show how strong the fledglings are! It is very reassuring.

‘A’ has some more news this morning: “Tuesday 7: early morning, during the last of this season’s annual Bird surveys, several of us saw both adults and we assume SE32 over on the mangroves across the river. After 10am, we also saw one adult fly across the Nature Reserve Wetlands and then back to the river. Later at around 3:15, the juvenile was seen eating on the ground under the mangroves, after one of the parents brought prey in. Wonderful to see it eating. We have not spotted the second juvenile today. The juvenile osprey from a few bays away is returning to eat near the nest high on a light tower in a playing field. It is interesting to compare the post-fledge behaviour of the 2 species.”

This news, along with the extremely robust eyases at Orange and the Fish Fairies at Port Lincoln, means that the Australia streaming cams have had a good year – not 100% – but an amazing year nonetheless. I would love to have seen the CBD raise their falcons, but that is something to look forward to next year and let us all continue to hope that the Collins Street Mum is well.

It rained on Sunday and it rained a little today. The snow is melting revealing bright green grass. It is a nice surprise – welcome when everything else is grey or brown. The girls have been hanging out in the conservatory enjoying the warmer weather and several chapters from Margaret Renkl’s new book. Tomorrow we pick up another feral winter home for the outdoor kitties.

Hope is a big beautiful girl – almost as big as Mamma. She loves to pose.

Calico’s favourite perch. Missey likes the top and Hope loves the house and bothering Missey’s tail so they all can share and get along – which they are doing, thankfully.

Missey is getting quite ‘woolly’ for the winter. She gets brushed five or six times a day, which is still insufficient for her liking.

The December birdseed order has been delivered from the local farmers. One only handles Black Oil Seed, and the other does a mixture of millet, corn, safflower, and sunflower seeds. It seemed as if the Blue Jays were not so happy with just the Black Oil Seed, so now they have a choice along with the Dark-eyed Juncos, who are still here. If you feed birds, check out local farmers who bypass all the middle handlers and sell directly to those who feed the birds.

Moving on to check our active nests…

At Port Lincoln, Mum cleaned the nest and found some fish.

Meanwhile, Mum is waiting for Dad to get off the ropes and go fishing.

So grateful for the fish fairies. These chicks might not have made it to this age. They are 23 and 21 days old today. Mum waiting with Giliath and #2 for a fish delivery. Mum leaves. Dad remains on the ropes. Thank goodness for those scraps in the nest, too!

At 11:50, the chat says “Fish Fairies on their way”. Relief. Giliath and #2 are so precious. So is Mum.

A large Trevally lands on the nest. Oh, goodness. This will make some nice meals!

Dad will take the fish after the first feeding. He will have a good feed and return it to Mum, who will feed the osplets again and hopefully finish off the tail herself. I hope Dad will get out and bring another fish to the nest before evening.

‘A’s report is always welcome. She tells me that today is the Melbourne Cup and everyone stops everything for the horse race! “The osplets are hungry today, with nothing brought to the nest by either parent, although mum did discover some nestovers very early this morning (about 05:48) and fed a fish tail to the two chicks. We are told by the mods that the fish fairy is on her way as I type, so a large feeding is about to occur. The current joke is that mum and the osplets will be meeting the boat! Certainly, mum is gone for no more than two minutes when fish are delivered. She knows Janet by now and I think she is well aware no harm is meant by the fishmonger. Looking forward to watching this pair eat. I love them both but Little Bob is such a feisty lad, his sister being far more laid-back. Perhaps Giliath is also male. I have thought the size discrepancy made that unlikely, but even when both eat their fill, Giliath is definitely eating at least twice as much as its younger sibling at a lot of the feedings. So it’s hard to tell, but I would still have my money on Giliath being the big sister to younger brother Little Bob. The temperaments seem to be the reverse of what gender would suggest. “

‘A’ and I spend a lot of time discussing the Port Lincoln Osplets and we both wonder – as I have in this post earlier – what would have been the fate of this nest this year without the fish fairies: “Today was a day to wonder what may have happened in the absence of the fish fairy, whose single giant trevally (13:07) was the only fish of the day. There were two monster feedings from the fish, and of course mum ate a lot of fish herself (as always), plus dad took it away for a bit and then brought it back for the second feeding. What interested me the most was how confident Little Bob was – lining up first, getting the prime position, and then reaching for bites in front of his huge sister, who did not object in any way or at any stage. These two are the best of friends, and I would suspect two males were it not for the massive size discrepancy between them. There are times when Giliath does get fed a lot more than her brother because mum for some reason concentrates on her, but mostly Little Bob is eating as much as Giliath, and at all meals, he seems to eat as much as he is able to. (He turns away from feedings, too full to continue, then returns to rejoin the feeding or gets pursued by mum attempting to smother him in fish.) So I have to believe their difference in size represents a gender difference, though we won’t know until banding of course. I do love to watch this pair though. They are so amicable and it is just a wonderful nest to watch as a result. I wonder whether dad feels the pressure has been lifted by the fish fairy or whether fishing conditions were simply bad today. “

At Orange, Marri is beginning to look like a falcon, bigger than Diamond. Both share in the prey and continue to look out to the wide world. The parents will soon turn to doing flying demonstrations with prey in their talons in front of the scrape as fledge approaches.

Diamond appears to be smiling all over. Look at those eyes as she stares at her daughter, Marri.

Barru is a cutie-pie but not match for Marri in a tug-o-war. Thank goodness they get along brilliantly.

The Bald Eagles are either laying eggs, thinking about eggs, or working on nests in preparation for eggs in the US.

Martin and Rosa have made great progress on their brand new nest!

We are expecting at an egg with Missey and Pa Berry at Berry College any time.

Smitty is still missing.

The most recent visit of the male with Bella at the NCTC nest is caught by Deb Stecyk.

Poor Bella. She continues to work on her nest with no news of Smitty.

Gabby and V3 are checking out the nest bowl at NEFlorida.

An owl goes after V3 (for the second time in as many days).

The rails are high and the one camera is set low but Muhlady is in the nest at Superbeaks incubating those two eggs.

More GHOs looking for nests and thinking of those that belong to Bald Eagles! This time at the nest of Abby and Blazer.

Fingers crossed for this pair of Black Storks.

Had to check on the only storklet fledgling of Karl II’s to have a transmitter this year – Kalvi. He is now in southern Turkey. Stay safe, Kalvi!

Wonderful news coming out of Kielder from Joanne Dailey and from Jean-marie Dupart in Senegal:

As we know from the Black Storks flying together (Karl II and Kaia) as well as others, Audubon’s recent report supports the notion of flock migration.

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As you might be aware, the names of American birds are about to be changed. Here is a good read on why this huge task of removing names related to individuals is taking place.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog for today: ‘A’, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam and the BOGS, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Gracie Shepherd, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, Berry College Eagle Cam, Deb Stecyk, Paul Kolnik, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk, Superbeaks, Eagle Country, Maria Marika, Looduskalender, Joanne Dailey and Jean-marie Dupart, Audubon, and The Guardian.

Beaky kisses and SE32 eating in the mangroves…Monday in Bird World

6 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

I hope that the weekend was good and that the beginning of the week is even better for each and everyone.

It was a damp Sunday in southern Manitoba. It rained. Not enough to melt all the snow but enough to make you worry if you went out if the temperature drops quickly and turns that rain into ice. Still, I wanted to get to the nature centre for some suet and walk around checking on the geese and ducks.

But, before we even start on that…Pepe and Muhlady have their second egg of the Bald Eagle season at Superbeaks!!!!!!!! 32 days til hatch watch. Write that in your calendars. 7 December 2023.

Now back to the nature centre. I spotted 27 Hooded Mergansers. Others have seen more. There were Ring-billed gulls, Downy Woodpeckers, Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, a Rusty Blackbird, two American Coots and 8 Mallards. I did not see a single Canada Goose.

You might remember that earlier in the summer, there were lots of young Hooded Mergansers being cared for by two pairs of adults. I believe that these might be those same waterfowl all grown up!

These are female Hooded Mergansers.

I saw two Males. You can tell them immediately by the white on their hoods and neck.

A małe Downy Woodpecker was really enjoying the suet. Remember when it gets cold suet provides wonderful energy for the birds with all the added fat.

It is the same little Red Squirrel hoping that one of the birds would cause some seeds to drop from the feeders.

Every time I go for a walk in the nature centre, I rub the Buffalo Stone.

In the winter, kids of all ages – seniors, too – will take their sleds to the top of the run and go down the ramp on to the ice of Devonian Lake below. Of course, the lake is frozen solid by then.

Devonian Lake. The only leaves left on the trees are brown. The branches are so bare. The sky is a light dove grey while the lake is a little darker. Everything here in the winter turns into blacks, espressos, deep browns and beaver brown, and a range of greys. I miss the colour of spring! And fall.

At Pork Lincoln, the waters are not as calm as Devonian Lake, but they are calmer than yesterday. Dad will bring in a fish at 08:08 and another one around 13:00 at the time of writing this blog. There could be more and there will also be the fish fairy delivery. There has been no real beaking of any consequence.

Look at the feathers and the down feet. #2 often stars Giliath right in the eyes. It is never the thing to do. One beak by #2. Giliath says not doing that to me. Returns the beak and all is over.

The osplets are getting stronger on their ‘feet’. Just look at Giliath.

Looking out to the world beyond. Those beautiful feathers coming in on the hand and at the tail.

Mum is telling Dad to get on with the fishing. The chicks are going to be hungry.

Mum has flown off the nest. It is nearly 1300. Babies are panting and are hungry. Dad will arrive with a fish shortly. Everyone will get their fill.

‘A’ gives us the remaining report of the day at Port Lincoln: “The fish fairy arrived late this afternoon and delivered five medium-sized fish, mainly red mullet. This was greatly appreciated by mum, Giliath and Little Bob, who ate and ate and ate. For over an hour. Even dad benefitted, because when he caught a fish at 17:39, he was able to eat most of it himself on the ropes. When he brought the remainder to the nest, mum deigned to eat a little before returning to the red mullet. Mum does love her fish, but she tries so hard to fill up those osplets. She feeds fast, and she is always conscious of both chicks, feeding them alternately most of the time (one bite for Little Bob, two or three bites for mum, two bites for Giliath, more bites for mum, three bites for Little Bob, and so on). Oh they are sweet. An osprey nest without undue aggression is a beautiful thing. Rare and wonderful. I have never truly enjoyed an osprey nest until now. “

This is the weekly summary report from Port Lincoln:

They have discovered another nest in South Australia with a wee Osprey babe and an egg.

At Orange, the eyases were looking out of the scrape in the golden glow of morning, waiting for Xavier to bring in the breakfast. Look at how much of the down is now gone. They are developing so fast. Yes, we could have a fledge in a week. That is hard to believe.

These are a series of images from the scrape. Marri and Barru spend a lot of time looking out of the window at the great big world beyond the scrape. The feathers on the bottom of the scrape box not only belong to prey but also have been shed from their back, wings, and head. You can clearly see the falcon head and shape appearing. At times, the pair look like they are on a haute couture runway in Paris with the latest layered satin capes with fine feathering designs. They are simply beautiful although a big bedraggled. In a few days we will not remember what they looked like with their baby down.

There is nothing earth-shattering about these images. They are not fabulous for any reason. I love the state that their plumage is in at the moment. The feathers appear to have a quilted pattern in the first image, with the fine little pieces of down being the ties. The down on their heads is confined to a mini-mohawk. Look at the drape of the cape at the back and imagine a winter wonderland.

‘A’ remarks: “At Orange, little Barru is ADORABLE. Okay, they both are. With their tufts of fluff rapidly disappearing and their feathers coming through, and most importantly those gorgeous eyes. Oh they are so beautiful. Mum and dad are almost reluctant to enter the scrape at this point, as they are immediately mobbed by the eyases, and Xavier needs to count his talons after delivering prey. Mum still feeds the chicks when they let her, but usually, they grab and self-feed, The tugs of prey are risky, as Marri’s near-tumble the other day demonstrated. She really did fall out of the scrape – it was very lucky she got a talon-hold on that tiny ledge beneath the ledge, as it were, and then that she had the strength to flap her own weight back up and into the scrape. It was very dramatic for a few seconds there. But as I said, she learned absolutely nothing from the experience and returned immediately to exactly the same activity in precisely the same spot. Food, food, food!! “

SK Hideaways gives us the video of Diamond not wanting to be in the scrape with the two eyases anymore! Watch those little dandelion feathers go flying…my goodness. This scrape got so small with these two! https://youtu.be/aOZRU7A-Epw?si=Zccfxse3FC1Jh9on

News from Sydney. Images of Rohan Geddes in my blog of for Sunday the 5th of November.

And from Jen for the 6th November, 2023 – As promised, news on SE32 from yesterday. SE32 is with Dad and Lady at river roost! Another thanks to ground obs team – Jen, for the awesome video of SE32 flying with parents. More from the team later on what they saw today. How do we know, which one? SE32 has a high pitched squeal, easily heard over the river and evident when parents were feeding (in mangroves).

And even better news from ‘A’: “November 6: Again all was quiet overnight. Ground crew was down by the river early – and reported both adults and what we think is SE32 in mangroves near River Roost. During the morning I actually spotted SE32 hidden away in the mangroves -superb camouflage and heard it calling. After I left, at around 13:20 SE32 was seen eating under the mangroves, with prey delivered by one of the parents, standing guard nearby. So one of the juveniles at least is with the parents and has been delivered prey, which is wonderful news. Later in the afternoon I again saw both adults in the mangroves in a similar spot, Lady eating a fish and then a juvie possibly eating as well, out of sight. We have possibly heard 2 juveniles calling from that area during the day as well. I went for a walk through the forest, though saw no eagles this time, nor currawongs warning of the presence of a juvenile.”

We are so delighted with SE31 and 32 and knowing they are with Lady and Dad, being fed, getting their flying skills even stronger and learning to hunt. But could you stop for a moment? In recent memory, Lady and Dad have not been able to enjoy these moments either. The eaglets were either lost or taken into care. This must be the most glorious year for these sea eagle parents. Smile. Shed tears. How many years have we waited to see these wonderful fledglings living their lives and being fed without the onslaught of the Currawongs…it is beautiful.

Connie has spent an inordinate amount of time in the nest she shares with Clive on Captiva. Will this be the second eagle couple to lay an egg this season?

Moving sticks and beaky kisses with Jackie and Shadow at Big Bear!

At NE Florida, Gabby is determined to get her nest just right. Now we need eggs!

On Sunday, Smitty had been gone from the NCTC nest for four days. We wait to see what will happen. The young male intruder was seen at the nest on Sunday.

‘A’ gives us a report from the Royal Albatross Colony at Taiaroa Head, New Zealand: “At the albatross colony, OGK’s brother has been confirmed as an arrival this season. And as we know, YRK has returned, seemingly aware that OGK will not be coming home. Discussion on this led to someone posting this: https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-55416365. What an amazing photo. There is so much we assume about birds and their emotions (or lack of them) and we actually KNOW so very little. So far, there has not been an egg laid at the colony, but as eggs begin to hatch in the second half of January after an average incubation period of about 11 weeks (77 days), that means we should be expecting eggs to start being laid within the next two or three weeks. They will candle all of the eggs to ascertain which are fertile before deciding on this year’s Royal Cam family. It is a very long period of dedication from the parents – nearly three months of incubation, then eight months of feeding their chick before it fledges. That’s the best part of a year! Now that’s parental devotion.”

The GPS tracking systems on the migrating birds are so good that you can locate the precise pole that the bird was killed on. Indeed, some of them will change the image on the transmission to a skull and crossbones when the bird dies. This is where Karl II took his last breath.

This was sent to me this morning by my friend, Sassa Bird. We had been talking about the great loss that Karl II’s death has done to the people who work so hard for this endangered species to grow in Estonia (and Latvia). We remembered Urmas. He has to be more gutted than any of us will ever know. He has worked tirelessly for the Black Stork families in Estonia.

“NFO BIRDMAP: An adult Black Stork, tracked with support of BAltCF project. Breeding in webcam nest of Karula National Park since 2019. Karl II owned the nest after the previous male stork Karl died during the spring migration in Syria. In the spring of 2020, the former female stork Kati did not return from her migration, and a young female, whom observers began to call Kaia, appeared belatedly in May. Kaia laid two eggs, but left the hatching unfinished. After the breedind appeared unsuccessful we got a chance to capture Karl II and install a transmitter on him. So we know that in the previous two autumns, Karl II made a long migration stop on the Black Sea coast between Kherson and the Crimea, and from there flew west around the Black Sea to Africa. During the 2022 migration, this area was a war zone, and Karl II’s data was cut off on September 4 before reaching the occupied area. The next data transfer took place only on September 22, when Karl II reached the Ukrainian-Moldovan border, in the Dniester River delta. Then we saw that Karl II had flown to his usual stop over area on the Black Sea coast at Perekop Bay by evening September 5th, but the next day he flew away from there, 80 km north to the Dnipro river flood plaines, while checking the feeding places of previous years. In 6-19 September, Karl II stopped at the floodplains of the Dnipro river, in a militarily sense rather hot place between Kherson and Kahovka. On September 19th, Karl II went to see if the conditions on the Black Sea coast had calmed down, but turned back to the Dnipro river and from there in morning of September 20th, he flew further to the northwest, looking for suitable feeding places. In two days, without finding a good place to forage, Karl II reached the border of Moldova, in the delta of the Dniester River (by the evening of September 22). We will see if that will be a longer stop over or only for a single night. When he arrived in Africa, the connection with Karl II disappeared, as it does every autumn. But at the beginning of March 2023, Karl II started flying towards Estonia from his wintering place (from the border of the Central African Republic and DRC). Karl II made a migration stop over on April 1 due to rainy weather, but the rain turned to snow on April 4, and according to the forecast, the snow will not melt until a week later. The north is free of snow, but Karl II probably doesn’t know that. Nevertheless, Karl II breeds successfully in season 2023. There grow up three chicks of four eggs. Last is Karl II to leave for autumn migration. He doesn’t know that it will be his last one. Between 1st and 2nd October Karl II lands on electric pylon for night, but got electrocuted. Turkish colleagues searched and found dead body, took away the transmitter.”

If you are in Malta, please read this and help.

North Ronaldsay is in the Orkneys. It has broken its own record with more than 226 species observed on the island.

North-Ronaldsay-breaks-year-list-record-BirdGuidesDownload

We have Wild Turkeys in Manitoba. I remember with some disgruntlement when eBird told me that I was incorrect in spotting and hearing a Wild Turkey at Fort Whyte Alive in the spring. Well, turns out I was right and several others saw the turkeys, too. Want to know more about their behaviour? Have a read.

The-Fascinating-Fall-Behavior-of-Wild-Turkeys-Cool-Green-ScienceDownload

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care everyone. We hope to have you with us again soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my blog this morning: “A, H, Sassa Bird”, PLO, Fran Solly, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, SK Hideaways, Rohan Geddes, Jen, Cathy Cook, Inatra Veidemane, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, AEF, Sassa Bird, Maria Marika, Birdlife Malta, Bird Guides, and Cool Green Science.

The osplets are ‘itchy’…Sunday in Bird World

5 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Saturday was a day that fluctuated between blue skies and grey. It was also the day I learned all there is to know about making insulated homes for the feral cats that come to my feeder. Our winters are cold and can be wet with heavy snow. I often long for the dry snow that used to blow across the country roads, creating ‘whiteouts’ on the highway. Most often, I was told when I first arrived on the Canadian Prairies, people would go off the road and into the ditch but on the other side. Whiteouts are precisely that – solid white – opaque milk glass. You quickly get disoriented when you are driving, and the snow is blowing across the highway.

The insulated boxes mean ‘The Boyfriend’ and another friend (wonder who that will be?) will have warm and dry places to stay if they choose – under the deck. That horrid old carpet that needs to be replaced will remain til spring. It will keep the snow from falling between the decking onto the ground below. Hopefully, they will have a nicer winter.

Calico can watch them from inside, snug and warm. Gosh, I love how that cat finally came to trust me. The three girls are such wonderful gifts. They are creatures of ritual and the story reading one is very precious. It reminds me of the time when my children were small and cuddled in for their bedtime stories. Now they nestle on the scrap quilt my grandmother made beside me – Calico and Hope – with Missey either on the table or the cat tree. I am so lucky. If petting a cat removes stress, my life should be completely stress free!

Today I did put a little post in FB seeking out a very young male kitten, a little brother for them. I am looking for a little boy younger than Hope, perhaps 6-8 weeks. Fingers crossed.

Calico trying to catch a ‘cat nap’. Hope does sleep but rather than eat or sleep, she would much rather play!

In keeping to my promise to try and get out to the park for a walk at least 5 days out of 7, I headed off to check on the Wood Ducks, the Mallards, and the Canada Geese that were at Kildonan Park a week ago. There is an area by the ‘Witches Hut’ where people come to feed them seed.

There were no ducks in sight, but there were twenty-five Canada Geese.

Squirrels who are getting their thick winter coats were chasing one another all around the park, up and down the trees, and across the snow. Isn’t this one adorable with his paw across his chest? I bet he thought I might have a peanut. Sadly, I did not – which reminds me that I must get some peanuts for the feeders. They must be rationed because of Little Red, who will take them all and not share. Dyson and Gang, along with the Blue Jays generally eat the nuts this time of year.

‘H’ knows how much I love ducks and geese, and she checks on the Barnegat Light streaming cam regularly. Today, she sent me such a treat – a short video clip of the Brandt Geese. You should check out that streaming cam! Oh, I would love to be sitting in those dunes listening to them.

Wikipedia gives us the following information: “The brant is a small goose with a short, stubby bill. It measures 55–66 cm (22–26 in) long, 106–121 cm (42–48 in) across the wings and weighs 0.88–2.2 kg (1.9–4.9 lb).[4][5][6][7] The under-tail is pure white, and the tail black and very short (the shortest of any goose).The species is divided into three subspecies:[8]

  • Dark-bellied brant goose B. b. bernicla (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Pale-bellied brant goose B. b. hrota (Müller, 1776) (also known as light-bellied brent goose in Europe, and Atlantic brant in North America)
  • Black brant goose B. b. nigricans (Lawrence, 1846) (sometimes also known as the Pacific brant in North America)”.

Audubon describes their migration. It is possible that ‘L’ spotted one in Mobile Bay today!

“Long-distance migrant, travelling in flocks. Birds from central Canadian Arctic move down east side of Hudson Bay, then may make nonstop flight overland from southern James Bay to central Atlantic Coast of USA. In Alaska, large numbers gather at Izembek Lagoon and then depart almost simultaneously for long overwater flight to wintering areas on Pacific Coast. Migrating flocks may fly very high. Wintering birds may linger later in spring than most geese, as coastal breeding areas in high Arctic remain unsuitable for nesting until summer.”

“Brant Geese” by flythebirdpath > > > is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

“Brant Geese” by Andrew_N is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

In her book, The Comfort of Crows, Margaret Renkl says, “The world will always be beautiful to those who look for beauty.”

In the garden, it was damp and grey today. The snow is melting and everything looks ugly. I’m not too fond of this time of year. When you leave your garden to be messy to help the birds and insects, there are some weeks when everything looks so dishevelled, so rotten, in such a mess. I must remind myself that all of this is for the greater good and hope that a large dump of snow will come and cover it with a winter blanket until spring!

The European Starlings flew in and out, and a Blue Jay has been searching through the Black oil Seed to see if the Sparrows left him anything. It is time to go and get some food just for the Blue Jay, but, of course, that will not work as the others will want to share in the goodies, too.

This is Junior, the Dad. He was at the feeder with the youngest of the fledglings the other day. Several appear to have moved on. Often Junior will stay for most of the winter.

It has been especially difficult to get a good image of the Starlings when they come in during the day. They are fond of the solid suet and have consumed many large cylinders this past week in their attempt to keep warm.

Now if I misspell names, tell me! Bazz not Bazza, Giliath. I put an ‘a’ in there. It is Barru and Marri. Apologies all around. My fingers sometimes go faster than my brain!!!!!!!

At the beginning of the season at Orange, my wish was for one healthy eyas. Instead, we have two. Double happiness for Diamond and Xavier this year. And that second hatch is quite the character. Barru and Marri have their ongoing tug-o-wars for prey and then, in a wink, sit there and pull off pieces, sharing their lunch. What great siblings!

It has been a glorious year at Orange.

Just look at how much soft white down is coming off the backs and wings of these two. Imagine if you will that it might well be all gone, flying about the scrape along with the feathers from the prey being plucked. Marri and Barru are turning into ‘falcons’.

‘A’ reports: “There was much wingercising, eating and screeching, along with zoomies around the scrape. THOSE EYES! Oh how gorgeous are those sidelong glances? So very cute. And we’re only a week from fledge watch!! Surely not. Already? Here are today’s time stamps: PREY 07.02 04, 08.16.37, 09.50.37, 17:10:18, 19.09.00, 19.18.35 FEED 07.02(M,D,B), 09.52(M,D,B), 11:57(X scrap from floor), 17:10 (M&B), 19.09(M&B), 19.19 (M,D). HIGHLIGHTS: 17:18 Barru takes the prey! 18:05:46 Marri shows off her giant wings but 18:07:18 Barru wins the winger competition. 18:08:23 they discuss it with beakies. 19:18:38 tug-o-war between Barru and Marri. Barru wins the tug-o-war at 19:18:49. We will miss this pair. What huge personalities they both are. As always, Diamond and Xavier do raise one male chick each year who is a very memorable eyas indeed. Izzi. Yurruga. Rubus. And this year, Barru. I do think this is their first female chick in many many years – Marri is definitely female IMO, as she is as big as her mum (bigger with all that fluff) and towers over poor little Xavier.” 

The water at Port Lincoln is choppy. Will Dad get a fish in? How will the boat ride be for Fran and Bazz as they head out to get fish for the nest on the barge?

Giliath and #2 are getting almost too big to fit under Mum comfortably. You will be able to notice the pin feathers coming in if you look carefully.

The kids are preening. Feathers are itchy!

It is 1244 and no fish has arrived at Port Lincoln yet – not from Dad or the fish fairy. Thinking they need a tank!

It is mid-afternoon. Dad appears on the ropes. Mum and kids in the nest waiting for fish. I hope the fish fairies are not having difficulty finding the catch of the day.

‘A’ reports: “At Port Lincoln, dad brought in only one small fish for the entire day (at 10:07:20), which fed both osplets a small snack. So it was indeed fortunate that the fish fairy delivered an extra large whole trevally (709 grams) at 14:51. This fed both kids to their gills (the feeding lasted 69 minutes), and there was another feeding from the same fish at 16:27 which was listed on the Obs Board as small but apparently lasted for 29 minutes. Either way, both osplets had full crops at bedtime.” 

It is raining in the Sydney Olympic Forest home to the Sea Eagles and the two fledglings SE31 and 32.

Several years ago, a dear ‘late’ friend, Phyllis Robbins, introduced me to Cathy Cook. Cathy lives near the Discovery Centre, and you might remember that she has helped spot the sea eagle fledglings when they are grounded. She has helped on more than one occasion to get help for them, even riding with them in the van to the rehab clinic. I so admire her dedication to these beautiful raptors. Today, Cathy has some news for us that will make you smile.

Then there is more great news!!!!!!!!!!!! Just tape that smile on your face. Look at this sea eaglet.

‘A’ sends the report from Sydney: “November 5: Rain and wind this morning. No action on the nest during the day, but great observations from our ground team again. One juvenile, we think SE32, was seen with the parents across the river in the mangroves, possibly eating as well. Both appear to be still in the area. The watching and listening continues.”

Gracie Shepherd caught Irv and Claire at the US Steel Bald Eagle nest in Pennsylvania. Bravo! I keep missing them. So glad they are both home safe and planning for a new season.

Gabby and V3 continue to work on their nest near Jacksonville. Have these two ever mated? ‘A’ has been sceptical for some time. Now, I am starting to wonder. Why would V3 be camera-shy?

And at Duke Farms…

There are beautiful eagles in the trees with their fall leaves at Decorah.

It was a stunning morning at Big Bear, but I did not see Jackie and/or Shadow at the nest (yet). Don’t you love the way the sun rising creates those beautiful diamonds?

Pepe and Muhlady are taking such good care of that precious egg. Look for another soon!

The situation at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest of M15 and F23 – or is it the nest of the GHOs – is worrisome. Whose nest is it? M15 and F23 have not been sleeping at the nest. Do they know that the owls are staking it out as their own?

Some news from around the world:

A growing colony of terns! Oh, I do love terns. My friend ‘S’ has some terns living in her garden on the Hawaiian islands, and they are so pretty. We also have terns in Manitoba during the spring and summer breeding seasons.

Recently-discovered-Sandwich-Tern-colony-is-thriving-BirdGuidesDownload

Banana noses????

Short-tailed Albatross incubating eggs on Midway.

The Black Stork migration continues. Maria Marika reports that many are flying over Egypt. They are almost to their winter homes. I hope Kaia is with them and she is safe. It would be grand if Karl II was by her side – hard to imagine we lost him.

The Royal Albatross continue to return to Taiaroa Peninsula to find their mates and start the process of nest building and egg laying!

Do you know this nest cam with squirrels and songbirds in Nagano?

Please share. Once, when we were trying to protect some Cooper’s Hawk nests in my city, I was told repeatedly, that the hawks had been carrying away the local dogs! The gentleman who told me this was busy trying to locate all the nests in the area so he could destroy them. It took great effort and one of the local wildlife officers to deter his actions.

Thank you so much for being with us today in Bird World. Please stay safe. I hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, photographs, videos, graphics, articles, and streaming cams that helped me write my blog today: ‘A, B, H, L’, Wikipedia, Audubon, Openverse, Margaret Renkl, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, PLO, Cathy Cook, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Gracie Shepherd, Rohan Geddes, NEFL-AEF, Duke Farms, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, FOBBV, Superbeaks, Androcat, Bird Guides, The Petrel Station and Seabird Tours and Research, Holly Parsons, Maria Marika, Lady Hawk, Nagano Songbird Cam, and The Medina Raptor Centre.

Saturday in Bird World

4 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that finds you all well and that your weekend will be a lovely one.

‘M’ sent me an image of Bald Eagles along our river. A gathering of eagles is called an aerie or a convocation. There were apparently hundreds of eagles, of various ages, yesterday along the Red River.

The raptors are coming down from the far north, feeding at our rivers in the south. The Partridge and Grouse are about and lots of small mammals.

The girls are recovering from their big day on Thursday. They mostly slept but I was delighted to see that Missey and Hope were playing on the big cat tree and chasing one another around the house. Missey has been eating lots of organic chicken and I do hope that she is on the mend from missing Lewis. He was her best friend. He was always with her. I know that she has been lonely and missing that companionship.

I did not have my camera when they were together but here is Missey watching Hope on the floor getting ready to pounce and run!

It could be a better image. All of these used the phone camera, but here they are on the same cat tree- Calico and Missey. Who is the boss?

The day hovered right around freezing and then in the late afternoon the temperature began to rise a tad. It is -6 C at 2130 Friday night and tomorrow our high will be -1 C. I hope the wind is not bad. I am wondering if any ducks or geese remain anywhere. Hoping to get out to check on Saturday.

In the meantime, ‘EJ’ wrote to me about a book. It is called The Comfort of Crows. A Backyard Year. by Margaret Renkl. This is an incredible read. The girls and I began, and we are now halfway through. Renkl digs deep into her soul as she looks out at the birds in her garden and her new year’s bird, which happens to be a Crow. She closely examines all things – flowers, weeds, the vines climbing up a tree, the knots in the wood to help us appreciate the natural world even though we are destroying it.

Renkl has a wonderful way with words. Writing of winter she says, “Even the most ideologically stubborn amongst us have finally come to understand how fragile winter truly is. It is only the first week o February, but the daffodils have already begun to bloom. There can be no reasonable argument about what is happening to the planet, now that daffodils so commonly bloom in February.” In another chapter, “I’m not trying to hide from the truth but to balance it, to remind myself that there are other truths, too. I need to remember that the earth, fragile as it is, remains heartbreakingly beautiful.”

Renkl addresses the need to leave our leaves: “An unkempt garden offers more than just food for the birds. The late offspring of certain butterflies, like the black swallowtail, spend fall and winter sealed away in a chrysalis clinging to the dried stems of what’s left of a summer garden…These days we don’t drag fallen limbs out to the street for the city chipper service to clean up, either. A good brush pile is a boon to ground-foraging birds, who eat insects from the decomposing wood, and to all manner of small animals hiding from predators or sheltering from the wind and snow.”

“According to birding tradition, the first bird you see on the first day of the new year sets the tone for your next twelve months.”

I love how she describes the beauty that surrounds her – asking us to look at what is near, to notice what we might not have seen, to treasure what is before us now – staring us in the face – before it is gone.

Moving on to a quick check around Bird World.

Where is Smitty? Are there more battles? Is Smitty healing or injured and cannot return to the nest? We know that he has been away in the past for periods of time – some so long we fear his demise. What will happen at the NCTC nest this breeding season?

We almost lost an eyas at Orange. How many times did we worry about the chicks falling off the ledge at Collins Street in Melbourne? Well, during a tug-o-war, we almost lost Barru at Orange.

Early morning recap at Orange:PREY 06:43:16, 06:49:48, 07:34:38, 10.37.35 FEED 06:43(M&B), 06:49(M), 07:35(D), 09.22(D earlier juv star), 10.37(M) RECAP 06.47.40 Barru slips off ledge & recovers

SK Hideaways catches that fall for us:

Besides the fright of Barru almost being lost to us, a huge storm went through the area. Hail came flying into the scrape! Barru and Marri were both curious and afraid but look at Diamond’s eyes as she takes cover in the corner.

I want to – for a second or third time – thank Fran, Bazza, and Janet for their foresight in providing fish for the Osprey family at the barge. It would be possible to gather the stats on the fish provided at various osprey nests over the past several years – nests that have fledged 2 or 3, sometimes four chicks. I hope to see Dad bringing 4-5 nice-sized fish to this nest for this family of four daily. Indeed, I would like for it to be more. That is not happening regularly. His average appears to be about two fish. The supplemental fish are keeping the bonking down and the family fed. I fear what would happen if this were not the case.

Galiath’s little wings.

More copper-red feathers coming in.

Hoping for fish.

It is nearing 1100, and there has been no fish at Port Lincoln. It is now 1158. Dad has been in the shed on the barge and is now on the nest. No fish. The fish fairy cannot come soon enough. The chicks are being good, but it is clear that they are hungry, and so are the adults.

‘A’ gives us the report: “That half fish dad brought in at 16:16 was the last for the day, and there was a short feeding from it, largely going to Giliath because Little Bob was not really interested. Both were still full from the feeding that had not really ended after the visit of the fish fairy at 15:38. The interesting part was the osplets waiting until 12:27 for breakfast, with the bonking incident that resulted more from boredom than from hunger I think. When breakfast/lunch finally came, it was huge and the feeding lasted for 42 minutes. Both also ate extremely well at the 38-minute feeding that followed the fish fairy’s visit. So fewer feedings (only three really) but larger ones.”

And then there was this from ‘A’s Australian report that really put a smile on my face!

“I’ve left the best till last. I know this is clutching at straws but the news from WBSE is marginally (okay, I know, but just a tiny bit) better than the two days before. Here is tonight’s report from Ranger Judy:

November 4: neither parent was seen on the nest overnight, but were seen down on their river roost in the morning and later during the day. Our ground team found SE31 and watched her for about 3 hours. She then flew off strongly and was seen again later several times. Earlier, one of the parents caught a fish and then the other had bird prey – both flew with prey over the wetlands, as if encouraging a juvenile to approach. We have not definitely seen either juvenile feeding though the ground team are fairly confident they have seen or heard both today. Whenever either has been seen, other birds have been swooping still. Late in the afternoon, Dad brought in a large bream which he then ate himself. It is a pity neither juvenile was there to get it. All is more positive though.

‘A’ recalls, “I know, but remember two things. First, SE32 definitely had a crop when he arrived at that nest nearly three days after fledging. Before he rested on the nest most of the day and ate the fish his dad brought him. He had definitely eaten since fledging. And second, on the occasions SE32 was seen being harassed by smaller birds on the ground, he flew off strongly, with good lift, each time. “

Dr Sharpe retired. Really? He is out helping set up new cameras. One at the West End for Thunder and Akecheta at their new nest and now at Frazer Point for Andor and Cruz. So looking forward to eagle season on the Channel Islands.

The behaviour of the GHOs at the nest of M15 and F23 is continuing to worry some.

Baiba gives us a few minutes with V3 and Gabby on the nest.

This is the tower where Karl II was electrocuted. Someone asked me if Kaia would know if he died. They were flying in a flock. She is the pink line, and Karl II is the blue in the image below. You can see where their paths diverge.

This is a new tower. Why were safety measures for raptors and storks not put in place?

Here is the news for Kalvi – and fingers crossed.

I reviewed Carl Safina’s lovely book the other day about Alfie, the Owl, that he rescued. Here is a short article in the garden about what Safina learned. Enjoy.

What-raising-an-orphaned-owl-taught-me-about-our-broken-bond-with-nature-Environment-The-GuardiaDownload

As Bonfire night approaches in the UK, here is a reminder! Oh, how I love hedgehogs. They would eat the fruit in the orchard at the end of our garden and sometimes come for water at the back door. Warning, though. Do not pick one up. They are full of fleas ordinarily. Seriously. Adorable. Full of fleas.

All of the other nests appear to be doing well. That is excellent news coming out of Sydney. Fingers crossed for images of 31 and/or 32.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, graphics, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, EJ, M’, Amazon, Deb Stecyk, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, SK Hideaways, PLO, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, IWS, Lady Hawk, Baiba, The Guardian, and Maria Marika.

Friday in Bird World

3 November 2023

Good Morning,

Thursday was a gorgeous day. The temperature hovered around 0 C. So it was damp and the wind was a little nippy but it was still a good day for a walk in the park and a party for the girls!

I did not touch the colour. This really was a ‘grey’ day! There is a skim of ice over most of the pond but not all of it.

The gardeners have left everything for the birds that winter there and the birds in the spring when all those insects come to life. Remember that if you see Cedar Waxwings in groups on the sidewalks or lawns looking dead, they have been eating fermented berries and are drunk. They will come around!

I had hoped to get the girls to wear those decorative collars and all sit nice around their cake and food dishes but…well, cats do not cooperate! They are independent with minds of their own. Too funny. Looking forward to many more years with these three. Oh, and ‘the boyfriend’ also got a special plate of food.

Missey licking her lips after some nice chicken.

Missey looked at the little cake with its raspberry icing and thought about tasting it. But Missey is too polite to do that – she only rushes and grabs if it is chicken! or butter.

Hope thought the best thing was the six different types of treats.

The vet might have something to say about ‘little’ (LOL) Hope.

Calico was all excited – she enjoyed the chicken, two plates of special tinned food and then to top it off, she wasn’t shy about checking out the raspberry icing! Happy first birthday, Calico!

Tonya Irwin reminded everyone on the KNF chat of last year’s egg laying: “That’s what happened last season. Superbeaks on 11/2 then KNF E-3 on 11/19, then Metro, then back to Florida at SWFL, then KNF E-1.”

It was a good morning at Port Lincoln. There were two early feedings!

With the chicks full, Mum gets to enjoy some nice fish.

The report for the day:

In other Port Lincoln news,

Parent feedings and self-feeding at the scrape of Diamond and Xavier early morning.

The down is quickly coming off those heads!

Lady and Dad were at the old Ironbark Nest in the Sydney Olympic Park early in the morning.

‘A’ sends the report from Sydney: “November 2: Last evening late (November 1) at 19:27, Dad brought in a good-sized fish. As no juvenile turned up, Lady ate it. This morning, both eagles came to the nest early, moving a few sticks before leaving. All was quiet on the nest during the day. Then, late in the afternoon (17:14), Lady was escorted into the nest area by the currawongs and was seen up high above the camera. Neither juvenile has been seen here today . Later, both parents came in, were seen on the nest and looking down below, before settling in.

November 3: Both parents were seen at the nest early and later down on the river. Otherwise no sightings during the day – all quiet. I went for a walk in the forest again, searching, and could not see either of the juveniles. I did find lots of gull feathers under the nest – remains of prey – though no fish bits. Maybe a fox has cleaned them up? There were also clumps of possum fur here and there and a few furry remains – maybe signs of Powerful Owl prey? The picture is from the forest in the ironbark roost area and shows our original hide. We used to watch the original oldest nest from there. This was BC – Before Camera.”

There are Bald Eagles at Decorah and in Manitoba, where I live, they are gathering along the river – juveniles, sub-adults, and adults. They will almost all begin their migration soon although some are choosing to remain here in the winter.

Clive and Connie were at Captiva. (I wonder if we should check the osprey cam soon?)

At Dulles-Greenway, Martin brings Rosa a rabbit lunch!

Looks like Ron and Rose are thinking eaglets, too! Let us hope their second season together at the WRDC nest is fantastic.

Ahhhhhh….love is on the minds of all the eagles. Louis and Anna, both recovering from some injuries, were working diligently on their nest in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana.

M15 brings a huge fish and for the first time, his new mate, F23, eats it on the nest!

Jak and Audacity always hopeful – at Sauces in the Channel Islands.

Graceful. Beautiful. The Sandhill Cranes feed on the farmer’s fields here in Manitoba in the spring and the fall. Ferris Akel captures some video of the ones near Ithaca, NY this past weekend that are undertaking migration.

The National Wildlife Foundation provides the following information on the range of the Sandhill Crane: “Sandhill cranes spend most of their lives in freshwater wetlands, including marshes, wet grasslands and river basins. Three subpopulations of sandhill cranes are migratory: the lesser, greater, and Canadian sandhill cranes. All of these subspecies spend winters in the south and summers at their breeding grounds. The cranes winter in Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. In the early spring, they begin the migration to their breeding grounds. Throughout the spring, the cranes can be seen resting and feeding along rivers and wetlands throughout the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest. The largest congregation of sandhill cranes occurs from February to early April along the Platte River in Nebraska. During the late spring, summer, and early fall, sandhill cranes can be seen at their breeding grounds. Some breed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Others breed in Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. Three subpopulations of sandhill cranes are non-migratory. The Mississippi sandhill crane is found on the southeastern coast of Mississippi. Florida sandhill cranes occur in many inland wetlands of Florida. The Cuban sandhill crane lives exclusively in savannas, wetlands, and grasslands in Cuba. Mississippi and Cuban sandhill cranes are critically endangered.”

New records were set for counting on Big Bird Day! How wonderful.

Global-Bird-Weekend-Soars-to-Success-BirdLife-InternationalDownload

We have Lesser Scaup in Manitoba during the spring and summer breeding seasons but not the record numbers they are seeing in Cornwall that I am aware.

Rarity-finders-record-breaking-Lesser-Scaup-flock-in-Cornwall-BirdGuidesDownload

As the weather gets cooler in the Northern Hemisphere, people worry about mice and head to the shops to get rodenticide. Please don’t.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care of yourself. I hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for the notes, posts, articles, videos, graphics, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A’, Tonya Irwin, Superbeaks, Sassa Bird, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, KNF-E1, National Wildlife Federation, Lady Hawk, Ferris Akel, BirdLife International and BirdGuides.

Thursday in Bird World

2 November 2023

Oh, good morning everyone!

It is a very special day at our house today. When our vet examined Calico and said she was not a year old and that her best guess was that she was only ten months at the time, she asked me to pick a birthday for Calico. I picked 2 November. So today is Calico’s first birthday. We are having a little party full of lots of treats and an extra chapter of story time. We have now finished H is for Hawk and starting another book. Will tell you all about it tomorrow.

There will be some treats and an attempt at a birthday cake made of tinned food plus lots of love.

Some flashbacks…

Calico on 7 May 2023 when she was an outdoor kitty. She came regularly for food and slept under the lilacs. Often she slept under the deck.

30 June. By now, Calico is bursting and it is apparent that the kittens she is carrying will be born any day. And they were, two days later. She came to the feeding station many times during the day. She would eat for no more than 5 minutes and rush back to where she had hidden her kittens.

26 July. Her kittens are three weeks old. We have been looking for them.

26 August. Calico has joined the family inside. We hope to find her only surviving kitten.

The next day, Calico has relaxed.

Out with the rest of the family on 4 September. This will be a momentous day.

Little Hope shows up at the feeder. She will be humanely trapped and brought inside to join her Mamma and her new family.

Little Hope on 1 November 2022. She was born on 2 July so she is four months old today. Hope is a real treasure. Look at those eyes.

It is also another special day. It was one year ago today that Missey and Lewis joined our family. Oh, how I wish Lewis was still with us. He died way too young. Poor lad. You would not know that the fate of feline viruses would turn against him so quickly.

Lewis and Missey were so cute and tiny and so full of love for one another.And what a great day it was….these two brought me so much comfort and joy.

Missey still misses Lewis. She has lost some weight and we are monitoring her closely. Spending extra time with her and making sure that she gets lots of good roast chicken.

Once upon a time, the term ‘publish or perish’ was a big part of my university academic life. After a residency at Hospitalfield (the first art school in the UK) in Arbroath, Scotland, which focused on the environment, I became ever more critical of ceramics as a practice of making. Four book chapters highly critical of the teaching of the discipline came out of that residency. The last one will be published this summer.

Books take a long time to reach publication – this one some six years. Since then, I have retired and moved on to what truly sparks my life – osprey behaviour and conservation. It is nice to be putting this ‘to bed’ as they say.

The book ‘Finding Hope’ should be finished in the new year. It will address the tragedy of people dumping pets through the eyes of Calico and Hope. The proceeds will go to our local mobile vet unit that spays and neuters strays and feral cats in our City. Will keep you posted. It was a joy to write – just getting the illustrations perfect and the layout.

Now, let’s get to the three nests we are following and then to check on any recent news.

SK Hideaways gives us some chuckles thanks to Marri and Barru.

Oh, these two are so cute. They are both doing really well at the self-feeding and in the images below you can see that both are getting prey. Marri is flapping those wings and the baby down is flying all around the scrape. Marvellous.

Just look at those beautiful wings being revealed.

Barru is tired.

Just look at the difference in size between Galiath and #2.

Dad brought the fish at 06:48. Both had large crops, #2 achieved that goal first, I believe. They are both well and truly in the Reptilian Phase!

Look carefully at the nape of the neck and there is a hint of the copper feathering on Galiath. Their colouring is as dark as the ebony of their beaks with the pin feathers making them look like they are wearing a Donegal Tweed.

And the clown feet are here, too.

Babies are hungry.

Still waiting. No fish fairy either. Odd that there is not a regular time for the delivery of the daily supplement.

The fish fairy arrives. Mum eats and then feeds Galiath and #2. Dad arrives a little later with a fish but Mum has had the supplemental fish so Dad will leave with it returning with the fish tail which he will also remove as Mum and the chicks are full. All have eaten – Dad has to eat as well.

The experiment that is taking place is interesting. Will the number and amount of total weight of fish change as the chicks require more food? It reminds me of the kindness of Urmas and his team with the Black Storks in Estonia. They are endangered there, like the Ospreys are in South Australia. To attempt even a slight change of increasing the population, humans realised quickly that habitat destruction and weather patterns, lack of rain and food, meant that Urmas and his team had to provide food. Similarly, thankfully, Fran, Bazza, and Janet knew they had to help this nest.

She moves! #2 has a huge crop. Galiath is being fed. Mum and the two chicks will be full.

Galiath is full and turns away. #2 is still being fed. Mum does turn to see if Galiath wants some more fish then she takes some large bits for herself.

Oh, Galiath changed her mind! It could be the only fish they will have until tomorrow morning. Best ill up completely, crop drop and eat some more.

The report from Port Lincoln so far:

06:38A brief, morning bonking starts. Mum’s blocking the view. Looks like chick #2 started it and Giliath retaliates. Chick #2 submits.Couple of minutes later, Giliath nibbles at Mum’s talons.
06:48Dad in with a whole fish!Dad (L,Whole)
06:48 1Mum feeds. Giliath’s in front. Both chicks get full crops! Dad takes the fish. Mum eats scrapes on nest.
09:03Giliath bonks chick #2 and chick #2 submits. Then Giliath bonks Mum! Mum doesn’t react.9:18 Giliath bonking chick #2 again. Giliath gets distracted when Mum comes back into the nest with nesting material.
10:37Mum takes out some sea weed and brings it back in. Mum’s making trips bringing in some of nesting material.10:55 Giliath tries to do some nest work too. lolEven more nesting material! Chick #2 tries to help out with the nest work as well!  lol
15:073 supplemental fish delivered! 2 red mullet!Sup. Fish (M,Whole)
15:24Dad in with a partial fish!Dad (M,Part)
15:24Dad takes the partial fish off after Mum shows no interest with the supplemental fish.
15:37Dad back on the nest with his fish tail. Mum’s not interested and he takes it off to eat.

HeidiMc got the feeding on video! They love their Red Mullet.

The camera at the Sea Eagles nest points away towards the river and where we might see the adults flying about or even, in my most desired dreams, a juvenile. One eagle was in the nest over night (or were there two) and both were at the nest for a brief period in the morning.

I am more than worried about SE31 and 32 as there appears to have been no sighting of them in several days.

SK Hideaways caught their rendezvous. They must be searching for their children in the forest and around the river. Let us hope that they find one another.

M15 sure picked a beauty! Let us all cross our fingers and toes that their babies – their first clutch together – are safe from egg to fledge.

Work continues at the NE Florida nest of V3 and Gabby.

Fish gifts for Gabby?

There is snow at the nest of Little Bit ND17 and some concern that the new female is lost to us. Locals are keeping an eye.

It was a beautiful day for having a meal at Dulles-Greenway.

Pepe flies out of the nest taking much of that nice moss for his and Muhlady’s eggs on Wednesday. Oh, that makes me nervous. Seen too many osprey chicks and eaglets pulled off accidentally when nesting material gets caught in the talons of the adults.

There were 522 people watching the Big Bear nest of Jackie and Shadow hoping to get a glimpse of our couple. They were not disappointed.

Did Ron’s Rose at the WRDC nest fly into something that had white paint on it?

Dyson, not the squirrel, but the hooded crow, visited Loch Arkaig. So many visitors during the off-season for the Ospreys. It is lovely to see all the wildlife.

Cross your fingers and toes. Karl II’s chick of 2023 with its transmitter is in Turkish territory.

Falco continues to enjoy his freedom around New York City’s Central Park. Thanks Bruce Yolton for taking him down!

Remember we talked about Ospreys that are still in their spring and summer breeding grounds in the UK and Colorado. Here is one in Newfoundland, Canada today! Unbelievable. There is apparently an endless supply of Brown Trout going through the area at the moment. Maybe this is the smartest of the local ospreys!

Midway Island. This is from a year ago. There will be another count soon.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: Wilfred Laurier Press, SK Hideaways, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, PLO, Heid Mc, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Hazel sky, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk, ND-LEEF, Dulles-Greenway, Superbeaks, FOBBV, Geemeff, Maria Marika, Bruce Yolton, John Alexander, and the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels FB.

Eagles are Busy…Wednesday in Bird World

1 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

It is 1600 on the Canadian Prairies, Tuesday 31 October, as I begin to write. In about an hour before children will begin screaming ‘Trick or Treat’ or ‘Halloween Apples’. I am ready! Let’s hope that I am not too scary.

If you are trying to read the apron, it is from the Hanoi Cooking Centre and if you are ever in Hanoi and want to take cooking classes, I highly recommend it as an option.

The water was not completely frozen at the park near to where I live Tuesday morning but the hundreds of Canada geese and ducks are gone leaving a pair of Mallards and about a dozen Canada Geese. It was quiet except for the occasional honk.

In the garden, there were lots of Sparrows at the feeders along with many Dark-eyed Juncos and Red Crossbills. The Starlings came to visit as did Mr Crow and, of course, the squirrels.

The nest in the Sydney Olympic Park, home to Lady and Dad, and SE 31 and 32 (this year) is eerily quiet.

No one slept on the nest and no eaglets have been seen so far in at least 36 hours.

‘A’ gives us the official report: “October 31: A very hot windy day. Both parents were at the nest early, moving a few sticks, then away. During the early morning bird survey over in the nearby wetlands, I could see both parents over on River Roost. During the afternoon, we think there was a sighting of one juvenile flying into the forest. We went for a walk in the forest searching, but everything was very quiet with the heat. Both parents were in the forest around 3pm and then seen again down on River Roost. Looking under the nest, we did find the dried remains of a puffer fish and the tail of the little ringtail we saw them eat previously. Also lots of silver gull feathers and a couple of eagle feathers. Around 5pm, both adults were heard down on River Roost. We shall keep watching and listening for signs of our fledglings.”

‘A’ reports to me that there are bush fires around Sydney. We are both worried about the sea eaglets and, in particular, SE31.

At the Port Lincoln barge nest of Mum and Dad, Mum was waiting and flew off for either a comfort break of to try and get breakfast.

Mum hoping for a fish and Galiath and #2 ready!

Gave up.

Dad got the fish to the nest at 08:56:30. Everyone was ready! And thrilled. Dad had eaten before the delivery – so a fish.

At some point in the morning, #2 beaked Galiath and Galiath retaliated…#2 became submissive. All appears to be well. Galiath is substantially larger than #2 and we can only assume that Galiath is female and little 2 is male since there is only two days difference between them in terms of hatching.

Then the fish fairy came.

Just look at that crop on Galiath. I hope that #2 got some fish!

11:242 tommies and 2 red mullet supplemental fish delivered!Sup. Fish (M,Whole)
11:24 2Mum’s back in the nest much more quickly than yesterday. Giliath’s on the left and chick #2’s behind Mum. Both chicks eats some. 2 whole tommies and 1 partial red mullet and 1 red mullet tail remain for now.
12:02 3Mum’s back on the red mullet. Giliath’s on the left and chick #2’s behind Mum. Giliath eats som

‘A’ comments, “Everyone ate well at Port Lincoln today. As usual, dad brought in a nice breakfast fish, the fish fairy arrived with lunch, which fed the whole family throughout the afternoon, and dad is currently on dinner duty (it’s nearly 5pm there now). The osplets ate a huge meal from 08:56 and their crops were topped up repeatedly during the day, with the fish fairy delivering four nice fish. Once again, I saw no bonking whatsoever on the nest, and feedings were peaceful and fraternal. Big sister sat and watched little bro get half a dozen bites in a row, without objecting or getting aggressive. At one point, after Little Bob had been eating uninterrupted for a couple of minutes, Giliath did shuffle slightly to indicate she was getting slightly impatient, at which point mum promptly gave her a bite. But that was as exciting as things got. Both osplets are well into their reptilian phase and are looking as if they’ve been dipped in a bucket of dirty sump oil. Gone are the cute fluffy creatures of only a few days ago. These slimy-looking black chicks have fat tummies and very round little bottoms. When their crops get too big to stand up to eat, they sit like plump little ducklings to feed. Of course there is a lot of preening occurring and the first wingercising has begun. Although Giliath did faceplant once or twice in the process, she soon worked out how to operate her wings today, doing some very impressive and energetic flapping. Little Bob was in awe. “

Xavier brought in a Starling for Marri and Barru.

Diamond came to the rescue so that both would have some breakfast.

Migration Count from Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania, USA.

There are a few ospreys staying in places that humans think they shouldn’t. Some in Colorado and some in the UK.

San Francisco is one of those places where some ospreys migrate like Rosie while others stay like her mate, Richmond. Here is another pair – are they the only bonded pair that are staying behind in California together?

Can you help monitor the Condor cam in search of #171 California Condor named Traveler who has been missing from the feeding stations at Big Sur has caused concern. They are asking for our eyes. Thank you.

Bella and Smitty are reunited at the NCTC Bald Eagle nest. Please send warm wishes that all the intruders and injuries are now past.

Gabby and V3 continue to work on their nest. No on-camera mating that I am aware. ‘A’ is worried that V3 might not be up to the job. We will wait and see. I am hoping he is camera shy!

Jackie and Shadow were working at their nest despite the fact that they will be the last ones to lay their eggs, most likely.

Work continues on the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive, parents of Connick. No word yet on Connick’s release. Will let you know when I hear some news.

The pair at Duke Farms have a beautiful nest and I do mean gorgeous. Look at the rails and the grasses!

These are two updates from Duke Farms: “June 25 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection update: The nest collapsed in several sections. This is not an uncommon occurrence with eagle nests. Nests that are used for many years get very large and heavy. Every year a few nests fall or, in some cases, the entire nest tree falls. Depending on what time of the nesting season this occurs, it can result in chicks being injured or killed. The fact the nest collapsed after the juveniles fledged is a good thing. They have been fledged for over a month, haven’t been seen at the nest as frequently and will soon be going off on their own. We’ll have to wait and see what will happen with the nest. The adults could try and rebuild the nest or move to a new nest tree. August 11 NJDEP update: A volunteer has been keeping an eye on the cam. Two adult eagles have been seen at the nest – it looks like the eagles are a male and female based on the size, but it’s not clear if one of the eagles is A/59 or a new male. It’s indeterminable if the pair will return to the nest. In many cases, pair rebuild nests in the same location or close by if a collapse has occurred. Sometimes, if there is a new bird in the bird, they will move nest locations. The identity of the male in the pair is a contributing factor in the situation. The fact that two adults are together at the nest may lead to the possibility of rebuilding in the same spot or close by.”

Martin and Rosa checking out the skies over their nest at Dulles-Greenway.

Mr North, Mrs DNF, and a lovely Red-tail Hawk were at the Decorah Eagle nest on Tuesday. Looks like there is snow in Iowa, too!

Aerial battles over Loch Arkaig??????

Any time our feathered friends make the news, it is good. Someone new will learn something and maybe they will spread the word about how we are trying to help!

These-adorable-flightless-parrots-are-making-a-comeback-after-being-hunted-to-the-brink-of-extinctioDownload

The Rare Bird Report issued its rises and declines in bird numbers for 2021. Gosh, two years ago. I wonder how much has changed since then!

Winners-and-losers-in-latest-RBBP-report-BirdGuidesDownload

Thanks, Sassa Bird, for this post.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care! Looking forward to having you with us again soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A’, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Hawk Mountain, BarbandBob Larsen, Jeff Kear, SF Bay Ospreys, Ventana Wildlife Society, Deb Stecyk, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, Window to Wildlife, Duke Farms, Dulles-Greenway, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Geemeff, TCD, BirdGuides and Sassa Bird.

Karl II has perished in Turkey…Tuesday in Bird World

31 October 2023

Hello Everyone,

We had snow squalls. Friends report that the ducks – Mallards and Wood Ducks – were still at the park along with geese and Wilson’s Snipes, Crossbeaks, and Pine Siskins. At the garden feeders, there were double the amount of birds feeding while ‘The Boyfriend’ came and ate roast chicken. He has taken up residence in the heated insulated house under the deck and can hear me when I go out with food. Smart guy!

Hope has taken over Missey’s basket. Missey does not seem to mind at all. Little sleepy head. Hope is an absolute gem. I wonder if her ‘black’ will change. Calico’s is black mixed with white making her look like she is charcoal or ‘salt and pepper’.

When Bird World gets ‘sad’ and when I get so angry that humans with all our so-called progress kill birds every day through negligence, these cats calm the mind. They have given me much more than I will ever do for them. Today, was one of those days when their purring and insistence on story time helped me get through.

Calico has a fascination with the herbs drying in the basket. Caught her just before she jumped down. Oh, what a gift she gave to me – her trust and Hope.

Missey and Hope watching ‘The Boyfriend’ eating his chicken dinner.

Hope is truly gorgeous. She knows how to pose!

The saddest news. The most amazing Black Stork Dad, the male at the Karula National Forest in Estonia, has perished – most likely from landing on an electric pole. It appears that he was part of a flock flying through that also included Kaia. His transmitter indicated that he died on the 2nd of October.

He had flown 3318 km on his journey south to his winter home after raising the storklets almost single-handedly this past season. He made use of Urmas’s fish baskets in dire times to make sure that his babies lived and, for the first time, he also had to purge one of the storklets on the nest due to insufficient food. Kaia left the nest and fed herself knowing she did not have enough for herself and the storklets. Karl II was an amazing father. He will be missed..

You were incredible feeding those babies so they would live…summer 2023.

Gutted. The death of the amazing stork has hit hard. After worrying for several years

In great respect to Urmas and his colleagues and all those who worked so hard to keep Karl II and his family alive during difficult times in Estonia, my blog will be short today. I worried so much about him when he was in Ukraine foraging and he lived only to die unnecessarily on a power pole that should have had protections.

Remember the decoys and the fish baskets placed in the drying streams for the past few years. The rescue of Jan and Jannika’s storklets after Jan disappeared and the experiment by Dr Madis to raise them at the Vet School. Bonus could not have had a better role model than Karl II. If Karl II were human, he would have won awards for community service and for being an exemplary role model. For us now, stop and think about him for a moment. What a great loss.

I have a love-hate relationship with owls. Unlike my neighbours, I do not think the GHO that terrorises our neighbourhood is cute. The Crows come in mass to usher it out and away and are condemned for doing so. “Isn’t the owl cute?” The Corvids are only trying to protect their young – the Crows and the Blue Jays. I have been known to yell at Mr Crow when he took a Grackle hatchling out of the nest and ate it on the top of the roof looking rather smug as I told him he could have had roast chicken! Honestly. But here we are with the too frequent visits by the GHOs that live on the Pritchett property and have a nest not that far from M15 and F23.

M15 and F23 don’t seem to be bothered. They are preparing for their first family together.

Today, Goliath is 16 days old and #2 is 14 days old.

The morning behaviour of #2 on the 31st at Port Lincoln is puzzling. Lovely fish brought in at 0636. Very difficult to see if #2 got any fish as Mum was blocking the way but it appeared that #2 did not eat and was under the wing of Galiath. Is something amiss with the second hatch? or is it just sleepy?

The fish fairy arrives.

‘A’s report on Port Lincoln: “At Port Lincoln, it’s 18:54. Little Bob just did a healthy PS and both osplets look well-fed and happy. Little does a couple of crop drops. After the fish fairy’s four medium fish were fed to the osplets and eaten by mum over the course of the afternoon, with the chicks sleeping and growing in between snacks, a whole medium-sized fish was brought in by dad at 16:13. Both chicks ate well at the subsequent feeding, with giant crops on each of them. There appeared to be no bonking at any of the feedings today. The last feeding is listed on the Obs Board as small, but it certainly wasn’t. Both ate a lot. Giliath’s crop was enormous and Little Bob’s was large as well. It was interesting to watch the pair. Sometimes, mum would feed three or four consecutive bites to one, then eat some herself, then feed three or four bites to the other. As each chick ate, the sibling watched and waited its turn. There was not even competition for bites let alone aggression. Giliath is getting more to eat than Little Bob but then Giliath is bigger and so needs more food presumably. Little Bob is certainly not going without. Any bonking that does occur (and most days, there is none) is just as likely to be started by Little Bob, though if he persists, it is generally finished by Giliath (or just abandoned by both). And I still have not seen any aggression whatsoever at a feeding or in relation to food. The worst Giliath has done is use her little brother to lean on while she eats some more. She is not doing this to stop him eating. She is just making use of the available furniture to hold up her enormous crop. And if he wants to do so badly enough, he will eventually squirm out from beneath her wing. All ate well at Port Lincoln today. It will be light there for at least another hour or so, but I don’t think anyone could eat any more tonight! “

It was really windy in the Sydney Olympic Forest early on Tuesday. Lady and Dad came to the nest right around 0530 with breakfast for either one or both of the eaglets. So far no one has showed up. This concerns me.

No one slept at the nest.

They arrive around dawn.

The adults stay for forty-five minutes before flying off after eating the prey.

Xavier arrives with prey and Marri gets it. Barru would surely like some. More prey deliveries and feedings after. Xavier continues to be an excellent provider. His two eyases are changing every day and Marri is bigger than her Dad now. Just look at her mohawk and those tail feathers. She is a big girl. What a wonderful year it has been with these two this year at Orange.

‘A’ reports “

Here are the time stamps for Orange so far today (it is 7pm local time). PREY 07.26.47, 08.48.11, 11.17.07 (giant pigeon), 14.01.39; 18:53:41. FEEDINGS: 07.27(M&B), 08.06(X), 08.48, 11.19(X+D), 14.03, 18:54 (M takes from X and self-feeds); 18:54 D returns but watches M try to unzip the starling; B watches. 1856:13 D tries to retrieve starling from M and can’t, so starts to eat herself. B joins in and all three self-feed! 19:56:45 D grabs the starling and begins plucking it. 19:57 Diamond starts feeding B; 18:57:40 D turns to feed M. HIGHLIGHTS: 7.26.58 B bites X, 9.13.41 B nips D, 9.55.55 D eats leg, 13.04.40 Cilla in the tower, 13.10.42 Cilla opens cam chicks react, 13.12.30 D close up, 14:01:17 Ledge Cam X aborts landing; 14.45.13 D sideswiped by another ps; 14:52:06 & 14:52:35 D doing two ‘rouses’ in fairly close succession; 16:33:05 M ‘attacks’ D; 18:37:51 M balances on one leg to scratch her head. Diamond had a HUGE crop all afternoon, as is usual for Madame.  After that gigantic pigeon, the chicks slept a lot this afternoon, with occasional stretches and a lunchtime snack, followed by the early evening starling. All ate very well today. Xavier is just wonderful. “

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

Thank you to the following for their letters, posts, videos, articles, graphics, and streaming cams that helped me write my blog this morning: ‘A’, Eagle Club of Estonia, Maria Marika, Looduskalender, Lady Hawk, SK Hideaways, PLO, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, and Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam.

Calypso intrudes at Port Lincoln, Bella battles intruder alone…Monday in Bird World

30 October 2023

Hello Everyone!

It is a beautiful blue sky, a bright sunny day on the Canadian Prairies. -3 C. The snow is beginning to melt, so some ice is building up on the walkways in front of the houses. Not good for walking, but getting outside today and having some fresh air was nice. Every year, I promise to document all of the bird nests within a five or 6-block radius from where I live. Now is the perfect time. I want to ‘learn’ these nests just like I want to continue learning the sounds/songs of the birds using Merlin Sound ID. Most of the ones I found today appear to belong to the sparrows. I could not find the Crow’s nest, but they were landing in a tree where I know they raise their young. I did find a new woodpecker home!

New woodpecker home.

Now I thought that this was a sparrow nest but I am beginning to wonder if it is not a drey made by a squirrel or a Blue-Jay nest. Any nest experts out there? Happy for any advice.

There were hundreds of sparrows at the feeders during the day.

Some puffed their feathers to stay warm.

Nearly 30 European Starlings visited.

All four of the Blue Jays appeared during one time or another during the day.

The girls watched from the comfort of the conservatory – sometimes the birds and squirrels and often one another. Missey is staring down Calico who is on the floor wanting to cause a hiccup but, she didn’t.

Hope loves spending time with Missey.

‘The Boyfriend’ visited the feral feeding station 5 times on Sunday. He had to be very hungry. I feel so sorry for the outdoor cats. He has food, water, and an insulated home with a heating pad if he wants. His fur looks good, and the patches pulled out in the summer during fights have grown back in. Hopefully, his life will be a little easier now that he has had a visit with the vet. Oh, and I want to reassure anyone that neither cat that was ‘fixed’ by the vet belonged to someone. They are well known for being feral, but, just in case, communiques were sent out a fortnight before the vet’s arrival. Geemeff named the white one with black patches and the teardrop on its eye – Dadpa. So fitting. He has not been around!!!!!!!

There is a contest for the Bird of the Century in New Zealand. Please go over and see the list of birds. Read about them and the challenges they have faced or are facing, and cast your vote for 5. Thank you. t is free. There is a donation page, but you can just say ‘no, thanks’ and continue. It is a great way to learn about what is happening with birds in a region of the world that might be unfamiliar to you.

Bird-of-the-Year-‹-Forest-BirdDownload

One of the birds is the Kakapo. Attempts to reintroduce the Kakapo to their homeland on the mainland of New Zealand are underway. And those very smart tree climbing non-flying parrots are giving their handlers some headaches!

Ranger Sharyn has confirmed that our beloved OGK is lost. I had listed him on the Memorial Page last year when he did not return to feed Lillibet after 45 days. He went missing on 19 May 2022. When he passed and what the circumstances were will never be known. Lady Hawk has included the following information under a video of the new arrivals looking for mates. One of those will be YRK, who had been OGK’s mate since 2006.

“Ranger Sharyn Broni gave an update on OGK today and it is not the news we have been hoping for. It confirms what our hearts knew but our head kept hoping for that miracle return. OGK was a magnificent albatross and one of the best Royalcam Dad’s and faithful mate to YRK since 2006. He will always be remembered for his devotion to his family, especially returning injured in 2020 just so he could feed Atawhai Pippa. OGK & YRK have fledged 6 chicks and raised one foster chick over their years together including the Royalcam chicks Atawhai & Lilibet, & daughter KBR and sons RLK & LWK. Our hearts are heavy with this loss but our hopes lie with YRK finding love again next season. Here is the message from Sharyn. “Although we do not know for sure it looks like the much-loved OGK has not returned following his disappearance in the winter of 2022 while raising Royalcam chick, Lilibet. He would be 26 years this coming January and was one of the first cohorts of chicks that I saw raised here at Pukekura. https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native… OGK and YRK first nested in front of the Royalcam in 2020 when they raised Atawhai during the pandemic and we all had many hours more of viewing time. https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native… OGK has been with YRK since 2006 as toroa typically mate for life. 2022 was their eighth breeding attempt. They have fledged six of their own chicks and one foster chick (This was a chick of Button’s). They have raised the foster chick after the egg they laid was broken during 2018. The first chick they raised is a breeding female and the natal mother of the 2018 Royalcam chick, Amīria. During 2021 their 2012 chick RLK (male) raised a chick known as SSTrig near the Royalcam chick, Tiaki. YRK would, by late October be preparing to lay an egg. Instead, she is looking for a new mate as is typical of bereaved toroa as the urge to mate is strong. There is no way of knowing what has happened to OGK. We do know that there are certain risks on the ocean such as plastic pollution and long-line fishing. Disease and starvation cannot be discounted either. OGK had sustained an injury in 2020 and we do not know what long-term impact this may have had. In the event you come across any wildlife in NZ call our emergency hotline 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468). Although as a group albatross are at high risk from long-line fishing this does not seem to be the case for Northern Royal Albatross. Comparatively few are recorded on long lines compared to Antipodean Albatross, for example. The conservation status of Antipodean Albatross is Nationally Critical due to bycatch and marine pollution. in comparison the Northern Royal Albatross are Nationally Vulnerable. Read more about the Antipodean Albatross here: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native… z/albatrosses/antipodean-albatross/”

OGK was my all-time favourite, and he will not be forgotten. Let us all work towards safer seas for these magnificent birds that can live well past 70 years in his honour.

In the world of the Bald Eagles, some are having to really defend their nests. Belly and Smitty are busy trying to hang on to their NCTC nest on a daily basis with injuries seen on some of the eagles.

The problems continued on Sunday for Bella who is defending her nest alone against a male. Myth busted: Females only fight females. Not in this case.

Here is the video of the battle:

The only hatch at Windswept Heights, Tumby Island, South Australia has been predated by a raptor. Little Blythe was approximately 18 days old when she was taken although the precise time is unknown as the camera does not stream continuously. She hatched on the 11th of October. Her parents are Partney and Marrum. Condolences to all.

Port Lincoln has put out a weekly summary in video format.

At Port Lincoln, Dad delivered a whole fish to Mum, Goliath and Little at 0645:18 on Monday. Look at those two happy chicks. Goliath is really oily today – the fluff is gone entirely from her head. In a couple of days Little will look the same!

Oh, my goodness. There was drama at Port Lincoln. Dad delivered the whole fish at 0645 and the Fish Fairy came with 4 fish at 11:49. Then there were intruders wanting ‘free’ fish! This is the report from the ops board: “It starts normally with Mum feeding the 2 chicks. Giliath’s in front. Then there’s are intruder osprey that interrupts! It was Calypso and her mate! Dad to the rescue! Both chicks full. Mum done for now. 2 fish remain.”

Fish left and Mum protecting her babies. Mum will eat some more fish – she appears to be very hungry today but as always, she stuffed her babies to the brim.

‘A’ gives us her report of the day at Port Lincoln: “The day at Port Lincoln began with a large whole live fish delivered by dad at 06:45. Both chicks ate well before mum settled down to brood them. Dad took the fish, bringing it back 15 minutes later and Giliath ate briefly again (Little Bob was in a food coma). At 08:35 mum left to stretch her wings and Little decides to bonk Giliath, who retaliates. The fighting stopped when Little lay down. Mum returns and Little lifts its head, resulting in Giliath bonking him again till he submits. Mum leaves again and the siblings lean on each other, preen a bit and eventually fall asleep in a cuddle puddle. This aggression is all about pecking order (their crops get in the way of their bonking at times!) and it is relatively minor and brief. Not only that, it is being started by Little Bob as much as by his big sister. At 11:49, four medium-sized fish were delivered by the food fairy and an extended feeding took place (49 minutes!!) Both chicks ate themselves into food comas, and then CALYPSO (a previous fledgling from this nest) interrupts and his mate actually lands on the nest (12:08:47)!!! During the afternoon, there were six small feedings and no bonking between that massive feeding and the next fish delivery – Little Bob ate at all but one of those feedings, as did Giliath. At 18:38 dad arrived with a headless medium-sized fish and the dinner feeding began. Little Bob has the front position but soon turns away, still full from all the eating. Giliath downs a few bites and also gives up. The kids have eaten well today.”  

Banders can get it wrong. Unless a DNA test is taken and processed, no one is ever certain of the gender. I recall once being told by Tiger Mozone to ‘not question the banners’. Of course, he said it in jest! Now there is reason at Port Lincoln to wonder if Calypso, always presumed to be a female, might actually be a male – and that, of course, could explain why she has stayed so close to Port Lincoln like Ervie.

Marri and Barru, the Orange eyases, were hungry and very excited when the first prey item arrived at 0711. Marri had a nice tug of war wanting the prey to herself but…that didn’t happen!

More food later..

Marri and Barru scamper all over that scrape box. They are flapping their wings, doing some self-feeding, and running their talons off!

‘A’s report for Orange: “At Orange, our fluff balls are zooming about and their feathers are getting more prominent each day. And those eyes! Here are the time stamps for the day: PREY 07.11.26, 08:10:53, 16:24:51, 16:42:44, 19.08.08 FEED 07.12, 08:11, 16:25, 16:43, 19.08 (M+B) HIGHLIGHT 16:28:50 M & D tug of war; 17:54:27 Barrru running with morsel.”

The sea eagles nest is quiet. ‘A’ sent the report from Sydney but we both wonder what in the world they mean by progress? It takes many many weeks for fledglings to learn how to fly and hunt. They are normally cared for by their parents and this has been the issue at Sydney due to the Currawongs. “October 30: A quiet night, with neither parents nor fledglings seen at the nest – though they may have been nearby. Parents were heard calling in the forest in the early morning. Later, they were seen down on their off-season River Roost, on mangroves along the Parramatta River. Currawongs even swoop them down there. The fledglings have not been seen today – they may be anywhere in the forest or nearby – all part of their progress.”

The Redding Eagle Cam is live and there is an adult on the nest.

An eagle at Pittsburgh-Hayes where there will be a new male this year. This is V, the new male.

Eagles at Superbeaks. All of the eagles are getting serious about their nests. Pepe and Muhlady have been working hard. Will they win the race for the first egg to be laid?

Gabby is at NEFlorida with a HUGE crop!

Two eagles at Duke Farms early Sunday morning. It is not clear if this is Mum with a new male or if this is entirely a new couple at the nest. Waiting for confirmation.

Eagles at Decorah.

Non-breeding European Starlings and M15 at the SW Florida nest checking it out for the new lady, F23.

Ron at the WRDC nest in Miami.

Abby and Blaze have won the territorial dispute over their nest at Eagle Country with the GHO.

Martin and Rosa working on their nest at Dulles-Greenway on Sunday. There were some friendly beak nips…

That buzzard continues to visit the Loch Arkaig nest and is, as Geemeff notes, awfully talkative. Is it calling Louis to bring in dinner?

Saving vultures in Tanzania.

Nature-Tanzania-tackles-belief-based-killing-of-vultures-in-Tanzania-BirdLife-InternationalDownload

I received a note asking about the hunting in Scotland (both fox and beaten grouse) and why I am so against it. The girls and I are reading H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald and in the chapter we were reading today, she recounts T H White’s first fox hunt and what he said after. ” Riding out with the Old Surrey and Barstow Hunt, White recorded the first time he saw a kill with distanced fascination. The fox was dug out of a drain where it had taken refuge and thrown to the hounds. They tore it to pieces while a circle of human onlookers ‘screeched them on’. The humans, White thought, were disgusting, their cries ‘tense, self-conscious, and hysterically animal’. But the hounds were not’. The savagery of the hours,’ he wrote, ‘was deep-rooted and terrible, but rang true, so that it was not horrible like that of the human.’ I think that says it all. The gameskeepers at the grouse hunting estates are (some of them) as viscous in killing the raptors that take some of the grouse for meals. One recent incident of the stomping on a nest of little goshawk hatchlings was particularly gruesome in my mind’s eye.hese are sports of the wealthy and the influential and I hope that they stop due to the fact that people care about wildlife and the compassionate voices, I hope, will prevail.

Mark Avery’s, Inglorious. Conflict in the Uplands, gives particular insight to field sports – grouse hunting – and their links to the class system in the UK. Of course, it is also political as many of the men (they are almost exclusively men) are wealthy donors or politicians or even sit in the courts. It will be difficult to abolish the practices but not impossible. Ever so hopeful.

As you know, I am a big fan of Merlin Bird ID. Here is a list of some other apps that might be helpful.

The-best-apps-for-nature-lovers-–-from-identifying-birdsong-to-tracking-lions-Environment-The-GuDownload

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my blog this morning: ‘A, Geemeff, H’, Forest & Bird, Kakapo Recovery, Lady Hawk, Deb Stecyk PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, FORE, PIX Cams, Superbeaks, NEFL_AEF, Duke Farms, Raptor Resource Project, SWFL Eagle Cam, WRDC, Eagle Country, Dulles-Greenway, Geemeff, Birdlife International, and the Guardian.