The rain has continued but without the forecast storms. It just feels cold to the bone and yet the temperature doesn’t indicate that. Strange. A deep damp. All of the girls are curled up sleeping. The only one that is missing is Baby Hope. She is in hiding.
We have had rain and more rain and after it was time for a nice walk. As a consequence, I have been listening to birds outside (highly recommended) instead of watching them on a screen. I do urge you strongly to listen to the presentation by Rob Domenech. Take an hour to learn much about migration and migration patterns and challenges. Executive director of Raptor View Research Institute. This man is passionate, and he knows about his Ospreys. If your time is short, skip over to about 30 minutes. Then go back when you have a chance. It is that good. Did I say that more than once? https://youtu.be/lFQUgAXcF88?
It is a fantastic presentation and if you are at all wondering about the mortality rates, the migration patterns of the young fledglings towards the older more experienced ospreys, then you must take the time and watch this! I promise you will be sorry – he even gives some of the best reasoning behind banding!
The latest from Dr Greene via ‘PB” – thanks!:
Iris and her family made the telly, ‘The remarkable summer of Iris the osprey comes to a close’. I don’t know about you, but the departure of our beloved miracle family has left me feeling bittersweet. https://youtu.be/iKSGv30eaDc?
Reminds me of the American painter, Edward Hopper’s 1920-40s paintings.
Just look at EquiNOX. What a handsome falcon and he has done so well – getting leaned up for flight. NOX sure looks all grown up in his helmet. My goodness, Annie and Archie will be proud of him as he trains for the skies.
The two juveniles and Beaumont were at the Snow Lane nest in Newfoundland on Thursday. Beaumont delivered a fish to both of them.
In the top image, it is raining. There is an osplet on the perch on the far right bottom eating a fish.
News of the Wells-Fargo Osprey is contained in the post below from SOAR:
Some Bald Eagles are working on nests such as M15 and F23 SW Florida! What a team they are. https://youtu.be/lyX6U4F3pAc?
Others, like NE Florida, are giving people indigestion that had grown fond of Beau. Just because ‘the visitor’ is sitting next to Gabby does not mean that Gabby will pick this male at the end of the day. We simply will have to wait and trust her judgment.
This is Gabby and the Visitor. This male was at the nest for part of last year, confirmed by the AEF. They certainly look intent on cleaning this space up!
Thunder and Akecheta have been trying to make nestorations at their West End Bald Eagle nest in the Channel Islands. https://youtu.be/q3RKk3eEb2I?
I heard lots of waterfowl, but did not see Jackie or Shadow at the Big Bear nest on Thursday.
Calico’s Tip for the Day is a tip and an article. When it is really damp outside, you might want something warm and spicy to take that chill off. Calico suggests getting a large saucepan and fill it with cold water. Place 3-4 Orange Pekoe tea bags or 3-4 T of tea leaves in a tea ball into the pan. Bring to a simmer. Add cloves, a cinnamon stick, and some slices of orange, and sugar to taste. Let it simmer. Your house will have the aroma of fall and you will have a nice spiced tea. Sip the tea while reading the following article. The very first Wandering Albatross has been seen in Ireland. There was also a Black-browed. She thought it was interesting. How do these birds get off course? or does she think they are searching for new breeding and foraging grounds. Have a read and see what you think.
Thank you for being with us today. Take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘PB’, HMANA, KPAX-TV, California Raptor Center, Newfoundland Power Snow Lane Ospreys, SOAR, Sharon Dunne, SK Hideaways, NEFL-AEF, Netflix Memories, FOBBV, PIX Cams, Marika Solo, BirdGuides, Nesting Bird Life & More, Olympic Sea Eagles, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Androcat, and The Guardian.
This is part of a fabulous message from ‘B’: “Gosh, Mary Ann, Hellgate is breaking the smile-meter today. Not only does Sum-eh “branch” to the perch at 6:53, but then s/he tires of the perch at 7:43 and takes off on a real fledge. And without even seeing her, we can follow the whole flight by seeing Antali track the whole flight, right up to the landing a minute later. At 8:00 Iris lands and begins calling for the celebratory fish, but she must already know it is on the way, because Finn arrives with fish at 8:00:54, and the whole family is on the nest to celebrate Sum-eh’s fledge.”
How many of us just had tears in our eyes when we saw Sum-eh fly? I keep thinking that this is the perfect Osprey family. Everything this year was as if it had been choreographed by someone directing a world-famous symphony or ballet company at the Hellgate nest of Iris and Finnegan. I want it to stay this perfect.
Iris and her family have energized me.
Information on Montana Ospreys and where they migrate and when:
Oh, it was not so hot today but that did not stop the Blue Jays dive bombing the Crow fledglings whenever they came to get cheesy dogs and kibble! The sounds of the fledglings alarming and wanting the parents to come and help was, at times, a bit eerie. And then a community cat came and that really got the Crows going!
The tree you can see is where the Blue Jays nest. They gather there and swoop at the fledgling Crows whenever they come for food. You will see that one of the Crows on the fence has a lighter chest (far right)—it is moulting and an adult.
BirdGuides Photo of the Week is an osprey diving for a fish. Several places in the UK offer hides for taking these amazing images – at a price. Most of all, it helps the ospreys because there is a healthy amount of fish available and, in all cases, as I understand it, the ‘farmers’ who monetised their ponds or fish tanks are making more money from folks like us who want to get that winning image. Note that I have been more than careful not to say ‘shot’ – as the ospreys steal fish at the commercial fish ponds in South America and do get shot. I wish those farmers would advertise hides for taking photographs. They might discover this win-win situation, too.
Geemeff’s daily summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:
Daily summary Monday 5th August 2024
Just a raft of Mistle Thrushes and a Woodpecker on Nest One today – no Ospreys, no other action on either nest, just plenty of rain. Filling in the gap a little, LizB posted more footage of the Bunarkaig nest showing Affric and her chick, links in the bonus section. The wet weather continues tonight and tomorrow, with the possibility of thundery showers in the late afternoon.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.35.04 (04.41.35); Nest Two 22.46.59 (04.49.03)
Concerns for USU at nest #4 Finland continues as migration approaches. Will someone take the osplet into rehab?
‘PB’ caught USU flapping!!!!!!!
We are going to have a fledge at Charlo soon!
The other nest to keep an eye on is Minesota Landscape Arboretum. Our only surviving chick is on the perch with Mum on Monday.
Dad continues to deliver nice fish meals to the Cowlitz PUD nest.
River has come a long way to getting very proficient at self-feeding. Mum Keke looks on at the Sandpoint nest.
All three on the nest at Blackbush at Old Tracadie Harbour.
Nice crops on Mum and the fledgling at Boulder County.
‘PB’ caught a great image of the McEuen fledgling – just look at that crop. Mum did well. Such a sad year for this nest but one osplet survived with Mum despite the heat and having a single parent nest.
Blue (HWF BBCentral nest) was doing some wingers and moving around the nest including standing on the rim.
From the Forum:
‘CG’ reports:
AP Hovasse was out taking videos this morning. Believes Blue is ready to FLY!! He will be out again tomorrow morning.
Cams came back up at 1452 hours.
At 1715 hours, she pulled a plastic bag up out of the nest and proceeded to rip it up scattering it across the nest.
At 1750 hours, a parent delivered food, dropping it at the edge of the nest. Blue grabbed it and mantled it.
She did her usual flapping and seems to have taken to sitting on the edge of the nest. She also had three healthy looking PSs this afternoon.
Close up of Blue.
By 2251 hours, she is lying down asleep.
Weather for Tuesday high of 73F, low 50F, sunny. Temperature predicted to rise to the 80s Wednesday-Friday, then back down to the 70s with clouds for Saturday through the next week.”
Dad brought a really nice fish to Mum at the Port Lincoln Barge Tuesday morning! Oh, these two are getting me excited. Think the fish fairies will be around this year?
Small beak peeking out of the egg at the Olympic Sea Eagle nest in Sydney. The chick has made some progress during the night and Lady didn’t get much sleep. Let’s hope it is out today.
At Osprey House Environment Centre, the three osplets are little reptiles. I wonder if they will continue to play sweet. Let’s hope!
Where does Australia’s Painted Snipe go in the winter?
8/6 Colonial Beach osprey nest: By 0935 this morning, Betty will have been missing for three days. Yesterday, David brought 43-day-old Cobey a large headless fish in the morning, and Cobey ate some of it a few times throughout the day. Cobey is doing well with his self-feeding, but he is not strong enough to tear through much of the skin, especially as the fish dries out. There was an interesting period of time when there was an intruder on the nest for about 1.5 hours. Fortunately the intruder was not interested in Cobey, and he did not take the leftover fish. The intruder simply looked around, and moved some sticks. We were hoping that David would bring a fresh fish for supper, but he didn’t. Cobey was noted to have a few good PS on 8/5, but s/he needs more fish than what he is getting. Unfortunately, David does not do any feeding. As a single dad, we are hoping that David will increase the amount of fresh fish that he provides for Cobey. Today will be mostly cloudy, high temp 90, winds gusting to 17 mph. Please come home, Mommy!
8/5 Osoyoos osprey nest: They had a good day. There were 7 fish brought to the nest, including 2 from Soo. And, both Soo and Olsen delivered some whoppers. Chick 2 is still not quite ready to take that maiden flight. S/he did some wingers with slight lift, but no hovers that I have seen. Weather for 8/6: sunny, high temp 90F/32C, winds gusting to 13 mph.
An Osprey family living in the Turtle Mountains of Manitoba just west of where I live taken by Brenda Lyons two days ago!
In Estonia, three new Black Storks have been fitted with transmitters. Yeah! We wish them a long, long life. We hope that one of those, Kerli, which is believed to be Kergu’s sweetie pie, will return with him next year to breed.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We hope to see you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, observations, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, CG, Geemeff, H, PB, RP, TU’, Montana Osprey Project, Montana Osprey Cams, mt.gov, McEuen Park, Hancock Wildlife Forum, HWF-BBCentral, BirdGuides, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Cathy Cohen, Osprey House Environment Centre, The Guardian, BirdGuides, Colonial Beach, Osoyoos Osprey Cam, Brenda Lyons, Ciconia Negro.
A year ago we were running a couple of blocks to feed Calico and any living kittens that we couldn’t see. We had ordered a GPS tracker then, and when we take our walks now, we are reminded of the worry and anxiety of those days. This is Calico and her only surviving kitten, Baby Hope, on 6 September 2023, two days after Baby Hope came to join us. Calico had come inside a week earlier. Hope came to the feral feeder…it was such a joyful day.
The woman who helped me told me to leave Baby Hope in the kennel, alone, for six days. I couldn’t. She needed to be with Mamma. They continue to be inseparable. The joy that kitten had when she saw her mother and dear Calico, too, – well, who says animals do not have emotions?
Double Calicos = Double Happiness.
November 2023.
March 2024.
And then there are the Crows. Such beautiful intelligent birds. The fledglings are getting braver. They are coming to the bird baths more often and they are eating at the big table feeder.
We cannot forget the baby Blue Jays. They are sooooooo adorable. This one reminds me of the littlest one last summer. The babies have their crests. The adults are molting and look ragged – an easy way to tell them apart. Every day I wake up and feel blessed by having these wonderful garden animals and ‘The Girls’ in my life.
Today is Owl Awareness Day! Many of you know how I feel about owls when they decide to have an osplet for lunch. Poisons should not be used – ever. Spread the word -DO NOT USE RODENTICIDES!
With the destruction of habitat and the dwindling number of small mammals, rats and mice become food. If they are poisoned, they move slowly and the raptors catch them. It can kill them or their chicks. So sad. We have seen this happen. I know you remember the nests! Of course they also kill domestic pets such as cats who also catch mice and rats.
Dr Green is in the hide on the lift taking photos of Iris and her family. He hasn’t done this since 2018.
There were concerns when Antali was trying to pass a pellet early Saturday, but all is OK. The chicks are eating well and getting huge crops. Thanks for the close-ups, cam op!
I cannot imagine waking up and not seeing Iris and her babies – and Finn, too, and that day is coming in 5 weeks or less.
Fledges Saturday at Island Beach State Park and Blackbush Old Tracerie.
There was also a fledge at nest 10 in Kielder Forest. It was the young male. He took off and did a quick return. Kielder cannot confirm this was his maiden flight but it probably is.
Oh, goodness, there’s a fledge at Osoyoos, too. I’m shedding tears over this one. Heidi will report it in full, but we have lifted off in a year when many feared we would lose all three chicks to extreme heat and not enough fish. In the end, it appears the nest will only lose one chick, Little. Congratulations, Soo and Olsen—you did it!
‘H’ reports:
8/3 Osoyoos osprey nest: Great news: At 57 days of age, Chick #1 fledged at 0533, and made a nice landing back on the nest less than two minutes later. Chick 2’s head was on a swivel going round and round, as he stood in the nest and watched his sibling flying. Chick 1 had performed some very high hovers yesterday, so the fledge was not unexpected. Olsen delivered a small whole fish at 0620 and Chick 1 grabbed it and gobbled it down. After his breakfast, Chick 1 took a few more short flights. At 0753 Olsen dropped off a large partial fish, and Soo fed both osplets for 45 minutes. There was still some fish left, but the chicks both walked away, so Soo was able to finish the fish herself. Olsen also brought some nice-sized fish at 0927 and 1024, and Soo fed both siblings. Then the cam went offline for 4.5 hours. After the live stream resumed, we saw Olsen deliver a small fish, and Soo fed Chick 2. Chick 1 didn’t even approach the chow line. I did not see any more fish delivered today. The high temp today was 101 F, and Olsen had done a great job fishing despite the heat. Unless I have missed it at some point, I don’t believe Chick 2 has performed any hovering as yet. Weather forecast for 8/4: partly cloudy with smoky air, high temp 95F/35C, winds gusting to 17 mph.
8/3-8/4 Colonial Beach osprey nest: This is a sad story. The last time 41-day-old Cobey ate well was on Thursday. There were no fish brought to the nest on Friday. On Saturday, Betty left the nest at 0935, and she did not return. David dropped off a medium-sized headless fish at 0957, and he left. Cobey had not previously done any significant self-feeding, but he was ravenous and he tore into the fish. He was doing a pretty good job of pulling off fish bits. Cobey ate the fish off and on over the next several hours. His efforts were tiring, and he would have to take breaks to rest. It appeared as though Cobey managed to eat all but the tail of that fish. There were no other fish brought to the nest for the rest of the day. At 1915 David stopped at the nest for just a minute, and he did have a crop. Poor lil Cobey was fish-begging, and David left. We hoped that David would return with a fish…but he didn’t. Cobey had been left alone for 9.5 hours on Friday, but Betty eventually did return. The weather was warm on 8/3 (90 F), and there was a moderate breeze, but we had known Betty to have success fishing in much more adverse weather. On 8/4, David arrived at the nest at 0724 with a headless fish. After Cobey briefly chatted with his Dad, he started to eat. The fish seems to be tough, and Cobey is expending a lot of energy. We are praying that Betty is safe, and we are praying for her to return to the nest. Cobey needs a proper Mom-feeding at this point. Weather forecast for 8/4: partly cloudy, high temp 88, winds gusting to 14 mph.
The only surviving osplet out of four at McEuen Park is gaining wing strength flying from platform to platform.
Female osprey Goldie seems to be able to care for the three osplets despite her mate Kurt’s MIA and the heat in the area.
I wonder how many birds are electocuted each day because of hydro poles that have not been mitigated to protect them? This poor darling caught on fire and then, hitting dry grass, started a fire.
The situation really needs to change if the Ospreys in the region of the Omega Menhaden trawling are to survive.
Please urge people to watch their speed. Their are so many fledglings and many get hit by cars. So sad.
Thunder and Akecheta were spending some time at home on Saturday – the West End nest of Catalina Island.
Geemeff’s Daily Summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:
Daily summary Saturday 3rd August 2024
No Ospreys seen on either Nest One or Nest Two today, but LizB pulled off a coup by getting clear footage of the resident female at Bunarkaig and yes, her video confirms what’s been suspected for some time – it’s Affric 152. Link to her video in the bonus section. Nest One had some little songbird visitors and Nest Two had bigger and less melodious visitors when some Hoodies arrived for a fruitless check for fish scraps. It was a dreich day with rain on and off throughout the day, and more rain expected tonight and tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.26.50 (04.24.39); Nest Two 22.25.18 (04.34.28)
Top Flatt chick required a supplementary feeding today and the NZ DOC rangers were there to help.
Clark PUD fledgling back on the nest resting and waiting for fish.
Fledgling waiting at Cowlitz PUD, too. These images are important because our flying babies lived for another day!
The Only Bob at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum has the most beautiful wings. Flying soon.
Still showing up at Poole Harbour. Six fish arrived at the nest on Saturday. Mum helped deliver some, too.
Blue NC0 looks out over the Loch of the Lowes. Her life changed completely this year. Her dear Laddie LM12 was killed and her precious eggs were kicked out of the nest. The good thing – no chicks hatched, no chicks starved. Blue NC0 seems to have kept her nest and maybe she has a new mate. We will see next spring.
One chick left to fledge at Collins Marsh. The other two continue to return – as they should – for fish and rest.
The only surviving chick at Charlo Montana is getting antsy with those wings. I wonder which will fly first – Sut-eh or the chick at Charlo?
River with a full crop at Sandpoint!
Family portrait at the LDF Osprey nest in Kurzeme.
Hen Harriers are one of the most gorgeous raptors. Two more have been killed, and investigations are underway. Sadly, one of those is Susie. You might remember that I reported on her nest of chicks – five of them. An individual stomped on them til they died. It is worth reading about these amazing raptors that make their nests on the ground. I have mentioned Bowland Beth and A Hen Harrier’s Year. Both are excellent.
Little Taquito is getting feathers. Thanks, ‘J’ for the video capture.
The camera at Boundary Bay is frozen at 0901. On Saturday Blue had a remarkable ‘ps’.
At the Captiva Osprey nest, Jack was seen at least twice. Poor Dad. Easy to recognize. He still has the spike in his leg but he appears to be doing well.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, questions, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, H, J, MP, PB’, RATS, Hellgate Osprey, Montana Osprey Project, Kielder Forest, Osoyoos, Colonial Beach, Pam Breci, castanet.net, wavy.com, Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal FB, Red-tail Hawk Tales, IWS/Explore, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Lady Hawk, Clark PUD, Cowlitz PUD, MN-LA, BoPH, Scottish Wildlife Trust (LOTL), Collins Marsh, Charlo Montana, Sandpoint Ospreys, LDF, Raptor Persecution UK, BirdWatch Ireland, Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, and HWF BBCentral Forum.
Oh, my goodness. Monday was one glorious day. Blue skies. +10 temperatures. Happy people everywhere. What more could you ask for? Well, feeding deer and Black-capped Chickadees by hand while, overhead, a skein of 17 Canada Geese were arriving.
Several decades ago, I would be waiting for this arrival in mid-April. Saw one goose in a puddle by a major highway and more deer. Today’s outing certainly boosted the spirits – or as some say here – ‘it sure got the sap running’.
I had to back up as this one kept coming right towards me…I did have a deer once eat part of a wool jacket. It was one of the deer in the park at Nara, Japan, that loved cookies. Many vendors in front of the Todaiji Temple sell the deer’s favourite snacks. They are entirely protected and can even go inside the shops!
Before we go further into Bird World, there is a pip on Monday afternoon in Thunder and Akecheta’s third egg. This little bobble will join two very feisty siblings who know the ropes in that small nest. Wow. Things could get very interesting.
At 0410, Thunder gets rid of the shell from the third hatch! The first two continue to ‘play fight’ while they are trying to be fed. Oh, bless this new one.
As far as I know, there is no pip or hatch at either Two Harbours, Big Bear, or Sauces. I am having, what most people call, a bit of hope-frustration. Not for me, but for these lovely eagle families.
A pile, literally a stack, of new bird books arrived today. One of them is Tim Mackrill’s The Osprey. I will keep you posted as I compare this book with the one he wrote for the RSPB and his PhD thesis at the University of Leicester. Tim is one of the world’s experts on Ospreys. His name is associated with so many reintroductions and it seems that despite having a life, he is always there to help when someone needs it if it involves our beloved fish hawks.
The book that I am most looking forward to reading is one on its way. It is My Summer with Ospreys. A Therapists Journey into Hope, Community, and Healing our Planet.
The one that I am reading is Simon Curtain’s, If you build it, he will come. I lived in the market town of Grantham in Lincolnshire. My two haunts were Belvoir Castle and closer to home, Belton House. The book is the story of the reintroduction of Osprey into the UK after their demise. It specifically tells the tale of 4K, the male Osprey that settled on one of two platforms built at Belvoir raising two chicks in 2022. It is a love story to that singular bird that was the focus of Sacha Dench’s Flight of the Osprey. 4K did not return to breed in 2023. He sadly died on his way home in February 2023 somewhere near Dobire, Guinea.
It is a page-turner when you get to the part where Curtin wonders, after so many years, if 4K will have a mate, lay eggs, and have chicks! His excitement was infectious and Calico and I were up way past our bedtime reading his diary.
Most everyone who reads my blog knows that I believe nature has the power of healing. I spent at least four days a week outside for numerous hours. I do not wear headphones as I smell the fresh air and walk through familiar paths in the forest. Even though I do this repeatedly, each day is different. There are times that I long to live the life I did when I was twenty, on a small treed average, miles from anyone. Chickens, sheep, Roosevelt the Pig, horses, cows, cats, rabbits, and Guinea Fowl. Sometimes urban spaces ‘get to me’. But living sustainably was a lot of hard work – rewarding but hard, from morning to night. So now the forested areas around the City are my refuge.
Which brings me back to this book. I will keep you posted when it arrives.
Things are really starting to pick up with the Ospreys with reports coming in from near and far.
We discovered that the osprey photographed in San Diego did not originate in Montana. There is a mystery about this bird: the band and the lack of a federal band. The band reads Blue 61. But there is another white line. I am contacting everyone I know who bands Ospreys and has records of them. The news from the federal banding programme takes time. If you know anyone that bands ospreys, ask them if they recognise this band. Notice the line that goes all the way around. It is unique:
That egg at Captiva. It made its way back to the centre of the nest. Jack has delivered a nice fish to Edie and takes a breath. Everything seems fine for now. Lesson learned. Too much bark and objects in a nest can be dangerous for eggs! I am sure glad these two do not like stuffed toys.
‘H’ reports that Jack injured his foot early this morning but he has delivered a fish and seems to be much improved.
At Dahlgren, Jack and Harriet have been reunited.
No matter what happens…we love them.
A lovely video of Jackie and Shadow with those diamonds raining down on Jackie – oh, the bond these two have. I so wished this year had been theirs.
At Berry College, Missey and Pa Berry’s second clutch of eggs was laid on February 17th and 20th. Today, the oldest egg is 24 days. We have 12 days til pip/hatch watch.
My goodness. Francis must be a fast feeder. I blink and she is finished. It looked like the little one did get some nice bites on Monday, regardless, at Bluff City.
There were issues with prey deliveries at both nests – Bluff City and Johnson City on Monday. Franklin brought a garter snake to the nest in Bluff and it was nearly 1700 when Boone brought in a fish.
Kids at Johnson City were a little antsy. They are little to be waiting so long for food to arrive. It was after 1700. They did get a fish dinner.
Check out E23. Goes from the nest to the branch to hovering high in the wind.
Cal is doing some serious hovering, too!
It is hard to see Dixie and Mason the Superbeaks nest. They blend right in with the Spanish Moss. Three weeks old today – Dixie is.
Ron and Rose’s R6 celebrates his 8 week birthday. Check out Heidi Mc’s video for the celebration at this title on YouTube: 3/10/24 Dade County Eagles: Happy 8-Week Birthday, R6 !!
R6 is standing strong on the rails. Wonder when he will get interested in the branches?
Both eaglets at Duke Farms are doing well. Each fed nicely on Monday and the pantry was full.
Swampy and Meadow got a delivery of a huge fish. Both eating well and getting those juvenile feathers with no problems at this time.
Meadow is self-feeding!
I sure miss Diamond and Xavier. Here is the latest news:
Here is that video:
Kielder is preparing for the upcoming season as their ospreys fly home from West Africa and the Iberian Peninsula.
Are we getting ready for eggs for Rasene and Akacis at their nest in the Kemeri National Park in Latvia? Lots of time spent in that nest on Monday!
The latest from Janet Shaw at Chichester Peregrine Falcons.
Tom and Angel continue to work on their beautiful nest. Pine boughs and pine cones are adding a special touch – and we know that the pine helps to keep insects away!
Black Storks are arriving back in Poland!
No sign of any hatch action at the Achieva Osprey cam. The precise date that the third egg was laid is not known. It is seen on the morning of the 8th of February. If that is the correct date of it being laid, then it is only 34 days old today. Give it a few more days to hatch.
Could Rutland be home to more than Ospreys – like bears and wolves? They are hoping for this type of transformation!
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. We look forward to having you with us again soon!
Thank you to the following for their comments, posts, photographs, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J’, IWS/Explore, The Guardian, Pamela Lowell, F Borja, Window to Wildlife, Dahlgren Osprey Platform, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, Berry College Eagle Cam, Bluff City-ETSU, Johnson City-ETSU, WsperWings, Sylvia, Superbeaks, WRDC, Duke Farms, Eagle Country, Holly Parsons, Kielder Ospreys, LDF, Janet Shaw, Arlene Beech, Achieva Credit Union, and BirdGuides.
The girls were really enjoying the sunshine and the warmer temperatures on Saturday. Today it is supposed to get up to +5 C – this is going to melt a lot of this beautiful white snow and turn it into muck. Yuck!
You can’t tell it by the two images below, but Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope (now answering to Calico Kitty Kitty) practically tore the surface off of the hardwood today. When they stopped running and climbing over everything, they slept. Calico Kitty Kitty aka Baby Hope was so exhausted she did not mind being Hugo Yugo’s pillow.
Missey continues to find the highest spots in the house to get away from those two. Calico hides.
We are now five days away from Hugo Yugo’s operation. It happens on Friday at noon. Nothing has happened before, but I am always nervous – just like I am about all those baby eaglets on the nests, especially when it rains. There aren’t as many feedings and sometimes the nest stays damp and sometimes the oldest gets to be naughty and worrisome.
Today was the day we were supposed to ‘spring’ up our clocks. If you forgot, go and fix that right now. Some of mine change automatically, and others don’t—mind you, the only clock in the house is on the microwave, the cell phone, and the computer.
It was beautiful on Saturday. The intent had been to go on a sleigh ride—all spaces were booked! The sky was blue, and the snow was white and still fluffy in places. The main roads were clear, butke mine were still full of snow. Spring feels like it is coming again. I felt sorry for those ea side streets lirly-arriving geese. So it was just a long walk. Tomorrow, will be an exploration of a new park if it isn’t too soggy.
In the UK, it is Mother’s Day today. I want to send a big shout-out to anyone who has ever cared for a living, breathing being. Feathery hugs to all those Osprey mothers on their way home to raise a new batch of bonkers and to Blue NCO anxiously awaiting her Laddie.
Proud parents Thunder and Akecheta and their first hatch of the 2024 season.
Both so happy….Thunder loves being a dad.
Jak and Audacity’s egg is intact and we are in hatch range.
20, 504 people were watching Jackie and Shadow around 16:32 Saturday afternoon. You could hear the Ravens. Shadow got off the nest at 13:21:07 and Jackie got on at 13:23:49. Again, Ravens could be heard in the distance. The couple are still hopeful and there is still time. A lot of positive energy is being poured into this nest from around the world.
At Achieva, there appears to be no movement with the eggs yet. The big excitement on Saturday was a visit from a squirrel and a great Egret flying by the nest in the early morning.
The Achieva Osprey platform has always made me anxious. Tiny Tumbles just about did many of us in, and she survived to become big and strong. ‘H’ has been keeping track of the age of the three eggs: Egg # will be 42 days tomorrow. Egg #2 will be 39, Egg #3 will be 36.” It is possible that the first two eggs are not viable. Will three hatch? I wonder. Maybe it is a good year not to have osplets in Florida.
Speaking of early arrivals, Blue NCO is 9 days early. She left early…I wonder if there is a correlation. Blue NCO has been working on the nest and looking for her partner, Laddie LM12. I do worry about him. He was not in great shape at the end of the season last year. I fear that he did not survive migration….but, then again, I thought Blue NCO was dead. So what do I know?
They have removed the bin lid from the Manton Bay nest of Blue 33 and Maya in anticipation of their arrival on Saturday.
Nest at Llyn Brenig is waiting.
Waiting for Louis and Dorcha at Loch Arkaig.
This year, the Alyth SSEN Transmission Substation will be closely watched because of plans to increase its capacity. How will this impact the ospreys?
‘H’ reports that ‘The Boathouse’ is being significantly repaired and renovated since the storms. This is where the ‘Hog Island’ Ospreys have their nest. It should be finished by the time the birds return home from migration.
More…
Bazz Hockaday has been busy photographing the Port Lincoln Osprey family. What a delight it must be for everyone involved in this nest over the years, but especially this year, to see these fledglings hanging out with Mum and Dad and their elder brother, Ervie. There is something to say about having male chicks – they want to stay home!
Swampy and Meadow are fantastic.
Getting those skills for self-feeding.
E23 just wants to get to the top of the nest tree and fly.
Look where Cal is! Oh, he wants to fly just like E23! Some believe that today will be the day.
Johnson City-ETSU looks alright. Yes, the oldest gives some bonks but, for the most part, these two get along. Boone comes in on Saturday and makes sure that the little one gets a good feed.
It’s been raining at Bluff City and there were not a lot of meals today. I wonder how that little one is doing?
It also started raining at Duke Farms, too. I didn’t get a chance to watch this nest much today. Hoping that both got fed well because, despite all the fish on the nest, I didn’t see a lot of feedings.
Archie might like to hunt before dawn but Annie doesn’t seem to like to have her breakfast that early!
We are 8 days away from pip watch for Ellie and Harvey whose nest is on the property of Farmer Derek.
Bonnie and Clyde, the GHOs, are nesting on Farmer Derek’s land. The first egg is 33 days old, and the second egg is 30 days old.The average hatch time is 33-34 days, although the range can be 30-37 days. So guess what? This couple’s aWe are on pip watch!
Hancock Wildlife in British Columbia, Canada is celebrating the first egg of the season at the White Rock nest. Congratulations.
What bird is half female and half male?
A green honeycreeper spotted on a farm in Colombia exhibits a rare biological phenomenon known as bilateral gynandromorphism.
Everyone should know that I love condors, vultures, and carrion eaters that help clean up our planet. We should all embrace them, but instead, their numbers are rapidly declining in places where they are considered icons of their country.
Oh, there is so much happening. This was just a quick look today. We hope you are all well. Please take care. We look forward to having you with us again soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today; ‘H, J’, IWS/Explore.org, FOBBV, Achieva Credit Union, Scottish Wildlife Trust (LOTL), LRWT, Llyn Brenig, Woodland Trust (Loch Arkaig), Alyth SS, Friends of Hog Island, Bazz Hockaday, Eagle Country, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, Johnson City – ETSU, BluffLadey Deeagle55, City-ETSU, Duke Farms, SK Hideaways, Farmer Derek Owl Cam, Farmer Derek Eagle Cam, Hancock Wildlife Foundation, and The New York Times.
First, no hints this morning from Jackie. We wait. There is a second egg at Fort St Vrain in Colorado and the NCTC nest of Scout and Bella.
The storm hit north of Winnipeg where a former student of mine described the winds so high that the ‘birds were being thrown out of the trees’. There was some rain that turned to ice. The snow arrived later than predicted. It is now nearing midnight and the beautiful clean white adorning the branches of the spruce trees makes it look like we are preparing for Christmas, not spring. Oh, it was so dirty and grey. Tomorrow will be so gorgeous!
Today I saw Dyson. She was eating at the small feeder. It was so good to see her. One of the kits from last summer and Little Red were here along with dozens of sparrows all eating as fast as they could. The animals are, more often than not, a good predictor of the weather – better than the human or computer forecasters. I did not see the Blue Jay/s or the Starlings or any of the other birds, but rest assured they slipped in for food while I wasn’t looking. Every feeder was empty as the sun began to set with the snow gently falling all over the garden.
‘The Girls’ didn’t care. They explored all of the pet items put out before a decision was made on what would be donated to raise funds to help feed the rescue Mamma cats and their soon to be kittens.
It turns out that the tent beds that Lewis and Missey used can be useful if you want to play hide and seek Hugo Yuko and Baby Hope style.
These two convinced me to keep the little tent bed! They played for over an hour. It was so much fun to watch them trying to figure out which way to go to out wit the other.
Will there be room for both of them?
Sometimes it is so nice when they are asleep.
I have finally figured out why I am so tired. It is Hugo Yugo. She has to sleep under my chin at night or on my head. She must have woken me 6 or 7 times during the night trying to get herself ‘fixed’. I am not complaining — just in need of a good sound sleep tonight.
Hope prefers to sleep on the wicker if she is by herself.
Osprey fever is hitting new heights with the spotting of birds flying over the Straits of Gibraltar and now a confirmed sighting at Leighton Moss!
Lancashire. Leighton Moss Nature Reserve…look north of Liverpool. Oh, aren’t you getting goose bumps?
A sighting in Scotland!
Jak and Audacity’s egg is still holding. Here is the lovely couple from the Sauces Canyon nest Sunday morning.
More sightings of ringed birds in Senegal. If you listened to Tim Mackrill’s presentation about his new book, The Osprey, you will have learned that the tagged UK ospreys taught researchers so much. After their first trip to West African or the Iberian Peninsula for the winter, they ‘learn’ from their trips. They will land at almost the exact, if not the exact, tree or post. We know that Seren has a favourite spot and now, Dismount Blue 215 has also been spotted in their location in the Saloum Delta. Very predictable. They learn where to forage and as they age they will fly longer but slightly safer routes away form the coast depending on the weather.
We have falcon eggs! There are two of them at the Peregrine Falcon scrape in Leimpde the Netherlands.
In California, Annie and Archie are working on that scrape!
Jackie just takes it all in stride. The weather does seem to be getting a bit better Sunday morning in Big Bear Valley.
The switch.
Are we looking at every spot? Seriously, it looks like a pip to me. I am happy to have egg on my face. Maybe there are even two pips.
Mum incubating one egg at Pittsburgh-Hayes this year with her new mate. He brings her a really nice meal! Let’s hope he is good at incubating, brooding, and providing for his new family when that egg hatches.
No one is precisely sure what is going on at Dulles-Greenway. Lewis appears to have returned to the nest, but no one is sure if Rosa is with him or another female. Too much drama this year. Turn down the volume Bald Eagles!
Both of the eaglets at Duke Farms are getting fed. Mum is incredible. The little one did not get as much as the oldest, but that is normal. They both seem strong and the second hatch seems much more feisty than the first who had that horrific ordeal with the shell while hatching.
Every time I look, from before dawn to dark, Jolene is feeding the two eaglets at the Johnson City ETSU nest. They are darlings.
Abby and Boone seem to be doing what all the others are – constantly feeding! Swampy and Meadow are so big compared to the little eaglets at ETSU or Duke Farms. Just think – in a couple of weeks those little bobbleheads will look like the eaglets at Eagle Country. Then in another few weeks they will be using the nest as a trampoline just like Cal at Captiva.
This video by Lady Hawk is now three days old. Cal is really, really getting the wind under those wings and fledge is at hand. Where did the time go?
For Pepe and Muhlady, their eaglets have clown feet, long legs and are getting all of their thermal down with some pin feathers, too.
E23 is not far behind Cal! S/he loves looking out over the territory from that branch and still likes to be fed. Such a good year for this new family on the Pritchett Property.
The eaglet at JB Sands Wetlands has a cute little mohawk now. sometimes when I check on the nest I cannot see it – and then panic sets in and there, right in front of me, is the eaglet. Has this happened to you?
RSPB Scotland needs our help. Please tell them no to putting telecommunications towers on these beautiful natural sites where the Golden Eagles live along with other wildlife. It would be so nice to leave some part of the world pure and free of a human footprint.
And, please, while we are at it encourage people out in nature to take off the headphones and ‘listen’ to nature not to a podcast or music. Please.
For those who enjoy the Alabama ospreys at Orange Beach, a Great Horned Owl appears to have taken over the nest.
Murphy made the cover of National Geographic Kid’s Magazine!
Bird Flu is wreaking havoc. It is an international problem that continues to devastate waterfowl and other birds. Alderney has lost 30% of its Gannets. We might expect similar numbers from other places…so the idea that the waterfowl population in certain areas is growing needs to be examined in light of HPAI.
A recent article in The Smithsonian Magazine wants you to leave that pedicured lawn back in the 20th century where it belongs and embrace ‘the natural’. It is a win-win for everyone. Forget about your neighbours, do what is right for the planet! Be an inspirational leader to those who doubt you. Talk about the benefits. Think of all those toxins not going into the soil to kill the insects that the birds eat that make them sick and kill their nestlings as well as them. Not only do you save the soil from all those toxins, you create a biodiverse garden that will being much joy to you.
I want to close with an article on Flaco and Flaco’s siblings that were also in captivity. It is very sad but also quite enlightening and is a must read. Written by Nancy Geary and it takes about ten very worthwhile minutes to open your eyes to the plight of these beautiful owls.
If you like the image of Flaco, the artist has said that she will make prints for sale on her Etsy shop. I will keep you informed in case you are interested when they appear.
Thanks so much for being with me as we wait for any word on what still appears to be a small crack/hole in one of Jackie’s eggs. Is it a pip? Or am I just driving myself crazy? Take care all!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, H, J’, Jeff Kear, Google Maps, RSPB Alan Petrie, IWS/Explore.org, Kielder Ospreys, Liempde Falcons, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, PIX Cams, Duke Farms, John City – ETSU, Eagle Country, Window to Wildlife, Superbeaks, SW Florida Eagle Cam, JB Sands Wetlands, RSPB Scotland, Orange Beach Osprey Cam, World Bird Sanctuary, BirdGuides, The SmithsonianMagazine, and Suburban Birds.
The kittens hope that you will have a wonderful weekend.
All Hope thinks about are bird videos! She now cuddles up to my ankles when I fill the food dishes in the morning. She doesn’t always let Mamma take over. Hope also loves dental treats just like Mamma. What a glorious gift this bushy tail gal is!
Cuddled up with Mamma.
Sweet Calico. I so fear she has arthritis in her back legs. Sometimes Calico looks so old and frail. I continue to say that life outside in Winnipeg for the stray cats is very hard with our winters no matter how kind people are with shelters and food.
Missey has pretty much given Hope her basket and blankets. They each have their favourite perch and several places to sleep. Life is pretty much one of general civility and contentment with the odd ‘hiss’.
Missey says she adores Hope…not so keen on Calico when Calico is hissey.
Hope also says not to believe that nonsense about the new name for the Cooper’s Hawk. She does wonder if it will be that complicated, the new names. How do you change a name?
‘L’ asked if I had heard anything further about Valor 2. No, sadly, I haven’t. Because he was flying strongly no one could safely catch him to take him in to the wildlife centre to help with the eye and anything else that ails this wonderful eagle. He was the ‘root’ that kept the Trio Lovers together.
At Orange, Marri (the oldest) and Barru are getting ready to fledge. I just wonder if Barru won’t fly first. They are spending so much time looking out and extending their necks…Xavier and Diamond continue to provide prey items but it is pretty dangerous inside that scrape with these two ready to fledge eyases.
I missed this…Xavier feeding his nearly fledgling chicks. How special is that!
While the two at Orange are more interested in the outside world and already have full crops – ignoring the prey item, that Starling on the scrape floor – Mum and Giliath and #2 are waiting for fish at Port Lincoln. Dad came in with a small fish and then a huge Trevally came in before noon.
Mum and the chicks were delighted with the delivery from Dad. Is this really a small fish??
Then the fish fairy arrived. Everyone was full!
The water was really choppy. I wonder if Dad will go out fishing again…meanwhile he had a meal from the Trivially and brought the tail back to Mum for her and Giliath and #2.
These really are the sweetest not so little anymore osplets. Do we have two little boys this year?
Food comas.
The complete report from Port Lincoln:
I have no new news from Sydney. The last was 8 November when Cathy Cook posted the footage of one of the juvies in the mangroves with the Currawongs.
Missey and Pa Berry working hard on that nest. Will they be our next Bald Eagle couple to have an egg in their nest?
Both Ma and Pa were at the Webster, Texas Bald Eagle nest on Friday.
The AEF reminds us that Gabby will not normally lay her eggs until December. So lot of time for these two.
V3.
Gorgeous Gabby and V3.
Visit at Big Bear. That pinecone is sure getting moved about. Hope it stays in the nest. Love seeing the eaglets practice holding ‘prey’ with these cones.
Playing whose nest is this. The Hooties exchange prey gifts in the night while M15 and F23 do during the day.
Meanwhile, M15 and F23 continue to work on this nest. I really hope that there is not a confrontation between the eagles and the GHOs.
Annie would like a food gift from Lou!
SK Hideaways has it in video!
There are some lovely Pelicans flying around Mobil Bay. Thanks ‘L’ for letting us share. The Brown Pelicans is the smallest of the eight different pelican species. Still, it has a wing span of 2 metres or over 6.5 feet. It will only be found near salt water.
The Brown Pelican was almost made extinct. “Unregulated shooting and pesticides were once the bane of many North American birds, including Brown Pelicans, Bald Eagles, and Peregrine Falcons. Declared Endangered in the 1970s, all three of these charismatic birds are now off the list of imperiled species, thanks to conservation legislation, public education, and decades of cooperation by a wide range of partners.” The pesticide that was most responsible for the decline in pelican populations was DDT.
The Moli (Laysan Albatross) have landed in Kauai’.
People do care. They want an end to the use of snares, and they wanting the hunting culture of the rich and sometimes famous to stop. It is reassuring – no, it is darn comforting – to read that more people want an end to these traditional practices that kill off so many of the raptors that just want a lunch. I hope that they end all of the hunting, including the poor ‘sitting ducks’ that get slaughtered every year, bred and fed to sit by a pond and be shot. How sick is that? At least go out in the wild and try your luck as they fly by…but standing in the mud like people lined up for a firing squad. Doesn’t sound so sporty to me.
Hamza Yassin is an excellent presenter and inspirational writer. Please enjoy this article by him…seeing any bird puts a smile on our face, listening to them sing is better, and to see a raptor is elating.
Karl II’s 2023 fledgling Kalvi (the only one with a tracker) is in Israel. Send positive wishes for his safety!
Thank you so much for being with me. We wait while rubbing those worry beads for the fledges at Orange, for fish arrivals at PLO, and to have some word about SE 31 and 32. Meanwhile, we have Pepe and Muhlady incubating two eggs and we wait to see who will have the next batch of eggs. There is not a lot of news but what there is 97% good. A nice change. Take care. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Thank you to the following for their questions, pictures, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘L, L’, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Cilla Kinross, SK Hideaway, PLO, Marlene Louise Ripley, Paul White, NEFl-AEF, FOBBV, Gracie Shepherd, Lady Hawk, Sassa Bird, Pacific Rim Conservation, Raptor Persecution UK, PNAS, The Guardian, and Maria Marika.
The weekend is over for many and in Canada and those having Bank Holidays there is one more day before the week officially begins. Oh, retirement is wonderful! Sometimes I do not even know what day it is!
Before I move any further, one of my favourite authors, David Gessner, hs some appearances in Cape. Do you live close enough to attend? If so, lucky you! And if you have not read Soaring with Fidel – please do. Often for sale at heavily discounted prices, it is the tracking of an Osprey to its winter home in South America through Cuba. It can inspire you to follow the birds too just like individuals follow the falling cherry blossoms in Japan.
We had an ‘explosion’ of Blue Jays this year, according to my neighbour. The only ones that I could tell apart were that little rather round one and Junior, the Dad, because he was moulting. But now, I have stared at them so much there is a way to tell them apart and tomorrow I plan to have a chart and I can tell which ones are coming and going. With an Osprey, it is the pattern on their head that never changes from when they are ready to fledge til they die. Take images of the front, back, sides, and top – stare. Make a file. you can recognise those ospreys! This does not readily work with Blue Jays but there is something about their tails and it is the lateral white band. Some have a very delicate scalloped white lateral band, some have a white dot on the outermost feathers on either side, one had a single white dot on the very middle tail feather. Each appears to be unique. — I am not a Blue Jay expert. Someone who is might tell me that I am totally wrong but right now, that seems to be a good start for this family.
I have learned from my friends and readers living in Germany that I am blessed to have Blue Jays because they do not see them! So a little factual information for those who live where Blue Jays do not:
The Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata is a little larger than an American Robin, about 30 cm in length from the tip of its bill to the tip of its tail. A white-faced bird with a blue crest, back, wings, and tail, it is strongly marked with black and white. Male and female Blue Jays are very similar in appearance. The crest, an elongated crown of feathers found in many jays, is raised or lowered according to the bird’s mood. In moments of high excitement and aggression the crest may be fully erected, forming a prominent peak. When the Blue Jay is greatly surprised or excited, the crest points forward. If the bird is frightened, the crest bristles out like a bottle brush. The Blue Jay’s crest position, when erected, is emphasized by a black band that crosses over the back of the head, a continuation of the broad band or necklace across the chest. However, when the bird is feeding among other jays, when it is ready to flee, or when it is quietly resting, the crest is laid flat on top of the head, giving the bird a quite different and somewhat untidy appearance.
Hinterland Who’s Who – Blue Jay
This is one of the babies. Notice the deep white lateral band on the tail feathers and that gorgeous scallop. So what is this chap doing? Sibley says that he is sunning himself BUT, is this behaviour something else? Sunning is when a bird spreads its wings and fluffs its body feathers to take advantage of the airflow between the feathers. In this instance, while this might look like sunning, we have to consider other factors. First, the lad has its crest raised. Those wings are beating a bit in alarm, and the Jay appears to be mantling precious peanuts. What you cannot see is that Little Red is sitting on a tree branch wanting those nuts!!!!!!!!!
Blue Jays do not grow their feathers simultaneously. When they moult, they drop one or two feathers at a time. This fellow appears to be missing one feather on the left and a central one coming in. If the feathers come out completely, I was told they will grow back. n immediately. Fantastic. You might recall that I had an earlier little one that lost its tail feathers due to a fright moult. He is quick and stays in the lilacs out of the sight of my camera, but it appears those feathers are coming in.
This one is quite different in its patterning.
This little one did not want me to see its tail! It was hot and all it wanted to do was drink – remember, water!
He finally turned but I had a bad sight line. A single white on the far left feather.
Another variation! This is the youngest of all the babies in the garden. Will the patterns on this tail change during August? I will keep an eye and report back. Isn’t this little one just precious?
And another. There should be 14 different patterns for the 14 different birds. If you have several Blue Jays in your garden or if you see Blue Jays, let me know what you discover – does each have a different pattern with the white on the tail?
For those who do have Blue Jays, just a tip. They need calcium. sometimes there are not natural sources. What you can do for the Jays and all the other birds, especially during egg laying season, is to provide them with crushed egg shells. Please wash the shells out and allow them to dry before crushing them and placing them on a feeder.
Today was planned to be the day that Calico’s kitten or kittens would be found, and they would begin their integration into the family by staying in the luxury suite – the Conservatory. Geemeff gave me some fantastic tips to help this happen. Sunday morning Calico decided that she wanted to come into the house. I wasn’t quite ready. There was a new litter box and some ‘high value’ treats to get along with kitten milk in case, for some crazy reason, something happened) and toys. The plan was to follow her after her afternoon meal. (She comes approximately every 3 hours). She ate 4 small tins of cat food (yes, that is not a typo) and drank 1/3 of a tin of kitten milk. She loves the stuff, and it is so good to help her replenish her lost calcium and give her protein. She was not anxious to come into the house. We were ready to follow her and had a blanket, a cat carrier, a tin of salmon and another of sardines to try and lure the kitten/s out so we could get them. At some point, she spotted us and darted under a gate and down a sidewalk in a person’s yard. By the time we had retraced our steps and were in the back lane, Calico was nowhere to be seen.
Like birdwatching, this is going to require patience. Everything is in order. We wait. Either the kitten/s will follow Calico to our house, or she will bring them if she feels that level of trust. Or once weaned, she will return full-time to the garden and I will bring her into the house. She has been dewormed and has had her flea and tick treatment. She has standing appointments with two vets and the clinic at the Humane Society. My grandmother always said that things work out how they should. Patience, dear one, patience!
Just hoping these two are welcoming!
A wonderful intervention that took less than half an hour and saved a chick’s life. Please read. It is a heart warming story of a huge storm, Monty and Nora, and their two babies.
For those who opposed the intervention, Emyr Evans wrote, “The bottom line is that Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust is one of the 46 Wildlife Trust charities working hard for Conservation in the UK. It took 500 years for Man to completely, and artificially, wipe out the osprey in this country. Even today they are still shot and their eggs stolen illegally, year after year after year. To my knowledge, at least six adults have been shot in just the last three years alone. Illegal osprey persecution and killing is intervention no matter how you look at it. A half an hour intervention yesterday doesn’t even begin to re-address the balance.”
With the storms in the US and the overfishing in the NE of the vital fish for the Ospreys, I know that you can think of at least one nest that would have benefitted from an intervention such as that above. As a society, we must consider what we have done to the planet and how these beautiful birds might be living if we had not intervened and destroyed their habitat, the air they breathe, depleted the fish and then caused all manner of poisonings, harming them with debris. The list is endless, never mind the dramatic impacts of climate change that we have caused. Of course, this statement applies to all of North America, Canada included!
With all the discussions about the Cornell Bird Lab, and window strike and M2’s death, my friend ‘R’ sent me an article to read and share with everyone. Just imagine, “This is a huge problem,” the author writes. “They estimate that somewhere between 300 million and 1 billion birds a year die in the United States from window collisions.”
They are simple solutions for our homes, but I think the tiny pink squares would work on the office windows at Cornell as they would elsewhere…we have the strips on the Conservatory, and the other windows look like a team of youngsters were turned loose with white markers. We have not lost a bird to a window strike.
The real question is this: We know the problem, and we know the solutions, so why aren’t big companies and institutions that have buildings with large amounts of glass doing something about this? I find it very frustrating – just like the simplest solution to not decapitating albatross is to set the lines of the long-haul trawlers at night. Like, do it! Don’t be complacent.
Let’s start with ‘H’s report first because there is great news coming out of Fortis Exshaw: “Any day that the nestlings have a couple of crop-filling meals is a good day. Both JJ and Banff woke up very early and were delighted to find large leftover pieces of fish on the nest. They both ate, and had crops. At 0632 O’Hara touched down on the nest, looked around a bit, and then left. He was almost immediately followed to the nest by Louise who brought a large fish. Louise fed both siblings. Again, both had nice crops. O’Hara had returned to the nest at the beginning of the feeding and he stayed for 24 minutes, simply standing guard while Louise fed the kids. At 0709 there was an intruder issue, Louise and the kids were all alarming, and O’Hara immediately flew to the nest to assist with nest defense. After five minutes he bolted off the nest in pursuit of the intruder. Louise is known for the large fish she catches, but at 0909 she delivered the smallest fish I’ve ever seen her catch. Banff ate that one. The last fish of the day was delivered by Louise at 1422. It was a large headless fish, and Banff claimed it. We noticed that Banff was having a little difficulty pulling off pieces. Banff ate for 75 minutes before walking away, and JJ took over. There was still 3/4 of the fish remaining. JJ had even more difficulty pulling off pieces of fish. JJ ate for nearly an hour, and only managed a slight crop. The siblings continued to take turns eating from that fish for six hours. At least 1/4 of the fish remained as darkness fell. That was one tough fish! The siblings are both 50 days old, and Banff has been achieving a little lift-off from the nest during her wing exercises.”
Osoyoos – “There were at least five fish brought to the nest that I saw. Soo and Olsen’s youngster ate well. It is emotionally difficult for the livestream viewers when a chick dies, and when the body remains in the nest it is a persistent reminder of the sadness. There have been a few attempts to cover the body with new nesting material the past couple of days. On 8/6, Soo tried to remove the body of #2, but it was heavy, and unfortunately it got hung up on some sticks at the rail.”
Forsythe – It was a better day for Ollie. Oscar delivered three fish to the nest for her. Older sibling, Owen, was not seen for the third straight day. Opal was last seen a couple of times on 7/25, and once on 7/29. Ollie is in charge of the nest and has been taking on the intruders, quite effectively I might add.
Kent Island – Oh my goodness, 55-day-old Molly has been doing some brief hovers!
Barnegat Light – Daisy caught a false albacore and treated beach-loving Dorsett to some ‘little tunny’.
Dahlgren – D12 hangs out at the nest more than D11 does, but usually when Jack delivers a fish, D11 appears out of nowhere to make a claim. This has resulted in some epic battles and tug-o-fish between the two siblings. Mom, Harriet, has not been seen for three days.
Thanks so very much ‘H’. That is great news at Fortis Exshaw and Osoyoos.
Dorset Hobby Falcons: We have the first fledge!
Patchogue: Every time we get a glimpse of Mini, it could be the last one. She has grown into such a beautiful bird with those short stout legs and big wings, the hearts on her chest, and her dirty knees. How fortunate we were to have her in our lives this year – this bird gives me hope!
When I look at those hearts, I think they represent each of us that loved her dearly and sent her warm wishes for survival. Her cheering squad. Just look at how many there are! She carries us with her wherever she goes.
Collins Marsh: Both osplets have successfully fledged. Mum is till content to feed them on the nest and they return to have a nice rest once in awhile, too. Flying is hard work!
Clark PUD: Both osplets have fledged. They, too, are returning to the nest. Beautiful!
MN Landscape: Everything is a little damp but the fish are coming in and this chick is looking good.
Sandpoint: This nest was needing fish and two arrived on Sunday. We need more!
Loch Arkaig: Luco gets some fish from Dad – there were 5 fish delivered on the 6th. Ludo was so full he could have popped.
Poole Harbour: Another nest with lots of good fish for the trio.
Llyn Brenig:
Dyfi Ospreys: I am always so entranced about their comings and goings. Wish all the nests safe travels, full crops, and a return next year.
Finnish Ilomantain: Some nice fish on the nest for the chicks.
Charles Sturt Falcon Cam: Xavier wants eggies!
Port Lincoln: Last year Mum laid Zoe’s egg on 9 August. Just sayin’. we are getting close!
Sydney Sea Eagles: WBSE 32 got a good feed. ‘A’ remarks, “It seems little SE32 has become much more confident today. SE31 is still getting the best of the feedings, but not because SE32 is being intimidated or bonked but just because SE32 is not accepting all the mouthfuls it is being offered. It seems both chicks are being well fed and SE32 is not instantly cowed by sudden movements. Rather, it is sitting beside its sibling, watching the feeding and waiting its turn, without being intimidated. This is a wonderful development, as this situation has always been more about SE32’s attitude than SE31’s bonking. Now the younger one seems far less scared and is much more confident sitting up at the table. We will see how the rest of the day goes, but it is 3pm currently and another feed has just ended. Both chicks have been well fed today and I have not seen SE32 bonked at all today. It is sometimes slow to join in the feeding, but that is its own choice, not the result of being intimidated.”
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, R’, David Gessner, Osprey Watch, NY Times, CBS News, Fortis Exshaw, Osoyoos, Kent Island, Forsythe, Wildlife Conserve of NJ, Dahlgren, Sk Hideaways and Dorset Hobby Falcons, PSEG, Collins Marsh, Clark PUD, Sandpoint, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Poole Harbour, Sue Wallbank’s and Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Sydney Sea Eagles, and SK Hideaways and Sydney Sea Eagles.
I am starting to write my blog at 1700 Thursday evening after a lovely but short trip to the local farmer’s market. It is 31 degrees C, but the humidity makes it feel like 34 C. There is yet another thunderstorm warning for this evening until tomorrow morning. This has been the norm for a week now with massive dark – near black-blue clouds coming in and torrential rain and wind. Thankfully the storm passed north of where I live because the hail that occupied it was the size of a large heirloom tomato! I can only think of the osplets in the nests along Lake Winnipeg. It had to be horrific.
When I got home, it was time to put out the evening spread for all the garden animals. Little Red ‘decided’ that he was going to stash all of the peanuts before the Blue Jays could have even one. What an energetic tenacious little squirrel! What he doesn’t know is that I know where he is putting all those peanuts – in the home that I made for him last year! So…those peanuts will be brought out again on Thursday evening and he can take them all over again! No wonder he stays so slim and trim.
Missey had been watching all of the action until she got totally bored! BTW. you can see some of those pink bird collision squares on the window…just barely. They work!
Sometimes she sits, like the Queen of the Conservatory, that she is!
This is the little stork that Dmitri saved named after the coin in the RU because he was the fifth hatch and his mother was killing him. Dmitri has had his surgery and is up the ladder saying hello and feeding Pyatachok! This is fantastic. Both are looking well. Pyatachok is obviously pleased to see the person who saved his life. Smile. There are wonderful people in the world living the most ordinary lives but doing the most extraordinary things.
Here is the video!
Gosh, it was nice to open the mailbox on Wednesday and find two news articles sent to me by ‘EJ’. Each was a fantastic rescue. These will warm your heart!
Whenever you think about a rescue or an intervention that people tell you is impossible, I want you to always remember Dale Hollow 2023. We were told the terrain was too steep, no cherry picker could get to the nest, that it was just impossible. Well, geez. Remember that it was an arborist that got onto the nest and worked a miracle getting the two eaglets untangled from one another. While DH17 went on to live and fledge sadly we lost DH18 because of the arguments and paper trails that had to be created for the rescue. So, please do not give up. Remember — a way was found for a nest deemed impossible!
A rescue in Canada. You know when we begin to despair and believe that humans don’t care – we have lots of examples that tell us otherwise!
SE31 got out of that shell in great time. Can’t wait for 32 to be with us…this nest is always a really bittersweet one. The chicks are incredibly lovable and beautiful. They are harassed by the Pied Currawong that chase them out of the forest so that they are unable to return to the nest to be fed and learn to fly and fish by their parents. They end up on the sidewalk by the Discovery Centre if they are lucky and taken into care and then released. Can I even begin to hope that this year might be different?
The saddest thing is that Lady and Dad do not get to experience training their fledglings and seeing them thrive in the wild. Bittersweet.
Dad watching his wee baby hatch. Beautiful. How touching is this?
‘MP’ got a great screen shot of this little fluff ball. Thank you for sharing it with all of us!
Dad is so proud of his new baby!
SK Hideaways gives us a video of all the excitement in the Sydney Olympic Forest:
SE32 is on its way.
Around the Nests:
Tweed Valley 2: Poul, the surviving osplet from the goshawk attack that killed Sasha, fledged on Wednesday. Congratulations!
Osoyoos: Sadly, the heat of the area around Osoyoos is causing the fishing to be slow. The fish will go deeper into the water (if there are fish) and then the Osprey cannot get them. ‘H’ is already reporting a drop in fish for those two lovely osplets of Soo and Olsen. It is what we fear every year.
Dunrovin: The second chick, Snap, fledged on Wednesday. Only one more to go!
Steelscape, Inc.: Not sure about the number of bites of fish but chick 3 did get some fish dinner. The older chick that will be fledging any time is more interested in flapping those wings now than eating so this is now a good thing for Third. It may not stay that way but for now…fingers crossed.
Patchogue: Those parents continue to amaze me. Chicks in and off the nest. Mini getting fish. What a lovely year. What a devoted family. I would so love the precise gender mix in this group…but, like all of you, I am still smiling.
Mini and the live fish that flipped and flopped. That was a brilliant save!
Loch Arkaig: Ludo keeps making milestones. Carrying fish by themselves is one of those! Well done.
Glaslyn: Elen with OH1 and OH2. Aran and his new mate did very well…two Welsh lads to return and breed!
Kuopia Saaksilvie Kallavest: The three osplets were small in weight when they were ringed on the 17th of July. Each appears to still be doing well and is ready for flying.
Time for ‘H’s report – as always, I am so grateful ‘H’.
Forsythe: There were five fish brought to the nest for the two fledglings, and all were delivered by Oscar. Owen acquired three, while Ollie managed to grab two of the fish. But, my goodness these two fought. There was quite a battle between the two of them at 1726 that lasted two minutes, and resulted in Ollie being ejected from the nest!
Barnegat Light – Wow, look at the height of that hover! Dorsett is 57 days old. Stay tuned . . .
Kent Island – The Biologist that banded Tom and Audrey’s chick determined that she is a female. The soon-to-be-named chick is 45 days old.
Patuxent Nest 1 – On 7/26, while the fledglings were on the nest, and Sib-B was eating a fish, a Great Blue Heron landed on the nest! They sibs both skedaddled, but Sib-B managed to keep her fish, and then later returned with it.
Osoyoos: Fishing was poor for the second day in a row. Dad delivered three small fish to the nest, and Mom may have tried to fish as well. Chick #2 had some bites of fish during the first meal of the day, but due to aggression by chick #1, s/he was prevented from eating at the next two meals. Chick #2 was subjected to chick #1’s aggression at off-meal times as well.
FortisExshaw: Louise brought seven fish to the nest, and Mr. O delivered one. At 1612, Mr. O landed with a fish while Louise was out. He waited for a couple of minutes, then flew off, leaving the fish on the nest. The two kids looked at each other like “What are we supposed to do with this?”, lol. At 1157 and 1204, Mr. O landed on the nest to assist Louise with intruder defense. What a guy! The 39-day-old chicks are both practicing wingers. And, one of the two chicks tried a bit of self feeding in the evening.
Thanks Heidi. How many remember the battles between Ervie and Bassa at the Port Lincoln nest after those two had fledged? Gosh that Forsythe nest sounds like Port Lincoln! Bassa left – and Ervie stayed and our dear little third hatch survivor, Ervie, is still in Port Lincoln waiting for a mate and a nest. Not so fast, Ervie!
Black Eagles:
When you are feeling a little despair at the nests, what do you do? I recall ‘MP’ told me that he watches the sparrows in Mini’s nest! Well, my Geemeff sent this to me this morning. It isn’t raptors but it is people working hard to get seals untangled from fishing nets and line! Remember…there are our super heroes working quietly every day to help wildlife.
Royal Cam Albatross: ‘A’ loves this little guy. She writes, “This is priceless. First up, have a look at the size of that pile of nesting material at the beginning of the video. It is HUGE. It looks like the pile of lawn clippings after my large back lawn has been mown. He is amazing. And then check out how aggressively he works on pulling out the grass. I have never seen bunches of grass pulled out like that, even by the adults. They normally pull out a token blade or two at a time, not beakfuls like Manaaki. He is not playing around here. This albie is one serious builder.”
The osplets were given health checks, ringed, and bagged to head to Ireland for the translocation project to restore Ospreys to the Emerald Isles. There is much excitement and here is the image of the flight being tracked. They are travelling by private jet! A person from Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service is with them.
Thank you so much for being with me today. The big story is down in the Sydney Olympic Forest and it is not going to be long until we begin to look rather closely at Xavier and Diamond, the Peregrine Falcon couple that everyone loves in. Orange, Australia. Then it will be the Port Lincoln Ospreys and the CBD Falcons. It is hard to believe but in a fortnight many ospreys will start their journey south in North America. Those that fly over Cuba will arrive about the middle of September as they make their way to Brazil and other areas of South America. Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, EJ, Geemeff, H, MP’, Storks 40 Pyatachok, Fox News, ABC 8 News, Western Wheel, Sydney Sea Eagles, SK Hideaways and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Conservation Without Borders, Osoyoos, Dunrovin Ranch, Steelscape, Inc, PSEG, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Forsythe, Conserve Wildlife of NJ, Kent Island, Patuxent River Park, Osoyoos, FortisExshaw, Ocean Conservation Namibia, Lady Hawk and the NZ DOC, Gregorius Joris Toonen, and Merry Kotka.
There was a fish delivery at 0816 on the Patchogue Nest and Mini, who was on the perch at the time, flew down to snap that breakfast up! Mum was on the nest at the time of the delivery and flew off….it makes you wonder if the adults aren’t counting who gets what fish during the day. This family is so good at keeping all four of their fledglings fed. It is heart warming.
Mum is so proud of her little fourth hatch. She was on the nest when Mini did a big ‘ps’ at 0844 and then Little Mini did laps around the nest. gosh, she is a good flier. Mini returned at 0846 with Mum watching every flap of her wings!
Off she goes!
Look at Mum’s beak…there is Mini flying in front of the Blue Point Brewery.
Great landing. Darn that black bin bag!
Little Mini is so smart. The others are away from the nest and Dad flies in with a nice fish at 1052 Monday morning. Way to go, Mini!
There were many other fish deliveries. Fish 3 arrived at 11:26, fish four was at 14:23, and another fish came at 15:50. I did not watch for fish after this. Mini got the majority of these and it looks like Three had one with Mini on the perch. The 1550 fish was taken by Dad off the nest either to feed himself or another one of the siblings off nest.
Good Night Mini – good night Mum, Three, and One.
Good Morning Mini.
Well, no surprise, I am celebrating Mini! What a precious osplet who defied the odds – and I mean defied the odds with most of the nests from New York along up along the Chesapeake producing less than one osplet a nest! You are looking at a miracle.
If you are thinking about the heat and its impact on the birds, think no more. ‘R’ sent me an article from The Washington Post on what is happening in Phoenix. — Please, no matter where you are, find a way to leave our water for the birds. It does not have to be anything fancy. An ordinary bowl will work fine. They desperately need hydration.
Attempts to safe the world’s rarest bird might have a chance!
Spinning Around the Nests:
Glaslyn: Both of the lads have now fledged. Aren’t they gorgeous?
Bridge Golf Club Ospreys: What a change from the earlier fish deliveries. Today five fish were delivered!
Steelscape: I cannot comment on the amount of fish that the third hatch had today but all three are alive at the end of Monday evening.
Sandpoint: Mum Keke is on the nest with the only osplet, Coco. Fish deliveries appear to have slowed a bit as fledging is approaching.
MN Landscape Arboretum: Gosh, golly. This Mum really turned herself and this nest around. There are nice fish being brought in by the 21 year old male and the chick is growing magnificently.
Collins Marsh: There are two beautiful osplets growing like one of our Canadian wildlfires in this nest…incredible result after the sadness of losing Malik in a forced fledge and no nesting last year.
Great Bay: It is hard to believe that this nest and so many lost all their chicks around the Chesapeake Bay. Water so close and yet – no fish. Overfishing of Mehenden? Need a quote or an outright ban on fishing. Need re-stocking?
Cowlitz: We had a fledge on the 24th and the little one has successfully returned to the nest. Well done. You can just see the chick’s tail.
‘PB’ found a great image of this nest with its protective shield. If you know of a nest that should use this device, then please feel free to take a screen show or go to the Cowlitz PUD FB page for 30 March.
Seaside: It was a windy day with some precipitation.
Boulder County: ‘PB’ caught one of those osplets getting a lot of height! Fledge watch! T hanks ‘PB’.
Dunrovin: Flapping and hopping. Someone is going to fledge soon. W ill it be Snap, Crackle, or Pop?
Fort Calhoun Station, Omaha Nebraska: The only osprey nest in eastern Nebraska and now with a streaming cam. One nicely feathered chick. Here is that link:
Island Beach: the two osplets of Beau and Bay are getting some good hovering in.
Osprey House Environmental Centre in Australia: Two of the eggs hatched on the 24th. One left to go. Don’t you just love these little osplets? They are so cute. Just wanting a little bit of fish.
Llyn Brenig: Both of the Osplets took to the wind and flew, one right after the other!
Salt Water Cove Harbour, Newfoundland: Just look at that Osprey nest! BTW. In Canada, Newfoundland is known as ‘The Rock’.
And now for ‘H’s report:
Fortis Exshaw – “There was a total of seven fish, including two headless offerings from Mr. O. Mr. O also contributed two sticks for nest maintenance, and he provided on-nest intruder defense during one of Louise’s feedings. One of the two 36-day-old siblings was doing some serious wingers!”
Forsythe: Oh dear, another day with few fish for the fledglings. Oscar delivered fish at 0607, 0933, and 1812. Ollie managed to grab the first one, while Owen won the battle for the other two. The nest was fairly civil, however, with no major kerfuffles. And, guess what? After some major head-bobbing and triangulating, one of the sibs (thought to be Ollie) dove into a small pond adjacent to the nest! She did not appear to come away with a fish, but she must have seen one. Very cool Ollie!
Barnegat Light – A couple of mini-milestones for 54-day-old Dorsett: she ate her first fish tail, and she managed to get several inches of lift off the nest while vigorously flapping her wings.
Osoyoos – All is well for the Ospreys in Osoyoos. Soo and Olsen are doing a fantastic job raising their 29 and 28-day-old youngsters.
Dahlgren – The nest remains a frequent gathering and dining spot for the family. How did that nest get so small?
McEuen Park – Those three gorgeous osplets are nearing fledge. And, one of them even sleeps standing up.
Thank you ‘H’. Mini was a fourth hatch miracle. For the ospreys, the Fortis Exshaw Nest is another. What a fairytale story.
Do you want to know about the California Condors? the impact of the vaccine for HPAI on their population? why not join Joe and his crew on Thursday for a live chat.
An up-to-date study out of Northern Colorado on the eagle population and the post-fledge period – video. Post-fledge is the time the eaglets (or any Avian) spend with their parents before they leave their parent’s territory and become independent.
Let’s end with a big smile – one of our favourite Peregrine Falcon couples, Lou and Annie – bonding.
Thank you so much for being with me today. There is so much action on the nests right now with impending fledges it is difficult to keep up! Tomorrow I will focus more on the UK and European nests. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning. ‘H, PB, R’, PSEG, The Washington Post, Science, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Bridge Golf Ospreys, Steelscdape Inc, Sandpoint Ospreys, MN Landscape Arboretum, Collins Marsh, Great Bay, Cowlitz PUD, Seaside, Boulder County, Dunrovin Ranch, Ft Calhoun Station, Friends of Island Beach, Osprey House, Linda McIlroy and Raptors of the World, Gerard Hickey and Ospreys of Newfoundland and Labrador, Fortis Exshaw, Forsythe, Wildlife Conserve Foundation of NJ, Dahlgren, McEuen Park, Ventata Wildlife Society, Northern Colorado Front Range Bald Eagle nesting Programme and SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons.
