The squirrels were busy this morning loading up with nuts. Little Red has made his home in the wood bin and can scurry back and forth very quickly from the feeder to his cache.
There are still a few European Starlings that come for suet or to eat off the seed cylinder but only three or four compared to the original twenty-eight.
If I told you I put on my lightweight winter jacket and toque for my walk on Monday, would you believe me? The temperature dropped! The nice thing was that the ducks and geese were in the water or eating grass instead of trying to stay cool on the little islands in the pond.
It was so nice to see so many wood ducks back at the pond. Many of the females were incubating eggs while the males were out foraging. Someone had brought seed for them, too.
Things are really starting to pick up at the osprey nests. Our heads are going to start spinning like an old LP shortly! I am checking on a few of the nests to see what is happening and how close we are to pip or hatch watch. Today I am just running through some of the nests.
Hellgate Canyon: Dr Greene and his team have a list of four names for Iris’s new mate! Please vote on your favourite.
Dunrovin: Swoop and Winnie have their first egg on Monday 13 May at 0654. Swoop was right there giving support to his new mate.
Captiva: The fishing line was removed and they commented that there was a really large hook on the end!
Here is the video WingsofWhimsy made. It is 27 minutes long but you get to see how anxious the adults were for their chicks and what was happening on the nest.
Rutland Manton Bay: Blue 33 and Maya will have one healthy Bob this year. The time has passed for the other remaining egg in the nest to hatch. Some of you will recall that Maya was ill shortly after her return from migration, and many worried we would lose her. I am happy for one healthy chick and one healthy Mum!
Dyfi Osprey Project: Telyn having a nice nap before those eggs hatch and she is a very busy Mum. 12, 15, and 18 of April. Four to five days away from Pip.
Glaslyn: Elen incubating in the rain. Eggs 22, 25, and 28 of April – two weeks away for Aran and Elen.
Loch of the Lowes: The latest news:
Loch Arkaig: Dorcha reminds me so much of Mrs G. Eggs 14, 17, and 20 of April. Six days away til pip watch.
Alyth SS substation: Harry and Flo are doing fantastic. Eggs 15, 18, 21 April. So we are 29 days for the first egg today. Still a week to go.
Poole Harbour: CJ7 and Blue 022. Eggs were 15, 18, 21, and 24 – yes, there are four of them – of April. A week away. You can see we are really going to be busy next week with all these hatches! Really raining here.
There is another very tearful moment when Blue 22 sees his daughter 5H1 land after two years from when she fledged! How amazing and wonderful news for Poole Harbour.
Clark PUD: Eggs were 7, 10, and 13 of April. We are on hatch watch!
Cowlitz PUD: 18, 21, and 24 of April. More than a week to go.
Bundstiftung Goitzsche-Wildnis: Eggs laid on 9, 12, and 15 of April. We are on hatch watch!
Moorings Park: Ruffie and Tuffy are doing fabulous.
Patchogue: MP found some funny moments with these adults and the two new chicks. “08:42AM. The chick wasn’t getting fed so when the other chick turned away and mom was handing the food to them the second chick grabbed hold of the food and mom’s beak and was lifted up into the air. Feisty little one.”
The slope that PSEG created when they tipped that nest upside down is causing difficulties for Mum to stand stable and feed the chicks.
Lake Murray: The third hatch had a crop a couple of times on Monday, but was shut out of some feedings. The two older osplets need more food than the little one, but this little one continues to worry me. I want to be wrong. ‘H’ also reports: “I was only able to watch the last two meals. 12 bites at the 1840 meal, and 0 at the 1916 meal. What a shame.”
‘H’ reports first thing this morning: “5/14, 0619 Kenny delivered a very small partial fish to the nest for breakfast. It was only a five minute feeding, and the typically cantankerous older siblings were both in a good mood! Little ate 24 bites of fish, and there were no attacks on Little. It seems as though Big and Middle don’t have the energy to be uncooperative first thing in the morning.”
Maryland Western Shore Old Town Home: The trio seem to be doing alright!
Barnegat Light: ‘H’ reports: “It looks like Daisy and Duke at Barnegat Light will not have chicks this year. Just in the past several days, they are not mating (that we see) or improving the nest. They mostly hang out on the beach together.”
Jackie and Shadow make me smile.
Fledging is in the offing at Johnson City-ETSU. Sara A caught it on video!
Big Red and Arthur are doing fantastic. I am so glad that with her leg injury there were only two babies this year.
The Cal Falcons continue to provide our daily dose of cute and happiness.
Just look at how fast those San Jose falcons are doing. Monty and Hartley can handle one – or four! Yeah to these second year parents.
Bowling Green has four flacon babies, too.
Jeff Kear posted this wonderful article that goes back to the beginning of the 20th century with the UK Ospreys. Good read regardless of where you live. Where the birds chose to build their nests was quite interesting: “There were nests to be seen placed in every available situation, some on the top of withered maples, some in the thick vines and creepers that clung round their stems, while others (so favourably have the birds been protected) were placed flat upon the ground, more especially on the beach, where the piles of sticks rose, in one instance at least, to some five feet in height. The favourite situation for ground-nests was a narrow strip of beach separated from the rest of the island by a stretch of marsh (vide Fig. 1). Here we counted no less than four nests in half a mile or so. One nest, presumably inhabited the year before, was built upon the top of a shed.”
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care all. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘AE, A, Geemeff, H, MP’, Dunrovin Ranch, Window to Wildlife, Wings of Whimsey, LRWT, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Scottish Wildlife Trust (LOTL), The Woodland Trust, Alyth SS, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Birds of Poole Harbour, Clark PUD, Cowlitz PUD, BUND Goitsche-Wildnis, Moorings Park Ospreys, PSEG, Lake Murray Ospreys, Maryland Western Shore Old Town Home, Wildlife Conservancy of NJ, SK Hideaways, Sara A, Cornell RTH, BirdGuides, and Bocian Czarny Online.
Remember that I mentioned those two year old returnees are coming! In the regions where banding is not done, you can never get as excited as those platforms that know their chicks have survived. Another one of Dylan and Seren’s fledglings has returned this year. Blue 555 from 2024 landed on Telyn who is incubating eggs at Dyfi a few miles away from his natal nest at Clywedog Reservoir.
Here is the sequence. Telyn hears/sees another osprey approaching. Blue 555 lands. Blue 555 is sent off by our excited mom-to-be. Idris arrives to save the day – all within about half a minute or less.
Telyn looks up.
Here comes 555.
Here comes Idris. No one is going to mess with his Telyn!
Did you see this? Murphy is a foster again!
At Captiva, Jack is keeping the fish coming and it was a good day for the little one. ‘H’ reports: ” CO8 did okay today, and basically I would have the same summary as yesterday. S/he takes a beating from CO7 at times, but it’s too soon to worry. CO8 may not get as much to eat as CO7, but he did have a good crop a few times today. Jack even fed CO8 for 8 minutes at meal #4. ” And then…”Jack delivered a large partial fish at 1907, that provided a long feeding for both of the siblings. They ate side by side without any aggression, and both of them ended up stuffed.”
At Loch Arkaig, Louis has been busy and it was a late fish delivery for Dorcha.
Gosh, Louis is such an attentive mate. Some hardly bring the males any fish. I wonder what those new males will be like when chicks arrive?
Tuffy has grown into an exceptional osplet. Oh, how worried we were.
It appears that one or both of the osplets at Frenchman’s Creek have ‘branched’ to the camera pole OR the camera cannot get sight of one area of the nest. The shadows change and you can see the wings flapping.
The streaming cam at Redding is back up and running. Everyone is OK.
Mason is way up high in the natal tree at Superbeaks. Dixie looks out to the world beyond from the rails. These two will be flying soon. They are very active!
‘H’ reports on Lake Murray: “C3- ‘Little’ at Lake Murray is doing OK. There is some aggression toward C3 by both older siblings, but there was only one meal on 5/7 where Little was shut out from the feeding. Kenny is supplying lots of fish.”
‘A’ sent in a long report on several nests that she is tracking:
“I can hear Iris on an open tab – she is very chatty with her new man. He seems very proud of their eggs (they must be his and not Louis’ or he would doubtless have got rid of them by now). And – omigod, he’s brought in a tree now!!!! Sorry. I just turned over to Iris’ tab and what do I see? The most massive branch that resembles a small tree without leaves has been brought to the nest. I told you that yesterday he was bringing in some large, awkwardly shaped branches, but this one takes the cake. I wonder if he intends to plant a small forest around the outside of that nest. Or perhaps he too is worried about the dangers of an osplet being blown off that platform by that extra strong wind. But seriously, have a look at that tree! Talk about a laugh for the morning.”
Now, let us think about a time for us to begin to watch for these eggs to hatch of Iris and New Guy: 11 June? Pip watch?
Cal appears to have dispersed. Today he is 140 days (exactly 20 weeks) old and it will be the seventh day since he was seen at or near the nest, though of course Connie and Clive are maintaining their territory. So the general consensus is that he has left to find his own mate and territory. Godspeed little one. You will always own a tiny piece of my heart. And remember, you fly for two, as you will also carry Lusa with you in your travels. How sad it is when we say goodbye to them, knowing their chances at reaching their first birthday are relatively low. All we can hope is that Cal learned well on the nest, with that bossy older sister, and has had the very best parental preparation for adulthood. He has great genes and we can only hope he gets the chance to pass them on.
In Tennessee, Angel was last seen briefly (for just two minutes) early on the morning of 3 May, while Tom was there very briefly the following morning. There have been heavy thunderstorms in the area over the past couple of days, and they usually fail to appear on very wet days, but I think we have to admit now that the window is closing fast and that there will be no eggs for Angel and Tom this season. Now, we wish them a safe year until we see them next. Angel is such a rare beautiful creature, and I know her survival is far from assured. To add to the natural hazards they all face, she of course is unable to camouflage herself and even has to worry about unscrupulous individuals who have offered large sums of money to anyone prepared to divulge her whereabouts so she can be captured or killed as a trophy. I find it appalling that Connor has been offered tens of thousands of dollars for that information, though sadly it does not surprise any of us.
At Taiaroa Head, our gorgeous boy was 7.9 kgs yesterday (7 May) at 105 days of age (the average for males of that age at this colony is 7.8 kg) – the same weight as the week before (when he had been fed by both mum and dad just before the weighing). Over the past week, he has had frequent feedings, with both parents visiting more than once, some feeds quite small and others larger. There had not been a feeding for a couple of days before this latest weighing, though, which accounts for his weight remaining the same as the week before. Mum came in yesterday afternoon and fed him around 4.15pm, and both our on-camera chicks have been fed this morning (8 May), with mum LGL feeding TF chick at 7.17am and dad BOK coming in to feed TFT chick shortly before 10am. He is doing well, as are both his parents. Every time they leave on a foraging trip, we worry about when and whether they will return. Of course OGK never did. He has now, finally, been officially declared deceased at this point, as he would have returned to breed this season had he been capable of doing so. Sad news, but this year’s beautiful Royal Cam chick cannot but bring a smile to your face. His gorgeous plumage is pristine, revealing that he has lived his first 105 days of life without an incident of fear that has caused him to ‘spill’. So those snowy-white feathers are, in a sense, the sign of an stress-free childhood (or a very brave little chick or both). Whenever you need a smile, just turn to the albatross chicks on Taiaroa Head, where the rangers are constant and devoted guardians and we get to love our chicks for seven months or more. New Zealand truly is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. “
Those Cal Falcon chicks of Annie and Archie can put a smile on your day, too.
Annie and Grinnell’s grandchildren are ahead in development (they are obviously older). Look at their tail feathers and they are walking around the scrape. Larry (Annie and Grinnell’s daughter) and his mate are doing fantastic. What a treat to have a camera at their Alcatraz scrape!
Speaking of falcons, a wonderful soul posted an image of the screen at the CBD in Melbourne on FB and the falcons are there on the ledge! Maybe there will be chicks this year. I knew you would be excited.
Oh, I am getting excited that they might turn that Melbourne Live Stream on early. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they left it on all year?
The chat for the Cornell RTH is on the livestream and is open in the mornings. Check the time. Arthur had just brought in a nice little chippy for N1 and N2 when I tuned in.
Gosh those kids are cute. It won’t be long til they are pecking away at those chippies.
Watching for Rutland. The two eggs deemed unviable by Maya could have been the first ones that were laid so, it could be a few more days. Good news at LOTL. The new male has removed all the eggs from the egg bowl and maybe Blue NCO will start thinking he could be a ‘catch’. I am hoping so!
Thank you so much for being with me today. I am feeling better in the mornings and pretty horrible in the evenings still. The sun is out and it will be a good day for a walk, regardless. I am wondering if we have more little goslings hatching? Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you as always to those great people that send me news of the nests they are monitoring – I am calling them the Fabulous Four: ‘A, Geemeff, H, and SP’ along with all the others, the cams, the postings, the videos that helped me to write my post this morning including the Fab 4 and Dyfi Osprey Project, PBS, Window to Wildlife, Geemeff, Moorings Park, Frenchman’s Creek, FORE, Superbeaks, Lake Murray, Montana Osprey Project, NZ DOC, Cal Falcons, Parks Conservancy, Maya Rowe, and Cornell RTH.
The rain I wished for arrived Friday morning, along with a chill to the bone feeling. It was much needed, and the smell of the wet earth was intoxicating, especially after all the dust. The grass around the City is turning green, and the leaves on the lilac bushes in the garden are starting to emerge. I cannot wait to see the garden completely ‘green’ again. This morning, the first White-throated Sparrows arrived in the garden. They returned, again, in even larger numbers – 35 or 40 – in the pouring rain around 1930. They are easy to see with their three white stripes on the crown, but I realised that soon the leaves would be out, and I will be scrambling to tell who is where.
The White-throated Sparrow might look like a House Sparrow except for that amazing head and throat. The first time I saw one, I thought it was a plastic head stuck on a house sparrow. Silly me. There are three white stripes alternating with black to make up its crown. On each side, at the top of the black beak, is a yellow dot – someone got into their paint pot! The proper term is lores. Below the beak is a white triangle like a bib, hence the name – ‘White-throated’. [The White Crowned Sparrow lacks the white bib!]
All about Birds says, “White-throated Sparrows eat mainly the seeds of grasses and weeds, including ragweed and buckwheat, as well as fruits of sumac, grape, cranberry, mountain ash, rose, blueberry, blackberry, and dogwood. In summer they eat large numbers of insects that they catch on the forest floor or, occasionally on quick flights out from low vegetation. These include dragonflies, wasps, stinkbugs, beetles, flies, and caterpillars, as well as spiders, millipedes, centipedes, and snails. Parents feed their nestlings almost exclusively animal matter. During winter, White-throated Sparrows readily visit bird feeders for millet and black oil sunflower seeds. In spring they eat the tender buds, blossoms, and young seeds of oak, apple, maple, beech, and elm.” They were certainly busy kicking and foraging in the grass beneath the feeders in my garden. I noticed that they not only consumed the Black-oil seed but the Millet and the Corn.
The white eyebrows are normally sider than the single stripe running down the middle of the crown. You can see the yellow lores clearly in the image below.
“Female White-throated Sparrows put their nests on or just above the ground, typically in level areas in clearings with dense ground vegetation. The nest is usually built under shrubs, grasses, or ferns, sometimes even beneath dead vegetation from the previous year. Birds sometimes put their nests off the ground, particularly if they lost a previous nest to a predator. These nests may be in roots of an upturned tree, brush piles, in shrubs or ferns, or as high as 10 feet up in a coniferous tree.”
‘The Girls’ are just like our little raptors. After every meal they go into a food coma! Hugo Yugo is no exception.
I am afraid to say but it appears that Hugo Yugo is starting to grow – long. Her face still looks like a kitten. I am hoping that my eyes are just fooling me. She still fits in the shoe box.
Meanwhile, Missey still likes it when the plants are watered and will curl up in them like she did as a kitten with Lewis.
It isn’t an end table…it is a two-tier hard sofa for cats. I wish the individual had not felt the need to refinish the tops – the wicker is marvellous and it would certainly be more fitting for it to be in its original condition, however grotty.
The Fig Tree needs a nice new pot.
Richmond and Rosie are going to be grandparents! I get goosebumps when I hear of survivals like this. I am sure many of you watched ZD with me four years ago!
There is a second egg hatching at the nest of Big Red and Arthur Friday afternoon. There will be another beak to fill Saturday. Arthur is already bringing in the squirrels. I hope it is a huge population of them and chippies this spring – he will have six mouths to feed in total.
N1 is a darling. Our friend ‘A’ thinks so, too: “N1 is SUCH a strong little hawklet. It is eating like a small fluffy piglet. Mum is feeding it often and it is eating like a pro, even picking up dropped mouthfuls for itself! This is one precocious little chick. But of course that is hawklets isn’t it? Their nest time is so short compared to eaglets and osplets. They grow so fast and fledge so soon, we have to appreciate every day we have them in the nest. A bit like falcons, really, which returns me to the happy little band at Cal Falcons. A darling, hard-working little dad and a devoted, very experienced mum. This may be the first time all four of Annie’s eggs have hatched (although we have no idea what would have happened last season had that third egg not almost certainly been laid away from the nest on the day Grinnell died) but I have a lot of confidence in this pair to successfully raise all four to fledge, as long as they are not bothered by intruders.”
Too cute!
Big Red positively glows when her eggs begin to hatch and there are chicks to care for. She even looks younger and younger.
UPDATE: From ‘A’: “
The second hawklet is nearly dry when Big Red gives us our first good daylight look at the expanded family from about 06:28:20 when she gets up for a stretch. There is a stick that falls across the nest as she moves and the new hatchling has to struggle out from under it (mum moves it). The second little one appears strong and healthy. I’m sure there will be a meal soon, but at this stage, this is the first really good look we have had at the second hawlet.
Two eggs hatched and two eggs to come. I wonder whether the gaps between hatches will be similar or whether there will be different time differences. There looks as though there MAY be a pip in the third egg (left hand side at the front as we are looking at the pic), right down at the bottom on the left hand end but of course I may be wrong and it may not even be at the correct end of the egg. So I wouldn’t be relying on my ability to spot pips on hawk eggs or (especially) on osprey eggs. Just too many blotches for me to see anything definitive. “
Cutie pie falcons in Osaka being fed – look how big they are! The pin gathers are coming in and they have lost that sweet baby down but gosh, they are still adorable.
H’ reports that Angel and Tom visited their nest Saturday morning. Yippeeee.
The first egg at McEuan Park in Idaho was laid on the 26th. Thanks, ‘H’.
*Caution. Not recommended. Potential neglect from female/starvation despite male delivering fish*. The first egg of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest was laid on the 25th. This is a very problematic nest. Little to none nesting materials. Experienced Dad. Female appears to have many issues. She has failed to cover egg and it has rained heavily on the egg. ‘MP’ reports that the Dad tried to cover it with the few cornstalks available. The female later returns to incubate. Quite honestly, the kind thing would be for this egg to be unviable.
In comparison, Annie is a superb Mum. ‘A’ writes, “Annie was so careful this morning to make sure that little number 4 chick was fed after its older siblings had eaten their fill. She had to go around to the back of the pile to reach the little one, which is way too small to reach over the others and not yet strong enough to push its way to the front. So Annie is making sure that she gets the food to the little one herself. She is very deliberate about it. It has to wait its turn, but Annie keeps feeding and feeding until all the little mouths are closed, and then she e-chups some encouragement to try just a couple more bites and the little beaks open one more time. And when they have all eaten their fill, only then does Annie finish the feeding and remove the leftovers. .(Or on this occasion, she simply ate the leftovers herself, having fed the entire prey item to the chicks.)
She is a very very good mother, and Archie is doing a sterling job. He would love to do more, and is always there if he feels the chicks might get chilly waiting for mum’s return, but knows his place and is quick to depart when mum arrives back. I think brooding the four is going to be quite a challenge for him within a day or two. “
Annie wants to be in charge of the feedings!
Squirming falcons.
Audacity laid a fourth egg that was crushed. It makes me so very sad to think how much she wants a family – or for that matter all the others like Jackie and Shadow, Chase and Cholyn, and of course, dear Gabby and Beau. When I get down in the dumps about it all, I just go over to Cal Falcons or Big Red’s…you cannot help but smile and have all the gloom washed away.
Falcons are hatching everywhere including in the Netherlands near the city of Duurstede.
Raptor Resource Project staff keeping a close eye on the eaglet at Decorah North.
Later images at Decorah North.
The first osprey in all of Italy hatched on Friday.
Fish arrived at 1326 at Moorings Park and what you can’t see is Tuffy on the other side being fed first.
Look at Tuffy working those wings. Our darling little one has grown up – and is surviving.
Idris incubates the eggs while Telyn enjoys a nice fish supper at the Dyfi Osprey platform in Wales.
Contentment at Glaslyn with Elen and Aran.
I wish that Affric and either Prince or Gary would find the same kind of contentment at Loch Arkaig nest 1. How could osplets be raised with all the kerfuffle going on?
Louis found out about the other male courting Iris and might well have sent him packing. Iris is alone in the rain. Louis has an injury on his chest.
Swampy is beautiful and appears to be doing well! Prey being provided at the nest.
Two osplets at Frenchman’s Creek are self-feeding, getting fed by Mum once in awhile, and you know what? They just might fledge – they might make it!
The eaglets at Little Miami Conservancy are walking on the nest and growing like crazy. Look at that formidable female! I would not want to get her upset.
West End trio doing quite well.
Eaglets at Duke nearing branching and fledge.
The two eaglets on Farmer Derek’s property, Wichita and Cheyenne, are both doing fantastic.
Notice the difference in plumage. Port Tobacco eaglet is getting its feathers but is only beginning compared to the Duke Farms eaglets, Jersey and Leaper.
Fort St Vrain eaglets, FSV49 and 50, are so tiny. They are losing their natal down and finishing up getting their thermal. One has even been pecking at prey.
While it might look boring, the ospreys and eagles have to stay vigilant during the incubation period least their eggs get pecked by Crows (Tom and Audrey’s most recent egg at Kent Island) or they get attacked by intruders. The pair at Boulder are always on the look out for trouble.
Denton Homes eaglet trio now have their thermal down.
Andor and Cruz’s pair are doing well – and are simply lovely.
Jackie and Shadow give me the warm fuzzies – it is like ‘everything is going to be OK’ when I see them together.
The new male at Anna and Louis’s nest, E1, at Lake Kincaid seems to have a fetish for turtles. Tonya Irvin worries that they could become endangered at the lake!
Hoping that the first hatch at Captiva is kind to the second and letting it eat enough.
There are three eggs at Cowlitz PUD.
Nothing is happening, yet, at Oregon Law’s osprey nest.
Liberty and Guardian’s eaglets at Redding are well looked after.
An unexpected snow in Finland has hit areas where the ospreys are nesting.
Others were not affected. The female at Janakallan, Yellow XKT, was on the nest today. Has her partner, Red CCL, lost his Darvic ring?
I have been following the plight of Milda and her two eggs since Hugo went missing. On Friday, Milda left the nest at 1759 and had not returned by 0700 Saturday morning. She cannot do this alone and new males have proven to her to be unreliable. Better unhatched eggs than starving chicks – precisely how I feel about other nests, too.
Researchers in Australia have found that noise from urban pollution (traffic) stunts the growth of baby birds.
An Osprey rescue in Belgium that could have a very happy ending.
If you missed it, here is April’s Ventana Wildlife Condor Chat.
Our birds and wildlife need habitat, clean water, and food. Humans need to examine the land we use and begin to see a different vision than houses – larger and larger ones – taking over land. In my City, they should be building up, not out.
Did you read Watershed Down? The local community has lost their battle for the iconic and inspiring landscape for that story to housing.
Thank you so much for being with me today. I am always so happy to hear form you! Take care. We hope to have you with us again soon.
Thank you, as always, to those who sent me notes, provided posts, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, MP’, SF Bay Ospreys, Cornell RTH Cam, Osaka Peregrine Falcons, McEuan Park, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Cal Falcons, Wijk bij Duurstede, Raptor Research Project, Parco Natural Regional di Porto Conte, Moorings Park Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Geemeff, Montana Osprey Project, Eagle Country, Frenchman’s Creek, Little Miami Conservancy, IWS/Explore, Duke Farms, Kansas City Bald Eagles, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, Fort St Vrain Eagles, Boulder County, Denton Homes, SK Hideaways, Tonya Irvin, Window to Wildlife, Cowlitz PUD, Osprey Law, FORE, Finnish Osprey Foundation, The Guardian, Gregarious Joris Toonen, Ventana Wildlife, and the Daily Mail.
*Disclaimer: I have made effort to thank everyone who has contributed to today’s post. If there has been an error or an omission, my apologies. Please let me know so that I can correct my omission.*
It was a beautiful spring day on the Canadian Prairies! The hundreds of Dark-eyed Juncos remain in the garden. They hop and hop, scratching and pecking trying to find seeds. They are adorable. We will enjoy them for awhile longer and then they will leaving, heading north to return again in the fall.
Calico has asked me to post her ‘new look’. She is now down a little over three pounds. She runs down the hall, through the galley kitchen and straight up to the top of the cat tree. The energy and the joy in play have returned!
In California, it was sheer happiness as the second eyas of Archie and Annie hatched on Earth Day, too!
Archie meets his chicks for the first time.
The chicks first meal.
Can’t get enough of Annie and Archie!
There will be a third one soon!
And then there were three for breakfast on Tuesday! Way to go Archie and Annie!
The first eyas has hatched at Cromer Peregrines, too!
At Mispillion Harbour, Della loves bringing things to the nest she shares with Warren. Sometimes it is something yellow, Della loves yellow. Sometimes it is something else..
The pair also have a full clutch of three eggs.
I did not get a chance to watch Tuffy as closely on Monday. He is definitely being fed. Ruffy is so big compared to Tuffy and requires much more food that it often feels as if Tuffy gets short-changed.
A nice meal at sundown and Tuffy will get a nice crop and go to sleep dreaming of more fish for breakfast.
Heidi reports that there is a possible pip in one of the eggs at the Captiva Osprey nest of Jack and Edie. This would be a welcome surprise. Some have said that they do not have late hatches in the Barrier Islands – so let us wait and see!
And it was a hatch! Welcome to the world little miracle osplet. We now know that opera eggs can hatch with a live chick this late in the season on the Barrier Islands.
Surprise! Two chicks at Lake Murray. Wow.
First egg or Mr and Mrs UV at Kielder Forest nest 5A on the 22nd at 19:47.
The Ospreys are returning to Finland. Some are finding open water with snow melting while other nests are covered with no ospreys yet (smart).
#1 Nest: The male, Ura, arrived on 14 April at 1516.
#2 Nest, Satakunta: Nothing
#3 Nest: Nothing
#4 Nest: Nemo, the male arrived on 8 April with Nuppu, the female, arriving on the 14th.
#5, LS: Roni and Sara are together. Sara arrived on the 16th with Roni arriving on the 21/22nd.
Janakkalan: nothing
Juurusvesi: nothing
Muonion: nothing
Aran and Elen at the Glaslyn nest in Wales have their first egg.
The second egg has been laid at Dahlgren for Helen and Doug.
What is happening at nest 1 at Loch Arkaig? What is wrong with Prince
Poor Affric. Two males. One female. One nest.
Meanwhile on the other Loch Arkaig nest, Louis is taking very good care of Dorcha.
This is the situation at Frenchman’s Creek Ospreys. The nest is full of fish, the older two osplets are alive and self-feeding. The streaming cam is up and running with notices from Frenchman’s Creek about stealing content, etc. You can go to their site on YouTube to check on the osplets. So far they are alive and it looks as if they are sleeping on fish!
In Latvia, Milda is in the midst of a snow storm. She is trying to care for her two eggs by herself since the absence of Hugo.
The female at the Trempealeau Eagle Nest in Wisconsin has done a top rate job caring for her two little eaglets all by herself! She had to leave alone to hunt for them so the three could eat. They survived that and now have their thermal down. Send positive wishes to this nest, please.
Oh, thank you Stephen Basly. I know we have talked about Meadow but let us go back to ND17. Starved by its two older siblings. We know that he had to eat skin and bones to survive and then he fell from the nest. Spent 3 full days and a bit more on the ground and then, thankfully, Humane Indiana Wildlife rescued ‘our baby’ – he was everyone’s baby. ND17 survived. They taught him to fly and hunt and returned him to a spot near the nest site where he engaged with his parents.
I want to thank Trudi Kron who has been keeping a close eye on the Mum at the JB Sands Wetlands Bald Eagle nest. You will recall that Mum injured her foot and was unable to care for JBS20 for a few days. Dad did a heroic job and continues to help out. But Trudi got a great screen capture and enlarged it and it is showing improvement and healing! Great news.
Watch for Swampy to fledge anytime! S/he is climbing higher on the nest and really working those wings.
The trio at Decorah North are getting their blood feathers. They are growing so fast. It seems only yesterday that they were white little chicks sitting in the morning sun.
There are three eggs at the Great Bay Osprey nest in New Hampshire. The third was laid on the 18th of April.
‘A’ has been keeping a wishful eye on the nest of Angel and Tom. “A male red-tailed hawk that we believe to be Tom just flew onto Angel’s nest. He left after 15 seconds, and there is some debate now about the tail markings, which were apparently different from those of the RTH that shared beakies with Angel on 5 April at 09:02:08. Others say it was definitely Tom, based on the confidence with which he entered the nest and based on the fact that this is Tom and Angel’s territory. There is a view that Tom’s plumage is still changing, even in a the two and a half weeks since 5 April, and that this was definitely Tom.
Obviously, we all very much want it to be Tom, and it does confirm the report I made of hearing RTH vocals when I was typing my earlier email to have been accurate. It’s now 11:42 on the Tennessee nest and I can again hear the sound of a RTH very nearby. This is probably what I heard originally when I lost the TS – it sure sounds like it. If I check the PTZ cam at around the 11:42 onwards TS (the noises are continuing), I may be able to spot whether it is Angel there or whether it is Tom. or even whether it’s neither of them and some visitor instead.
I will keep you posted, but I would call that a very hopeful sighting, and I am fairly confident it was Tom. Talons crossed. He (or she, if he was accompanied by Angel) is continuing to vocalise, and it sounds as though the vocals are coming from either the nest tree itself or somewhere within one or two trees either side of that microphone. It sure sounds extremely close. I am hopeful. “
The three Bald eaglets at the Sutton Centre in Bartlesville, Oklahoma are thriving.
Three Osplets at Venice Golf are all feathered and fine. Gosh, isn’t this a relief.
Our darling Ervie.
‘EJ’ wrote to remind me that Any Tan’s book on her backyard birds is being released tomorrow. There will be many articles and there is a wonderful interview with Tan on YouTube. My copy should be in the mailbox by Wednesday. I am so looking forward to reading it, but most of all seeing the drawings that Tan made of ‘her’ birds. She took classes, taught herself. That should encourage all of us to look closer, keep a nature journal, and get really involved with the wildlife right around us.
Another senseless death due to a power pole. This time a White-stork mother with five eggs on a nest. The male stayed for two days incubating and then eggs were removed. Power poles kill. Every new install should be safe at the outset – every old pole should be retrofitted so it does not harm wildlife. Yes, there are a lot of poles, but the solutions are often simple as shown to use many times by Dave Hancock of Hancock Wildlife Foundation and Christian Sasse. So sad. It happened in Germany.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Stop in and see Annie and Archie’s little fluff balls. Turn the sound up to get the full impact during a feeding. Smile. Little falcons can quickly take away the glum of the day. Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, articles, videos, and streaming cams: ‘A, Geemeff, EJ, H, PB’, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways, Heidi McGrue, Sharon Pollock, Mooring Park Ospreys, Joanna Dailey, Lake Murray Ospreys, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Dahlgren Osprey Cam, Geemef, Frenchman’s Creek, LDF, Aiva Vantere, Stephen M. Basly, Trudi Kron, Raptor Resource Project, Window to Wildlife, PLO, Npr.org, and VGCCO, NY Audubon.
It was a sad day in the garden on Saturday morning.
Everyone always talks about a Spark Bird. There can be several of these significant birds throughout our lives. As a child in Oklahoma, it was the Blue Jays and Cardinals that my dad fed out of his hand. As a teenager, it was the Red-tail Hawks. Then, decades later, there was the most magical moment. It changed my life. It was a winter morning in the garden when my eyes connected with those of a female Sharp-shinned Hawk within half a metre of me. Since that day, hawks have been visiting the garden in search of a “Sparrow Blue Plate Special”. Now, to have an Immature Cooper’s hawk die in my garden is simply heartbreaking. The carcass is going for testing for HPAI, as there were no obvious signs of trauma. However, I suspect the hawk flew into the garage belonging to the house next door or somehow broke its neck, colliding with the thicker branches trying to catch a songbird.
The happy ending to this, if there could be one, is that the hawk’s body is going to our local museum as part of their specimen collection. If you find a bird whose carcass is in good condition, check with your local natural history museum or wildlife centre to see if they would be interested in having it as part of their specimen collection.
It was 14 degrees C Saturday afternoon at the nature centre. The Canada Geese had moved from the main lake to the smaller ponds and fields to forage. There were hundreds of Dark-eyed Juncos, several dozen Chickadees, Woodpeckers, and House Sparrows enjoying the warmth as a huge hawk flew overhead.
Meadow is at the Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey and is getting the first-class care this rehabilitation centre is known for!
Meadow being weighed.
An ambassador celebration at Audubon!
Two little eaglets being fed at the ND-LEEF nest. Looks like the new Mum has been named Gigi.
There has been some concern for the One eaglet in the nest at Tremplealeau, Wisconsin. The male disappeared and the female is alone.
UPDATE: Dad has returned to the Trempealeau Nest and two fish have come in already – Saturday! Yeah.
The situation at Moorings Park improves for Tuffie bite by bite.
Tuffie had some of the leftover fish early and it appeared that he might have had some other bites. It was when I returned from my walk at the nature centre, that Tuffie had a nice feeding. After Ruffy ate, Tuffie was fed and then both of them ate together.
‘H’ gives us a more detailed day’s report for our little one at Moorings Park. “Tuffy ate at least 54 bites at the first meal of the day; 1109 headless fish, Tuffy was attacked by Ruffie, Tuffy moved away to the rail and never went back to eat. Harry removed the leftover fish;1156 Harry returns with what appeared to be the leftover fish. Tuffy is beaked several times and was not able to eat;1455 Harry in with whole tilapia, Tuffy is beaked and intimidated several times while Ruffie is fed. At 1526 Ruffie moves away, and Tuffy is finally able to eat. At 1533 Ruffie returned to the table, Tuffy was intimidated and turned away. Ruffie ate until 1538, then Tuffy moved up and the two ate side by side until 1540, when Tuffy was beaked again. Ruffie finished the fish. Tuffy ate at least 66 bites at this meal.”
With my bad math, that would seem to be at least 120 bites of fish for Tuffie today – more than the two previous days counts.
Oh, the size difference between these two! So glad that third egg didn’t hatch.
Last instalment from ‘H’ – what a good day for Tuffie all things considered. “1710 large headless fish – Tuffy got 3 quick bites, was intimidated and turned away, later got 3 more bites and was beaked. Ruffie ate until 1722 then moved away. Tuffy had a short private feeding until 1726, then was beaked by Ruffie. Ruffie ate some more, then Tuffy got a few more bites starting at 1730. Ruffie quit the feeding again at 1736. Tuffy voluntarily moved away from Mom from 1738 t o 1740. Tuffy ate a few more bites at 1740, and then Tuffy went and laid down at 1742. Total bites for Tuffy at this meal = at least 77 bites.Total bites to Tuffy for the day so far = 197”.
The crop is almost as big as Tuffie!!!!!!! Get the tissue box.
The little bottom sticking out from under Sally belongs to Tuffie who, all in all, had a reasonable day. Each day is getting better in terms of food intake for Tuffie.
Over the past seven years, turning points come on nests like this one. Whether or not it is the change from the Reptilian Phase into the period when juvenile plumage is coming, or if the weather shifts and the fishing gets better, or if the female ‘decides’ that the little one is going to live and begins to feed it, we should be watching and waiting to see what it is on this nest.
Many of you will have shed tears of joy for little Tuffie today. He is hanging in there and all that good energy from the Tuffie Fan Club must be helping!
The second egg was laid at the Patchogue Osprey platform on Long Island Saturday morning around 0858.
In the UK, Storm Kathleen is hitting areas hard. Dorcha was just blown off the perch at Loch Arkaig.
The storm is not blowing so hard at Loch of the Lowes, yet.
The winds were howling at Alyth, where Harry and Flora have their nest.
Storm Kathleen is kicking up waves at Rutland as Maya and Blue try to protect their eggs.
Idris holding on to a huge fish while the gale blows at Dyfi.
Telyn is soaked.
What a great screen capture of Idris and Telyn.
Extremely gusty at Glaslyn.
Same gusts at Llyn Brenig where there was a fish delivery. You might recall Blue 372. She was over at Glaslyn with Aran and flitting from nest to nest. She is trying to find a mate…well, this is her! And this is what is happening in the image below: “LJ2 has been joined on the nest by Blue 372 this afternoon.Blue 372 is a 3 year old Scottish female translocated to Poole Harbour in 2021, she has been seen on a number of Welsh nests over the past week or so and is now braving the winds up at Llyn Brenig. LM6 our regular female has not yet returned from migration.”
She is determined. Will this be her nest?
‘H’ reports that the Mum at Carthage laid the season’s first egg. Saturday the 6th of April at 10:17:10.
Confirmed pip at US Steel’s nest of Claire and Irwin – and now it is a hatch. looks like another crushed egg hatch. Little one alive and squiggling this time!
Darling Big Red never seems to age except for her feet and legs. She and Arthur continue their dedicated teamwork to hatch those four little hawklets.
Iris might have wished she had waited a few days to return to Montana.
Do not get upset if you check on the little owlet at Wolf Bay. They are both fine. There is a prey item currently on the nest, Saturday evening, that is white.
JBS20 is getting those wings strong. Adult in to fed but JBS20 is good at self-feeding!
Was it a quail lunch at the Redding Eagle nest? or a Guinea Fowl? Both eaglets are doing very well.
E23 gets a fish delivery from Mum. It must have been delicious. The fledgling ate all of it.
A family portrait at the West End nest of Akecheta and Thunder.
Little heads pop up for dinner at the Fraser Point nest of Cruz and Andor.
All is well at Denton Homes.
Happy eaglets at Decorah North.
Diana Persinger recorded a video for FB of a very messy meal for these two at Decorah North.
Everything is good at Little Miami.
Little fluff balls at the ND-LEEF nest.
Worried about Angel? She was on the nest with Tom on Friday.
There are no worries about Leaper and Jersey. They had crops most of Saturday and were about to burst late in the day and Dad had a fish in his talons and Mum had one, too!
The fortune of a nest can shift from good to bad to good. Let us hope this is what is happening at Moorings Park.
Hatch watch has begun for the Fort St Vrain Eagles in Colorado.
There is some thought that the ‘original’ Dad at Pittsburgh-Hayes has returned to the nest after being gone for a very long time. (I would have to check my Memorial Page). Is it possible he was in care, rehabilitated, and released and came home?
This was posted by WingsOfWhimsy with the photos below. They sure look alike.
“WingsOfWhimsy 20 hours agoA little bit of interesting news to share. I will say right up front that I have VERY little personal knowledge to go on here, so I will direct you to either the live cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l95k-… or the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/36054… for additional info. There is a theory that the original “Dad” from the Pittsburgh Hays nest has returned. Dad has been away for quite some time, and HM2 has bonded with Mom, although their egg failed to hatch this season. (I believe mom was first seen with HM2 in September.) Recently a visitor has been on the scene, and I have to admit… even I see the similarities! Could it be that Dad has returned? This is certainly exciting, but also a bit concerning. If this is Dad, both he & HM2 likely consider Mom and the nest to be theirs. These comparison photos were shared by a FB Group user: Lynda Philips, comparing Dad and the recent visitor. This is all I know right now, but I will update as best as I can. The folks in the group or on chat are surely more familiar than I am, though. Please consider checking in with them for more details!”
Yesterday I included a video by DaniConnorWild to show you the penguins in Antarctica. Today, here is a sobering article on the unprecedented heat rise on that continent and the fears that it has for the penguins and for humans. The author says with the rise to 38.5 C, “These events have raised fears that the Antarctic, once thought to be too cold to experience the early impacts of global warming, is now succumbing dramatically and rapidly to the swelling levels of greenhouse gases that humans continue to pump into the atmosphere.”
Thank you so much to the following who sent me comments, news, their pictures, screen captures, videos, articles, and those who operate the streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘Geemeff, H, J’, Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey, Stephen Basly, Tremplealeau, Moorings Park, PSEG, The Guardian, Geemeff, The Scottish Wildlife Trust (LOTL), Alyth SS, LRWT, Dyfi Osprey Project, Marissa Winkle, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Llyn Brenig, DTC, PIX Cams, Cornell RTH Cam, Montana Osprey Project, Wolf Bay, JB Sands Wetlands, FORE, IWS/Explore, Denton Homes, Raptor Resource Project, Diana Persinger, Little Miami Conservancy, Window to Wildlife, Duke Farms, and Sassa Bird.
Well, be careful what you wish for. I was longing for winter and snow and got both. Tuesday morning the winds were howling, the gusts shaped the snow in all kinds of configurations around the garden, covered part of the car, and made the sidewalk impassable. It was -18 C. With the wind chill, I suspect it was nearer to -30 C. Time to get out the heavy coat, toque, mitts, scarves, and anything else to help keep warm. Of course, hot chocolate helps, too!
The cats are unphased by it all. The Boyfriend came to eat at his feeder after it had been cleared and refilled several times. I wish he would stay in his little house here instead of wandering everywhere, but isn’t that silly when I advocated for Flaco to be able to fly all over the place?
Hugo Yugo will get her onsie on Thursday. It will give us a fortnight for her to get used to it before her surgery. Bless her heart. She is so so tiny.
Calico has really taken to wanting to be brushed again. She isn’t too keen on the Dental wipes and, as a result, she has to be wrapped up like a burrito. It works. Only her head sticks out and I can get the wipe way back to the distant teeth that might, otherwise, not get cleaned. I sure hope these wipes work!
Calico is becoming more active. Not sure if it is the warmer days we had before the storm or if the weight that she has lost is making her feel better.
Missey is always beautiful. She has had her teeth cleaned with wipes and her nails trimmed and didn’t make a single fuss. Oh, that lovely Maine Coon disposition.
Jackie and Shadow were still a little wet when they woke up Tuesday morning. As the morning progressed their feathers dried off. We are now at the 28th day of February. The eggs are still in tact. We are one day away from pip watch for the first egg. Can you believe it? Many of you will remember that Shadow has incubated eggs for 60 days that were not viable. Oh, please let one of these hatch!
Shadow comes in with a fish and Jackie sys her thank yous. There is a good long look at the eggs. Still intact. We are now ONE day away from pip/hatch watch for egg number one.
I love Shadow looking at their eggs. Staring at them. Can they hear the little eaglet?
More incubation exchanges and at 14:19 on Tuesday there were 11,252 people watching this couple incubate their three eggs. Gosh, they did. More than 10,000 people. We are all holding our breath.
Shadow was in the branches above the nest. Jackie was chortling to him when she flew off. He arrives and carefully takes his place over the eggs.
Making the news!
Diamonds for Jackie. ONE day away from pip/hatch watch. Might there be triplets in Big Bear?
Richmond is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Rosie!
The new Bald Eagle couple that has been coming, going, and inspecting the Dulles-Greenway nest of Rosa and Martin and then Rosa and Lewis must not believe their luck.
Did Rosa ‘divorce’ Lewis? Is she OK? Is he? I always wonder when there is a failed nest and the eagle or eagles just leave.
Egg three for Mum and new Dad at Centreport. ‘H’ says reported time of arrival was 18:08 nest time Tuesday.
It isn’t just Royal Albatross chicks that build play nests. E23 had some fun making his/her own, too.
Sutton Centre shows us the three eggs that are at the Bartlesville, Oklahoma Bald Eagle nest.
Jolene and Booth have their second hatch at ETSU, JC24. You can see the hole shortly after 10. That little one is working hard. It will be out of this shell in three hours from the top image.
It is about three weeks until pip/hatch watch at Moorings Park. Circle your calendar for March 20-21. Spring babies!
Things seem to be alright at Eagle Country. Less prey evident on the nest and fewer feedings.
Lots of fish on the nest of Pepe and Muhlady for the eaglets.
I sure might have missed it, but I am not seeing the male come and give Mum a break at Duke Farms on Tuesday. She got up off the eggs after 1600.
R6 still likes Mum or Dad to feed him even though he is fully capable of finishing off any fish brought to the WRDC nest.
There was concern over another pigeon band, which R6 expelled. It was thought that he might try eating the pigeon leg that had the band again, but Ron arrived and, to the relief of all, ate the leg and band. Whew.
Really windy at the JB Sands Wetlands eagle nest. That metal tower just shakes…you have to turn the volume down. Both adults at the nest. Everything looks alright.
Bella and Scout have their first egg ever together at the National Conservation Training Centre bald eagle nest. Scout was in attendance during the labour.
It is the third egg for the couple at the FOLFAN Eagle nest. Lots of third eggs this year.
Denton Homes has its third egg, too, on the 27th!
I always see hawks hunting rodents, but I have to admit I have never seen a Peregrine Falcon with a rodent. We think of the falcons as aerial hunters. I do hope this one was not poisoned – it makes me very uneasy.
It is enlightening that California has passed legislation to ban rodenticides. I hope everyone joins with them.
At Great Spirit Bluff, it appears that Newman has selected Lisa as his new mate!
There are all kinds of lotteries on which osprey will be at the nest first in the UK, in Wales, or at specific nests. ‘L’ sent me the link to the history of the Glaslyn nest of Aran and Elen (formerly of Aran and Mrs G). This will be Elen’s first return – will she arrive before Aran? Mrs G used to arrive early, and sometimes, she got into mischief with Aeron Z2 over at the Pont Cresor platform.
I had a question today. Do songbirds practice siblicide? The answer, as far as I know, is ‘no’. And while we might, on rare occasions, see siblicide in hawks or falcons, there are some species for which killing the younger siblicide is ‘normal’. As we move deeper into Bald Eagle season and Osprey season approaching, it is a good time to educate ourselves about this behaviour. Here are two articles to get you started.
How closely will they investigate? A groundsman of 20 years shot dead while out walking who is connected with the notorious Edradynate Estate. What did he know? Was he going to testify? Or was he simply unlucky?
Thank you so much for being with me today. So many nests and not time to watch or cover all of them. Just hold your breath. ONE day away from staring at the Big Bear nest of Jackie and Shadow for any hint that an eaglet might be thinking of making its way into the world. Oh, Shadow is going to be so delighted. Take care!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, screen captures, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog: ‘Geemeff, H, J, L, R’, FOBBV, Golden Gate Audubon, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk, Johnson City ETSU-E1, Moorings Park, Eagle country, Superbeaks, Duke Farms, WRDC, JB Sands Wetlands, Wings of Whimsy, Cal Falcons, Ashley Wilson, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Research Gate and Explore Blog.
Hello Everyone! Hugo Yugo hopes that everyone is going to have a super day today. She wants you to look closely. Despite missing a whisker or three, her eyes are clear. She now has the face of a cat on a kitten’s body, and all she wants to do is sleep, play, and cuddle – not necessarily in that order. I love waking up at night and finding her sleeping under my chin or on top of my head…seriously, it just makes me so happy. Then there is her constant ‘purr’. She does this when she gets her needles, too. The happiest little kitten, nearing six months old.
The eggs in Eagle World are really starting to come. I will not be able to keep up with them so if you see something, let me know! Thanks, so much.
The Centerport Eagles have their first egg of the season.
Mum and the new male at Pittsburgh-Hayes have their first egg. She turned so quickly there was just a quick glimpse of the egg at 2016 Tuesday night, the 20th.
The video:
Denton Homes has its first egg.
And then, there were two. He is named Mason. Is this a nod to the Mason-Dixon Line?
At Big Bear, Jackie has the most determined look. Those eggs are going to hatch! Well, at least one of them we hope. We are now one week away from pip watch for Jackie and Shadow. Hold your breath. Send good energy their way and to Jak and Audacity who still have one egg they are incubating.
I clearly would not want to break Jackie’s focus..look at those eyes.
SK Hideaways did an amazing job capturing Jackie and Shadow and the weather – protecting those eggs!
Twenty-five year old Liberty just laid the third off for her and mate, Guardian, at the Redding Eagle nest in California. The local time was 1642.
After having quite a beating by Swampy, Meadow still managed to get a nice crop at a feeding. Dear Swampy, don’t you think you could just let it up now…geez. We know you are the boss and so does Meadow.
This video will put a smile on your face – Meadow full to the top!
Their intentions were good. PSEG responded to a reader, alerting them to the fishing line in the Patchogue nest of Mini. They cleaned it, but to everyone’s dismay, they turned the nest upside down. This has created a huge mound. The eagles will not be able to build up the sides sufficiently enough – those rails would have to be super high – to avoid the eggs or the chicks rolling out. If you feel so included, let PSEG know that you are grateful they cleaned the nest, but if they could get back and turn it right side up, that would be fantastic. This is the e-mail to contact (please be polite – we will need them all season, but this needs to be fixed!): pseg-li-customerservice@pseg.com
All appears well at the WRDC nest. A ‘gold’ fish was brought into the nest. Could anyone possibly identify the fish? I tried Florida Fish ID and came up with too many options!
Big Red and Arthur were both working on their nest on the Cornell Campus on Wednesday.
Water, water everywhere. This is the map showing the 41 affected areas of the vast flooding in Wales. Let us hope that all is back to normal, not only for the people of Wales but also for the wildlife and the raptors that will be returning.
Around the Ospreys nest at Glaslyn in Wales.
I have not been able to log on to all the nests.
Rain and wind at Llyn Brenig.
The Egyptian Geese have been checking what they hoped would be their nest at Rutland, but the use of a simple bin lid and bricks seems to have encouraged them to seek another site. I don’t think Maya and Blue 33 would take too kindly to their home being occupied when they return fro migration.
It is going to be one fantastic view at Dyfi. They are testing the camera, and it will be online soon.
One of the words on people’s minds today is ‘branching’. I was taught – of course, eons ago, that ‘branching’ was when the eagle (various species) flew from the nest bowl to the branch. That definition appears to have changed according to some American source.
Audubon: A pre-fledge milestone is an activity called branching when the eaglet takes short hops/flights to branches within the nest tree. The young eagles normally branch for up to 7-10 days before fledge, exercising theirs wings and legs, taking short flights to branches in the nest tree.
National Eagle Centre: Branching: When eaglets move from the nest to a branch and flap their wings before jumping off. This common behaviour serves to strengthen flight muscles and acclimate the eaglet to life outside the nest.
Loudon: Branching means both feet are off the nest bed onto a nearby branch or trunk.Branching is a critical developmental step on the path to independent flight. Prior to branching, an eaglet spends time jumping, flapping, and actually “hovering” off the nest, learning to get wind under its wings. When branching, an eaglet will perch on a branch in their home tree. From there, they can flap their wings, jump off and land on a lower branch or back at the nest. This behavior strengthens their flight muscles and improves their agility and landing skills. The adults may encourage this behavior by withholding food. Eaglets may be observed exercising their wings, but they may also be perched on a branch out of camera range.Branching typically lasts seven to 10 days, when it is especially vital to keep the nest free from any human disturbance that could cause premature fledging. An eaglet that leaves the nest too soon may need to be cared for by the parents on the ground, where they are at greater risk of predation. But if all goes well, branching will help the eaglet take its first successful flight and spend the next few weeks honing its flying and landing skills and learning to forage for food.
Of course, the focus of all this ‘branching’ discussion is Cal at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest who apparently walked up the branch but left a talon on the nest and did not branch.
Cal has certainly found his way to sitting on the rim of the nest, but he has done this before. Lusa’s body is deteriorating and soon the feathers will be blown off the nest and what remains will become part of the history of this nest.
Mum at Duke Farms is out of the snow!
No eggs yet at Three Bridges.
I am not convinced that this will be a successful year at Dulles-Greenway. Lewis doesn’t seem to fully understand what his role is…yet. Just like Beau at NE Florida.
Just like Cal, E23 is looking out to the wider world beyond the nest. Standing on the rim and flapping wings. What a great year for F23 as a first time Mum and M15. E23 is doing fantastic.
It was windy and the structure was shaking at times at JBS Wetlands. It did not seem to bother the Bald Eagles one bit.
It is Pip Watch at Johnson City!
Some of the non-breeders are causing mischief at the Royal Albatross Colony.
This note arrived for members of the VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY today from Kelly Sorenson. I did mention some of the issues with images, but in case you missed it. These California Condors are precious. There were 21 condors lost in Arizona last year to HPAI. Ventana has worked diligently, including getting pens for vaccinations to stop harm to the California group
I have received a few notes from individuals that did not know anything about the California Condors and some that knew a little. I will provide some good information on their history and current numbers and the challenges in the days ahead just as part of my desire to educate us on their importance and the horrific hurdles in trying to build up the colony numbers.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, screen captures, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J, M, SP’, Rob Schwartz, PIX Cams, Trudi Kron, Superbeaks, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, FORE, Eagle Country, Lady Deeagle, PSEG, WRDC, Cornell RTH Cam, Wales Flood Alert, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Llyn Brenig, LRWT, Dyfi Osprey Project, Audubon, National Eagle Centre, Loudon Wildlife, Window to Wildlife, Duke Farms, Three Bridges Eagle Cam, Dulles-Greenway, SW Florida Eagle Cam, JBS Wetlands, Rollin’ Rag, Sharon Dunne, and VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY.
Monday was warm on the Canadian Prairies. At 0 degrees C everything is melting. It is damp and icky. The beautiful white snow is gone and is now puddles of brown coloured muck – salt and sand mixed together. Oh, gosh, golly. I want winter back!
Dyson and the kits were at the feeders loading up on peanuts. There were some sparrows and the Starlings. I didn’t see the little Reds, but I wasn’t always looking. The peanuts were, however, cleared up in record time, so they must have been scurrying about!
I spent the day taking apart and putting ‘back’ together an IKEA Billy Bookcase—a word of advice on these flatpack bookcases. If you do not intend to move them, get a bottle of wood glue, put glue in every hole and then attach it. Then, being careful, glue that back on as well. I hope never to have to do this again! The three will never be moved – not during my lifetime! As a result, the blog is a bit short today. At least you cannot hear me yelling! The ‘girls’ were very patient today—such little sweeties.
Annie and the new male are getting rather chummy and bonding more in the scrape on Monday. Cal Falcons has decided to name him, too. Details under the image.
Flaco, the escapee Eurasian Owl, appears to be doing just fine. Remember. Flaco could die from eating a rodent that had ingested poison. All of the wildlife that feed on the rodents in Manhattan could! Including the Red-tail hawks in the area. Indeed, many of them have and it is very sad. It is time to end this practice and let the raptors take care of them!
Here is the link to the streaming cam at Mt Ibuki in Japan, home to a pair of Golden Eagles. ”According to current trends in census size and reproduction, the Japanese golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos japonica) is at risk of extinction this century, leading the Japanese government to recognize the subspecies as endangered. It is now the focus of national conservation efforts.”
Last year the only surviving Golden eaglet sadly starved. It caused great concern particularly since the raptors are considered to be greatly endangered.
Jackie and Shadow continue to be ever so careful when they are getting on and off the eggs or doing the old switcheraroo for incubation duties.
I thought maybe they were not going to eat on the nest, but Jackie proved me wrong as she nibbled on that piece of fish.
We are now 16 days away from hatch watch for Jackie and Shadow and their three eggs at Big Bear.
Thanks Abby and Blaze! We really cannot see those darling eaglets now!
We are expecting the second egg for Sally and Harry at Moorings Park on Valentine’s Day.
At first glance, I thought this was Ervie on the light, but it is Bradley. There are his beautiful leg tags.
These are the reports for a day ago. Both fledglings are still coming to the barge for fish. But, read the report. It looks they are each trying to fish as well. Fantastic.
PLO posted some stats for Giliath. The posting below shows you how far he has travelled and the places around the nest. Well done, Giliath. You are doing fantastic.
This is the information for Gil’s older brother, Ervie:
“2024.02.13 – Port Lincoln Barge – Ervie – October 2023 to January 2024.
The satellite tracking data for Ervie for the time October 2023 to January 2024. At a broad scale view, clearly the dense clusters of points shows his preference for fishing including the Port Lincoln Grain Terminal, grain silos, between Stenross boat facility to the Moreton Bay fig tree, Delamere and northern shore of Proper Bay (adjacent greyhound Road) and Boston Island. I have over layed same data from October 2022 to January 2023 and almost identical pattern of movements. Not surprising his avoidance of the Porter Bay Barge nest during the 2023 breeding season. Elevation data shows his movements and distance covered over the 4 months = 3,364km and an average height of 58 meters. This Osprey is also now in his third year and appears to be a most competent hunter.”
The new male at Dulles-Greenway replacing Martin is named Lewis! Oh, Lewis! (Fabulous name…you all know why.) Lewis has big talons to fill. Martin and Rosa had no trouble raising three eaglets. Let’s see what happens this year. We are on egg watch.
It is so lovely to see Mum at Duke Farms not buried under snow.
An eagle was at the ND-LEEF nest quite early.
Liberty and Guardian were both at their Redding nest working away. I have to admit I am really nervous when I see that high water below them.
Rose and Ron should be very proud. They have such a beautiful eaglet this year in R6.
The Little Miami Conservancy Bald Eagle Cam is live with Bette and Baker. This nest is near Miami, Ohio – not Florida. Both were on the nest Monday working away.
Here is the link to their streaming cam:
Beau has learned to incubate and stay the course. 17 hours. He has also done some other long stints. My goodness how I wish he had done this earlier when there was a chance this egg was viable…good practice for net year.
We are all looking forward to Rosie’s return, but none more so than Richmond! Condolences, Richmond, on the loss in the Super Bowl. Maybe next year for the 49ers.
BirdGuides Review of the Week for Birds in the UK.
How can we protect the raptors if the sentences handed out mean nothing to those convicted? More on the pair that laundered the Peregrine Falcons and their lack of a custodial sentence. They make the rules protecting wildlife a joke – and they know it and continue to abuse the systems that offer meagre protection.
It is beautiful, and soon we hope that Aran and Elan will be there, right before our eyes, in the Glaslyn Valley.
Word has come that the camera for Jak and Audacity might get repaired.
I missed it. It was Otepoti’s Birthday and every Kakapo deserves to have their birthday celebrated! If you do not know about the Kakapo, I have included the Kakapo Recovery Brochure below this posting.
A fantastic book also arrived in the post last week, waiting for my attention. Written in 2010 by Alison Ballance, Kakapo. Rescued from the Brink of Extinction, it includes everything you would want to know about these evasive flightless parrots. It did not include any further information about Otepoti, sadly, as he was born 5 years after its publication. Thanks, ‘J’ for the recommendation!
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care all. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’J’, Cal Falcons, Kathy Robles, Conservation Science, Japan Golden Eagle Cam, FOBBV, Eagle Country, Moorings Park, Mike Wood, PLO, Bart M, Dulles-Greenway, Duke Farms, ND-LEEF, FORE, WRDC, Little Miami Conservancy, Jerinelle Wray, SF Bay Ospreys, BirdGuides, Raptor Persecution UK, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Gracie Shepherd, and Kakapo Recovery.
I finished reading to the kittens – yes, did you know that reading aloud to your pets is also soothing for them? Calico’s kitten is now learning about ways to save our vanishing birds by listening to A Wing and a Prayer. The Race to Save our Vanishing Birds by Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal. You can find time to squeeze in a good book by sharing with your pets!
The book is well written and insightful. I am learning so much. Did you know that more than 8,000 species of plants and flowers in the Americas depend on hummingbirds for pollination? Or that productivity in apple orchards goes up 66% if there are insects? The book is about finding ways to keep the birds alive because human life depends on that. In Kauai, there are only a few hundred Puaiohi Thrushes. These birds spread seeds around the island, creating the rainforest. “Without forests, we have no flood control. We have no drinking water.” (219) Baby Cal is learning what we all need to – first, how important our wildlife area to our existence, what problems we have created for them, what a lack of balance means to our existence and theirs, and how some talented individuals are figuring out ways to save some of these fragile creatures. So how will they save the Puaiohi Thrush? By releasing lab-bred mosquitoes. AI is being used in the Sierra Nevada to track and protect the Spotted Owl.
I had just finished a chapter when I noticed a note from ‘H’. Was I surprised? Then another note about Collins Street. Thanks so much, ‘H’
Port Lincoln has their first egg!!!!!!!! I am overjoyed and I am hopeful that we might see a big change in the behaviour of this nest unless, of course, the fish supply is limited. From Ernie’s recent catches that does not appear to be the case.
I am so happy for Mum. Nesting material had been brought in so this new couple had some idea that yesterday was the big day.
Dad was there by her side. I am going to like this guy if he is a good provider and there is no siblicide.
We are expecting an egg at 367 Collins Street and guess what? It arrives. We have lift-off in Australia!!!!!!!!!!!!
Spotting Ospreys: Blue 550 hatched at Llyn Clywedog in 2020 was seen and is believed to have a nest in mid-Wales. Fantastic.
Migration continues in the US. These are the latest numbers from Hawk Mountain.
Checking on some of the Osprey nests – who is home and who is not.
Patchogue: Mini is home and Dad has been seen down by the lake. Someone mentioned that Mom might still be around as several Ospreys were seen flying. Mini continues to adapt as she struggles with that left leg – often late in the day. She certainly does better after having a long rest on the nest! She is flying, she is eating – whether or not it is dad feeding her, Mini catching fish or both – she is eating. She is not lethargic. Mini is doing what this spunky independent determined fourth hatch always does – she gets on with it. She is living her life as a fledgling osprey the best she can with the issues that she has.
Mini landing at 1909.
Beautiful Iris is still home at her nest in Missoula Montana. Iris maintains one of the most splendid Osprey nests I have ever seen. Just like some of the others she is adding a few sticks to continue to lay claim to the nest. Soon, she will fly south – thought to be the oldest osprey in the world – we live in the hope that she will return in late March or early April and maybe, just maybe, have one of those young men waiting for her that she met this summer.
Iris demonstrated her great fishing skills even when there were flood waters. What marvellous fish she brought to the owl pole. The result, if you look carefully, is a fat little bottom. Eat up, Iris! We want you to make it to your winter home in southern Texas (??) safely and in good shape.
Of course, Iris is not ringed and no one knows for sure where she over winters but it is believed it could be the southern part of Texas and not further afield in Central America or Mexico.
Glaslyn: Aran is still home and so is 0H1 as of the time of this writing. OH1 is 98 days old. OH2 has not been seen since 4 September when he was 95 days old. That nest looks rather empty! Waiting to see if OH1 is still home on the 6th of September.
Harry is still delivering to Chirpy as of Tuesday. Chirpy was 103 days old. Both siblings and Mum have left on migration from Alyth.
Here comes Harry!
That amazing Dad is bringing fish to Mum on the nest at Boulder County Fairgrounds. What a loving couple and what better way to help your mate with a safe migration than to help her eat well after raising three strong osplets this season to fledge.
Snap and Crackle are both eating fish at the Dunrovin Osprey nest. T hanks, Swoop!
Fledgling fish calling at Collins Marsh – and still being fed! It was a really windy day in Wisconsin. You can’t tell the trees are blowing but look at the feathers of the juvenile. Fantastic.
‘H’ brings us up to date on Molly and Dorsett:
Kent Island 9/5 – Molly flew to the nest at 0625, fish-called a bit, then she flew away 20 minutes later. That was the last time she was seen at the nest. She was soon spotted on a nearby boat lift. In the evening, the cam focused for a long time on an osprey in the distance on a pole, but it was unclear if it was Molly.
Barnegat Light 9/5 – At 0735 Duke delivered a fish to Dorsett at the nest, and she flew to Duke’s perch to eat her breakfast. Dorsett did return to the nest a couple of times, but sightings of her were scant throughout the day. Dorsett arrived back at the nest early to wait for her much anticipated 7 p.m. dinner fish, but her dinner never arrived. As the sun was setting over the bay, Dorsett resigned herself to going to sleep hungry, and she spent the night perched on one of the camera braces.
Do you live near Cornell University at Ithaca NY? Have children aged 8-18? Check this out! What an amazing opportunity for young people. In the book, Lead! Finding your Voice a Chaotic World by Barry Dore, Tim Mackrill, talks about the opportunities he had as a young person to volunteer and learn about raptors. It changed his life and led him to create opportunities for young people through his charity Osprey Leadership Foundation.
This event at Cornell is another super opportunity to get young people involved who might become our future conservationists.
The seat eaglets were up for an early morning walk about and then back to the duckling resting position waiting for breakfast.
‘A’ comments on part of the day including the self-feeding of 31: “
At 15:38, as Lady is looking around in a very agitated manner at something near the nest tree, at about the same height as the nest, SE32 starts eating the food she has in her talons. He is giving this self-feeding thing a try, having closely watched his sister eating prey that looked the same as this (he was just TOO TOO funny – ducking down with his head under her tail to peer between her legs and watch her doing very well indeed at her first self-feeding).
SE32 pecks at the food a few times but all he can reach is a leg, and no matter how many times he picks it up, he cannot work out how to eat it. So he moves closer. SE31 is paying close attention to this – she has reached out for the food once or twice herself but is not in as good a position now as SE32 is. Lady is very upset by something and paying no attention to the food or the chicks. SE32 has moved further forward. He is up on his feet now, self-feeding on the meaty bit. Lady resuming feeding him, even though she continues to be distracted by something. SE32 remains right up on his feet while he takes the bites.
Shortly before 15:40 Lady resumes feeding SE31. SE32 turns and moves away from SE31 a little but then turns back to face the table and Lady. He just wanted space between himself and his sister. But he gets offered no bites. At 15:41:24 he tries unsuccessfully to steal a big bite, but overbalances and falls forward, correcting himself with his outstretched wings. Lady still feeds SE31. At 15:41:30, he tries to steal another bite. Again, he fails. The next bite, he grabs incredibly fast. No-one else had a chance. He got given the one after that, then his sister gets a bite. The one after that is a big piece and destined for SE32. He grabs it and works hard to swallow it.
Lady is still very distracted. Periodically, she gives SE32 a bite. Both eaglets have good crops now. At 15:42:34, SE32 grabs a really big piece. He swallows it with relative ease, as Lady doesn’t even bother trying to retrieve it from him. There is still an amazing amount of meat on this carcass. The two have eaten well. Both have good crops but both are still keen to keep eating. SE32 is very brave, diving for every bite and winning most of them, especially all of the really big pieces. Lady occasionally gives a bite to SE31, but she is not competing with SE32 and is largely just watching him grab and swallow.
At 15:44, SE32 grabs a large piece of meaty flesh with a longish leg and a foot attached!! He horked the lot with no trouble at all. By 15:44:30 he is back competing for and winning bites. Lady is feeding both eaglets plenty of food but overall, SE32 is getting the better of the feeding at this point. He is winning most of the bites that are competed for and Lady is offering him way more bites than she is SE31, who is sitting back a bit by now.
At 15:46, SE32 swallows the second leg and foot, also with flesh attached, though not as much as was attached to the first leg. Still, he swallows it without difficulty. Within 10 seconds, he is taking the last few bites from Lady and cleaning the table of leftovers. The feeding is over by 15:48. Both chicks have very large crops, and SE32 has already done a couple of small crop drops during the feeding to fit in extra food. That second piece of prey had a really large amount of flesh on it. The head was gone, but the body provided a great deal of food. Both eaglets have had plenty to eat today.
There may be more food – I will check. But they did well for the day – eventually – and both will go to bed with full crops. “
‘A’ reports on the Royal Albatross Chick, Manaaki: “GLY may have been in today to feed Manaaki off camera but we’re not sure. We know GLY has fed Manaaki behind the camera at least once recently. The chicks are a lot more mobile now and are doing a lot of exploring as they prepare to fledge. It is starting to get scary when Manaaki is off camera for six hours or more on occasion – we think he might have fledged and we missed it! He still has about a fortnight to go until he reaches 240 days, but of course at least four chicks have already fledged from the 33 at the colony and Manaaki is one of the oldest (and though he does have a lot of fluff remaining, QT did too). He has not done enough wingercising, in my opinion, and still needs to be doing a lot more practising. We need to see much better hovering, and face-planting is an undignified landing for an albatross. I think he has quite a lot of work to do before he is ready to fledge. Let’s hope he doesn’t leave before he is good and ready, but often, it is the winds that determine the timing. As with Lilibet (QT). “
Beautiful Gabby. What a lovely couple – I miss Samson. But life moves on and we have the most amazing memories of him. Gabby mourned last year and took her time selecting a new mate out of the many contenders. Let us hope that V3 is up to the task. He has big talons to fill.
Lady Hawk caught Gabby bringing in her breakfast.
No one is home. Louis, Dorcha, and Ludo are on their way with only Sparrowhawks visiting the nest. Look at this beautiful capture over the nest as the sun rises. Stunning.
Visiting Sparrowhawk.
We always need to be reminded, especially with there still being hot days in many parts of the world, of how we can help wildlife. Please read and keep them in mind. Water is essential. Water and some shade.
Let’s see how much you know about Condor numbers! (Answers below)
How many California Condors were alive on 6 September 2023? a) 208; b) 91; c) 214; d) 345; or e) 559?
How many California Condors live in the wild? a) 76; b) 345; c) 214; d) 93; or e) 54?
How many California Condors live wild in Central California? a) 93; b) 65; c) 214; d) 23; or e) 75.
Do you want to know more about the efforts to protect and grow the California Condor community? In 2022, the Ventana Wildlife Society commissioned a documentary to be made to introduce people to the Condors of the Big Sur. They are working on another film in 2023 called Condor Canyon. It isn’t finished but, for now, why not check, out Part 1 of the 2022 film. You can find the other segments on YT by doing a search or checking on the side panel.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: “A, Geemeff, H’, PLO, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, John Williams and Clywedog Osprey Group, Hawk Mountain, PSEG, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Alyth, Boulder County Fair Grounds, Dunrovin Ranch, Collins Marsh, Kent Island, Conserve Wildlife F of NJ, Cornell University Bird Lab Raptor Program, Sydney Sea Eagles, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk and NEFL-AEF, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Ventana Wildlife Society, and Durham Wildlife Trust.
Answers to the three question Condor number quiz: 1. The answer is e. 559 total number of Condors. 2. The answer is b. 345 live in the wild. 3. The answer is a. 93 live in the wild in central California.
Well, I could not possibly have anticipated what was going to happen but look who showed up at the feeding station today? Just like her Mama Calico.
Yes, the kitten that we could not find. Someone is going to help me trap her! I am not sure that Calico will be pleased. LOL. The kitten is about 62 days old.
This lovely young woman came over with the trap, smelling Sardines, everything to try and get this young lady into the kitten cage and feel safe. Wish us luck!
Calico watching out the garden doors as the trap is being set for her baby. Ironically, Calico’s baby is almost the same size as she is!
Today, Missey and Calico spent the entire day together in the main part of the house with Lewis in the conservatory. They all had poached chicken. We live in hope that soon all three will be integrated along with the kitten, perhaps.
It is 2130. The woman who loaned me the trap is on her way to help me transition the kitten to a kennel. Yes! We have the kitten. It took about three and a half hours. Overjoyed. Overwhelmed.
Osprey World just gets more quiet as the remainder begin their journeys with the last few Dads on the nest feeding chicks.
Harry has been feeding Chirpie again at Alyth today.
Aran was still at Glaslyn.
Blue 022 was seen around Poole Harbour. He left for migration last year on 10 September. No sign of CJ7 or the trio.
Dad brought at least three fish before 1400 to the Minneapolis Landscape Arboretum fledgling on Monday.
Swoop is still at Dunrovin!
Dad is still delivering to Coco at Sandpoint. At least two fish arrived on Monday early in the day.
Bruce is still delivering at Seaside. Oh, they get so excited. I am not sure the kittens are more afraid of the falcons than the ospreys when the latter are screaming for fish arrivals!
One adult on the perch at Boulder. I have not see the juveniles getting fish for several days at the nest.
Fish is still being delivered to an Oyster Bay fledgling.
Fish is being delivered to the Collins Marsh nest in Wisconsin. The juveniles are flying off with their meal!
Di Bennett and Tweed Valley report on the locations of both Poul and Glen. Will Poul stay in Morocco or continue heading south?
Want to know more about migration and how climate and changes in land use in West Africa are impacting UK birds? Have a read.
Mini was at the Osprey platform in Patchogue this morning. She is still favouring that left leg. This time she looked hungry and flew off early to try and get some fish from Dad.
At 1900 Mini flew to the perch. She was coming from the left side of the brewery. She has both feet extended and appears to be drying off her feathers.
The left leg appears to be giving Mini some issues as she holds it up. Hopefully our gal will slow down and rest that leg on the nest.
Good night, Mini.
‘H’ brings us up to date on Molly and Dorsett:
Kent Island – Molly flew to the nest early in the morning, but she didn’t stay long. She was then not seen on cam for almost twelve hours. At 1830 Molly flew to the nest, and it was nice to see that she had a huge crop. She seemed to have a lot to say, but she didn’t stay long at that visit either. SOD’s, Molly.
Barnegat Light – Duke brought four fish to the nest for Dorsett. What a good Dad! Around 1830 Dorsett landed on the nest, and she was holding her right foot up a bit. When she placed the right foot on the nest we could see a small bloody wound on one of her toes. It seemed to be a minor injury though, as it did not affect her ability to handle the fish Duke delivered at 1901. She held the fish with her right foot and eventually flew across the cove with the fish.
Gabby and V3 were at the nest in The Hamlet near Jacksonville working for the new season. Gosh, it is so nice to see them! Some worry that V3 might not be up to the job this year but, let’s wait and see. He is a year older and these two look to be bonded. We have no idea what they have been up to off camera.
Thunder and Akecheta were at their old West End nest in the Channel Islands on Monday.
On the Cornell Campus, Big Red and Arthur are up on the ledges of Bradley. So good to see them!
The Sea Eaglets had an early fish breakfast Tuesday morning! Yippeee. ‘A’ reports: “
At WBSE breakfast was early for a change, with Dad bringing in a medium-sized whole fresh fish shortly before 06:39. Lady was straight in. SE32 was slow to get up. Lady started eating herself while SE31 dealt with a PS (medium sized, a little thin but way healthier than yesterday’s) and then headed for the table, where she got the first bites just before 06:41. By 06:42, SE32 is on his feet. He too deals with a (healthy) PS before heading closer to the table. Lady is still feeding SE31. Through most of the feeding, Lady fed first one, then the other. SE31 ate more than SE32 but that was largely because SE32 could not be bothered making a huge effort. When he decided he did want to eat, he quickly shuffled further forward to get himself into prime position and then proceeded to eat a dozen or two bites consecutively. He had another similar bout of eating at the end of the feeding, eating most of the last dozen bites or so. Both eaglets had smallish crops after breakfast, though SE31 had a larger one than SE32.
Dad brings in another fish soon afterwards, at around 10:52. It looks like a big one. Lady takes a moment or two to arrive at the table, as does SE31. And although SE32 has been sleeping on the table, he is not eager to jump up and rush to start eating. He takes his time. The fish is on the large side of medium and Dad has already eaten the head (and a little more). :Lady takes a couple of minutes to start feeding the eaglets, and by the time she does, at 10:55:20, both are ready and waiting, up at the table, and 0SE32 gets the first bites. This pair are very civilised at meal times over the past week. I have not seen any intimidation of any kind, let alone beaking. They have been absolute angels at the dinner table. SE31 waits patiently until it is her turn for a bite or two, at 10:57. Lady then feeds SE32 almost exclusively. He eats fast and with confidence. He is getting a lot of food in a short period of time. It is after 11:00 when SE31 gets her next proper bite. Lady then feeds the two alternately for a few bites, then returns to feeding SE32.
Throughout this, SE31 is extremely patient. At no point does she try to steal a bite, push in front of SE32 or in any way intimidate or bonk him. She just waits beside him while he eats. When she is offered a bite, she takes it, but that is all. SE32 has had by far the best of the first half of the feeding, but as the feeding wears on and his crop enlarges yet further, he is less enthusiastic about taking every bite and leaves many of those he is offered for his sister. Over the second half of the feeding, SE31 gets more of the food. By the time the feeding is over, both eaglets have very healthy crops indeed. Both have eaten well, Lady has had a good share of that fish herself, and there was no dispute at all between the eaglets. This nest is just lovely to watch. Even on the days when a single large meal is brought in, no-one really seems to go hungry and there is never any type of unpleasantness between the eaglets. They just play and sleep and snuggle. And wait patiently. SE31 is getting really good up on her feet now and is really enjoying practising her walking and wingercising. SE32 is quite a few days behind, as he spent a while cowering while SE31 was growing into her changing body, as it were. He will catch up soon, but for now, he is still very ungainly and often needs his wings for balance.”
Mum and Dad incubate their egg at 367 Collins Street for a few minutes. Looking for egg 2!
Xavier and Diamond are incubating their three eggs at Orange.
At Port Lincoln, mating continues – not always successful.
‘A’ reports that there is action in NZ. Four of the Royal Albatross chicks have now fledged. She also adds, “Poor UQ chick has come down from his hilltop nest to sleep next to Manaaki (who was asleep when he arrived, so may be surprised to see him there when he wakes up). I am pretty sure UQ is seeking either safety in numbers or simply a safer distance between himself and Miss NTF higher up the hill. She is a very pushy and precocious female and has made UQ’s life more than a little difficult, given he is a somewhat shy and reticent albie. He gets on well with Manaaki, though, so obviously feels better down there than up on his hill. So cute, the two of them. As I said, there are two male and two female chicks whose nests we can see (or almost see) around Manaaki. Miss NTF has taken a fancy to the camera, which Manaaki regards as his, so there have been several altercations over the camera, with much clacking of beaks. She thinks she rules the hilltop but Manaaki has other ideas. These four have been an absolute joy to watch these past seven months, each with a very distinctive personality (and, as I mentioned the other day, each currently has a very different ‘hairstyle’ in regard to where each chick wears their remaining fluff – one of the chatters did a cartoon of all the chicks with all their hairstyles about a week ago – very accurate and just TOO funny).”
The third osplet at Osprey House in Australia has died of siblicide.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H’, Alyth, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Jeff Kear, Mary Kerr and Glaslyn Osprey Group, Poole Harbour Ospreys, MN Landscape Arboretum, Dunrovin Ranch, Sandpoint, Seaside, Boulder County, PSEG, Collins Marsh, Tweed Valley, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Kent Island, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, NEFL-AEF, IWS/Explore, Suzanne Arnold Horning and Cornell Hawk Chatters Club, Sydney Sea Eagles, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, and PLO.
