Category Archives: Iris and Finnegan

Friday in Bird World

18 April 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

Latest Update:

Dyfi: Idris and Telyn have three eggs!

Oh, Thursday was wonderful. We got to spend time with our granddaughter and her Australian boyfriend. We will have her in Winnipeg until the fall, and then she will be heading ‘Down Under’. Thursday has been busy and I did not check on many nests.

I am happy that we had ‘dinner and a show’. The deer came to the bird feeders while we had dinner in the conservatory. Josh so wanted to see a deer, and I had no idea that they were still coming to the garden. I have not seen them. It was magical. They stayed for about an hour and a half, eating birdseed.

Aren’t they adorable with the seed stuck to the end of their nose?

Iris caught herself one of those whoppers she is known for showing up with, to the envy of that male from the Baseball Park. No Finnegan. Ospreys are still arriving in Nova Scotia. I want to be hopeful for those heading to Montana.

Like you, tears will flow if this Finn returns to deliver a big fish to our Queen, Iris.

‘A’ comments: “Iris does appear to be searching for Finnegan. She is at least eating well – whenever I see her, she seems to have a large crop. But it is so sad that Finnegan has not returned to her. Is it Louis who is hanging around? Or is it some other osprey? Certainly, whoever it is is very persistent, as you say, and she is not happy about it. For that reason, I wonder whether it is in fact Louis, because surely she wouldn’t be so keen on protecting the nest from him. The fish, yes, obviously she doesn’t want him stealing that, but would she try driving him away? I’m sure if it is Louis, regular watchers of this nest would recognise him.

‘A’ notes on Friday: “This visiting osprey has brought Iris a nice fish (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcxvXwiAElI) but she is not interested and is obviously still waiting for Finnegan. And to me, that also suggests that this is not Louis, because Louis was a cad. He would have arrived empty-taloned and tried to mate with Iris. So at least this osprey is attempting to woo her, but still, she is not interested. At least, not yet. PLEASE come home Finn.”

I thought your readers deserved to see this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T03RYu5Z8s8.

Is Athena just the cutest thing? And aren’t her owlets just too adorable for words? I know they’re deadly enemies of our eaglets and osplets but they are truly the most exquisite creatures, are they not? And the little owlets are SO sweet. “

‘CG’ sends us news from Raptor Resource:

This year’s season of ‘The Falcon Bachelor’ flipped the script! As usual, Newman passed out roses – by which we mean food gifts – to a succession of female falcons. We spotted Julie 90/Z (a regular visitor), Kandiyohi H/34, Hope E/60, and Newman’s mate from last year, Elaine U/09! Elaine celebrated her second birthday and first year as an adult this spring, and we were excited to see a little less drama than we saw last year. Or so we thought!

Real Falcon Housewives of the Mississippi River
US Bank to GSB: Five miles as the falcon flies
US Bank to GSB: Five miles as the falcon flies

We have a nest box at the US Bank Building in La Crosse, Wisconsin, roughly five miles SE of Great Spirit Bluff as the falcon flies. Male Ardy 06/D, a 2015 hatch from Ardent Milling in Lake City, MN, has nested there with Karen 44/P, a 2016 hatch from MPL’s Clay Boswell plant in Cohasset, MN since at least 2021. We were quite surprised to see Elaine show up in Karen’s stead this spring. Or did she? For at least two weeks, Elaine flew back and forth between La Crosse and Great Spirit Bluff, chasing competitors away, receiving food gifts, and copulating with both males. Twice the courtships, twice the attention, and most importantly, twice the food gifts!

Elaine accepting a food gift from Ardy at US Bank.

Elaine accepting food gift from Ardy

We’re usually wondering which falcon the irresistible Newman will end up with! But Elaine flipped the script by locking down two territories and two potential mates. Since she appeared to prefer Ardy – she certainly spent more time with him – we were wondering if Newman would end up with a mate at all. When Elaine laid an egg at US Bank La Crosse, we figured it was game over. Sorry, Newman! But Elaine confounded our expectations by laying her next four eggs at Great Spirit Bluff! As I write this…

  • Elaine and Newman are in full incubation at Great Spirit Bluff. We expect hatch on or around May 5.
  • Ardy is pursuing an unbanded two-year-old female. Addie isn’t caring for Elaine’s lone egg, but will probably lay her own.
  • Elaine dropped by to visit US Bank on April 7 while Newman was busy incubating the couple’s eggs. She tussled with Addie, briefly chasing her away. Is she still locking down the territory and/or copulating with Ardy? We’d love to see how closely related the GSB nestlings are to one another, since Newman might not have fathered all of them!
  • PS:  In case you don’t know, mother Savanna was killed by a GHO June, 2023, while protecting her four eyases.  No one replaced her in 2024.  This scrape is worth a looksee.  Great cameras with great views of the surrounding area from near the top of the bluff.  I-90 and the Mississippi River below.  Across the river is Wisconsin.

Mum and Dad were on the nest at the Sydney Olympic Park.

Geemeff sends us the daily summary for The Woodland Trust and Loch Arkaig:

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 17th April 2025

After the excitement of the first egg arriving yesterday, today fell into a steady routine. Louis delivered two fish taking his tally to thirty seven, he and Dorcha spent time on the nest, sometimes together, sometimes taking turns off the nest. A Hooded Crow nearby, not seen on nest cam, made the pair startle and fly off the nest but not for long, and the egg, barely seen in its cocoon of moss, was mostly kept covered from the light rain. The second egg is due in three days, should be sometime on Saturday, but delayed incubation is being practised until it’s laid, and this egg won’t suffer from being left unbrooded for short periods. Over on Nest One, Garry LV0 returned with some bedding and spent some time doing nest prep and surveying his territory. The overnight forecast is for mist turning into light rain tomorrow but there should be some dry and sunny spells.

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.37.43 (05.23.58); Nest Two 21.40.39 (05.29.07)

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/94MaMt_CENM  N2 Dorcha carefully tends the egg 01.23.30

https://youtu.be/CnwSIqV7HJ0  N2  Dorcha nibbles the first fish before leaving Louis to egg-sit  08.58.47

https://youtu.be/d4JCzUL6RlA N1 Garry LV0 brings bedding and stays to survey his territory 09.14.28 

https://youtu.be/ObDC3cxYrsI N2 Second fish arrives but the pair are troubled by unseen intruders 16.10.05 

Bonus watch – the Beò Airceig initiative founded by Achnacarry Estate, Arkaig Community Forest, Forestry & Land Scotland and Woodland Trust Scotland to revitalise an area larger than Edinburgh:

We have teamed up with three other landowners at #LochArkaig to reawaken the landscape across an area of Lochaber that is larger than Edinburgh. The founding members of Beò Airceig are Achnacarry Estate, Arkaig Community Forest, Forestry and Land Scotland and Woodland Trust Scotland.🧵 1/4

— Woodland Trust Scotland (@wtscotsocial.bsky.social) 2025-02-10T08:55:34.276Z

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/d3Y9CGoYsvY  N1 Bold Hoodie takes advantage of Aila’s absence 2020

https://youtu.be/UPtm4jmy9Zo  N1 Louis finally manages to subdue a tricky stick 2021

https://youtu.be/mZYG9XNCof8  N2 How to tell Louis & Dorcha apart 2022

https://youtu.be/NIeUiK4R_r8  N2 Noisy helicopter gets Louis & Dorcha’s attention 2023

https://youtu.be/GITGVoOkg2o N1 & 2 Hercules caught on both nest cams 2023 (split-screen zoom)

https://youtu.be/n974C1G3zig N2 Moody cloudy sunset 2023 (time lapse)

https://youtu.be/SGa5_hOLmmg  N2 The second egg arrives! 2024 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/oJc06aWLkAg  N1 Garry LV0 brings fish but no one comes for it 2024

https://youtu.be/DUPOg7KJH_U   N1 Affric calls for fish but Garry brings a branch 18.07.48

Why not come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Rodenticide is never a good idea. This is why:

“It’s difficult to give a precise number of poisoned mice an eagle needs to eat before succumbing to rodenticide poisoning. The exact amount of poison that will cause death in an eagle depends on factors like the type and concentration of rodenticide, the size and health of the eagle, and how much of the poisoned prey is consumed. However, it’s clear that eagles can be poisoned through secondary poisoning, meaning they can die from eating prey that has already ingested a lethal dose of rodenticide. 

Here’s what the research shows:

The effects of rodenticides can persist:Even after an eagle has eaten poisoned prey, the effects of the rodenticide can last for several months. 

Rodenticides are lethal to various animals, including eagles:When a rodent eats bait containing rodenticide, it can take days for the poison to take effect, causing internal bleeding and eventually death. 

Eagles can be exposed to rodenticides through their prey:Eagles that eat poisoned mice or rats are at risk of secondary poisoning. 

Exposure to rodenticides is widespread:Studies have shown that a significant percentage of eagles tested have anticoagulant rodenticides in their bodies, indicating widespread exposure. 

Rodenticides can be a cause of death:While rodenticides aren’t always the direct cause of death in eagles, they have been confirmed as the cause of death in some cases. 

The amount of rodenticide ingested is crucial:The lethal dose of rodenticide varies depending on the specific chemical, but it can be relatively small. 

OPPD Fort Calhoun: First egg of the season!

Foulshaw Moss: Third egg for White YW and Blue 35.

FOBBV: Sunny and Gizmo are strengthening their wings! https://youtu.be/bF-40dLc2Ik?

Charlo Montana: Lola and New Guy – will they get acquainted? Is she still holding out hope for Charlie like Iris is for Finn?

Friends of Dillon Ranger District, Colorado: Ospreys home. https://youtu.be/sAPm-K3NyLI?

SW Florida Bald Eagles: M15 and F23. Gorgeous couple. Offseason but thinking of the future. https://youtu.be/pvCpxYiIB_Q?

Latvian White-tail Eagle Nest, Durbe County: Milda and Zorro have two little eaglets! Liznm catches a feeding for us: https://youtu.be/uJUZL1D295g?

Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, CG, Geemeff, MP, PB’, Montana Osprey Project/Cornell Bird Lab, Cornell Bird Lab, Sydney Sea Eagles, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, OPPD Fort Calhoun, Cumbrian Wildlife Trust, FOBBV, Charlo Montana, Friends of Dillon Ranger District, Vija, Dyfi Osprey Project, Raptor Resource Project, Liznm

Thursday in Bird World

17 April 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

This morning marked the arrival of our first Brown Thrasher, energetically scratching in the soil, while several dozen Dark-eyed Juncos flitted about, along with our regular visitors, all eagerly waiting and searching as I savored my coffee before feeding them.

Anne made a generous donation of a large bag of hot dogs for the crows, and their delight was palpable! Additionally, a neighbor brought over a hefty 50-pound bag of kibble for our outdoor cats. It’s heartwarming to see ‘Squishy’—the beloved cat with one ear folded down—making a comeback at the feeder after a long absence.

Everyone has their favorite birds and animals, yet they’re unable to set up feeders of their own, making their contributions all the more meaningful. It’s truly wonderful to witness such kindness and community spirit.

Our rescue facilities are currently overflowing and desperately in need of supplies. One essential item that we often overlook is thin protection gloves. If you have any spare pairs at home, consider donating them to someone in your community—they can make a significant difference!

As we dive into spring cleaning, tidying up our gardens and swapping out winter clothes, let’s not forget the countless items that animal rescues and rehabilitation shelters desperately need. Before you throw anything away, take a moment to consider whether it could be of value to a local shelter.

Donating your unwanted items is not only an excellent way to declutter your home, but it also provides critical support to those caring for animals in need. It’s a powerful act of kindness that benefits both you and the animals—let’s make a positive impact together!

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The notice arrived in my inbox shortly after I published my post on Wednesday morning. I promised Geemeff that it would be prominently displayed today!

News! Egg – well done Dorcha!!! First glimpsed at 17.52.55

17.50 Dorcha is on the nest sitting down and making little squeaking noises. She’s getting ready to lay her first egg!

17.52.55 She gives a little wiggle and stands up and the egg can just be glimpsed. Congratulations Dorcha!

And Louis, not forgetting his 5-second contribution..

18.06.12 She stands up and as she does, she gives the egg a little push with her leg and we get a clearer view.

(zoomed)

Iris: Iris: There’s someone who’s been visiting Iris, trying time and again to steal her incredible fish. You know who I am talking about. His persistence drives me up the wall! However, I’ve taken a moment to reflect on the ‘good’ Louis brings to the nest. Take Blue NC0 at Loch of the Lowes, for instance—she lost her partner, Laddie LM12, in 2024. Last year, there was genuine hope for her to bond with the Dark Night this year. Sadly, without a male to defend her territory, Blue NC0 lost both her nest and her land. Louis is the one who now safeguards Iris’s territory (she was there before him!). Finn, the only young male bold enough to challenge Louis, managed to oust Louis and keep him away from Iris. Together, they raised two beautiful chicks last year. If, heaven forbid, Finn doesn’t return, I have faith that Iris will still hold on to her nest because Louis is so protective of ‘his’ territory. Iris absolutely deserves it! So, if there is any silver lining, that is it. Thin like aluminum foil, but a reality nonetheless.

Elen has laid yet another egg at the Glaslyn nest, and this one is likely Teifi’s. Aran, having taken possession of the nest he initially shared with Mrs G, faces a crucial decision. With uncertainty surrounding the paternity of this new egg, it seems almost inevitable that he will choose to remove it. After all, why would Aran invest time in raising a chick that could belong to another male, jeopardising his own genetic legacy? It’s a tough call, but the instinct to protect his own lineage is likely to prevail!

Pitching rain in Wales Wednesday afternoon.

In contrast to Glaslyn, at the Tweed Valley 2 nest, Mrs O and an unringed female seem to be inclined to share the single male at the nest! They only get disgruntled when a fish is delivered. Maybe he should try bringing in two at a time. We might have a Trio at Tweed!!!!!! That would be really interesting.

Sauces: Betty Lou has had the most amazing care an eaglet could ever dream about. Jak and Audacity have kept her full and safe and relished every second getting to be parents again. One of those miracle moments of this year that we must cherish.

Dyfi: Idris and Telyn have three eggs they are incubating. The wind is blowing like it is a gale over at Dyfi! They may get some of that rain, too. The skies over the distant hills certainly seem to imply that damp weather is descending on the Glaslyn valley.

Llyn Clywedog: Seren Blue 5F is getting soaked, too. Did you know that Aran from Glaslyn courted Seren while he was bonded with Mrs G? Seren luckily gave up on losing her eggs and flew north a bit and found Dylan. They have raised some wonderful chicks together. I believe they still hold the record for the largest male osplet ringed in Wales.

Boulder County Fair Grounds: First egg arrives on Wednesday!

Loveland, Colorado: Two eggs as of Wednesday.

PSEG Oyster Bay: One egg as of Wednesday.

Xcel Energy Fort St Vrain Bald Eagles: Out of four, the two surviving eaglets appear to be doing quite well.

Charlo Montana: Lola is not too fond of the new male hanging around the nest. Charlie has yet to return and is very late.

Geemeff sends us the daily summary from Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 16th April 2025

Only one topic of conversation tonight – the arrival of the first egg! With a few squeaks, Dorcha produced the egg at 17.52.55 today and tonight there’s the welcome sight of her on the nest protecting the egg from the weather. Congratulations to Dorcha, and to Louis who did his usual classic double take at his first sight of the egg! Many on the forum are celebrating by making a donation to Woodland Trust: if you’re able to give, any amount is welcome, and the info is in the bonus section. Link to George WTS’ fundraising comment here: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=24512818. In other news, no activity at Nest One today  – we had reports of a third Osprey at Bunarkaig, which might explain Garry LV0’s absence, perhaps we’ll see him tomorrow. Louis delivered two fish today to take his tally to thirtyfive, Dorcha chased a Hoodie away, and the wet weather is due to continue overnight and through to Friday.

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One (05.20.12); Nest Two 21.22.09 (05.26.09)

Today’s videos: 

https://youtu.be/s_kzQzXLhzM N2 Dorcha uses her crow voice to scare off a Hoodie 10.58.30

https://youtu.be/ps0VU6SZ-F4 N2 Elevenses for Dorcha when fish number one arrives 11.46.13 

https://youtu.be/BKHSD1BymP0 N2 Dorcha quickly returns when Louis brings a second fish 16.41.45 

https://youtu.be/yMqIGkUXvnc  N2 First EGG! Congratulations Dorcha! 17.52.55 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/WJOWeX-Hxd8 N2 Louis’ first look at the egg 19.04.11

Bonus action – if you’re eggcited by the first egg, anticipating a second in three days, and have any spare funds… Woodland Trust will put them to good use protecting Louis & Dorcha’s home. Hit the yellow button on this page or use this link: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/give/donate  

If you prefer to donate offline call WT’s friendly team on 0330 333 3300 between 8.30am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday 

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/I-VmcgzVveY  N1 Aila watches a Red Deer near the nest 2020

https://youtu.be/7_XmXGafimM N1 Lonely Louis skydances in vain 2021

https://youtu.be/CJl9LiQ23eQ N1 Louis is vertically challenged 2021

https://youtu.be/XNiNQjkUSBs N1 Louis does his demented penguin impression 2022

https://youtu.be/3g5njmmeykE  N1 Comedy as Louis forgets he’s got a fish and tries mating! 2022

https://youtu.be/mJrYkJieaSo  N1 A Robin sings in the dark 2023

https://youtu.be/krmpSP7wVU0  N1 Louis does a flypast with fish number two 2023

https://youtu.be/qYLZK_Iym44  N1 A Barn Owl visits 2024

https://youtu.be/g4S95JxjN_k  N1 Interesting triangular encounter – with a new player! 2024

https://youtu.be/GH6XNHVJR1M N2 Dorcha didn’t take long to sort out Louis’ awkward stick! 2024

https://youtu.be/OI9pOORSzXA  N2 Nest One A Hoodie lands, interrupting Garry’s nest prep 2024

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

What can we do to help our garden birds?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/16/garden-birds-need-a-hedge-against-decline?CMP=share_btn_url

Sandpoint: Geese continue to incubate eggs while Keo and Keke attempt to build a nest on a light pole.

I have been worried sick about Finnegan. If I could these beautiful birds would have tracking devices – I know it is silly – so we would know where they are and what is happening with them. I needed a smile and after checking on Betty Lou and Sunny and Gizmo, I went to check on Big Red and Arthur. There was snow starting to fall. Arthur had arrived to give a shift change and with some prey for the Queen of the Red-tail Hawks.

They have been together for 8 seasons!

The first egg was laid on April 2. Incubation is typically 28-32 days, making pip watch set for April 30.

Adorable Arthur.

Smile. CROW rescues a pair of osplets.

Lastly. It is time to stand up for the nests. In off time, those running streaming cams should refurbish and restore their osprey platforms which should include building rails, making certain that the base can allow for the drainage of water but has SS mesh to keep from sticks, eggs, and chicks form falling through. Nesting material should be provided. It has been shown that a proper nest can encourage good care of osplets (Snow Lane, Newfoundland, 2024).

Salem Electric, the osprey family wanting to use this platform needs help. Get the bucket truck up there and help them! Get everything ready and let your crews do this quickly!

Kielder Forest: KF13 laid her and W6’s first egg of the season at 13.01 today at Nest 1A.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. 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: ‘Geemeff’, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Bwywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Tweed Valley 2, IWS/Explore, Dyfi Osprey Project, Llyn Clywedog, Boulder County Fairground, Loveland Colorado Ospreys, PSEG, The Guardian, Xcel Energy Fort St Vrain, Cornell Bird Lab, CROW, Charlo Montana, Sandpoint, Salem Electric, Kielder Forest, Foulshaw Ospreys

Wednesday in Bird World

16 April 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

Latest Updates:

Poole Harbour: CJ7 has laid her second egg.

Glaslyn: Aran spent the night with Elen on the perch. They mated twice. Cross your fingers the drama is over and Teifi will find himself a lovely mate elsewhere!

Llyn Brenig: Egg number 1 laid at 23:13:48 15/04/2025, well done 372.

Kielder Nest 7: KX7 laid her second egg at about 15.45 Tuesday.

Tweed Valley Nest 2: “A rather bizarre set up has emerged in the absence of FK0. At the nest there is Mrs O, another BTO ringed female and a BTO ringed male. None of these three birds have the coloured alpha numeric darvics, so we know nothing of their background. The male appears inexperienced and is perhaps young. The two females are surprisingly tolerant of each other. The only aggression witnessed so far has been on arrival of fish delivery from the male as the two females both try to grab it. Mrs O usually wins the fish and flies off to feed but has been seen to return with a portion remaining and letting the other female have it. If FK0 eventually turns up things could get very complicated. The male bird and Mrs O have started mating and maybe if she lays an egg, the couple may settle.”

Thank you to Geemeff for reminding me that I hadn’t sent out Tuesday’s blog—it was Tuesday, but not the 14th! Grrrrr. Tuesdays are always hectic for me because Anne arrives, and before that, the animals seem to demand a lot of attention. Sometimes, I feel like I need two of myself!

There is hardly any news. Ospreys are, for the most part, home. Charlie is not at Charlo Montana. They believe he is MIA. The Memorial List is getting longer. Aran is still trying to keep his nest. He was there after 1700 at Glaslyn, but did not bring Elen a fish. Teifi has been doing that. Finnegan is not home. My question: Could Charlie and Finnegan winter in the same location and both are late? Is Finnegan late? Gosh, it feels late. Llyn Brenig is still not settled.

Iris waits.

‘J’ wants to know where the first confirmed news of Finnegan’s return will be posted. Dr Greene posts on Montana Osprey Cam’s FB page. I know that my inbox will light up if that white-breasted, long-legged male gets on that nest, and you will also know this by his behaviour towards Iris. (Don’t even get me started on Louis!)

This year, Heidi is monitoring a whack of many US Osprey nests, and I am focusing on the UK and Europe along with Iris. We will be bringing you more news once we have hatchlings.

So I am thankful for Blue 33 and Maya, CJ7 and Blue 022, Dylan and Seren, Idris and Telyn, and Louis and Dorcha who are giving us some stability in the UK nests.

Geemeff sends us the daily summary from The Woodland Trust and Loch Arkaig:

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 15th April 2025
An interesting day on Nest One where Garry LV0 brought bedding but no fish, then saw a perceived threat in the distance, flew off the nest in a hurry, and a long aerial battle ensued with both birds flying back and forth across the cam view. The fight was too distant to make out who Garry was seeing off his territory, but there was no doubt about the invader later on – a Buzzard, different to previous visiting Buzzards, looked to be on a nest scouting expedition, but it’s highly unlikely Garry would tolerate further intrusion. Louis and Dorcha continued their usual routine of mating and nest prepping, with two fish handovers today taking 

Louis’ tally to thirty three, but no sign of the much anticipated first egg yet, and as of the time of filing this report (23.15) the nest is empty. It rained on and off today, the forecast is for a dry night tonight but more rain tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.31.46 (05.17.42); Nest Two 21.45.22 (05.29.22)
Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/A_RZD0tcTvQ  N2  Louis arrives with a lively flapping trout 06.07.41

https://youtu.be/AyFmftRron8 N1 A Jay visits but leaves quickly, alarm calling 08.15.13 

https://youtu.be/Ca_z21qf71I N1 Garry LV0 leaves in a hurry, an aerial fight ensues 09.06.12

https://youtu.be/6I2Eivd3aaM N2 Dorcha seizes fish number two as soon as it arrives 14.10.08 

N1 is this a female Buzzard scouting for a nest? 20.32.43

Bonus action – WT wants your help with the

longest written biological record of its kind
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/things-to-do/natures-calendar

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/51sv0sFASJA N1 Aila & Louis: love in the dark 2020
https://youtu.be/Ne6U24RQtfk N1 Louis is harassed by persistent Hoodies 2021
https://youtu.be/LbhbAx0KBh4 N2 Stickly situation: Louis and a log 2022
https://youtu.be/7w0I3iYZssc N2 Synchronised landings 2023 (slo-mo repeat)

https://youtu.be/glFpcNXi9Oo N2 Dorcha and the egg star on BBC Breakfast 2024
https://youtu.be/cuIKVzgrQMY N1: Garry LV0 does some nest scraping and watches for a potential mate 2024
https://youtu.be/GVX93Gmg5KI George WTS’s interview on BBC Radio Scotland today 2024
https://youtu.be/43baqO1yOss N2 Louis gets to egg-sit when he delivers fish number two 2024 

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Captiva Bald Eagle Nest: Both Dasher and Dancer were at the nest on Tuesday.

FOBBV: The antics of the kiddos, Sunny and Gizmo. So cute. https://youtu.be/HL1uVWzjdCQ?

NCTC: Scout has brought in at least three fish for the triplets! Just look at those crops.

Chichester Peregrine Falcon News:

Chichester Newsletter No.3 15042025Download

Fraser Point Eaglet Named:

Durbe County White-tail Eagle Cam: Milda and Zorro have the cutest baby!

City of Independence Osprey Platform: Believe it or not a couple of ospreys checked out this nest on Tuesday!

FOBBV: Shadow brought in 11 fish. These two will be too large to fly. LOL. I bet that is what Shadow is hoping. Keep Sunny and Gizmo home for a long, long time. Little miracles. https://youtu.be/LddQtD0iZ0Q?s

At the Finnish Osprey Nests:

Nest 1 Satakunnan: Beautiful ospreys Eve and Eura return.

Janakkala: Resident female Yellow XKT, Cara, has been chasing a female intruder over the nest. Mate, AKE, is also home!

The ospreys are beginning to arrive in Nova Scotia. Quite a few nests are now occupied. Bravo! Always nice to see them home safely.

Good night, Iris. We are all hoping that your Finn will arrive tomorrow. You deserve the best and we will know when it is really him because you will stop looking to the sky and wishing with us! You will be eating a big fish! And it won’t have been caught by you.

Thank you for being with us. Take care all. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, J, PB’, Montana Osprey Project, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust and Loch Arkaig, Window to Wildlife, NCTC Bald Eagle nest, Chichester Peregrines, IWS, Looduskalender Forum, Satakunnan Nest 1 Finland, City of Independence Ospreys, Ospreys of Nova Scotia, SK Hideaways, Janakkala Osprey platform, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, BoPH, Kielder Forest

Tuesday in Bird World

15 April 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

I am growling. Can you hear me? I have lots of images in today’s blog, but Heidi tells me that they continue to be scrambled, sometimes being replaced with old images or the images are so cropped you cannot see them. When I look at my screen, everything is as it should be. I apologise. This is WordPress and I guess it is time to have another long chat or get a divorce with them!

After being outside on Sunday and proclaiming spring had arrived, we woke up to snow Monday morning. It is falling down fast (but will not accumulate, thankfully). Silly me. I jinxed it!

Despite this, the Dark-eyed Juncos showed up by the dozens to search for the new White Millet that had been scattered.

Today it is sunny and warm!

The latest from Glaslyn before we begin: “We have not seen Aran since 11:20 yesterday, but he was possibly one of three Ospreys we saw chasing one another over the valley yesterday afternoon. It was KC6/Teifi that returned to the nest yesterday evening and shared a Flounder with Elen. We do not currently know where Aran is.

This morning Teifi delivered a Flounder to Elen, but since then he has been in aerial combat with Blue 685 (Tweed Valley 2021) and the two males are chasing one another around the valley. We can only watch as the drama unfolds.”

On Monday, the Decorah N1 Geese ushered their six goslings to the leap of faith. Five made it. Sadly, one did not. ‘J’ says turn up the sound! Here is a video of that amazing event! https://youtu.be/rpwrXIqmTcw?

The Raptor Resource Project explains this incredible feat.

Raptor Resource Project: Bald Eagle and Bird of Prey CamsDownload

As I do the spring cleaning in the conservatory, I have Iris on the screen. She has been working on her nest and the horizon. I worried about Iris returning; I briefly considered the possibility that Finn might not return, but I couldn’t think about that. Migration is fraught with dangers. However, my primary concern is that our Queen awaits her Finnegan’s return. Send positive wishes, let’s get him home.

This is the way we want to see it. Bart M caught the mood on Manton Bay perfectly!

Dyfi: Idris and Telyn have their third egg.

Black Storks are arriving at their nests!

‘TU’ sends news: “9:48 AM Estonian black stork female KERLI arrived to KERGU who was already in the nest waiting )) 14.04.2025 They also posted photo of the male visitor in Karl’s nest in Karula And in Latvia black stork chose an empty nest and we could see him sleeping at nights – then the real owner lesser spotted eagle Anna appeared and they met today! What a Monday! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzo0fsqZuaI

It isn’t just the Loch of the Lowes that is confused, BHA brings us up to speed on the Port of Ridgefield Osprey nest: “No eggs on Ridgefield nest yet and today the activity has been confusing with three Osprey coming and going. (Similar to some of your own Osprey reports!) Not sure who was who but I think it was the female and a strange male on the nest, then a third Osprey flew in with fish and the female mantled and ate a little. She then took off with the fish leaving the two males. From there it got confusing as it appeared there was another fish on the other side of the nest which one started eating. (Maybe the 3rd Osprey was a female?) But then they started fighting and both went over the side of the nest. A few minutes later one returned and it appeared to be the interloper. It stayed awhile, then left. Nest is empty now. Guess it’s a good thing there are no eggs! (I left comments in chat, hoping one of the other 5 viewers might have some input, but no other comments yet.)

Geemeff sends us her daily summary for The Woodland Trust and Loch Arkaig:

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 14th April 2025

A very wet day today, no intruders or visitors, and only two fish deliveries. Garry LV0 paid a long visit to Nest One, bringing moss instead of fish, and doing a fair bit of nest work before perching on the centre perch and looking around before departing. Over on Nest Two, Louis brought two fish today, taking his tally to thirty one, but the first fish only arrived well after 2pm, and when he delivered the second shortly after 4pm, Dorcha wasn’t there so Louis tucked into it himself. When she arrived back a little later, Louis picked up the remains of the fish and flew off with it. However as both he and Dorcha have nicely rounded full crops, neither one is going hungry. The weather forecast calls for more rain overnight and into tomorrow, but there is a prospect of a break from the rain in the afternoon. As of the time of filing this report (23.30) the nest is empty so it’s unlikely the first egg will arrive overnight.

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.19.53 (05.31.04); Nest Two 21.12.25 (05.41.25)

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/LTAYF-7tmqQ N1 Garry LV0 brings moss and stays a while

https://youtu.be/lL_QYANa9C4 N2 Finally! A fish arrives for Dorcha 14.39.28 

https://youtu.be/rvg7SdHjZZg  N2 Louis brings a second fish but Dorcha’s not there 16.08.11

Bonus guide to delayed incubation – what to expect when the first egg arrives:  

https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/emyr-mwt/delayed-incubation-ospreys

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/UU44l6A5Vy4  N1 Touchdown – but who? 2020 (slo-mo)

https://youtu.be/09e-9iR9Uvg  N1 Lonesome again – Louis waits in vain 2021

https://youtu.be/No4cPpPY9eM  N1 Cheeky Crow wants Louis’ fish 2021

https://youtu.be/ZHbPfslJSb4  N2 Dorcha finally gets Louis’ fish 2022

https://youtu.be/epotlXiS6_w  N2 Dorcha wants dinner, Louis wants Dorcha 2022

https://youtu.be/GwydfsZfM1s  N2 Louis looking magnificent 2023

https://youtu.be/0rLUKr-CEmE  Nest One sunset 2023 (quick-time)

https://youtu.be/HIEpIrsKACA  Nest Two sunset 2023 (quick-time)

https://youtu.be/PMBJ6rBYv6o  N1 Garry LV0 visits the nest then perches on Pole Tree 2024 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/GR5uY71Ebvc  N2 FIRST EGG! 2024 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/-GKcJeJWPlQ  N2 Louis sees the egg for the first time 2024 

https://youtu.be/3xzJPU206Rg  N2 Louis has his first incubation session 2024

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Heidi’s Osprey Report:

Brevard, Florida: There were three fish deliveries on Monday: 15.30 Mom arrived with small fish, 5 min feeding, nothing for youngest; 15.57 Dad arrived with large partial, good meal for both chicks. Another large partial from Dad at 1820, both ate well.  So, they ended up pretty well-fed today.

NCTC: Scout flew into the nest with blood all down the side of his neck on Monday. Was it a territorial battle? Or prey? All the kids were full to the brim and more. ‘J’ says they look like they ate ‘golfballs’! I agree.

Rita the Eagle: ‘J’ sends us Rita’s posting for Rita’s History Monday:

Captiva Eagle Nest: Both fledglings continue to visit the nest on occasion.

Big Bear: Fishing line appears to be on the nest again! Thanks, naturechat.org and ‘J’

‘J’ says she hates fishing line. Join the club! One of the most significant issues is even if humans clean up after themselves, which they don’t, lines can get broken and stay in a fish, get broken and hang around tree branches in lakes and get picked up. Oh, if we could dissolve the fishing line after so many minutes of exposure to water. I know, I know…It was seen at 0820. Jackie and Shadow are aware of it and hopefully they will be able to deal with it. (Yes, it is a human-made issue. Intervention in this situation and with Sunny and Gizmo this age could be highly dangerous for them even if someone could do it!)

Games keeper charged in the Yorkshire Dales for Hen Harrier killing.

Gamekeeper from a Yorkshire Dales grouse moor charged in relation to alleged shooting of hen harrierDownload

Cornell Owl Cam: Athena and her owlets. https://youtu.be/URYbidkMpAc?

NEFlorida: Bodie tucked into a nice big fish that Gabby delivered.

Hummingbird Migration Map:

Norwich Cathedral: Four eggs for the falcons!

Wells Fargo, West Des Moines, Iowa: First Osprey egg of the season on Monday!

Glaslyn: We do not know what will happen at Glaslyn. Aran hid Teifi’s egg under the nesting material, and he was not seen at the nest on Monday. Will Elen have more eggs? Will Teifi become her bonded partner beginning this year? Will Aran prevail? We wait.

‘PB’ sent a great image of the little third hatch at Duke Farms. It made it. We often wondered and look at how sweet it is.

Fraser Point Announcement:

Steelscape Osprey Platform: First egg of the season.

Latvian White-Tail Eagle nest at Durbe: Milda’s first egg has hatched!

Tonight, I am deeply troubled and appalled by the actions of some individuals in my province who should know better. The thought of shooting crows and magpies for fun is both outrageous and disturbing! In 2025, it’s unimaginable that some people remain unaware of the intelligence and emotional depth of non-human animals. We must urgently advocate for protections for all species to prevent the senseless mass killings that are happening. Our moral responsibility is to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves.

Crows & Magpies Will be Shot Dead in Mass Killing Contest in Manitoba – Animal JusticeDownload

And if that is not enough, we litter our home with all our garbage and it can kill them. Think fishing line at Big Bear today or all those osprey nests littered with human junk.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘BHA, EJ, Geemeff, Heidi, J, PB, TU’, Raptor Resource Project, Montana Osprey Project/Cornell Bird Lab, Bart Molenaar, LDF, Eagle Club of Estonia, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Brevard Florida Ospreys, NCTC Bald Eagle Nest, Rita the Eagle FB, Window to Wildlife, FOBBV, Raptor Persecution UK, Cornell Bird Lab Owl Cam, Ryan Vaughn, Norwich Cathedral, Iown DNR, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Duke Farms, Steelscape, PETA, LDF, Dyfi Osprey Project

Sunday in Bird World

13 April 2025

Hello Everyone,

Before we start with our feathered family, ‘The Girls’ think it is high time that they get to say hi to you, too. Hugo Yugo is doing well. We hoped she wouldn’t grow, but she has. She is still the smallest and she can hold her own with all of the others. She is due for more dental surgery in less than two months. She is sweet, energetic, and will always be the first to get into trouble.

The next one to get into mischief will be Missey and it is almost always because of a plant. When she was little (with Lewis), they would want to sleep in the freshly watered soil of the house plants. It was quite odd. Here she is checking out the water in the dish. Is she missing nutrients?

Hope is almost as big as Mamma Calico. I am always amazed. They are inseparable. I have to place their food dishes right next to one another. If I don’t, Hope will not eat. She always waits til Calico is finished and then eats what is left. They nap together, and at night, they wrap themselves around one another. Hope will be two years old on July 1.

They are the joys of my life – a lot of work, but worth every minute of it!

Now, let’s check on what is happening in Bird World.

I want to begin with something uplifting – miracles. Don’t forget them! Bodie! Betty Lou. https://youtu.be/NkRWApbNAVE

What a week! I know that your hearts have been broken just like mine. If your love could sustain them, every baby and adult on every nest would thrive. You have so much empathy for each – and from your notes and comments, I know that these bird families are so close to your hearts – they are family. If your ideas and willingness to help would save them, there would be no danger. I am so proud of each of you. To everyone who has taken photographs of the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest, made phone calls, and contacted the local Audubon society, thank you. Being local is a big help. Clearwater Audubon installed the platform. It has withstood significant hurricanes better than many. Something has happened in the last couple of years to cause the loss of the chicks and the eggs. A very knowledgable individual needs to examine that nest from the top to the bottom, the environment around the nest, etc to try and determine what is causing this issue. No owl was seen in the footage or other large mammal like a raccoon getting up to the nest. The culprit was either too small to see, went under the nest (scaled the wooden pole and came up through one of the holes), or it is the holes themselves. The platforms MUST have drainage. Heavy rains would kill the babies just like those that killed the white storklets in Europe last year. The drain holes need non-rusting mesh applied to keep anything like an osplet or an egg from falling through them. There is lots to do and it is just the dedicated individuals working locally that might make this happen. You must get people to care and realise there is a problem. Two years in a row – . Sad.

As I write this, the second eaglet at Fort St Vrain has fallen off the rails – it could not have survived a fall from that height. We have lost the 4th and 1st hatches. The other two surviving eaglets are up under the rails. At 1709 nest time, the eaglets were still moving and appeared in food comas after being fed. Yes, the parents feed them, and there is food in the nest. The issue seems to be the heat. It is 28 C or 83 F and hotter in the nest area. Thankfully, it was cloudy today. I hope these two survive.

The eaglet on the top left of the nest is trying to get its talons from the branches. It might succeed.

Individuals below the nest can be heard but are they there to help? Who are these people? Might the adults not return? We wait. ‘PB’ has confirmed that temperatures will drop to 44 F. These two cannot thermoregulate as they are not old enough. It would be essential they both be under Mum to survive.

In terms of the temperature on the nest today, according to the local weather station, this is the hottest it has been in the area since they have been keeping records. That is 153 years! Please send them your best wishes. Temperatures are set to drop with rain on Sunday. These guys will need protection!

Mum is incredible. She fed the one eaglet and the other came out and now both are free. Tears and more tears of joy and relief.

‘PB’ sent me a note – both eaglets tucked under Mum safely!!!!!!!! What a relief for this family.

Wondering about the role of heat and how it is impacting these eaglets – as well as other species caught in these heat domes:

Extreme heat poses a significant threat to baby bald eagles (eaglets) as they lack the ability to thermoregulate effectively, particularly in the early stages of their development. Eaglets rely on their parents for warmth and protection from the sun, rain, and snow. When parents are forced to leave the nest for extended periods due to the heat, eaglets can be vulnerable to hypothermia or heat stress. 

Here’s a more detailed look at how heat impacts eaglets:

1. Thermoregulation:

  • Eaglets cannot regulate their body temperature effectively until they develop down feathers, typically around 10-14 days of age. 
  • Before this stage, they are entirely dependent on their parents to keep them warm and protect them from overheating. 
  • Adult eagles can thermoregulate by panting and heat loss through their legs and feet, but eaglets lack these mechanisms. 

2. Parental Dependence:

  • Parents play a crucial role in keeping eaglets safe from extreme temperatures. 
  • They sit on the nestlings to provide warmth and insulation during cold weather and shade during hot weather. 
  • When parents are forced to leave the nest for extended periods due to heat stress or other factors, eaglets are left vulnerable. 

3. Vulnerability to Heat Stress and Hypothermia:

  • If eaglets are exposed to direct sunlight for too long, they can overheat.
  • If they are left in the cold without parental protection, they can become chilled.
  • Both heat stress and hypothermia can be fatal for eaglets. 

4. Importance of Nest Protection:

  • Parents also protect their young from rain and snow.
  • They use their bodies to shield the eaglets from the elements, ensuring they stay dry and protected.
  • This protection is especially important during the first few weeks of life when eaglets are still developing their water-resistant feathers. 

5. Environmental Factors:

  • Climate change is causing more frequent and intense heat waves, which can increase the risk of heat stress for eaglets. 
  • Warmer springs can also negatively impact nest success, potentially reducing the number of eaglets that survive. 
  • Changes in precipitation patterns can also affect the availability of food sources and create challenges for eagles raising their young.

Geemeff sends us the daily Loch Arkaig summary for The Woodland Trust:

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 12th April 2025
Another calm day today both weatherwise and at the nests, although the wind did pick up a bit. No intruders disturbed Louis and Dorcha at Nest Two, and no one turned up to visit Garry LV0 on Nest One, perhaps because he didn’t bring any fish. However Louis brought three fish to his nest, two small and one very nice trout, and his tally now stands at twentyseven. The Inver Mallie forecast, which includes the nest area, states light rain and gentle to moderate breezes tonight and tomorrow. Of course, with both nests exposed at the top of very tall trees, moderate breezes can still make the nests sway.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.13.13 (05.18.40); Nest Two 21.07.24 (05.30.05)
Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/8Dt5eUk016I N2 Fish number one, small half trout 06.37.58 https://youtu.be/k1Udox-wXjA N1 Garry LV0 arrives, does some prep, leaves 10.14.39https://youtu.be/WnBqnbmXPlM N2 Louis snaffles a piece of the small second fish before departing 15.08.41https://youtu.be/Jb_uOUGFJZw N2 Deliverlouis! A very fine trout is delivered 17.46.45Bonus look: PaulineC’s latest watercolour of Louis & Dorcha (thanks Pauline)

Our #LochArkaig ospreys inspire some wonderful art. 🎨 We love this watercolour of Louis and Dorcha by Pauline Conley 👏 #ospreycam #arkaigosprey

— Woodland Trust Scotland (@wtscotsocial.bsky.social) 2025-04-12T15:01:40.358Z

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:https://youtu.be/gHON30DPkRg  N1 Nesting dance: Louis with pompoms 2021 (Classic Ospreys – Grieg)https://youtu.be/VQDncOOrCAA  N2 Lovebirds: early morning mating 2022https://youtu.be/NrNcLnttpdc N1 Splitscreen – is this the same bird? 2022https://youtu.be/x_JJOmUeaF0  N2 Stunning sunset over Nest Two 2022 (time-lapse)https://youtu.be/yyMQbIUN3bI  N2 Skydancing in the dark 2023https://youtu.be/UVrPq6MNPc0  N2 Mating on the high perch 2023https://youtu.be/t2R05W5xHZ8  N1 Affric 152 takes a fish from Garry LV0 2024https://youtu.be/ZjIl05N5jjA  N1 Louis & Garry LV0 chase each other on and off the nest 2024https://youtu.be/cODGsUlHOns  N2  Dorcha dines on the nest 2024

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Kielder Forest Nest 7: First Egg!

Revised times _ Kielder OspreysDownload

Loch Garten: KX6 (Axel) is back on the nest!

Loch of the Lowes: Occupancy is being contested! Geemeff writes: “The complicated fight for Loch of the Lowes’ nest – there are SIX Ospreys in the battle!”

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2025/04/loch-of-the-lowes-osprey-update-8-april-2025/

Kisatchie National Forest: At 9:15:16, KNF E3 fludged. He was up on a high branch, perch 4, flapping and, like many others, just slipped and went. There was some chatter about the eaglet hopping about on the ground. Ranger Steve searched for an hour and could not see eaglet so it is either hiding in the spring foliage or flew off. Parents were heard.

Slipping down in the air between the branches.

Border Ospreys are relieved that Samson is home!

WHAT A RELIEFDownload

Iris has her nest ready at Hellgate Canyon. Come on Finnegan!

Llyn Clywedog: Dylan and Seran, Blue 5F, have their season’s first egg!

On video: https://youtu.be/lbcC2XDKFBs?

Dyfi: Idris and Telyn have their second egg on Saturday at 1337! Almost three days to the minute after the first. Amazing.

Trempealeau Eagles Live Stream: Great close-up with clear camera. Beautiful eaglet.

Birds of Poole Harbour: Beautiful CJ7.

The Week in Wildlife includes the reuniting of Dorcha and Louis at Loch Arkaig!

Week in wildlife_ ospreys reunited, a monkey thief and a London fox cub _ Environment _ The GuardianDownload

John Bunker Sands Wetlands: The oldest eaglet that fledged first has returned to the nest on Friday! Bravo! https://youtu.be/G_ls92wSBNU?

Just a note: Charlo Montana is still on Highlights.

Geemeff sends us: “A good news story – sort of, it’s a pity people have to clean up after others, but it’s very good that they do! Monofilament is a killer.

https://www.ktvh.com/news/discarded-fishing-line-is-proving-dangerous-to-birds-at-spring-meadow-lake

Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, messages, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, J, PB, SP’, Fort St Vrain Eagle Cam/Excel Energy, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Rosie Shields and Border Ospreys, Kisatchie National Forest Eagle Cam, Montana Osprey Project/Cornell Bird Lab, The Guardian, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Birds of Poole Harbour, Explore.org, scyllabub, SK Hideaways, Kielder Forest

Saturday in Bird World

12 April 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

Late Breaking News:

Glaslyn: Aran arrived home safely today! Yes. Come on Finnegan. Geemeff sent this: Aran is finally back at Glaslyn. Elen has bonded with Teifi (hatched at Dyfi) so fun and games there today. She is confused and has flapped her wings at Aran. Aran has been defending his nest – and his Mrs!  All quiet now, I think Aran is chasing Teifi away. Going to be fun there. The same thing happened at the Llyn Brenig nest and seemingly that hasn’t settled yet.

Dyfi: Idris and Telyn have their second egg of the season.

John Bunker Sands Wetlands: The second eagle fledged.

Bety and Bukachek are reunited at the Mlade Buky White Stork nest! Thank you PB.

15 degrees C. Feels like summer.

It just feels like spring is here on the Canadian prairies. The Dark-eyed Juncos are enjoying the White Millet that has been scattered on the deck and on a small piece of ice near the wood box. The central heating is turned off. Our heavy winter coats are in the closet. If a blizzard hits – and they have been known to – we can easily grab them. A replacement bird bath has been ordered and we are beginning to clean up the yard where we can. Some things are still frozen to the ground!

In anticipation of the arrival of our songbirds and raptors, I will remind everyone how to keep their feeders clean so as not to spread disease:

The National Audubon Society gives these tips to help stop the spread of bird diseases such as avian flu. Clean feeders and bird baths with a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach every two weeks. Use multiple feeders to make it easier for birds to feed at a distance from each other, and remove feces and seed casings from below feeders regularly.

On the way home, the Bald Eagle that has its nest between our nature centre and the dump, flew right in front of our moving car, and grabbed an enormous bunch of dried grass and lifted off. Majestic. Thank goodness I was not driving fast. This all happened in the blink of an eye. Huge talons full of dead grasses and a flurry to get off. Scared me. I cannot imagine hitting this beautiful creature. I cannot imagine anyone doing them (or any other wildlife) harm.

It was not a surprise. So many were hopeful. Still, the 4th eaglet did not survive at Fort St Vrain. Many of you wrote to say that you are glad that the little one went quickly.

A growing number of you, along with others we may not yet know, are passionately seeking support. Last year, ‘MP’ and I faced significant frustration as we encountered endless obstacles—it felt like we were stuck in a loop. It is essential that we find a dedicated individual in the area who is willing to champion this important initiative. Having high-quality photographs is vital; many potential supporters rely on current visuals, but the images available on Google Maps are often outdated. Let’s come together to ensure we capture the attention and resources needed to move this project forward. for the Achieva Osprey Platform.

Geemeff sends the daily summary for the Woodland Trust and Loch Arkaig:

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 11th April 2025Today was a bit calmer, no intruders on Nest Two, just plenty of fish deliveries from Louis giving Dorcha the luxury of refusing one or two of them. Louis brought four fish to the nest, taking his tally to twenty four, along with sticks and moss to prepare the nest ready for the arrival of the first egg. That could be as early as the 14th, just three days away – there will be many watchers looking out for that special event. Over on Nest One, the day started with an early morning visit from a Tawny Owl who only stayed for a few minutes, giving her distinctive call before flying away again. Garry LV0 brought a fish but had no takers as neither Affric 152 nor any unattached females were seen, and he took it away again. Perhaps the continuing good weather will bring some traffic to the area and give Garry the hope of finding a mate.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.31.23 (05.34.38); Nest Two 21.43.39 (05.40.16)Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/OEnaIWW4XeE  N1 Tawny Owl visits 04.06.02https://youtu.be/2y8zxmxgX9M  N2 Fish number one – early breakfast arrives 06.13.32 

https://youtu.be/NdIgS1BEzmo  N2 Louis brings fish number two and takes it away 07.00.16

https://youtu.be/Oza6XDYwP3E  N2 Louis delivers fish three, Dorcha dines on the nest 11.03.16

https://youtu.be/dIQAIT_2a5o  N1 No takers so Garry leaves with his fish 13.10.14

https://youtu.be/82LtHDs-JhA  N2 Dorcha grabs and goes as soon as fish four arrives 18.22.47

Bonus look: Louis & Dorcha star in the Week in Wildlife (thanks Neil Macduff):

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2025/apr/11/week-in-wildlife-ospreys-reunited-monkey-thief-london-fox-cub

Blast from the past – this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/p_72D3H8lzc N1 Corvid not Covid! 2020
https://youtu.be/wYmwz8lUWsQ N1 The Stranger arrives with breakfast 2021

https://youtu.be/W8Bl6tCXYGsN1 Welcome home Louis 2021 (zoomed)

https://youtu.be/9p84l65VnYo N2 Louis & Dorcha reunited 2022

https://youtu.be/s_pTTmsBRdA N2 Aerial battles with Hoodies 2023 (zoomed)

https://youtu.be/N7ZGY4vmVeE  N2 Successful mating and a flypast 2023

https://youtu.be/PCFbG-MfO84  N2 Dorcha scares off a Great Tit 2024

https://youtu.be/Frl2xush4Vs  N2 Alien invasion of Nest Two! Or is it? 2024

‘J’ lets us know that the Trempealeau Eagles has its first hatch.

There are some concerns about the Sydney Sea Eagles and the development planned for the Sydney Olympic Park.

MP2050_Summary_web (1)Download

Can you imagine the killing of whales in US waters? Well, get ready unless you work hard to stop it! You don’t have long.

URGENT Whaling Could Return to US Waters Act by May 5Download

The Bird of the Week from the American Bird Conservancy.

Its life is threatened by habitat loss due to logging and mining.

Many more are threatened by our lights. Turn them off during migration as ‘PB’ has done. They send us the latest migration map.

While we are sad when we lose a little one or the adults do not return, there are many to celebrate including USS8 who is being fed by his dad, Irv, at the US Steel Nest.. https://youtu.be/IswC6bNr6Nw?

Thankful for our miracle, Bodie.

For Sunny and Gizmo at Big Bear Valley:

For only amazing miracle eaglet, Betty Lou, at Sauces Canyon:

For Iris returning to us at Hellgate Canyon:

I have a deep appreciation for European Starlings and House Sparrows. It’s disheartening to see their numbers dwindling in my garden, and the decline of the Starling population in the UK is alarming. We must take action to protect our feathered friends. When you encounter a garden company claiming to rid your space of weeds without using any toxic chemicals, challenge their assertions—it’s simply misguided. Our environment and wildlife deserve better!

Starlings fall to record low in UK’s 2025 Big Garden Birdwatchhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/11/starlings-uk-2025-big-garden-birdwatch-rspb?CMP=share_btn_url

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write this short post today: ‘Geemeff, J, PB’, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey Project, JBSW, Mlade Buke White Stork News, The Audubon Society, Fort St Vrain, Achieva Credit Union, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Sydney Sea Eagle FB, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, American Bird Conservancy, USFWS Columbia Pacific, The Guardian

Friday in Bird Word

11 April 2025

Hello Everyone,

Morning Update:

Maya and Blue 33 have their fourth egg at Rutland’s Manton Bay. Geemeff writes: “Maya has laid a fourth egg at Manton Bay – it’s visible around 08.47.28”. If any couple can raise our, these two can. They have done it several times before. They are an Osprey Super couple in terms of producing chicks.

Sadness and Madness. Achieva Baby gone. For everyone that wrote to get help after the Baby and eggs went down the drain holes last year, it appears something has happened again this year. (Footage is being checked to see what happened).

Iris: Montana Osprey Cams

Sorestonpd45h3277if02mgttu5iahiit47m8u2a12cgiifchimft91123h0  · 

“Hi everyone!

Iris has been a busy lady. The Hellgate nest was completely flattened over the winter. When we went up to upgrade the camera system I was amazed and how shallow and flat the nest was.

But Iris has been busy bringing in sticks, grass and moss, and the edges of the nest are already considerably higher.

Come on Finnegan!!

Best, Erick Greene and The Montana Osprey Team”

Come on Finnegan is right.

I thought I was losing my mind. Turns out it isn’t me! It is WordPress. Heidi first warned me two days ago that images in my blog were getting switched. WP is scrambling pictures and videos faster than I can check them for the third time, so apologies. I keep saying I am switching to another platform, but that would cause a lot of chaos for all of you – and that is something that I do not wish to do. I don’t need that chaos and neither do you. The birds are to give us some calm in our lives, albeit they often send us to the tissue box. Still, we are privileged to share their lives, and I would not have it any other way. So I might start using less images – I know that many of you see these beautiful feathered friends on the streaming cams and in FB posts. To be continued….

As of this writing, neither Finnegan nor Aran has returned to their nests. Finnegan was first spotted on Iris’s nest on April 19th, but we’re unsure if he was present earlier. Aran typically returns between March 30th and April 4th, and I am worried about him. In the meantime, Louis has visited Iris on the nest again. Please come home soon, Finnegan! And I should note that other ospreys on UK streaming cams such as LJ2 at Llyn Brenig have just returned. Come on Aran.

My post is a bit all over the place today. Please bear with me. The research is not clear, but I can tell you, from my detailed notes, that the two days leading to the full moon and four days after, can be very difficult for those suffering from Lewy Body Dementia, like my husband (and others with mental health challenges). My posts will be as confused for a few more days! The Pink Full Moon is on Saturday.

That juvenile eaglet on the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Bald Eagle tower fooled me. I was certain that one of them had fledged. It seems that it was hiding in those metal supports. JBS had their first fledge on the 9th. This has been a great nest to watch this year!

Fort St. Vrain: The 4th egg has hatched. That sweet little baby. I hope that the parents can manage the hatch difference and four beaks to fill. And I hope that this 4th hatch is a ferocious girl so she can survive!

I am hearing a lot of worry from around the world about this nest. The weather is not looking good (will include below) and ‘PB’ writes: “I don’t know how Ma is going to keep 4 babies under her. I just read the nest history and there were a few seasons when the chicks passed due to exposure to rain , snow and hail. Storms seem to come around this time of month. Hope it stays dry for them.”

‘J’ writes: “In Dutch we say „ik hou mijn hart vast“, literally I hold on to my heart. Holding his heart is a proverb often used in a difficult situation where someone is afraid that things will not end well. The proverb “holding his heart” is symbolic and refers to the fact that one is so tense that one reaches for the heart and holds it from tension. “Peter held his heart when the results of the theory exam were announced.” In this example, Peter is the one who is “holding his heart” because he is in suspense for the results of his exam. Often this proverb is used in uncertain situations, this can be from serious to minor situations. The following examples indicate this. “After the car accident, Dora had to be freed from her car and her family members held their hearts.” This is an example of a life-threatening situation, but it can also be less serious : “Chris promised to finish his essay on time, I am holding my heart.” In this case, the proverb is used as a kind of joke to indicate that Chris thus never finished his essays on time and the person actually sees the storm coming.

The older two have eaten well, the third got some bites, and the fourth pushed itself up and then the parent took the bite. If you are queasy this is not the nest to watch for awhile til we see how things shape up.

‘PB’ sent the weather that so many of you are concerned about. It was not that many years ago that the little one at PA Country Farm was left out from being under Mum and died. Many of you recalled that tragedy.

Geemeff sends us her daily summary of the activities for The Woodland Trust:

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 10th April 2025

Today saw the return of the ringed male intruder Osprey to Nest Two and managed to perch for a brief moment before being chased off the nest by Louis, who escorted him away from Dorcha and down towards the loch. Frustratingly we still didn’t get a good look at his Darvic ring, perhaps he’ll return or perhaps we’ll get a positive ID from the Roy Dennis Foundation. Louis delivered four fish today, taking his season’s tally to twenty. One of those fish spent quite a bit of time being taken on and off the nest before finally being eaten, and after another delivery Louis did such energetic nest-scraping that he needed a little lie down, affording us a comical view. Over on Nest One, Garry LV0 did a fair bit of nest prep too, bringing sticks and nest-scraping until Affric arrived to solicit fish. Unlike yesterday however, he didn’t oblige and she left fish-less, back to Bunarkaig to demand fish from her real mate Prince, perhaps. The wind picked up today but the forecast for tomorrow is sunny with a gentle breeze.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.26.55 (05.19.23); Nest Two 21.39.38 (05.34.33)
Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/j1DxPFlrGu4 N2 Louis won’t give Dorcha the first fish 06.15.18

https://youtu.be/B0LdP-qTXW4 N2 The ringed intruder returns 08.03.30

https://youtu.be/bstQ7gOgnqA N1 Affric and Garry have an encounter 08.53.04 

https://youtu.be/7IDTQEDXPtE N2 Louis has a little lie down after delivering fish number two 12.33.55https://youtu.be/DpBbCdymmCY N2 Dorcha doesn’t want the third fish so Louis takes it away 15.02.23 https://youtu.be/0S3tAvALOmM N2 Dorcha grabs the fourth fish as soon as it arrives 20.32.25

Bonus watch –   the importance of the UK’s temperate rainforests, like Loch Arkaig:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/temperate-rainforest/explore-britains-rainforests-film/
Blast from the past – this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/LbWEdz9F-qg N1 Aila & Louis share a love nest 2020
https://youtu.be/G-3kBllTF-8 N1 Louis’ enthusiastic fine-tuning 2020
https://youtu.be/0Qy8OO9mY30 N1 Tricky stick for the Stranger 2021
https://youtu.be/i71cxxtGq2w N1 No takers for the Stranger’s fish 2021
https://youtu.be/Z1AU-Q7nx9o N2 Three little visitors 2023
https://youtu.be/2I51i5kIVa0 N2  Together again: Louis & Dorcha are reunited 2023

https://youtu.be/LPHhs_3oFQU N1 Welcome home Affric 2024 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/TDenxxKhpYw Fish number one, headless BT 2024

https://youtu.be/l1HpuYtiBnE Fish number two, large headless BT 2024

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Please do look at some of these wonderful videos. We now have Louis and Dorcha on Loch Arkaig nest 2 and Prince and Affric on Louis’s old nest, nest 1. For those you loved Louis and Aila, there is one with them, too. Lots of people are hoping that we might see some of those JJs at a nest or two.

Big Bear Valley: It is no wonder that Sunny and Gizmo are growing and growing. They are eating fish 8 and 9. I can think of a lot of eagle (or osprey) nests that would envy that amount of food coming to the nest. https://youtu.be/aHdBLEpS7VE?

Sauces: Betty Lou is just as fortunate. Jak and Audacity keep her crop full and bursting. They are such happy and proud parents. One of this year’s miracles, like Bodie, Sunny, and Gizmo.

NEFlorida: Bodie is still home but she is spending a lot of time up high on the branches. You best stop in to that cam because she could fly off any moment. Beau and Gabby did well even adopting another eagle that undoubtedly helped Bodie to learn more survival skills. A blessing. Bodie is 81 days old today.

Port Tobacco: Two eaglets have their beautiful wooly thermal down and their juvenile feathers are appearing. Both doing well.

US Steel: Wet day for Irvin, Stella, and baby USS8 (hatched on 27 March) who had a big crop. Fish pieces on the nest and Stella keeping that little one warm and dry.

Nest 4 Finland: Snow.

Nest 5 Finland: Osprey briefly landed on the nest on Friday.

Achieva Credit Union Ospreys: Only Bob of Jack and Jill is doing well. With the above announcement, this is so sad. My heart breaks for new Mum Jill and Jack. For those not familiar this happened last year. It was difficult to determine if a predator came or if the eggs and chick went down those big drain holes. Heidi is trying to determine what happened.

Salem Electric Ospreys, Oregon: A couple are on the nest and they have a lot of work to do. The link to their streaming cam is: https://www.youtube.com/live/a-G2qGiZdT0?

Eastern Curlew: They migrate 10,000 km and they are in trouble.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/08/a-high-flying-visitor-the-wondrous-far-eastern-curlew-faces-fresh-threat-in-nt-wetlands-haven?CMP=share_btn_url

“Eastern Curlew” by 0ystercatcher is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

It is up to people to help this beautiful, long flyer.

Eastern curlew – Australian Conservation FoundationDownload

Funding for all kinds of research and help for wildlife is in jeopardy. The Narwal comes out of British Columbia with journalists in several Canadian provinces. It is supported by readers and has won numerous awards for independent journalism.

Trump funding cuts put Canadian-led bat research at risk | The NarwhalDownload

Whether it is in Australia, Canada, the US, Europe, or the UK, wildlife needs our help now more than ever. Lawlessness means that more and more raptors are being shot. Two ospreys last week. We don’t hear about most of them. These are just the tip of the iceberg in wildlife violence and we need to find a way to end it. If individuals harm animals, then they might also easily harm people. Where did empathy and love for animals go in some people?

Calico’s Tip for the Day: Make a few tweaks in your life and get rid of some anxiety. Calico loves ‘The To Do List’. Not. It never gets finished, there is always something to do. Many people think that they are ‘useless’ or ‘less worthy’ because they cannot get on top of their ‘bloody lists’. Others miss the beauty of the day by spending all their time trying to get ‘the list’ finished. The author of a new book, reviewed by The New York Times, agrees – the list is never finished. Here are some tips to help us enjoy life a bit more and quite stressing ourselves out needlessly! ——– Think like a cat, Calico says. And don’t feel guilty if you need ‘a cat nap’ during the day.

I have put into place two changes to the blog to try and help with my anxiety: 1) I realise that I will never catch up with every nest as there are thousands of them on streaming cams and I will always miss some late news. It cannot be helped. 2) Instead of rushing to get the blog out to you before a certain time, I get up and feed Brock who is nearly always waiting, feed The Girls and the garden animals, feed us and give out pills and then while sipping my morning brew, finish up the blog.

Calico hopes that you will find some ways to alleviate some of the anxiety that comes into your life. She loves this article and hopes that it helps in some way. Let her know!

Well 4 ways to stop stressing about your scheduleDownload

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care of yourself. 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: ‘Geemeff, Heidi, J, PB’, Montana Osprey Project, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Fort St Vrain, The Weather Channel, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, IWS/Explore, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, Saaksilvie 4, The Guardian, OpenVerse, Australian Conservation Foundation, The Narwal, Owl Moon Raptor Centre, The New York Times, US Steel, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam

Thursday in Bird World

10 April 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

Oh, I got the most ‘heart felt’ note and link from ‘EJ’ Wednesday morning. They write, “https://pethelpful.com/pet-news/kind-womans-effort-to-help-baby-great-horned-owl-touching-hearts

Dear Mary Ann,
For every nasty human who crushes falcon eggs, there is one who rescues a baby GHO.
At least, that is my hope.
Have a great day. 🐦‍⬛
EJ”

‘EJ’: There are MORE beautiful helping people in the world than nasties. The nasties just get the headlines. This is why we should refuse to watch the YouTube videos that make so much money for people when they are showing ‘death or killing’ images. We should support those that don’t!

My offering today is mostly going to be limited to one main event (unless Aran shows up). HAS FINNEGAN RETURNED TO THE HELLGATE NEST THAT HE SHARES WITH QUEEN IRIS OR DID WE SEE LOUIS VISIT QUICKL?

Montana Hellgate:

Dr Green posted this:

It doesn’t look like totally dark markings on that left leg but if I look closely there is some dark so is the white covering up Louis’s dark line? There was no fish delivery and the behaviour was like Louis flying over from the baseball park where Star can’t see him and then leaving quickly. We cannot see the chest. Finnegan’s chest is pure white. I hope I am not missing something here. I want it to be Finnegan so much. I have not seen Iris with a male working on the nest so it makes me think it is Louis, sadly. And it feels like it is Louis – not a mate that cares!!!!! Get home soon, Finn.

Russell Lake, Nova Scotia: Oscar has been waiting for his Ethel. He has been through snowstorms and he waited. Ethel came home today! Seriously. Tears were flowing in Dartmouth and around the province and outside it – we love Oscar and Ethel.

I want everyone who posts events on FB. Please note that we have the name of the ospreys, the date, the name of the nest, and who took the photo. If EVERY individual putting announcements in FB groups would include this information it would go a long way to creating a detailed historical record of the nest. Thank you, Connie and Don Dennis!

Alyth SS: Flora has returned! She had to oust the visiting unringed female and Harry might have wondered what Flora was thinking. So glad another couple is reunited.

Border Ospreys: Blue 500 has returned on the 9th!

ONE DOWN… – Border OspreysDownload

Dyfi Osprey Project: Idris admires the first egg with his mate, Telyn, laid on the 9th.

Here is the video: https://youtu.be/GafS2YUdhqU?

Llyn Brenig: LJ2 is home.

Now if we really had Finnegan this would be a great opening. If we had Aran at home, it would be off the charts.

Heidi’s Osprey News.

Apologies, yesterday I posted an old photo from Brevard County and attached it to the Dewey Beach nest note.

4/9 – Carthage osprey nest:  Mom laid their second egg at 10:40. Congrats to Mom and Dad.

4/9 – Havre de Grace osprey nest:  Egg #3 was laid in the early morning while the cam was down.  Congrats to this pair.

4/9 – Mispillion Harbor:  Congratulations to Della and Warren!  Della laid her second egg at 13:02.

4/9 – Moraine Preservation osprey nest: Mom laid the first egg on 4/9 at 17:50

Geemeff’s daily summary for The Woodland Trust:

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 9th April 2025

Another exciting day – today saw the return of Garry Blue LV0, effectively the resident male on Nest One, in a repeat of last year when he also returned on 9th April. And as with last year, it didn’t take long before Affric Blue 152 turned up soliciting fish from him, and he duly obliged. However, she has a mate, Prince, and they’ve fledged at least two chicks over at the Bunarkaig nest since they paired up in 2021, so it would be nice if she either pairs up with Garry full time and they raise chicks on Nest One, or she leaves him alone to find his own mate and the new pair become the rightful residents of Nest One. That nest had a fair bit of traffic today as a Buzzard also visited, skipping in quickly in between Garry LV0’s frequent appearances with nesting materials. Nest Two had its own excitement when a ringed Osprey, probably male, intruded on Dorcha. She got rid of him so quickly we didn’t have an opportunity to read the blue Darvic ring, worn on the left leg indicating this is a Scottish bird. Details have been sent to the Roy Dennis Foundation in hopes of making a positive ID. Louis delivered two fish to the nest taking his tally to sixteen, and with the forecast for the nest area of sunny weather with a gentle breeze and a high of 19°C, his fishing prospects look excellent. The day ended with Dorcha returning to the nest at 22.14, still there at the time of posting (midnight) looking like she might spend the night there – not long now for the first egg! However, the Tawny Owls aren’t far away, and Dorcha aborted her first landing attempt at 22.13, with owl calls heard in the background and something on the cam post. Hopefully she’ll have a peaceful night.

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.27.27 (05.24.41); Nest Two 21.42.30 (05.39.53)

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/sq0iW1T36zg N1 Welcome home Garry!  Arrived 09.27 58

https://youtu.be/vtcwfp-rrRI N2 Fish number one – is it a rare Arctic Charr? 09.53.36 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/c7sOtUoE2Kc N2 Ringed male intrudes on Dorcha – who is it? 12.43.48

https://youtu.be/lfaawh1jB7c N1 A Buzzard visits 13.16.02

https://youtu.be/r6g_6__zaxs N1 Affric gets a fish from Garry 14.20.34

https://youtu.be/ja3IJbDYdpY N1 Fish & chips! Affric returns chipping – intruder around? 15.36.32

https://youtu.be/RQfqK5eCWNs N2 Dorcha gets an early fish supper 17.09.59

https://youtu.be/65UDocr9mxI N2 Is it an owl causing Dorcha to abort her landing? 22.13,.56

Bonus read – Woodland Trust blog on avian pairbonding:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/02/which-birds-mate-for-life

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/urAbbtSOcC8  N1 Fishy frolics and fumbles 2020

https://youtu.be/v-D7efdAnrQ  N1 The Stranger aka Young Pretender returns 2021

https://youtu.be/42CrOP5m8UE  N2 Night storm 2022 (Artistic Ospreys)

https://youtu.be/6R0DNlZfH9  N1 Chaffinch visits Nest One 2023

https://youtu.be/0kFa_ghXf7k  N2 Welcome home Dorcha! 2023

https://youtu.be/Ra2hSrRhtJs  N2 Dorcha’s fourth visit but still no Louis 2023

https://youtu.be/0iCP59ypmps  N2 Intruder Osprey does a flyby watched by Louis and Dorcha 2024 (slo-mo zoom) https://youtu.be/D02DTNcDNdM  N1 Welcome home Garry! LV0 arrives on Nest One 2024 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/0WR_9m9lGZY N2 Arkaig Ospreys: a sticky situation in quick time 2024 (Classic Ospreys: Saint-Saëns) https://youtu.be/OEK5ampEWhs  N2 Garry LV0 stays for over an hour on Nest One 2024 (zoom)

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Bald Eagles:

NCTC: A reader wrote and asked about the history of this nest. Let us say that Scout has grown up – really grown into a wonderful father this year with Bella. Their triplets are thriving under their good care. It is a wonderful nest to watch.

Great Lakes: Something is going on at Great Lakes. The tiny eaglets were left alone in the cold and damp for 2 hours. Where was Mum? And why did this happen? Will they survive? We wait. https://youtu.be/W-IamS7G6a0?

Harriet was away for 24 hours. Thanks, Harry, for stepping in and brooding and feeding the eaglets. Harriet appears wounded. Remember that the females will take on other female intruders, not the males. Males defend the nest from other males. Get well soon. Send positive wishes to this family with young babies in the nest. https://youtu.be/fw4vMOlOQbM?

Other News:

‘J’ sent me a detailed note following Wednesday morning’s posting:

“An error slipped into the blog, as I wrote, DH19 is the third chick for the Majestics. (Thanks, J)

Dr Sharpe deserves his retirement, and already put it off once, so good for him. But I think I speak for all when I say I feel like crying. He is our Channel Islands Hero. He will be sorely missed.

Spend more time outside. 

Funny you mention that today, because today, I was out on the balcony until about half an hour ago. Not sitting or reading, not yet. I finished the clean up, and then redid the „decorating“ of the balcony. The icky mealworms are now farthest away from where I will be sitting. Bit sad, during the cleaning I found several dead bumble bees. I will put the  bee house somewhere else next year,  hopefully then it won’t happen, although I am not sure why it happened at all.

I planted a few plants – fingers crossed, because I am a serial plant killer. I don’t understand plants. I even managed to kill one of them immediately… Sigh.”

Is this a book you might like? I haven’t read it yet but I will try to get a copy – it will be released in Canada on 24 June 2025. The review reminds us of what Saint Francis Assisi proposed. Assisi loved animals, particularly birds. He wanted to see that a law was passed: a “that everyone who is able should scatter grain and seed on the streets, so that … there should be plenty for the birds, especially our sister larks”. Nicolson put up a hide and observed his precious garden birds, much as we do the animals in our garden. He built a hide so as not to disturb them. What a brilliant idea. And he watched, season after season.

Here is the review of Bird School by Adam Nicolson in The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/apr/09/bird-school-by-adam-nicolson-review-close-encounters-of-a-feathery-kind?CMP=share_btn_url

Glad to hear that you have been outside – balconies, gardens, front stoops, whatever we have access to. I went to see my doctor today and she noticed a difference in my entire demeanour since our weather is improving and I can now walk easier. Being outside is essential to our well-being. Essential. I hope no one gets tired of hearing me say it and turns me off…one thing I have learned since before covid, but even more now that dementia has hit my partner, we have to go outside. We need also to speak up for large parks in our cities and towns, the protection of wetlands, stopping the cutting of trees. Which reminds me. The City did cut down the trees on my street with their big orange circles. When I moved here 26 years ago, there was a huge canopy that went from one side to the other. The squirrels never had to run on the road; they could cross on the branches. The birds had wonderful places for their nests. There were even dead trees for the woodpeckers. It looks more and more like a moonscape. Just means we need to plant 3 trees that will grow strong and tall for the future animals.

Thank you for ssending me your notes and sharing your outdoor adventures with me. Please take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me write my post today: ‘Geemeff, Heidi, J’, Montana Osprey Cams/Cornell Bird Lab, Ospreys of Nova Scotia/Connie and Don Dennis, Alyth SS, Rosie Shields and Border Ospreys, NCTC Bald Eagle Cam, Great Lakes Osprey Cam, The Guardian, Dyfi Osprey Project, Carthage, Havre de Grace, Mispillion Harbour, and Moraine State Park Ospreys, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Llyn Brenig

Iris is Home…Monday in Bird World

7 April 2025

Hello Everyone,

What a way to wake up on a Monday morning seeing the osprey, the oldest osprey in the world, land on her nest in Missoula Montana’s Hellgate Canyon. And, yes, it is OK to cry a bucket full of glad tears!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is the beginning of the week, and recent days have been challenging. I hope my blog and our beloved raptors’ lives bring some rays of sunshine into your life. Going for a walk or just sitting outside can help make worries melt away. So, I encourage anyone who needs it to do so! All of us, including The Girls, Brock, Dyson, Junior and the Mrs, Mr and Mrs Crow, Little Red and the Mrs, and all the others, send you much positive energy. Get out! Turn the news off for a day! Enjoy all that nature has to offer.

I am still waiting for some very important ospreys to land on their nests and in some cases sooner than later! Elen is already falling for Teifi’s fishing skills. Get home Aran! And, of course, today, I am going to be keeping an eye out for Iris. Charlo Montana still has highlights on its streaming cam so we wait.

But before we look at the nests, ‘PB’ has just sent me the following and I am in tears: “18:19 Shadow brought in fish and had fishing line stuck on his beak. He is trying to shake it off and flew off looking frustrated. You could see the Shiny clear line.”

This is worrisome. Looking for some news for FOBBV and hoping all is well.

Oprey News:

Heidi’s Osprey News:

4/6 – Mispillion Harbor osprey nest (Delaware):  Congrats to Della and Warren on their first egg of the season. Della laid the egg at 14:15, and it was ten days earlier than the first egg last year.

4/6 – Carthage osprey nest (Tennessee): Congratulations to  Mom and Dad on their first egg of the season, laid on the same date as in 2024.  Mom and Dad lost their nest and only osplet last May during a strong storm.  They have started to rebuild, and everyone is hoping these ospreys can fortify the nest to make it stronger. Best wishes for this lovely pair.  

4/6 –  Maryland Western Shore osprey nest: The live stream was down for nearly three days.  When it resumed this evening, we saw that Marilyn and Arthur now have 3 eggs. Congratulations!

Thanks, Heidi!

Teifi has settled in, and there are many fish coming to the Glaslyn nest for Elen. Will Aran return? Will he have to fight for his territory against this younger male? Those fish were two flounder and two mullet.

‘L’ sent us Isac’s posting for the Patchogue Ospreys. You will recall that PSEG moved the nest. No sighting of the birds today. Thanks, L.

There is an osprey on another Long Island nest checked by Isac.

Pitkin County: Our osprey couple has returned! Vocoholic has the arrivals on video: https://www.youtube.com/live/ZLAKZwYtrVk?

Border Osprey Report:

WAITING PATIENTLY – Border OspreysDownload

RSPB Loch Garten: An osprey briefly landed on the nest. Some believe this might have been Asha. Waiting for confirmation.

Alyth SS: An unringed female, not the resident mate of Harry, Flora, has been on the nest. Two mating attempts on Sunday.

Balgavies Loch: There is an osprey at the loch on Sunday.

Tweed Valley Nest 1: Unringed female lands on the nest on Sunday.

Dyfi: Idris and Telyn. Beautiful. Waiting for that first egg.

Llyn Clywedog: Gorgeous Dylan and Seren!

Birds of Poole Harbour: Waiting for that first egg for CJ7 and Blue 022 any moment.

Green Ledge Light Preservation Society Ospreys, Long Island: Osprey arrived on 4 April. Waiting for the second and confirmation of who returned first.

Danish Osprey Cam: The male has returned. Waiting for his mate.

Achieva: Fish on the nest, family portrait, and a new baby that seems to be fine so far.

Collins Marsh: New camera platform was going up on March 15 but things still seem to be wonky.

Great Bay Estuary: Two ospreys on the nest today.

Oceanside MNSA: Third egg laid on Saturday April 5.

Golden Gate Audubon: Richmond and Rosie have two eggs. Will there be a third laid today?

Geemeff sends us her daily summary for The Woodland Trust and Loch Arkaig. Thank you, Geemeff!

Woodland Trust Daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 6th April 2025

The glorious weather continued today, unlike this day last year when Storm Kathleen blew in and blew Dorcha off her perch. There was much merriment with sticks – again! We can expect more of these classic sticky situations as they prepare the nest ready for the eggs which could be less than two weeks away, especially after this morning’s marathon mating sessions. The only action on Nest One was when Dorcha turned up, possibly chasing an intruder out of her territory, but Louis confined himself to the loch and Nest Two, delivering four fish which takes his tally to ten. The weather forecast for Inver Mallie, which includes the nest area, is set fair for a few more days.

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One  21.19.38 (05.31.15); Nest Two 21.33.32 (05.44.58)

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/fMzkjVtbH0I N2 Dorcha grabs the first fish of the day after a tussle 06.26.34

https://youtu.be/2TrKItSxR3o N1 Unringed Osprey visits – it’s Dorcha! 11.37.03

https://youtu.be/pVw-5InEmdM N2 Comings & goings: Dorcha finally gets fish number two 11.38.03

https://youtu.be/DEkObqLTA-g N2 Dorcha grabs fish number three immediately 18.11.52

https://youtu.be/gypEolHWuXg N2 The Sabre Dance as performed by Louis & Dorcha 19.33.24 (Classic Ospreys – Khachaturian)

https://youtu.be/RseZ58O–VI N2 Fish number four – Louis keeps hold of his fish supper 20.30.21

Bonus watch – WT’s virtual tour of Loch Arkaig:

https://arkaigtour.woodlandtrust.org.uk

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/OvVG5MBBjd4  N1 Welcome home – Aila announces her arrival!   2020

https://youtu.be/j_2zRRZeJQY  N1 Together again: the reunion of Aila & Louis 2020

https://youtu.be/L68RvTIrm5o  N1 Bonkers! Louis & Aila get down to business 2020

https://youtu.be/jNmLwYAdLsA  N1 Who does a flypast? 2021 (Slo-mo zoom)

https://youtu.be/oGYDu5iSZUk  N2 Louis brings his lunch and unusually stays to eat it  2023

https://youtu.be/jBls1Jwbkhw  N2 Hooded Crow is chased away by Dorcha & Louis 2024

https://youtu.be/beIyi7Q9FIc  N2 Fish number two, precarious handover in a gale  2024

https://youtu.be/Uz2YCaJzWLo  N2 Poor Dorcha is blown off by the wind  2024

https://youtu.be/y8Jxs3sbhS4  N1 A Barn Owl visits 2024

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Bald Eagles:

NE Florida: Brodie just goes higher and higher at the NE Florida nest of Beau and Gabby. Will it be true flight tomorrow? https://youtu.be/cYTuJVPT8K4?

Fort St Vrain: Third egg hatches. One to go.

HPAI – Avian Flu is not letting up. Thousands of game birds culled in North Yorkshire.

Thousands of gamebirds culled at breeding facility in N Yorkshire after bird flu outbreak – Raptor PDownload

Thank you so much for being with us. Take care of yourself. Please go for a walk. Smell the spring air. We hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, Heidi, J, L, PB’, Cornell Bird Lab/Montana Osprey Project, FOBBV, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, By the Patchogue Nest, Volcoholics and Pitkin County, Rosie Shields and The Border Ospreys, RSPB Loch Garten, Alyth SS, Balgavies Loch, Tweed Valley Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, Llyn Clywedog, Birds of Poole Harbour, Green Ledge Light Preservation Society, Danish Osprey Cam, Achieva Credit Union, Collins Marsh, Great Bay Estuary, Oceanside MNSA, Golden Gate Audubon, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, NEFlorida-AEF and SK Hideaways, Fort St Vrain, Raptor Persecution UK< Mispillion Harbour, Carthage, Maryland Western Shore

Sunday in Bird World

6 April 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

It is +5 on the Canadian prairies, and spring is almost here! The House Finches have arrived along with the Dark-eyed Juncos. We have had several new woodpeckers over the past couple of days at the suet cylinders, along with the garden regulars. They are all accounted for, and that is a good thing! Brock was here twice today. He is not afraid of me any more. He will sit on the chair until I put his food in the dish. Isn’t that just a marvellous change!?

Now, please tell me you have been outside. Did you smell spring in the air? Are you watching for the hummingbirds migrating through? How about the ducks? Have you seen any? I can’t wait to tell you about the first ducks’ arrival at our local park’s pond. Will they be Mallards? or Wood Ducks?

Ferris Akel’s Saturday Tour went through Wildlife Drive – the first time this spring. There were beautiful shorebirds, at least one Sandhill Crane, but Ferris thought it was guarding a nest, and ducks – ducks of many species.

Oh, I am getting so excited. It doesn’t bother me that the geese poop over everything. It is so nice to see them home. This year there will, undoubtedly, be less due to bird flu which has hit the species hard. We will be grateful for each and every one that made it back alive!

One of our favourite nature centres, Oak Hammock Marsh, is getting a real makeover. They have been renovating for the past two years. We could head out there for a walk to see who is on the water. The new building is not open yet, but the trails are, and the ice should be melted. Then, of course, the American White Pelicans should arrive at Lockport by the end of the month. There is a lot to look forward to.

Ferris says that the rust colour on the back and wings of the cranes is from the soil.

There is not a lot of activity in Bird World. As of Saturday morning, 30 well-known ospreys had not returned to the UK. The weather has been bad along the migration route, and we need favourable winds, but by the 12th, I will start to worry. I am watching the Montana Ospreys, especially Iris and Finnegan, and looking out for Aran. Many are also watching the Russell Lake nest of Oscar and Ethel, who have been raising osplets there for about 15 years. Oscar is waiting for his gal to return. VV constantly checks on 15 nests in the Maryland area while Heidi monitors a long list of US nests. We will know soon enough who has returned and who hasn’t. Send good positive energy to all of them.

Ospreys are arriving at Kielder Forest. Mrs PC8 from Nest 2 was there on Saturday. Here is their latest news.

Latest news _ Kielder OspreysDownload

Iris’s train passes behind her nest, which she shares with her new mate, Finnegan, at Hellgate Canyon. Please come home, Iris! Your favourite date is April 7th – that is tomorrow, Monday.

A reminder of Iris’s – and our – remarkable year at this nest with hopes for another. https://youtu.be/iKSGv30eaDc?

Harry waits for Flora at Alyth SS.

Geemeff sends us the daily summary for The Woodland Trust and Loch Arkaig. Thank you, Geemeff!

Woodland Trust Daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 5th April 2025

Another day of settled weather, and Louis took advantage of the good conditions to deliver four brown trout, taking the season’s fish tally to six. There were many mating encounters and an amusing interlude with sticks, and so far the season seemed to be progressing normally. Dorcha was on the nest when Louis brought the fourth fish at 20.36 but made no move to take it, and she departed without it about 15 minutes later, leaving Louis standing there clutching the fish in his talons. However, in a surprising change to the usual pattern, he then appeared to fall asleep, hunched over his fish near the edge of the nest, and at the time of filing this report (23.00), he was still there looking as if he might spend the night on the nest. No activity on Nest One today.

Night cam switches on (day cam):

Nest One (05.33.14); Nest Two (05.51.56)

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/HPXA4EJ5uQc N2 Louis arrives with the first fish, half a brown trout 06.43.50

https://youtu.be/15LM_bVIrGk N2 Comical stick incident! 10:24:26 (Classic Ospreys)

https://youtu.be/23B3e0Ncpeo N2 Fish number two arrives and departs – Dorcha is indignant! 12.16.52

https://youtu.be/YNVCK5SBrn0 N2 Louis delivers fish number three and throws sticks overboard 17.28.45

https://youtu.be/XcSY3N_XTQ4 N2 Louis arrives with fish number four but Dorcha’s not interested 20.36.42

Bonus watch – WT video showing the construction of Nest Two: 

Blast from the past – this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/000ExVIHdTk  N1 He’s back! Welcome home Louis! 2020

https://youtu.be/MqCZOPYRBMw N1 Louis brings a big stick 2020

https://youtu.be/GiXhBTMjfdI N2 A Great Tit (Parus major) visits 2022

https://youtu.be/xfg_jzAnuCU  N2 Louis does a lovely long loop as he leaves 2023 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/s45fByu5-ZE  N2 Louis swoops around in front of the nest before landing with a fish 2023

https://youtu.be/b7XBOsBjZHU  N2 Fishy tails! Louis eats all his dinner 2023

https://youtu.be/_tcny1NvSfs  N2 Louis sky-dances at dawn 2024

https://youtu.be/onRZQMzzFec N2 Two fish arrive within seconds 08.22.22 & 08.22.35! 2024

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

The Wildlife Trusts present 

Wild LIVE: Ecocide – should destroying nature be a crime? 

Free online discussion Tuesday 15 April 2025 from 18.30 to 20.00 GMT+1https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/eve

nts/2025-04-15-wild-live-ecocide-should-destroying-nature-be-crime

A pilot study to examine the impacts of releasing non-native gamebirds (pheasants & red-legged partridges) into the Cairngorms National Park is due to begin this spring:

Pilot study to examine impact of releasing non-native gamebirds in Cairngorms National Park

Louis and Dorcha:

Heidi’s Osprey Nest News:

4/5 –  Smallwood State Park osprey nest (Maryland):  Congrats to Mom and Dad… Mom laid egg#3 at 08:03.

4/5 –  Dewey Beach osprey nest (Delaware, Dewey Beach Lions Club):  I just love this wonderful osprey couple.  Mom seemed ‘eggie’ today, so I was not surprised to see her lay the first egg at 19:15.

4/6 – Venice Golf Club:  The third baby hatched overnight, and three bobbleheads were seen at the first feeding this morning.

A great opportunity for some special person or persons! Check out the Osprey Leadership Foundation! Please apply if you fit the criteria – this would be fantastic and I know some of us ‘oldies’ would have loved to have had this chance.

Osprey on nest 4 in Finland! This is Nuppu and Nemo’s nest – I have not seen any confirmation of this osprey yet. Will keep checking.

‘J’ sends news that Traverse City Bald Eagles have their second hatch.

At Beau and Gabby’s nest in NE Florida, Bodie had a nice fish meal. Later, she soaked in the sun and wind with Juvie and went higher up the branches.

Bodie goes higher! https://youtu.be/cYTuJVPT8K4?

It is, sadly, not going to be long until Bodie flies off the nest. She is doing a lot of flapping.

E03 at the Kistachie National Forest E3 nest enjoyed three fish deliveries on Saturday.

Scout and Bella’s triplets seem to be doing just fine at the NCTC nest.

Betty Lou is growing!!!!!!! Jak and Audacity are truly proud parents!

Angel the Leucistic Redtail Hawk and Tom: There has been no activity since the entry below, when Angel flew off the nest. I do not believe we should count on this couple raising any eyases on this nest this year. This is not to say they do not have another nest in their territory.

4/2/20257:49:08 AMAngelleaves

‘J’ sends us news of other eagle nests: “Watching the bobbleheads at Fort St. Vrain. Just wonderful. So young they can’t do real damage to each other yet, so it’s „safe“, and fluff balls are so cute. One obviously was contemplating hacking the other, but before he could take action, he fell over on his back, feet up in the air – I can’t help it, I snorted. Too funny.

There’s a pip, so number three is on its way.

Denton Homes confirmed by youtube chatters, two little Majestics!

Unfortunately the new hatch at Falconshire Raptors seem to have died, Skye stepped on it several times according to the charts. No official confirmation yet. https://falconshireraptors.com/blog/“

Are we truly the only animals that destroy their home by tossing our garbage everywhere? It sure looks like it. We know the birds find everything – the safe and the dangerous – that we toss. Here is an article about it.

From burger wrappers to masks, bird nests tell story of throwaway culturehttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/04/from-burger-wrappers-masks-bird-nests-story-throwaway-culture?CMP=share_btn_url

Thank you for being with us today! As you enjoy the rest of your weekend, I encourage you to step outside, even just sitting in a chair by your back door. Nature truly has a remarkable ability to heal and can lift our worries, even if just for a moment. Look up at the sky and let a smile spread if you see a goose honking and flying overhead or glimpse a hummingbird.

Embrace the beauty around you and let it rejuvenate your spirit. There are lots of worries in the world. I do not know anyone who is not anxious. We will benefit from stepping outside and listening to our feathered friends or going for a short or long walk with a friend or family member. Nature heals. We need to take better care of it – and our spirits.

Thank you for being with us. Take care everyone. See you soon! And according to WordPress there are benefits to you hitting the ‘like’ button if you enjoyed this posting but for the life of me I am not a social media pro and have no idea what they are!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, Heidi, J’, Ferris Akel Tour, Kielder Forest, Montana Osprey Project, Alyth SS, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust (Loch Arkaig), Osprey Leadership Foundation, Traverse City Bald Eagles, NEFL-AEF, SK Hideaways, Kistachie National Forest E3, IWS/Explore, Window to Wildlife, The Guardian, Smallwood State Park, VGCCO, Dewey Beach