Iowa eagles – Page 16 – Mary Ann Steggles

WBSE 30 is released!…Thursday in Bird World

6 April 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

The snow stopped and it is now 1816 and it is starting up again with huge flakes. They are dancing about like large cotton balls or marshmallows. Lewis is having quite the time hoping that he might be able to catch one of them. Of course, he does not want to pose for a photo!

Just think. A few days ago everyone on the Canadian Prairies was sure winter was gone, and spring had arrived. I bet that early-arrival Canada Geese wish they were somewhere else. Mind you, maybe they flew north fast to miss those US storms.

Thursday morning. It is beautiful. No snow falling. Woodpeckers busy at that the suet. Photos tomorrow of them and the kittens.

Taken with the iPhone.

A reasonable guess would have been over 400 birds visited the feeders today. They were mostly House Sparrows and Finches with the regular woodpecker visits and Blue Jays. I know the Black-capped Chickadee has been around because I heard them, but they are quick to flit about, and I have yet to see them getting seed. Mind you, I was not watching them all day.

My head continues spinning with all the news coming out of Bird World. Almost immediately, one new hatch is negated by another nestling dying in a nest, Oklahoma, simply disappearing at collapse or, as at Bartlesville night.

So I hope to bring us a few lighter moments as we begin the blog for the next little while. Stress is not good. Then I plan to put in the golden moment of the day and today it comes from Sydney, Australia!

We are going to start with Murphy, ‘Rock Daddy’. He has now been incubating his ‘rock egg’ for some time and has become overly protective of the territory. So, he is being moved. They are not giving him his own hatchling because they are not certain that he would feed it regularly. Too bad, he could be a great Dad!

M15 does not get away without a giggle. This guy has been through so much! Gets his two kids home and all they want to do is fight!

He has brought 21 a fish and 21 spent some time resting in the nest. 21 was away for 5 days. It reminds me of Legacy from the NEFL nest of Gabby and Samson – flew out, away six days, finally found the nest and didn’t leave again for nearly a month (or so it seemed).

The surviving WBSE (White-bellied Sea Eagle) from last season’s Sydney Olympic Forest hatchings has been released. Jump up and down. She has been in care for such a long time, and we are ever so grateful to everyone who helped transport her and care for her so that she could live in the wild. Here is that great news. What a beautiful moment.

The news is that Connick is going to be alright after his slip and fall. Here is that moment on 4th of April caught by Deb Stecyk (you can go to 4:55):

Message from Window to Wildlife:

This is the latest message…older ones are below. It appears that dear Connick could be impacted by rodenticide poisoning. His two half-siblings died two years ago of rodenticide. It broke Joe’s heart, and he left the nest. This is just tragic. CROW and all their volunteers need to spread the word and find a way to prohibit this nasty poison from Captiva. In many ways, it was a real blessing that Connick fell out of the nest so he could get help.

There is a FB fundraiser for Connick’s care. Just look at him at CROW. He is in such good hands. If anyone can save him from this dreaded designer poison, CROW can!

There have been some further tragedies due to the winter storms pouring through the US. The eaglets at Standley Lake Regional Park have died from a nest collapse. Another nest in Minnesota has collapsed.

One of the eaglets at Bartlesville, Oklahoma got out of the egg cup and could not get back and appears to have gone over the edge of the nest. Today, the third egg hatched. So some good and bad for Oklahoma.

As storms continue, it is likely there will be further deaths, sadly. As we mourn, new eaglets are hatching and eggs being laid. Nature does not stop.

I wrote congratulations yesterday but now little DH1 has died. ‘A’ left me a note for when I woke up. So sad for the hatchery parents. As Paul Kolnik points out, the second egg is pipping. Perhaps this family will get one healthy chick. Send good wishes.

Congratulations Decorah. DH1 arrived in the early morning of 5 April 2023.

US Steel has only one egg. There is a hatch in progress. USS6 hatched at 23:58 on 5 April. Congratulations!

While we were delighted to see E21 back at the nest, landing right beside Dad on the 5th of April, E22 wasn’t quite so sure.

Until now 22 has had the area around the pond and nest tree all to himself. He had a right dust up with 21 over ‘bathing rights’.

The iconic image of the day comes from Dulles-Greenway where there are currently three very healthy eaglets. Baby has a really nice crop.

DH19 continues to self-feed to stay alive at Dale Hollow. A survivor – send all your good wishes. River has her hands full.

This was at 1006 Wednesday morning. You can see the huge crop on the two larger eaglets. DH19 fed itself last evening and got a big crop and is now picking away at this carcass. This little one wants to live.

‘A’ reports that D19 had no food later and that it is raining hard and she is worrisome for this baby. It is not good at Achieva either. We will all hold our breath. These two nests may only have two to fledge. Send good wishes.

In the UK, there are two male Ospreys waiting for their mates to return from migration. One of those is Louis at Loch Arkaig who is looking for Dorcha and the other is Aran at Glaslyn looking for Mrs G. As many will know, Mrs G is not a youngster. Glaslyn Osprey Group reminds us ospreys that reach breeding age have a life expectancy of eight years. Mrs G is the oldest living osprey in the UK. We know that Mrs G has been raising chicks for 19-20 years. We do not know how old she was when she began. Glaslyn is preparing everyone for her not to return just in case that is what happens.

Of course, everyone is also waiting for the return of Iris who is approximately 28-29 years old this year and has her nest at Hellgate Canyon in Missoula, Montana. Her favoured date to return is 7 April – tomorrow.

Wind, rain, encased in ice…nothing stops Big Red from keeping her eggs warm. Her and Arthur now have three they are incubating. Last year, Big Red surprised us with her very first clutch of four since she has been on a streaming cam.

Gabby and V3 were at the nest. At times they were vocalising. Intruders in the area?

Victor is over at Sally’s beak. Just look at Abby standing on those beautiful strong legs! And, yes. My friend ‘R’ believes that juvenile Osprey plumage is the most gorgeous in the world. I totally agree.

There are still three growing osplets at the Venice Golf and Country Club. The camera is, like Achieva, not good, and it is difficult to tell what is happening in the nest. As a result, I do not monitor it closely.

The two eaglets at Pittsburgh-Hayes are doing well. There are a lot of flies in that nest, though. Terrible. I hope that this does not do anything to cause the eaglets distress. (We have seen raptors jump out of nests to escape flies in the past).

I found this entry by Elfruler this morning, and I thought it might shed some light on this year with the bald eagle hatches. They clarify that the eaglet at Bartlesville would have died of hypothermia/falling out of the nest. It is so sad when the eaglets get out of the egg cup. I marvelled at how Harriet had ‘rolled’ one of either 21 or 22 (I cannot remember which now) back under her after pondering the situation for some time. Harriet had experience, many don’t, and their babies die. Their beaks are so big that picking them up would injure, if not kill, them also.

They are so cute. I wish they were not so terrible to our eagles….those GHO chicks. Bonnie and Clyde’s owlets are out in the sun this morning.

And some good news. People like David Attenborough can convince people that birding is not a silly, useless hobby and guess what? Birding can be good for the local economy! Tourists are willing to pay top dollar to have their tours organised, their hotels and meal plans arranged so they can get up at dawn to go and see Puffins! Or in the case of Ferris Akel recently – Sand-hill Cranes in Iowa. It is time other locations stepped up and cleaned up their wildlife habitats. In several locations, ponds and lakes stocked for fishing have made their owners more profit by having people with cameras taking photos of ospreys fishing!

What a wonderful world it would be!

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/apr/02/tourists-arrive-skomer-attenborough-wild-isles-wales?CMP=share_btn_link

Thank you so much for being with me. I wish I had news about the eggs in the Channels Islands. We wait to see if they are viable. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their observation notes, their posts, tweets, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog this morning: ‘A’, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest and Cams along with the World Bird Sanctuary, Harley Jeffery Thames and SWFL Eagle Cam-Harriet and M15, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, CROW, Sutton Centre, Paul Kilnik and Bald Eagles 101, Raptor Resource Centre and Explore.org, US Steel, Dulles-Greenaway, Cornell RTH, NEFL-AEF, Moorings Park Ospreys, VOCCO, PIX Cam, Elfruler, Farmer Derek, and The Guardian.

Connick falls out of nest, Maya lays first egg…Late Tuesday in Bird World

4 April 2023

Good Evening Everyone!

This is Wednesday’s blog coming out late Tuesday. Sorry for any confusion. I have a very early appointment tomorrow.

There is a wee bit of snow falling on the Canadian Prairies with a winter storm warning for my area for later this evening and throughout the night. It is a ‘Colorado Low’ that is being pesky!

The renovations, for now, are finished. We have been moving about bits, bobs, and large cabinets now that all the packing materials are out of the living room. We are all exhausted! Missy and Lewis are up in their big dog bed, sound asleep, not caring about storms, while the garden birds and squirrels are devouring as much food as possible. You can always tell when something is happening in the weather by watching the animals. Often they are more accurate than the local weather office. The peanuts are eaten in situ, not carried away for burial and retrieval later. The weather office says 35-30 cm of snow is a foot deep.

I did not get to check on the nests and much as I would have liked and also I have an early morning appointment on Wednesday so this blog will go out sooner than anticipated – as in Tuesday night.

Just coming in around 2100 on Tuesday. Connick has fallen out of his nest on Captiva Island. CROW called, and he is in a crate on his way to rehab. Connick will get the very best of care, and how lucky that his nest was so close to the clinic. Still, how sad for Connie and Clive. Connie had no chicks last year and the year prior, both died from rodenticide poisoning. Both will be grieving, not knowing what happened to their baby. —- Things can change so quickly in a nest.

Jerinelle Wray gives us a giggle about 22 and his love of water.

E22 sure does love the water. Just seeing him take his first drink was enlightening. Bet it felt good to get 11 or 12 weeks of fish juice off those feathers!!!!!!!!

Oh, it was close. Maya laid her first egg of the season at Rutland on the heels of the first UK egg by Blue NC0 at LOTL. We sure were wondering who would be first this year. Now we know.

Blue 33 was quickly there to see and lend support.

Once upon a time, I realised that raptor families are like human families in many ways. Some have nests in quiet neighbourhoods where they can raise their chicks in peace with lots of food, while others struggle with intruders, fishing tournaments, and loss of habitat and prey. I never quite know what to think when hungry chicks are in the nest, food is available, and the adult doesn’t feed that starving chick. Such is the continuing issue at the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest in St Petersburg, Florida.

In Virginia, it is a different story. Rosa and Martin are keeping three eaglets well fed as are Lisa and Oliver in PA Country!

Rosa feeding the three eaglets their breakfast.

Wow. Just look at those crops. It takes patience and a truck load of fish to be successful with three eaglets. The feedings take a long time. Well done, Rosa!

I missed getting an image of the little ones eating at PA Country Farms this evening. This nest is, however, doing very well also. So thankful.

Pittsburgh-Hays has two very healthy little eaglets.

There are now three eaglets at the nest of Mum and new mate, Beau – the Majestic at Denton Homes in Decorah, Iowa. They hatched on March 31, April 1, and it looks like the third hatched today. So cute. DH11, 12, and 13.

Dad came in with nesting material and has covered up DH13. Fingers crossed…don’t think he realised there was a third eaglet! Surprise, new dad!

Moorings Park is doing grand as well. We do have a lot of nests to be thankful for – and we should all rejoice in that since there has been so much misery.

Victor has survived Abby’s aggression and the monofilament line. That is something to celebrate. Things are going so well at this Osprey nest in Naples, Florida. We are all going to miss Harry and his visits, the midnight feedings, and just the sheer devotion of these two adults to Abby and Victor.

It is now official. Female Osprey LM6 has returned to Llyn Brenig to be reunited with her mate, Blue LJ2. When you look at the image of them in their nest, glance over to see the trees that have been torn apart in recent storms.

Both adults are back at Balgravies also.

A message from Dale Hollow:

There are two eaglets and another egg at Bald Canyon in the Channel Islands.

The two, much older, eaglets at Duke Farms are ‘robust’. They are so healthy, so well fed. There are only a couple of pricks of dandelions on their heads. Their thermal down is in and their juvenile feathers are coming. They are not cuddly cute anymore but they certainly are adorable and much loved by Mum and Dad.

What an absolutely great year it has been at this nest in New Jersey.

‘H’ writes: “Ron delivered a coot. For some reason, R4 held back, even though it last ate over three hours ago. R5 got a great feeding!” Fantastic news. Just look at the crop on that little one! Perhaps R4 as preparing a pellet to cast?

Only Jackie really knows what is going on. Is she feeling an egg? Jackie has been on the branch of the nest tree for most of Tuesday. Shadow has been on and off the nest. Now as I write this, Jackie is in the nest. Oh, is it possible? It would be brilliant for these two to have a replacement clutch. Shadow will be so excited.

The camera is not great but there are three very much alive osplets at the Venice Golf and Country Club platform! All are up eating. No one in submission. Smiling.

We are less than a week from hatch and on Tuesday, Annie left the nest at the Campanile to chase an intruder! Annie and Lou do not need this distraction. Definitely not.

Looks like Lou was having his lunch.

No worries. Annie returned about ten minutes later, but, gosh, it does make one’s heart stop.

‘S’ writes to tell me that the Manchester NH Peregrine Falcon scrape now has 5 eggs! FIVE. Can you imagine? The couple who have been here for 9 years had 5 eggs last year too – and fledged five! Wow.

That’s it for today. So much happening. We are now 6 days away from pip watch for Annie and Lou.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, streaming cam, videos, and posts that helped make up my blog today: ‘S’, ‘H’, Window to Wildlife, Jerinelle Wray and the NEFL and SWFL Eagle Watcher’s Club, SW Florida Eagle Cam, LRWT, Dulles-Greenway, PA Game Commission, PIX Cams, Denton Homes, Moorings Park Ospreys, Llyn Brenig, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, IWS and Explore.org, Duke Farms, WRDC, FOBBV, VGCCO, and Cal Falcons.

Aran arrives, NC0 lays first UK Osprey egg, E22 at the pond with Dad…Tuesday in Bird World

4 April 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Oh, this report was very long and I have cut it down. There is simply too many things happening and I decided not to make your eyes sore. LOL. If there is sadness or worry at some of the nests, the first story should make up for all of that!

There simply are no words to describe the feeling when we see an image like the one below. It is remarkable. What a magnificent day that began with M15 coaxing 22 so he could eat and they wind up in the pond together having their evening bath. Remarkable isn’t even the right word. After all the devastation from the supercells, this melts my heart.

D Morningstar shows us 22’s first bath. Wait to see M15 turn around and look at his fledgling. Priceless. Jumping for joy at 5:28. Gulping water. Learning.

Are you exhausted from all the drama and trauma at the nests? This morning (Monday), I just wanted to pick up squeeing E22 and tell him it is alright. ‘You are a bird. You can do this!’ M15 is one super dad. We have seen just how hard adult eagles work to get their fledglings where they want them so they can feed them if those little Butcher Birds would take a holiday.

There was a lot of debate about whether it would be Maya or Blue NC0 that laid the first Osprey egg in the UK to kick off the season. Congratulations Laddie and Blue NC0! You get the honour in 2023!

The folks at Glaslyn are cheering. One of their couple is home safely. Oh, it is so nice to see you, Aran. Now we wait for Mrs G, the oldest osprey in the UK.

My goodness, Aran, you are handsome!

It did not take Aran long to get a fish on the nest branch!

Geemeff caught his arrival for us! Sure is a nice fish. Was he looking for Mrs G to come and grab it? Let us hope she is home soon.

More on SW Florida. It was quite the morning at the Pritchett Property with M15 doing everything he could possibly think of to get 22 to either get to the nest to eat a fish, eat it at the snag tree, or down by the pond. What a Dad. He never gave up. Victory!

‘A’ sent us the video link for yet another GHO strike caught by Lady Hawk on 22 during the night. Those owls are persistent. E22 do not let that owl daunt your staying home with Dad at the pasture, the pond, and in the trees!

At 0926, Little Bitty 22 (s/he is not so little) continued to enjoy being at the pond and having a bath. What a beautiful sight. There is no word on 21 so far.

Valentine are both back at the KNF-E3 nest in the Kistachie National Forest. Thanks Rhonda A for the video!

It is Monday morning, and it looks like there is a pip at Decorah!

Jackie and Shadow have been mating and Shadow has made sure Jackie is eating well. They were at the nest very early this morning.

The pair spent a lot of time at the nest until the ice pellets and wind picked up in the afternoon on Monday.

I really wish that Shadow could lay those eggs.

After their evening meal on Monday, Duke Farm Dad settled down with the family for a bit. Beautiful

They are soooooooo cute. Just love H19 and H20 at Pittsburgh-Hays.

Second hatch for Bald Canyon Eagles. That first one is just a little fluff ball darling.

Waiting for a pip – while hoping the egg is viable at Sauces Canyon. You send all. your good vibes to Jak and Audacity. This is egg 7 and it is intact. They sure deserve a healthy hatch.

Two eggs have hatched at the Bartlesville Oklahoma Bald Eagle nest. Congratulations. One more to go, maybe.

Dulles-Greenway. Martin and Rosa are doing great with their three eaglets. Oh, please just send some good love to them. It is hard with three and I really do not want anything to happen to either parent!

Oh, my goodness. Ron and Rose’s two eaglets have beautiful white Mohawks and gorgeous thermal down. They had excellent crops when Ron came in with another big fish after 1600 on Monday. Rose did a great job feeding the pair.

Every female adult eagle has ‘that look’. There is no way I would want to mess with Rose!

Just pause and look at those Mohawks. It looks like they have just returned from a luxury salon! I have never seen anything like it. Have you? Normally there are a few dandelions. This is incredible.

Quite the egg cup that Laddie and Blue NC0 have going at Loch of the Lowes. Will they beat Maya at Manton Bay with the first egg to officially kick off the UK Osprey season?

Beautiful CJ7 at her nest at Poole Harbour.

So you have found a baby bird. What do you do? Audubon tells us how we should behave:

https://www.audubon.org/news/when-you-should-and-should-not-rescue-baby-bird

Waiting for Iris? Here is her past schedule.

Harriet is home at Dunrovin and Star is at the Baseball Park. Come on Iris!

Moorings Park. Abby and Victor might like an earlier breakfast, but Dad seems to like to bring in a late fish. They are both well-nourished. No perceivable problems at this nest.

I do wish they would not get so close to the edge!

Victor still protects his head in case Abby wants to take a peck.

Angus and Florence continue to incubate their three eggs at Captiva. Gosh, these chicks are going to hatch late. Wonder what the heat and humidity will be like? Sure hope the fishing is good for Angus if they have three lively osplets to feed.

There were storms in Iowa. Mother Goose seems to be fine in her nest at Decorah.

Arthur and Big Red have quite a ways to go before hatch. I am so very grateful that there nest is up on that light stand!

Do you watch the Great Spirit Bluff Peregrine Falcons? If you do, Savannah just laid her third egg of the season!———— We are one week away from pip watch at Annie and Lou’s at Cal Falcons. Are you getting excited?

As I close the blog for today, I am reminded that there is a concern for the three eaglets at Dale Hollow and the three osplets at Achieva. The fish deliveries dropped off at Dale Hollow over the weekend, possibly due to the fishing tournament held at the lake. River has brought in a nice fish, and the three will go to bed with very full crops. River, you are doing great. It is not easy while you grieve your missing Obey.

DH19 had a good feed but, throughout the feeding, River was distracted with the intruder. It was a lot of work for the little one to get that crop. Please, go away intruder and let River get on with what she needs to do. It would be grand if the same success came to this nest as SW Florida.

Fish deliveries have dropped off at Achieva as noticed by chatters. ‘H’ tells me that the little one has little to nothing to eat. In fact, I believe that all three of the osplets are quite hungry especially in the heat. They need their hydration. Send your best wishes to these two nests, please.

All chicks at Achieva are so ravenous. The third hatch is very tiny. The problem is that Diane simply will not stay the course and feed the little one and often sends fish back when Jack arrives. I am not hopeful this morning.

What might impact Jack’s hunting abilities besides his fish being stolen by other birds? Avian Report says, “Osprey hunting times vary with locality and are influenced by weather conditions, particularly wind speed and tide schedules, where tides occur. A study of foraging Ospreys found that birds tend to hunt more often at dawn and dusk. However, Ospreys concentrated their hunting efforts and were more successful during mid-tide regardless of the direction to low or high tide. An Osprey’s hunting schedule and success are affected by wind speed. According to field observations, ospreys were more successful in catching fish during calm wind hours. As the wind speed increases, the water becomes choppier, and Ospreys have less success catching fish. Consequently, Ospreys tend to avoid hunting during high winds. The hunting success rate of Ospreys is not affected by overcast or bright days or even rain.” We do not know all the obstacles Jack faces getting fish to the nest.

It feels like a roller coaster for all of us. So many things are happening – many are joyful, and others are tragic. When it gets too much, go outside and listen to the birds in your neighbourhood (I hope there are some), take a short walk and breathe in the spring air. Look at the flowers. Then breathe again. Call a friend and step back from a nest. One of the difficulties is feeling helpless. Then pause…and find the joy because it is there. The glass is more than half full.

Cherry blossoms are such a joy. They remind us that spring has arrived while at the same time, they bud, bloom, and fall to the ground symbolising that life is fleeting. ‘A’ sent me some beautiful images from Tokyo yesterday. With some sadness, we must continue to remind ourselves that nature brings us joy. I know she will not mind if I share one of those with you. How gorgeous. Thank you, ‘A’.

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

Thank you to the following for the notes, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘A’, ‘Geemeff’, Betty Weeks and SW Florida Eagle Cam, D Morningstar and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Geemeff and Scottish Wildlife Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Geemeff and Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Eagle Goddess, Rhonda A and KNF-E3, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, FOBBV, Duke Farms, PIX Cams, IWS and Explore.org, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Paul Kolnik and Bald Eagles 101, Dulles Greenway, WRDC, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke, Audubon.org, Lin Lawson and Osprey Friends, Moorings Park Ospreys, Window to Wildlife, Decorah Goose Cam, Cornell RTH, Dale Hollow Eagles, Achieva Credit Union, and Avian Report.

Blue KWO, Karl II’s family is on the move, hatch watch. It is Friday in Bird World

24 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Can you believe it is the end of the week? The days fly. It is so lovely that the weather is becoming milder here in the Canadian Prairies. The sky was blue again today, and the winds were brisk, but the temperature was quite nice. I hope to finish a survey of the nests in my neighbourhood before all of the appearing buds turn into leaves. It is an area – nests – that I am not entirely familiar with so I am hoping to learn and if I find anything useful, I will be sure to share it with you.

Four Chickadees were flitting about in the garden this evening about an hour before sunset. This one (above) was smart. It spent a lot of time at the suet cylinder instead of taking one Black oil seed, breaking it, and returning for another.

The chickadee was not the only one interested in the new suet cylinder. We can always count on Dyson! So, so good to see her out and about on a nice day. Dyson will probably finish that entire cylinder by Friday evening or Saturday morning!

The kittens were happy to ignore everything in the garden and play with one another on their big cat tree.

Tim Makrill, the Director of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, has tracked down all the missing information and some excellent images of Blue KW0, the female Osprey that found herself in Barbados, not Scotland. It is a great read. Thanks, Tim! And thanks, Geemeff, for sending the link to me. I might have missed it this morning.

A Transatlantic Flight

I am certain that each and every reader continues to check on the Es. You must be delighted at the change in confidence in E22 since he branched. On Thursday, the little one got the White Ibis that M15 brought at 0821. He plucked that bird like a pro!

E22 mantling his prey.

E21 will share some of that bird of 22’s.

Lady Hawk caught the delivery of the Ibis, the chase by an intruder, and E22’s amazing grab on video for us.

And then Dad arrives with a fish a few hours later. E22 is up on the branch but jumps into the nest, getting the fish before 21 can even figure out there is prey (well, almost).

The scramble for the fish.

22 is on a roll but, 21 is getting hungry. Hoping for prey for both equally, actually. They are in their 11th week. It will not be long until they fly.

E21 has made it to the porch. Oh, I hope that these two are careful with that GHO about.

The fourth fish delivery on the 23rd went to E21! M15 is really feeding the babies on Thursday! There will be at least two more deliveries before the day is over. M15 continues to amaze me.

Moorings Park Ospreys. Sally and Harry continue to be incredible parents for these three-week old osplets, Abby and Victor, who hatched 18.5 hours apart. Abby has not stopped beaking Victor or shaking him by the neck and Victor has not stopped getting his revenge. Both are eating and growing. That is what matters. There were six fish delivered on the nest on Thursday.

Looking carefully at the osplets, you will notice that Victor and Abby are getting the beginnings of feathers. They are not ready to do any self-feeding but the pair are starting to peck at the fish.

‘A’ reports that both Abby and Victor ate their Friday breakfast like little ‘eating machines’ especially Victor. Some dominance but Sally and Harry are incredible parents. Just incredible. This nest is good!

All three of the Dulles-Greenway eaglets are doing fine today. DG3 seems to have not suffered any ill effects from being out of the egg cup for over 5 hours on Wednesday.

Can you find the ear of DG3? That little black dot to the left of the mouth. It will be covered with feathers before fledge.

There is sad news coming out of Decorah, Iowa, today. This is the Decorah North nest.

A view of the Decorah nest later in the day.

It was a bit of a soggy day at Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest. Just look at the size of those two eaglets! They both have good thermal down and a few dandelions left. My goodness. Did we blink?

Clown feet time!

This has been a superb eagle nest to watch this year. Both eating well and growing. You can see their feathers starting to come in, too. They still have the white-lined mouth. Watch for this to change to yellow.

Today is hatch watch for Liberty and Guardian. Gary says the second egg at this nest should, based on past history, that the egg will hatch Saturday-Monday. Here is his explanation looking at the data for the Redding nest.

We are also on hatch watch for Nancy and Beau at MN-DNR and for Bella and Smitty at NCTC. We could have several hatches on the same day!

It is raining in Ithaca, New York and there are no eggs in Big Red’s nest – yet!

Oh, how I wish the Achieva Credit Union streaming cam had a better zoom on it. There are three little osplets being cared for and they all look to be faring rather well – from a distance!

Rose and Ron continue to take turns feeding the eaglets at the WRDC nest in Miami. They are both doing just fine. Indeed, if you watch carefully they are beginning to reach back and preen. Fat little bottoms and ute little tails. Ron is doing a wonderful joy keeping the fish coming to the nest and helping Rose feeding and brooding.

You may recall that Trey, the only eaglet of Anna and Louis, was struck 16 times by an owl the other evening. Here is a very informed response as to why this might have occurred from Steve Shively, one of the Rangers at the KNF.

A gorgeous sub-adult/juvie eagle visited the nest of Gabby and V3 today. Could this be Jules or Romey? The head development indicates a bird of approximately 2.5-3 years. Fledglings do return to their natal nests! Samson certainly did and we are happy with that result.

Thanks to everyone that joined in the Cal Falcons fundraiser. Oh, they surpassed their goal. Well done! Despite the fundraiser saying the funds go to the Regents, I understand they are then earmarked for the falcons. (It was the same way at the University where I was a professor and administrator).

Thanks to ‘L’ for her note another egg arriving at First Utility Osprey Platform today at 14:38:41.

Sunnie Day has the laying of the third egg on video. Apparently the first egg has failed, so after this third egg, there are two good eggs in the nest.

Ervie’s tracker is working. Here are his latest exploits. We know this great third hatch of 2021 is doing well. Indeed, if my memory holds, only two fledglings from Port Lincoln are confirmed to be alive and well – Calypso from 2019 and Ervie from 2021. Both are in the Port Lincoln/Eyrie Peninsula area. There could be others, not spotted but it seems strange that no one has seen Bazza or Falky or DEW.

It would be reassuring if all levels of government would make respect for the environment and all living things a priority. With that in mind, Audubon has published an article on the lobbying going on to stop the Willow project in Alaska. Every time I read about oil and gas in Alaska, I think of those beautiful Bald Eagles that go up there or live there for the salmon. Think Glacier Gardens. Please let your representatives know that you do not support this project before it is too late.

https://www.audubon.org/news/construction-days-away-groups-ask-court-halt-massive-willow-oil-project?ms=digital-eng-email-ea-newsletter-engagement_20230323_wingspan_&utm_source=ea&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=engagement_20230323_wingspan&utm_content=

Ever wonder where the ‘Crossing over the Rainbow Bridge’ came from?

If you travel to areas of the Iberian Peninsula or Alsace, look up! The White Storks have the most enormous nests in some of the most exciting places!

There is good news coming from the Karula National Forest Black Storks. Karl II is in Turkey! He crossed the border. Kaia is near Khartoum and Waba continues his foraging in Sudan.

Karl II.

Kaia.

That is a mix and a mash of things happening in Bird World. We have a little more time with 21 and 22 before they fledge but not long. What a very bittersweet moment that will be. Let us all hope they visit the nest for 4-6 weeks, learning from their super day, M15, how to navigate the world. How can they not succeed?

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

Thank you so much to the following for their notes, posts, videos, tweets, and streaming cams that helped to form my blog today: Geemeff, ‘L’, A’, Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Vijay and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Moorings Park Ospreys, Dulles-Greenaway Eagle Cam, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Rose Swailes and Decorah Eagles Love Nest FB, Duke Farms, Gary and FORE, Cornell RTH, Achieva Credit Union, WRDC, Tonya Irwin and the KNF Eagle Cam Fans, Bird Cam Network and NEFL-AEF, Cal Falcons, First Utility Ospreys, Sunnie Day and First Utility Ospreys, PLO, Audubon.org, Lorig Basmaijan and New England Nature Enthusiasts, and Looduskalender Forum.

Hatch for Moorings Park, 22’s crop, sadness for Sauces…Friday in Bird World

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.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/27/research-reveals-climate-crisis-is-driving-a-rise-in-human-wildlife-conflicts-aoe?CMP=share_btn_link

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.

Rosie is Home, Arthur is Busy, Intruder lands on Guardian in Nest, …Thursday in Bird World

2 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

The top Osprey story has to be that Rosie has returned to the nest on the Whirley Crane in the Richmond Shipping Yard. Richmond will be delighted! Oh, so happy you are home safe, Rosie.

Just look at those two beautiful eaglets on the SW Florida Nest. They are 7.5 weeks old! It has been a month since their Mum, Harriet, disappeared. M15 has done a fantastic job caring for the couple’s two eaglets, who were a month old. Now they have their juvenile plumage, standing on the rim of the nest, stealing food, and self-feeding. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

On Tuesday, M15 brought a squirrel to the nest. Of course, E22 grabbed a massive piece of it! What a survivor! SK Hideaways caught E22 doing another great eating trick: sit on 21 to get to the beak!

The two eaglets have been enjoying the Florida sunshine and standing on the rails on Thursday. There were four deliveries on Wednesday: 1308, 1338, 1457, and 1505. They came fast and were not large. E22 often got the fish only to lose it to 21.

M15 came to the nest with a small fish at 13:38:16. E22 pulled off something quickly, 21 got some fish, and Dad quickly left. He was gone in 39 seconds! At 13:38:55.

After, E22 searched for scraps while 21 looked out at the big world beyond.

Lady Hawk caught the deliveries and the action in a video montage.

It is 10:30 in Florida as I finish writing on Thursday. The Es are waiting for breakfast.

As I continue monitoring the SW Florida Eagle nest with M15, I try to catch up on other nests we have been watching. These eaglets are growing, and it will not be long until there are fledges. Right now, the first hatch of Alex and Andria at the KNF-E3 nest in the Kisatchie Forest in Louisiana is hovering! Yes, you read that right. He has wind under those wings. Just look. Incredible. The nest is going to become a trampoline for these two eaglets.

B16, the ‘apple’ of Pa and Missy Berry’s talons and eagle eyes is 39 days old today and is now mantling prey when it comes to the nest!

Both of the recent hatches at Duke Farms appear to be doing well. Dad has been on and off the nest checking, and there was an attempt at tandem feeding today. Well done, Duke Farms!

What an adorable image. Two little fluff balls. Pa and Ma make sure that each gets fed and has a little crop.

There has been more trouble at the nest of Liberty and Guardian in Redding, California. An intruder landed on the nest! Gary explains what is happening but, Guardian prevails saving the nest and the egg.

At the nest of the Sauces Canyon couple, Audacity and Jak, egg #7 is holding. If I were Audacity, I would eat on the nest without trying to move! Everyone send this fantastic couple the most positive wishes you can – imagine, seven eggs hoping that one will not break easily and will hatch!

Cholyn was thrown off the nest at Two Harbours in the Channel Islands on Wednesday. There were concerns for her. She returned to incubate the egg overnight, doing a handover to Chase at 0605 Thursday morning. Cholyn is 24 years old – she went right over the cliff’s edge.

Nancy and Beau at the Minnesota DNR nest have lost an egg. It is believed to have broken when Nancy tried to keep the eggs warm and dry during the recent winter storms. Let’s hope for one healthy hatch!

A squirrel has been in the nest at Decorah North chewing on the egg. There is a question of its viability. Eagle back incubating regardless!

We are looking for a pip at the Moorings Park Osprey platform. Sally was acting rather peculiar…maybe the pip has started! Sally and Harry are not giving a thing away. Cannot tell Thursday morning if there is a pip or not.

Arthur is being just his amazing self and delivering sticks for the nest for Big Red. We could be less than two weeks away from the first egg!

Arthur should be proud. He has diligently transformed a pile of windswept sticks with new ones creating a nest for his queen, Big Red. Let’s hope she approves!!!! Big Red can be specific when it comes to stick placement!

Thanks, Sharon Dunne, for the update on the first Moli of the Laysan Albatross Colony on Kauai’ to hatch this year.

Another Kakapo gets its name!

Scientists were delighted when travelling through Madagascar, a believed to be an extinct songbird, the Dusky Tetraka, was seen! Here is that article from Birdlife International. Can you imagine how excited they were?

Found-Mysterious-songbird-rediscovered-in-Madagascar-after-eluding-scientists-for-24-years-BirdLi Download

You will remember my joy when the EU announced that lead would be banned in all 27 European countries in wetlands as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. Here is more information about this bold move. Can we get this to happen in North America? It would certainly be a beginning but we need to ban lead in all hunting and fishing equipment everywhere!

Press-release-Lead-ammunition-finally-banned-from-wetlands-across-the-EU-BirdLife-International Download

While the Bald Eagles and some ospreys nest in the US, the first osprey to return from winter migration to Africa has flown over Hampshire in the UK. It will not be long until we have our first returnees on the streaming cams. Will it be Blue 33 and Maya at Rutland?

I am getting so excited it is impossible to think!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, it is going to be getting soooooo busy. Word has come of Osprey crossing The Strait of Gibraltar. Oh, cold chills are going up my arms. I do so love these raptors.

There is a new osprey platform going up in Cumbria that is hoping to attract a couple! Good luck everyone.

Last is a book review that I have been reading in the evenings after checking on the SW Florida nest.

Raptor behaviour interests everyone, and I wanted to know more about M15. Marti Lord is one of the local photographers and observers of the SW Florida nest. To say that they love these eagles would be an understatement! Their book, Miracle in the Pines – An Eagles Love Story, is an intimate account of a single year in the life of M15 and Harriet. It is 2020. Lord says, “This book is a mixture of my real-life visits to the Southwest Florida Eagles Nest, home of Harriet and M15, to Photograph and observe them, mixed with watching the live cams every day and documenting the activity on the nest. Then I add my own twist of fiction and storytelling to complete the story.”

The story is about season 8. Harriet and M15 had two eggs in the nest. One failed to hatch. Mr Sassy Pants, or E14, was the name given to the eaglet that hatched and tragically died on the nest at 26 days of rodenticide poisoning. CROW removed the body and the non-viable egg. Lord says, “I watched closely to see if there would be any clues as to what Harriet and M15 would do next.” They did move on, and what unfolds is the story of two eaglets, Miracle and Grace, hatched from a second clutch of eggs.

While the book is composed of chapters following the daily lives of the eagles, what struck me most is how Lord shares another perspective, one that those watching the nest on a streaming cam will never have. The family of eagles is observed in the area around the nest. M15 is particularly present once the eaglets fledge. He helps them by the pond, delivers prey; he flies with them. Those stories make this book a really good read, especially if you want to know more about this family and M15.

In 2020, E9 is still in the area, and M15 goes hunting with him. Not only is the season remarkable for the success of a second clutch, but also because this is the year Miracle stays at the nest with her parents squeeing and chasing Dad for fish until the 15th of November. It is just about time for Harriet to lay her eggs, and everyone is wondering when 15 will leave OR will Harriet and M15, who have been working on an alternative nest, have to move house. This intimate behind-the-scenes account of this extraordinary year was such a joy to read. Lord brings to life all of the birds and mammals that live on or come to the pond at the Pritchett property and their interactions with the eagles. And, yes, the GHOs are there and knocking M15 off the branch, too! My only disappointment was that the images were in black and white, and Lord’s photographs of this nest, often seen on the SW Florida Eagles Facebook, are extraordinary in colour. I presume that this was the publisher and a cost issue. It happens far too often now… but, that does not take away from a really detailed and passionate accountant of a year in the life of this Bald Eagle family. I admired M15 prior to reading the book and am more of an ardent supporter now!

How ironic it just was to check FB and Trish Rawlings had posted a picture of Harriet feeding E15!

Just because. A throw back video to a month ago when Mama Harriet was being fed by M15 who was also feeding the eaglets. Yes, it is OK to tear up.

Love. Annie and Lou style, thanks to SK Hideaways. Eggs? Soon?

There is lots and lots of news and nests to cover now. This is a glimpse into what is happening at some of the nests!

Lewis and Missy wish everyone a good end of the week. Did I say they love their big dog fluffy bed?

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, postings, tweets, videos, and streaming cams which help make up my blog: Lucille Powell and the SF Osprey Cam with Rosie and Richmond, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Tonya Irwin and KNF E3, Berry College Eagles, Gary and FORE, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, IWS and Explore.org, MN Non-game Wildlife Program, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Moorings Park Naples Florida, Cornell RTH Cam, Sharon Dunne and Royal cam Albatross Group NZ, Kakapo Recovery, Birdlife International, Alan Petrie Ospreys FB, @WildHaweswater, Marti Lord, NEFL and SWFL Eaglecam Watcher’s Club, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, and SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons.

Is it an egg for Cholyn! Sad news from San Jose, 2nd hatch at Duke Farms…Wednesday in Bird World

1 March 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

It is so lovely to have you with us today! It is the middle of the week, the first day of March. Spring is officially three weeks away. Can’t you hear the geese honking and the songbirds in the trees? or see the birds pulling worms from the soft, moist earth?

It is -18 Tuesday morning on the Canadian Prairies. The sun is shining, and the wind is brisk at 11 kph, but only at times. It promises to be a beautiful bright day.

Looking out at the duck pond, now frozen, there is a promise of their return in a few months. Oh, what joy!

Remember. Being outside in nature, even for a few minutes, benefits our physical and mental health. Even sitting by the pond, anticipating the arrival of geese and ducks, was uplifting, no matter how cold it was this morning. So, please, think about it, put your coat on and get moving if possible.

Everyone is looking forward to the arrival of the waterfowl. It is a mark that spring is arriving.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/27/country-diary-grebes-in-the-harbour-a-curlew-in-the-rushes?CMP=share_btn_link

As I get ready to turn the computer off, it looks like Cholyn might be ready to lay the first egg of the 2023 breeding season on the nest she shares with Chase, Two Harbours, in the Channel Islands. It is 18:32 nest time in California.

And, yes, it is egg one for Chase and Cholyn! Chase gets a look. Remember that Cholyn is Thunder’s Mum. (Thunder and Akecheta on West End)

There is sad news from San Jose, California. You might recall that Annie and Grinnell’s 2019 hatch Sequoia had bonded with mate Shasta at the San Jose City Hall scrape. We were so looking forward to their eggs this spring. Shasta has sadly died from injuries obtained from a collision. Here is the last image of Shasta and the announcement.

At the scrape of Sequoia’s Mum, Annie, at The Campanile, Mum was scraping in the box and waiting to see if Lou would deliver prey there today.

The falcon cams are starting to come on line around the world. So much is happening!

There is always a worry when a big strong eaglet comes bursting out of the shell, and that was what happened when the first hatch entered the world at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, New Jersey. Well, swift on the heels of that hatch came number two! This should be a good year. Dad has loaded up the nest with fish. I have already counted at least four large ones ready to be eaten! Of course, they are gifts for Mum, too!

0719 Tuesday morning. Hatch 1 is ready for breakfish.

1418. The second hatch is completely out of the shell.

1421. Dad has come to see the new baby.

Mum wants to keep the pair warm and dry.

Wednesday breakfast and both little cuddles are up and eating at Duke Farms.

M15 brought in a squirrel and what appeared to be two fish to the SW Florida eagle nest. Both ate. How much is difficult to tell but 22 was doing his best snatch and grab!

At 17:53:09, a small fish was dropped into the nest by M15. E22 got it and it was gone in a flash! Way to go 22.

Vija catches 22 doing a great snatch and grab!

M15 and R23-3 had spa time at the pond.

And, last night, the GHO knocked the female off the branch of the nest tree.

Audacity laid a 7th egg at the Santa Cruz Sauces Canyon Bald Eagle nest. Fingers crossed! Will seven be their lucky number? At the same time, one cannot help but wonder what toll all this egg-laying is taking on Audacity’s body.

US Steel has its first egg. It was laid at 18:56:50. The reveal was at 1901. Congratulations, Claire and Irvin.

Pittsburgh-Hayes has two eggs. The first was laid on 17 February, with the second arriving on the 20th.

Meanwhile, The Majestics Mom and new mate, Beau, at the Denton Home Bald Eagle nest in Iowa are incubating three eggs.

Take a look at Connick. Did anyone say female lately?

Another gorgeous only eaglet, KNF-E1-03 (Trey) looks like it could also be a female.

At the Decorah Eagle nest in Iowa, a squirrel climbed into the nest cup and started chewing on the egg while the eagles were away. Observers believe the egg is in tact, thankfully.

Gabby and V3 might not have eggs this year, but they are spending a lot of time together at the nest tree. Yesterday there was a beautiful visitor to the nest. Have a look! What a gorgeous bird; believed to be about 2.5 years old from the plumage development. They do some looking for scraps and even lay down in the nest. You can hear Gabby warning them from the Wallenda branch.

It is still winter in Minnesota – just like here, 8 hours north. Nancy and Beau have two eggs that they are incubating. It is their first year as a couple. Fingers crossed.

In Poland, the White-tailed eagles are in the nest in the Tucholskie Forest today. She is the female named Tule, and the male is Borek.

One week ago the couple came and began working on nestorations.

The information below one of the streaming videos of the nest gives the following information. Additional information at another site indicates that the couple are now incubating at least one egg.

The nest of white-tailed eagles in the Woziwoda Forest District has grown significantly this year and is over 2 meters high and in diameter. It is a powerful structure that weighs probably around 200-300 kg. Eagles appear at the nest in the afternoons and from mid-January on warmer days they report new material. Both male Borek and female Tula participate in all works. Soon the first egg will appear in the nest, because both birds are kneading the nest hole with their bodies and legs. The female is still not sleeping in the nest yet. Only when she stays in it for the first time for the night will it be a sign that she has laid an egg.

Changing incubation duties.

For those watching the Osprey nests in Florida, the first pip should come at Moorings Park in Naples this Thursday or Friday, the 2nd or 3rd of March. The next nest would be the Venice Golf and Country Club on the 13th and 14th of March. Achieva would follow them.

The adults at Moorings Park are Sally and Harry.

Florence and Angus are still bonding at the Captiva Osprey nest. Still no eggs. Hopeful.

Two more Kakapo named!

In England, there have been calls to end or substantially shorten the Woodcock hunting season. Congratulations Nature England for getting a review! That is positive news.

Flaco is still doing well in New York City’s Central Park. There are no current plans to try and bait the little Eurasian Owl and return it to its cage at the Zoo. If you want to keep up with what is happening with Flaco, the best news comes out of urbanhawks.com You can also find the latest news there on Pale Male and other raptors and concerns who live in the Central Park area.

I wanted to check on Karl II and his family – to see if any had started moving north. No. Waba is still in Sudan, and to the surprise of everyone, Udu has spent the winter in Turkey. No signal transmissions from Bonus, Karl II, or Kaia yet.

There is so much beginning to happen. You can feel the energy; before long, eaglets will be fledging at SW Florida, Ospreys hatching, and more eggs in the Channel Islands. We will not be able to keep up! Oh, and the UK Ospreys will return to their spring and summer breeding grounds.

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

If you want to join our Bird World family, please subscribe. It is always free. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Thank you to the following for their notes, their streaming cams, their videos, and posts that help make up my newsletter today: The Guardian, IWS, Sharon Pollock and Raptors of the World, Cal Falcons, Duke Farms, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Vija and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Sherry Morris and CIEL, Pix Cams, Denton Homes, Window to Wildlife, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Bird Cam Network, Tucholskie Eagle Cam, Kakapo Recovery, @Jeff Knott, Urban Hawks, and Looduskalender English Forum, Following Karl II’s Family.

Daddy Door Dash does great…Monday in Bird World

27 February 2022

Oh, good morning, everyone! Lewis hopes that you had an extraordinary wonderful weekend full of treats! He has been enjoying some strawberry-filled Japanese crepes lately – just little bites – and he loves them! I must go into a room and lock the door to keep him away! He does not understand, ‘Sweets are not good for a cat’s teeth!’

Sunday was a rather fantastic day in the garden! Mr Woodpecker was in ‘Abigale’s tree’. Mr Crow came here. Oh, it is so nice to see you! And then, there was the rabbit. I don’t want the rabbits here, but, it was such a delight to see one alive. The feline pets that frequent the feeders kill the rabbits for fun. It isn’t their fault. Their owners let them outside when it is clearly against city by-laws.

So what is Abigale’s tree? We started ‘re-foresting’ our city lot by planting trees for family members and cats when they died. Now the garden is getting full. It is a nice escape for the birds in the City, cool in the summer and lots of food in the winter. Abigale was the big ‘Blue’ Abyssinian cat. She was huge, adorable, and ever so gentle.

Mr Crow reminds me of E22, who is always ‘sqeeing’ for food even if he has a fish tail in his mouth!

There is wonderment when seeing wildlife in a big city. It makes me so happy and tells me that, hopefully, when we are gone, they will take over and have the run of the place again.

M15 delivered one earlier prey item on the SW Florida nest on Sunday before dropping a nice fish off at 13:09:30. (The female took the possum tail from an early delivery). E21 got that breakfast and the 13:09 prey item, too. 22 has been calling to Dad, who has been on the tree branch ever since. M15 is ignoring 22. I don’t believe 22 got any of the earlier breakfast, and he is hungry. This is the problem with Dad needing to play the double role of Mum and Dad. He is making drops, and the eaglets are dealing with food as they would if they were in the real world. In other words, the eaglets mostly have to fend for themselves in terms of eating. It is good. These are great lessons. Sometimes it would be nice to see Dad feeding the babies, but it could also draw the female to the nest. On Saturday, M15 delivered 5 fish and 2 prey items to the nest!

E21 is being cautious. It knows that 22 is hungry and could grab that fish. I hope 21 leaves something because 22 mantled the early fish and then lost it to 21 and hasn’t eaten. It looks like there is a lot left. Hurry up 21 so 22 can have some before ‘she’ comes.

I need to continue reminding myself that E22 got a super duper feeding from Dad Saturday afternoon! Yes, M15 does still feed them. E22 did eat a lot on Saturday. Must not panic if he doesn’t get fish today. That is the mantra.

The fact of the matter is that E21 is not as good at self-feeding as 22 who had to figure all of this out to survive. E22 is now ‘under’ 21’s tail and will steal that fish! The time is 13:30.

Thank you, big sibling! There is enough for 22 to have a meal. E22 eating at 133953.

At 135223, E22 eats the fish tail.

There was another delivery at 14:19:06. Both eaglets ate off this fish. It went back and forth, and each wound up with a good-sized crop. Then Daddy Door Dash M15 flew in with another fish at 16:36:59.

Notice that 21 has a piece of leftover fish from 22 and is reaching over to Dad’s beak to be fed! Too funny. E22 is absolutely stuffed.

E22 with his big crop. I wonder if he will also want some of the last fish of the day?

No. That was the quickest feed. E21 got it all, and 22 didn’t care; he was too full to care. That is a brilliant way to end the day! It was another excellent day at the SW Florida nest of M15 and the Es. Harriet would be proud.

Too funny. By 1652, 22 is digging around an old fish head for flakes of prey.

The Es had a great day in terms of food.

A very good radio interview. You might have to cut and paste the title into the news organization.

M15, you are magnificent. Sweet Eagle Dreams.

The Es had breakfast around 10:28:45. 21 was more or less fed by Dad, while 22 snatched and grabbed some nice pieces of the prey. Thank you, M15!

It is a much nicer day at the Big Bear Valley nest of Jackie and Shadow. Still, snow on the nest, but the storm that raged for several days has passed. Sadly, the two eggs in the nest are now well beyond the viable dates. Egg 1 was laid on the 11th of January, making it 46 days old and egg 2 was laid on the 14th, 43 days old. There is time for a second clutch.

Yes, it is Connick! Blink, and they do grow up. Those ebony-coloured feathers are now making this little one look immensely grown up. Connick is on the rails. In the second image, you can see that thermal down that will help Connick regulate its temperature and keep him dry.

Louis has flown into the KNF-E1 nest in the Kisatchie National Forest. I want you to look at the size of E1-03. Sure looks like they have a female this year at this nest after two previous male fledges.

Not much longer til branching!

Do you need to see baby eaglets? Well, get ready! The first egg at Duke Farms was pipped at 21:31:13 Saturday night, the 26th!

The eaglet at Duke Farms is making progress Monday morning. Dad has been on the nest checking how things are going.

Just a few hours before the pip at Duke Farms in New Jersey, Denton Homes in Iowa had their third egg!

SK Hideaways shows us that Lou is growing up. Annie gets a whole prey item all to herself. Brilliant!

Making News:

Going for a walk on flooded lanes and being the only one there with a Golden Plover. Rather idyllic, right?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/23/country-diary-for-a-moment-its-just-me-and-a-golden-plover?CMP=share_btn_link

CROW has had an intake with Red Tide poisoning in Florida.

Yesterday I posted an image of the Stellar’s Eagle that flies back and forth from Canada to Maine. This eagle is far from home. Here is an image from Hokkaido, Japan where the eagle should be!

Remember this if you should spot a new hatch GHO on the ground. Call your local wildlife rehabilitation centre and wait. And then suggest the laundry basket for the nest if they don’t know this trick of CROW.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, tweets, posts, videos, and streaming cams that make up my blog today: Superbeaks, SW Florida Eagles and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagles and D Pritchett, Tonya Irwin and Raptors of the World, FOBBV, Window to Wildlife, KNF-E1, Duke Farms, Sherri van Syckel and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, The Guardian, CROW, and Jonathan Wadsworth Photography and Birds of Prey.

Daddy Door Dash…Sunday in Bird World

26 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

Saturday was a huge surprise with the revolving door deliveries at the SWFlorida nest. Just when we worried because of the female’s presence, M15 brought in lots of prey. And once, ‘she’ fed E21 and only once did she get in the nest.

The day started well for the eaglets, E21 and 22. M15 has delivered two fish to the nest. The first was an Armoured Catfish, but the second appeared to be a normal catfish. E21 had a crop, and E22 is working hard on that second fish!

The second fish arrives at 1100. I thought that Dad might feed the eaglets, but he keeps the female away from the nest by doing food drops.

After 21 eats their portion, 22 takes the fish. The time is 1142.

22 kept working on that piece of fish until it was all gone. He is our little survivor!

Meanwhile, while 22 was working on that fish, Dad brought in more mysterious animal organs. E21 grabbed them and ate quickly. 22 didn’t even seem to notice! Time is 12:04.

We must celebrate these two eaglets. They are doing so well under the circumstances and Dad is just doing the absolute best he can for them.

At 13:10:49, M15 brings another nice fish to the nest for the eaglets. This time he is followed by R23-3 (Black Talon). Dad leaves her. Interestingly, while this female was hungry and ate most of that fish, she did feed 21 and didn’t seem to be mean about it. This is disheartening as the morning and yesterday had gone well without her.

By 1317, 22 decides he might get up there and get a few bites. I do not think 22 got any, but he had eaten much of the earlier fish. Still, you can see him moving his beak up. The lunch was finished at 13:19:40, and the female flew up to a branch above the nest.

Lady Hawk caught it in a video showing that the female was not all nice but, she did feed E21 some bites. Perhaps M15 was watching?

The prey items keep on coming. M15 brings in another fish to the eaglets at 15:38:09. 22 is right up there snatching and grabbing. He is very hungry and intends to get this fish!

Our Snatch and Grab King is not giving up on any of this fish even if Dad moves it around to also feed 21.

22 is getting so much fish. He will sleep well tonight and be good if nothing else comes to the nest today. Bravo, M15!

Dad also has a nice crop so he is also eating well today. Simply relief. I don’t know if there are medals for eagles figuring out complicated life circumstances, but M15 would surely be at the top of the list this year to receive one.

At 0800 on Sunday, M15 drops a live fish on the nest. E22 mantles and grabs it first but submits to 21 who eats it all!

It is not clear what happened next on the SW Florida nest Sunday morning.

At 09:15:57, the female with the injured talon, no longer black as the scab had come off, was on the nest with the eaglets. At 09:15:15, M15 had flown down into the nest. Did he want her to leave? Did he have fish? I could see he did not leave a meal, and the female remained in the nest. I suspect she thought there was some fish, and 21 had cleaned everything up. 21 finished eating that live fish at 0857.

Dad at the ND-LEEF Bald Eagle nest has been contending with a rather aggressive female since Mum disappeared earlier this month. It now seems that Dad and her are a couple. She’s a big girl!!!!!!!

People are fascinated by Bald Eagles buried in snow. This is Nancy at the MN-DNR nest.

This is what it was like at the eagle nest of Jackie and Shadow in Big Bear where the winter storm continues to rage.

Jackie and Shadow made The Los Angeles Times. Oh, they are so loved both in California and around the world. Again, if our love could help them, they would have a nest full of eaglets!

Big-Bear-bald-eagles-sit-on-eggs-in-snow-as-fans-watch-for-hatchling-Los-Angeles-Times Download

The weather is much different in Jacksonville, and V3 managed to get a fish on the nest, eat a few bites, and then Gabby came and claimed it. No talons were injured this time, and well done, V3. What a guy you are keeping security watch while Gabby eats. V3, you are fantastic.

No eggs at The Hamlet but HD and HM (Hatchery Dad and Mum) at Decorah welcomed their first egg on Saturday. Congratulations Iowa! Talk about a handsome eagle couple!

For those of you following the love triangle saga at Centreport, New York, ‘H’ tells me that Mum has been mating with D4 and that Mum also mounted D-5. Yes, you read that right. Will we have a lover’s triangle on Long Island?

‘H’ confirms also that Angus and Florence mated ten times on Saturday! Angust brought four fish gifts. One is the Talipia in the image below. Now..when will we have eggs on that nest?

B16 is 35 days old today. Wow. Those eaglets (B16, Connick, Ringo, the ones at KNF) are getting so big and grown up.

Ringo, the lone surviving eaglet, is strengthening her legs and wings! Doing well in Webster, Texas.

More and more postings are showing raptors in rehab because of rodenticide poisoning. When will these designer poisons be banned? Let the raptors do their job and have food without the fear of death!

Did Jack come too close to the eggs with his fish delivery for Diane? Heidi Mc caught it on video!

Sweet Pea is in the post-guard phase for those who follow the Royal Cam Albatross. I do not recall a little Albie wandering from the nest so early, but there he goes (yes, I believe it is a ‘him’ this time). What a brave and independent baby this year!

And last, but absolutely never least, Big Red and Arthur have been on the Fernow Light stand building a nest! Aren’t they beautiful? Arthur will deliver and you can count on Big Red doing the supervising! (She also delivers sticks).

Big Red and Arthur’s 2023 hatch L4 – who no one believed would survive – is still living on the parental territory without any issues from Mum and Dad.

Here is the link to Big Red and Arthur’s camera on the Cornell Campus in Ithaca, New York. This is one of less than a handful of streaming cams focusing on the lives of Red-tail Hawks. Big Red is 20 this year.

https://www.youtube.com/live/ndnr3bwdRzE?feature=share

Thank you so much for being with me this Sunday morning. Take care, everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, their videos, tweets, posts, and streaming cams that make up my blog this morning: ‘H’, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Stephen Basly and the Notre Dame Eagles, The Sacramento Bee, FOBBV, The Los Angeles Times, NEFL-AEF, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Window to Wildlife, Berry College Eagles, Paul White and the Webster Texas Eagles, Boston.com, Heidi Mc and Achieva Credit Union, NZ DOC, Cornell Bird Lab, and @Cornell Hawks.

Will the Es be fed, balloons banned, Avian Flu in Japan…Friday in Bird World

24 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

There is some good news, and there is worrisome news this morning. This 2023 breeding season has really started off like a wild roller-coaster ride.

First…a big shout-out to Laguna Beach, California. They have banned balloons to save the ocean and wildlife. Let’s see who will stand up for the planet and its living inhabitants next.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/23/california-laguna-beach-bans-balloons-ocean?CMP=share_btn_link

Spring is coming to the UK. I wait for the Ospreys to tell me but, some are watching the Blue Tits starting their nesting.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/21/country-diary-its-started-the-blue-tits-are-house-hunting?CMP=share_btn_link

Thursday has been a very tense day in Bird World. The female with the black talon attacked M15 when he brought a fish to the eaglets for breakfast on Thursday morning. She chased him around the pasture and then flapped him off the nest. It is mid-afternoon, and M15 has not fed the eaglets. The female with the black talon is on the branch below M15, above the nest.

M15 at the very end of the tree doing security. Or is he waiting for her to leave? We should never underestimate this female. She is larger and heavier than M15, and she is determined. Her talons demonstrate that she is not afraid to engage, and we know from footage around the nest site that she has protected the area. It is extremely difficult to anticipate what she will do next but, it seems that any food M15 brings could be grabbed by her and not get to the mouths of the eaglets.

Females injured feet and talons.

SW Florida video of the interaction.

Getting older.

Beautiful hot, and hungry babies. They are 7 weeks old.

It is 17:15 on the SW Florida Nest. No food has arrived. It is now after 1800, and M15 is not at the nest tree. The Es are searching for any old scraps that they can find. We wait.

I worried M15 might not return, but he did. He is on the branch of the nest tree with the black-talon female. We wait in the hope that the eaglets will be fed on Friday. M15 is caught in a terrible dilemma. If he brings food to the eaglets, the female will swoop and eat it. Then he has to quickly get more for the eaglets, ensuring the female does not injure him. He did this successfully the other day. Will he be able to do it again?

M15 has walked a fine line since Harriet disappeared, trying to do everything single-handedly. This female may not allow him to continue to feed the eaglets as he did so valiantly. If that is the case, I hope that CROW has the permit to remove them so that they can eat, learn to fly, and fledge safely. If that should happen, I do not think anyone will forget the good fight that M15 undertook to raise his eaglets under the most difficult of circumstances.

SW Florida Eagle Cam reminds us:

It is Friday morning 11:00, and the eaglets are yet to be fed. Did I say that I am extremely worried about them? Another person has been caught leaving food! Did I say that the eaglets’ ps are getting thin? If M15 doesn’t feed them because of injury to himself, them, or both, will CROW remove the eaglets and care for them til they fly free?

Maybe if I send this quick he will fly in with a big meal for them but, alas, I fear that the fight in the nest and the fact she took two meals in a row and chased him might have changed this. Stay strong babies!

So where does someone go if they want to see stability and tranquillity? Well, there are many choices. The first up for me would be Gabby and V3. No eaglets to worry about. No intruders at the nest. Just nice and quiet. Both have eaten well and have crops. They are in good physical shape, and V3 has ensured that the revolving door of suitors is closed. Gabby saw his great potential and accepted him. While we may have gone after looks, it seems she went after a good security guard that also was quite handsome. Hopefully, they will have eaglets next year. Like everything else in Bird World, we wait.

Of the nests that have eaglets, Captiva is a good choice, but there are intruders sometimes. The KNF-E1 and E-3 nests of Anna and Louis or Alex and Andria have plenty of food and are doing well. It is difficult to tell precisely what is happening at Superbeaks, but at least one of the eaglets has fledged, and both have branched. This has been a great nest to observe. The Royal Cam nest is always sedate and beautiful until the parents begin leaving the chick. This has just started happening, and now there is anxiety because of the number of juveniles or non-bonded individuals cavorting around SP.

Meanwhile, winter storms are troubling some nests. Jackie is going to begin to get very hungry. Do her and Shadow have a food stash? They must!

Jackie and Shadow are valiantly dealing with a big winter storm in the Big Bear Valley area. This is Shadow in the nest Thursday. More than 14,000 people are watching and wishing. If our love could give them a viable egg, they would have a full nest!

Shadow brought in a ‘black’ bird for dinner at 15:53. The couple switched incubation duties while it was plucked and eaten. All I can think of is — if it is hard to hunt prey today, is it now the pesky Ravens that are being served up?

Nancy and Beau are dealing with a winter storm at their nest in Minnesota, too.

Nancy’s new mate, Beau, is good at bringing in fish for Mum and taking over incubation duties.

There is snow in Iowa at both the Decorah North nest (top three images) and Decorah (bottom). We tend to worry more about the eagles when they are buried under snow than when it is hot. We look at them and think that they will freeze. In reality, the snow and cold are better than the heat. Eagles are also so intelligent – as we all know. According to my grandmother, they are much better weather predictors than any meteorologist. If you had watched, they would have prepared the nest with more materials. We saw this in Iowa and Minnesota recently. They might also stash prey items. The eggs will be nestled cosy, deep in the nest, safe and warm.

At the nest of KNF-E1 Anna and Louis, Trey was doing some winging when Dudley blew up! That is one way to get rid of an egg on a nest. It was obviously non-viable!

The Mum at ND-LEEF, Little Bit ND17’s mother, has been missing now for 19 days. There is a new younger female at the nest but the relationship between Dad and her is anything but cordial. The South Bend news carries the story of our beloved missing mother from the nest in St Joseph’s Park in South Bend, Indiana.

Bald-eagle-female-missing-in-St.-Patricks-park-nest-on-Notre-Dame-cam Download

‘H’ sent me a lovely note and images about the Captiva Osprey this morning. Angus and Florence mated four times (looks successful) and had a lovely spa bath together during the day. Things are looking up for a change—some nice news on a Friday morning.

Last year we were entranced with Thunder and Akecheta raising three eaglets. This year they have moved their nest. Oh, how we will miss this amazing family! It is nice to see them even at a distance, though.

Happy Hatch day for two more Kakapo. What a brilliant year 2022 was for the Kakapo Recovery. 55 chicks. 55!

Sweet Pea or South Plateau Chick is now in the post-guard stage. It spent the day panning the horizon for intruders and worked on gardening around the nest.

Bird Flu impacts almost every country in the world. I want to thank one of our readers from Japan for alerting me to this situation. Thank you ‘A’.

Over 10 million birds have been culled in Japan because of Avian Influenza. On the northernmost island of Hokkaido, the first Tanbaku Crane was discovered to have the flu when it died in late October. Since then, there have been—–

Oriental White Storks are Special National Treasures in Japan.

They are smaller than the most famous of the Cranes, the Red-Crowned. They average 110-150 cm in height, or 43 inches to 59 inches tall and weigh anywhere from 6-13 lbs or 2.8-5.9 kg. Their wingspan is quite large at 7.3 feet or 2.2 metres. They have a black beak, red around the eyes and bright white irises. This is the best way to tell them from the Red-Crowned cranes.

The storks live on insects, small fish and reptiles, as well as small mammals. They are a top Apex wetland predator and like Ospreys and Bald Eagles in North America, their presence is a good indicator of a healthy environment. These beautiful wading birds originally lived and searched for their prey in the ride paddies. The industrialisation of agriculture, which included the use of pesticides and chemicals, killed off their natural food sources. The change from having natural waterways connected to rivers to concrete drainage and irrigation was also detrimental. Humans could flood the rice paddies quickly, which meant that many amphibians, such as tadpoles, that the storks relied on for food did not mature. So we now have also a loss of habitat with the logging of pine forests. Many succumbed to mercury poisoning from these pesticides and chemicals and could not breed. This is, of course, very similar to the issues of DDT use in North America. The very last wild storks were seen in 1971, again, a similar time table to the decline of the Apex raptors in the US.

These gorgeous birds are featured in many works of art and on buildings throughout Japan. The risk of extinction caused them to be designed as a special national treasure in 1956 when there were 20 wild storks left. Plans to breed the storks in captivity began to be discussed. It was not until 1985, when Russia translocated six young storks to Japan, that there was hope. Four years later, one pair raised their first chick in the wild! Meanwhile, 300 storks have been bred in captivity and released. Their new threat is Avian Flu.

The female stork hatched in April 2022 and was banded. Her name was Niji, and she was discovered dead at a pond in Muragame on 15 November. Tests indicated that it was the highly pathogenic H5 strain of avian flu. This will have a devastating impact on all the water birds of Japan.

“東方白鸛 Oriental White Stork” by Hiyashi Haka is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

“Hyogo prefectural homeland for the Oriental white stork, Japan” by pelican is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

The image above is Storks by Ohara Boson.

When you think it is too much at some of the nests, just read this. The raptors do not mess around when it comes to territory. They protect it – often to the death.

I can assure you that all of the eaglets on the nests – save for 21 and 22 – are being well-fed. Eggs are being incubated. There are intruders and sub-adults, even following Jackie at Big Bear today. Mating occurs in the hope of eggs and spring at other nests.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, announcements, and streaming cams, where I took my screen, captures for the newsletter today: ‘A’, ‘B’, The Guardian, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, SW Florida Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, MN-DNR, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, KNF-E1, South Bend Tribune, ‘H’ and Window to Wildlife, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Kakapo Recovery, Cornell Bird Lab and NZ DOC, OpenVerse, and Ciryon Hoop and Raptors of the World FB.

Category Archives: Iowa eagles

WBSE 30 is released!…Thursday in Bird World

Like this:

Connick falls out of nest, Maya lays first egg…Late Tuesday in Bird World

Like this:

Aran arrives, NC0 lays first UK Osprey egg, E22 at the pond with Dad…Tuesday in Bird World

Like this:

Blue KWO, Karl II’s family is on the move, hatch watch. It is Friday in Bird World

Like this:

Hatch for Moorings Park, 22’s crop, sadness for Sauces…Friday in Bird World

Like this:

Rosie is Home, Arthur is Busy, Intruder lands on Guardian in Nest, …Thursday in Bird World

Like this:

Is it an egg for Cholyn! Sad news from San Jose, 2nd hatch at Duke Farms…Wednesday in Bird World

Like this:

Daddy Door Dash does great…Monday in Bird World

Like this:

Daddy Door Dash…Sunday in Bird World

Like this:

Will the Es be fed, balloons banned, Avian Flu in Japan…Friday in Bird World

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: