Category Archives: Great Horned Owl

Waters continue to rise at Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian…Monday in Bird World

5 February 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It was another warm not so nice day on the Canadian Prairies. Everything is shades of grey and brown. The snow is all dirty and the sky had no blue in it. Even the kittens just wanted to sleep! I felt the same way. A good book, a cup of ‘real’ hot chocolate (made with the best melted chocolate and hot milk) would have made the day perfect.

Missey was up and about and finally found the felted rock that Hope was playing in yesterday and used it as a pillow!

There were not a lot of birds in the garden. The European Starlings came around noon along with a few sparrows. The squirrels were about eating peanuts and a lone female Downy Woodpecker showed up at the suet.

The Eagle Country nest has bothered me. Perhaps I am a bit more sensitive after losing the baby at JB Sands or nearly losing R6. So of course, just take this as concern.

This is why I am worried about Meadow at Eagle Country. Swampy eats well and attacks Meadow who is calling for food. Abby does not feed Meadow. It is true that Meadow does not require as much food as Swampy. S/he is younger. It is the fear put into the little one not to eat that is the issue. Let’s keep an eye and send positive wishes.

It is not a gentle attack. Swampy twists Meadows neck and makes sure it doesn’t get up. 

A wee bit later, Meadow doesn’t even bother to raise its head.

It is impossible to tell – because of that deep cup – whether or not Meadow got any of the subsequent small feedings. Mostly I see only one head. If you have additional information, please send me a comment.

Checking in on Connick. Thanks, ‘H’ for finding us an update.

Report of an Osprey in South Africa – and Geemeff notes this is just as far as you can go in the country. ”This bird was sighted at Langebaan, which is very near Cape Town, about as far south as you can get in Africa! Not ringed. Female, judging by the necklace, and is that juvenile plumage? Difficult to tell in that light.” 

The Langebaan Lagoon is a large salt water lagoon, regarded as a wetland of international importance, protected by the West Coast National Park (formerly called the Langebaan National Park), 100 km north of Cape Town.Langebaan is 16 km long and no wider than 3 km at any point. All that lies between it and the Atlantic Ocean is the Langebaan Peninsula, 15 km long and 2 km wide, peppered by large granite outcrops known as Vlaeberg and Konstabelkop. All of the literature says that it is a birdwatching paradise.

“Langebaan lagoon, West Coast National Park” by Winfried Bruenken (Amrum) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5.

The students at the University of Florida-Gainesville have their osprey cam back up and running after the light stand was changed out last year. There was a big fundraising campaign and it all came together well. We can once again watch Talon and Stella raise their chicks. 

Here is the latest news form the website: ”Watch the osprey family raise another family! The nest is located on a light pole behind the SW Rec Center on UF Campus. Thanks to HdonTap for streaming the live feed, UF’s SW Rec center for allowing the camera to go back up, and a host of people from UF’s IT and Facility Services that helped to install the new camera and get things working. It truly took a village to get this up and running (again)! Special shout out to Wally Sanchez from IT that helped to troubleshoot the camera! A generous gift from Wild Goose Farms in Umatilla, FL provided the needed funding for the equipment. We continue to accept gifts of support for ongoing maintenance and management of the camera, and we are grateful for the support from our generous donors!To date, I have seen Talon (the male) and Stella (the female) on the nest as of January 30th. In fact, Stella just arrived January 30th – much to the delight of Talon! Talon (the father) and Stella (the mother) built a new nest in the same location (in 2023) after the bank of lights were switched out for more efficient LEDs. Professor Mark Hostetler, who is an urban wildlife ecologist in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida, has been watching with earnest to see if they would rebuild. He helped direct a few structures on the new lights to entice them to rebuild the nest (nicknamed The Cheap Seats or Home Plate). In 2022, we had over 70,000 viewers from around the world (see https://wec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/ospreycam/). We really got to see the osprey family daily (and nightly) activities. Your contributions were much appreciated.”

It looks like Sunday will be a much nicer day for Jackie and Shadow. You can still hear a lot of wind and branches cracking in the distance.

For the only eaglet at JB Sands Wetlands, life looks good.

So far only two lovely Osprey eggs at Achieva! 

No egg at Moorings Park. They have surprised everyone.

Flaco is fine and exploring and moving into the beginning of his second year of freedom in The Big Apple.

Cal and Lusa are enjoying a huge amount of fish on Sunday along with another feathered water bird. Sometimes it is interesting to try and identify the prey if you do not know what it is.

E23 is such a sweetie. Little squees…M15 and F23 could not be prouder. 

R6 continues to grow and change plumage with what appears to be no ill effects from ‘the event’.

There was a bit of excitement at the WRDC nest a little later…

It makes me really sad. Gabby and Beau are still incubating the very unviable egg. He is getting lots of practice and if they survive for another year, let us hope that they return and raise some chicks in late 2024.

Pa and Missey are back working on the nest at Berry College. Will there be a chance of a second clutch?

‘H’ found some lovely photos of Annie and her new mate at The Campanile on moon_rabbit_rising. You can see them here: 

https://www.instagram.com/moon_rabbit_rising/?fbclid=IwAR3EYeEjI6Pio3aySb3TeNiUd0A8YcM9TZBVdyUu1VuU540OlHynlXRSSKo

The Peregrine Falcons have returned to their scrape in Harrison, PA. 

Falcon-WireDownload

The Kakapo Recovery are celebrating!

I find the albatross and the nests that they build to be so fascinating. Are these up high to protect if there is any flooding? 

“The Chatham albatross nests only on The Pyramid in the Chatham Islands. Using aerial photography, in 1998, scientists estimated that there were between 3,200 and 4,200 pairs nesting.” Let’s see if we can find out what their numbers are today.

“PROTECTION / THREATS / STATUS:  
The Chatham Island Albatross suffers harsh weather conditions during the breeding season. Severe storms can kill adults and chicks. Outside this period, storms may destroy the vegetation on the breeding grounds and remove the soil necessary for nest-building. In addition, they have very restricted breeding range. 
When at sea after the breeding season, they are threatened by longline fisheries off the west coasts of South America, and oil pollution throughout the winter range.
Translocation of chicks to a protected area in the SW corner of the Chatham Islands is underway between 2014 and 2016, in order to enlarge the breeding range of this species. 

The Chatham Island Albatross is listed as Vulnerable. The global population is estimated at 11,000 mature individuals, equating to about 16,000 individuals in total (counts 2008 – 2011).”

At the Midway Atoll, Wisdom was seen dancing and attempting to find a mate. The USFWS has not seen her since and has determined that she is not breeding this year and has returned to sea. There is news about other Laysan Albatross here along with the story about Wisdom.

The White-tail Eagles are arriving home in Kemeri National Forest in Latvia. Akacis was there on the 30th of January.

In Finland, a gorgeous White-tail eagle visited the Osprey nest at Seal.

Milda has been visiting her nest in Durbe County with a new male (?). I must check and find out what has happened to Voldis!

There is now some exciting news coming in from the ND-LEEF streaming cam in St Patrick’s Park, South Bend, Indiana. 

At Port Lincoln, Bradley got the first fish that came in – a gift from Mum at 1303. It took 100 minutes for Bradley to finish that fish!!!!!!!!!!!

Calypso has visited the TulKa nest – let us hope that he gets a new mate for the coming year after losing his mate to electrocution.

The weather remains problematic at the Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian. The water appears to be rising. How will the heavy rain, winds, and flooding impact the nest? (it is believed to be in a dead tree) The water has risen significantly since yesterday. Sending positive wishes to Liberty and Guardian.

Newcastle is installing homes for the Kittiwake on their new Tyne Bridge. Maybe other countries and cities should consider this for all birds that need homes. Think Swift Bricks, too!

Kittiwake-hotel-installed-on-Tyne-Bridge-BirdGuidesDownload

What are the pollutants that are currently causing much harm to our birds. A current article in the BTO news gives us some clear insights into the problems.

Birds-and-pollution-BTO-British-Trust-for-OrnithologyDownload

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, photos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’Geemeff, H, J, J, R’, Eagle Country, Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey, @derfonteinfenie, Openverse, UF-Gainsville, FOBBV, JB Sands Wetlands, Achieva Credit Union, Moorings Park, Paul Briber, Window to Wildlife, International Crane Foundation, SW Florida Eagle Cam, WRDC, Chao-Hwa Chen, NEFL-AEF, Mary Louise Ripley, Biruta Lapa, Dept of Environmental Protection for PA, PLO, Bart M, moon_rabbit_rising, Kakapo Recovery, Gill Winter, Friends of Midway Atoll, Arlene Beech, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Carol Mandis-Beadle, FORE, BirdGuides International, and BTO.

1st egg for Thunder and Akecheta!…Wednesday in Bird World

31 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It is summer – just joking – but Tuesday was an amazing day to stand outside and sniff the fresh air. The snow is melting in areas where the sun shines, and the streets are full of puddles. Sadly, some people are not aware that if they drive like Ayrton Senna, they will splash everyone in sight! One of our local nature centres is having a contest to guess the arrival of the first Canada Goose, and we are getting ready for one of the major festivals in our city, Festival du Voyageur. I wonder if there will be any snow or if it will be too warm for the international ice sculpture contest? I love the Maple Candy – pouring hot Maple Syrup over clean snow. It is delicious and stiffens up like the best taffy.

I had tea with my best mate today and outside her window was a doe and fawn. Got the doe right before she was going to crunch a munch one of the plants. There are 8 deer that live in the park. In the spring, my friend has a pond and there is at least one pair of ducks that make it their home. It is lovely to visit and get to see them.

I am glad that this deer is not being hunted. For several years we have been taking about the disastrous effects of lead poisoning in our raptors. Hunting, fishing, military weapons all contribute to the high death rates. Hunters kill the deer and clean out their innards, leaving those in the field full of lead shot. The raptors or carrion eaters feast on this and they can die. 

The wildlife rehab that took care of our little sweetie ND17, Humane Indiana Wildlife, has a sad story for us – with lots of information. Please spread the word to anyone you know that hunts and fishes that they should not be using lead in any form. Educate them nicely as to why. Be your best persuasive self.

Oh, gosh, golly. We have the first egg of the 2024 season in the Channel Islands. Thunder laid it today and that precious egg was seen at 1539. Congratulations!

And a big shout out to Dr Peter Sharpe, who retired, took the transportation – the car, the boat, climbed up the cliffs – and installed a fanatic camera! 

I wonder how long it will be until Thunder’s parents, Chase and Cholyn, lay their first egg at Two Harbours.

At Sauces, Jak and Audacity are hopeful and working away. They should be an inspiration to all of us to never give up!

There is chirping at Eagle Country for Abby and Blazer. We will have a hatch soon! You can clearly hear that gentle cheeping…how exciting. This one may have hatched by Wednesday morning. 

There is not a lot of bird news. A huge male eagle, quite a handsome fellow, landed on Gabby and Beau’s tree today. Thanks ‘J’ for the image captures.

Gabby just kept on incubating that egg. Today is day 39. 

E23 is working on standing steady, using its wings for balance. There were several hiccups on Tuesday, but the little one is determined. E23 is also working its wings and looking over the rails to what lies beyond the nest and the Pritchett property. A huge fish came into the nest, but E23 was not hungry, having a large crop that had lasted most of the day.

Cal and Lusa had big crops, too! It isn’t easy to see them in the shade of the nest tree now. Those gorgeous and shiny espresso juvenile feathers blend in well with the dark shade. But check out those feet – look at that deep, bright chrome yellow. Clive and Connie’s eaglets are extremely healthy. This is the colour you want to see on the feet of all your raptors. Look and remember. 

My goodness. After the ‘fish drought’ at the WRDC nest, you would think fish were falling from the sky. The nest had no less than two large whole fish today along with a bird. R6 appears to be doing just fine. Hopefully he got rid of any human garbage (aka the nappy) when he cast that very large pellet.

The WRDC issued the following statement on Tuesday, the 30th. A very thorough and reassuring post on the happenings at the nest.

You can now see both eaglets at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest. The first hatch is doing quite well and is much larger than the second one. I sat and yelled at Mum to feed it mid-afternoon after it woke up and wanted food. She kept feeding the big one and herself. If you are watching this nest really close, please let me know how the wee one is faring. BTW. The sound at this nest is first-rate. You can hear the little squees quite clearly. They are so cute.

If you haven’t marked your calendars, pip watch for Jackie and Shadow begins on the 29th of February. That is 35 days. In the past, Jackie’s eggs have hatched between 38-39 days. Hold your breath. Let’s all send the most positive wishes we can to our Big Bear couple.

I missed posting the news so thanks, Geemeff. Bluff City had its first egg on the 28th. 

If you are looking for Owlvira, it appears that she has made her nest this year in a nearby hawk nest and not the nest she used in 2022-23.

If you are having ‘Owl Withdrawal’, I suggest you keep an eye on Bonnie and Clyde at Farmer Derek’s nest. These two kicked out a young pair of Bald Eagles several years ago to raise their first two owlets – Tiger and Lily. Today, they have been heard hooting and mating and Clyde brought Bonnie a food gift at 18:28 on the nest.

Clyde is in the nest cup. Look at that great camouflage!

In Latvia, the White-tail Eagles are returning. What a joyous occasion. The YouTube video for the 30th of January is from the Kemeri National Park. It is the third largest park in the country with numerous water features and lakes. 57% of the area is covered by forests – these are two perfect considerations for the White-tail Eagles when looking for food or nesting sites.

Did you know that there are five different types of eagles that live in Latvia? They are the Golden Eagle which is the most common. Then there. is the Short-toed that breed in Latvia. Sadly, many are shot when migrating to Africa over Malta. The Lesser-Spotted, and the Greater Spotted along with the White-tailed. The White-tailed Eagles are the largest and are easily identified by their entirely white tail. They eat fish and water fowl – the latter of which – caused the HPAI outbreak in 2022. Some charts also identify the Osprey as an eagle in Latvia so you will see titles like ‘Six types of eagles live in Latvia’. I do not include Ospreys with eagles but some do!

My favourite Latvia White-tailed Eagle is Milda. I watched her nest when she was with her late mate, Ramis. She is now bonded with Voldis and they fledged two eaglets in 2023. Milda arrived at her nest in Durbe County on the 30th of January, too!

Sally is beginning to look a little ‘eggy’ at Moorings Park but, as of 1900 Tuesday the 30th there was no egg. Sally and Harry spent time at the nest on Tuesday.

The Royal Cam chick is really growing! We can clearly see it during feedings. 

Checking on Annie at The Campanile. She was calling from the scrape. You could see her on the ledge cam and then from inside the scrape. I am waiting to see if this new mate shows up. No. Annie left the scrape at 1701.

More Hen Harriers were illegally killed in 2023 than at any other time. Outrageous.

2023-confirmed-as-worst-year-for-persecution-of-Hen-Harriers-on-UK-grouse-moors-since-brood-meddlingDownload

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’Geemeff, J’, Humane Indiana Wildlife, IWS/Explore, Eagle Country, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, John Bunker Sands Wetlands Eagle Cam, FOBBV, ETSU Eagles, Owl Cam, Farmer Derek, Cal Falcons, LDF, Trine, Moorings Park, Lady Hawk, Cal Falcons, and Raptor Persecution UK.

Sunday in Bird World

28 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that your Saturday was a good one. In Winnipeg, it was the day to pick up cupcakes. They are a fundraiser for the Winnipeg Kitten Adoption and were made and donated by Bee’s Cakes. Missey gives them a thumb’s up! The owner loved our thank you so much that she is going to put Missey’s image on her website. How sweet. Missey is as sweet as that vanilla buttercream icing with sprinkles – so sweet that she let me trim her nails without a single flinch today. Now, let us see how Calico does tomorrow!

There were some worries at the John Bunker Wetlands Eagle nest that Mum was not feeding the newly hatched eaglet. (Remember that they can live for 24 hours on the food from the egg when they hatch.) The wind has really been blowing at the nest site and it sounded like hail, but I am told that is the rain hitting certain parts of the metal. Mum did feed that baby. A nice fish came in.

Feedings on Sunday morning. Hard to see because of the girders and the deep nest cup but a feeding is taking place!

Diane and Jack are making that Achieva Credit Union nest in St Petersburg pretty comfy. Eggs expected within the next fortnight. The way Diane is acting, we could have the first egg today or Monday.

At the nest with a Starling Sunday morning in St Petersburg.

No egg as of Saturday might at Moorings Park.

It can be argued that we always need more osprey platforms. Yes, sometimes they do not get used. Sometimes old ones are abandoned for new for various reasons including intruders and lack of fish. In Bellingham, Washington, USA, an Osprey couple wants to make a nest on an operational crane. The Port is hoping they will decide to use the new platform they are erecting. 

This happened in Manitoba and under the agreement with the five tribal councils involved in the Kesay Dam Project in our far north, the raptors got to keep their nest on the big forklift! It was deemed illegal to disturb the nest. Sometimes that part of the Migratory Bird Act is good.

Port-to-install-Osprey-nesting-platform-in-Bellingham-Bellingham-HeraldDownload

Eaglet or not. Gabby and Beau are a beautiful bonded couple and if a miracle could be found, I would hope that egg would hatch! I get the feeling that if it doesn’t, there will not be a second clutch, but, hey, surprise me Gabby.

What a relief to see that R6 is OK. Well, I say OK. R6 did consume enough of that nappy to worry onlookers. The PSs have been plentiful and have looked good, and let us hope that all that marvellous engineering of the crop and acid stomach switches on and relieves this 14-day-old eaglet of any ills that might have come its way because of human garbage.

R6 went to sleep with a really nice crop and with more fish on the nest for the morning breakfast! Relief. Relief.

E23 is really growing at the SW Florida nest. I love watching her grab the food from the parents when they are feeding. As you will have noted, the number of feedings has been greatly reduced, but the amount of intake is probably more now. This is one healthy eaglet losing its mohawk slowly, gaining clown feet and getting its juvenile feathers. Don’t you love the constant squeeing…

Every wonder about the GHOs that share the property with M15, F23, and E23?

And here is that video:

Cal and Lusa are doing just fine. Cal is standing and Clive might want to reinforce those rails! Meanwhile, Lusa likes to sit like a Buddha.

Liberty and Guardian look beautiful. They were at their nest in Redding, California Saturday.

Dr Sharpe has the West End streaming cam up and working. Thunder was at the nest this morning! They are still playing highlights at Two Harbours and Fraser Point.

I sure wish Jackie and Shadow had that nice soft nest of Jak and Audacity. Their camera is working fine.

It has rained at Cornell. Arthur was in earlier making a dash with a stick. Otherwise, life at the nest was quiet on Saturday.

No one was to be seen by the time Ferris Akel’s tour got to the Cornell Campus at Ithaca. Earlier in the tour, there were geese- some Canada Geese, some Tundra Swans, and some Snow Geese. There were also hundreds and hundreds of Redheads, a few male Scaup, and some Mallards at the south end of Cayuga Lake.

The male Scaup have the white along their wing. You can see five in the image below.

Ducks everywhere..my goodness. 

Snow Geese. You can identify them immediately by their black wing tips.

There were hundreds and hundreds of them – if not a thousand, flying in or already feeding.

Eagles, Red-headed Woodpeckers…it was a good day except for the heat shimmer.

And some Common Mergansers.

Precious egg at Big Bear. Every ounce of positivity you have – please send it to Jackie and Shadow so that their precious, precious egg/s will survive to hatch. These two deserve this and so do Jak and Audacity. It would be a great year – a year where we all jump up and down and scream – if either or both nests have a chick. 

Both eagles came to the ND-LEEF nest at South Bend – crisp temperatures of 36 F.

At Port Lincoln, Mum brought in the first fish of the day at 1337. Bradley took it.

It appears that both Marri and SE31 have left their nesting territories. I have seen no recent news of their presence. Please tell me if you have seen otherwise – thank you!

The Osprey Leadership Foundation is funding and teaching young people in West Africa about Ospreys. This is the first step in conservation. Thank you, OLF! 

Let’s get everyone to participate and overwhelm them with art bringing attention and supporting Albatrosses! I know that you can do it – seriously, you can or someone you know might. 

The joy – the sheer wonder – of looking close at your own garden or the nearest green space to where you live, the place you are most familiar.

Country-diary-A-rare-sighting-glimpsed-through-the-steam-of-my-coffee-Birds-The-GuardianDownload

Thank you so much for being with me today and for your lovely ‘get to feeling better’ wishes. I am still under the weather but it is a head cold and a runny nose. Is it an allergy? I will find out on the 8th. Take care of yourself. Stay safe, stay warm or cool, depending on where you are. We hope to see you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, Geemeff, MP’, NEFL-AEF, Bee’s Cakes, JB Wetlands, Achieva Credit Union, Moorings Park, The Bellingham Herald, WRDC, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Saunders Photography, Window to Wildlife, FORE, IWS/Explore, Cornell RTH Cam, @CornellHawks, Ferris Akel Tours, FOBBV, ND-LEEF, PLO, Gunjur Project, Holly Parsons, and The Guardian.

Tuesday in Bird World

9 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It is -21C on the Canadian Prairies. The cold weather has arrived. It was a good day to wake up to hot coffee and warm cardamon rolls out of the oven. LOL. The girls didn’t care! They wanted breakfast and story time before I started my day. Calico now ‘walks’ me out to the conservatory sofa to read. It is too funny. The cats have me fully trained. 

As you know, if you have read my blog over the summer of 2023, a large family of Crows lives in my neighbourhood. They bring their fledglings to the garden to get peanuts and for the bird bath, where they dunk their food and have baths. The numbers have decreased since the end of autumn, and I am worried about them. Today, I was happy, but simultaneously sad, to see a single crow at the corner waiting for another person who feeds birds. I know she specifically feeds the crows, but where are the others?

I have also been reading more about Crows, and if you are interested in the intelligence level of the members of the Corvid family include Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays, I have a book for you! It is called Bird Brains, and it is by Candace Savage. This is the latest edition from 2018. 

I was impressed by the writing that drew me in and made the new findings on this amazing species’ intelligence level relatable. The photographs are top-notch. (Sorry about the glare from the light)

The introduction included mention of anthropomorphism. Put simply it is ascribing human traits to animals. if, however, you study the behaviour of animals, the apologies of individuals such as many on chat for doing just that will more than irk you. 

Savage discusses the ‘ascription of meaningful intelligence to nonhuman creatures’ as problematic. She notes that at a point, scientists and researchers into behaviourist psychology who looked into memory, insights and thoughts stopped looking at nonhumans. Some had been tricked, and she noted that no one wanted to be embarrassed. It paused the subject of knowledge and intelligence…She notes that anyone who dared to state that nonhumans were intelligent was accused of the dreaded anthropomorphism. Savage’s entire book bunks the notion of ‘dumb animals’, stating that humans ‘have a lot invested in keeping animals dumb’ (19). Think about it – humans can treat animals any way they want if they believe they do not feel pain, have feelings, share emotions, solve problems, etc. Savage points to the research of many, including Irene Pepperberg from the University of Arizona, who concludes that Corvids are superbly intelligent, capable of identifying items by name, able to distinguish similarities and differences in objects, as well as ‘capable of acquiring complex vocal and nonvocal behaviours that many scientists believe are co-or prerequisites for referential communications’. Pepperberg, in her research, discovered that Corvids have the same cognitive capacities as primates. Indeed, their superior powers might be higher than primates (18).

If you are interested in avian behaviour and love the Corvid family or want to learn more about the intelligence of our feathered friends, this is an excellent book. It is well-written, wonderfully illustrated, and at a good price point. 

One of my favourite Corvids, the baby Blue Jay from the summer, came to visit the feeder on Monday. Delighted to see it!

The girls are doing great. The plumbers were here again today – they will be finishing up tomorrow – and I could not ask for better behaviour. They all stayed out of the way of any danger!

Missey has a new sleeping spot. It is on top of one of the tallest cabinets – almost touching the ceiling – next to a carved cat on a skateboard that my late friend, Charlie Scott, made. Missey is very smart. What a safe place and out of the way of Calico. They do not always get along. I would say they tolerate one another.

Hugo Yugo and Calico slept on the cat tree together, ignoring the workers who dumped the vanity behind them piled with anything and everything.

I was so delighted when ‘AM’ sent me some beautiful images they had taken of Blake Kites near their home in Japan.

Nature Japan gives us some information on one of the country’s most beautiful raptors: ”The Black Kite or “Tobi” トビ as it is known in Japanese is a common sight in the skies throughout Japan. This raptor is thought to be the world’s most abundant bird of prey. Its numbers are healthy and is under no threat.

This bird can be mainly found in Eurasia, Australasia, Oceania and is a year-round resident here in Japan. You can see this powerful looking bird often soaring in the thermals high above coastal areas, rivers and lakes. I’ve also seen them in farming areas throughout the Kansai region of Japan. They are very graceful flyers that soar with ease and turn with precision.

Male and female Black Kites look very similar and are very opportunistic hunters. They prey upon fish, rodents, and other birds. They are also known to scavenge which is one of the reasons they are so successful a species. I have watched them dive towards the ocean plucking fish from the water and I have also seen them dive-bomb people at highway rest stops trying to steal their rice balls and bento box lunches.” Their only predator is the Eurasian Eagle-owl. “This powerful owl can easily pick off even adult Black Kites and can sometimes be found in northern parts of Hokkaido (common throughout Europe and other parts of Asia).”

Wilde Nature gives us the size variations for these birds of prey: “The Black-eared Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey, measuring about 45–55 centimetres in length with a wingspan of up to 150 centimetres. The distinguishing feature of this subspecies is the black patch of feathers on the sides of the head, located behind the eyes, which gives it its name. Its eyes are dark brown; its bill is short and hooked. The outer wing feathers are black, with dark crossbars and a mottled base. The underparts are pale brown and become lighter towards the chin. The body feathers have a dark shaft, giving it a striped appearance. The corner of the mouth is yellow, but the bill is black. Male and female birds look the same, but females are slightly longer with a larger wingspan.”

Black-eared Kites are opportunistic hunters and feed on various prey such as small mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles. They are often seen soaring high in the air on thermal updrafts, effortlessly gliding while searching for potential prey on the ground.

Thank you ‘AM’ for allowing us to share these beautiful images of the kites.

Look at this beautiful White-tailed Eagle that visited one of Finland’s Osprey (Selli Island) nests on Monday. Gorgeous.

Connie with C10 and C11 today. Note more dandelions are missing! There are pin feathers coming in along the wing tips.

‘A’ comments on these little eaglets: ”Speaking of having enormous appetites, so does CE10, who is absolutely massive in comparison to baby brother CE11. I am still not entirely sure that CE10 has the temperament of a female, but certainly she has the physical characteristics of one. Little CE11 seems to eat his fill most of the time, but she can eat SO much more. Today, both of them had very big crops mid-afternoon (of course CE10’s was larger), and then Connie came in and CE10 was fed the majority of a good-sized speckled trout! CE11 lifted his head from his afternoon nap and initially decided not to bother, but about 20 minutes later, he eventually got up and made his way to the table, by which stage you might have expected CE10 to have long since fallen into a food coma, but no, she was continuing to eat, so that CE11 still had to wait some time to get perhaps a dozen mouthfuls out of the entire fish. CE11 is definitely getting enough to eat, but CE10 is bottomless. She is making no specific effort to prevent CE11 from eating, and has not really done so at any point in their development. She eats and eats and eats, while CE11 is a confident eater but not a pushy eaglet at the table. Occasionally, when big sibling is asleep, CE11 gets a quiet private feeding, usually from Connie, but the size differential continues to grow between the two eaglets. Fortunately, there has been no real food shortage (except one day where there was an inkling of ‘hungry’ experienced on the nest). The bonking has been minimal throughout (and instigated often by CE11, who has been prepared to look his older sibling in the eye from an early age, despite the inevitable results). “

‘J’ has a reminder: Today is also Connick’s first birthday. Connie and Clive’s 2023 hatch will be the Ambassador at the Smithsonian. Maybe you will be able to travel to see him!

Changing before our eyes. Thanks for the close-ups, cam op.

Faxinating caught the whole fish drop to F23 for her and E23 today – we all cheer when the Dad doesn’t eat the head, but we also cringe when the fish flops everywhere. Not to cause alarm, but these live fish have killed eaglets and Osplets. (more on SW Florida below)

Tonya Irwin reports on the action at the Kistachie National Forest E1 nest that Louis shared with his late mate, Anna.

Not a lot of action at the nest of Beau and Gabby. I really hope Gabby is getting to eat enough. It looks like Beau is busy with the defence of their territory.

All is well with M15, F23, and E23 at the SW Florida Eagle nest after the earlier fish delivery. Dad stopped in before bedtime to feed the cutie pie some fish.

The Great Horned Owls are nesting at the Hilton Head nest it seems.

On their social media page, the Hilton Head Island Land Trust posted a short video of the male bringing prey and being in the nest with the female. You can see the two eggs.

Meanwhile at the nest of Bonnie and Clyde on Farmer Derek’s property in Kansas, it is snowing. No sign of the owls.

Just northeast of Kansas, in Iowa, the snow is coming down in Decorah, home to the Decorah North Bald Eagle family as well as the Hatchery Bald Eagle Family.

Snow was also coming down on the Denton Home Nest.

Baiba caught Blazer going after a squirrel coming up to the Eagle Country nest where he is incubating his and Abby’s eggs.

At Port Lincoln, Gil got himself a really nice fish off the nest. This is not just any fish – this is a delivery by the fish fairy at 0938.

The lads have been fighting for the fish and today Gil was the clear winner until…

Mum came in with a really large fish at 1344. The lads struggled. Gil had a nice crop – come on, Gil. Let Brad eat! Brad was hungry and got that fish and really enjoyed it. Well done, Brad.

‘A’ sends the report for the WBSE: “January 9: Early this morning, just one eagle was spotted at the river, moving between roosts. Just before 9am, SE31 was finally seen soaring high above the wetlands and the river. Then, at 9:15am, she was at River Roost with Lady, both flying back and forth a bit. At 9:20am, SE31 took flight, followed by Lady, up high, circling then off over Homebush Bay. Neither had returned at 10:15am. Just after 12 noon, SE31 was seen at River Roost, but no parents. But then we heard that at 11:06am, she had been seen catching a fish shortly after returning from her flight with Lady. At 4:30pm, one adult was seen at River Roost, and it then flew off to the west. Shortly after, at 5pm, both adults were spotted on the island, then SE31 was seen there as well.” 

BirdGuides review of the week for the UK, including some unusual finds.

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Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretative Centre is closed for renovations, but they have some online events for people living in my province. Want to know where to go birding? Check this virtual information session on the 14th of January from 1300-1400.

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

I would like to thank the following who also helped me with my blog today: ’A, AM, J’, Nature Japan, Wilde Nature, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Window to Wildlife, Faxinating, Tonya Irwin, Carol Shores Rifkin, Hilton Head Island Trust, Farmer Derek, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Denton Homes, Baiba, PLO, Bart M, Eagle Cam, Bird Guides, and Oak Hammock Marsh Wetland Centre.

Sadness and Hope…Monday in Bird World

11 December 2023

Good Morning,

I hope that you are all well. I am here a little earlier than I expected because Hugo is doing so well. Our blogs might be a little shorter – one because there is not a lot of news and secondly, Hugo continues to require a huge effort in terms of trying to get her health where it should be. I appreciate your patience and all of your good luck messages – they do mean so much to me!

I took a wee break in-between feedings to go for a short walk and to pick up some solid suet cylinders for the birds. the Starlings continue to come in numbers between 25-35 every day. The Sharp-shinned hawk seems to visit at least once a day and the remainder are two lovely little woodpeckers, Little Red, Dyson and her gang, and a rabbit! Oh, it is so grand looking out when it is so dark and cold and seeing a rabbit eating under the feeders. The Boyfriend has been here and he even had some of the girls’ roast chicken dinner. The Crows are in for a treat tomorrow when they will get some chicken and a lot of bones and skin.

This was Sunday afternoon at the nature centre. As you can see, we have a little bit of snow. I love it when it is white and clean.

I have missed all of you, and I am so sorry to have worried those who did not know I had paused my blog for a few days to take extra special care of Hugo. Miss Hugo. She has been fed every 2 hours from early morning to late night with some FloriFauna probiotics added. She eats kitten food and kitten milk, and tonight, roast organic chicken together with her sisters, Missey, Calico, and Hope. It was like living in the UK again – the Sunday roast!

Hugo has been a challenge. She left the foster home, and she was not thriving. Hugo was sick. It was apparent later that night and earlier the following morning. I have some serious concerns about foster kitten care when there are too many fosters to monitor their health routinely and to be able to observe them individually. My fear, of course, was the three healthy sisters. Hugo was swept off to the vet on Thursday morning. She weighed 860 grams, and on examination, the vet said she was 7-8 weeks old (by her teeth). 860 grams is undoubtedly within the weight range, but Hugo was thin. You could feel her bones. I remain astounded – and will probably talk about this forever – at how healthy Hope was living on the street. Yes, the stray cat’s kitten was healthier than this little one!
Of course, I fell in love with the little boy who turned out to be a little girl. She is a gentle soul that purrs loudly and loves to be carried and nestle on your chest. We will get over her health issues. She is gaining weight, and tonight, she ate more roast chicken than her sisters. She is on the mend, and I even found some time to bring myself – and you – up to date on what is happening in Bird World because of her improvement.

Missey is so happy. Since Lewis died, she has so longed to play, and now she has a playmate, little Hugo. They are enjoying a new tunnel. Hugo is fast and not afraid of anything. She sends Calico and Hope running in the other direction when she hisses at them. It is hilarious that Calico is a street cat (or at least she was for several months). Calico and Hope were a twosome, and Missey was left out, and now – well, it is tears of joy when I see these two. Missey is going to pop up in the centre of the tunnel.

Hugo ate all of that roast chicken! We have gained 180 grams! (She was 860 Thursday morning). We crossed the 1000 gram marker.

Calico got to enjoy some catnip. They all need the same or a special treat just for them. No one wants to feel left out.

Missey staring at Calico enjoying that catnip.

Missey and Hope (Hugo is there somewhere) enjoying the new little robot toy. Hope ran around for about 10 minutes chasing the laser dot. Good exercise. Missey liked the feather toy at the end of the fishing pole.

Beautiful Hope.

Hugo seems to be so much better this morning. She went flying through the house – she is very quick! No hint of any illness just wanting someone to give her breakfast and get on with playing! Calico is officially off her calming medication as it caused her to gain weight. There is enough space, toys, cat trees, food, and love to go around along with story and play time. So hopeful that all will be well and Hugo will be a distraction for Calico when she focuses on Missey.

The 2023 breeding season with the Bald Eagles is starting very rocky. We believe that Smitty is lost. He has not been seen at the NCTC nest of Bella since September 21/22. A young male has been around the nest. Martin at Dulles-Greenway has been missing for at least a fortnight. Andria has now died. Her seizures were seen on the streaming cam, and the last one caused her to fall to her death – some 150 feet. Andria’s body was retrieved, and Cody and Steve will reveal the findings of the necroscopy to all of us. It was a tragedy – a real tragedy. Alex saw Andria’s dead body. Still, his hormones drive him to incubate the two eggs that would have hatched next week. They are believed to be unviable. A short time later, Anna laid her first egg at the E1 nest she shares with her mate, Louis, in the Kisatchie Forest. There are now two eggs at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose. M15 and F23 continue to incubate their eggs, and, sadly, Pepe and Muhlady lost egg #1 – the cause and circumstances are unclear. These two are great parents, so we all hope they have a super healthy eaglet inside egg 2. A real roller coaster of feelings runs through all that news.

Elfruler Elf put together some information for us to help us understand what is happening at the nest with Alex.

Alex continues to incubate his eggs and fight off an intruder. He will eventually give up – oh, goodness, I hope that these eggs do not hatch. He cannot manage alone at this young age. Maybe if they were a month old like E21 and 22 last year for M15.

Hatch watch at Superbeaks.

Ron and Rose enjoying their incubation time. They now have two.

Ron sees his second egg.

Connie and Clive continue to incubate their two eggs and everything appears to be well. We are a week away from hatch watch for thee two at Captiva.

Poor Gabby. V3 is still working on his technique! I am starting to think that we are going to need a miracle here. Anyone make instructional videos for male Bald Eagles????

I continue to worry about the owls at the nest of M15 and F23.

Pa and Missey Berry have an egg! So happy for these two.

In Australia, at Orange, Holly Parsons had always believed that the surviving eyas was Marri not Barru and it turns out that she was right. Marri has perfected her flying so much that she has now been able to land in the scrape box chasing Mum Diamond out!

SK Hideaways caught Marri returning to the scrape – loud and triumphant.

Cilla has her, too!

At Port Lincoln, fish have been brought in by boat and ringing is upon us. Lots of votes are in guessing the gender (just remember that Calypso was declared a female by those measurements and turned out to be a male – LOL, not unlike Hugo who turned out to be one of the small percentages of Gingers.

Six fish came to the nest from the fairy today. These are the most beautiful osplets. May they fly strong and live long.

These two will be ringed but not while the heavy rain is at the barge – and then only when the bander is available. Perhaps the 12th. Thank you to the Fish Fairies and all who supported them. Look at those two healthy osplets who are going to get their rings and their back packs. And thanks again to Bart for making certain that the information on the observation board was thorough and up to date.

‘A’ comments, “Tomorrow (Tuesday 12 December) is banding day at Port Lincoln. They plan to use falcon hoods to keep chick two’s feisty nature under some sort of control (they fear he might take off someone’s arm otherwise – I do adore that osplet) and are going to leave a nice pile of fish for the family afterwards. Mum escorted the fish fairy’s craft to the barge today. Too funny. I still wonder whether the fish fairy will come to be seen as a friend rather than something to fear on that nest. We will see how the family reacts to the fish being left on the barge nearby after the banding. But certainly mum and the osplets know which side their fish is buttered, so to speak. They know and are coming to love the fish fairies. Still, they are wild birds, and it is very obvious. Those piercing eyes are just amazing, aren’t they? And those crests and the necklaces. Amazing-looking birds. “

Check out the observation board to see who thinks what gender these two are. ‘A’ thinks we have two males, “I think we probably have two males on this nest. I am convinced that our younger hatch is a male. Giliath could be female, I suppose, based on size, but is too laid back in my opinion for a female and the size differential seemed to reduce as the osplets grew older, so that now, there is only a very minimal size discrepancy between them. What is your gender guess? I suppose everyone is reluctant to commit after the Calypso debacle.” — Well, unless we witness later behaviour, or DNA, it will never be 100% certain – using measurements only.

I said male-male on the 17th of November. Let’s see if I get egg on my face. I do not believe Giliath is a male although #2 from its aggression could well be the female, if there is one.

The fear of Bird flu and its impact continues to alarm us after devastating losses over the past two years.

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Please consider taking part in any of the many Christmas Bird counts this year.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. We hope to see you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, B, H, J, L, SP’, Elruler Elf, KNF-E3, Superbeaks, WRDC, HeidiMc, Window to Wildlife, Lady Hawk, Lin Lawson, Helen Matcham, Cilla Kinross, SK Hideaways, PLO, Bart, M, The Guardian, and Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey.

Thursday in Bird World

23 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

Thank you so much for your kind get-well messages for Hope. She was at the clinic at 0730 and home at 1645. Hope was terrific on the way and home but she was so frightened by the entire experience. I find that Hope and Calico are different from Missey. Those Maine Coons are nothing but ‘chill’. Hope is in the little office with soft blankets, a hiding tent, a heated bed, food, litter and toys – plus heat. I have turned the lights off. When she got home, she smelled like the vet clinic, and that started Missey and Calico hissing, so, to allow Hope to have some peace and calm, I may keep her in there overnight. Everything went well. She was just unnerved by the entire event, which is understandable. She only knew ‘the wild’ with Calico under a dark porch and our house, so it was all new. — Well, fast forward five hours. Despite being hungry – Hope is a good eater – she would not touch her food or treats. She continued to cower in the corner, so I said enough. I fixed all the food and treats on a tray called my usual ‘Calico, Kitty Kitty’ and escorted Hope into the conservatory with her Mamma, where there was a bottom sniff and lots of rubbing between the pair. I could feel the happiness. Hope was hanging like a monkey from the cat tree when I looked back, which she should not have been doing within minutes. She had shown some interest in the packet that the food was in but would she eat? We will see. Happiness and contentment are being with Mamma! That will help her heal if my little busy body doesn’t rip those stitches out! Hopefully, she will stay lower to the ground but a final peek and there she is on the top rung of the cat tree with Calico in the chair below. She looks very content.

I am very grateful to everyone at Fixing Feral Felines, the staff, and Dr Torske at the Tuxedo Animal Hospital. They took such excellent care of Hope. I discovered that Fixing Feral Felines spayed or neutered over 300,000 cats in Manitoba in 2023, and it isn’t even the end of the year—my goodness. That is a huge effort to get these needy fur balls into loving homes.

More Canada Geese were flying over as I drove to the clinic. Perhaps another 50 or 75. It looked like they were headed towards the nature centre. We have no snow. Not a speck anywhere, even in the shade. It is -6 C, so chilly. Tomorrow, the high is forecast to be 0 C (32 F) with a low of -9 C. We get progressively colder during the rest of the week. It was wonderful to see a Blue Jay at the feeder. It looks like Junior is the only one that is staying here. I cannot imagine the others – 13 at my corner in the two nests – all succumbing to demise. They do migrate, but they don’t always. Junior has stayed in previous years, while the others have left to return in April. The Starlings were eating furiously at the peanut cylinder, and Dyson and one of the kits were frantically stuffing seeds into their cheeks.

And before I forget, to everyone celebrating Thanksgiving in the US on Thursday, have a wonderful day with friends, family, and colleagues – take the time just to be thankful to be alive and be smiling. We have so much to be grateful for – I am thankful for your empathy and compassion for the non-human living souls that occupy our planet with us. I wish we could spread that love and understanding worldwide like the seeds of a dandelion blowing on a windy day.

Lady and Dad were soaring over the Parramatta River. Beautiful footage.

SeMcGregor posted another image of the juvenile on the banks of the Parramatta River. Fantastic to see them. So grateful to those on the ground for sharing the images which are so reassuring.

At the Port Lincoln barge, Mum flew off and in a blink – or that is what it felt like – she returned with a fish. The time was approximately 12:48. The kids were pretty happy! Beak cleaning at 13:22.

There was some chatter about Dad. Mum clearly sees a fish in a special place and quickly goes and hooks it with her talons. Maybe Dad fishes in a different place. Clearly we do not know but, if this is ‘original’ Dad as we now assume, it is possible that the seizure type behaviour he exhibited in an earlier year has impacted him. The dives for fish are strenuous. What we do know is that the Fish Fairy has saved this nest and Mum’s contributions are also critical to the success.

The fish fairy delivered another partially prepared Trevally and a Red Mullet – what a nice treat for Mum -.

These babies are getting so steady on their feet! Looks like there will be lots of fish left for everyone.

The eating times have not been recorded on the observation board but the time and notes of the two fish deliveries so far have been. No doubt there will be other entries. The observation board information can be found under the streaming cam information if you haven’t located it.

Lovely images of a juvenile at Orange taken by Cilla Kinross.

Gosh, it is pretty quiet in the nests. Imagine, if you can, that 4 or 5 nests might lay their first egg on the same day. No one appears to be rushing to take over that 4th spot although eyes are still on the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23.

Gabby is serious!

Rose and Ron are getting friendly.

There is officially a second egg for Alex and Andria. Thanks, ‘H’ for the heads up. First seen at 1806.

In California, at The Campanile, Lou finds himself with a female floater. Annie would certainly help this young lady find her way out of her territory.

Oh, no. There are concerns for Milda, the White-tail Eagle’s mate, Voldis, from the Durbe County nest.

It is the holiday season for many, many people of various faiths. It is also the time of year when so many are reaching out for donations. At the same time, it is a challenging year for many people worldwide. The cost of groceries is estimated to have increased by 28-30%. Many cannot afford to make a donation or take on an adoption. But remember, if you know someone who wishes to help, there are many other ways! Our vet centre just called for clean old sheets (well, of course, they could be new). Sheets, clean old towels, you name it…it can be used. Putting out that water bowl will help many animals live – a cup of cat kibble helps the feral cats.
Volunteer to drive injured animals to the wildlife rehab centre, help with a fundraiser – and share your talents in other ways. It isn’t always money. If you are creative and want to teach your children how to help birds while having fun, gather some pine cones on your walks (if it is possible). Find a source of suet (local butcher, perhaps). Melt the suet. Dip the pine cones in the suet and roll them in birdseed. Safely attach them to a branch so your children (and cats) can watch the birds enjoy the food. Missey will help me find some recipes for homemade bird treats this weekend…stay tuned.

Lots of adoption notices are being sent out as fundraisers this time of year. Do you love Kakapo? Do you want to help with their care? You can adopt a Kakapo.

Look what showed up in the Shetland Islands and it isn’t a film crew.

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Decorations are just an unnecessary problem for wildlife—all those balloons, the Halloween netting, and now holiday lights. I would love to see signs that said I donated to the wildlife rehabilitation clinic or a charity helping the homeless feed their pets instead of putting up decorations that will be up for 6-8 weeks max. Think about it.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, articles, posts, photographs, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘H’, SeMcGregor, PLO, Cilla Kinross, Carol Shores Rifkin, Gracie Shepherd, HeidiMc, KNF-E3, SK Hideaways, Biruta Papa, Kakapo Recovery, BirdGuides, and Greenwood Wildlife.

KNF-E3 has its second egg, Waba is in Sudan…Tuesday in Bird World

21 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

November is always a very challenging month for me. Do you have those months when good and bad events are all clumped together? My mother was born on the 26th of November, and my beloved grandmother died on the 26th. My mother died just shy of the 26th – on the 24th. I had flown down for a big birthday bash. It had been less than two months since I had seen her, but I was in for a shock. She knew things were not going well, so instead of having all her still-living friends meet us for a big birthday bash at her favourite restaurant, she asked me to cancel and get her a burger and fries from Sonic.
We spent the afternoon of the 20th writing her holiday cards, putting on the stamps, and getting them in the post. She always said she wanted to live to be a 100 – she died two days shy of 90 years. Reflecting back. Congestive Heart Failure was a blessing. No pain. Just a slow slipping away. She was an interesting woman. It took me til recently to fully appreciate her. I would love to sit down and have a long conversation with her. She was not like the mother of any of my friends. IT would be much later that I would hear the term ‘Tiger Mum’. My mother was that – and I am eternally grateful, although I don’t think I appreciated it then. I went off on a tangent. Apologies. Our parents profoundly impact us, and we all recognise that there are days or months we think of them more than others. Today (I am writing this at 18:24 on the 20th), twelve years ago, she and I were writing cards to all her friends. We never said anything but we both knew they would be the last ones she ever sent. We made sure they were gorgeous and sparkly.

Well, here we are so far! Superbeaks. Captiva. Kistachie National Forest E-3. So now, who is going to be next?

Oh, there is such good news. Karl II’s offspring, Waba, made it through the kibbutz in Israel and is in the Sudan!

Alex and Andria, the Bald Eagles at the Kisatchie National Forest E-3 nest, have their first egg. So – Superbeaks, Captiva, and Kistachie E-3!

The camera was down so we did not know when Andria laid the first egg. Tonya Irwin had a poll on the chat and I missed it altogether. Remember I said do not place bets on things like I do – I am usually wrong. Well, here we are in the pitching rain and it looks like Andria has laid the second egg at 18:51:24 or close to it. The eggs are four days apart just like last season according to Irwin.

The other good news is that Nancy and Beau were on the MN-DNR Eagle Cam by the old nest tree. You might recall that Nancy was the mate of Harry who is presumed dead. She bonded with Beau. They had a single surviving eaglet that was killed when the nest collapsed last year due to heavy snow.

Mum and the Osplets are waiting for Dad or the fish fairy! The chicks were digging in the nest early. Did they find a leftover?

They are still waiting but gosh, golly. These osplets are so cute and standing so well on that uneven stick nest!

Itchy.

Still waiting.

The osplets are so well-behaved. Still waiting.

Dad arrives with a headless fish at 13:24. Good for you, Dad.

Wow. Then the fish fairy shows up with a monster size fish and it has been slit so that the osplets can practice their self-feeding. Great insights, Fish Fairy! Mum is munching away – letting the kids nibble.

Mum is getting a good feed. This is wonderful.

Heidi Mc got the feeding on video – check it out. Much better than stills!

‘A’ sends us the observation board from Port Lincoln:

If you have wanted to donate money for the Fish Fairy at Port Lincoln and have had difficulties, there is now a PayPal button to make this easier.

There is also news of Ervie although there were no photographs. So reassuring that he is flying around fishing and continuing to come into Port Lincoln! Go Ervie!!!!!

At Orange, Diamond slept on the ledge of the scrape. Xavier came in later. Maybe for a rest after a prey delivery? Talons look bloody.

There was some lovely bonding in the scrape with Diamond and Xavier.

‘A’ gives us some sad news: “The important news comes from Orange, where big sister Marri has not been sighted for nearly a week now. I kept saying that there was no definite ID of the juvenile that has frequently been seen on the roof of the water tower, often with a parent nearby. I believed that juvenile to be Barru. So it seems I was right about that, though I am not happy about it. I was hoping that we were seeing both juveniles, sometimes one, sometimes the other. But no. Apparently Cilla has not seen Marri since the day after she fledged, which is horrible news. I cannot countenance the theory that she has ‘already left the area’ because she has not learnt to hunt, and hunting for a peregrine is not a matter of finding some road kill! So I have been super worried about Marri for a week. It surprises me though, given how strong she was and how well she was flying. We can only hope she is smarter than we think and has somehow been able to get food for herself. Still, it is more likely that she has come to a sticky end – we never found Rubus’s body either, so that’s no indicator. Now we have to pin our hopes on Barru. Perhaps female chicks are never going to come out of this scrape. “

At the Parramatta River, there was a sighting of an eaglet.

Rohan Geddes just posted these images from the other day. I have still not seen any indication that both juveniles have been seen simultaneously. So the question is: Like Orange, is there only one?

The latest news from Kielder of Blue 432 in Senegal:

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Sunday night was apparently ‘owless’ at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest…isn’t that wonderful? I do hope I got the gossip right. Here M15 has brought his lady a lovely meal.

M15 and F23 have arrived at the nest tree and are both in the nest. Will they thwart the GHOs?

The GHO attacked with talons out!

Why do GHOs attack Eagles?

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Some of you will remember Bonnie and Clyde that took over the Bald Eagle nest on Farmer Derek’s property. Here is a video of them this month with a juvie at that same nest.

V3 and Gabby have been at the nest tree. V3 was caught on one of the cameras chasing off an intruder. Wouldn’t we all love it if all the eagles – young and old – would leave Gabby and V3 alone? I do not recall this happening when Samson was king of his natal nest. Does anyone?

They always seem tense – either alerting or watching for intruders. Does it cause difficulties for breeding? Stress?

Rose and Ron have a nice nest coming at the WRDC. Just look. A little Greenery, too.

Bella at the NCTC Bald Eagle Nest. Where is Smitty? Was he here? Bella was doing chortles.

Bella had to defend her nest alone on Monday.

An eagle at Decorah Hatchery.

Did Louis and Anna hope to be Alex and Andria laying the first egg? Sorry you two!

It was windy at the NTSU nest of Boone and Jolene in Johnson City, Tennessee. I am certain they love the wind more than humans would rocking around in a nest high above the ground. LOL.

Gosh, isn’t that setting sun on Big Bear Lake simply gorgeous? Jackie and Shadow came to the nest to enjoy it and check on needed improvements.

Want to see Condors released into the wild? Here is the information to catch all the action and find out what is happening with the Big Sur and Pinnacle colonies. You will have to go to the website of the Ventana Wildlife Society to sign-up for the Zoom chats. They happen every month.

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

I want to thank the following for their notes, videos, streaming cams, posts, and articles that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H’, Maria Marika, Joanna Dailey, Tonya Irwin, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, Trudi Iron, MN-DNR, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Holly Parsons, Sharon Pollock, HeidiMc, Kathryn Palmer, Lady Hawk, Androcat, Woodsy Wisdom, NEFL-AEF, WRDC, NCTC Eagle Cam, Deb Stecyk, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, NTSU Eagle Cam, FOBBV, and the Ventana Wildlife Society.

News of Blue KWO…Monday in Bird World

20 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Sunday was another glorious day on the Canadian Prairies. So many people were at the park. There were even barbecues and picnics happening. One thing I really noticed was that everyone had a smile and said ”hello”.

There were 28 Mallards and 2 Canada Geese enjoying all the pond plants in the pond. Some were munching on seeds that visitors were tossing. I did not see anyone giving bread to the waterfowl, only approved seeds. How grand. And not a single duck was rescued that had Angel Wing. Glorious.

The kittens had a lovely day, too, and Calico was playing with Hope just as she used to. Oh, it was marvellous to see! It felt like a huge weight was lifted when she romped with the other two! Yes, Missey, too.

Calico loves catnip! Oh, she was so happy. She rubbed the catnip all over her face and then rolled in it.

Calico’s face just glows now that she feels better. Her eyes sparkle. Thank goodness for antibiotics.

Hope melts my heart. She is now scheduled for her surgery on the 22nd of November. That is this coming Wednesday. Thank you, Fixing Feral Felines!

This is Hope, but if you blink, you might think it is Calico.

Missey was watching the Blue Jays on Cat TV. Her fur has gotten so thick even though she is a house cat. She is the most gentle soul even though she looks like she could tackle anything that came near her.

Life is good in Cat World.

I have received news from Michael St John in Barbados that he spotted Blue KWO Sunday morning soaring in the thermals with a companion. Could this be the start of a love affair in the Caribbean for our ‘lost’ British Osprey? You will recall that Blue KWO left the UK in August 2022 and is spotted in Barbados by Michael. So happy that this osprey is safe! Barbados will take very good care of her.

At Port Lincoln, Mum found the tail of that big Trevally and fed it to the youngsters very early. It is there on the right and then in the next image it is gone. She is feeding the babes. What a great Mum she is.

Look at those feathers…the heads, the cute little tails. Giliath and #2 looking out to the world they will conquer before the end of the year. They are getting stronger on their feet.

Look at that sweet little bottom. It looks like a miniature Turkey!!!!!! Oh, gosh.

They are cute. They are also hard to see in that nest – they blend in so well.

It is 13:56 nest time and no fish yet. Thank goodness for that little morning snack.

The fish fairy came! Dad caught a fish. The observation board is at the bottom under the images.

There is news from Sydney about the sea eaglets!

It is V3 for Gabby. They spent the night at the nest tree and then worked on the nest, adding some seasonal greenery on Sunday. Lots of chortling is happening.

Chortling is not an alert call. They are making a sound that shows happiness, pleasure, and satisfaction. Like I said – they are a loving pair!

Attempted mating at the NE Florida nest.

Things are not improving at SW Florida where the GHOs have knocked F23 off the branch twice already on Sunday evening. This is not a good situation and believe me, the Bald Eagles do not always win in these battles. GHOs are formidable enemies to have and they are at the top of the food chain. Their silent flight and strong legs and talons – and some might say their persistence – often plays out in their favour.

The NCTC nest of Bella (and Smitty?) is unsettled, also. Is this Smitty? or is it someone else?

Turkey vultures are visiting the NCTC nest, too!

Boone has been adding sticks to the Johnson City Bald Eagle nest on Sunday.

At the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose, Ron spent the night on a nest branch and started some early morning cleaning.

An adult at the Duke Farms nest on Sunday.

Martin and Rosa were at the Dulles-Greenway nest on Sunday.

Definitely not an Osprey but wouldn’t it be grand for herons to nest here?!

Birds are adapting to climate change by breeding earlier in certain locations. Why not the Cuckoo?

Cuckoos-clocks-cant-adjust-to-climate-change-–-now-we-know-why-BTO-British-Trust-for-OrnitholoDownload

How do wind farms impact our beloved Terns (and other seabirds)?

Avoidance-of-offshore-wind-farms-by-Sandwich-Terns-in-the-North-Sea-increases-with-turbine-density-Download

This graphic touched my heart. We have had many issues with people photographing wildlife – shaking trees to try and make the owls wake up and fly away – in Winnipeg. It is out of hand and very selfish – for a photograph! When photographing wildlife, please be respectful and remind others to do the same. Not just owls…

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, graphics, photographs, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H, MSJ’, PLO, Kathryn Palmer, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk, Deb Stecyk, Johnson City Eagle Cam, WRDC, Duke Farms, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, Heidi Mc, Bro, and Black Swamp Bird Conservatory.

Beautiful Big Red…Sunday in Bird World

19 November 2023

Hi Everyone,

Saturday was a fantastic day on the Canadian Prairies. 6 degrees C. Snow melting. Blue sky. Bright sunshine. Happy people. I dropped off the pet food donations, picked up some Salmon Oil for Calico (and, of course, all the girls will get it along with the Cod Liver Oil and Lysine), and headed straight to the nature centre for a walk. My neighbour stopped me as I was leaving, wondering if we would get punished in January for all this nice weather…it made me think that we cannot wait to go outside on a nice day; it is a nice day. Go for it!

The girls and I are almost finished reading Margaret Renkl’s book, The Comfort of Crows. Every chapter reminds us to ‘live’. Renkl is just turning 60, and she understands that she has lived most of her life and ponders the shortness of time she has left. Renkl reminds us to slow down – to stop with the meaningless tasks we set before ourselves. To live a meaningful life not one full of just business.

Here is a quote from one of the chapters the girls and I read today: “During the funeral, when my friend spoke about her parents’ long marriage….In her eulogy, my friend reminded us of how much her father had loved to sail:  “He always said that he felt at peace when sailing, where it was serene and quiet”, she said.  “I now appreciate that he enjoyed those days on the boat because the family was together without being in a hurry.”  Instantly, I thought about those Post-it notes stuck all over my house.  How had I allowed myself to become so busy? How long had it been since I’d spent a day in the sun, eating sandwiches from a cooler and watching water ripple across the surface of a lake? Why do I so often behave as though there will be unlimited days to sit quietly with my own beloveds, listening to birdsong and wind in the pines? (129).

That is why I continued on to the nature centre today. To see the squirrels running around, to watch the one hanging on the bird feeder trying to pry out a peanut, to stop and listen to the chickadees. There is so much beauty that surrounds us. You just have to stop and listen. You can do this by simply standing outside your door or walking to the nearest green space. Sometimes, opening a window and letting the fresh air in brings contentment. Today, when I closed my eyes in the forest and took a deep breath, the smell of the damp leaves, some beginning to decompose, was so very lovely. For you see, it is impossible to smell those leaves beneath the snow!!!!!!

I am sure you do not think this looks like winter! One of the things about living on the prairies is the huge sky – the landscape is horizontal. Many modernist Canadian artists focused entirely on the tiny strip of land and the huge sky that is the hallmark of where we live.

There were three Canada Geese. The lake has only a thin sheet of ice in a couple of places. The smaller ponds are melting and there is plenty of food for geese and ducks available. There was the usual banditry of Black-capped chickadees so named as a group because they look like they have black bandanas or are wearing a mask, a single White-breasted Nuthatch, and numerous squirrels, both Red and Grey.

The chart below shows that we are above normal temperatures for this time of year.

Today I hope to get to another park where I am told the ducks are still paddling!

Thank you for your good wishes for Calico. She seems much improved and has been running around the house – something she has not done in a week!

The girls had their lunch and then it was time to ready for a nap. Calico and Missey were in the conservatory and Hope was in Missey’s basket in the sitting room. They love to curl up and stay warm – even with the temperatures outside, the oven has been on and the central heating hasn’t (the thermostat is right by the oven – bad design). Their heated beds arrive on Monday! Just in time for any dip in temperatures.

It is so peaceful. The Feliway continues to work, and there are no hissing or stalking behaviours that I have seen. Calico and Missey can sleep within a few feet of one another, and Calico is no longer concerned when Hope is playing with Missey. Smiling.

There are several videos of Diamond and Xavier feeding a fledgling on top of the tower. As at Sydney, it is not confirmed if both fledglings are being seen or if there is only one. Send positive wishes for both Marri and Barru as well as 31 and 32 – we hope that we are seeing both at each area.

The latest one, from SK Hideaways, is second..

‘A’s report for Orange: “The parents had a lengthy bonding session, which I believe was at about 16:11:05. (These two have had bonding sessions lasting up to four hours, though I think Xavier fell asleep during some of the longer ones!) But they are taking advantage of some adult time. Meanwhile, at least one of the juveniles has been spotted sitting on the roof of the water tower, where we saw at least one yesterday. I am unsure whether both juveniles have been positively ID’d or not. At least one of the fledglings is strong enough to fly to the top of the tower. Now, some landing control practice and we will see at least one of them in the scrape again. Talons crossed for them both.” 

At Port Lincoln, Mum, Giliath, and #2 wait to see who will be first in with the fish. They are hoping for Dad!

It is 10:38 and Mum is telling Dad that it is about that time he leaves the barge and goes out to fish…

It looks like Dad has not gone out fishing yet…it is nearing 0930. Mum and osplets are waiting patiently.

It is 12:30 and so far no fish from Dad. PLO says the fish fairy will be there in half an hour.

A 1.424 kg Trevally was delivered to the nest. It was taken to the ropes. PLO says that two fish were delivered. Mum is eating one on the ropes. Could you look at the size of it? It would feed everyone. I hope she doesn’t lose it overboard. Watchers think something smaller was under the larger fish the chicks nibbled on. It is a bit confusing. There is nothing on the observation board yet to clarify.

OK. Mum took the supplementary fish to the ropes and right after Dad landed on the nest with his own fish.\.

Hopefully Dad will have enough to eat and Mum will not lose the big one and feed herself and the kids for the rest of the day – with maybe some for Dad, too.

Note: Dad’s fish is nice, but that single fish would not be enough to feed 4 for the day. Again, I am thankful to the Fish Fairies.

Confusing. Is Dad feeding part of his fish to the osplets?

Dad is finished with the osplets and is on one of the perches. Mum is still prepping that huge fish. It has to be tough working through that head. She has been at this for more than an hour.

OK. Some clarification. It was a Trevally and a large cleaned squid. Dad fed some of the squid to one of the chicks (#2, I think) while Mum arrives on the nest with the huge lunch. Both will join her.

Mum is going to be exhausted when she finishes feeding this fish.

The chicks are getting quite full. Mum continues to feed them and herself. She has been working on this fish for two and a half hours.

Thank you to the crew of the Calypso Star and the young lad who donated the squid to the osplets. Kindness. Sometimes when the news gets too much, it is these small gestures that make us realise that there is goodness out there.

Today (Monday in Australia), the osplets are 34 and 32 days old. Unless they are females, they will normally peak in growth at 35 days Western Ospreys. Must check and see if this is the case with the Eastern.

The observation board for Port Lincoln. It is unfortunate that Dad lost the fish down on the barge.

The cam ops are not sure who is at the nest with Gabby. I just want Gabby to be able to raise a clutch in peace this season since she lost her fabulous mate, Samson.

I am going with V3 in the nest. Gabby was flirting and V3 was interested.

Handsome couple.

I think I missed this video of Jackie and Shadow!

Ferris Akel found Big Red on the Cornell Campus on his tour on Saturday. Oh, goodness, isn’t she beautiful. Look at that deep auburn Red plumage. She will be 21 years old in March. My goodness it is so good to see you Big Red.

There are two adults on the Achieva Credit Union nest. Jack and Diane?

Been missing Monty and Hartley? A pair of love birds. Don’t you wish you could talk falconsese?

18 Days until Hatch at Superbeaks!

This is the most recent report on sightings of Lady, Dad, and at least one juvie in Sydney:

‘A’ set this report for the 17th at Sydney and I missed it so I am including it here today: “November 17: an early report of a juvenile in the usual spot in the mangroves, then seen flying to River Roost, near both parents. In the afternoon there was a large drone flying over the wetlands –a new method of mosquito spraying, rather than by helicopter. Parents were away during the day – maybe even at Goat Island, closer to the City. Both returned to River Roost before 5pm, and then to the juvenile’s usual area. Shortly after, both parents were at River Roost, with a vocal greeting. Juvenile was seen at the water edge around 6pm, then went deeper into the mangroves. At 6:45pm, an adult was seen flying from the wetlands with a fish, taken to Mangrove Island. It is unclear if a juvenile ate today. Picture shows juvenile flying yesterday.” — Any report, regardless of the day, is good news when it is about the sea eaglets flying about and being fed!

This is the most recent report from ‘A’ for Sydney: “November 19: At 7.50am, 2 adults and a juvie were near each other. Juvie moved a couple of times like yesterday, before settling on another branch nearby, in the heraldic pose at one point. Heard a couple of duets, and sounded like juvie joined in. At 10am, the parents were in much the same spot, both facing more west. The juvie must have been there somewhere. At 11am, one parent flew to River Roost. Later in the afternoon, both parents were on River Roost, near the juvenile, in the usual spot, and then one circling over Ermington Bay. Numerous people using River Walk stopped to ask about the eagles, but the juvenile is still so hard to spot. I don’t believe a feeding was observed.” 

M15 and F23 were at the nest on Saturday. I do not see them there currently but they might return later in the night.

Lady Hawk posted this video.

This was earlier.

There has been some concern about the new female ‘F’ at ND-LEEF. ‘H’ reports that she was on the nest with Dad this morning. Fantastic news! ‘H reminds us: “‘F’ was last seen at the nest on 11/12.  This morning ‘F’ was back in the nest with Dad, starting about 073341, Dad in first.  They left around 0800.”

I love books and I get so excited when I hear that youngsters are learning about our feathered friends and the challenges that they face. Thank you to one of our readers, ‘R’ who introduced Chile Bird to her second graders! We must start with the youngsters so that their respect and empathy for wildlife will grow. Hakai Magazine always has a good list of children’s books this time of year – for all of the holidays celebrated by the various people around the world – and the gifts that they give BUT also because we should all be reading! This offering is called Ten Coastal Kid’s Books. Their summaries are excellent and very useful in helping to make choices for purchase.

Ten-Coastal-Kids-Books-Offer-an-Ocean-of-Adventure-Hakai-MagazineDownload

There is another set of books that are meant specifically to inspire empathy and understanding in the young readers.

Earths-Beating-Heart-12-Coastal-Themed-Books-to-Help-Kids-Grow-Their-Understanding-and-Empathy-Download

I recently included an article on how intelligent vultures are. BirdLife International explores the efforts to stop the poisoning of these captivating creatures in Kenya.

Addressing-wildlife-poisoning-in-Kenya-BirdLife-InternationalDownload

I read an article that you mind find interesting – it isn’t directly about raptors or wildlife but it certainly is about the quality of life of our neighbours. As many of you know, wealthier countries export their trash – whether it is plastic waste or donated clothes – to poorer countries, often in Africa. This creates untold harm to the people living there at many levels. I recall my granddaughter – who did her practicum for Social Work in Senegal – telling me never to donate clothes. They are sold cheaply and exported and then sold in the markets where they cause the local textile industry to die. We have all seen the piles of plastic garbage. Now the EU is passing legislation to ban the exporting of plastic. Thank goodness someone is tacking responsibility for their own mess. Now which other countries will follow suit?

EU-agrees-to-ban-exports-of-waste-plastic-to-poor-countries-Waste-The-GuardianDownload

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Please take care – keep sending your good wishes to our three Australian families on streaming cams. Their challenges are certainly not over, and we want all those fledglings to be safe and well fed. We hope to have you with us again soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, tours, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H, R, SP’, SK Hideaways, PLO, NEFL-AEF, Ferris Akel Tours, Achieva Credit Union, Superbeaks, Anna Laios, Lady Hawk, Hakai Magazine, BirdLife International, and The Guardian.

Fish Fairy comes in with 4…Saturday in Bird World

18 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Before we blink, it will be 2024 and I think I have just gotten comfortable typing ‘2023’ without having to think about it! Where does the time go? And why does it seem to fly by so quickly?

Thank you for all your good wishes for Calico. As you know, I have a really warm spot for this cat that was probably dumped and had to live in the wild for last winter until she moved into the house in late August. I am so glad she became trustful. The good news is that Calico has an infection and will be 100% back to normal in a few days. It is the same as she had before when Hope was lost and the milk built up. She has a slight case of mastitis. But the bad news is she does have some arthritis in her legs or perhaps her health was compromised by having kittens and taking such good care of Hope when she was so young. You might recall that Calico was so very thin despite eating a lot of good cat food daily. For any of you who have arthritis (my gran did, and so do I), there are treatments but no real cure. Poor thing. That warming cat bed will be nice for her this winter and she has some vitamins now to help get her bones stronger. Geemeff has suggested adding Lysine and Cod Liver Oil and we will certainly do that. I suspect she will want to sleep in that warm bed year-round. There are anti-inflammatory medications she can be on, as well as feline acupuncture. Because she is very young (just a year and a fortnight), the vet is weighing the options and will get back to me on Monday with a plan for Calico. In the meantime, we will fight this infection! She is looking better already after 24 hours of antibiotics.

Hope and Calico on my grandmother’s quarter-cut oak round table. Hope quickly got on a plant stand that I had put a table mat on and has now claimed it as her own.

Mamma.

Hope stood up as if she were a model and then she did the contrapposto pose of the Ancient Greeks, almost. (It is when a person stands with their weight on one leg, allowing the other to be more relaxed and bent at the knee. It gives a rather relaxed pose). Oh, she is so cute I can’t stop taking photos of her…soon she will be a big girl.

Little Hope is being trained to go into the carrier so she can go for her operation this coming week. She is so easy. She loves treats! Thank goodness. Missey supervised!

The camera at Port Lincoln was able to get some beautiful close ups of Giliath early Saturday morning while the pair wait with Mum for a fish delivery. Gorgeous. Simply beautiful. Look at those lovely juvenile feathers growing in!

And #2.

They are exercising those wings!

Dad came through at 0903. Way to go, Dad!

The chat moderator and camera operator (and observation board), Bart, says that the Fish Fairies delivered close to 9 kg of fish on Friday to the nest. Way to go Fish Fairy!

The Fish Fairy arrived and left four really lovely fish at 1330 (the observation board says four, but I see three…where is the other one? under a chick?). What a nice feast they will have. Mum quickly got the fish and started feeding Giliath and #2.

So is it Giliath or #2 that went over to try and do some self-feeding? I am having difficulties telling them apart.

Mum finished feeding the first fish and started on the second – a red mullet. Despite the crops being full, the chicks are still eating. Surely, they will fill up, crop drop, and top up their holding tank again. This could be the last fish til Sunday, when the fish fairy visits again. That red Mullet must have been hiding.

Three down and one left. Mum is eating and is extremely hungry. They have stopped. The last fish is under one of the osplets. Will Dad come and have a meal? Surely he is easily as hungry – if not more – than Mum and the chicks.

Mum started on the last fish. She is eating most of it herself. She is obviously very hungry – she did a fantastic job feeding her youngsters now it is her turn for a really good meal.

Wow! Thank you to everyone supplying fish to this much-loved osprey family. This family and these chicks would not be what they are today without your empathy and generosity.

Note: Dad took one of the Whiting! So everyone had the best fish.

If you have considered donating, it could be an excellent time to show appreciation and help feed these osplets. If you are an international donor, you will do the stripe transfer. You will see a page with merchandise and amounts for donation. Once you begin the process, there is a place at check out to add ‘barge feeding’.

Fran Solly confirms (on FB comment reply) that ringing will occur the first week in December, and one of the osplets will get a satellite tracker. The dates that I have seen suggested are the 5-7th of December. I wonder who will get the tracker.

At Orange, the fledglings are being fed on the top of the tower!

Cathy Cook has been busy taking photographs and videos of the sea eaglets. You should check out the Sydney Sea Eagles FB page for the complete images. Lovely to see the youngsters flying strong and being heckled by the little birds but doing well. It has been a glorious year. Thanks, Cathy!

‘A’ sent the Ranger’s report:

“November18: Early the juvenile was down in the usual mangrove area, with Lady keeping watch above. Saturday morning the river is noisy with rowers training, much shouting and noise until 9am. Pleasing to see the juvenile fly a short way. At 12:30 the juvenile was on a mangrove branch in the shade and both adults on River Roost, no swooping or calls. 1:10 both adults took flight from River Roost and were away for some time. 1:20 juvie flew back again, then moved again a few metres and again, so hard to see. Later we were thrilled to see her make a couple of passes over the water, with talons reaching out- practising hunting? (see picture – ).The wind was very strong, hard for a young eagle. Then she was back again to the favourite patch. Not sure if a late feed was delivered.”

Let’s check that other Osprey nest at Osprey House with Atlantis and Kailani.

Gosh, Dad looks little delivering these fish. Gotta watch those talons.

An Osprey visitor at the Captiva nest in the Barrier Islands, Florida.

It was windy, stormy, and wet at the nest of Gabby and V3. Still V3 was on the branch being ever vigilant over their territory.

There is a lot of misinformation, and sometimes I get caught in it…this is the information from the AEF on who was at the NE Florida nest Friday night. Many still believe that V1 visited.

At the SW Florida Eagle Nest, Mr Hootie flew into the nest hooting for his mate with prey. He stayed in the nest, went up to a branch, and then returned to the nest calling. He left but he might come back. No sign of M15 while this was happening.

Then the eagles came! It was after midnight.

Lady Hawk shows us M15 giving a fish gift to F23.

It was a nice day on the other side of Florida at Captiva in the Barrier Islands. Clive and Connie have alternated incubation of their two eggs.

There is activity at Dulles-Greenway.

We are 19 days away from hatch at Superbeaks!

Late visit at Big Bear. It is sure windy there!

Looks like River is still at Dale Hollow. I wonder if she is still with the male that was there after Obey disappeared?

Some great images of Liberty at the Redding California nest. Wow. She is a beauty.

The Three Bridges Eagle Cam will go live shortly.

Did not die of lead poisoning. Someone shot this beautiful Bald Eagle, and it died. I have a hard time getting my head around the reasons that anyone would do such a thing.

Cody is still having some issues at the Kisatchie National Forest E-3 nest with the solar power…this time it is ants.

Osprey count from Gambia. 5F is Seren, Dylan’s mate, at Llyn Clywedog.

What species of birds live the longest in the UK?

New-longevity-records-set-for-11-UK-bird-species-BirdGuidesDownload

A win-win.

Join me in reading about Canada’s National Bird – the Canada Jay. Nicely written…a joy.

The-Naturalist-and-the-Wonderful-Lovable-So-Good-Very-Bold-Jay-Hakai-MagazineDownload

Ever wonder how far Peregrine Falcons fly from Europe to their winter homes? Check this Finnish bird out! Incredible.

Be kind to your friends with pets this holiday season. Do NOT give them any of these plants!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A’, PLO, Fran Solly, Holly Parsons, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Cathy Cook, Osprey House Environment Centre, Val Gall, NEFL-AEF, Linda Russo, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk, Window to Wildlife, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, Superbeaks, FOBBV, Sassa Bird, FORE, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, Carol Mandis-beadle, Cody Wayne, Jean-marie Dupart, Bird Guides, Brian Horne, and Atlas Obscurer.