Category Archives: Iowa

Tuffie gets fed, Meadow on ground…Friday in Bird World

5 April 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I had a wonderful day on Thursday. Two sets of visitors – old friends and then the granddaughter. It was a real joy to see everyone, but I did not get to check all of the nests properly, not even half of them, so we are going with the most crucial.

Before the birds, the cats. The girls had fun. New plants to lay in and they got to show off their climbing and chasing skills to get to the top of the cat tree for everyone. I should not say girls. It was Missey and Hugo Yugo. These two are nothing but trouble spelt with a capital T.

Missey was the Queen of the Cat Tree and then decided that it was more fun to rest in the new plant pot and watch the newly arrived Dark-eyed Juncos. She used to do this with Lewis when I would water the plants. Oh, they had such fun. I miss darling Lewis.

Hope and Calico did not come out until they thought it was time for everyone to go home! It was too funny. It seems that Missey and Hugo Yugo love the attention of others while Calico and Hope prefer the house sans visitors. Go figure.

We are going to start off with Moorings Park because it is the osprey nest of most concern. I could not bear to check first thing this morning before preparations for the day got underway. Of course, the other problem is Meadow who was blown off the nest and who miraculously is on a large limb of the tree under the nest.

So, first things first. Moorings Park. FINALLY, Tuffie had enough food to do crop drops. It did not come until the end of the day, and the poor little one must have been ready to drop and expire. Tears. Thanks, ‘H’, for watching this nest for me on Thursday and for making a video clip so I could see that crop fill and drop, fill and drop. The tears were rolling down my face. As I said yesterday, it never gets easy watching Siblicide. Indeed, it gets harder. The joy comes when the little one triumphs. Tuffie had been battered so much and was so frightened and dehydrated that it was questionable whether or not this little one could hold on – both mentally and physically – until there was a moment when it could get fed.

So this is what ‘H’ sent me that started the tears:”Five fish so far: 0841  headless fish, no bites for Tuffy, (and several beat-downs by Ruffie at each meal except meal #5) 1104  large live fish, no bites for Tuffy; 1157  small headless fish, 2 bites for Tuffy; 1603  large headless fish, 3 bites for Tuffy; 1730  large headless fish, I counted at least 99 bites for Tuffy, and no beaking from Ruffie. Throughout the 1730 meal, Tuffy was seen crop dropping several times.”

When my company left, I watched the video and then checked the streaming cam. The first bite must have been the most delicious fish that Tuffie ever tasted.

The other good news comes from the Osprey nest in Wales, Glaslyn. Elen had been away for a little over a week after she first landed on the Glaslyn nest. Then, Aran, her mate, returned, but Elen wasn’t home. Then Blue 372 came calling. On Thursday, Aran gave in to Blue 372. Almost immediately, Elen returned home! Was she watching from the woods?

‘G’s thoughts on Glaslyn: “Elen is giving Aran a right earful !! She has eaten her own fish, then has taken his from him, she’s not hungry just claiming her rights! Refused his offer of mating – quite strongly!”

The happy couple. I hope Elen knows that Aran has spent several days putting Blue 372 off – he just got weak on Thursday. Perhaps he worried that Elen was not coming.

She is back with us for a good narrative of the goings on at Duke Farms. Thanks, ‘A’: “Mum woke up early and after flapping her waterlogged wings, she flew off the nest at 06:20 to search for food for her babies. This mother is just fantastic. I know I keep saying it, but she just keeps demonstrating it It is dad, though, who arrives back first, at 07:26:45, with quite a large piece of furred prey, very dark in colour and with a long non-fluffy tail and no stripe. Again, I have no idea (it’s an American creature). Dad looks to have half-healed wounds on one of his feet, which may tell us something about his activities last week. Leaper immediately spreads her wings as if to mantle the food. She even reaches out as if considering having a try at self-feeding. Not on this piece of prey, unopened and unprepared. But dad is hesitant about feeding the babies but wouldn’t dare eat this food himself. So he waits beside the food, uncertain. He begins to prepare the prey. Leaper moves forward expectantly. Jersey has turned his head the other way, demonstrating token submission. Dad quickly pauses again, looking around for mum. This lengthy wait annoys Leaper, who until now has essentially been very laid back indeed with Jersey, despite yesterday’s lack of food. It is not a severe attack, but it is more than I have seen in the past week. She plucks out some more of Jersey’s head feathers, then grabs the back of his neck and shakes him a little. It is not vicious but, rather, pure frustration. Leaper turns back towards the prey and dad, but dad flies off the nest at 07:29:40.  Forty seconds passes. Jersey is still ducked but not really tucked right over. He is just being careful. Leaper approaches the food again, contemplating how he might eat it. He is investigating it with his beak. Fortunately, at this point, mum flies in. She too has furred prey, much smaller and greyer than dad’s, with far less, and less dense, fur. Leaper heads towards her. Mum decides to start breakfast with her own offering and begins feeding Leaper. Jersey waits behind his sibling, his head quickly up. It is obvious he was not particularly intimidated by Leaper’s recent big sister moment. By 07:35 he is contemplating his options, and begins looking over his shoulder. At 07:37, mum finishes the last of her prey item. She moves on to dad’s. She grabs the prey and pulls it around the rails a little, towards Jersey, hoping he will have the courage to skirt around the rails to where she is. Oh how I love this mum. Leaper has had her immediate hunger appeased so mum begins to defur the food (it needs it). She is efficient. For once, it is Leaper rather than Jersey who is watching carefully and learning. At 07:39 mum is still plucking. Leaper continues to watch. As 07:40 approaches, Jersey turns his head towards mum and thinks about how to reach her. He decides to move closer to the rail, then head around the rails towards her. At 07:41, he stands up and begins his mission. Mum is still plucking – I am certain she is delaying as she is now plucking the long tail. Jersey is hesitant, and with mum still plucking, shortly after 07:42, Leaper again gets impatient and turns towards Jersey as if about to attack him again. As she does, we can see that she has a very respectable crop. She changes her mind and heads back to mum. At 07:42:36 she gives Leaper the first bite from the second piece of prey. With Hiis sister busy eating, Jersey takes the opportunity to skirt the edge of the nest, approaching the table around the rails. By 07:43:50 he has reached mum, and three seconds later, he leans over and grabs his first bite of food. Mum gives the next bite to Leaper, then turns to offer Jersey his bite. He takes it without hesitation. Mum continues to feed Jersey. He is still a little grabby, so she is very patient with him, re-offering him the food if he doesn’t get it or get it all on the first attempt. Leaper does not object for half a dozen bites, then leans down and pecks at the food. Mum keeps feeding Jersey. He has had a lot of bites in just under a minute when, at 07:44:43 Leaper leans down and grabs a bite of food. She takes three bites in a row before Jersey begins to compete. Mum now feeds them both and they compete for bites. Jersey is a little worse positioned than his sister so loses more bites than usual. But the bites he does get include the very biggest ones, which he grabs and turns away to eat. Again, the pair are side by side at the table, eating in a civilised manner and both getting enough to eat. This nest really has changed over the past week – yesterday was a very testing day indeed, and yet these two got through it all in a very friendlty and supportive manner. There was snuggling and allopreening, beakies and the using of each other as bedding. It was all very sweet. And even today, the one piece of bonking I saw was not vicious but frustrated and more a stamp of the foot than anything truly aggressive. Afterwards, Jersey was very cautious but not overly intimidated. The moment he got to the table, his confidence was not in question. Yesterday was about the weather, not the food supply. So let’s hope that now the weather has cleared up, this nest will continue to be a safe place for both these gorgeous eaglets to continue their journey in life together. They are so cute playing and cuddling together. I am convinced they will be best buddies very soon.”

“That mum at Duke Farms is really something very special indeed. She made the decision that her little one was going to survive. It was a deliberate decision, and she worked very hard to help him through those very dark few days when his very existence hung in the balance. Had she not done this, I am certain Jersey would not have survived. She saw determination, his efforts to self-feed (very good efforts they were, too), and she has done everything to help him regain his confidence and to eat when hsi sister was trying to prevent that. His fear would have been his downfall, had this mum not done what she has. I adore this mum. As I watch the pair of them, sitting nicely up at the table with little Jersey eating and eating while Leaper calmly looks on, I see two healthy eaglets, now so similar in size that I have to believe we have two boys here. Jersey has grown amazingly in the past ten days. He is looking fabulous. And to think how close he came to leaving us! This nest proves one thing we have often said: the difference between success and tragedy on a nest can often depend on the parenting skills on the nest. A mother like this one (or a dad like M!5 or Akecheta) can swing a nest, can ensure the younger chicks survive and can find a way to feed and protect their babies to fledge and beyond. A lesser mum and Leaper would be an only eaglet. “

Squirrel and a fish so far on Thursday.

Another feeding right before lights out at Duke Farms.

All is well at Decorah North as well.

Meadow on the branch, away from the tree trunk, wondering what to do to get back up with Swampy.

This is, as ‘H’ suggested to me, the ‘saddest’ image:

Meadow has fallen to the ground. Yes, he could be rescued. No, CROW is on Santibel and Fort Myers. Eagle Country is over by Cape Canaveral.

There is a beautiful dove on Iris’s nest, but no Iris yet. The rain makes this image of Iris’s nest look so sad. It is like the world is crying for our matriarch. Let her return safely.

At the ND-LEEF nest in South Bend, Indiana, there are now two little bobbleheads.

Two happy eaglets at Fraser Point for Cruz and Andor and they are showing their love with a dual feeding!

How are those eggs developing at Cal Falcons?

A five hour feeding at the nest of Thunder and Akecheta. How do you spell devoted parents? Three eaglets with equally full crops.

‘J’s list of eaglets that hatched in April – and we are only on day 5.

The handsome ‘Prince’ has been hanging around the Loch Arkaig nest 1. Might we get a mate for this chap? Someone might tell Blue 372!

I wonder if the one ring visitor might be a candidate or is she/he just touching down on the way to elsewhere?

Maya at Rutland has just laid her third egg.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, screen captures, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J’, Moorings Park Ospreys, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Duke Farms, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Eagle Country, Montana Osprey Project, Stephen M Basly, IWS/Explore, Sharon Pollock, Lady Hawk, Geemeff, and Rutland Mantou Bay – LRWT.

Thursday in Bird World

4 April 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Today’s posting may be short. I was away most of Wednesday and visitors will be here most of Thursday! It is time for homemade soup, Focaccia, and apple crisp. I also need a slight break from staring and counting the bites that Tuffie isn’t getting at Moorings Park.

When everything seems rather bleak, it is good to turn to a couple that can raise three eaglets, where the female has the nest under control, and where the Dad steps in and helps feed and keep the peace. That nest is the West End with Thunder and Akecheta. It is also Manton Bay at Rutland where Blue 33 has helped dear Maya when they had four!

There is a big difference in size between hatch 1 and 3 at the West End, but no matter. Both are thriving.

Our thoughts are with Meadow and his sibling, Swampy, and Abby and Blaze at the Eagle Country nest after Meadow was blown off the nest during high winds on Wednesday. Meadow was on the branch safe at the time of writing. Meadow is 64 days old today. The average age of an eaglet to fledge in Florida is 11 weeks or 77 days.

Perched for the night. (more images below)

It is so difficult to watch a nest that is struggling and that is certainly what is happening at Moorings Park. It began with the transition to the Reptilian Phase and a perceived drop and lateness in fish deliveries by the eldest chick, Ruffy. The question is: will Tuffie get enough fish to survive this period?

Osprey chicks typically double their weight by day 7 or day 8. Between days 8-10, the soft grey down they hatched with is replaced by a wooly charcoal coloured down. They become more mobile in the nest. The data records that ‘H’ and I have kept indicate that it is during this period of time when the Reptilian phase begins that the chicks are most ferocious if fish is not plentiful. Darker feathers on their heads begin to appear – a kind of black oily spot and some gorgeous copper red ones down at the nape of the neck. When they are about three weeks old, the primaries, secondaries, and the rectories begin to appear.

          The chicks are kept warm by their buff-colored plumage of down feathers called the first down. The crop develops within the first week of its life, which stores food so that the chicks don’t need to be fed very frequently. They usually double their weight in the first week of their lives. Under normal conditions, a nest will settle, and the fear of siblicide will pass as the osplets leave the Reptilian phase. That is, of course, not always the case. There are exceptions, and Port Lincoln certainly showed us in its past history that chicks are not safe, even at 42 or 65 days of age, if the eldest is determined to kill them.

Tuffie keeps his beak open and is begging for food and there is none on the nest when Ruffy is asleep. I have seen females hide food or keep food back to feed these little ones. Sally is not doing this.

Tuffie got only a few bites. Nothing more. Ruffy had a crop. I am in the seventh year of my twenty-year siblicide study. It is never easy. In fact, it seems to get more difficult to observe every year, every nest.

In contrast, Duke Farm’s Mum found scraps in the nest and made sure both Leaper and Jersey had some bites.

The rain is coming down and is expected to continue for several days. The eaglets, Leaper and Jersey, will be banded at the end of this week. What an enlightened nest! Wish each nest on streaming cams would band their chicks. Thank you Duke Farms!

There are now three osplets on the University of Florida-Gainesville nest of Talon and Stella.

The three at Little Miami Conservancy are doing well. Mum even changes the side of the nest from where she is feeding to make sure all three get prey.

The first egg for the Patchogue Ospreys on Long Island was laid on Wednesday.

Maureen posted these images of Meadow on Naturechat. Meadow is still on the branch, can flap its wings, and is safe. Not back in the nest but the parents can feed it there.

Parents know where Meadow is and are caring for their second hatch.

We can see Richmond and Rosie – barely. They are quite a distance from the Whirley Crane and its camera.

Louis is keeping Dorcha supplied with fish!

As we sit and ache for dear Meadow on the branch and longing for Tuffie to have a real good meal, imagine why a person would kill over 3000 eagles? Have a read. This is horrible…

Man-pleads-guilty-to-eagle-killing-spree-BirdGuidesDownload

There was a confirmed pip in egg two at Fraser Point for Andor and Cruz Wednesday evening.

No eaglets. No matter. Their bond is strong. Our beloved Jackie and Shadow will forge ahead. — I am starting to wonder if they laid their eggs later if they might have more success or is it only the altitude and not the altitude and the weather.

I am not sure what is being served up, but the two Decorah eaglets are warm and DNF is making sure they are both fed in cold damp conditions.

There are two at Centreport. It wasn’t an April Fool’s joke.

Still no sign of Elen after some days at Glaslyn. Aran is now ‘considering’ Blue 372.

Mice. Introduced by humans to Marion Island continue to injury or kill both the Albatross adults and the chicks.

The New Forest in the UK has received funds to help with the restoration of wetlands, bogs, meadows, and heaths. Congratulations.

New-Forest-habitat-restoration-scheme-awarded-significant-grant-BirdGuidesDownload

Thank you for being with me today. Please take care. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, J, L, R’, IWS/Explore, Eagle Country, Moorings Park, Duke Farms, U of Florida-Gainesville Osprey Cam, Little Miami Conservancy, PSEG, Maureen and Naturechat, SF Bay Ospreys, Erica Crowley, Geemeff, BirdGuides, Gracie Shepherd, SK Hideaways, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Centreport Eagle Cam, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, and Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels.

Unrest at Moorings Park…Wednesday in Bird World

3 April 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

There is an update to Tuesday’s posting. Correction: Liberty and Guardian’s first clutch. One egg broken. I inadvertently said second clutch! Regrets for any confusion.

I wished for rain and got a mix of rain and snow on Tuesday. It was a grey, cold, miserable day. This did not stop the birds and squirrels from working away in the garden. Indeed, their frantic eating and collection of nuts made me think that the forecast was wrong and that a big storm was coming.

Baby Hope and Hugo Yugo have asked that you do the birds and squirrels a favour. Either do not purchase suet in those mesh bags that get the little legs tangled up, OR if you do, remove the mesh bag – and cut it up completely – for safe disposal. Don’t think throwing it in the bin will make it secure. These bags wind up in landfills, blow around, and birds and raptors go there to find food. So please, help us keep everyone safe.

The female Downy Woodpecker is eating from a suet cylinder removed from a mesh bag.

Checking for the pick of the peanuts! They find the heaviest peanut, knowing that if it is light, there is either nothing in there, or it is dried up.

There were four Little Reds running around today with the three Grey Squirrels. Everyone wanted peanuts!

If you wish to thank or donate to help with the maintenance and repairs and predator baffle for the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest of Jack and Diane, please go to the Raptor Centre of Tampa Bay (Tampa Bay Raptor Rescue, Moccasin Lake Raptor Sanctuary) and thank Barbara Walker. Donations are always appreciated, although they did not ask for help- showing them people care for this Osprey couple would be good. Any amount, however small, is always appreciated, but a big thank you would be appreciated as well.

Duke Farms is a beautiful nest to behold even in the rain on Tuesday. The pictures tell the entire story.

The peace on the Duke Farms nest is fantastic. Now the unsettled nest is Moorings Park.

At Moorings Park Osprey platform, it is another story. They are just starting the Reptilian Phase. Ruffy is terrorising Tuffie. It is a repeat of what we saw at Duke Farms. Now what is the problem with Harry getting fish to the nest early in the day? We praised him last year for his fishing skills. So what is up? We know from Mark Smith’s videos that ospreys have many species that would like to take a free fish – eagles, gulls, and other ospreys!

A nice-sized fish finally came on the nest around 1000. This was the first meal of the day for these two. Ospreys (like eaglets) need consistent fish deliveries. Regular deliveries mean food security – ospreys are very sensitive to any change in delivery patterns. Harry used to be good at having a fish on the nest first thing in the morning. The delay can cause the eldest to believe there is a food shortage even if there is not. This results in the younger sibling getting battered.

Ruffy will continually keep Tuffie away from the feeding despite the size of the fish being ample to feed Mum and both osplets. She will even stop eating and go and throttle Tuffie to make sure it doesn’t get up and want food.

The key is going to be Tuffie’s response. Tired, hot, and hungry – getting dehydrated from not having food for some time. That might keep Tuffie away from Ruffy and Mum’s beak. The beaking is meant as intimidation. Whether you call it bonking, beaking, clouting, or bullying – the action is the same and the intention is the same – to frighten the wits out of the younger sibling so they do not eat.

Mum feeds the tail of the fish at 11:51 – this is the third feeding of the day – and Tuffie will not get a single flake. Tuffie is hot and is panting through its mouth. The little osplet needs the hydration that it gets from the fish.

Dad brought a big headless fish at 1523 and Ruffy began attacking Tuffie immediately. Remember. Ruffy has already had three meals! Tuffie has had nothing.

Another partial fish comes at 1754.

Ruffy gets fed. Around 1800 Tuffie gets some fish! The little osplet has gone all day without food in the hot Florida sun. What a relief that third egg did not hatch! Harry needs to pile the fish on this nest and he needs to get one up there right as the sun rises.

Tuffie did not fill its crop. The little one needed to as it had a difficult Monday as well. Ruffy began attacking after the meal. This nest is unstable right now. Two other fish before sunset would be great as Mum Sally has to eat as well.

If serious fighting occurs due to perceived food shortages, we often see it at this milestone – the change from the soft down to the Reptile stage. It can cease in a few days or, as we have seen in other cases, one of the ospreys can die.

In 2023, out of the 173 osprey eggs and chicks followed in the US, ten of those died directly from siblicide. Siblicide is not ‘play fighting’. It is a well documented strategy to reduce the osplets on the nest by the eldest (normally).

To quote Dr Tim Mackrill, Director of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, “The dominance of older siblings in food-deprived nests invariably means that the youngest chick does not survive. In their New Jersey study, Steidl and Griffin (1991) found that brood reduction (the loss of at least one nestling) was recorded in 36 percent o broods of three and in 23 percent of broods of two, and these losses typically occurred as the chicks began to grow at the fastest rate, two to three weeks after hatching.” (112)

Our 2023 study at the International Osprey Data Project, the loss was 17.3% from siblicide.

Sally could take a lesson from Thunder at the West End Bald Eagle nest. If you recall, when the two older eaglets starting bonking one another when it was feeding time, Thunder just sat on them. Every time they beaked, she sat. And then, surprise. They stopped because they were hungry. Three very civilised eaglets – for the second time for Thunder and Akecheta.

Cruz and Andor’s first hatch at Fraser Point.

The egg bowl is really deep!

At Big Bear, Jackie has taken a break. The question now is when will Jackie and Shadow realise that their dream of three eaglets is not to be for this year? And move on looking forward to another try in 2025.

The third hatch at Little Miami Conservancy is already trying out some big kid bites.

Rain has started at the Little Miami nest.

A miserable day for a hatch at ND-LEEF. It looked like we were going to have another eaglet die due to a crushed egg but ND18 has hatched. The time was around 1008.

At the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose, fledgling R6 returns to the nest for the first time on Tuesday morning since he set off on his adventure on Saturday afternoon.

Swampy and Meadow are growing too fast. We yelled at Swampy for beaking Meadow and now we just want these two buddies to stay on the nest at Eagle Country.

What a beautiful image. Mum and Dad having a beaky kiss while JBS20 has a bedtime snack.

Maggie the Screech Owl has 5 baby owlets.

https://hdontap.com/stream/895571

At Carova Beach, Frederick and Betsy are really working on their nest!

Decorah, Iowa, has the same miserable weather that we have in Winnipeg. Poor Mother Goose. There are six eggs, but there is also a mystery. There are three scenarios possible. The original six eggs of Mother Goose are on the nest, and not one of them went overboard when the Intruder came. The second case is that the intruder laid her own egg in the nest, replacing the one lost! The third is that one of Mother Goose’s eggs went overboard but she laid another while the intruder was there. Who knows. What we do know is that there are six eggs.

One of the individuals helping me with my osprey nest observations has several nests near her house. She tells me that in 2021, one of the ospreys “laid two eggs, three days apart, in nests of two other pairs.” Sort of like the Cuckoos.

Oh, gosh. Mrs Decorah North is keeping those two little eaglets warm and dry in incredible conditions. Let us hope that warm weather dries that nest out!

The snow has melted at Denton Homes Eagle nest, home of the Majestics.

Port Tobacco’s only eaglet is nicely spoiled.

White-tail Eagle Milda’s new mate is Hugo! You can imagine how thrilled Hugo Yugo is that this male eagle was named after her. (Just kidding)

Were you worried about Monty and Hartley’s egg the other day? ‘AE’ has sent us the following response from one of the nest moderators:

“As you may know by now hard incubation began on March 29 and things have progressed rather smoothly since then. There have been times some kakking occurred to warn a potential unwelcome visitor away but there was a little incident earlier this morning.  Monty had given Hartley a break for awhile early on but they had done a nest exchange again with Monty in hunting mode. One picture is of him on the roof watching for a potential meal. While he was on the hunt he landed on the nest ledge corner a couple of times and on the last one he was followed in by another bird. This was at 8:57am. For those that like to do a review of the events Hartley was taking a snooze with head tucked when Monty arrives on the west ledge corner. (all with the nest box view). In the background you can see the other bird come flying from the west and seems to have followed Monty close to the ledge area. Of course he takes off after it as does Hartley. Monty would come back to the eggs but was drawn off again so I assume it was taking both of them to deter the interloper. Being uncovered as they were during this time is not a concern. Eggs are very resilient and withstand much more than some moments alone. 
By the time noon came around I did find Hartley again preening in the shade over the Mayors office roof.  At 12:20pm there was a nest exchange when Hartley showed up the ledge & hops down to the box to take over. Monty seems to take his incubation duty very seriously as he seemed reluctant to let her take over.Spring semester is beginning for our student camops so they will soon begin again to cover cam duty per their scheduled time. I welcome their dedication to these birds as they incubate and look forward to hatch at the end of April.
—
Paula A.
Forum Moderator“

Songbirds are returning – everywhere.

Country-diary-A-featherweight-bout-that-doesnt-even-bend-the-branches-Environment-The-GuardianDownload

I want to draw your attention to the new website for Osprey Watch. Some may believe that there are too many osprey researchers already and far too many ospreys. Do not believe this for a second. The almost entire population of the US Atlantic chicks was wiped out in June of 2023. There is no end in sight regarding the overfishing of the Menhaden. What storms will come this year? Elsewhere in the world, people are trying desperately to build up the osprey population. A big applause has to go to Janet, Fran, and Bazz in South Australia for their work. Please go over and check out the new OspreyWatch website and see if you can help! Scientists, researchers, and citizen scientists are all much needed!

Homepage

Thank you for being with me today. Please take care…lots more arrivals and ospreys working at their nests. I am having a ‘fun-filled’ time trying to keep up with my data entry forms. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, photographs, screen captures, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, AE, Geemeff, J, MA, VV’, Achieva Credit Union, Duke Farms, Moorings Park Ospreys, IWS/Explore.org, Little Miami Conservancy, JB Sands Wetlands, Beverly Davis, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, ND-LEEF, Lloyd Brown and the WRDC, Eagle Country, HDonTap, Denton Homes, Port Tobacco, OBX Osprey Cam, Latvian Fund for Nature, Osprey Watch, Paula at San Jose City Hall Falcon Cam, and The Guardian.

Monday in Bird World

1 April 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

We hope that you had a really nice weekend and that the coming week will be full of delights, laugher, and love. Plus healthy eaglets and more Osprey arrivals. It is so wonderful to see the bonded pairs reunite and all those males rushing to find a nice fresh fish for the female.

The weather on the Canadian Prairies continues to be mild with +2 temperatures, blue skies, and sun. It is dry and I want everyone to blow those rain clouds my way! The trails are now slushy at the nature centre. More geese flew in today to join the overs on Devonian Lake. I keep saying – at least they have water. If the rains would come the grass would turn green and they might get some nutrition. If the shallow ponds thaw, they can get the pond grasses. I know there are some ducks in with the geese in the image below but I did not have either my binoculars or my long lens – just my phone and it is really rather useless for identification.

The Bison were up close to the road for part of the time on Sunday.

Deer tracks.

Some of the taxidermy exhibitions in the Interpretative Centre. I love this old Snow Goose!

Or the Boreal Owl looking down.

We have a lot of owls in Winnipeg. It is not unusual to see a Great Gray like this one in our urban environment.

The following panel at our nature centre helps explain the change in the winters in Winnipeg.

Calico always knows which of the tiles have the best heat under them.

Baby Hope is never far away from Mamma. Inseparable they are except when Hugo Yugo is around.

Hugo Yugo was nearby but she was sound asleep for most of the day.

Sometimes Hugo Yugo’s tail appears to be bigger than she is.

Missey was the Queen of the Cat Tree on Sunday! It was a nice change. Except for claiming this sacred spot, the four of them are getting along splendidly.

The Ospreys continue to arrive in their summer breeding grounds.

The male, LJ2, is now back at Llyn Brenig in Wales as of Sunday.

Both FS2 and Oscar are at Tweed Valley as of Sunday.

Aeron Z2, Tegid’s brother, is at home at the Pont Cresor nest with his mate Blue 014.

Bay has arrived at the Island Beach State Park Osprey nest.

A memorial plague has gone up to Harriet at the Pritchett Property. I am so glad that they included a tribute to the heroics of M15 last year in raising E21 and E22.

There is the first hatch at the University of Florida-Gainesville nest of Stella and Talon. Eggs were laid on February 21, 23, and 27. If this is egg one, it is 38 days at the time of hatch.

It seems that Richmond and Rosie are building two nests. I find this rather interesting. One is on a light stand the other is on the old Whirley Crane they have used for years.

Jersey did very well, indeed, on Sunday. Food was plentiful – including a squirrel for a change – and there were no perceived hostilities on the nest. This is an enormous relief. ‘A’ gives us a fantastic narrative for the entire day!

Mum stuffing Jersey to the top of its head and those little dandelions that are left.

‘A’ gives us a great narrative: “The chicks had to wait until 10am for breakfast this morning (31 March). They played nice, and were so cute cuddling together and playing with nesting material. Both had healthy PSs. Food eventually arrived in the form of a nice whole fish, courtesy of mum, and although Jersey turned away and allowed his sister to take first turn at the table, he did not take up a submissive posture. He had another PS while he waited for his turn. At 10:04, dad flies in to contribute yet more dried grass, which he spreads about. He then decides to move a large stick, which is partially beneath Jersey, who thinks he is being bonked and goes into submission. Mum has paused the feeding, as dad continues to arrange sticks, and Leaper turns away from the table. Jersey is in submission, wings outspread for balance, and Leaper leans over him, almost as if to check that he is okay rather than to peck him. Whatever the contact, it was exceptionally minor – just a brush of Leaper’s beak against the back of Jersey’s neck/shoulder. It actually looks as if Leaper loses her balance, her crop working against her effort to turn away from the table and head over to the rails to snuggle, and her beak just brushes Jersey. I would not call it a bonking incident. Whatever the reason, Jersey has missed out on breakfast, though there are still a few remains on the side of the nest. Shortly before 10:06 Leaper does another PS and heads over towards Jersey and dad. She is looking hopefully at dad. She shakes her head and in the process brushes the edge of dad’s wing. He responds by making a sudden lunge to his left, as if warding off something invisible in front of Jersey. I had to watch it a couple of times to realise he is reacting to the slight touch with an attacking move, with his head down and neck extended. A reflex action, aborted in mid-air – he withdraws his head as quickly as he had extended it. Shortly after, he flies off. Jersey has not yet eaten. A minute later, Jersey turns around and makes his way to his sister, where he snuggles up beside her and begins preening. He flops down and plays with some grass. Leaper too is playing with nesting material. These two are such cuties now they are getting along so nicely. Little Jersey is not so little any more.. In fact, he is catching up with Leaper, with the size gap not nearly as great as it was a week or ten days ago. So much so that I am starting to think we may have a couple of boys here. Leaper is not so very much bigger than Jersey now, and her (or his) behaviour towards Jersey has not been that of a Zoe. Perhaps, especially given the speed with which the aggression has ceased as soon as the food supply was restored, Leaper’s  behaviour has simply been that of a first hatch in a food shortage. In the interests of clarity, however, I think I will leave it as she and he at this stage!! Jersey doesn’t have to wait too long for some brunch. At about 10:16:40 what looks like dad (only his feet and a small bit of head is visible, so it could be mum) flies in with something large and mammalian that I’m sure all Americans could easily ID but which is foreign to me. It has a very long bushy tail and a white stripe. Leaper is closest, and Jersey turns away to one side, just slightly. He does not approach the table but nor does he go into submission. He watches. Dad begins feeding Leaper without defurring the food. I’m not certain Leaper appreciated the taste/texture but she ate several bites. Jersey waits less than a minute before beginning to sidle along the rails towards the table. At 10:17:27, without any hesitation, he takes the first bite dad offers him. And the second. Leaper moves forward beside Jersey, who stays exactly where he is. Dad begins giving alternate bites to each eaglet. Leaper moves forward a couple of steps and Jersey, who is a little closer to dad, immediately shuffles two steps forward himself, leaning in to grab the next bite. This is most definitely not the Jersey we were watching five or six days ago. He takes the next half dozen bites, moves even closer, and eats some more. Leaper is obviously wanting more food but is making no objection to Jersey taking bites from in front of her eyes. The two are side by side at the table, Jersey closer than Leaper to dad, and competing for bites. Mostly, Jersey wins, though occasionally, it appears that he sits one out and allows Leaper to take the bite. This is a very big piece of prey and both eaglets eat until they cannot manage any more. This will be a complicated task if Jersey tries self-feeding, though over recent days, as the food supply to the nest has so dramatically improved, he has not needed to resort to feeding himself, reverting to the joys of being fed by his parents. He occasionally nibbles on something, but only when it’s being held down by a parent. The little one is still very nervous around food when Leaper is nearby. A couple of times during the mammal feeding, Leaper would move suddenly (such as to scratch an itchy spot over her shoulder) and Jersey would immediately turn away in case the sudden movement represented an attack. So although he is much more confident than he was a few days ago, he is still wary of his sister, and I doubt the memories of some of those beatings will not quickly fade for Jersey. The feeding lasts for over 45 minutes. At 11:03, Jersey is still being offered the final leftovers. These eaglets have totally demolished that giant piece of prey with a tag-team eating effort to be proud of. Now, however, they are so full, they can barely move. Mum is back shortly after 12:49 with a nice big fish (again, I think it is mum but it could easily be dad). Dad has darker plumage but that can also be a trick of the light. And their feet are the same colour too, so as I said yesterday, they are hard to tell apart even when they are both on the nest together. The lengthy feeding this morning was more mum’s style, but as we could see very little of the parent, I could not guarantee which parent it was. The same is true with this fish delivery. However, these eaglets only finished a 50+-minute feeding 45 minutes ago, so it will amaze me if they can eat another morsel. Jersey is nothing if not determined, though, and of course he manages to eat some fish. He was asleep at the table when the food came in, so found himself in prime position for the feeding, with Leaper behind him. Of course this made him nervous, and he refused the first bite he was offered, turning away and doing a small crop drop. Thereafter, he took whatever mum gave him. Leaper watched, still resting that gigantic crop, one leg fully outstretched. At 12:54:20 Jersey gets offered such a gigantic piece of fish that he is intimidated by it. You can see him thinking omigod, what does he expect me to do with that? Leaper thinks she is up to the challenge, however, and moves up behind Jersey, which causes him to duck and tuck. Mum reaches over Jersey to offer this massive chunk of innards to Leaper, who grabs at it. But mum thinks better of it, and pulls the food back out of Leaper’s mouth and eats it herself. Leaper is not impressed. She is soon given a few more pieces but that’s all she could manage. She backs up for yet another PS and then heads for the centre of the nest. This is the signal for Jersey to lift his head and return to eating. He manages half a dozen more bites but it is obviously hard for him to fit anything into that giant crop. He has learned his lessons well over the past week, and he knows he must eat as much as he can when he can. So he does a valiant job, but even he has limits, and he reached them around 13:00. As he turns away, Leaper returns to the table for a second (or is it a third?) helping of fish. By 13:04 the feeding is over. At least half the fish (possibly three-quarters of it) remains on the side of the nest. Mum hangs around the nest with the eaglets for a while after lunch. Both eaglets are in food comas. Mum leaves shortly before 14:06. At 16:20, Jersey lines up for a PS while Leaper plays with nesting. By 16:21:30, both are side by side at the table, playing beakies. SO adorable. Their crops are still gigantic. That size gap is shrinking rapidly. I think that in another week, or even sooner, these two will be the same size.At 16:39:25, Mum returns to feed the eaglets the remainder of the lunchtime fish. Leaper is in prime position and appears to have a smaller crop than Jersey, so Jersey just lies and watches until 16:44:30, when he heads up to the table. Mum feeds him about ten consecutive bites. Leaper eventually stands up and leans in for a mouthful. Mum feeds three bi9tes to Jersey, then Leaper leans in and grabs one. Another three bites for Jersey, then one for Leaper. Jersey is given the next 14 bites in a row. Leaper tries to grab one about halfway through the 14 but fails and sits back to watch in awe. This pattern continues, with Jersey eating multiple consecutive bites and Leaper occasionally leaning in to try and grab a mouthful. She fails more often than she succeeds – when competing for bites, Jersey sure is the king of this nest. Soon after 16:49, Jersey begins to flag and Leaper gets some bites. Jersey still takes one bite in three or four but at this stage, Leaper is finally getting her share of the fish. By 16:54 Jersey has had enough and turns away. He has a HUGE crop pillow for tonight. Leaper stays at the table. Somehow, Jersey finds a bit more room and returns to eat a bit more. The fish is finally finished at 17::03, and Mum cleans up the nestovers. She finds a chunk of something (the remains of the mammal perhaps?) and starts to feed it to Leaper. Jersey stretches and moves up for his share. He is eating AGAIN. By 17:09 the food is finally gone and mum flies off the nest. These are two very well-fed eaglets. They will both go to sleep with happy tummies tonight. They are in a cuddle puddle in the middle of the nest when, at 17:30, yet another fish arrives, this one from dad, I think, but it is so hard to tell because we can only see his feet, and part of his head when he reaches forward with a bite. At 17:32, Mum arrives with some grass, which she spreads around. Already, both chicks are too full to eat. I think you get the drift – a great day at Duke Farms. Lots of food for both eaglets and not a hint of aggression that I witnessed.”

And here is the text or Monday morning. “

Mum left the babies alone overnight, flying off the nest shortly before 00:40. An early fish was delivered for breakfast by what looks like dad, but in this light, the difficulty in telling these two apart is even greater than usual. Either way, food arrives at 07:04:19. It looks like a large fish. 

Leaper immediately heads for the table. Jersey looks up but remains where he is, sprawled in the middle of the nest. He makes no move of submission. Dad is slow to get a bite off the food for Leaper, then drops the bite he does prepare. This frustrates Leaper, and at the same moment, Jersey decides to stand up. This provokes the first aggression I have seen in days, as Leaper turns around, spreads her wings and looms over Jersey, to grab him on the back of the neck. He lets go, then grabs Jersey again by the back of the head. She quickly drops him and returns to the table. Jersey is a little startled and remains ducked and tucked. Wake up on the wrong side of the nest this morning, Leaper?

Leaper eats. At 07:06:20 Jersey unfurls himself though he stays low. By 07:07 his head is up, and he periodically glances at the feeding. At 07:08:36 he stands up, his back to the table. I’m fairly sure this is dad – his plumage is looking darker as the light improves and his normal feeding technique involves much smaller bites than mum’s. Just before 07:09 he stands and leans over forwards for a big stretch. Leaper turns and looks at him, then turns back to eat more.

Jersey is glancing over his left shoulder at the food now, He moves closer to the rails, the start of an attempt to sidle around to dad and the food. When Leaper drops a large bite, Jersey sees his chance. He moves closer, and when dad picks it up, he offers the big bite to Jersey, who leans in and grabs it. There is no reaction from Leaper, who has a good crop by now. After Leaper takes one more bite, Jersey takes over, with all but one of the next couple of dozen bites going to him. Small bites, in the main, as is dad’s pattern;. 

By 07:11 they are both eating, most bites still going to Jersey, who is eating confidently but still being careful to defer to Leaper, ensuring she does not want the food before claiming some bites. He has had a recent reminder of who is the older sibling on this nest. (Mind you, that’s all it was – Leaper was frustrated that dad took so long to get that first bite to her, and Jersey bumped into her at exactly the wrong instant, it appeared. It was a fairly tokenistic bonking effort.)

By 07:12:30 Leaper has had enough, refusing a bite offered to her by dad at least four or five times, then standing up, stretching and turning away from the table. Jersey is left to continue eating. Leaper has a good PS and flops down in the middle of the nest. Watch her turning her head almost upside down at 07:13:37 as if she’s looking up dad’s nostril. TOO funny. What IS she doing? Dad thinks she’s asking for food so offers her a bite. She refuses so he gives it to Jersey. He also has a few bites of breakfast himself. Good for you, dad. He sure got the short end of the stick (fish) yesterday. 

Jersey seems to have had enough but Leaper gets a second wind and dad feeds her as she lies duckling style in the middle of the nest. Jersey is sitting up beside her, watching, and occasionally refusing a bite of food. By 07:15 both eaglets seem to be full. Dad eats some more himself. There is a lot of food left over on the nest and the chicks both have excellent crops. A nice start to the morning, with the exception of Leaper’s minor temper tantrum. Nothing more than an older hatch reminding the younger of the pecking order. Certainly not something to worry about and nothing to stop Jersey from eating his full.”

I do not think we have to worry about Little Jersey any more.

Duke arrived at the Barneghat Light Osprey platform in New Jersey on Sunday afternoon! What a mate – he flew in with a partial fish for Daisy. Time was 1623. Avid viewers had been watching and worrying – this is such a relief.

Watching for Iris to return to her Hellgate Canyon nest in Missoula, Montana.

Snow remains at some of the Finnish Osprey nests. No signs of any returnees yet.

Watching the Ospreys at Old Town Home Western Maryland for an egg.

Thunder and Akecheta are busy feeding the trio at the West End. Lots of really awful looking prey on that nest – must seem like a Sunday buffet to the kids!

Feeding behaviour and confirmation of a hatch at Centreport!

Cute little bobbleheads in Iowa! Denton Homes and Decorah North.

At Decorah North, I am afraid the chicks are having the Easter Bunny for dinner.

Port Tobacco had squirrel. The mammals are awake and the raptors are catching them.

The pair at Little Miami Conservancy Bald Eagle nest are enjoying their Sunday dinner, too.

I am not seeing any issues at the Bald Eagle nests unless it is eggs that are not going to hatch. All eaglets and ospreys on the other nests as of Sunday evening appear to be doing well.

Ruffie and Tuffy at Moorings Park had lots and lots of fish thanks to Dad Harry’s phenomenal fishing skills.

E23 likes being with its parents high up in the nest tree!

Swampy and Meadow and the turtle Dad brought to the nest.

Yesterday, I included a post from FB by Toni Hoover. That post identified Lewis and Rosa at the Dulles-Greenway Nest. After much consultation with many and comparing images, I believe TH is incorrect and this is the new couple on that nest.

What happens when birds experience a total solar eclipse? Remember, it is coming on 8 April.

The-April-8-total-solar-eclipse-could-scramble-bird-behaviorDownload

Missed the Condor Chat? Want to catch up with what is happening at Big Sur and Pinnacles? Here’s your chance!

On Monday, Prince returned for a visit to Loch Arkaig nest 2.

I reported that Elen returned to her nest at Glaslyn on the 26th of March. Aran returned but Elen has been no where to be seen. (Did they make a mistake in identification?). We will wait to see what transpires. Did Elen go for a fly about? Did she get injured? Maybe it wasn’t her.

The bird with Aran is 372 who visited Llyn Brenig the other day.

Thank you so very much for being with me today. It is always a delight to hear form you – either by email or through your comments. Thank you for taking the time! We hope to have you with us again soon. Take care.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, MM, SP’, Fort Whyte Alive, Llyn Brenig Osprey Cam, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Welsh Osprey, Erica Crowley, Diane Lambertson, Pam Kruse, Wildlife Consere of NJ, Montana Osprey Project, Finland Osprey Foundation, Maryland Western Shore for Old Town Home, IWS/Explore, Centreport Eagles, Denton Homes, Raptor Resource Project, Port Tobacco, Little Miami Conservancy, Moorings Park Ospreys, Lady Hawk, Eagle Country, Earth Sky, Geemeff, and Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn.

The boys are back in town…Sunday in Bird World

31 March 2024

Good Morning Everyone!

For those celebrating Easter, may you have a lovely peaceful day full of family and friends.

Calico made me promise – since I embarrassed her so much several weeks ago – that I would show you her new ‘slender’ figure. She has lost more than two pounds on her new cat food and is really beginning to run and play with the other girls.

Calico is actually sitting under a chair staying out of Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope’s way. They have been jostling for the ‘Queen of the Cat’ Tree crown all morning.

Baby Hope held the throne, the orb, and the sceptre for a few minutes. She basked in the happiness of being able to have a front row seat in order to see the little squirrels running back and forth with their peanuts.

It was only a short time until Hugo Yugo ousted Hope. And then it began all over again!

They make me tired.

There were four Blue Jays in the garden today! It looks like both bonded pairs have returned. I watched carefully. The pair whose tree was cut down has found a new home and Junior and his partner are in the Maple across the back lane.

I did not come up with the title today. Jeff Kear wrote it in a comment, but it is so true. Now, I can’t get the tune out of my mind. The Boys are truly back in town. Idris and Aran returned to Telyn and Elen and their nests in Wales on Saturday, March 30th.

All is well in Glaslyn. Aran and his new mate, Elen, will have their second breeding year together. They had two lovely fledglings in 2023, and Elen proved to be an incredible first-time mother.

Aran marked his arrival with a huge fish! I bet that tasted good after such a long migration.

Idris brought a huge fish for Telyn and then worked on their nest. Talk about egg-cited. Joan Brady got the screen capture!

Dorcha also arrived on Saturday, arriving at the nest and soaking wet. Louis was quick to get a fish to her and pick up on their bonding! She always reminds me of Mrs G with that gorgeous dark plumage.

Louis and Dorcha’s reunion.

If you missed it, Blue 33 and Maya have the first egg of the UK Osprey season for 2024. Her gentle little chirps called out to Blue 33 to come and see.

Each of us has a warm spot for a bird – maybe several. Tegid, Z1 of the “White Egg”, was one of Monty’s lads. He has a mate – an Unringed Female -and they have been raising osplets at a private nest in Wales for several years. Tegid is the brother of Aeron Z2 at the Port Cresor nest near Glaslyn’s Aran and Elen.

Dylan and Seren’s lad, Blue 496 from 2021, landed at Lock Arkaig, and then, guess what? He flew home to be near Mum and Dad, landing on nest two at Llyn Clywedog on Saturday. Oh, and might we hope for a beautiful female to arrive, too?

No ospreys at Llyn Brenig yet.

BirdGuides celebrates the arrival of CJ7 and Blue 022 at Poole Harbour.

Poole-Harbour-Ospreys-return-BirdGuidesDownload

Everything is calm at the Duke Farms nest, and Jersey had at least one massive crop on Saturday. Jersey and Leaper even ate side by side. Can you believe it?

The time stamps and big crops tell the story of the morning.

At 1640 there were lots of fish tails on the Duke Farms nest. Looks like no one is going to go hungry today.

‘A’ gives us another terrific narrative of what part of the day at Duke Farms nest was like for little Jersey! “Jersey gets fed a very good breakfast. He did start off snatching at the bites but gained confidence as the feeding progressed and he suffered no attacks from his sister. It was wonderful to watch. Such a happy wee eaglet. Just after 9am, he takes a huge piece and turns away to eat it. Leaper has decided she could do with seconds so has headed back to the table. Mum has a bite to offer Jersey, but is waiting for him to finish dealing with the immense piece he had just grabbed. As Leaper approaches Jersey, she decides it would be a good idea to pacify her by giving her that bite. She gets another, and considers giving it to Leaper, but changes her mind and turns towards Jersey, again waiting for him to have an empty beak! As Leaper moves closer to him, Jersey gets nervous and turns away, so mum gives a couple of bites to Leaper. But Jersey regains his confidence and moves back towards mum, so that he is actually pushing in front of Leaper. Mum is working hard on the last piece of the fish. The second she has it ready, Jersey snatches it, even before she has raised her head to offer him the bite. The fish is finished. Mum moves around the nest looking for stray pieces, which she feeds Leaper, who happens to be closest when she finds a scrap or two. Jersey has a very nice crop. At 09:02:35, mum finds the other half of the fish dad brought in at 08:55 – it appears he bit it in half and mum has only fed the chicks one of the two halves. She gives two bites to Leaper and then drags the partial fish over to where Jersey is on the rails and begins feeding him again. She drags the fish even closer to Jersey and further away from Leaper. This is definitely the larger half of the fish. Jersey is now less nervous, with Leaper quite a distance from him. He eats and eats. When mum offers him the tail, sideways, he politely refuses it so mum downs it herself. She cleans the table, feeding Jersey any leftovers she can find and he takes them, even though his crop is now noticeably larger than his head. Just as the final flake is gone, at 09:09:45, dad is in with another fish. He has unzipped it a little on one side but it is otherwise whole. Mum immediately takes charge of the fish. Both eaglets have absolutely gigantic crops and surely could not fit another single bite. Jersey staggers over to Leaper and flops down beside her, forming a fuzzy ball of happy eaglet in the centre of the nest. Dad comes over to check on their bedding, spreading a little grass behind the pair. TOO cute. He is still on the nest and has turned back to survey his fish. Mum begins her warning vocals (the ‘do not even think about taking this fish’ ones). The look on her face is absolutely clear. This is a mum protecting her babies’ food. She means business. Dad is suitably chagrined and leaves at 09:10:20. Obviously aware the eaglets need no more food at this moment, she heads into the centre of the nest to check on her eaglets. She does a little aerating and tidying, feeds a tiny food scrap or two to Leaper. Jersey turns around to face the table. The two are now both facing the same way but still snuggled up close. Just look at those cute little tail buds and round bottoms. Both are looking a bit woolly and oh so cute. Little Jersey only has half his white head feathers, Leaper having spat out the others after ripping them from Jersey’s head last week. Jersey has quite the individual hair style as a result. Mum returns to the fish and looks around and upwards. She vocalises threateningly at something above from 09:18:25-34 (probably warning dad not to take the fish if she leaves it). She continues to look around in all directions for another minute or two. More threatening vocals from 09:19 to 09:19:15. She is sitting over the fish and has her very stern look on. At 09:22:30 dad lands on the opposite side of the nest with YET ANOTHER whole fish. This one is medium-sized and very much still alive. Mum stays where she is but immediately begins with her warning vocals. He stays where he is, surveying his fish. Mum is not looking his way, so he is perhaps assessing his options. What does a man have to do to get a decent sushi breakfast around here after all? This is his third fish of the morning. When is it his turn to eat? But mum continues with her unambiguous warnings. Dad is looking down at the fish, then up at mum, then back to his fish. It is just TOO funny. I wonder who will win this battle of wills? Any bets? Of course, mum. Dad admits defeat, and shortly after 09:24, he flies off the nest. I’m starting to feel a bit sorry for dad. Eat the next catch away from the nest, I suggest. He deserves one. Mum goes and stands over the floppy fish perhaps to protect the chicks from it. There is some shuffling in the cuddle puddle as Jersey makes his way to the table and moves confidently up to mum’s beak, with Leaper literally against his back. Just after 09:31, mum begins feeding Jersey, and despite the massive crop he has, he takes the bites. Leaper is in a food coma. Jersey should be too, but having learnt the hard way that you eat whatever is in front of you, he is stuffing himself further. By 09:32, after a dozen or so bites, he is having trouble, so tries a couple of small crop drops. Mum waits for him. He continues to eat. Mum downs the tail. At about 09:33:30, another small crop drop. He is really struggling now. That crop looks uncomfortable but he soldiers on. Another small crop drop just after 09:34. He takes four or five tries at the next bite and eventually swallows it. Another small crop drop. This crop is getting ridiculous. His crop drops are small – I am not sure whether he has much room for them either!! Perhaps he has not yet fully mastered the technique. By 09:35:30 mum is having to literally force food into Jersey, who is leaning back, away from the food, as if to say ‘please mum, no more!’ but she is slow on the uptake and keeps offering the piece. Sometimes after four or five attempts, usually involving the spitting out of the food, Jersey usually manages to get the bite down. But at this point, he really has had significantly more than enough. Around 09:37 Jersey seems to get a second wind (or a second stomach), as he leans forward to grab a couple of big bites. But it is short-lived and by 09:37:30, he cannot eat another flake.”

Thank you, ‘A’ – we love your narratives. You should write a book! 

Leaper and Jersey shared breakfast Sunday morning. Jersey is doing the snatch and grab but still nervous if their beaks touch. Meanwhile, both are learning how to scale a fish! Fingers crossed for another good day with lots of fish in the nest. Notice that both have their thermal down and that their pin feathers are coming in.

In San Jose, Hartley laid her fourth egg of the 2024 Peregrine Falcon season keeping up with Annie and Archie. Monty, you are going to be busy!

Monty managed all those eggs for incubation!

The camera is back up and running and sometimes off again at Two Harbours. The egg is rolled. No visible pip yet.

Chase and Cholyn are 26 years old and have been together for 21 years. This only egg was laid on the 22nd of February. Today it is 39 days old. I am hoping for a pip under there!

Pair of eaglets at Decorah North are sooooo cute.

The pair at Little Miami Conservancy are pretty sweet, too.

The view isn’t as good as some, but the pair at Kansas City are also doing very well.

There is a big of a mystery going on at Berry College. Missey continues to cover up newly hatched B17 and the egg is now completely covered – B17 is sitting on the grasses covering the egg. That egg is 40 days old today and Missey knew it was unviable.

Port Tobacco’s only eaglet is doing just fine.

Second eaglet Sunday morning at Denton Homes.

At Bluff City, Oliver is growing nicely.

At Johnson City, JC23 and JC24 are getting their juvenile feathers.

Ruffie and Tuffy had an early breakfast fish from Harry at Moorings Park and several fish throughout the day. Food is plentiful.

Tom is home with Audrey at the Chesapeake Conservancy Osprey nest.

The ospreys at Moraine have a beautiful nest! Thanks, ‘L’!

Big Red and Arthur continue incubating their four eggs. Meanwhile there is no sign of an egg with Angel and Tom.

R6 fledged today from the WRDC nest!

Dedication and love. Plus hope. Sadly, there will not be a hatch at Big Bear this year for Jackie and Shadow. If only someone had airlifted an eaglet in for them.

Across the US, in NE Florida, Gabby and Beau continue to work on their nest with dreams of 2025, too.

In Eagle Country, Swampy and Meadow dream about flying – while they wait for the right time to arrive.

Toni Hoover reports that Rosa is back with Lewis in the nest at Dulles-Greenway.

Both Ospreys are home at the very popular German nest, Goitzsche Wildnis.

There is an osprey back at Great Bay. Sadly, the couple lost all their chicks in 2023 due to weather and starvation (one had to be euthanised). The nest is in Greenland, New Hampshire.

There are two little Great Horned owlets at the Wolf Bay Osprey Nest in Alabama this year.

The third hatch at the Venice Golf and Country Club is so tiny compared to its two older siblings who are entering the reptilian phase. For some reason, this nest is making me a little bit nervous this year.

Nest renovations are well underway for the pair at the Bridge Golf Club osprey platform.

In the UK, Black-necked Grebes had a remarkable breeding year. Bravo!

Black-necked-Grebes-thriving-on-RSPB-reserves-BirdGuidesDownload

A lovely opinion piece sent to me by my friend Wicky Woo for all of us to enjoy! Birding is one of the best ways to avoid the therapists’s couch!!!!!!!! That is what Calico tells me.

Opinion-When-I-Became-a-Birder-Almost-Everything-Else-Fell-Into-Place-The-New-York-TimesDownload

Thought or the week:

Thank you so much for being with us today. It was busy. There are nests not included, but as far as I know, JB Sands and Frenchman’s Creek. I have not heard of a hatch at Gainesville, but we are monitoring Two Harbours. There is a rumour of a hatch at Centreport on the 29th of March but no confirmation of feeding, and there is a pip watch underway Saturday night at ND-LEEF. Take care everyone. See you soon! For those celebrating Easter, the very best wishes for the day.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, L, SP, WW’, Jeff Kear, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Geemeff, LRWT, Welsh Osprey, The Woodland Trust, Llyn Brenig, Bridge Golf Club Osprey Cam, BirdGuides, Duke Farms, SK Hideaways, IWS/Explore.org, Raptor Resource Project, Little Miami Conservancy, Farmer Derek, Sharon Lee, Port Tobacco, Yale Sharon, Bluff City-ETSU, Johnson City-ETSU, Moorings Park, Heidi McGrue, PIX Cams, Cornell RTH cam, Wolf Bay, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, Toni Hoover, Goitzsche Wildness, Eagle Country, The New York Times, and David Suzuki.

Arrivals and Hatches…Saturday in Bird World

30 March 2024

Good Morning,

It was a busy Friday. Eaglets were hatching, problem nests to be watched, and ospreys were arriving in the US. I spent the day watching prey deliveries at Duke Farms while trying to catch up with entering data in the forms for the siblicide research project. At noon, I stopped and walked for 7 km. It had gotten warm. +3. The geese continue to fly in. The ones heading to the nature centre have water and some grass. The pond at St Vital Park, where I took my first walk and goose check, is mostly frozen, but it was beginning to show promise of a nice thaw if the +3 temperatures held. The trunk of my car is full of corn, and these poor things will get some tomorrow. What a misery for them.

There was one deer near the hide eating corn and a red squirrel desperately trying to get a peanut out of one of the feeders.

It is such a privilege to walk outside – gosh, it is such a gift to be reasonably healthy and go outside. I cannot imagine being shut in a bed in a room and not going out. The animals in the garden, the girls, and all of those that cross my path during my walks bring such joy and create this wonderful space of contentment.

Scientists continue to discover how intelligent birds are —-.

Birds-create-barcode-like-memories-to-locate-stored-food-scientists-find-Animal-behaviour-The-GDownload

Loch Arkaig’s Louis is on the BBC!

Idris is home at the Dyfi Osprey nest. Telyn is already there, so another couple has reunited!

UV, the male at nest 5A in the Kielder Forest, arrived home this morning.

A 2021 fledgling of Dylan and Seren at Llyn Clywedog has landed on the Loch Arkaig nest!

Possible pip or Stella and Talon at the University of Florida-Gainesville campus. The eggs were laid on Feb 21, 23, and 27th. This makes egg #1 38 days old today.

FORE fans have had their fingers and toes crossed for the second clutch. Now, Liberty and Guardian have two precious eaglets at their nest in Redding, California. What a happy image. They are so white!

Life on the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta could not be more perfect. The ‘kids’ are starting to look like eagles with their thermal down. That first hatch is enormous. Think she is going to be a granddaughter for Cholyn?

The third hatch is tiny. Akecheta thinks he has a boy.

Gifted parents, Thunder and Akecheta looking out over their domain.

Harry returns to his beloved Flora at Alyth on 29 March.

The situation at Duke Farms was not as good on Friday as I hoped. Remember. Jersey had a nice full crop Thursday afternoon but received no food at the last feeding Thursday night. A small prey item came in at 1104 on Friday. Leaper got it all. There was no prey delivered to the nest when I last checked which was 1649 nest time.

A fish came at 1729 and little Jersey got fed! This nest can go either way. Mum works hard to feed Jersey but there remains tension in the nest.

Little Jersey is smart. He works his way around the rim of the nest. You have seen this behaviour many times before – Patchogue last year, Achieva. They watch and listen and move carefully ready to get into position if there is any food left for them when the older sibling stops and goes into a food coma.

“‘A’ sent us her most welcome Friday summary: “It is notable that Jersey had a crop before the second breakfast of leftovers, which Leaper got to eat all of. Jersey was still exceptionally nervous about approaching mum and the food while Leaper was still up at the table. Watch them from about 11:16am (and especially 11:17). Jersey is lying comfortably, one leg fully outstretched, when Leaper comes over to him and lurches at him as she sits down beside him. He watches her but makes no move to protect himself. She leans over him, nuzzling his head with her beak. Caution, but no significant reaction from Jersey. The pair are seemingly the best of friends. The only time that things seem to get out of control is in the presence of food, especially if Leaper is hungry. Then, I hold my breath. They did wait a long time for breakfast this morning – I did not see it come in or the first feeding, so I don’t know whether there was associated aggression. Due to the waiting, there may have been. But Jersey did have a discernible crop when waiting to see if there would be anything left for him from the second breakfast feeding at about 11:04 (very short and consisting of a tiny leftover and some dropped pieces). There weren’t. 

Jersey’s little beak has been opening and closing, as if he is calling for mum. He might be hungry. Leaper is playing with sticks as it nears noon. But it is 14;46 before a parent arrives, and it is dad with a giant stick!! It reaches right across the nest. Leaper heads immediately towards the table. Jersey, perhaps thinking he is being bonked by the giant stick now lying across him with dad manoeuvring it, goes instantly into submission. It is all to no avail, as there is no food delivery and he soon leaves again. The next parental visit is from mum, who arrives at around 15:42:35 and simply perches on the side of the nest. She has no food either. She soon leaves again. 

At 15:45, poor little Jersey is sitting hopefully up at the table, searching for leftovers, without success. He is hungry. He finds something that looks impossible to swallow but picks it up and tries. Leaper is alerted to this and comes to investigate. Jersey turns away but hangs onto his piece of whatever it is. As he makes another effort at swallowing, Leaper behind him has a stretch, which causes Jersey to become submissive, dropping his leftover (it was only pellet material at best anyway). Note that submission has often become a bowing of the head rather than a full tuck, which is progress – he gets up faster too. 

At 15:47:30, Jersey gives up, turns around, and heads back to the middle of the nest to snuggle up with his sister. Sweet. A cuddle puddle is formed. By shortly after 15:52, Leaper is literally lying on top of Jersey, right across his back. By 16:33 they are both up, standing, and hungry. This nest needs a food delivery asap. And sure enough, even as I type this, Leaper heads across the nest towards Jersey with obvious intent. Jersey turns away and huddles for the coming attack. It is short-lived, consisting of two pecks only, one to the head and one to the wing, but we have returned to a situation where Leaper is hungry. This is NOT GOOD. 

At 16:43 Jersey picks up a bony leftover and tries to swallow it, but Leaper grabs it from him and downs it fairly easily. It was almost pure bone, by the look of it. It may have been the piece Jersey was trying to swallow earlier. It looked very similar. FINALLY, at 17:28:35 dad brings in a long thin whole fish. Mum immediately comes in about a minute later to take it from him. He leaves. She gets down to the job of feeding her babies. When the fish arrived, Jersey was sleeping with Leaper lying on top of him. So when the food came, he just stayed where he was. It wasn’t until dad’s departure that he ducked his head. Interestingly, so did Leaper, who was standing up but turned away from the table with his head ducked down. Strange. Jersey had the front position at the table, so was probably aware that Leaper would lean over him to eat. So he was cautious. 

Mum starts feeding Leaper. The eaglets are side by side at the table but Jersey has turned his back on Leaper and the food. The fish is still moving, the tail striking Jersey and making him more nervous. As the fish tail hits him, Jersey shuffles further away, ending up down at mum’s tail. There, at 17:35, he suddenly has a brainwave. He realises he has space to go up to mum on the other side, putting her between himself and his sister. He thinks. He looks. Then he starts putting his plan into action, moving towards mum’s head along her left flank. 17:37 and he is nearly there. Mum knows he is there, and at 17:37:20 reaches out to him with a bite. He snatches it. Seven seconds later, a second piece. He takes that too. And a third – he is so grabby that it takes him three or four tries to take the food, but mum is patient, staying still until finally he grabs the bite. She is waiting for him to swallow each bite so she can give him the next. He realises he is safe where he is and moves right up beside mum’s beak and the fish. She is feeding him exclusively at this point, with all the bites going to Jersey. There is nothing Leaper can do about it whatsoever. 

Jersey eats a little less quickly now, grabbing the pieces but not snatching at them. Mum waits for him – occasionally, he is scared to take a bite but she waits until he turns his head back and accepts the food. This mum is a gem. She is caring so carefully for her youngest;. I am certain she made a decision three days ago that this little one wanted to fight for his life and she was going to help him any way she could. And that is what she has done. At about 17:38:15 Leaper leans in for a bite and Jersey instinctively turns away, but mum waits for him with the food, and he turns back and takes it. Another few bites from mum before this happens again at 17:38:45. Again, mum waits for Jersey to turn back towards her for the bite. She has not fed a single bite to Leaper since Jersey made it up to her beak soon after 17:37. Jersey has had a couple of dozen mouthfuls, some quite large. Finally, mum gives one bite to Leaper, then returns to feeding Jersey. After half a dozen bites, she gives a single mouthful to Leaper, then back to bites for Jersey. 

Mum then becomes more even-handed, giving a bite to one then to the other, occasionally giving two consecutive bites to one or the other, But both eaglets finish this fish with good crops. Both will have happy tummies tonight. Good for dad. He took a while to bring in dinner, but when he did, it was a whole live fish, and although it was skinny, it was pretty long. So that’s a huge relief because this mum really needs a bit of a break, if looking after two eaglets can be considered restful!!! She has worked so very hard over the past week, and she deserves to have dad step up the hunting for the family. These two will need more and more food as they grow of course, so it’s a big job for a single parent. I’m glad of the fish stocking you mentioned and hope it affects this nest. 

Just after 17:41, Jersey grabs a HUGE bite. He turns away with his prize to eat it but drops it. He wonders whether to have another try at swallowing it or instead return to mum’s beak for more fish, deciding eventually to try the former course. He fails, as the bite is at the wrong angle. He drops it again, picks it up again, this time at the correct angle, and downs it easily. After a moment of triumph (and just checking to make sure crops really don’t burst) he turns back to mum and continues to accept bites. He has a very large crop but has learnt to eat and eat and then eat some more, regardless of how full you may be. 

Another day, another important lesson learnt. Today’s lesson was: you can use mum like a shield to protect you from Leaper during feedings. What an important lesson this one really is, as we all know. Many is the younger hatch who has survived as a result of being A+ students in this particular subject.”

This is A’s summary for Saturday morning, so far, at Duke: “Mum wakes at 6am at Duke Farms and leaves the nest at 06:03:30, presumably to organise some breakfast. There are no leftovers on the nest, though both eaglets went to bed with full crops. Jersey, whose head is underneath Leaper, doesn’t even stir in his sleep. It is still dark. Leaper does some preening, waking Jersey up, and actually does some allopreening of Jersey’s head. Or reaches out to gently touch Jersey’s head or face with her beak. He is a little wary but basically without fear. She can be SO sweet towards him. I am convinced that once these two reach that certain age, they will become firm nest buddies (assuming, of course, a n adequate and consistent food supply). I hope they don’t wait too long for a nice big breakfast fish. 

At 06:47, they are still waiting, snuggled up together, doing some preening and so far behaving themselves nicely. It will be an important day for little Jersey. Are we setting a new pattern of sibling interaction on this nest or will circumstances send us spiralling back into food shortage and insecurity-related aggression? After three days now of little or no aggression from Leaper, another day without violence may well be enough to cement a reversion to pre-famine peaceful sibling interaction. 

Mum is back at 07:03:46 but she has no food – just a talonful of dry grasses. Leaper jumps up and heads straight for the table while Jersey goes into submission. There is no bonking, but nor is there any food. Mum searches the nest for bites of anything she can find to feed Leaper and finds perhaps six to eight bites of something that has been dropped or spat out yesterday. By 07:09:12 Jersey’s head is up and he is lying on his tummy, albeit with his back to mum. She leaves again soon afterwards, at 07:09:28. At 08:30 they are still waiting for breakfast but are cuddling, asleep, and there has been no aggression so far. “

Please send continued energy to this nest – they need all the good vibes they can get.

There is a little bobblehead at the Little Miami Conservancy Bald Eagle Nest in Ohio – but, wait…there are now two of them!

There is a pip at Denton Homes in Iowa Friday evening and DH14 is with us this morning.

The fish that Telyn Blue 5F brought to the Dyfi nest would sure look good on the Duke Farms nest! She is a master angler.

The new dad at Pittsburgh-Hayes brought Mum a fish gift on Friday.

There is an Osprey on the Steelscape nest in the US.

The pair at Allins Cove West are working on their nest. Dad arrived on 18 March with Mum landing a few days later.

Both ospreys are home at the Bridge Golf Course Osprey platform.

I don’t often recommend a FB group but I would like to draw your attention to Della and Warren’s Osprey Platform at Mispillion Harbour, Delaware. It is at the Dupont Centre. Heidi has put together a FB page for this adorable osprey family. Let’s surprise her and see if we can get 50 members over the Easter weekend! She is making videos and knows these birds and their behaviour inside and out. By signing up, her hard work doesn’t go to waste.

They are both home at Clark PUD.

The storks are arriving. Betye and Bukacek are back in their nest in Mlade Buky.

Bradley photographed at Port Lincoln.

Wow. A White-tailed Eagle in California! It is a rarity.

White-tailed-Eagle-appearance-in-California-stuns-US-birders-BirdGuidesDownload

I hope to have the news of the Imperial Eagles soon.

Volunteers have done a clean up where Richmond and Rosie fish at SF Bay. Every area should be cleared, every nest cleaned annually before our ospreys arrive (if possible) to try and make their lives start off safe.

Captured and convicted for leaving dead raptors and animals in front of a shop in the UK.

Man-in-custody-in-relation-to-dumped-hares-raptors-outside-Broughton-community-shop-–-Raptor-PerseDownload

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J’, The Guardian, The BBC, John Williams, Dyfi Osprey Project, Joanne Daly, University of Florida-Gainesville, Vicki Jacques, IWS/Explore.org, Jeff Kear, Duke Farms, Little Miami Conservancy, Denton Homes, Dyfi Osprey Project, PIX Cams, Steelscape, Allins Cove West, Carol Craig, Heidi McGrue, Clark PUD, Mlade Buky, PLO, SF Ospreys, BirdGuides, and Raptor Persecution UK.

Friday in Bird World

29 March 2024

Hello Everyone! Good Morning.

Birds are so beautiful. Anyone that has watched a House Sparrow closely will know that it is not just dull brown but is a range of colours from an espresso chocolate with brick red touches to taupe and oatmeal – all the latest catwalk colours. My Blue Jays that grace my garden feeders and look so beautiful when the lilac blossoms appear beside them, are anything but simple blue. Have you ever thought about drawing or painting birds? or making birds out of textiles? Begin your day with a look at these talented individuals and their attempts. Why not try yours?

The-Joys-of-Sketching-Birds-The-New-York-TimesDownload

The wind has finally left, and the temperature in Winnipeg is currently +1 C. It is sunny and gorgeous, and everyone has a hop in their step. It is the beginning of a very long weekend for those who work, and all of the students have been out of school this week for their spring break (public schools, K-12). It is funny when one is retired – there is hardly ever any need to know what day it is unless it is when the City picks up the recycling bins.

‘The Girls’ continue to enjoy the conservatory and the heat pouring in from the sun. What a change in 24-48 hours! They are napping and jostling for the top spot on the cat tree. Of course, Hugo Yugo is the reigning ‘Queen’ of the Tree. She won’t let anyone kick her off that little square and I am certain that she reminds Calico and Missey that they are too big to fit there even if they would like to sun themselves.

Hope tried and gave up. Hugo Yugo sometimes bites her, and they play fight, but here she is just pushing her off the top.

Hugo Yugo was rather ‘smug’ in her victory. You could hear her – ‘na, na, na, na, na, na’.

She is so tiny but she certainly rules the roost around her. She is fearless. I can only imagine what she would do to Leaper on that Duke Farms nest! That eaglet wouldn’t be trying to take her food!!!!!!! It would be lucky to have any feathers left on its head for bad behaviour.

Baby Hope decided to go and sleep with Mamma.

Thank you to everyone who commented or sent a note thanking me and ‘A’ – and especially ‘A’ for her wonderful narrative about the Duke Farms eagle nest. We are happy to inform you of what is happening at the Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest. It is difficult to watch a nest with the potential of siblicide. We both understand that, and believe me, it breaks my heart and brings me to tears, too. However, there is the most ecstatic happiness when a nest turns around and what could have been a dire situation becomes hopeful. That is where we are at Duke Farms right now. Hopeful.

I also want to thank you for your birthday wishes, your supporting remarks about the overfishing, and your shock at the loss of any information about Mr President and Lotus – they were two very loved eagles and we are disappointed not to know how their lives and breeding season are going. We wish them well.

And then this was posted this morning! Congratulations Mr President and Lotus on your little eaglet.

On Thursday morning, Jersey got a private feeding after Leaper was full. The time was around 10:30. At first, Jersey did the snatch and grab, eating as many bites as it could while Leaper was going into a food coma. You could tell that Jersey was very nervous. Mum kept a keen eye. She was feeding Jersey and then Leaper began to move. At that point, Mum looked at her little baby and moved the fish back on the rim of the nest. Leaper put its head down and Mum began to feed Jersey again. This time it was more relaxed. By 1038, Jersey had a nice crop. The feeding continued until 1040 when little Jersey flapped its wings in happiness with a fully crop and was off to sleep. What a relief to see these developments. Mum is completely aware of what is happening on the nest and is making every effort for Jersey to survive.

There were two more feedings. Jersey ate well at 1428 but is very tense. Any sudden movement will see Jersey draw back, not quite going into a submissive pose but well aware. Leaper leaves Jersey alone and by 1436 Jersey has a nice crop. A wonderful blessing. The little one has had a very good day. There will be one last feed on the small bit of remaining fish and Leaper will get all of it.

Little Jersey does not attempt to go to Mum’s beak at the last feeding. Indeed, even in the earlier feeding, Jersey would not eat even if offered fish bites until Leaper was completely finished. This is the cost of the fear that was imposed on the second hatch over the last weekend. Jersey is getting its confidence, but it will be some time before it feels able to eat freely – without the fear of being beaked and shaken – if Leaper is awake and watching.

I know that everyone likes ‘A’s comments so I have them here in full for the entire day for Thursday at Duke Farms:

I was really having difficulty distinguishing mum from dad mid-morning. Based on head shape and feeding style, I really think it may have been dad (he eats more bites than he gives out and he also gives very small bites – or occasionally very large ones – but brooding the eaglets after the late morning feeding was something mum is far more likely to have done than dad. That being said, the following can be considered to apply to either parent – sometimes, it’s so hard to tell when only one of them is there.

Both eaglets already had a crop and there was an almost untouched whole fish lying on the nest when what looked like dad flew onto the nest with a talonful of dried grasses (what is it with dad and grass, usually dry?) at around 10:20 this morning (28 March). They had been in a cuddle puddle in the middle of the nest when big sister leant over Jersey to line up a large PS. When dad arrived, he buried the fish in grass, then dug it out and starts eating it. Leaper is interested and sits up, watching. When dad offers her a bite and she leans over to take it, Jersey gets up and huddles into his submission pose, back to the food. There has been no hint of aggression from Leaper, and they have been happily cuddling all morning. 

Dad went to a different feeding school from mum – he eats three or four bites for every one he offers a chick and he hands out the tiniest pieces. More token gestures often than beakfuls. Jersey realises he has nothing to fear and sits up, turns around a bit, looks over his shoulder towards the food, then shuffles forward towards dad. He loses courage when Leaper leans forward for a bite, and again turns away But his head is still up, and he soon turns around again, approaches dad, sidles closer and gets offered a bite. Leaper is right beside him at the table and closer to dad, so Jersey again hesitates and waits. He stretches, turns away again, waits, watches. 

Eventually, shortly before 10:30, Leaper has had enough and turns away. Jersey moves up to dad (or is it mum?). Leaper changes her mind and turns back for just one more bite. Jersey waits. Leaper is done. Jersey grabs for a bite but misses in his haste. It’s a bony bite and dad eats it. The next grab is successful and Jersey takes a large piece. He moves closer and eats. Dad is eating a lot himself, but he is also feeding Jersey. Jersey continues to eat. Leaper, lying in the middle of the nest, is playing with dad’s tail, which periodically brushes Leaper when dad turns to feed a bite to Jersey. It’s an idyllic scene. 

Soon after 10:40, the little one has eaten enough and turns away. He has a large crop and he has not been beaten for a day and a half now. He is so happy about that that he stretches and flaps his wee wings, nearly losing his balance in the process. Dad flies off the nest. Jersey flops down beside Leaper, so close that his wing is on her head. After a moment, he stands up again, turns towards his sister and stumbles across her, stepping on her beak in the process. She makes no objection to his extreme clumsiness and the pair end up in a cuddle puddle in the centre of the nest. 

Just before 11:02, mum (or is it dad?) returns clutching a huge bunch of twigs, lined up as if in a carefully bundled package of sticks of equal length and circumference, though surely I must be seeing things. He (or she) spreads the grass around, then when the kids don’t wake up, returns to eating the leftover fish. Leaper’s interest is soon aroused and she reaches for a bite. Jersey lifts his head and stretches but is too full to bother getting up. As dad is eating rather than feeding, Leaper turns away and stretches, leaning over Jersey as she does so, but there is no fear from Jersey. 

She spreads her nesting material all over the nest, around the eaglet pile, and just before 11:15, she flies off the nest. The eaglets return to sleeping. Watch Leaper allopreening Jersey just before 11:17. TOO adorable. 

Just after 11:40 mum (or is it dad?) is back with a long stick, which she carefully places. She then settles down to brood the eaglets. Jersey heads underneath mum, his little bottom sticking out in front of her, which is fortunate because just after 11:42, he does a healthy large PS. 

Mum brings in a good-sized whole fresh fish just before 14:10. Leaper immediately heads to the table while Jersey stays where he is, lying duckling style in the middle of the nest. He does not go into submission and Leaper does nothing to intimidate or hurt him. Even when Leaper makes contact with Jersey while leaning forward for a bite, all Jersey does is languidly stretch one leg out towards Leaper. No fear. No aggression. 

At 14:17 Jersey stands up and positions for a PS (healthy and large at 14:17:30). He then turns his back to the feeding but does not go into submission. Instead, he sits there, preening, while mum feeds Leaper. Pecking order is being respected. At 14:18:30 Leaper has had enough and turns away. Jersey starts to sidle around the nest towards the table but Leaper stretches and flaps her wings, startling her sibling. Mum leans over to offer more food to Leaper, who continues eating. Jersey gradually heads around the nest towards the table. 

He retreats again, back around the nest, then back to the middle, where he again positions for a PS. This one (14:17:30) is even larger than the last! After several false starts and a number of attempts that he chickened out of, Jersey eventually gets up to the table at 14:21:20. Leaper, who has turned away and returned to the table several times, is still eating. About ten seconds later, mum offers Jersey a bite but he is too nervous to take it. He has no basis for fear, having not suffered any aggression from Leaper today that I have witnessed. 

Soon after 14:22, so close to mum it is awkward for him to access her beak, Jersey finally has the courage to take a bite. There is still a lot of fish left, and Jersey still has a crop from this morning’s feedings. Mum feeds Jersey, who takes everything he is offered. Leaper watches from the centre of the nest, where she is lying duckling style, tired of carrying her giant crop no doubt. She is relaxed and happy, without any grudge against his little brother, who continues to fill up on this nice fish. Mum is feeding him as much fish as he will take from her. 

Afterwards, mum broods the babies. As always, the little one burrows under mum head-first. At 15:39, mum gets up and leaves the nest. Jersey doesn’t even wake up. He’s working hard, growing, converting all that fishy protein into eaglet. At 15:42:43, Jersey has woken up, backed up, and produces yet another large, healthy PS. He’s been processing a lot of food the past two days. So good to see. He stumbles onto  the sleeping Leaper, disturbs his sister again while preening (his feathers are coming through – Jersey has been very itchy this afternoon) and generally annoys his sibling, who merely stretches out a leg. Jersey plays with a stick and returns to a lot of preening. His right wing is covering Leaper’s head! Leaper stretches out a wing and a leg to reclaim her space and slumbers on. 

Jersey continues preening for a few minutes, then finally flops down beside Leaper, who chooses this moment to wake and stand up. Jersey is anticipating retaliation, as he has been all over his sister in the past ten minutes or so as his preening has been quite vigorous plus he has overbalanced several times and fallen onto her. So he goes into submission just in case. But Leaper just lies down again. At 15:53:47, he does YET ANOTHER PS, this one somewhat smaller than the last three but still respectable. He really is very itchy and cannot seem to stop grooming. 

Just after 16:57, mum is back with yet more grasses. She spreads them about the nest and leaves again before 16:59. At 17:00 Leaper does a good PS. The two have been snuggling in the centre of the nest all afternoon, changing position occasionally, and sometimes being clumsy, stumbling over each other or onto each other. This can make Jersey slightly nervous, but his reaction to that at this stage of the day is now to stand up and turn away rather than to cower in submission. 

At 17:00:32, Jersey reaches over and gently pecks at Leaper, having just pecked at a piece of bark in front of him. Initially, it appears she will retaliate. She stands up, leaning forwards and spreading her wings as if about to launch an attack on Jersey. But Jersey’s response is to stand up, head held high. As he resumes preening, Leaper leans forward to groom her own underside, bringing her close to Jersey, who reacts by leaning back slightly, beak open, and keeping his head up. This is an eaglet who seems prepared to defend himself against an attack. He is not reacting by automatically going into submission. He is quite literally standing up for himself. This is very interesting to watch. It is now nearly two full days of food for Jersey and no beatings from Leaper. 

At 17:01:07, with Leaper standing up and Jersey, lying in front of her, Jersey makes the fatal error of staring his sister in the eyes. There is a pause. Jersey continues to watch Leaper. At 17:01:15, Leaper pulls herself up, spreads her wings and leans over Jersey, who stands and turns away in the one movement, still watching Leaper. Leaper pecks Jersey, just once, at 17:01:18, then continues flapping her wings. Jersey remains submissive, as Leaper twice overbalances and falls onto Jersey with her wingercising. Leaper does a little more preening, then snuggles back down beside Jersey. At 17:04:12, Jersey’s little head pops up and he and his sister are snuggled side by side, the best of mates again. 

This was the only episode of bonking I saw today (28 March) or yesterday (27 March), and it really was a single peck to the side/back of the head to reinforce pecking order. Obviously, Jersey needed a reminder about the ‘looking one’s older sister in the eyes’ rule. But it was nothing resembling an attack. Let’s see how it impacts Jersey’s confidence tomorrow (29 March). He has eaten very well today. He looks strong and he is getting more confident. He is growing every day and learning vital life lessons. We can only hope the food keeps coming onto this nest. I am confident that as long as it does, Jersey will survive to fledge. 

Check the ‘synchronised watching’ at 17:28:43-47 (something, presumably a parent, is above). I love it when a scrape full of falcon eyases does some synchronised watching of a passing parent. TOO adorable. 

Just before 18:54, Jersey is standing and flapping his little wings. This suddenly annoys his sister, pecks him (again, just once) in the side of the head. It takes him by surprise and he goes into submission. A few seconds later, at 18:54:44, mum lands on the nest and begins feeding Leaper the meagre pickings from a small bony piece of leftover fish. Jersey remains in submission until 18:58:24, when he raises his head and flops onto his tummy, though he remains with his back to the table. 

Around 19:07 he gets up and looks over his shoulder towards mum. He still has a good crop (as does Leaper, who is eating but the bites are small). By 19:08:30 the fish is gone and Leaper turns back towards Jersey. Another big PS for Leaper at 19:08:53, who then snuggles up with Jersey for the night. Mum settles in to brood her babies. 

All in all, it has been an interesting day. Jersey has eaten well, and although there were two occasions when Leaper pecked at her sibling, these could certainly not be classified as attacks, and I doubt they will intimidate Jersey much when it comes to eating tomorrow. We will see what the day brings. But today’s two minor incidents were the usual pecking order behaviour of an average nest, not the vicious beatings we were witnessing four days ago. 

Jersey is not yet out of the woods by a long shot. But things are improving by the day as his confidence grows, and today was another step in the right direction

It is raining Ospreys in the UK. They must all have felt the wind currents were favourable as quite a number landed on their nests all over the UK.

One of the first was Louis at the Lock Arkaig nest 2 that he shares with Dorcha. Geemeff heard him coming before he even arrived!

Blue HKO, otherwise known as ‘Flora’, the mate of Unringed Harry at the Alyth SS nest, arrived home on Thursday, too.

It was not clear how happy Blue 5F Seren was to find snow on her nest at Llyn Clywedog in Wales when she arrived Thursday! Wonder when Dylan will get home?

Dylan must have been right behind her!

The getting reacquainted is often cumbersome unless, of course, you are Laddie!

At Foulshaw Moss in Cumbria, White YW welcomed his long-time mate, Blue 35 who arrived Thursday. (White YW arrived on the 24th)

The Real Saunders Photography caught E23 lying and being chased by smaller birds – just like he will for the rest of his life. The image is magical and majestic. What a glorious fledgling E23 is!

E23 took a rabbit from Dad and flew off with it – oh, E23 you are learning so fast.

Meadow and Swampy are not flying yet, but it won’t be long. On Thursday, both demonstrated that they could clean up a large fish in record time. Once rivals, the pair shared part of the carcass.

Liberty and Guardian have their second pip – and by the time you read this – a probably second hatch at Redding. Isn’t this incredible? Congratulations.

I would so wish too see this happen at Sauces and Big Bear.

Names have been given for the two osplets at Moorings Park. The eldest is to be called Ruffie and the youngest is Tuffie.

Oh, gosh, these two are so cute. Their fat little bottoms and tiny little tails.

Every year, I used to discuss the beauty of the babies with a dear friend who has now passed. She preferred the White-bellied sea eaglets and I the osplets and little red-tail hawklets.

Egg number 5 has been laid by Mother Goose at Decorah.

The kids at Decorah North are doing very well, indeed. Mr North keeps the food coming and from the look of DNF, no one should mess with her nest! Dad brought in what appears to be road kill later. And this reminds me! Please keep a small shovel in the trunk of your car. Whenever you see road kill, either in the City or in the suburbs or the country, stop your car safely and remove the dead animal to a place where the other animals can feed of it without fear of being hit by a car.

The eaglet at Port Tobacco has a very full crop!

Big Red and Arthur diligently keeping those four precious eggs warm.

Noble and Whitley on the Crooked Lake Osprey nest. What a gorgeous area.

Second to last. I am certain you can tell that I adore Akecheta. Here is a nest with three eaglets – and not their first clutch to hatch three. Thunder is a rigid disciplinarian and it has made all the difference in the world. At the same time, Akecheta keeps that nest filled with fish. So civilised. Just makes my heart beat a little more joyful seeing them together with the three eaglets.

‘A’ agrees: “

At WE, we have two parents doing the most wonderful job. By 16:17 yesterday afternoon (28 March), when Thunder had finished giving the three eaglets yet another feeding, just check out those massive crops. So when Akecheta landed with yet another big fish at 16:17:09, no-one really had much room left to fit in any more food, as all three were in food comas. Shortly after 18:14 Akecheta returned with a huge amount of dry grass and spread it about where the chicks sleep. Mum continued to try to feed the babies, and managed to get them to accept a few bites. Everyone went to bed with large crops. SEDs on this nest. .

The WE nest spends much of the time looking like a fishmonger’s shop. My goodness there were a lot of fish sitting there late yesterday afternoon, two of them sizable leftovers, the other piece smaller. Seconds before 18:00, Thunder arrived back to take over looking after the eaglets for the night. Akecheta left soon afterwards. Mum first fed a few bites to any takers but the kids were pretty full, so she had a snack, checking repeatedly to see if the chicks are hungry. They were not. She had a good meal and the family settled for the night. 

There is some niggle between the siblings but nothing to worry about. No-one is getting hurt or intimidated or stopped from eating. They are just the usual feisty offspring this couple seems to produce.”

I always look forward to what Dani Connor Wild is doing. She has just posted a video about her life living four hours south of the Arctic Circle when it is -37 C. Watch it for the beautiful images of Golden Eagles and get the tissue at the end when she shows some quick images of the Penguins in Antarctica. Fortunately, the penguins are not showing any symptoms of bird flu while, at the same time, testing positive. See article below. This is hopeful news.

‘Cautious-optimism-as-penguins-test-positive-for-bird-flu-but-show-no-symptoms-Bird-flu-The-GuaDownload

Have you ever wondered if birds dream?

What-Birds-Dreams-Can-Tell-Us-About-Our-Own-The-New-York-TimesDownload

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, SP’, Sue Greely, Duke Farms, The Woodland Trust, Geemeff, Jeff Kear, Clywedog Osprey Cam, Real Saunders Photography, Lady Hawk, Eagle Country, Meredith Gertz, Beth Lorenzo, Moorings Park Ospreys, Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, Cornell RTH, Timothy Dygert Osprey Cam, IWS/Explore.org, Dani Connor Wild, The Guardian, and The New York Times.

Jersey gets fed, Redding has a hatch…Wednesday in Bird World

27 March 2024

Good Morning Everyone!

Dry snowflakes flew about on the Canadian Prairies Tuesday morning and the snow got heavier in the early evening. It is really blowing around and my thoughts go out to all of the geese and ducks that arrived so early. I hope they can find food and hold on til the weather warms up in a few days.

Yesterday, I wrote about the need for a moratorium on commercial fishing in Mahaden. I also mentioned that the individuals who breed farm fish in the UK have discovered how to monetise the ponds. The charge to photograph is substantial at some of the sites, and the owners have proudly admitted that they make more money from the photographers than from selling their farm fish. This is something that could easily be adapted in the US, and it would be a win-win for the Osprey and the entrepreneurs who want to make money. With all the interest in wildlife photography, this should be seriously considered. It could be a nature centre, a golf course, or anywhere along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, which are the most at risk presently. If you know someone who is interested, I am certain that Dr Tim Mackrill would be more than happy to connect them with the parties in the UK. Tim is the Director of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and can easily be found on X or the Internet.

Lots happening! I feel that we are a page of headline news today. This is more of a run through the nests with a stop at a couple – like Duke Farms – to see what happened on Tuesday.

There is a pip at the Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian.

And now there is a hatch! Proud parents Liberty and Guardian. First hatch, second clutch. How grand.

The eaglet at Berry College is a cutie and will be very spoiled if it is the only one.

Only chick at Port Tobacco is doing wonderful.

Two eaglets of Jolene and Boone at Johnson City-ETSU are looking more like old carpets. They are ‘wooly’ with their thermal down and are getting their juvenile feathers.

Big Red lays a fourth egg at the Cornell RTH nest. Both of them look at it wondering where on earth that one came from! Arthur is probably thinking, ‘oh, no, not again!’. Of course, he will be able to handle it. Let us hope this is a good year for chipmunks and squirrels on the Cornell campus.

Jersey lives another day. The second hatch at Duke Farms flapped its little wings in happiness. It is often too aware and too afraid to let Mum feed it, but that little one is self-feeding and got enough for a crop and then a crop drop and partial crop on Tuesday before Leaper started bonking it while it was eating some fish. Rain is on its way to the nest. We can only send positive wishes and hope that this situation will be rectified because Jersey is a survivor. We have seen this at other nests…keep sending good energy.

Mum tries to feed Jersey from the fish but Jersey is very afraid of Leaper and for good reason.

Mum gives an order for food.

Jersey continued to work on the fish and then the miracle happened. Mum fed Jersey while Leaper slept off its food coma. Jersey ate and ate. ‘J’ remarks, “Hope is Powerful”.

Leaper’s food anxiety is not over. But Jersey got braver and Mum knows this one is a survivor! Keep sending all that good energy to this nest – for prey delivery, Jersey eating, and both to fledge.

‘A’ gives us a good late day rundown at Duke:

“Mum decided not to feed much of that big fish to Leaper, once she realised that Jersey was not going to get anything, so she left the fish and instead began feeding Leaper from the old waterbird torso – it was as if she was deliberately leaving the opened fish for Jersey to self-feed and then filled Leaper to the brim with food Jersey would have had no real chance of getting any real bites off. She then tried to put herself between the pair. Leaper, with the most gigantic crop, nevertheless got up and crossed the nest to give Jersey a serious and prolonged beating (around 17:50), which ended when Leaper headed back to the centre of the nest, where mum immediately lay down between the two. Jersey now could make a good effort at the large fish that had been opened at the head end and unzipped a little down one side. He pulled the giant fish down towards him, stood on it, and pulled bites from it. Mum watched him, then covered Leaper in a blanket of dry grass. Mum’s positioning gave little Jersey the confidence to ignore the fear of an attack and concentrate on trying to eat as much of the fish as he could. It was noteworthy that he still had a respectable crop before this self-feeding. At 18:00, mum got up, leaving Leaper sleeping, and moved to where Jersey was self-feeding to begin feeding him herself. She offered him some of the torso, and after some initial hesitation, he accepted the bite. Just as mum is about to offer him another bite, dad flies onto the nest with another (this time, absolutely huge) talonful of dried grasses. He spreads this to cover first nearby Jersey, who goes into submission, and then Leaper in the middle of the nest, still sleeping. TOO funny. Jersey realises it was not a Leaper attack and lifts his head, so mum immediately takes the chance to offer him a bite of food, which he snatches. He turns away to eat it, then turns back to face and get closer to mum. Jersey turns to dad and takes a bite of what he thinks is food but is really nesting material! He spits it out. Both parents are on the nest now, dad having found the leftover large fish he had buried alongside Jersey, while mum is still with the torso. Jersey has his back to both parents, who are each trying to feed him, dad on his left with the fish, mum on his right with the torso. He is too nervous to take either. He looks towards mum but eventually turns towards dad, but cringes and turns away when dad offers him some fish. He looks back towards mum and snatches a bite from her, which again he turns away to eat. He looks back towards dad, but again cringes away when dad offers him a bite of fish. This happens again, and when Jersey cringes away from dad this time, dad reaches out to try and give the bite of fish to mum to feed to Jersey. She does not take it from him. Jersey continues to watch dad but turn back and take bites from mum. He wants some of that fish though, and dad pulls it out from under the grass. Mum is not looking pleased at the idea he might be taking the fish for himself and goes to stop him. She vocalises, quite obviously warning him not to even think about it. He retreats, without the fish, and leaves the nest.

At 18:08 Leaper wakes up, but Jersey still grabs a bite from mum. Leaper takes a bite from mum but then decides she really cannot be bothered and refuses a second. Jersey literally spins in a circle, gaining and then losing the courage to take a bite from mum. Just TOO funny. Would make an absolutely hysterical gif. Jersey has a good crop. (Leaper’s is humungous.) The more bites Jersey takes without being attacked for eating, the more confident he becomes and the faster he eats. Mum periodically tries to coax Leaper, lying duckling style on the other side of mum, to take a bite, and once in a while she does so, but most of the bites are going to Jersey. Around 18:12, Leaper half-stands, as if to attack Jersey, and mum instantly tries to pacify her with the offer of food, but Leaper decides it’s too much effort, lies back down and refuses the food. Mum resumes feeding Jersey, whose crop is enlarging by the minute. He is eating as fast as he can now, grabbing and swallowing bite after bite. Big bites, small bites;.anything he can get he is wolfing down. Some of the pieces are big. Some are awkwardly shaped. He is finding a way to force them all down, although some take him some time and effort to swallow. He is eating what he can, while he can (yet another valuable survival lesson he has learned this week!!) Oh it is just wonderful to watch. I cannot help but cry. He is fighting so hard to live, and mum is helping him do so with every maternal instinct in her body. The way she warned dad off that fish was pure MOTHER. Do not dream of taking food from the mouths of my babies, you deadbeat dad. Go out and bring in a fish!! (Or is that anthropomorphising too much even for me?) But seriously, the vocal warning she gave him, and THE LOOK when he tried to sneak at least half of that gigantic fish off the nest was an absolute classic. He literally slunk away. 

Jersey went to bed with a happy tummy last night. He had achieved such a lot, and I honestly believe that the lessons he has learned will save his life, as long as mum can keep this level of food coming onto the nest. She must be exhausted, having started hunting before dawn yesterday, bringing in three large prey items during the day. I still wonder where dad has been and why he is not bringing in food now he is back, given that he looked totally uninjured. It really is a mystery, and it may be that mum is going to have to do much or all of the work on this nest. If that does happen, things are still very tenuous here, with Leaper still keeping Jersey in a state of terror whereby he is usually too scared to be fed by mum. There was one feeding today where Leaper allowed Jersey to eat from mum for as long as he wanted without any aggression at all, but that was not the way Leaper behaved when that late afternoon fish arrived, gigantic though it was. 

I am astounded at how well Jersey has done at getting enough food off those two fish yesterday to fill his crop twice – once at breakfast time and again late in the afternoon – with the feeding from mum (from the waterbird torso – at least I think that’s what it was – it was very hard to identify, but there was a lot of meat on it and not much else, such as feet or wings or a head or legs or anything really, so it could have been mammalian for all I know). So Jersey has eaten very well today and in the process has learned some incredibly valuable skills. Leaper is not yet a competitor for leftovers, having had no need to self-feed yet, and so leaves the spoils to Jersey. Once she has filled her crop and gone into a food coma, Jersey can then self-feed to his heart’s content. The combination of mum’s obvious awareness that she must hunt and she must look out for the younger chick, plus the reappearance of dad (despite him so far not bringing in food) and Jersey’s self-feeding prowess (which will improve by the day from here on, especially as his weight increases) may well be enough to salvage the outcome on this nest. Mum is certainly doing her best. “

Jersey has not had food Wednesday morning. It does appear that Mum is the only one bringing in food items to the nest but it is possible that she is retrieving them from Dad off nest as Duke Farms did imply at one time. It is going to be wet. Jersey ate well enough yesterday but it would be good to get that crop filled today sometime with the weather.

The pair at Moorings Park are doing very well. They are absolutely adorable.

The two eaglets at Decorah North are equally cute. There is some bonking as their eyes adjust to the world. Every beak is a potential bite of food – or a sibling!

The Sutton Centre in Bartlesville Oklahoma now has two eaglets! Thanks, ‘J’

‘H’ thinks R6 is ready to fledge any time! It sure looks like Ron and Rose will be empty nesters soon enough.

Lots of fish piled up on the nest of Ellie and Harvey at Farmer Derek’s. These two like to team feed!

In the UK, Blue NCO continues to wait for Laddie LM12 at Loch of the Lowes. White YW arrived early, also, and is waiting for Blue 25 at Foulshaw Moss. Telyn arrived on Tuesday at the Dyfi nest and awaits the arrival of Idris while Elen is at Glaslyn waiting for Aran.

Elen at Glaslyn.

Telyn (Blue 3J) at Dyfi watching for Idris.

CJ7 and Blue022 are getting reacquainted at the Poole Harbour nest in the UK. Other nests with both of the pairs are Manton Bay, Esthwaite, Threave Castle, Blackwood Farms, and Bassenwaite.

This is more the style when I think of CJ7 and Blue 022.

There is some good news coming from the Loch of the Lowes – no, sadly, Laddie isn’t home, but I have not expected him to return this year. There is another sky dancing male trying to attract Blue NCO’s attention. I hope he is a good fisher and stays! One of Laddie’s fledglings with his mate LF15 of 2017 has been sighted in the Lake District possibly looking for a mate or a nest! That is fantastic news – a great moment to celebrate for so few survive those first two years —- and getting an actual sighting of one to record is difficult. This bird is six years old. I wonder if it has a nest in the area?

You might recall that a Peregrine Falcon with its jesses landed in the scrape of Monty and Hartley the other day. It is quite worrying when a falconry bird is flying free. There is no telling how far it came from its home. AE brings us good news:

Many thanks to the California Falconry community for their quick work on this unusual incident! Fun facts: the bird was a 9 year captive bred anatum peregrine who was clearly very excited about the arrival of the first egg. It was from a line of birds that retains that dark streaking through the breast in their adult plumage. While Monty was clearly upset with the intrusion, it was so interesting to see Hartley e-chup along with the intruder like they were having a little baby shower! Glad all seems to be moving along smoothly now.

At the Durbe County White-tail Eagle nest in Latvia, Milda laid her second egg of the season.

‘MP’ sends us a good sighting at the JB Sands Wetlands eagle nest. As you recall, Mum had an injury. She did not hunt or feed the chick for some time. Dad took over. Thankfully, the eaglet was a month old. Things have improved. This is today’s short report: “Today it looks as though mom is back hunting. She brought a fish in this morning along with dad. It’s funny, two days go by and nothing, and suddenly, three pieces of prey already this morning, before 9:00AM.”

It is so good to see both parents back at the nest (just like it is at Duke Farms).

Looks like the parents at JB Sands are trying to teach JBS20 how to ‘branch’ on that tower!

At Bluff City, ‘Viper’ is growing and doing well. We have seen this before at nests. Brood reduction it might be called. Let us hope that Viper fledges and all is well.

This past weekend was pip watch for Chase and Cholyn. Will their only egg hatch?

It is always mealtime when you have three growing eaglets. Cholyn and Chase’s daughter, Thunder, is no stranger to three hatching!

I missed this yesterday. Happy Hatch Day Thunder!

Dixie and Mason are so cute. Aren’t you happy they can peek over the rim of the nest now? Gosh I really dislike that view form the top camera.

Swampy and Meadow are curious about food scraps in the nest and their self-feeding is coming along nicely. Abby and Blaze have done a wonderful job preparing them for life off the nest. Do you remember when we thought that Swampy was going to harm Meadow? Now look at them! Best buddies.

The late Pale Male’s (Central Park’s longest-living Red-tail Hawk) mate, Octavia, has been seen with another male and exhibits some nesting behaviour. Pale Male died in the arms of Bobby Horvath last year. He was the subject of books and films, including The Legend of Pale Male, which is free to watch. I highly recommend it as a community came together to save his nest. It shows the power of people who care! You can find it at thelegendofpalemale.net

927-Fifth-Avenue-Urban-HawksDownload

There are many reasons that people study raptors by putting satellite tags on them. This is one study of the Golden Eagles in Scotland.

Fascinating-new-study-reveals-movements-of-young-satellite-tagged-golden-eagles-in-Scotland-–-RaptorDownload

If you live in the Eastern US, Audubon has a chart prepared so that you know which songbirds will be migrating through your area and when.

This-Wave-Theory-of-Spring-Migration-Will-Prepare-You-for-Your-Next-Birding-Outing-AudubonDownload

Thank you so much for being with me today. We can expect a few more bobbleheads and osprey arrivals! Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, screen captures, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, AE, Geemeff, H, J, MP’, FORE, WingsofWhimsy, Berry College Eagle Cam, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, Johnson City-ETSU, Cornell RTH Cam, Duke Farms, Moorings Park, Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, Heidi M, Farmer Derek, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Poole Harbour, Jenny Moore, Gregarious Toonen, LDF, JB Sands Wetlands, Bluff City-ETSU, Jan Gallivan, Superbeaks, Eagle Country, Bruce Yolton, Raptor Resource UK, Sutton Centre, and Audubon Magazine.

UK Ospreys arriving, Flaco’s necropsy released…Tuesday in Bird World

26 March 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Monday was my birthday, and I had a grand time with the most marvellous homemade Opera cake by my talented daughter. I took the day off – for the most part – from the birds. Today, it is full of information on Flaco and the perils that the Ospreys in the US are facing, plus more information on the impact of Avian Flu. Please read this information. I urge you to join Michael Academia and me in asking for a moratorium to be put in place for the fishing of Mahaden. There is only one nest that I am concerned about. Duke Farms continued to have prey delivery and sibling rivalry issues until this morning. Please see the latest narrative by Allison at the bottom.

We will start today, however, with the necroscopy of Flaco, the Eurasian Owl, that had been at the Central Park Zoo for some 13 years before his cage was vandalised and he escaped into the Central Park and Great Manhattan area where he lived for a year before colliding with a building. Please read the entire article. The summary of the findings are: “Bronx Zoo veterinary pathologists determined that in addition to the traumatic injuries, Flaco had two significant underlying conditions. He had a severe pigeon herpesvirus from eating feral pigeons that had become part of his diet, and exposure to four different anticoagulant rodenticides that are commonly used for rat control in New York City. These factors would have been debilitating and ultimately fatal, even without a traumatic injury, and may have predisposed him to flying into or falling from the building.”

Central-Park-Zoo-Releases-Postmortem-Testing-Results-for-Flaco-the-Eurasian-Eagle-Owl-NewsroomDownload

We have also been waiting on the news about Andria who, after having at least two seizures, fell out of her nest on 8 December 2023 and died. Andria’s necroscopy report has also been released today. Andria was the mate of Alex at the E3 nest in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana.

Andrias-necroscopy-reportDownload

Michael Academia has asked me to spread the word about the horrific impact that a shortage of Manhaden will have on success of Osprey nests along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the US. I am absolutely more than happy to do this as this is something we know can be remedied and benefit our beloved fish eating raptors. The key is to stop the fishing. Not stop the overfishing, but stop all fishing o Manhaden. Chinese commercial fishing trawlers are depleting the stocks. (They are also overfishing in AustralAsia to the detriment of the seabirds including the Royal Albatross).

In 2023, we – ‘H’ and I – identified both weather events and the lack of Manhaden as the primary reasons that osplets starved on the nests in the NE US. I was also extremely critical that supplementary fish were not provided – and I am certainly thinking that it might well be time to set up ponds just for the ospreys. Why not ponds on golf courses? They need water features anyway and we now know that the photography of ospreys is in high demand – especially when they are catching fish – that there is great money to be made. That should be enough to entice some entrepreneur to help them – and line their pockets at the same time.

A-Tiny-Fish-That-Fuels-a-Healthy-Atlantic-Ecosystem-Now-Stirs-Industry-Debates-The-New-York-TimesDownload
Researchers-peg-Mobjack-Bay-osprey-woes-on-food-shortage-Fisheries-bayjournal.com_Download

Other threats continue including Avian Flu which is now impacting the Penguins.

Penguins-at-Risk-as-Avian-Flu-Reaches-the-Antarctic-BirdLife-InternationalDownload

Telyn, the mate of Idris, arrived in the dark Monday early evening at her nest in Wales. Arrival time was 1929.

Geemeff caught the arrival of handsome Blue 022 at the Poole Harbour nest.

Lloyd Brown brings us the latest on Rita, the former mate of Ron at the WRDC nest who injured her wing and is now in Marathon, Florida.

There are now three eggs for the new couple at the Syracuse Red-tail Hawk cam on the campus of SU in New York.

These two at Decorah North should put a smile on anyone’s face.

Hope and Chandler are really spoiling their only eaglet. What a treat. Like all nests send positive images that both parents stay safe and prey is plentiful.

The two osplets at Moorings Park, like the two Decorah eaglets, melt one’s heart. Harry brought an enormous fish to the nest and one of the osplets got dragged a bit. Thankfully this little one was not injured!

‘MP’ reports that the Mum at J B Sands Wetlands who had an issue with her right leg or talon has not been seen for at least two days, but, thankfully, was on the top of the tower Monday evening. Dad finally brought in prey after showing JBS20 some food in the nest. It could have been like the WRDC where Ron and Rose tried to get R6 to self-feed. JBS20 did have a nice meal late on Monday.

The situation at Duke Farms continues to be dire. Please send positive energy. It appears to me that the male is no longer with us and that the female is having some difficulty not only with getting prey, but also with having food to feed herself and Leaper and leave some for Jersey. Jersey has had only a few bites of prey since Friday.

When nests like Bluff City or Duke change, after starting out so successful, it is good to stop and look at the exceptional ones like the West End. ‘A’ gives us her wonderful narrative of this Channel Islands wonder: “Meanwhile, as I turn on to the West End cam, I see a bunch of huge teenagers. Who are they and what did they do with those cute chicks? Oh wee WE is SO adorable. Check out the mid-afternoon feeding (from 15:10) being doled out by mum. The three actually appear to grow in front of your eyes during the 20 minutes or so of the feeding. There is some bonking on this nest and some chatters actually worry about wee WE!!! No need to have concerns about that little one. Bold and clever. Just too cute for words. I  adore wee WE – my favourite of the season so far (though little Willow was obviously also very special to me because I’m such a sucker for the tiny younger chicks). The two older chicks are the main instigators (Nessy may be the second hatch but that neck has always given it an advantage, so hatches one and two are very evenly matched indeed) but sometimes the little one starts a rumble it cannot finish. It has learned to duck, and tends to stay below the level of its bonking siblings. If it does end up the victim, it ducks and tucks quickly, then gets back to the table at the first opportunity. It has no hesitation in reaching over and in front of its siblings to get bites. All three look very strong and healthy. Thunder is fabulous and you know my feelings towards Akecheta. A dad right up there with the very best. An M15 in fact, and you know what a huge statement that is. But watching him with two three-hatch clutches has been very stress-free viewing. To me, that clearly indicates a good food source and excellent parents.”

Thunder knew precisely how to deal with the rivalry in the nest. Whenever it began, no matter when—even during a meal—she sat on the eaglets. That and plenty of prey brought by Akecheta put an end to the nonsense. It was simple and effective. I am surprised other nests do not use this as a behaviour-changing strategy.

Arthur and Big Red are incubating their three eggs – the last laid on the 23rd of March during a snowstorm in the dark. Cute little Arthur has a prey item for his much loved mate waiting for her return.

Monty and Hartley have their second egg. ‘SP’ says it was an easy labour!

PA Country Bald Eagles have three eaglets in their nest. They have had four in the past but three is actually quite unusual. Most eagles only lay two eggs.

Swampy and Meadow in Eagle Country continue to thrive.

Mason and Dixon at Superbeaks nest in Central Florida can now be seen over the edge of the other camera (side view). They have grown so much thanks to Pepe and Muhlady.

Bartlesville Oklahoma’s Sutton Centre has its first Bald Eagle hatch for 2024.

It is hatch watch for Liberty and Guardian at Redding. Three eggs were laid on Feb 15, 18, and 21. One broke, but which one is unknown. Egg #1 would be 40 days today, so it may be the one. Egg #2 would be 37, and Egg #3 would be 34. Fingers crossed for this devoted couple.

At Glaslyn, everyone is delighted as Elen arrived home this morning!

Blue 022 has been waiting for his mate CJ7 and she has arrived home to Poole Harbour safely. All is well.

As all of you know, I believe in intervention where it is warranted and can save lives of our precious birds. As our planet warms and the climate of various regions changes – including where I live where the temperature is expected to rise and the winters I recall but are rapidly changing will change even more – we will be called to help. Port Lincoln did that this past breeding season. As ‘A’ reflects, “The fabulous progress of Giliath and Bradley is testament to their actions – the pre-fledge period made it perfectly clear that, when required, the parents stepped up their fishing, even though there was a plan in case they didn’t. But they did fish, contrary to the dire predictions of the naysayers, and they certainly have taught their offspring to do the same. I do hope someone is writing up the Port Lincoln experiment for a scholarly journal, because we are sick of people telling us we shouldn’t ‘interfere’ to mitigate the hugely negative impacts of our interference in their habitats. What convenient hypocrisy that is. No interference when it comes to helping the birds but interference a plenty when it comes to destroying their food sources and habitats.”

This is why, when I look at where this post began, with a dire look at the lack of fish to feed the ospreys in the Atlantic region of the US, we must look at not only halting the fishing, but helping nests that can be helped in a manner like that undertaken at Port Lincoln. Barneghat Light might have had an entirely different outcome last year when the June storm hit. Cape May Meadows might not have lost all its chicks and the male – or at least the chicks – and how many others did we watch where a week of fish deliveries might have meant all the difference? Some will tell you that we do not need any more osprey researchers or that there are too many ospreys. I hear there are too many sparrows and European Starlings, but their numbers are plummeting – and, without knowing it, the same can happen to our magnificent raptors. Instead of waiting for that day, let us see what we can do to help. Whether it is habitat protection, wetlands creation, the final lid on the use of rodenticides, the refusal to use plastic, cleaning up the river bank, donating clean old sheets – whatever you can, please do it and get your friends and family to join in. Let us look up with pride and know that we helped. We were part of the solution, not the problem.

Duke Farms: “Mum woke up and immediately stood up at 06:19 and left the babies on their own to go hunting for food. Jersey is still alive this morning and appears to be clinging on, just. Leaper woke him up with a bonking as mum was preparing to leave. Thank god it was just a grab of the back of the neck and a bit of twisting. Not much at all, perhaps because she could tell the little one was almost gone. Bonking is not necessary. 

Just before 06:53 Jersey stands up and tries to flap his little wings. He is a little unsteady but that may well be because of the wing-flapping (he’s only three and a half weeks old). But he’s standing and stretching a little, which is a good sign. He’s not yet lying on the nest, dying. Oh mum, please bring back a fish big enough for the whole family. By 06:40 they are cuddled up together, sleeping. 

And at 07:01:37, mum is back!!! She has a good-sized fish and it is whole. She has not eaten any of it herself. Leaper of course immediately begins thrashing Jersey. Mum stops this by beginning to feed Leaper. The IR light goes off. Jersey is huddled over, back to the food, with Leaper leaning over him to feed, meaning that Jersey is unable to move or even stretch out towards mum. This is a good-sized fish. It should feed both chicks and a bit for mum. But will Leaper allow Jersey to eat anything? Will Jersey get the courage to try and eat? 

07:05:45 and Jersey tries to get onto its feet as Leaper moves towards mum. Just before 07:07, as we see Leaper’s crop expanding, DAD lands on the nest with some nest material. Not much use dad. This is precisely the moment we could have done with a second fish but omigod are we glad to see him. 

The feeding continues after Leaper puts in a very prolonged attack on Jersey. Dad leaves. The attack continues. Leaper is shaking the little one by the scruff of the neck like a rag doll. Jersey is hanging limp and appears to be avoiding real injury.; has done another assault on Jersey (07:07+) There is still some fish mum appears to have fed about two-thirds of it to Leaper (she may have had a few bites herself but not many or much). 

Shortly after -7:13 Jersey raises his head. He’s facing away from the food, but Leaper, now with a giant crop, turns to attack him yet again. It’s only a token peck, but Jersey tucks again. Mum searches for dropped pieces to eat herself. The fish is finished. Leaper has a giant crop. Jersey has not eaten a single flake. Mum has had a few bites but must still be very hungry. 

BUT DAD IS BACK. Let’s pray he brings in something else very very early this morning, otherwise, this will all come too late for Jersey. He is still looking fairly alert and is moving. I have not seen a PS this morning so far though. I am hoping he can make it through the day and that enough food will come in today to save his life, but it’ll be touch and go. Boy is dad a welcome sight. Maybe, just maybe, he is back in time….. Talons crossed for little Jersey. 

We watch in hope.” Then….”Shortly before 8am, and having moved away towards the feeding zone and away from Leaper, Jersey suddenly realises that mum has left some fish on the nest. He heads towards it, which alerts Leaper, who gets up, looks around and considers an attack..She does a couple of crop drops. Jersey moves towards the rails, away from Leaper, and looks over to the food. 

Leaper considers her options. She is VERY full. She flaps her wings, stretches, and turns away from Jersey, who cringes slightly but is still on his feet next to the leftovers,  which are SO close. He is keeping an eye on Leaper and is aware of her every move. He is very scared but he wants that food so badly. Leaper flaps and stretches again, moves two steps closer to Jersey but then stops a step away. Jersey prepares to tuck and turn away but Leaper stays where she is, so Jersey considers turning back towards the food. 

Eventually, just after 08:02, Jersey turns to the food. Leaper ignores this. Jersey examines the food wondering what to do next. Leaper turns to look and Jersey huddles over the top of the fish! Leaper turns away again. aJersey has a little nibble on the fish. Leaper is again interested, and flaps, disturbing Jersey. But Leaper is full, and again settles, allowing Jersey to resume his self-feeding efforts. He is getting quite a few small pieces. Leaper is totally uninterested, on the other side of the nest and facing in the other direction. JERSEY IS EATING. On his own. A life skill being learned early through sheer necessity. But this fish is open and an easy starter kit for the new self-feeder, which is such a blessing this morning. 

Oh he’s doing such a good job, holding the fish down and pulling off pieces. Go baby!!!”

Thank you so much for being with us today, and thank you to those who sent me the news. I am always so grateful. I am also so appreciative of Allison, who watched the Duke Farms nest when I needed a break. Take care all. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, letters, videos, articles, reports, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, MA, MP, SP’, WCS News, University of Georgia – Vet Medicine, The New York Times, The Bay Journal, BirdLife International, Dyfi Osprey Cam, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Geemeff, SU-RTH Cam, Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, Ondabebe, Moorings Park Ospreys, JB Sands Wetlands Tower Cam, Duke Farms, Cornell RTH, SK Hideaways, PA Country Farm, Eagle Country, Superbeaks, and Sutton Centre Bartlesville.

More hatches, more arrivals…Monday in Bird World

25 March 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

We hope that you have had a nice weekend. The sound of the geese coming into Devonian Lake today—where there was water for them—was like a choir singing. Sitting on the bench at the nature centre and listening to them was soothing on a day when calm was needed. More and more geese and ducks fly over each day, bringing us the hope that not only spring but some rain might come one day. It is still dry and dusty if the wind is whipping it up, and I still have issues sometimes.

Here the Canada Geese are arriving around noon on Sunday. There were hundreds and hundreds in the lake and more than that trying to find some grass over with the Bison at our nature centre.

The Girls continue to enjoy the warm weather. Well, I call it warm. It was -5. But next week the forecast is for +14 on Tuesday. No rain predicted. This is not good.

Hugo Yugo will be completely healed in 10-14 days but she is just so much better every day since she had her surgery. Calico is losing some weight very slowly. I am now adding warm water to her wet food to ‘fill her up’ a bit and she is eating her low calorie hard food. The others are just simply wild with spring fever.

Watching and waiting for Hugo Yugo to strike!

Missey who looks like she came out of the forest.

Calico who dared to give us a chance.

Gorgeous Hope.

Hugo Yugo. So sweet when she is asleep.

The second osplet hatched at Moorings Park Sunday morning. The second hatch is still quite unsteady and has fallen inside its shell. Hopefully, it will be up and steady soon.

Oh, that is so much better!

As of 15:45 Sunday afternoon, there has been no food delivery at the Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest since Friday at noon. Mum found an old bone and got a few bites off of it on Saturday. The first hatch, Leaper, is beating the crap out of the second. We are now at 50 hours without a substantial meal. Mum is ‘starving’, too. Is it possible that something has happened to the male? Mum will have to move in and against her instincts stop brooding and feeding and start hunting. I fear we are losing Jersey. Already they will be intimidated from eating and unless a huge fish or prey item comes and Leaper goes into a food coma, the feeding could be quite one-sided like it was at Bluff City-ETSU.

I last saw or heard the Dad several days ago. I read that the adults at Duke often exchange prey on the branches rather than Dad coming to the nest, but it would appear that this is more than that. He may be missing, injured or killed. As mentioned in the earlier paragraph, Mum is still in brooding mode with her hormones, but she will need to move swiftly into hunting mode. The eaglets are just a month old and have their thermal down, and while it is not ideal, they can be left. It is the same situation as M15 faced when Harriet died, only it was the Dad who had to take over full-time care, including security, hunting, feeding and brooding. Jersey did eat some scraps, and it can dig around the nest, but will it be enough? for leftovers, I continue to be reminded of the resilience of the third hatch at Achieva in 2021, Tiny Little I called her. She did just that and survived and became the dominant in the nest, defending it against adults when she was just 4 months old. These little survivors can achieve much – but they need to survive!

Prey arrived late at Duke Farms. Mum brought it in. Leaper ate. Jersey was too afraid. Mum ate. Nothing more to say unless a huge food item arrives.

Jersey did not get any of the food that arrived at 1800.

Jersey may try and chew on that little bony piece that is left. Look at the crop on Leaper. The Mum noticed Jersey trying to feed itself from the scraps. In the case of the third hatch at Achieva, Diane was able to bring in catfish late, when the older two were full and asleep, and feed the third – once she realised how determined it was to live. And it did live because of Diane’s actions.

This year has already seen several instances of siblicide in Bald Eagle nests in the US. As we move into Osprey season – and still have quite a number of eagle nests where eggs will hatch – it is a good idea to remind ourselves ‘why’ siblicide occurs.

Siblide-in-Bald-EaglesDownload

Here is a longer Master’s thesis on siblicide.

MasterLS_EE_2016_JICamachoGarciaDownload

Hope and Chandler have more than enough fish for their little one and them. That is a whopper.

The surviving eaglet at Bluff City has had plenty of fish and has been renamed ‘Viper’.

There is a pair of ospreys on the Patuxent 1 nest in Maryland Sunday morning when the cam came back on.

Frenchman’s Creek triplets are doing well.

In contrast to the weather in Maryland, the Decorah North Bald Eagles are experiencing heavy snow and high winds. They are forecast for 1-3″ of snow and then rain. There is a new hatch under Mrs DNF.

Welcome DN17.

The snow has stopped at the nest of Cornell Red-tail Hawks, Big Red and Arthur.

We continue to wait for eggs at the nest of Angel, the Leucistic Red tail Hawk, and Tom.

Baiba made a montage of the Eagle Country nest featuring Blaze, Abby, Swampy, and Meadow on the 23rd of March.

Swampy and Meadow had a lesson in plucking. They are magnificent. Those nests that successfully raise two eaglets to fledge in 2024 should get double gold medals.

R6 is older, and he could fledge at any time. He spends much time on the rim of the nest, looking out over Ron and Rose’s territory. gr8lakes suggests that R6 should just take his time. He is in the safest place he will ever be, and when he leaves that nest, life becomes a huge challenge.

Few could raise three gentle souls. Give Thunder and Akecheta a round of applause.

Trudi Kron catches the hatch at the Land Conservancy and the second hatch for Farmer Derek’s eagles.

Berry College was on the top of the list for this week’s hatches and they are right on time! BEL-a-donna caught it.

Both ospreys-Oscar and Olivia – have been spending much of the day at the Severna Park platform in Maryland.

It was windy at the Carova Beach (Outerbanks) Osprey nest of Betsy and Frederick.

The Oyster Bay resident ospreys have returned.

The couple have returned to the Boulder Fair Grounds. What a week this is going to be – eaglets hatching and ospreys arriving.

White YW, that incredible male at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve Osprey nest, has returned home safely from his migration on the 24th of March.

The remarkable Black 80 has returned from his migration from Africa to Threave Castle. What is the secret to his long life besides luck? He is the chick of Mrs G and her mate, 11(98), at Glaslyn. Great DNA.

First California Condor egg of the 2024 season. Something to celebrate and a brand new couple.

E23 is doing well and F23 and M15 are great teachers.

There was also a beautiful subadult visitor to the M15’s nest. Could it be one of M15 and Harriet’s fledglings returned?

More than that, though, is the touching relationship between F23 and her first eaglet. Sleeping together…this eaglet is going to be so missed if they ever encourage it to leave! (or when its instinct kicks in to seek the wider world)

It is officially hatch watch at the nest of Liberty and Guardian in Redding, California.

The weather has been miserable at many of the Bald Eagle nests and Kansas City is no exception. Ellie and Harvey and their family have been rocking and rolling Sunday night and there was, of course, rain. Harvey has the pantry full and is often with Ellie on the nest.

Hartley and Monty recovered from their intruder and are thinking more eggs!

Closing tonight with the cutest little Peregrine Falcon – soon to be a dad for the first time – Archie at the Cal Falcons nest. His mate Annie gave them four eggs!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, questions, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J, MP’, Moorings Park Ospreys, Duke Farms, Port Tobacco, Bluff City, Patuxent I, Frenchman’s Creek, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Cornell RTH Cam, Window to Wildlife, Baiba, Eagle Country, WRDC, gr8lakes, IWS/Explore, Trudi Kron, Berry College Eagle Cam, Severna Park, Outbanks 24/7 Osprey Cam, PSEG and Oyster Bay Osprey Cam, Boulder County Fairgrounds Osprey Cam, Cumbria Wildlife Trust (Foulshaw Moss Osprey Cam), Jeff Kear, Brian Taylor, Ventana Wildlife Society, Lady Hawk, Real Saunders Photography, FORE, SK Hideaways, and Cal Falcons.