It feels like summer again, but the tips of the trees tell me that it is decidedly pre-fall on the Canadian prairies. Migration is definitely underway. The ducks had left the pond at Assiniboine Park, while the Canada Geese are fattening up on the golf courses around the City. We continue to enjoy the fantastic weather and spend most of our time outside. The Girls (for the most part) and Toby are doing well, and I can tell you that a new sense of calm has come over the house. My husband is doing very well.
The only hiccup in the ointment is Baby Hope. Nine days ago, something happened. We do not know precisely what happened, so we cannot place blame. Baby Hope is injured. She had been play wrestling with her Mum, Calico. But then there is Toby. It appears that ‘something’ got caught in her fur and tore a slit through the fur about 7 cm or 3 inches long. Two days ago, it had healed, but today it is oozing again. The underlying issue is that Hope is partially feral. She will allow us to sit next to her and give the occasional strokes. I cannot put antibiotic ointment on the wound, but she allowed me to see it this evening. Tomorrow, I will see if any of the mobile vets have experience with ‘these cats’. Wish us luck. Hope never complains. I might never have known she was hurt if I hadn’t paid particular interest in her face that morning. She is eating and has never stopped. She loves flowers and always enjoys the ones I bring from the farm, which are pet-friendly. Send her some love.
And if Hope’s injury was not enough, then there is missing Xavier. My heart has sunk to great depths. It has been a wretched year. You might hear me saying that a lot.
At Orange, Australia, Peregrine Falcon Scrape, there is hope tinged with a hint of potential sadness. My heart sank when I saw this. I adore Xavier. His name means ‘Saviour’, and that is what he did – he saved Diamond’s clutch when her previous mate did not return after eggs were laid. Xavier took care of Diamond and the chicks, and she then bonded with this wonderful lad. Was that nine or ten years ago? This was posted on Thursday, and I know that you will be as concerned as I am for Xavier. Please send your good wishes to him!
In the wild, peregrine falcons typically live an average of four to five years, although they can live much longer, with some documented cases reaching 15 to 20 years or more. High mortality rates, particularly in their first year due to learning to fly and other factors, shorten the average lifespan, but survival improves for adults. The record for a banded peregrine falcon in North America is 19 years and 6 months. This fall, Diamond is at least 12 years old, and Xavier is at least 11 years old. Diamond arrived in Orange in 2015 and Xavier in 2016, and since peregrine falcons typically begin breeding at 2–3 years old, they would have been at least that age when they started their courtship at the Orange falcon scrape.
And then there was the missing MO from Dunrovin Ranch Osprey Nest, who was seen to have a very raspy voice. Sadly, she has been found dead. The other three have been returning to the nest. So sad. It has been a wretched year. Thank you ‘PB’.
‘A’ sends us the Ranger reports for the WBSE:
August 26: An early feed at 6am – both fed with no pecking, but SE35 had more. Then Lady settled again. Soon after another short feed. It was a sunny, warm morning. The nestlings were left uncovered in the morning for over six hours – parents often close by with duets and matings seen. Dad brought in a trevally (fish) after 12, and both ate more. Dad came in to the fishy remains later and fed them as well. Lady came with a really big fish after 3pm, and fed more. Seven good feeds today, and then last thing, Dad fed them a few extra mouthfuls. They were uncovered in the afternoon until Lady came in at last light. She was standing by them – will she cover them now?
August 27: Lady spent the main part of the night just covering the nestlings, rather than complete brooding. It was a milder night, and after an early morning duet, she fed them from the remaining tail end of the fish. Both ate, SE36 second. Later, SE35 was busy grooming its itchy down, with a very full crop. Dad came back with a bream just after 7am, grabbed by Lady and fed to the young. SE36 did very well. She then went to cover the chicks. After some time, Lady was up and eating some herself. She then fed them both well again – three feeds before 9am. Dad came in and ate some fish – the youngsters were full and not interested. Late in the afternoon, Dad bought in another two fish, and during the day there were a total of seven feeds. The day became cooler and Lady spent longer brooding than she did yesterday. At the end of the day, she was over the chicks, settled for the night.
August 28: Last night was colder and Lady slept over the chicks, only partly covering them as they get bigger. She left in the morning just after 6am. Dad brought leaves in early and later a big stick, dropped on the chicks and then moved by Lady. Both were bringing in more leaves – and the wind was becoming stronger. The chicks were huddled together in the nest bowl, uncovered all morning, though both eagles came in a few times – even the parents tossed by the wind. Of course the nest camera moving makes the wind seem stronger. Finally, Lady came to shelter the chicks at 1:14pm – covering them for some 90 minutes. Then she was up again, with the chicks cheeping for food. At 4pm, both parents were in but still no food. At 4:30pm, Lady settled on the youngsters again. Late in the afternoon, the wind eased a little – both parents were there, but still no prey. At dusk, Lady was settled over the hungry chicks, with a cooler night expected again.
‘A’ adds: “I did miss that crop on SE36. It’s a brave little eaglet. Such a cutie. When these two hatched, they were so similar in size it was very hard to tell them apart. Have a look at tiny little SE36 now. It’s half the size of its sibling. I can only hope it’s primarily a gender-based size discrepancy – otherwise, SE36 would have to be the smallest female I’ve seen on this nest. I wonder how many two-egg clutches have a female first hatch and a male second hatch and how many the other way around. Is it just my imagination or is a first male hatch with a second female hatch quite unusual? Perhaps we are very much aware of the large female first hatch dominating a smaller second male hatch because it leads to a lot of the bonking and siblicide problems we see on the nests, so it just seems that there are more of them. I would be very interested to know.
It is SO windy at WBSE – that nest is tossing around and there are lots of fresh leaves on the nest, shaken loose by the winds and brought by the parents. Today, there has been no food whatsoever brought to the nest, so the chicks have not eaten. It is 6.45pm and there won’t be anything brought in tonight. This is not good. I’m not sure why Dad has failed to provide – he is usually able to bring in something regardless of the weather, even managing to fish successfully in the rain. But perhaps the wind made today’s hunting impossible for him. So we can only hope tomorrow is more productive. It is very cold at nights and the chicks will be using a lot of calories keeping themselves warm now they no longer fit properly underneath Lady (she does have an excellent method of covering them though, her wings spread wide, so she is doing her best to keep them cosy).
I hate to imagine losing Lady or Dad. They are there on the Parramatta River all year round, and we love them dearly. But they are elderly – in their 20s, yes? And they are wild birds, living a difficult life. Two fledglings per year, none seemingly able to thrive in the wild, as far as we are aware. I wonder what happens to them once they do disappear from the area. I wish they would track the fledglings from this nest so we had some idea of their ultimate fate. It is so frustrating not to know.
But back to SE36. The daily ranger reports are the best way to tell what is going on – I find it fairly hard to watch at the moment, although both parents are making an effort to make sure SE36 is getting fed. I don’t need the stress, and I hate watching a younger smaller chick being intimidated and scared away from food. It is just more stress than I need right now. But this is the only nest at the moment, so I have little choice, though I am keeping something of a distance from the nest to keep from obsessing. That’s not good for my blood pressure or my mental health. And days like today, with both chicks hungry and no food for either, are too hard to watch.
At Taiaroa Head, the day draws nearer, and SSTrig chick continues to explore the headland and potential take-off points for her maiden voyage. Only a few weeks to go now – she’ll be gone in under a month. It’s so hard to think that after watching them for eight months, we are now going to have to wait several years before perhaps seeing them return to court and then to breed as adult birds. It never ceases to amaze me that they travel thousands of miles and return to within 50 metres of the nest where they hatched. It boggles the mind. And when they leave on that incredible voyage, they have never flown before, never fished before, never navigated before. It’s incredible. And yet these are the longest-living wild birds in the world, with Wisdom still breeding into her seventies. No wonder the albatross is the stuff seafaring legends are made of. No sailor would ever harm an albatross. “
SK Hideaways captures some of the rivalry between the SeaEaglets and news from other nests:
SE36 Bonks SE35🥊Chicks “Brood” Each Other🪆Lady & Dad’s Duets+Matings💞2025 Aug 26
Sydney White-Bellied Sea Eagles Lady & Dad
Lady and Dad started the day with a duet, followed by a peaceful feeding. SE36 worked on asserting itself with a couple pecks to SE35. The peck was returned each time, but the aggression was mild and brief. The finale brought some family time plus two more duets and two matings by Lady and Dad.
Courtesy Sea-EagleCAM@BirdLife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park
🪽Mum & Dad Welcome Egg #2🥚🥚Dad Cheerleads Effort🎉(2025 Aug 26)
367 Collins St. Falcons
Juvenile Overnights in Roost Tree 🌲 Visits Nest & Does Brief Clean-Up🥢2025 Aug 28
Big Bear Valley, CA, home of Jack & Shadow
What a beautiful and heartwarming surprise! A beautiful juvenile bald eagle spent the night in Jackie and Shadow’s regular roost tree while they were elsewhere. The nest visit took our break away. We cannot know if the visitor is Sunny or Gizmo, but it was a welcome visit nonetheless.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 28th August 2025 The usual – no activity on the nests today, but there’s plenty of interesting material to peruse from Woodland Trust, including history of the nests, sightings away from the nest, how to ID males and females, and fascinating facts from behind the scenes. There are clickable links on the Osprey cam page, and here are some of the direct links:
05.23.48); Nest Two 21.15.01 (05.33.41) Today’s videos: none Bonus watch – link to LizB’s YouTube channel for videos of Loch Arkaig, Nest Two in 2021, the Bunarkaig nest and more:
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 27th August 2025
Today had the usual lack of action barring a few songbirds visiting, however we have plenty of interesting information from Steve and George to digest. Steve published stats with special reference to age of chicks at migration and the season duration of the adults, and George informed us of a new Nature Scot initiative called Nature30, with Loch Arkaig PIne Forest among the first four organisations, links here:
UK Juveniles have started making their way south to the West coast of Africa (or the Iberian Peninsula). The trio at the Foulshaw Moss Nest of White YW and Blue 35 left on the 13th and 14th of August. White YW remains in the area delivering fish to a fledgling from another nest!
Harry is still delivering fish to Forest at Alyth SS.
On Tuesday the 26th, there were four at Rutland including Mum, Maya!
Blue 3R7 is still at the Rutland Manton Bay nest along with Blue 33 on Thursday, the 28th. She is 110 days old today and is set to break a record for the longest fledgling to remain on the nest. Maya was there on Wednesday, but it appears she might have migrated. It is raining, and Blue 33 is delivering trout.
Brianne is still getting deliveries from Idris at the Dyfi Osprey Platform in Wales.
5R3 remains at Poole Harbour with fish deliveries coming in from Dad, Blue 022.
9K5 remains at the Usk Valley nest in Wales. Dad is busy! Mum has left for migration.
Loch of the Lowes sends their season summary. Will Blue NC0 return early and claim her nest? I am betting on it!
Glaslyn was a failed nest this year with Elen arriving and mating and bonding with Teifi while Aran arrived very late and eggs were destroyed. In the end, Teifi took over the nest. We hope that they both return safely and that Aran does as well and finds another mate and raises a family. Aran is an amazing Dad!
Looks deserted at Dylan and Seren’s nest at the Llyn Clywedog Reservoir in Wales.
Iris was still in Missoula on Wednesday the 27th of August. That nest that she has been working on with the new male will be ready for them in the spring of 2026.
C19 and C20 are still getting fish deliveries from Charlie at Charlo Montana.
In Nova Scotia, the Dads continue to deliver the fish. Nova and Russell, the fledglings of Oscar and Ethel at the Russell Lake Osprey Platform in Dartmouth are no exception!
The Eagles are returning to their nests for bonding before eggs being laid later in the year.
There is some question about the identity of the Bald Eagle that has been at the NE Florida nest of Beau and Gabby. Rain and hail on Thursday at the nest.
If you are a fan of TE3, she remains in the area of the nest at Trempeauleau, Wisconsin according to neighbours.
People continue to fight for the Menhaden! I wonder when the politicians of Virginia will wake up to the fact that having a thriving ecosystem – not a dead one – can only enhance tourism business and the joy and wealth of their State?
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We look forward to having you with us on Monday!
I want to thank our notable contributors, ‘A, Geemeff, PB, and SK Hideaways’, the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, the individuals who take the time to create videos ande post them on YouTube, and the administrators of FB groups such as Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, and all others, often too many to name. I am very grateful to you and to the newspapers that still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends and to the rehabilitation centres like Ojai Raptor that care enough to try hard to send their patients back into the wild. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.
Morning Update: Big Red and Arthur’s first hatch, O1, passed last evening after being seen to be lethargic and taken to the wildlife care centre. Oh, how sad. Send positive wishes that O2 stays healthy!
Thank you for all the positive energy that you sent to Hugo Yugo. I can report that she is doing so well. She is eating on her own, and yes, she wants to play with Toby, but Toby needs to learn to be a little more gentle. Still, check out the second photo. I am so proud of Toby and how well he is doing! The Girls, as all of you know, are so important to me. I never knew a little puppy with curly ears would grab my heart and not let go of it. So, it is the five of them – everyone is included, so this is going to work. You better believe it.
The feeders were full of songbirds – warblers – and some very special sparrows – flying through from the north on their way to their winter homes. There are geese all over the golf courses, and it feels like it is at least a fortnight early for this great migration. Watch for the summaries from the nests in the UK. Those females will be on the move soon if they aren’t already!
Dog training. It’s not about training the dog. It is about getting control of ‘your’ life. I will continue to say this while Toby and I work through his issues with ‘chasing’ cats because maybe there is one of you that needs to hear that – I sure did. My life had taken over me – now I am taking control of it. Did you see that old movie Fried Green Tomatoes? There was a point where the Kathy Bates character broke – and she described the new her as ‘Towanda’. Well, welcome to Towanda Land!!!!!! Toby needs to be ‘nice and gentle to the cats’. Treats work. Tethering for calming also works. (I do not crate). Gosh, I learned so much! The day is managed so that I don’t lose my mind. So instead of having a hungry dog, four starving cats, Blue Jays and Crows screaming at me, Brock staring in the door, and a husband who wants his breakfast and coffee, the scrambled eggs for Toby are made the night before. Brock’s tin is in his dish, ready to be opened. Today, Don fixed his breakfast while I fed The Girls. I carried my coffee outside while Toby did his ‘business’ and I fed the birds. That was when I saw the Yellow Warblers. It was idyllic. It is only day 3, but quite honestly, my home is calm and so am I. How did I not know this? Well, because you get so busy taking care of everyone else that you forget to take care of yourself. You should always put your oxygen mask on first. I tell you that. I left mine in the cupboard. It is now on and turned on full!
So step back if you feel that things are not working and say it. It is OK. Because with all that peace and quiet you are going to create, you can spend more time thinking and helping birds.
So what are these birds doing?
Osprey chicks have fledged, and they are screaming for fish. Everyone is preparing for migration. Males are fattening up their fledglings so they are fit to make the very long journey south. In some instances, the females are also pitching in and helping. For example, Maya brought in three fish on Wednesday, and that was before evening! Blue 33 has been hauling in Roach. These chicks will have the best possible chance of survival any nest could have.
They are fish calling, flying on and off the nest, up at Llyn Clywedog.
CJ7 and Blue 022 have been busy feeding their four at Birds of Poole Harbour, too. These kids are really healthy!
White YW is really having to be busy at Foulshaw Moss with those three wanting fish all day long.
On the Cornell Campus, Big Red and Arthur’s first hatch, O1, has been taken into care. The red-tail hawk fledgling was noticed displaying ‘illness’ behaviours. Let us all send good positive energy in the hope that O1 overcomes whatever has caused her/him to be unwell.
Suzanne Arnold Horning and Woody keep track of Big Red, Arthur, and their family, and they caught 02 in a tree on Wednesday evening. What a beautiful fledgling! O2 hangs out with Arthur around the campus but is finding her/his way around the family territory. The fledglings typically disperse in August. Gosh, I wish they were banded and had a sat pack. It would be wonderful to know what happens to Big Red’s babies once they leave Ithaca. Or do they leave Ithaca? We don’t know. Mum stays for the winter! So does Dad. It is a prey-rich territory that they rule even in the cold of winter.
Pam Breci is keeping an eye on Swoop, who is busy at Dunrovin, too. – Every osprey male should be fishing and fishing, getting those osplets fattened up!
So what is happening at Loch Arkaig? And read on and find out if Dorcha is really still in Scotland!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 7th August 2025Not many fish today, just two from Louis, taking the nest total to three hundred and ninety six, and none from Garry LV0, leaving his tally unchanged at one hundred and forty. Affric 152 spent a fair bit of time on Nest One with Garry but got no fish – is she getting fish from her own mate Prince, last seen a month ago near the Bunarkaig nest where they’ve made their home, or is she fishing for herself? With Aurora 536 not seen since 28th July and presumed on migration, it will be an interesting situation if all four return next year. As Dorcha hadn’t been seen for a few days, it was speculated she might have started her migration, leaving before Storm Floris hit, but she turned up this morning paying a visit to Nest Two. Both chicks were on the nest, hungry after a lean fish day yesterday, she didn’t have any fish so left quickly before they could mob her. Her visit was so fast it led to some confusion around ID but closer inspection in slow motion showed her unique underwing spot pattern, almost as good as a Darvic ring, and that together with the behaviour of the chicks – seeking fish rather than attacking in alarm – confirmed it was indeed Dorcha. Darach 7P0 got both fish today, he shared the first with Breac 7P7, but surprisingly left half of the second fish uneaten on the nest when he left for the night. Unlike his brother, he hasn’t yet achieved the essential survival milestone of flying with fish which might explain why he left it behind when he departed as darkness started falling. The Hoodies were all over the nest this morning, if neither chick claims the fish early tomorrow, their persistence will pay off with a nice free meal. After heavy rain last night, the weather today was mainly dry with some sunny intervals but both nests had rain tonight after night cam switched over, and the forecast is for light showers throughout the night with a low of 12
°C, getting heavier tomorrow with a high of 16°C. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.25.33 (04.40.56); Nest Two 22.14.28 (05.00.21) Today’s videos:
No videos on this day in 2024 – not so much as a songbird visited either nest!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 6th August 2025 After overnight rain, the weather was more settled today but the chicks were as combative as yesterday and did their best to get hold of the three fish Louis brought. Breac 7P7 got the first and Darach 7P0 the third and a big fight ensued for the second. Breac won the battle but not before falling off the nest first, and in the confusion
Darach lunged at Louis. Still, Louis is an old hand at this, these two are his fourteenth and fifteenth chicks (counting only those who survived to be ringed) and he’s suffered worse attacks from ravenous chicks over the years. His tally rises to three hundred and ninety two (nest total 394) and fish counters are lining up to be the one to record the magic four hundred mark. Dorcha hasn’t been seen since Sunday morning and it’s speculated she may have gone south, like Aurora 536 (last seen 28th July), and Affric 152 has been taking advantage of Aurora’s absence to scrounge free fish from Garry LV0. However she was unlucky today as he brought no fish and attempted mating instead – Garry’s fish tally remains at one hundred and forty. More rain is expected tonight with a gentle breeze and a low of 13
°C, changing to light showers, a moderate breeze and sunny intervals with a high of 16°C tomorrow. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.14.56 (04.44.08); Nest Two 22.04.43 (04.51.13) Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/VZ_5tmIihnU N1 Affric visits the nest but Garry’s not there and she departs 14.38.20https://youtu.be/hSlHeTBSUz4 N2 Fish number two causes a fight, Breac wins (slo-mo repeat) https://youtu.be/GZVF2KkaMOI N1 Affric 152 hopes for fish but Garry attempts mating instead 20.14.42 https://youtu.be/rmp6b-lgHi0 N2 When Louis brings the third fish, Darach pecks him! 21.34.17 Bonus watch – Woodland Trust clip of Darach v Storm Floris goes viral:
Our ospreys had quite a rough time during #StormFloris but thankfully all came through unscathed. We hope you did too.Here is Darach hinging on for dear life!😬 He is only ten weeks old.😲#ArkaigOspreys #Ospreycam #Floris #Storm
‘PS’ is keeping an eye on the osprey family in Seattle for us.
The Seattle Ospreys are continuing to do well! With both chicks fully fledged they are often though not always at the nest, often flying or perched nearby, and often calling for food. I’ve seen a couple fish deliveries from dad, as well as many practice flights involving dips into the water, sometimes over and over, presumably to get a feel for getting wet and taking off…not full on dive bombs like they will someday, more like controlled water landings and takeoffs. Fun to watch these two learn the ropes! It is strange to sometimes see the nest empty! But also a wonderfully necessary sign of a largely successful season! I will miss them as well as Harry and Sally when they depart in the next few weeks. Until then I will continue to check in…
I really love the images that ‘PS’ takes of this osprey family. They are so good. Please check out their Flickr account and see the entire story of the Seattle Ospreys.
‘J’ reminds us that if you live near Wildlife Haven in Manitoba, there is the annual Open House. You can meet the ambassadors, see the surgeries, and flight training enclosures, and find out how you can help.
Lots of news from Raptor Persecution UK. The Yorkshire Dales are not a safe place for raptors.
SK Hideaways caught a sub-adult trying to land on Lady and Dad’s nest in the Olympic Park in Sydney! https://youtu.be/BNcT5G0uaB0?
In New Zealand, the Royal Cam chick is growing and stretching its wings as it is preparing to fledge within the next 5-6 weeks. https://youtu.be/Q-ToBQWzxuo?
At the American Eagle Foundation’s nest in NE Florida, the cam is on as we await the arrival of Gabby and Beau.
News from the American Bird Conservancy. How does politics impact our feathered friends?
The Girls wanted you to have some pictures of our garden. Junior, the male Blue Jay, is moulting. We have a new baby House Sparrow at the feeder. There are hydrangeas – these are different as they are in a candle shape, which are toxic to animals, so I have put a fence around them so Toby cannot get to them (thanks, AK’s Mum), and a beautiful coral Hibiscus. Enjoy! I have sold all of my professional camera equipment and am learning to use the much lighter P1100, which is marvellous at only 3 lbs. I used to hold over 12 lbs. It is like a miracle. The images are getting better.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Remember to put out water for the birds and, if you are able, some food as they migrate through to their winter homes. It will help them as their habitat is being lost daily, as long as areas which would provide natural food for them. We look forward to having you with us on Monday! Enjoy the weekend.
I want to thank our notable contributors, ‘Geemeff, Heidi, J, PB, PS’, the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, the individuals who take the time to create videos, including SK Hideaways, and the authors of posts such as Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, and all others, often too many to name. I am very grateful to you and to the newspapers and organizations that still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.
The neighbours were busy sending me texts. Guess where Brock was?
Brock had wandered into the back garden for his late dinner at 2000. He did not realise that we were sitting and having our tea with Toby on the top deck. Toby barked. Toby only barks at the Hoover. But he barked at Brock, and Brock took off. Well, As Geemeff says, he’s smart and safe from Toby!
Do you use wet wipes? Not just on yourself but also on your pets? Well, guess what? They have been discovered to be a major polluter. The study is in the UK but it would apply to anywhere else in the world.
Let’s make a determination, each of us, to help our waterways by ditching any use of any wet wipes – for pets, babies, and for our faces!!!!!!!!
It rained on Sunday. The rain poured and poured. There was thunder and lightning that scared Baby Hope. The trees will now have sufficient moisture, thank goodness. We also hope that this will help with the wildfires north of us.
Did I say that Toby and I secured the perimeter of the back garden so that he can roam and sniff to his heart’s desire while I sit and sip tea and read? The best thing that I have done this whole summer season. I can relax. What a concept.
The decluttering continues, and the ‘bug’ has caught on with many of you and some of my friends here in Winnipeg. It is unbelievable what we stuff in bin bags and hide the bags in the back of closets or in our basements and attics. Thank you to everyone who wrote and thanked me for the inspiration – my pleasure.
I am preparing for the painter who will be here on Tuesday. The old paint has been matched perfectly. The girl at the shop could not believe it! Neither did I. But all is well; four gallons are ready to go. The living room is going to undergo a dramatic change despite staying the same colour. Our favourite place to travel was Southeast Asia, and we returned to it time and again. The cabinets are full of treasures that are going to be sorted, with some coming out in the open to live with us. The feel of the room will hopefully be a blend of Indochina and Malaysia.
All the pictures are down, and the holes are filled. Furniture has been measured, and several changes are underway. There are two large and heavy tansu, or Japanese cupboards. The design is so interesting. The bottom section of each has drawers, and it is actually ‘separate’ or can be separated from the top – they stack! The bottom of one is going to become the stand for the telly. The individual who built the tansu also allowed that the top could sit independently and open. I am excited. It is always nice to have something to look forward to. Stay tuned!
The news in Osprey World is the last of the fledging and the return of the osplets to their nests screaming for fish. Some of the females will be eating ‘up’ to start their migration south while the males stay behind feeding their youngsters until they leave. I remember Aran was kept well into September one year by one of his chicks. These males are devoted – don’t ever think they aren’t!
While it is not unusual for fledgling ospreys to return to the nest screaming for fish, it is for Big Red’s chicks. Big Red generally likes her hawklets to get their prey on the tops of buildings or in the trees. On Saturday, however, one of the Os visited the nest to the surprise and delight of everyone – and then the other landed, so both fledglings were at home looking for food. Cornell Bird Lab caught that on video for us: https://youtu.be/aZx5W3IyfRg?
The UK Hobbies are getting their pin feathers, and there is a lot of competition for the tiny prey items that come to the nest. SK Hideaways caught some food fights for us! https://youtu.be/aZx5W3IyfRg?
There were at least five fish deliveries at the Fru Rauer osprey nest in Norway on Sunday. Oh, these fledglings are healthy. Beautiful long legs, lovely plumage.
Mantling helps protect this fish from incoming siblings!
At Loch Doon, Bonnie finally gets a fish. She works on it for at least half an hour until mum, Angel, comes in and takes it. (Bonnie needs to work on her unzipping). Everyone expects Angel to migrate by August 6th, so she needs all the fish she can get.
Fish deliveries at Poole Harbour on Sunday were: 08:45 (022), 11:15 (CJ7), 13:39 (022, escaped), 14:31 (022), 15:26 (CJ7), 16:30 (022), 17:22 (CJ7), 18:49 (022)
At Dyfi, Idris keeps up the deliveries for the boys.
Aran came to check out what was happening at his old nest at Glaslyn. I do wonder what will happen next season. Aran looks great!
At the Usk Valley, the first osprey chick to fledge in over 250 years is enjoying his fish! And we also get a nice family portrait with Only Bob and his parents, Syfaddan & Clogwyn.
Dylan and Seren Blue 5F are delivering lovely trout to their two fledglings at Llyn Clywedog. Look at those healthy Bobs.
Blue 33 continues to deliver fish to the screaming osplets – four of them – at Rutland Water’s Manton Bay. The last image is a huge fish left by one of the kids. Maya arrives, looks at it and thinks ‘Mine’!
West Midlands Ringing Group: Three chicks fledged! Brilliant.
At Loch Arkaig, the fish keep coming in, too! Lots on Sunday. Topping off these babies so that they are big and strong for their long migration.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 27th July 2025Today was an amazing fish day – one on Nest One, the first since the 23rd, and seven on Nest Two, including Dorcha’s second fish delivery, the most she’s ever brought in one season. While Garry LV0’s tally stagnates at one hundred and thirty five, Louis’ soars to three hundred and fifty six, and Dorcha doubles hers to two, with a nest total of three hundred and fifty eight. It may have seemed that Breac 7P7 got most of them – he was often the first to get to the fish – but even he couldn’t consume everything, and Darach 7P0 got a good share along with Dorcha. Both chicks are making steady progress towards being ready to migrate when the irresistible urge is felt. Intruders were around both nests but didn’t interrupt proceedings much, apart from Aurora 536 landing on Nest Two and being chased off by an indignant Breac. Although it rained overnight, the rain forecasted for today didn’t materialise and the weather was settled, drizzle is expected tonight with a low of 11°C, and a mainly dry day tomorrow with a high of 18°C. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.57.08 (04.27.13); Nest Two 23.02.01 (04.35.45) Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/4sQdqbxalvc N2 Fish seven delivered by Louis 19.42.55 https://youtu.be/PwWDqs3IxdE N1 Finally a fish for Aurora, first since 23rd 20.32.45 Bonus read – Ospreys are included in the Times list of endangered or extinct species now making a comeback:
Geemeff Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 26th July 2025Not a lot happened today, it was a very slow day all round. Garry and Aurora turned up on Nest One, she spent a lot of time there but when he turned up he didn’t bring any fish, he tried mating instead, and his tally remains at one hundred and thirty five. For a while it looked like there might not be any fish deliveries to Nest Two either, but Louis did eventually turn up with his latest ever first fish at 16.34, and followed it up with a second fish about two hours later. Breac got the lion’s share again but Darach got a good share also, and it was Dorcha and a persistent pair of Hoodies who lost out. Louis’ tally now stands at three hundred and fifty, with the nest total at three hundred and fifty one after Dorcha’s surprise delivery yesterday. It was damp from late afternoon on, the wind picked up and the forecast is for heavy rain overnight with a low of 13°C and light winds which of course are much stronger on the exposed nests. Light rain showers and gentle breezes are expected tomorrow with occasional sunny intervals and a high of 17°C. Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.44.16 (04.12.32); Nest Two 22.32.13 (04.20.46)
At the West End Bald Eagle nest, formerly home to Thunder and Akecheta, Haku has been bonding with the new male. SK Hideaways caught their sky bonds on video for us. (Do I think Makaio is in the ‘picture’ – no. We might never know what happened to him and there has been no further photographs of Akecheta on the mainland. That, of course, does not mean that Akecheta is not there nor does a lack of Makaio mean that he is unwell – he could be on the mainland, too!) https://youtu.be/s87ziXROLwM?
Some images from our walk in the English Gardens on a very hot 30 C day.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care, everyone. We look forward to seeing you on Friday.
I want to thank our notable contributor, ‘Geemeff, the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, the individuals who take the time to create videos, including SK Hideaways and the Cornell Bird Lab, and all others, often too many to name. I am very grateful to you and to newspapers like The Guardian, which still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends and to Jeff Kear and the UK Osprey Information FB. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.
