3 March 2022
Good Morning Everyone,
Let’s all just take a deep breath! There is energy in the air this Friday morning. There are reports of two ospreys seen flying into Finland on BirdGuides (yes, this is early) and another heading over Devon. We have the first osprey hatch in Florida of the four nests I follow there, and the recent hatch of both eaglets at Duke Farms. Life is picking up. Oh, and all of the osprey streaming cams are coming on line! Let’s all get our running shoes on!!!!!!!!
Today was a very special day in 2022. It was the day that Spirit hatched at Big Bear! Happy first hatch day Spirit. Oh, what an eaglet she was – and the name selected by local third graders fit her perfectly!
Most of you will have noticed that E22 can surely squee, all the time, eating or not. Well, SK Hideaways caught it today on video for us. E22 is squeeing all the time he is being fed that big fish by Dad. It is just too funny. Have you ever seen an eaglet so vocal? E22 got lots of nice fish – lots!
E22 on the rails Thursday. Notice the crop. 22 had some very nice fish and what looked like a squirrel.
E21 had the squirrel first but after a bit, as is usual now, 22 came along and snatched it and had a good feed.
21 with the squirrel when it was delivered whole by Dad.
22 with the squirrel after he waited and then did the old snatch and grab and run routine he is famous for now.
There was a fish delivery at 13:52:01 – M15 did a gallant job feeding both ofg the Es.
M15 flew in with a late headless fish for the eaglets at 18:43:27. The fish is big enough for both of them! E21 mantles but also reaches over with its beak to remind 22 that it is claiming the fish. I wonder how long 22 will let 21 play about with that fish?
Yes, E21 left a very nice piece of fish. Will 22 go and feed off it?
So who has the fish? It was still on the nest fully visible at 23:05:04 when 22 went over to check on it.
Saving it for later? E22 appears to go to sleep on the leftover piece of fish! Sneaky.
22 did not eat that fish. It was on the nest early and 21 went over and finished it off at 06:26:42.
M15 brought in a fish at 07:18:41 and fed both of the eaglets. At 07:36:16, 22 finished off the tail!
Another fish came in at 10:06. This time it was a drop. As I write this, the two eaglets are still trying to finish out to eat it.
Following my review of Marti Lord’s book on the 2020 season for Harriet and M15, here is a recent video of the happenings of the Owls and the Es on the Pritchett Property from that all important, local perspective.
It was a month on 2 March, Thursday, that Harriet went missing.
Oh, they are the cutest little butterballs at the Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest. Both adults doing a superb job. Lots of fish on the nest for these little ones.
Angus continues to bring the nicest fish to Florence. Still no eggs at Captiva, though.
Speaking of eggs, Audacity had laid her seventh egg and now, hold on, yes, there is an eighth. Honestly, what is the level of calcium in her body now?! This is 8 eggs in 27 days. I received word first thing this morning that one of the two eggs at Sauces has now broken at 22:53 2nd of March. Our hearts break with this wonderful couple. Thanks, ‘B’.
Do you know who this eagle is? and the names of the eaglets? Look closely.
That is Shadow with Cookie and Simba! Yes, he chased off Mr BB and wooed Jackie and he didn’t even have his white head!!!!!!!!!!! The year is 2019.
So sad for Jackie and Shadow this year. They worked so hard and then something went terribly wrong. It was today, last year, that Spirit hatched!
Despite having chosen the Fernow Light Stand for their 2023 nest, Big Red and Arthur seemed to be concerned today about the work going on across Tower Road on the Cornell Campus. Check out how deep the egg cup is! Big Red is making sure it is perfect.
This is the deepest egg cup I have seen at this nest. Will there be another four egg clutch like in 2022?
Gabby and V3 at the nest today. Looks like no eggs for this season – and that is just fine. Let us hope that this lovely couple are still together in November!
A pip was seen on the large end of the egg at Moorings Park at 18:51 Thursday night.
The first hatch at Moorings came at 01:29 on the 3rd of March. Thanks, ‘H’! ‘H’ says the second egg appears to have a pip. Oh, that would be wonderful. Two osplets hatched closely like the eaglets at Duke Farms.
Sunnie Day caught the hatch on video.
The little one at Moorings Park has already had its first fish breakfast. Time 09:48. Did I say that I melt when I see a newly hatched osplet? I love them all but those little eye lines and that stripe and their light grey wooly down…so sweet. Congratulations to Sally and Harry!
Guess who showed up at the West End nest in the Channel Islands today? It was Thunder! We will sure miss seeing what her and Akecheta are up to this season. Maybe Dr Sharpe will have some ideas for a camera if the couple stay at their new nest site.
This screen capture was taken at 13:15 on Thursday 2 March.
Chase and Cholyn take turns incubating at the Two Harbours nest on the Channel Islands.
Nancy and Beau have one intact egg at the MN-DNR nest.
Eggs, eggs everywhere. The first one was laid at Fort St Vrain in Colorado on Thursday! You might recall this nest as the one where the raccoon took one of the eaglets in 2022. So sad.
Two days ago, Valentine was hovering so high on the KNF-E3 nest in the Kisatchie Forest. Today, at 66 days old, Valentine branched. Rhonda A has caught it for us.
Anyone reading my blog loves wildlife, being in nature when they can, and the joy that these amazing birds bring to our lives. If the whole world were like you, this would be a better place for all living beings. Sadly, recent research shows that the climate crisis is causing more conflict between humans and wildlife.
I personally have huge concerns for our raptors that live in areas where prey might become a big issue. Will the increasing cost to living cause people to hunt what the raptors eat? Stay tuned.
Of course, there are humans that continue to snare song birds. Seriously? Precisely why are the Sardinians doing this to these birds? Well, here is the answer from an anti-poaching website:
Unlike in many other parts of Italy, bird-trapping in Sardinia is mainly a organised business of poacher gangs and not a simple pastime. Caught birds are sold on the black market to private buyers or to butchers and restaurants.
I didn’t think it could get much worse until I read this. Horrible. I wonder how they would feel if the tables were turned?
Birds should be free. Look at these gorgeous Stellar Eagles.
You might recall that I mentioned the loss of one of the Peregrine Falcons at Lincoln Cathedral. This was a place I visited often in the UK and so, it is with some delight that I find a tweet by Wakefield Peregrines that one of their birds is at Lincoln today!
Cal Falcons are looking for memes. Check out the posting below! Annie, I am looking for eggs. Can you and Lou help all of us? We are trying to be patient.
So anxiously awaiting those eggs in that scrape of Annie and Lou’s!
Thank you so much for joining me today. Remember to get outside if you possibly can. Even if it is for ten minutes. While we love our birds on the streaming cams, our eyes need a break. But sitting too long is a problem too. Walk around, stand up every 30 minutes, put your feet up! In other words, please take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that help make up my blog today: ‘H’, ‘B’, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, SK Hideaways and D Pritchett, wskrsnwings, SW Florida Cam, Duke Farms, Window to Wildlife, Heidi Mc and Window to Wildlife, Sassa Bird and Bald Eagles in the USA, Jannet Hubbart and FOBBV, Cornell RTH, NEFL-AEF, Moorings Park Ospreys, Sunnie Day and Moorings Park, IWS, MN-DNR, Lisa Yen and Fort St. Vrain Eagle Cam, Rhonda A and KNF-E3, The Guardian, @CABS, Susan Hillman and B3 Branch Buddies, @NeillDonaghy, @wfldPeregrines, and Cal Falcons Cam.
