Category Archives: Florida Bald Eagles

Troubles in Bird World

16 February 2022

Oh, good morning everyone!

Before we begin today, I want you to watch a really short and sweet video of Nugget and Valentine at the KNF-E3 nest by Rhonda. As you might recall, Nugget had an injured leg. Thankfully that is all better. Have a look – you will need this before you read the rest of the news, I promise. It is also a reminder that legs can heal, that good things can happen!

Also on the plus side – Diamond has returned to the scrape after the fearful fireworks set up near the tower several days ago. That was around 08:42 on the 16th in Orange. All three of the Orange falcons are now accounted for and all three have now been in the scrape. Diamond was the last. Welcome back, Diamond. sorry you had to go through that extreme stressful ordeal. Fireworks should be banned! Maybe, Diamond, they could use your beautiful face as the poster for why all loud sounding celebratory items need to be banned, not manufactured, not sold, banned…Every other raptor, wildlife, dog or cat will thank everyone.

Oh, goodness. Soap operas do not hold a candle to ‘As the Nest Turns’ and right now that saying goes for Redding Eagles Liberty and Guardian, Big Bear Valley Samson and Jackie, Captiva Ospreys Mabel and Angus, and, of course, SWFlorida with M15 and E21 and E22. Add the Frequent Female Visitor with the injured talon/s who is so hungry well, Wednesday was quite the day. There would be awards if this was afternoon television! Every nest would be signing contracts…just kidding, of course, but…what the heck?

There were quite a number of feedings at the SWFlorida nest today. I won’t go into them in detail but the one around 1300 caught one attention. M15 is really trying his best to get food to 22. We have all watched him move the fish around, side step, pause with a piece of fish hoping that 22 will grab it. Sometimes 22 is just too scared. Sometimes the fear of what has happened is cause to stop 22 from eating. So at this feeding, ‘A’ wrote this. It is lovely.

Towards the end of that lunchtime feeding, E22 eventually made a frantic grab while M15 was working on a piece, and got the tail of the fish, with some flesh attached. When he turned away with it, mantling, he couldn’t swallow it and M15 came over and picked up the piece. Just when I thought M15 was going to swallow it himself, he instead started feeding it to E22, who managed at least half a dozen decent mouthfuls plus the tail, which he was able to swallow once M15 had pulled off those half-dozen mouthfuls for him. 

No matter what happens on this nest…M15 is trying even going without himself to ensure that these two eaglets survive to fledge. He is exhausted. You can see that when he finishes feeding them for the evening and gets on the nest and his head just falls. He is ravenous if you look at how fast he ate some fish today, too. He really is Dad of the Year and he is certainly making me tearful just thinking at how hard he is trying to make this work.

7771 people watched M15 feeding the eaglets when the hungry female flies down landing on the nest and scuffling with the eaglets. She flew down, began eating the fish, and nipped at 21. It was 16:12-13:18ish.

She started eating the fish so quickly. She is – I am sorry to keep saying this – but, she is starving because she cannot hunt for herself with the condition her talon is in. (I cannot confirm it but there are rumours that there are more than one female around the nest with 2 of the females having injured talons).

She is ravenous and is eating. The eaglets give her a wide berth.

Then M15 is back at the nest and he sees what is going on. At 16:14:28, M15 flies down to the nest and gets rid of the female.

He moves the fish so that he can continue feeding E22 but he is also very hungry and eats ravenously, too.

21 already had a crop and is ready for a nap…good timing for 22.

E22 did get food – that was all I cared about and so did M15. He ate like he hadn’t seen fish for a month which made me – at first glance – think it was the female but there were those dark streaks on top of the head! M15 looks exhausted.

E22 got the fish tail and at 16:24:59 he tried to hork it without success.

There’s the part of the fish tail!

M15 is still feeding 22 at 16:37. E22 leans over and does a reasonable PS at 16:38:40.

Oh, it wouldn’t splatter to the pond but it was a ps and that is good – 22 is not dehydrated. 22 actually was doing a pretty good job eating that fish when the commotion began again. So glad he had some bites.

And, yes, M15 must have forgiven her – or he knows she is extremely hungry and is sick, hopefully healing from talon injuries. He also knows that she has helped defend the territory. Still, he will not give her food before he feeds 21 and 22 and himself. So…hunger is a driver for bizarre behaviour. I have seen osplets attack their older siblings which are 8 times their size. And let us all be honest…M15 is worn out and tense. He is ferociously hungry. The eaglets are hungry. And the female is ravenous like 22.

The female returned and ate all the scrapes. She is with M15 on the branch tonight. She is awake and he is getting some much needed sleep. M15 you are our hero…you are working so hard and it is taking its toll on you – a single dad with all these intruders to contend with!

The struggle for survival at the SWFlorida Bald Eagle nest is a good example for all of us – it is helping us to understand the challenges that our eagle families face each and every day of their lives.

The latest news:

At the Captiva Osprey nest, there are now ongoing battles that have lasted for at least six hours for control of the nest. This could get rather gruesome. Hormones are raging during breeding season and we all know that many of the trees that are good for osprey nests and – some established nests on Captiva and Sanibel – even on the mainland – were destroyed by Hurricane Ian. Everyone is looking for a nest. ‘H’ recorded more than 40 separate events in 8 hours..frightening.

Then the excitement came to the Redding Eagle nest when Liberty laid her first egg of the 2023 season last night.

And then, it waned. Liberty flew off the nest and left the egg. The Magpies came and pecked on it. Finally Guardian was there …According to ‘B’, there are boots on the ground looking for Liberty. These two are dedicated parents like Jackie and Shadow, M15 and Harriet…there is something wrong. Do they have intruders as well?

Relief. Liberty flew in…was she gone since morning. An avid Redding eagle lover, ‘B’ commented that she arrived at the nest in full alert mode vocalising. Oh, I hope that there is no trouble at this nest with intruders. It is simply too close to what might have happened to Harriet.

The problem with the success of the osprey and Bald Eagle breeding in the US – their big comeback after DDT – is that their habitat is being lost, their food supplies are diminishing and everyone wants and needs a nest, food, and security!  They will fight to the death to get it, too.

Then there is the lingering question of why Jackie and Shadow continue to be on and off again with the eggs? and Mating? Right now – it is early evening on the Canadian Prairies on Wednesday the 15th and the eggs at Big Bear were left for the last time at 16:28. No Eagles on them at 15:41. While eggs can survive for different periods of time and hatch, I am beginning to wonder if the eggs are non-viable to begin with…and when after a period of time, no sound or movement was detected – or they heard the eaglets and then it stopped – something has caused Jackie and Shadow to behave differently. Like everything at these nests, there is nothing for us to do but wait and watch. Or take a break and return in a day or two.

Last year we all wept when the fourth hatch – that energetic little scrambler – at PA County Farm died of hypothermia. It is congratulations to Lisa and Oliver on their third egg of the season. Oh, that nest bowl is deep this year…I wonder if they will have a fourth egg?

There is no news of Zoe. An osprey was on the power pole at Streaky Bay. Not identified as Zoe. So long and no news…surely with the way she flew before there would be some place she would ping cell service by now. Patience required.

Making News:

Audubon reports that there are several victories in Alaska at the start of the year that will have us all cheering. The Bristol Bay Project is one of those and the most recent is the Tongass Forest rulings. The Bristol Bay mining project had the potential of harming the waters and the fish and therefore, the birds that depend on those fish such as the Bald Eagles. The Tongass will not have roadless entry protections for species. Have a read.

https://www.audubon.org/news/victories-alaskas-bristol-bay-and-tongass-forest

Sometimes it just feels like a roller coaster. There is great environmental news and then, we turn, and there are 350 dead waterfowl in a Victoria nature reserve in Australia. Why?

Authorities believe it is a case of Avian Botulism which occurs when there is a lot of water and then that water dries up. “Avian botulism is a serious neuromuscular illness, causing problems with muscle paralysis which can result in death. Botulism outbreaks are common during drought when wetlands evaporate rapidly, causing more birds to be concentrated in smaller areas of warmer, shallow water, and resulting in a concentration of bird faeces”. So sad.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/15/birds-found-dead-parks-victoria-nature-reserve-bells-swamp?CMP=share_btn_link

Let us all wish our nests a little calmer day today! There was a small piece of fish (or small fish) brought on to the SWFlorida nest at 0928. 21 ate. 22 got a scrap….

The camera at the nest of Big Red and Arthur has been offline for a long time. It is now back on just in time for nest building!

https://www.youtube.com/live/ouQL2Gg-rXI?feature=share

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, and streaming cams that form my blog: ‘J’, ‘A’, ‘H’, Rhonda A and the KNF-E3, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, SWFlorida Eagles and D Pritchett, Nancy Babineau and SWFL Eagles, FORE, M and FORE, FOBBV, PA Fair Country, Audubon.org, The Guardian and Cornell Bird Lab.

Falcons return to scrape, E22 gets some food and flaps wing at sib…Wednesday in Bird World

15 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

It is Valentine’s Day (as I begin writing Wednesday’s blog) and it would feel a lot more warm and fuzzy if fish started falling from the sky on the SWFlorida Eagle nest. The FFV has been protecting the area (photographs by local photographers confirm this). Her right foot has lots of injuries as if she has been in a recent fight during the last 2 or 3 days. She might need some time to heal before she is able to help bring in prey. I wonder how she is eating? M15 helped Harriet in 2015! The eaglet was E6. There are other examples of male or female eagles stepping in to help raise eaglets that are not theirs, also. There is a snow storm with high winds hitting Jackie and Shadow after three days of their on again-off again relationship with the two eggs they guarded so closely for over a month. It seems things are back to normal in Big Bear. If the earthquakes have significantly decreased, I am going to really think they might have had something to do with their behaviour for 3 days.

So, some good news was needed to mend my aching head and heart and it wasn’t, however, the third egg laid at the Achieva Osprey nest in St Petersburg, Florida on Valentine’s Day at 03:30. No, it came in the form of three pieces of news. The first one was a tweet from Geemeff Wednesday morning:

It is a huge beginning. Come on North America!!!!!!!!!!!

The second is form ‘H’ saying that all three of the falcons at Orange have been seen on the tower. Excellent.

The third is news about a small owl named Flaco that had been living at the Zoo at Central Park. Someone cut the wire to its cage and the owl escaped. Flaco has been seen eating and living nicely in the wild around New York City’s Central Park by a circus of curiosity seekers and residents. Zoo officials thought that Flaco could not live in the wild but he is proving them wrong. We learn something new every day from our raptors!

The New York Times reports for Valentine’s Day on Flaco…In the image below there is a bait tap but Flaco is not hungry!

“A major concern for everyone at the beginning was whether Flaco would be able to hunt and eat,” the society said in a statement, noting that zoo employees had observed him catching and consuming prey. “That is no longer a concern.” The officials from the Zoo also said, “In addition to proving himself as a hunter, the society said in its statement, Flaco had shown “a rapid improvement in his flight skills and ability to confidently maneuver around the park.”

The image above is a baited trap. Right now Flaco is full form his good hunting and is ‘not taking the bait’. The goal, according to the article, is to retrieve Falco and bring him back into the safety of the Zoo where he would not fall prey to rodenticide, GHO attack or killing, and collisions. Those are the risks of any urban raptor (or songbird for that matter). I find myself torn – while I believe in intervention, Flaco appears to be doing quite well living the ‘wild’ life.

Good news is also coming out of Orange. Xavier and Indigo have been back to the scrape. We wait and hope that Diamond was not too traumatised…Cilla says that Xavier will check and make sure it is safe and inform Diamond. Well done, Orange falcons.

Xavier made sure Indigo had a good breakfast. Look at that nice prey item that is in the scrape! (or am I wrong and this is Indigo’s great hunting?). The image was taken around 0849, the 15th of February in Orange.

Elain captured yesterday’s highlights.

I was so used to the Landings Nest near Savannah being an Osprey nest…then it was taken over by a GHO couple. Yes, those owlets are adorable. :)). I just wish they would leave the eagles alone!

An Osprey flew by this morning. Getting hopes up!

Heading to the SWFlorida nest..I am taking a bit of a breather today. E21 is 41 days old today and E22 is 39 days old. I am still concerned for E22 but, I want to be hopeful. Observers at the SWFlorida nest have posted this explanation as to what they think is going on at the nest. M15’s duty right now is to finish raising these eaglets. The female wants M15 and the territory ——she should be interviewed. There would be 100s of 5 year old female eagles wanting to match up with this super guy. I just wish she would prove her devotion by not just doing security but also becoming Mommy Door Dash.

This was also posted on the SWFL FB group this morning:

E22 is hungry. Dad jumped down first thing and fed the old fish tail to 21. Wishing for several big ones.

Bird with long legs and tail feathers came on the nest – it was a carcass. If the whole bird had made it, maybe 22 would have had some good food. I wonder what is going on. M15 ate, 21 ate, and 22 got some bites. Not many. Some by his quick snatch and grab out of 21 and Dad’s beak. Some up at the table when there was not much left.

On top of everything else, now there are drones. When will M15 cut a break?

At 1828, E22 got bold. Tired of having 21 get all the food for the day – and I do want to use the word ‘starving’, 22 went for it. M15 backed up a bit to help 22 and there was some quick snatch and grabs. It is unclear to me how much fish 22 got after 21 ate – 21 has a crop in the image below. The snatch and grab netted him a number of bites. And 22 was bold – he has to be. His life depends on it. I have seen statements that he got lots to eat. I would not characterise it as that but…he ate. And he had a ps that looked reasonable during the day. Someone got a screen capture of it.

It was frenzied for 22 who worked to get between Dad and 21 and grab every bite he could. Some were a nice size. We wait til morning. Again, the fish was not huge, 22 got some at the end.

After the feeding, M15 joined the FFV in the tree.

Wednesday morning M15 and the FFV were close on the tree.

M15 came in with a fish which 21 seems to have gotten the best of. 21 bonked 22 to keep it away. At 09:38 21 is self feeding on a leftover fish piece and 22 grabs it and takes it and wolfs it down. He is hungry.

To be clear, this is a small piece of fish and 21 will retake it, then 22 will get it back, and then M15 will fly down again. Someone said that in all of this 21 ate half a fish – if I had seen 21 eat half a fish I would be jumping on top of my roof for joy.

At 10:49, 21 is still eating and 22 is trying to find a scrap.

There is no shortage of food at many of the other nests. Still it helps to be ‘the one and only apple or Valentine of your parent’s heart’. Connick has an enormous crop! Looks like he is trying out for the role in some super hero movie with those amazing wings and big strong legs! Granted it is hard to take your eyes off that enormous crop to look at those wings and legs. He is one healthy eaglet…and I for one, wondered if he would make it early on. Well, no worries here. His smile is yellow and the black of his beak is shiny and healthy. Of course, nice clown feet, too, Connick…they go well with the mini-mohawk.

B16 is adorable. Notice the difference between B16 below and Connick above. Ask me if I would like to see 22 look like this? Of course.

There is something terribly ‘sweet’ about this little eaglet..I don’t know quite what it is but, something. Now look at B16’s wings. Consider for a moment how large they are.

The cameras have been on and off in the Kisatchie National Forest. The eaglets are fine and all of them are growing and developing those gorgeous juvenile feathers that we are going to see on Connick all too soon.

Gorgeous Trey. The IR camera really shows the thermal down and where the juvenile feathers are coming. Trey is incubating Dudley! She takes good care of that old unviable egg. Practice for the future. You can just see a little triangle of white almost directly under her beak. That is Dudley.

Anna and Trey with Dudley hiding underneath Trey.

Valentine and Nugget are simply developing into beautiful feathered eaglets. Valentine seems to have had a huge growth spurt…or is it the camera angle?

Jackie and Shadow have had at least one shift change today and they are both staying close to the nest and those two precious eggs. The storm system with snow and winds moving through is due to pass later today (Tuesday as I am writing).

The couple look much more settled.

At 11:06 Jackie called Shadow and he was there in a second to relieve her and incubate. Not leaving those eggs for a second longer than necessary. Am I thinking that we are back to normal and that pip watch is tomorrow? Hope.

Gabby and V3 were at the natal tree perched on the branches and in the nest bowl doing some work today. Gabby is in really good condition. Look at the colour of her beak and her feathers. Her eyes are clear. She is not tired and she is really healthy.

There are now three eggs at the Achieva Osprey nest. I mentioned it in yesterdays blog. So right now we have three osprey nests that have eggs being incubated in Florida: Moorings Park, Venice Golf and Country Club, and now Achieva in St Petersburg. We wait to see if there will be any eggs at Captiva this year for new couple Mabel and Angus.

Beautiful Diane will be doing hard incubation for between 38-43 days. Mark your calendars. Looks like 24-29 March. Later than 2021. (No eggs survived in 2022).

Most of you know that I am very fond of Diane and often get rather irked at Jack. Some of us even thought he had 2 nests in 2021 – the fish delivery was erratic and poor little Tiny Tot Tumbles, the third hatch, well…was deemed to be on death’s doorstep, literally, several times but, thanks to her Mum who saw her daughter want to live, fed her catfish after the two older siblings were sound asleep. In the dark, the little one ate and ate. TTT become the dominant bird on the nest staying long after the older two had fledged. She even helped her dad defend the nest and I want to add, as a juvenile having hatched in early March, she defended the nest many times by herself beginning in June. So….a warm soft spot for this Osprey Mum. I wish that third hatch had a band. Several times it looked like she visited the nest late in 2021 and in 2022.

Other Bird News:

Several months ago I added a note about two individuals that care for Cockatoos – sanctuaries for unwanted birds. One was April whose Victoria Cockatoo was believed to be dying and required urgent medical care. Individuals came to the rescue with their donations and now Victoria Cockatoo has gained weight and is doing extremely well.

The other was Dan Scott with Chloe’s Sanctuary. Funds are now in place for Dan and his flock of 11 ‘highly needy’ Cockatoos to take up residence in a new home in Nevada. Their old home in California was flooded. Thank you to all who answered their call.

Most people think Cockatoos are beautiful. So do I. We know that they are highly intelligent. Not Sulphur-Crested but Guffins have demonstrated that they can use tools!

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/10/goffins-cockatoos-use-toolset-complete-tasks?CMP=share_btn_link

People want one as a pet – that is what some of the YouTube videos do…make us want a pet bird.

Around the world, people go to pet stores and buy birds instead of going to sanctuaries. This means that the rescued or sanctuary animals could be euthanised if no home is found. I was sent a list of parrots, cockatoos and budgies requiring homes in one European city. It was huge. There is a growing call – by individuals that have ‘rescued’ parrots and budgies as well as animal right’s persons – to stop the breeding and sale of birds.

Two pet stores in North America that are getting a lot of attention because of their relationship to puppy mills, and other factory breeding programmes for animals, birds, and amphibians are PetSmart and PetCo. You may know these companies. Organisations that want the rights and lives of animals to be respected are asking customers to boycott those stores. Wallets do speak loud when profits are the only concern! There are a number of videos on YouTube that you can access showing dumpster divers finding fish and amphibians literally being tossed in to die. But there are just as many concerns for the dogs, cats, and birds as well. Our beloved feather friends often come from pet mills that are anything but caring and will do what they can to cut costs and maximise profits. So before you buy a bird from a pet store, think twice. Before you buy pet and bird food at a pet store, think about which store and what their policies are that you are supporting. Call your local organisations to see if your local humane society or rescue centre has any birds. Check out the reputation of the company selling the animal. A certificate saying an animal is a purebred does not mean that it came from a caring lovely small family breeder. Believe me I can tell you horror stories about cat breeders! Ask about surrenders and rescues. Give them a second chance at life. Parrots and Cockatoos live for a long time and many outlive their owners. Planning should be in place for all feathered friends just as you might do a dog or cat. Research the species. Every one of my contacts with Cockatoos warns that they are like tyrannical toddlers. I am also told that getting a beak trimmed can cost anywhere from $100-140 and the beaks must be trimmed.

‘J’ reminded me this morning that you can also adopt a ‘Cockatoo or a Parrot’ from a sanctuary which will help with their care. Many allow you to visit your adoptee. What an idea…a win-win for all. Some provide photographs.

Birds can be fantastic friends. My maternal grandfather had a Blue Budgie. My grandmother knew he adored that bird more than her! Think first! Thank you for listening…we need to be mindful, always, of the welfare of the animals and birds, both in our care and in the wild.

Thank you so much for being with me today. If you haven’t done so, do suggest a name for the new guy in Annie’s life. Go to Cal Falcons FB Page. I am not certain how long they will take potential names. Take care everyone. See you soon….please continue to send your good wishes to M15 and E21 and 22, our dear Diamond so traumatised by the fireworks, as well as Zoe who has yet to send in a transmission.

Thank you to the following for their notes, essays, articles, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures that form this blog: ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘Geemeff’, and ‘J’, The New York Times, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Elain and the Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Cornell Bird Lab, SWFlorida Eagles FB and Lisa Marie, Iris Schneider and the SWFL Eagles FB, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Paul Kolnik and Bald Eagles 101 FB, Window to Wildlife, Berry College Eagle Cam, KNF-E1, KNF-E3, FOBBY, NEFL-AEF, Achieva Credit Union, Victoria’s Playhouse, and The Guardian.

View at Medium.com
View at Medium.com

Owl Strike at SWFlorida, Earthquakes, Fireworks, DDT…2023 is getting off to a terrible start for Bird World

14 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

It is apparently Valentine’s Day – so give some love to someone, to the raptors, to your birds, or to your local wildlife rehabilitation centre. I began to wonder what a windfall it would be if everyone who was going to buy flowers or chocolates would, instead, donate those funds to clinics and shelters instead. Imagine. Millions and millions of people around the world giving their local or favourite rehab centre a $30-50 bill instead. It could make all the difference in the world. If you already have that chocolate or flowers, then think about this the next time there is a holiday and you reach for the roses.

If the 2022 breeding season for raptors on streaming cams was a difficult one then, 2023 has started out feeling like we are witnessing a nightmare. So it is not surprising that many of you are writing to tell me that you are thinking of taking a mental break. It is a good thing to do. Sometimes you just need to step away for a day or two, get outside and go for a walk, breathe in the fresh air and listen for your local birds and their songs. It really is up lifting. And believe me, I have to take these breaks, too, and build up my mental reserves for when those third hatch little male ospreys are getting beaten up by their big sister. Personally I have gotten to the point that I would love to see one healthy chick on every nest. No more than one. Just one. One is enough.

Ironically, one of the nests that is bringing me a lot of pleasure lately is the nest of Gabby and V3. They are a magnificent couple and let us all hope they have a long and productive future together. It is nice to see life settle even if V3 needs to deliver a lot of prey and drop it from the sky on the nest so his talons don’t get hooked! They have been working on the nest and I noticed a spring of evergreen which perked my attention this morning. Maybe it just smells like fish and the flies are about. Surely Gabby isn’t thinking about eggs?

Reminds me so many times of seeing Gabby and Samson stand like this. They are a power couple. V3 came, went, returned and set the rest of them packing. He will be good for Gabby.

The situation at SWFlorida is in a state of flux. It was terrifying right after Harriet and we all feared that E22 would be dead from siblicide. Then the fish starting coming on the nest and life was good. Then there were the intruders – the individual with the flash and the female eagle. To what extent they and others have placed this nest back in the state where E22 is constantly afraid to eat but, needs to, is unknown. Monday morning M15 brought in a ‘Jumping live mini fish’ and E21 got all of it.

Then there was a nice sized fish but, as is becoming common again, E21 scared off 22 until there was not much left. 22 got one good bite of that big fish. Now..remember, if M15 can get another big fish on that nest before 21 gets hungry, 22 has a chance and so does Dad. I also need to say that M15 moved the fish so he could feed 22 but 21 came over the back side. Not good.

The only bite that 22 got. Look at 21’s beak.

The third fish came in at 14:39. Well, M15 is the best dad when he is left alone. He flew in with a big fish – was it one of those silvery Ladyfish – and he is feeding it slow. Obviously M15 knows that 22 needs to eat. Feeling optimistic. That fish came in at 14:39 and please note that M15 has eaten the head. Way to go Dad. You need your strength to take good care of the babies. Is the VF upstairs wanting that fish?

Some wonder if there is enough food. The pond is stocked or that is what I was told. And it was restocked about 9 days ago – or so I was told. M is a good fisher but he has distracters – human and eagle and that female and others might be trying to take his fish or do…

Clearly, 21 is shutting out 22. Will he get any of this enormous fish? Let’s hope so.

22 you need to move around the rim of the nest…and get some fish!

It would appear that M15 is going to wait for 22 to move around. He has not fed 21 anymore and is sitting on the fish. I am so impressed with this super Dad.

Dad left. 22 trying to self feed.

Hunger and surviving. It looks like 22 is holding the fish down and pulling up getting some bites. I hope he eats that entire last of the fish! If M15 flew down now (he is on the branch but the VF is on another one it seems), 21 is asleep finally and he could possibly feed 22 the rest of that fish, too.

A video of the beginning of the self-feeding. Before this, 22 picked up scraps from all over the nest. He is a survivor BUT he needs to eat and let us hope he gets enough. It is a lot of work to get the skin off those fish and 22 spends much time trying before he gets to the ‘open’ end. There he figures out to stick his beak in and pull out the flesh (second video).

E22 finished. I do not think there is a crop there. Hard to tell but he did have something to eat. Every bite is important. 22 has decided to sleep on the fish! Too funny.

M15 flew back down but 21 was there and got the fish feeding. What can I say? 22 needs a good feed. We wait. M15 did eat as we saw from the fish brought in and this is good…now 22 we need you to step up tomorrow and get some fish – and Dad….stand right between those two if you have to – between them as in physical separation.

Good Night M15. Thank you for the fish today!!!!!!!! Sweet Eagle Dreams Everyone.

M15 you look super tired. We worry about you. Make sure you eat…

And sleep. It looks like you are so tired and you have left the female at the end of the branch. And she was by the pond today? Someone took photographs and is she part of a pair with the other eagle down getting drinks at the pond? Again, like Gabby’s nest we will have to wait and let this play out with the hope that M15 can get some fish for him and the babies tomorrow in peace.

Oops. GHO knocks intruder off and M15 gets into nest with 21 and 22.

Bandicam shows it also. The intruder came back to the nest branch and M15 chased her off.

Human negligence – and our long standing desire to control nature for our own ends – has caused Jak and Audacity to lose all four of their eggs this season. It is not a new story but it ties in with the human interference in SWFlorida and the damage it can cause – 2 separate incidents now on Saturday night with two people with flashlights. Police out to both incidents. It was the latter one that drove M15 off for 3 hours, not the person with the camera (according to the FB announcement). Our interference in the natural world by using toxic chemicals to kill insects causes irreparable harm. The Sauces couple have had some success. Have a look at their history on Santa Cruz Island and remember, this is in the northern area, which has more contamination from DDT (DDE) than other areas of the islands.

Sauces-Nest-History-—-Institute-for-Wildlife-StudiesDownload

Then there are the fireworks that caused Diamond such distress that it was simply difficult to watch. They sounded like they were right under the tower. If you missed it, here is that video again. It is worth a second look just to remember what fireworks do to wildlife…unlike pets, they cannot come and be safe beside us in our homes when these unnecessary events happen. It is time to outlaw the use of fireworks as a means of celebrating along with the colouring and release of birds or balloons! I do love parties but not if there are things happening that don’t need to that will potentially damage our feathered friends.

There is a call to action to help stop what happened to the falcon family. Please send an e-mail, help Diamond and her family. You can cut and paste a letter but make sure you change who it is addressed to!

Cilla Kinross has commented that the authorities cannot tell the car it is too blurred and are thinking this is a misdemeanour. We hope that, instead, they will take this seriously. Endangering wildlife. Any act – flashlights, flash cameras, anything – we know this – endangers their lives. So Holly is suggesting that we continue to write letters. Maybe there is an animal cruelty organisation in Orange that might like to take this on.

I received the following response from MP for Orange, Mr Philip Donato:

To date, only Xavier and Indigo have returned to the scrape. Diamond has not.

‘J’ alerted to me of something that could, indeed, be causing Jackie and Shadow to get up and off those eggs – the seismic disturbances at Big Bear Lake. One was the largest magnitude felt so far this year. Humans could feel that one but it appears the eagles were disturbed by the other 23 that happened yesterday. Thanks, ‘J’ for bringing this to my attention!

Jackie are on and off the eggs again today. This is three days in a row. We keep the faith and hope that all is well. As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, Milda had a terrible couple of years but, her eggs were left for 5 hours and no harm (it was bitterly cold). The two eaglets hatched only to die later of starvation. The story is accurate but I said Milda was Estonian – she is a Latvian WTE.

There was, of course, earthquake activity on Saturday and I am trying to see what is happening today in the area.

There have been larger quakes in the past. I hope this calms down and the eaglets hatch and life is good for Jackie and Shadow.

5.1-Earthquake-Jolts-Big-Bear-Lake-Area-Los-Angeles-TimesDownload

It is, of course, only speculation that the earthquakes might have caused the eagles to be up and down and on and off the eggs. The timing of the low level quakes – which the eagles would have felt – suggests that with the start of the behaviour on Saturday. We can only wait and see what is happening. Is it possible that Jackie and Shadow can no longer hear the eaglet/s? We might never know. And even my questions are just speculation. Please read them as such. One or more eggs could hatch on time. The only silver lining for this couple who have been so super diligent – which is why their behaviour now is worrisome – is that they can have a second clutch. There is plenty of time. They were mating today. It is only a note to this but, have you noticed that raptors confirm their pair bond when something has happened…the death of a fledgling in the field, etc? But we must wait and see. Personally I would love nothing more than a Valentine’s pip. We need some good news.

Shootings. Really? I live in a place where gun crime is almost non-existent compared to what it is south of our border with the US. Here is one person who is going to pay the price for shooting a Bald Eagle in the US. Let us hope the word gets out. He thought it was a hawk. Sorry, hawks are protected, too.

If-you-harm-a-bald-eagle-be-prepared-to-pay-a-steep-price-cleveland.com_Download

There are Bald Eagle nests that are doing very well this year. The single eaglets at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive, sweet little Connick survived the first few days without much fish, to thrive.

B16 is the apple of Pa Berry and Missy’s life – adorable cuddle bun that one is.

Her name is Trey at the KNF-E1 nest of Louis and Anna and she – they will not take DNA but this is a huge eaglet and could well be a female compared to the two earlier males, Kistachie and Kincaid. Three healthy beautiful eagles. Valentine and Nugget are getting on with their lives at the KNF-E3 nest of Alex and Andria. These two have benefited from fish tests! What can we say about Superbeaks? Huge eaglets Pearl and Tico will fledge but the fact that the nest railings are falling due to wing flapping scares me.

So there is some good news amongst the not so good…and I have not touched on all the nests. It seems to be balancing out.

This is a reminder: Tomorrow is the official day to suggest names for the Cal Falcons ‘New Guy’. Go to the Cal Falcons FB or Twitter page and put in your name and why…be convincing. Must be associated with Cal-B. There have been several responses to the use of the word ‘comfortable’ as in Annie looks ‘comfortable’ with the New Guy. Some say ‘much more than comfortable.’

The challenges that our raptors have now and will have in the coming decade and then the next one are going to be huge. It is up to everyone collectively and governments and companies to stop with the status quo, get some good minds working, and take a stand and don’t back down. Create a better world for all living things. All living things.

Coming Up this week: Why you do not want to buy birds at pet stores. The new hawk streaming cams. Where do birds go to die. I was going to write about one of these today but, events over took that. It will be towards the end of the week. Stay turned.

Take care everyone. My whole family, the garden critters and Missy and Lewis thank you for the love that you have for our feathered friends. Happy Valentine’s Day! Please keep our three nests in your most positive thoughts and send them well wishes – M15, 21 and 22 at SWFlorida, Jackie and Shadow and whatever is going on at BBV, and Zoe. See you soon!

If you would like to join our family of lovers of all things with feathers but mostly those big Apex predators, please sign up for our daily newsletter. You can unsubscribe any time.

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, their videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures that make up this blog today: ‘J’, NEFL-AEF, SWFlorida and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SWFL and D Pritchett, Bandicam and SWFlo and D Pritchett, IWS, Heidi Mc and Falcon Cam, Holly Parsons and Orange, Australia Peregrine Falcons FB, Volcano Discovery, Los Angeles Times, FOBBV, Cleveland.com, Window to Wildlife, Berry College Eagles, Superbeaks, and Cal Falcons.

Fireworks frighten the wits out of Diamond…Monday in Bird world

13 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

The weather on the Canadian Prairies continues to be mild. The snow is slowly melting and the ice that sometimes forms at the edge of our roof where the heat escapes is disappearing, if it was there in the first place. The birds continue to sing a slightly different tune like they did yesterday and if I had not seen the forecast for colder weather to hit, one might believe that spring was around the corner. And of course, it is! Right?

As far as kittens go, they are now six months old. The tufts on Missy’s ears can be seen if you squint. She is now 8 lbs and 6 oz. and her tail looks more and more like that of a raccoon daily. Hence, the name Maine Coon. I don’t know if you can tell but her hair is thick and wooly, various layers to help these cats keep warm in the cold. Hopefully she will never experience it! I don’t know how she came to be alone, only days old, under a truck and taken to the Humane Society and then…adopted by us. Well, we are so happy she is part of the family!

Nests are very busy. The Ospreys that have eggs are incubating them. Still eagles laying eggs…Tico and Pearl growing…intruders that are protecting nests. It has been a busy few days. Watching the NCTC nest of Bella and Smitty and hoping for egg 1 of the 2023 season…it will be her first egg in two years. Injury and female intruder complicated matters so that there was no clutch at this nest last year.

First up. Loud bangs and lights – fireworks set off in the night – terrified Diamond at the Orange scrape on the Charles Sturt University campus in Australia. Cilla Kinross is investigating and has called security. Have a look at Heidi Mc’s video from all of the cams. And remember this whenever you hear anyone thinking of celebrations with fireworks. They need to be outlawed.

Oh, I hope that Indigo and Xavier are alright. Thanks HMc!

Making News:

A Red Kite fell out of the sky…discovered to have several shotgun pellets in its body at rehab. Here is the story.

More at Raptor Persecution UK:

Shot red kite found injured in Greenwich Park, London

Most of us know this but, sometimes we need a little reminder and a nudge – the restorative power of nature! A walk in a forest, a stroll around the block, a trip to a park…sitting and listening to the sounds of birds. It is magic.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/12/prescribing-nature-the-restorative-power-of-a-simple-dose-of-outdoors?CMP=share_btn_link

At the Nests:

Sadly, Jak and Audacity have lost their 4th egg to breakage. The root cause is the lingering DDT (DDE) in the region, the food, the fish – the Channel Islands. Some areas were exposed to more than others. This couple has not had a good history – so sad for the – but the outlook is not good as this has obviously impacted Audacity’s ability to form hard shells. Here is a report discussing the dumping of the DDT in the Channel Islands that helps us understand that dumping these horrific toxins in the sea was more extensive than was thought.

History-of-DDT-ocean-dumping-off-LA-coast-even-worse-than-expected-EPA-findsDownload

At the nest of Shadow and Jackie, Shadow spent the majority of the day incubating the eggs. He came in with a fish for Jackie and there was some concern about the eggs being left on and off during the day several times including 0919, 1029, 1151, 1439, 1541, etc. Some people thought that Jackie was missing but she isn’t. Is she getting some much needed time off the nest before she is brooding eaglets? With pip watch on a couple of days away, I wonder if this marvellous couple can hear their eaglets.

There was some question about how long eggs can be left and still have the eaglets be viable. If you recall, Milda left her eggs unattended in cold weather in Latvia for approximately 5 hours. No one thought the eggs would be viable but, yes, the two eaglets hatched sadly to later succumb to starvation. (It was a bad year for Milda the White-tailed Eagle as she had lost her mate right after laying her eggs). The on and off for these two for the past couple of days should not be a problem if we consider the situation at the Drube WTE nest of Milda.

Jackie mantling her fish at 12:55.

Rolling those two precious eggs at 15:15.

One of the times the eggs were left the longest, 1541-1749.

Official pip watch as stated by FOBBV is 15 February. Here is the daily recap with all the comings and goings as kept by FOBBV:

Connick is growing and growing and is one of the sweetest little eaglets. Nice fish coming on the nest and even a family meal together with Mum Connie and Dad Clive.

If you have been falling all the happenings at the SWFlorida Eagle nest, you will know by now that the Frequent Female Visitor has been protecting the territory and chasing away other intruders. Several have remarked that this behaviour reminds them of M15 when he arrived as the Frequent Male Visitor. M15 wound up helping Harriet look after E6.

The highlights of Sunday at the SWFlorida nest are – E22 did a fantastic mantling job on a nice piece of fish that he snatched and grabbed from the first delivery at 10:04. It is the first time that E22 has been seen mantling.

Due to the lack of deliveries the past couple of days, 21 is feeling a bit peckish and decided to beak 22 just to remind the younger sibling who eats first. Well, M15 fed both eaglets, 21 first, manoeuvring that fish so that 22 got a feeding, too. It was a good sized fish. Both ate and both had crops of various sizes. Well done, Dad.

E22 is being submissive while 21 eats first.

This is E22 at 1040. It looks like a pretty good crop to me.

The presence of the Frequent Female Visitor is disturbing M15’s ability to hunt. At 14:44 I noted that no other prey items had been delivered.

At 1532 M15 is on the nest and pulls half a fish from the nesting material. It is not entirely clear how much fish each eaglet received. I continue to remind myself that Dad needs to eat..if the eaglets are hungry then imagine that Dad is too.

22 held back and was rather submissive. In the end, it had some fish. Both ate today. Not as much as those days when 5 or 6 deliveries were coming in but they both ate. This is important. 21 will stay peckish and peck if it senses that food is scarce. It is a survival mechanism. All of us know this and we also will recall that this nest is quite calm when adequate prey is coming in. Send positive wishes. With everything going on, M15 needs all our love!

E22 found some fish scraps and is enjoying them.

The eaglets are hungry. Dad is hungry. Let us hope that more fish come to the nest or a nice big rabbit today…All intruders need to disappear!

Martin and Rosa at the Dulles Greenway nest in Virginia have their third egg. It was laid today. Congratulations to this extremely popular eagle couple.

Just a reminder! One more day and suggestions open for Annie’s ‘New Guy’ at Cal Falcons. Needs to be related to Cal-Berkeley and should be male – since we obviously know the gender! Search for Cal Falcons on FB or Twitter.

As we near Valentine’s Day, we can start looking for the arrival of Rosie at the Osprey nest in SF Bay. And speaking of Ospreys, ‘A’ wonders when the ospreys will start arriving in the UK. Well, ‘A’, Blue 33 and Maya are often the first to arrive at Rutland Water around 26 March. 6 weeks or so away. The time will pass quickly! I see no news on Zoe’s transmission. Get into cell range, Zoe! Please.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, and streaming cams that make up my blog: Heidi Mc and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, South Essex Wildlife Hospital, Raptor Persecution UK, The Guardian, Phys.Org, FOBBV, Window to Wildlife, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Sassa Bird and Dulles-Greenaway Eagles, and Cal Falcons.

Owl strike, hail…M15 carries on. Sunday in Bird World

12 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

First, I want to address the issue of the blog where I reported that Harriet had returned to the nest. If I discover that I have made a mistake, I will always rectify it as soon as I can. I am human and each of you have my sincerest apologies. I do know the little wisps on M15’s head (but not Harriet’s head) and I saw the younger eagle on the branch and the older one in the nest feeding the eaglets. As did so many. I was not the only one fooled at the time in believing that somehow Harriet had just casually flown back into the nest. But neither one of those eagles were Harriet. I wish one of them had been. Instead, it was M15 feeding the old bunny leg to the kids (thanks H). The intruding female was on the branch and then on the rim of the nest and then in the nest before M15 ran her off. Not Harriet. I feel awful.

So let’s go over to the SWFlorida Nest for Saturday and see what did happen, even in all that confusion at the end of the day.

It is after 1455 and the Es have only had one meal so far today. That was at 09:11:45. In fact, it was the fish left from yesterday and 22 got it and I hope Dad had some, too.

Beautiful 21 with its gorgeous ebony juvenile feathers coming in…and look, the yellow mouth! 21 missed breakfast.

It is really windy today in Fort Myers. M15 has been away and is back. Is there an intruder at the nest?

M15 has been feeding his eaglets many times per day but, not today. Was it just the intruder that stopped his hunting? As we all know, stress can do many things. Just today, an individual moving a log near a bear den in Canada caused the mother to run away, abandoning her nest and her cub.

Most of the people around the SWFlorida Eagle nest mean well. Like the person moving the log, they do not understand what could result from their actions. People make mistakes. We do not intend to. The person using the flashlight and the flash camera has apologised. S/he wanted to do something nice for their parent. They stood up, explained, and said they were truly sorry. I am certain that they felt horrible when they discovered that the flash drove M15 off the nest for 3 hours. Yes, the GHOs could have snatched the eaglets during that time. Thankfully, nothing happened. A GHO was probably the farthest thing from the person’s mind. I can only imagine how wretched they would feel if they discovered their actions had led to the death of the eaglets. To the person who was there, thank you for stepping up and admitting to your error.

We think of the flash, the releasing of the two white mice, leaving food at the base of the tree as interfering. As humans we do not know how this will turn out. Many of you wrote and said that you were so happy that no one had taken E21 and E22 off the nest – that M15 rose to the job. He certainly did and we hope that he can continue. Indeed, one of the threads that will run through any breeding season is: should humans interfere? and if so when? and to what extent? There are certainly laws pertaining to this but, in some cases there is reason to help such as the little abandoned bear cub mentioned above.

Keeping with this vein of intervention, interference, etc, Geemeff sent me an essay by Dr Marc Bekoff, a leading expert of animal behaviour. It is called “Four-Day-Old Baby Orangutan needlessly Killed at the Basel Zoo”. I know that – despite it being about other wildlife, we need to read this. Geemeff thinks I need to include a health warning. Duly noted. Thank you for this Geemeff. This is the situation and the question: The mother died. There was nothing wrong with the Baby Orangutan. The ‘zoo staff’ did not think it would thrive so they killed it! Do humans have the right to make this decision? These are things we should be thinking about.

https://marcbekoff.com/marcs-essays/f/four-day-old-baby-orangutan-needlessly-killed-at-the-basel-zoo

There are some links at the end of the blog that will lead you to more information. It is time that we began asking difficult questions about how we approach wildlife in terms of ethics and morals. Our track record of protecting our planet and all its living beings is dismal. Why do we think we have the right? or even the knowledge to decide life and death?

I have also started putting together the material for Harriet on the 2023 Memorial page. I hope to be finished in a fortnight. I think that we can all presume that the nest is now that of M15, E21, and E22. There is much information on where eagles go to die as I am reminded by my friend, ‘A’. I hope to touch on that this week as we begin to process life without dear Harriet.

As everyone knows, at around 15:45, M15 landed on the nest. He was being chased by the female intruder. He brought a fish to the nest to feed the babies. Was the female hungry? was that why she chased him? ‘H’ confirms that M15 was also on the nest later, at 17:13:57 and fed the rabbit left overs. So a fish this morning left from yesterday was fed to 21. The additional fish and then rabbit leftovers were fed at the end of the day, 22 got some at the end of the feeding. With all the commotion let us hope that things normalise Saturday night for Sunday. Thanks ‘H’. I had not seen that fish!

M15 feeding 21 who is enjoying this fish. S/h had missed out on the morning fish so is hungry. Time is 1608.

Lady Hawk caught the GHO strike- thanks ‘A’:

And then there was the bad weather with either hail or heavy rain when M15 came down to the nest to be with the eaglets. It was 02:45. He stayed until approximately 0414.

M15 brought a fish to the nest and was feeding 21 and 22. It was just after 1004.

In the other nests:

Gabby and V3 certainly have an awkward relationship sometimes…especially when it involves food. Gabby thinks that any prey brought to the nest is hers. That is what Samson did but her new mate, V3, has always eaten his food on the nest. We have watched him do this. So was this V3’s lunch and Gabby wanted it? Talons hooked again. If I were V3 I would think hard and act quick…your gal Gabby is hungry and she will rip your talon off for that squirrel! or bird or fish. HeidiMc caught Saturday’s action.

At the KNF-E3 nest of Valentine and Nugget, Nugget stood on both feet/talons Saturday morning. This means that leg is healing. Fantastic. They both have their juvenile feathers and the weather continued to be soggy.

At the KNF-E1 nest of Anna and Louis, the eaglet has been named Trey. Can you see Trey’s crop? And look at that mohawk? Is it in the shape of a heart? Trey is a big eaglet!!!!! Wonder how long it will take them to make their way through all that fish?

Tonya Irwin edited all those fish deliveries the other day into a single video. Have a look and a giggle. Louis, you are amazing.

Elain brings us up to date with what is happening at Orange with Xavier, Diamond, and Indigo…

Indigo is simply tooooooooo cute. Once they discover the reflection on the camera lens it is adorable the poses the eyases and fledglings make.

There are now two eggs at the Bald Eagle nest of Rosa and Martin (Dulles-Greenway). There is going to be an informative discussion. Here are the details. You might want to listen in.

Angus seems to have a new step stool? or is this a new mating technique? Mabel does not seem too impressed. I do wonder if these two will have eggs this year at Captiva?

It was another great day at the Superbeaks nest. Pearl and Tico are just beautiful juveniles. Well done Pepe and Muhlady. Did I tell you? There was an announcement that the nest would be on line next year. Nice. I am so glad that it was recommended to me.

Making News:

An arrest for smuggling songbirds into the US. Finally! I want you to imagine being stuffed into a hair curler on a flight!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/09/finch-smuggling-kingpin-insaf-ali-sentenced-prison?CMP=share_btn_link

Woodpeckers seem to like to stash peanuts in people’s chimneys.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/07/woodpeckers-700lbs-acorns-santa-rosa-california?CMP=share_btn_link

Two more Kakapo named today.

Only 3 of the 6 ospreys with trackers checked in today and one of those was Ervie!!!!!! Still at Port Lincoln. Living the good life. Zoe has missed quite a number of check ins. Not sure whether to worry or sit back and wait to see if her tracker comes into range.

Thank you so very much for being with me and thank you for your kind letters today. I really appreciate your understanding. Take care of yourselves. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, their videos, their posts, and their streaming cams where I took my screen capture to create this blog: ‘H’, ‘A’, Geemeff, SWFlorida Eagles and D Pritchett, Black Bear Rescue Manitoba, Marc Bekoff, NEFL-AEF, Heidi Mc and NEFL-AEF, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, Tonya Irwin and KNF-E1, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Sassa Bird and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, Window to Wildlife, Superbeaks, The Guardian, Kakapo Recovery, and Port Lincoln Ospreys.

If you would like to subscribe to the blog, we would be happy to have you join us in Bird World. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Is Harriet is home? or is this the female intruder hanging around?

11 February 2022

I am reflagging this because it is not clear what is happening at the SWFlorida Nest. I thought it was Harriet that had returned with M15 on the branch but it appears it was M15 in the nest feeding and a female intruder on the branch above.

I am sorry if I gave everyone a joy and now a fright.

M15 flew in with a rabbit.

Female intruder above M15.

My apologies for jumping the gun in my enthusiasm.

Thank you to SWFlorida for their streaming cam where I took these images.

Human with flash frightens M15…Saturday in Bird World

11 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone..

Gosh, it is almost summer here on the Canadian Prairies. 0 C. We are supposed to get up to +2 today. Everything is melting and soon that white snow will be ugly and brown and melting. If the wind is not too bad today, I really want to get out and check out some birds. The numbers in the garden have been dwindling as the temperatures have risen over the past couple of days. I miss those Starlings! And only about half the number of Sparrows are about…of course, Dyson and her gang are here!

The kittens think I have been neglecting them too! So here are some recent photos. Missy is now – hold on – over 8 lbs and she is just 6 months old. It is the Maine Coon that is driving her growth and weight. Lewis is about a kilo or 2.2 lbs lighter.

What a great distraction they are when things go sideways in Bird World.

Having ignored most of the other nests completely, it was time to go and check on them and see how the naming of Anna and Louis’s eaglet is going. If you have not voted, please go and do so – if it is not too late by the time you read this. The voting ends at noon on Saturday and according to the forestry officer, Cody, this will be the last eaglet at KNF to be named. From now on, they will be numbers. So join in the fun! Go to the KNF-E1 streaming cam and click on the name of your choice. (Many of those that volunteer with some aspects of this nest would like to have a name that is associated with the area – a clear name like Evangeline. Not included. The only name that is linked to the nest is West and that has to do with the West Harbour Boat launch according to Tonya, the chat moderator).

Louis brought in a pile of fish after that Egret yesterday. According to chat monitor, Tonya, those fish were: Not sure, Gizzard Shad (GS), Bass, GS, Redear Sunfish (RES), GS, RES, GS, GS, RES, Black Crappie, RES, and GS. That was a total of thirteen fish! I do have to hand it to Louis for hauling in the most fish on any nest I have ever seen – ever!

KNF-E1 O3 looks like she swallowed a beach ball. Now why did I saw she? Well, a lot of people are looking at this eaglet and the size of its feet in comparison to Kisatchie and Kincaid and noticing the tremendous size difference. So just look above…I am in total agreement! Finally a female for Anna.

There are so many fish it is hard to decide what to eat and what to feed but one thing is for sure, no one is going hungry on Louis’s watch.

In the image below, just look at the size of 03 compared to Mum.

At the KNF-E3 nest of Alex and Andria, Valentine rushed up to claim a fish. Rhonda A caught it on video. Great mantling job. As many of you are aware, Nugget seems to have incurred an injury to its leg and talon. According to Tonya, the moderator on the KNF chat on Friday, that leg and talon are improving. Great news.

Now back to M15. How do the eyes of a frightened eagle look? one under stress? Gracie Shepherd caught the intruder at the SWFlorida Eagle nest. Sadly, this needs to stop. Will someone have to protect the property? and the natal nest? This is one reason that many nests do not give out their locations.

Do you remember the two white mice that came on the nest? ‘A’ and I wondered where these came from. They are not field mice. I thought of lab mice but you can also buy them at pet stores. Apparently some kind soul bought them and released them for M15 to catch and feed to the kids. All was done with a sense of wanting to help but, sometimes we need to trust. M15 is doing simply a fantastic job.

The police have been alerted. To be clear, this is extremely dangerous behaviour and could have meant the lives of the eaglets. People need to stay home and this person needs to be fined or go to jail. Anyone who wishes this family well will not be around this nest!

Baiba caught that great big catfish that M15 delivered on the 9th on video. Have a look:

Connick is eating, sleeping, and growing at the Captiva nest.

Connie looking down at her chick.

Good Night, Captiva!

Just down the road at the Captiva Osprey nest, Angus and Mabel spent time at the nest today, as usual. No eggs yet but just look at how inviting that egg cup looks!

For some time, Diane had some moss from the nest tangled around her legs. That appears to be gone but it did cause some worry with the Achieva Osprey platform watchers today. Things seem to be fine now.

Thank you ‘H’ for the news and photo. Diane laid her second egg at around 03:16:27 on the 11th, today.

Rose and Ron are doing a very good job incubating their eggs. If there is to be a third egg, it should arrive tomorrow. Personally, I hope not. Two is good, one healthy eaglet is great.

At the Webster, Texas Bald Eagle nest, Ringo is eating, sleeping, and growing just like Connick and E1-03 and Valentine and Nugget.

At the Superbeaks nest of PePe and Muhlady, Pearl and Tico, Pearl has branched. She managed this great achievement a couple of days ago when I was completely concentrating on SWFlorida. Congratulations Pearl. It has also been announced that Superbeaks will be back next year for another season. Fantastic!

A cute look at ‘the New Guy’ at Cal Falcons with a delivery for Annie? Where should I go he ponders. Remember. On Valentine’s Day, Cal Falcons will open a naming contest for the ‘new guy’. Names must be associated with UC-Berkeley.

Before I go, I need to tell you about a new owl streaming cam to watch that ‘A’ just alerted me to. It is GHOs Owlvira and Hoots at the Corona, California nest. That nest is 40′ high and it is 24″ round x 19″ deep (60 cm x 46 cm deep). It is constructed of wicker and is lined with coco core. There is one more egg to hatch. The first little one has just hatched on Friday evening around 19:48.

This is the link to that streaming cam:

https://www.youtube.com/live/xqvrR6dkWeg?feature=share

Making News:

A rare Northern European wading bird is in Herefordshire, UK.

Birdwatchers-flock-to-Welwyn-to-see-rare-jack-snipe-sighting-BBC-NewsDownload

Two more of the 55 Kakapo chicks that hatched in 2022 are receiving names on their first hatch day. Congratulations!

I want to thank you so much for being with me today. This is a hop and a skip over the nests. So much happening now at all the nests. Eggs being laid and incubation. Thank goodness for incubation! It gives us a chance to slow down. It is 4 days until pip watch at Big Bear Valley for Jackie and Shadow. It is 4 days until we begin to watch for Rosie to return to Richmond at the Osprey nest on the Whirley Gig in SF Bay. We are about 35 days from the first egg at the Cornell RTH nest of Big Red and Arthur….lots to look forward to. For now, keep M15 and the two eaglets in your thoughts. We never expected Harriet to disappear and not return. The fate of a nest can turn on a dime. Right now it is just magnificent – except for humans. What an amazing father M15 is to these two Es. Now take care of yourself. We will see you soon!

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Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures and blog today: ‘H’, ‘A’, ‘J’, KNF E-1 and KNF E-3, SWFlorida Eagles and D Pritchett, Baibai and SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, Window to Wildlife, Achieva Credit Union, WRDC, Paul White and the Webster Eagle Watchers, Superbeaks, SK Hideaway and cal Falcons, Live Owl Cam, BBC, and Kakapo Recovery.

M15 continues to be the hero of the hour!

10 February 2022

Good Evening Everyone,

Like my friend ‘A’ I did not immediately jump up to see if E21 and E22 had been fed. Why? Because I completely trusted that M15 had already been out hunting and had fed his babies well before I even had my first cup of coffee. And he had!

I am writing this at 1441 CDT. There have already been six feedings – and I presume, with a nice fish (just missing a bit of the head for dad) on deck for dinner that there will be at least one more feeding for these babies. They have had fish and rabbit today.

The first feeding was around 07:51:56. E21 ate first. By 08:08, E22 is moving around the nest counterclockwise to get up to Dad’s beak. He gets some fish at 08:09:56. There was some fish left. M15 leaves the nest at 08:14:19.

08:01:

By 08:09, 22 is around by Dad.

08:13. E22 is eating. 21 is finished.

The second feeding with a new nice fish came at 08:19:08. Yes, you read that right. Less than 5 minutes and Dad is back with another fish! He feeds 22 who winds up with a very nice crop.

08:19.

08:33. 22 is eating up a storm and 21 decides it might like some more breakfast.

By 08:42, there are some scraps but it is 22 that gets the food.

08:49. Look at that crop on 22!

M15 is very distracted and we will learn that there is an eagle intruder that will even come and land on the nest tree! The feeding finishes at 08:49ish.

Both eagles have been well fed early this morning. Both have crops. Dad did manage some bites. A tail piece and some scraps are left on the nest.

The third feeding is at 09:38 and this appears to involve some left overs to 21 and yet another new fish.

One noticeable change is 1) the quickness of the prey to the nest and 2) the amount of time that Dad is spending with the eaglets in the nest. So thankful that the Pritchett’s stocked that pond and M15 is doing everything he can to protect those babies. I do not want him to engage with an intruder. That could be catastrophic. M15 looks a little tired to me today.

At 10:34, the eaglets are watching Dad in the tree.

At 10:35:47, M15 is back in the nest to feed and eat from the fish brought in at 09:38. Then, all of a sudden, M15 takes off. He is back with a rabbit at 10:40:44 and he feeds 22. There is still a headless fish and rabbit remains on the nest at 10:57.

Feast your eye on 22’s crop…this is before he begins to get fed the rabbit.

At this time you can see people on the church property looking towards the nest tree. Are they also spooking M15? Yes, he is maintaining his hunting and feeding but, he seems agitated and stressed. M15 goes back and forth and back and forth.

On the nest with the babies at 12:02.

He is gone again at 12:42 and back to do some restorations at 13:17. The headless fish and rabbit are still on the nest.

At 14:44, M15 begins feeding the rabbit to the eaglets for their sixth feeding of the day. E21 gets some bites first but 22 is there snatching and grabbing. M15 adjusts himself and feeds 22. At 14:52 E22’s crop is so big it is a wonder he can move. M15 eats some. They love their rabbit!

E22 might have been shy earlier but, he is becoming very bold – at least when there is rabbit to be eaten!

It’s 16:46 and E22’s crop is still about to pop.

Cuddle Buddies…17:14.

Shortly after, at 17:21, Dad is in the nest with the last feeding of the day. It is rabbit dinner. Both 21 and 22 are so full that eating seems more like a chore. They are definitely not ravenous. Let us all hope then that M15 will eat that entire rabbit. He needs to eat himself! And he is.

At 1730 M15 moves over to the fish and again attempts to try and feed his two eaglets who are already full.

M15 ate the tail. Yahoo….and there is still fish left! It is 17:41.

M15 looks around…the rabbit has been eaten, the scraps of fish on the nest are eaten and there is still a fish without its head. Tomorrow’s breakfast or a late night snack?

Can you see 22’s crop? This eaglet is so full it simply cannot move…well, OK, it can hardly move.

As you may be able to tell, I am simply overwhelmed with the care that M15 is giving to these eaglets. He is ensuring that 22 gets to eat often to the point that we might worry if 21 needs to have some more! I have not seen any animosity. This nest is thriving and the eaglets are growing before our eyes. There is still a headless fish on the nest and some scraps!

M15 flies off at 17:44. Is he still hunting? is he chasing intruders? Stay safe Dad, those eaglets need you.

Sleep well M15, E21 and E22.

Thank you to SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett where I took my screen captures.

Jackie screams at Ravens, Saving Albatross…Friday in Bird World

10 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

It is hard to turn on the SWFlorida streaming cam and not see M15 there with a big fish feeding the Es. So far on Thursday there were 4 feedings and M15 has already fed both eaglets breakfast Friday morning. When 22 slid right in by 21, I almost fell out of my desk chair. The environment on this nest has changed so much since our worries of a week ago. The food security that M15 has established is really working wonders, bringing a normalcy back to this beautiful eagle nest. When do you remember 21 giving 22 a thorough going over? Many thought 22 might not live – including me. Well, I am sure happy to have to eat those words! Life is good. In fact, even the GHOs are cooperating. Their owlets, there are two of them, will fledge and be away from the natal nest before the Es even branch! That in itself is a miracle and will stop a lot of potential problems. M15 and the eaglets are very blessed.

Those four feedings were 09:18:14, 10:10:28, 14:43:40 (a massive catfish), and 15:58:25 with another big fish. Here are a few images from those feedings.

09:18:20. 21 is going to eat first. Notice those beautiful feathers coming in on the back of 21. The eagles are losing their fluffy white natal down, they have grown their thermal down, and now the feathers that will mark them as juveniles are growing in. The eaglets are healthy, they are developing as they should, and I noticed that 22 is even standing on its feet.

09:19. E21 is really enjoying this nice breakfast.

09:34. E22 did not mess out. Look, E22 has a really nice crop.

M15 hangs in there, surveys what is happening and manages by moving the prey and himself to make sure both of his children get fed. Lovely. It is almost impossible to hold back the tears of joy just looking at how well this family is doing. I think it gives us hope for other nests that find themselves missing an adult at a crucial time.

10:10. 22 is there for some bites. You can really tell the two apart now. Glance at the image above. It is like someone took a crochet hook and tied in some feathers to the down and made a gorgeous cape for 21 with some black fringe at the terminal end of the tail. Beautiful.

14:44. Huge catfish lands on the nest. This is really a nice one and it is going to feed everyone. I know that some of you are now beginning to worry that M15 is taking such good care of the eaglets that he is neglecting himself. Let us hope not. He has to take care so that he can be all things to these two babies. There is still a long way to go before they fly the coop er’ tree.

This is the image that really brought tears to my eyes today. It is 14:52. Both of the eaglets have crops, they are side by side, they are facing dad. 22 looks as if he is smiling. There is no tension or fear in this image. Instead, it is two eaglets and their dad in the sunshine enjoying a catfish meal together.

When I captured this screen image, it was almost one week since Harriet went missing. M15 is doing her proud. Notice also how heavy 21’s wings are now. They are drooping just like they are supposed to. Also notice the size of the feet.

No animosity between the eaglets although 22 remains careful and quick to duck if he thinks 21 might beak. Actually smart. It will help him later when he is around lots of birds that want to take his food.

22 really does like to peck at the nest overs. A survivor.

15:10 and the rest of that catfish belongs to 22 and Dad.

You are amazing M15!

As the eaglets try and sleep, rain is beginning to fall on them. I wonder if M15 will go down to the nest? No, he did not. He is doing sentry duty on the branch. Let us hope that the GHOs are so busy feeding themselves and the two owlets at night that they do not have any time to go fly into M15.

The Friday morning first feeding was around 0800. 21 ate and then 22. A distraction for Dad in-between. Both eaglets are quite fine. My friend ‘A’ wrote that it was the first time she didn’t check on the SWFlorida Nest first. Gosh, that is the most wonderful thing to say.

21 at 0805.

22 eating at 0826.

You can Make a Difference:

Do you eat tuna? swordfish? Do you know someone who does? Do you know how it is caught? is it by pole? or is it by long-line trawler? The problem right now is one of trust. What certification can we trust? Here is an article from the BBC. There are many more, some supported by the long line fishing industry to make you think that line fishing is sustainable. It is not. There are ways that long line trawlers can make fishing safe. Some groups and countries will even provide free sparkly lines or the boat crews can bait the lines at night or put them over the side BUT are those ships churning fish into the bellies of boats 24/7 really doing the right thing for the environment? for the birds? I have stopped eating fish altogether – it is one way to be sure. 90% of the ocean’s fish, since the end of the nineteenth century, are gone. Feeding humans is causing the birds that rely on the fish from the sea to starve. Do you really need that can of tuna?

Can-eating-fish-ever-be-sustainable-BBC-FutureDownload

There is a battle going on right now to save the Albatross – all of them but, especially the Antipodean Albatross. Since 2005, their population number has decreased by 60%. In 20 years, if we do not dramatically change the way tuna and swordfish are caught, these gentle sentinels will be extinct. Someone I know -and I am sure you have seen her name if you are part of the Orange Peregrine Falcon FB group- Holly Parsons, reached out to me. She is on a campaign to stop people from eating tuna and swordfish and to do something about the deaths that are occurring due to long line fishing. This is, of course, something very dear to my heart and to another friend, ‘R’.

A beautiful video – so well made – and short. Please watch and then share it! The more people that understand the issues and step forward to end long line fishing trawlers, the better the world will be. Thank you! Thanks Holly for reaching out.

In the News:

Falco, the Eurasian Owl that escaped when vandals cut its cage at the New York City Zoo, has been delighting viewers around Central Park. But can the owl survive in the wild? Many are afraid that it cannot.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/09/flaco-owl-central-park-zoo-new-york-bergdorfs?CMP=share_btn_link

Two female bald Eagles fighting in Nova Scotia, Canada get so enraged with one another over a territory or prey defence – and so tangled – that both ended up in rehab. Great little video (note: there is a cruise ad at the beginning – just bear with it to get to the story).

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2623341&jwsource=cl

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/talon-locked-bald-eagles-treated-at-nova-scotia-s-hope-for-wildlife-1.6261910?utm_campaign=trueAnthem: New Content (Feed)

What an idea. Train a team of Spaniels to sniff out and kill rodents to save the lives of birds – it is a Welsh trial but, I am wondering if a team of these dogs would not work to aid those islands with Albatross that are getting bitten and killed by rats??? What do you think?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/08/meet-jinx-the-dog-on-a-mission-to-protect-welsh-bird-colonies-from-rats?CMP=share_btn_link

Germany is taking the injury and/or killing of raptors seriously. Let’s see this happen with those that keep getting their sentencing postponed in the UK. It is time to stand up for wildlife and the environment – no matter where we live. The raptors cannot go to court and speak for themselves, neither can the Buzzards, the White-tail Eagles, the Storks – all of them. They need our help since we are, in fact, the ones that took away their pristine environment, turned them into hats and fancy dress, and put their eggs in cases while poisoning the water and land where they get their food.

‘H’ and I have been making lists of what kills ospreys for almost a year now, going back and forth. Conservation without Borders posted a list of 37 items that need tackling to make the world safe. Have a read – lots we haven’t even considered! What can each of us do to help?

Do not dye birds for fun! It kills them. I want to ask: what idiot would think this is a good idea? Once again, you can help. If you hear of anyone – or any civic project – that is going to release artificially coloured birds – you try and stop them. Reason with them, phone the news stations, whatever it takes to peacefully stop a potential death sentence.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/07/new-york-pink-pigeon-flamingo-gender-reveal-party?CMP=share_btn_link

Big Red and Arthur’s fourth hatch in 2022, L4, is still on the Cornell campus. There is also what seems to be a light coloured Red-tailed male around. Here is Cornell’s tweet:

OK. They are not raptors – not by a long shot but, I do dearly love these flightless parrots of New Zealand – the Kakapo. The Recovery project is continuing with naming the 55 that survived to be a year old from the 2022 hatch! What an incredible number of survivors. Aren’t they adorable?

In the Nests:

The ‘New Guy’ at Cal Falcons and Annie have been eating and mating on the ledge. Sharon Pollock captured the action for us. Will we have some eggs in that scrape at The Campanile soon?

There is an injury to the talon of HD at Decorah. How will he fare?

We saw Diamond soaking wet and in much need of a trip to the salon yesterday. I didn’t have images of Indigo. Elain has caught that wee fledgling! So happy Indigo made it to the scrape.

Angus brought a live Sheepshead fish to Mabel at the Captiva Nest – and she dropped it when flying off. So sad for her. The video capture by HeidiMc is quick. Don’t look away!

Connick, the only eaglet of Clive and Connie, seems to eat and be in a perpetual food coma. He is growing and growing. Really strong thick legs and such beautiful thermal down. Cute little tail that he seems to like to wiggle. Just look at Connick’s mohawk…too funny. He still has his light grey mouth…watch as it will turn to yellow.

Connick, that crop is so big. Can you even lift yourself up?

As we get closer and closer to pip watch for Jackie and Shadow, the Ravens are being relentless in their harassment, flying all about the tree. Thursday morning Jackie went flat to protect the eggs. Then she began doing several alarm vocalisations. We are 5 days away from pip watch. Jackie and Shadow are being extremely vigilant. After the eaglet/s hatch, they will need to continue this high level of security. The eaglets will not be safe from predation until they are about a month old.

I have not checked on all the nests today. Jak and Audacity at Sauces Canyon do have a third egg. Typically the shell of the third can be thinner than the others. Let us all collectively hope that this one egg might make it to hatch!

I did check on the Black Storks, Waba and Udu. Waba is the 2022 hatch of Karl and Kaia and Udu is a 2021 hatch from the Karula National Forest nest in Estonia. Waba continues to fish in the Sudan.

Udu is in Turkey but not around the earthquake area.

There has not been tracking information for Kaia since she landed in Chad, from Karl when he would be flying to his wintering home form the Nile, or from Bonus who was last heard from when he was in the Western Desert. We hope that when spring migration begins, their transmitters will start to send signals. Zoe has not sent a transmission for 36 hours. Friends of Osprey are not worried as she is in the area where there was no cell coverage before. Send everyone your positive and good energy. ‘H’ just wrote to me and said that Zoe has now missed another tracking notice. Please send good wishes that she is simply out of range.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, their tweets, videos, and their streaming cams that make up my screen captures and blog: ‘A’, ‘H’, Holly Parsons, Southwest Florida Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, CTV News Atlantic, The Guardian, CABS, The BBC, Live Ocean, Conservation without Borders, @Cornell Hawks, Kakapo Recovery, Sharon Pollock and Cal Falcons, Raptor Resource Project, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Window to Wildlife, Heidi Mc and Window to Wildlife, FOBBV, and Looduskalender English Forum.

Another miracle day, eggs and more eggs…Thursday in Bird world

9 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

It has been precisely a week since the iconic Southwest Florida Bald Eagle, Harriet, went missing. Search parties are still looking for the Queen, hoping to find her and trying everything possible including vocalisations. Another team is set to head out on Saturday searching through some thick brush areas. So far there has been no sight of her and there have been no birds taken to wildlife rehab centres that are Harriet. The resolve to not give up is strong in many around the Fort Myers nest site who have watched Harriet raise her eaglets with Ozzie and then M15 who was, apparently, the ‘Frequent Visitor’ mentioned in many reports. We wish everyone well as they give their all and their love to trying to find dear Harriet.

Meanwhile, M15 continues to take fantastic care of the eaglets. Someone said if there is a silver lining to all of this it has been the amazing care that M15 has given to the nest. There were no less than 8 feedings on Wednesday. E22 had such a huge crop that it simply could hardly walk!

This was how E22 looked at 13:08. Do eaglets get indigestion?

M15 returned for the 7th feeding at 15:44:55 with a really nice fish.

E21 got up first to eat having dropped its crop from the very early feedings. E22 was simply not interested in food. Can you imagine? E22 not interested in food? Our Snatch and Grab King! There would have been no place to put even a flake of prey having eaten at least one if not two fish earlier! M15 fed then half the fish to 21 and left the other half on the nest. Wise move, Dad.

At 16:44 E22 watches Dad aerate the nest. Notice how big that crop still is. Not much difference from 13:08. E22 is full up to the dandelions on top of its head!

M15 returned at 17:24. E22 still had no interest in eating and 21 went to bed (as did 22) with a nice crop.

Both of the eaglets were fed well and are being taken care of diligently – and protected – by their Dad. M15 even did some aerating of the nest and tried to cover 21 with nest material which caused me to laugh. Prior to Harriet’s disappearance, M15 loved to cover up the babies with the nest materials. All is well on this nest. In the on line discussion this evening hosted by Christian Sasse, it was noted that the people for the most part have left the area and those leaving food are no longer a problem. This is great news. M15 can get on with it and we already know that he is up to the job!

Good night, Dad.

It is Thursday morning and M22 has already brought a fish in for breakfast. E21 has a great crop and 22 got fed some fish, too.

Postscript: I missed this entirely. M15 brought in two white rats on the 7th of February, Tuesday. E21 ate all of them. Lady Hawk caught it in a video.

Where in the world do you get white rats/mice with pink eyes? (You know what I am thinking already, don’t say it..that word that begins with an R).

Other Nest and some Other News Thrown In – in no particular order!

A new couple have moved into Sue and Otto’s territory at the Graveyard at Syracuse University. Here is that announcement.

Congratulations to Diane and Jack whose first egg of the 2023 season came after an amazing labour display at 06:51 on the 8th of February in St Petersburg, Florida.

It’s two eggs for Ron and Rose at the WRDC Eagle nest in Miami! Oh, things are starting to get busy with all these eggs. It will be difficult to keep up with them. Congratulations to this new couple! Ron will be an amazing mate for young Rose and we all hope that Rita is recovering well in rehab.

Pat Burke called it at 18:09:57.

HeidiMc got it on video:

The cold winds are whistling around the MN-DNR nest of Nancy and her new mate. Both were at the nest. Nancy spent a lot of time on the nest today – in the nest bowl. I wonder if there is an egg in there? I cannot see one. Tonight, standing guard.

Do you live in New York City? near Central Park? have you seen an unusual owl? Geemeff sent me news that there is an owl on the loose. It is not just any owl that has lived in the wild all its life. No, vandalism caused Flaco, at the Central Park Zoo, to leave his cage Thursday night – the same day that Harriet went missing. Flaco has never had to feed itself and the weather in the area is worrying many. Here is the story:

https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/science/zoo-freed-nyc-central-park-zoo-vandalism

Imagine a penguin bigger than you ever thought possible…well, it happened in New Zealand.

The-Biggest-Penguin-That-Ever-Existed-Was-a-‘Monster-Bird-The-New-York-TimesDownload

We are focused on M15 – a male Apex Raptor taking care of his eaglets after his mate disappears. Around the world, similar stories are playing out – a mate is killed or disappears. It is or would be extremely rare for one of our feathered friends just to up and decide they ‘had had enough’ and left a nest of babies. In this case, a male Swan in Boston MA has charge of his five goslings after their mother died on the nest right after they hatched. He is reported to be doing a superb job, too, even allowing them to ride on his back!

There has been a break and the nest has plenty of food back on it. Ringo really enjoyed a good feed and had a huge crop at the end of it, just like E22 did at SWFlorida today.

The ‘baby’ isn’t such a baby any more at Barry College. Missy still stays on the nest but doesn’t have to brood B16 tonight.

All of the eaglets on the nests are growing and growing and moving through each of the development stages just like they should be doing. The first of the Bald Eagles on streaming cams to hatch this year was Pearl and Tico at Superbeaks. Just look at these beauties. Pearl is 62 days old and Tico is now 61 days old. The average age of fledge in Florida is 77 days. After fledging, it I normal for the eaglets to return to the nest to be fed by the parents who will be teaching them to hunt prey as they strengthen their wings and enhance their flying skills. This period lasts for normally a month or five weeks (sometimes more). I am always very distressed when I see a fledgling shoot out of the nest and never return.

If you do not have your calendars marked, then please do. We are now six days away from the 15th of February which is pip watch for Jackie and Shadow. So far everything is going like clockwork. This adorable couple have kept the Crows at bay and protected those two precious eggs they have been incubating. I wonder if we are in for two ‘spirited’ eaglets this year?

Connick, the only eaglet of Clive and Connie at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest has a huge crop today, too…what is it with today? Every eaglet has been stuffed til they can hardly walk! I know what you are going to say…these ‘babies’ are now sporting their thermal down, the feedings are not so close together, and yes, they can hold a lot more food at a single feeding! And you would be absolutely correct.

At the KNF-E1 nest of Anna and Louis, they filled E-03 up to the brim too – right before the heavy rains came to the area.

Remember. E-03 will be named. You can vote beginning at noon on Friday the 10th (tomorrow) until Saturday at noon. Three names are selected by forestry staff and voted for on the chat. Head to KNF-E1 nest on YouTube. Wonder what the names will be this week?

Valentine and Nugget were soggy over at the E3 nest on Lake Kincaid. Andria makes an effort to keep her ‘big babies’ dry! After the rain settles, Alex is on the nest and it looks like Valentine was doing some self feeding.

Is this Alex or Andria? I am not sure.

Ever wondered what an eagle nest might smell like with the rain and all the fish bits and bobs? Oh, goodness. Just the thought.

Andria trying to keep those babies dry. Sweet Mum.

Alex and Valentine literally looking for a midnight snack.

It was pitching down the rain in Orange, Australia, too. Diamond before and after drying off. I have never seen Diamond so wet!!!!!!!

At The Campanile, Annie was in the scrape box – after what looks like a meal and then scraping and eating some stones. Oh, so nice to see you, Annie. When might we expect some eggs???

We knew we couldn’t call him ‘The New Guy’ forever. Cal Falcons seem to think Annie has decided that this one – albeit a slow learner about the prey gifts – is the one she will share her scrape box with. So there is going to be an opportunity coming up quickly to suggest names and vote. Cal Falcons tweeted the details on Twitter.

I received a note from ‘H’ and it appears that Zoe has missed two check ins. Send positive wishes for a transmission this evening!

Thank you so much for being with me today. It is always so nice to have you hear and to get your notes and comments. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, photos, videos, announcements and streaming cams that help make up my blog: H, Geemeff, SWFlorida Eagles and D Pritchett, Red-tailed Hawk Tales, Achieva Credit Union, WRDC, Heidi Mc and the WRDC, MN-DNR, Inside Hook, The New York Times, LEXNAU and Matthew Wraifman, Paul White and the Webster, TX Eagle Watchers, Berry College Eagle Cam, Superbeaks, FOBBV, Window to Wildlife, KNF-E1 and KNF-E3, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, and Cal Falcons.

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