18 February 2024
Good Morning Everyone,
Thank you for all your good wishes for Hugo Yugo. She was fed with a syringe every 30-60 minutes until 1300 on Saturday when we went for our long walk at the nature centre. The sky was blue but, strangely, the temperatures had risen to a lovely -4 C. It was a fantastic day to be in the woods – and it really helped take away the worrying for the little ginger kitten for a bit.
Instead of going through the regular paths, I cut in and out of the forest area. There were lots of people doing things – tobogganing, sitting by the outdoor fire pits, ice skating, bike riding – because of the good weather. Even so, it was so quiet in the trees.
On the way home, we stopped and got special cat food – a gentle chicken and rice. I was curious to know if Hugo Yugo would eat. She has refused food – except for about a Tablespoon on Friday morning. I hoped the ground-up kibble and kitten milk syringe feeds would strengthen her and create an interest in food – and play. — And it worked. She ate. 2 T for the first feeding, which increased to the point where she ate three small portions of the chicken and rice food. I was literally in tears.
Ah, the one that causes all the worry. Ragged and missing whiskers, curious about everything, and getting better. She will cause all my hair to fall out!
But, oh, she is so adorable. I would do anything for this little one. She is the life of the party – the heart beat of our house.
Baby Hope’s face is changing a bit. She looks more and more like a cat and less like a kitten. She is a real little sweetheart. This girl is big and strong.
Missey found another high hiding spot. She seems to be able to plot where to get away from Calico if Calico is cranky.
As I finished checking on the birds at midnight on Sunday morning, Baby Hope and Hugo Yugo were playing. It is the first time now since Thursday that Hugo Yugo has played.
Sunday Morning Update: Hugo Yugo ate all of her chicken and rice food and drank her kitten milk. Then her and Baby Hope proceeded to ‘clear’ the island. I think she is now fine!!!!!!!!!!!
So on to these birds…
Please go and vote for the name for New Guy at Cal Falcons! ‘B’ did some searching and found some very interesting information about one of the nominated names in addition to the information circulated the other day by Cal Falcons. This is for the name Archie. The high school in Marin County that was named after this Archie is known as the “Home of the Peregrine Falcons”, the name for their athletic teams. And their logo features a peregrine falcon with aviator goggles (Archie Williams was a pilot who during WW II was an instructor at the school where the Tuskegee Airmen trained, and himself flew missions in WW II and Korea):
I am not suggesting one name over another but I do love that logo!
Everyone at Berry College is more than excited. Pa and Missey have worked on their nest since their first clutch failed. Nothing was going to deter them from having a family this year. On Saturday the 17th around 1911, Missey laid the first egg of their second clutch for 2024. Let’s wish them well. Congratulations!
The cams were down, and during that time, the folks at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose took the opportunity to band R6. He or she is fitted out with the normal green and black band for the nest with “the sequential number 5/6 green/black”. ‘H’ tells us that a feather sample was taken to do DNA sequencing. By the end of the week, we will know whether R6 is male or female.
In the second photo, look at R6 standing tall and strong!
Ron Magill posted some images that he took of Rita during the opening celebrations of her enclosure at Marathon. Notice Rita’s green and black band also.
In Florida, band colours can be confusing. The Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey uses this: “The band color indicates the type of nest the young eagle hatched in: green for nests in trees and black for nests on artificial structures.” So what if they have a black and green band?
Blue is also a colour used in Florida.
But the Green over Black in Florida is for Brian Mealey, the bander. See PDF below.
Swampy and Meadow continue to do well, also. They are growing leaps and bounds. At the moment you can easily tell Swampy because of its darker plumage, darker and more shiny black bill, and s/he has fewer dandelions on their head.
Someone asked how birds hear. You can clearly see Swampy’s ear in the top photo. Look at the corner of the mouth and go straight back…that is the ear. It will be covered with feathers eventually.
Swampy and Meadow being fed before the rains begin.
29 February is officially pip watch for Jackie and Shadow. That is 11 days away. The eggs look good. Jackie rolls them ever so gently…she is completely aware of what could happen. 11 days. We are all so anxious for this loved couple…imagine a hatch. The news agencies around the world will be celebrating.
Bonnie and Clyde have their second egg at the Cardinal Land Conservancy Nest.
It’s raining at Superbeaks – and we are now on hatch watch for Pepe and Muhlady and their second clutch.
We will be looking for egg 2 at Decorah North on Monday.
There might be a problem at the Dulles-Greenway nest of Rosa and Lewis. Rosa calls Lewis to incubate the egg. Will he? There is snow, and it is cool. The leg has been left on and of for periods of time so Rosa could eat and have a break.
Egg 2 is due today. Will this new partnership work out? We wait.
The egg has been left several times. Rosa is an experienced female with a new inexperienced male (or not the same male at all). We will just have to wait and see how this turns out but best it be eggs that become non-viable than eaglets on the nest suffering.
And then, Rosa laid her second egg, right on time.
I have been looking for studies about the life expectancy of the males versus the females in terms of Bald Eagles living in the wild. I haven’t found anything good to post for you – the answer to whether the males live longer than the females is unclear. We do have some older females this year – Gabby, Rosa, and Ellie (below)- who have younger mates. We know that M15 has a younger female partner. Maybe we should start keeping a list and come up with our own data.
There is a new Bald Eagle couple on Farmer Derek’s land in Peabody, Kansas. They have a nest now with their first two eggs. The banded female is Ellie and she is ten years old. The male is named Harvey. He was there with her on Saturday when she laid the second egg at 13:39:52.
Dad and the new female at the ND-LEEF nest have been very busy.
The first female Bald Eagle I ever saw buried in snow as this same female at Duke Farms. She has a new mate this year. Wishing her the best.
If you are watching the new couple at the Kistachie National Forest nest E-3 (Alex and Andria’s old nest), there is a fishing line and lure tangled in the moss bedding of the nest. Neither eagle is tangled. There are no eaglets on the nest. But does this pose enough of a threat to the birds for USFWS to allow Cody to remove it? Let’s hope so – before there are eaglets.
We still have only one egg at the nest of Jak and Audacity (Sauces) in the Channel Islands. The track record is dismal for this super pair of eagles – all due to the continuing presence of DDT after what? 75 years?
The following material is intended for classroom use for students ages 11-12. However, I find it really informative about the impact of DDT on the Eagles in the Channel Islands. If you are not aware of why Jak and Audacity continue to have difficulties – as well as Jackie and Shadow – have a read. (Note: Many areas of the US were sprayed with DDT including Big Bear Lake).
There are many articles.
Osprey fever is beginning to happen. Geemeff sent me a link to an Osprey nest in Mallorca that I did not know about! And also an Osprey chat space for the off season. Have a look! Thanks, Geemeff.
To the live feed camera:
To the Osprey Fanatic chat page. Adam has two young daughters…you might enjoy this space.
https://walkingwithdaddy.com/osprey
Harry and Sally laid their third egg of the Florida Osprey season at their Moorings Park Nest in Naples at 10:59 on Saturday, the 17th! If anyone can raise three, these two can.
Sally obliged cam watchers by showing us her labour…She raises her back slightly and spreads her wings out. Like eagles, ospreys will allow the egg to cool and harden after laying. Sally will surely being hard incubation now.
The Peregrine Falcons are getting busy. It is almost egg time in California.
She certainly has beautiful under fluffies. The third egg is shiny and wet. All three appear to be darkly speckled.
Bolivia rehabilitates three Harpy Eagles so they can return to the wild.
Everything you need to know and more about the world’s largest eagle, the Harpy.
Thank you so much for being with me and for all your positive energy for Hugo Yugo. She is doing so much better. We hope to see you soon! Take care.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, articles, screen captures, photographs, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘A, B, Geemeff, H, J, SP’, Cal Falcons, Berry College, WRDC, Ron Magill FB, The Centre for Conservation Biology, Eagle Country, FOBBV, V, Superbeaks, Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, Dulles-Greenway, Gracie Shepherd, Duke Farms, KNF-E3, Farmer Derek Eagle Cam, Phillip Josse, Return Flight, Column One, SEO Birdlife, Walking with Daddy, SK Hideaways, Moorings Park, and BBC Discover Wildlife.