Category Archives: Louisiana eagles

Thursday in Bird World

16 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope this blog/newsletter finds you well.

It has been a quiet day not only in Bird World but in Cat World, too.

Missey and Hope continue to play together and enjoy one another’s company. It is not the cuddle-up type of comfort Missey had with Lewis, but she has a friend, and that is important. Hope loves to play, and Calico is not often in ‘the mood’. I still think Calico has arthritis in her back legs, and the damp outside provokes her not feeling well. We have an appointment to see about this, but for now, I rub her legs several times during the day.

They watched bird videos together for awhile.

Missey is such a gentle soul.

The girls have their twinkle tree up. It needs some TLC. Missey and Lewis destroyed it last year! They pulled on the branches, tried to eat the flocking off the needles and attempted to eat all the little felt birds. It had to be packed away so they did not harm themselves.

I need twinkle lights and candles along with Lingonberry Sauce in the winter…this tree may be up til summer (if the girls enjoy it without trying to eat it for lunch). It is partly the dark of the winter and the comfort of the soft light, the smell of the wood stove, and the soft blankets and slippers. While my Scandinavian ancestry is not the most significant % of my DNA, it certainly comes through in winter! Candle holders now have glass domes so the cats do not catch their fur on fire. The wood stove has a protective top that does not get hot, so they will not burn their paws if they accidentally jump there. These are the nicest parts of winter for me. If you have never tried Lingonberry Sauce, it is marvellous. It’s like cranberry, only the berries are much smaller.

Calico’s nose has been out of joint. So, drawing on what I know about raptors, I realised it could be because I cut back on 2 of their wet food feedings. They always have water and hard food (which should be limited…shame on me). Did Calico perceive insufficient food for the three of them when I cut back? I wonder. So they get a single tablespoon of wet food 5x a day instead of 3x. It is not a lot, but the day has been quite civil. The Feliway was about ready for a new cartridge, so I replaced it. Fingers crossed. Calico goes to the vet on Friday. They found a spot for my girl!

Tomorrow, we will switch toys – the current bunch will go in the box, and the old ones will come out, and the cats will think they are new. Enrichment. Just like raptors require. Just like the tree.

I hope to find solar-powered twinkle lights for around the conservatory’s perimeter and some toys that are not quickly torn apart with that white stuffing that causes so many pets to go to the vet if they eat it. I will hang the little toys on the tree so the girls can find them and take them off for play. They will not know they are supposed to do that!!!!!! It will be such fun watching them. Calico would prefer treat bags. Oh, having to eat out of the garbage and at the feeder stations in the neighbourhood saved her life last winter, but like all rescues that have lived on the streets ‘homeless cats’, she is always thinking about food.

Baby Hope is on Mamma’s blanket because…

Missey decided she wanted to sleep in her basket.

It’s a good thing Calico prefers the hard cane seating of the dining chair. Of course, she is the closest to a heating vent! She is so sweet when she is asleep. LOL. I adore this cat. Just the thought of her spending last winter outside, either having been dumped or being lost, puts tears in my eyes. Well, for all the pets. There are simply pages and pages of kittens to be adopted, and all the shelters and volunteers who foster are packed to the brim. It is like an epidemic.

After playing and running with Hope for almost an hour, Calico slept under the tree. Hope loves to wrestle, and Calico doesn’t make it easy for her. They get rough! I remind myself that she is teaching her daughter survival skills.

As you know, I have been worried about this girl. She makes me ache when she walks and has just not been herself. So it was with great joy that I watched her run and play. Hopefully, she just had an upset tummy. Still, she will see the vet on Friday and find out for certain (I said that twice…it has been hard to get an appointment).

The Sea Eagle Nest is empty and so is Orange. We wait for Marri and/or Barru to come to the scrape for prey items. It takes a few days for their wings to get strong enough to fly up – flying up is much more difficult than going down. So we have Port Lincoln with little ones. Two nests incubating eggs – Captiva and Superbeaks. Owl strikes at various other nests.

Wondering about SE 31 and 32. Rohan Geddes caught a photo of one of the juveniles today.

Both Diamond and Xavier were in the scrape at different times.

The most recent post from Cilla Kinross:

“NEWS 15th November 2023 Cilla Kinross Marri (I think) spotted about 200 m from the tower this morning. She was on the ground and while I turned my back on her to take a photo, she took off and disappeared. So all is well. And tonight about 6 pm I’m pretty confident I saw Barru in a tree with Xavier. I was several hundred metres away, so this is a rather shaky video: https://youtu.be/LYPoMN0cnhE FIRST FLEDGE 09:38:43 Marri(at 43 days) fledges; lovely straight, followed by one of the parents. VIDEO https://youtu.be/A1UhaFqvuuk SECOND FLEDGE 1536 h Barru (at 42 days) follows his sister, also a great fledge over the trees https://youtu.be/Be9JKIP_GHY They may return to the box after a few days (or not) . Either way they stay in the area for a month or two learning to hunt. And the parents still feed them during this period if needed. Tower cam was replaced TODAY. It will provide much clearer images with better zoom and pan capabilities. BUT there are a few technical hiccups, so bear with us for a day or two.”

Great screen capture of Diamond on the Tower Cam.

At Port Lincoln, Dad flew in with a small headless fish at 08:50. Both chicks had a small meal and Mum had some fish, too. As I write this it is nearing noon. I am hoping that the fish fairy will arrive in the next couple of hours. Look at the osplets faces when they know Dad is coming with breakfast. Precious. Absolutely precious.

A little fish does not last very long!

A huge supplementary fish arrived at 1449. I am not sure that Mum is going to save any for Dad (he is watching and wanting). She is busy feeding herself and her two growing chicks.

Dad was hungry, too and he kept persisting but Mum kept feeding the kids and herself. Dad did eventually get some fish. Read all about it from the obs board.

Fish Fairy, we love you!

V3 was a little battered. He has spent much of today vocalising and protecting the nest at The Hamlet. I wish the Eagles would leave them alone this year so Gabby can raise Eaglets.

The AEF confirms that this is V3.

So many write to me about where to donate. It was refreshing to see a post by Miami-Dade County -the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose and R4 and R5 last year -stating what they used the donations for during the year.

It was windy and pitching down rain at the nest of Ron and Rose on Wednesday but that did not stop Ron from coming in to work on his sticks.

It was blustering in the Big Bear Valley but it did not dent Jackie and Shadow’s enthusiasm for moving sticks!

Connie was just soaked at Captiva keeping her two precious eggs warm and dry.

At the SW Florida Eagle nest, F23 showed that she can fish! Wow. This new couple sure needs a break.

M15 defended the nest around 0300 against the GHO who left. It appears they might have locked talons. M15 we need you to stay safe.

It is blowing and wet at the SW Florida nest Wednesday night, but M15 is in that nest, determined to protect it from the GHOs. So intelligent. So determined. We already know what a great Dad he is, but he is also an incredible mate. F23 probably doesn’t know yet how lucky she is.

Speaking of Owls, they are hatching in a nest in NY right now.

Eagles were at Dulles-Greenway.

Anna and Louis have been doing some bonding at the Kistachie National Forest E-1 nest on Wednesday. Might we be looking at the first egg in about a week?

I did not see any eagles at the ND-LEEF nest in South Bend, Indiana, today, but Phillipe Josse caught Dad at the nest! I wonder if there is any news on the new female? Has anyone heard anything? And speaking of missing, I have no new news on Valor II. Waiting.

I think it was Blaze (please correct me) at the Eagle Country nest working with the sticks. His mate is Abby.

There was some work being done on the Bluff City Bald Eagle nest.

I did not see any eagles at the NCTC nest of Bella (and Smitty?) after 0800. Again, I could have missed them. Will try and find out if Deb Stecyk has any news on Smitty.

Good information coming out of A Place Called Hope if you have a raptor hit your window.

Oh, do you love Cedar Waxwings? I do, and I hope that when my trees bear berries in a couple of years, they will be in my gardens in the dozens. These folks look like they are going to be lucky this winter.

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This should put a smile on your face. What a great post!

Thank you so very much for being with us today. We truly love having you here and we hope that you are all well and getting outside in order to hear the birds singing or seeing geese. Take care of yourself. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, images, photos, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H’, Se McGregor, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Cilla Kinross, Fiona Reilly, PLO, NEFL-AEF, Lalita Rodriguez, WRDC, FOBBV, Window to Wildlife, Lady Hawk Gracie Shepherd, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Birdy Isac NY, Dulles-Greenway, KNF-E1, Phillipe Josse, Eagle Country, Bluff City, NCTC, A Place Called Hope, The Guardian, and Betty Teller-Peters Fagan.

Connie and Clive come in 2nd…Sunday in Bird World

12 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

Damp, coldish, grey day on the Canadian Prairies. The temperature has warmed up and will be a balmy +7 C on Tuesday, they tell us. It felt like the chill went down to the bone today, however.

The Starlings were particularly beautiful today. Look at their chest. It looks like a lovely handmade sweater with white stitching. The emerald green feathers with that lovely straw-coloured tip looks like an upside down candle in places (notice it is yellow and then a touch of white at the very end)…and then on the wings it tapers into a teal blue. The yellow beaks during breeding season have now turned to black while the head and nape sport silver and gold plumage over black. I would think the designers in Paris should take inspiration from this bird’s plumage in their new couture designs.

In an effort to keep up with the walking – despite the snow, ice, and a brisk little wind – I headed off to the English gardens. There were White-breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jays calling in the pines, and Black-capped Chickadees flitting about. It wasn’t the most pleasant of days, but I did take an image of one of the sculptures in the Leo Mol Sculpture Park that I wanted to share with you.

The information provided by our City on the sculptor is as follows: “Leo Mol (Leonid Molodoshanin) was born in 1915 in Polonne, Ukraine. He studied in the Leningrad Academy of Arts, Kunst Academy in Berlin, Germany, and the Academy of Arts in The Hague, Netherlands. In 1948, he made his home in Canada. He passed away in 2009, after receiving multiple honorary degrees and being inducted into the Order of Canada.Mol created his sculptures using the Lost Wax method. In this process, clay is modeled on a rebar and wood structure then covered in liquid rubber to form a mold. Plaster is layered over the mold, creating a cast. ​The cast and mold are separated from the model and melted beeswax is pressed into the rubber mold. A cement mixture is then poured inside the wax layer. After the cement hardens the molds are removed, leaving a wax model with a solid cement core.”

The plaque below commemorates the 50th anniversary of the repeal of the Act in May 1947. Mol created it in 1997. It features images related to the Chinese who worked to open up the Canadian West while working for CP Rail.

Parks Canada states, “In the early 1880’s contractor Andrew Onderdonk brought thousands of labourers from China to help build the Pacific Railway through the mountains of British Columbia. About three-quarters of the men who worked on the section between the Pacific and Craigellachie were Chinese. Although considered excellent workers, they received only a dollar a day, half the pay of a white worker. Hundreds of Chinese died from accidents or illness, for the work was dangerous and living conditions poor. Those who remained in Canada when the railway was completed securely established the basis of British Columbia’s Chinese community.”

The Asian Heritage Society provides more information on the history of the Chinese workers and the discrimination that they faced.

AHSNB-Chinese-Labour-on-the-CPR_FinalDownload

The kittens are so smart. They curl up in their own little spots and sleep the cold afternoon away. It does so seem that they have their ‘spot’. Hope has completely taken over Missey’s basket. Calico prefers to sleep on the hard seat of a Danish chair, and Missey prefers to the highest spot on a wicker. If I am looking for them and the house is quiet – that is where they will be.

My beautiful, sleepy heads.

Then there was bird video time.

Finding pinecones.

Hope has already figured out that she is too cute for words. She has me totally wrapped around her paw. She is 4 months and 9 days old.

Saturday night Missey and Hope ran from one end of the house to the other and back again…what incredible energy they have!

The big news is – Connie has laid the first egg of the 2023 season in the nest she shares with partner, Clive, at Captiva. Congratulations!

Well, that was a surprise. The time was around 13:43ish. Wasn’t expecting this! Wonder who will be next? Many are hoping it will be M15 and F23 to stop any thoughts by the GHOs.

https://www.youtube.com/live/4jzwIkUn14g?si=G0cK-3SiJXFiSlQY

You asked about Valor II. This is the latest news that I have seen. His eye looks worse to me. Send your best wishes out to Valor II and the team trying to get him so that he can go into care.

Skipping now to the two main nests we are watching – Orange and Port Lincoln…

Diamond and Xavier have been busy bringing in prey to the scrape as well as trying to feed the babies and Diamond slept on the ledge night before last. She knows that her two beautiful babies will fly soon. Why bring the prey to the nest? To get them to remember to fly to the scrape for food! It is a no brainer…let us see if they do. Izzi certainly did!

In Richard Sale’s book, Falcons, there is not much information about fledging but he does say, “Even when they have begun to fly the young Peregrines stay close to the nest site at first, often roosting with siblings (and occasionally with adults if roosting spots are few), but eventually choosing their own roosts. The fledglings are also fed close to the nest site by the adults, though the latter begin to teach the rudiments of prey capture by making food transfers I mid-air, the youngsters catching dropped prey or taking it from the adult’s talons. Prey dropping seems to occur too frequently to be a chance event… (170-71).

On Sunday, the adults spent much more time in the scrape with their chicks than they have done in recent memory.

Here is the day in video.

These are two of the most patient – sweet – osplets I have ever seen. They deserve a gold medal for waiting for the fish to arrive without tearing into one another.

No fish yet.

Heidi Mc got that feeding on video.

There is news of Sydney Sea Eagles. Thanks, ‘A’. “November 12: Both parents and a juvenile were sighted 9.45 this morning in the same area roughly opposite the weir. Ground crew assumed food was brought in to the ground, with lots of squeeing. The juvenile flew down to the ground where the parent went, then all was quiet. Observer was unable to see where they landed or what the prey was. Later during the day, there were no more sightings reported. The picture shows an adult in the mangroves across the river, which is quite wide there. The shadows under the mangroves make it very hard to see a juvenile or confirm which it is. Then around 5:30pm, a parent and juvenile were seen there again, before the young one flew back into the mangroves.” ‘A’ continues, “Doesn’t that just make your heart sing? Oh it must be a wonderful experience for Lady, who dotes on her eaglets. This must be thrilling for them. Every day that passes is another day of flying experience and the chance to learn how to fish for those monster eels mum always seems able to find (Dad rarely brings one in, but Lady must have a secret eel pond somewhere in those mangroves). And every day, they get more adept and confident at dealing with those bloody currawongs. It will be the hottest summer in 100,000 years, they are saying, and a deadly bushfire season. We can only hope the areas along the coastal rivers are spared. South Australia will see temperatures of up to 50C (no, not a typo) up in those central areas, which are largely just miles of desert in all directions, with the occasional stream or river, though they are drying up.” 

Superbeaks. Today we are 25 days from hatch watch.

Gabby and V3 seemed to miss one another on Saturday. V3 came with a turtle…was it a gift and Gabby missed it?

Anna visits the E1 nest in the Kistachie National Forest.

Alex and Andria were together on the E-3 nest.

An eagle around the Decorah North nest on Saturday.

An adult in the trees near the Dulles-Greenway nest on Saturday.

Jackie and Shadow were at their nest on Saturday, too. Everyone who writes to me wants this couple and Jak and Audacity to have chicks this year. So send out all the positive energy. Both of the areas are plagued by the residue of the DDT that was sprayed in the 1940s.

Beautiful eagle at Centreport!

As you are aware, the GHOs have been exchanging food gifts in the same nest as M15 and F23. The GHO has come in and knocked F23 off the branch Saturday evening. It appears that F23 might be favouring her right leg. Let us hope not. This situation could get quite tense. There have been many territorial and nest disputes between Eagles and GHOs over the years.

Is there an alternative eagle nest on the Pritchett Property? Does anyone know?

M15 on the branch above the nest protecting his lady.

They have now discovered what we know – that the GHOs have been coming to the nest they have been preparing for their eaglets. Send positive wishes. Please.

F23 in the nest. Hoping she is alright.

Were you aware that there are this many species of Crow?

I wonder if Murphy will start incubating a rock this year or if one year as a parent was enough? Parenting is stressful. We wait.

It is not about our feathered friends but the quality of the water ways and the amount of fish or lack thereof will certainly impact their lives.

‘Shocking-and-sad-photographers-project-reveals-wildlife-lost-to-pollution-in-Yorkshires-River-WDownload

‘R’ sent me a wonderful podcast on raking leaves. I will post the link. I always learn something and if you have a big lawn with a heavy cover of leaves, you do not want to leave them on the lawn. Rake them to the side. If you have large Oak or Magnolia leaves that do not decompose, move them to the side. Leaves are wonderful for covering up flower beds for the winter. They decompose over the winter and will provide you with lovely mulch. When to rake and not…

https://www.npr.org/2023/11/11/1212465760/to-rake-or-not-to-rake-the-case-for-letting-leaves-lie

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, photographs, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘H, R’, Parks Canada, Asian Heritage Society, Window to Wildlife, Dennis Becht, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, SK Hideaways, PLO, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Heidi Mc, Superbeaks, NEFL-AEF, KNF E1, KNF E3, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, FOBBV, Mike J Dakar, World Bird Sanctuary, SW Florida Eagle Cam, and The Guardian.

Eagles are busy…Thursday in Bird World

9 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Hope ‘hopes’ that everyone has a wonderful day! This morning she decided to be contrary and not pose!!!!!!! Go figure.

Oh, the temperatures climbed to a balmy +2 C on Wednesday and all the snow melted. Sunset happens at 1630. It is dark. Did I say that I hate winter? And now as 2300 approaches, it is snowing rain. The feral feeder is filled and I have attempted to make it a little weather proof. Those poor cats that live outside. Let’s see if we have a resident in the shelter tonight.

The girls had a lazy day. Hope and Missey continue to watch their favourite cat/bird video. And, yes. It is true. Miss Hope, the Queen of the ‘High Five’ taps on the screen until I come and turn her video on. I am well trained. Missey went to sleep on the wicker only to look up and see a male Northern Cardinal, and she immediately bolted right back with Hope. In other news, Hope got caught in ‘the act’ when I went to find Calico. She is certainly a robust young kitten! I do not know how Calico managed to keep this kitten so safe and well-fed out in the wild.

Hope is a perfect example of why you try to socialise the kittens of community cats. She is simply lovely. Thankful every day that Calico trusted me and wanted to come inside and that Hope has joined us.

Missey’s eyes look like they will pop out when the Cardinal is on the screen…she is getting ready to leap!

Hope’s ‘guilty’ look. Calico still produces so much milk…she waddles around the house!

Will these three have a little brother after all? Wait and see! We certainly could use a male influence here in Cat World. :))).

At Port Lincoln, Dad is in the shed and Mum and the kids are wishing he would go fishing.

Waiting.

Mum and chicks are still waiting for breakfast and Dad is still perched in the shed.

Dad left and Mum took a break…still no fish. It is nearing 1300.

Dad came through with a fish, and a man and his three-year-old son provided four supplementary fish for the family! Thank you. You are helping to keep this family alive.

Meanwhile….Xavier has delivered two breakfasts to Marri and Barru.

Check out this video of the storm a few days ago!

Remember. We are getting so close to fledge that you might as well go and purchase the tissues and have them ready. What a great year it has been at Orange. How delighted for Xavier and Diamond. Now…there are bushfires in some areas of Australia along with a drought. I just do not want it to pour down rain in Orange for the entire fortnight following their fledge. Cross your fingers and toes with me, please.

So what is happening at the Parramatta River in Sydney? I am not seeing any updates for two days now. All was well then. Let us hope it stays that way.

Now to the US and the Bald Eagles readying for the 2023 season.

At NE Florida, Gabby and V3 continue to be hopeful and work on their nest near Jacksonville, Florida.

Lady Hawk catches two mating attempts.

Near Fulton, Illinois on the Mississippi River, there is concern for Valor 2 – once part of the infamous Lover’s Trio Bald Eagle family. Dennis Becht has gone out to try and find Valor 2 and get him help.

Here is the latest update on Valor 2 from Dennis Becht.

Connie and Clive are working diligently on their Captiva nest – parents of Connick. No word on Connick’s release from the Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey at Maitland. He could not have better care. They were waiting til all of his feathers grew in to release him. What a great facility!

Eagles at Decorah.

New nest building at Decorah Hatchery?

Alex flew in to the KNF-E3 nest to do some nestorations.

Checking out the nest bowl at the E-1 nest of Louis and Anna in the Kisatchie National Forest.

Eagles were working at Dulles-Greenway.

It is always a beautiful view at Big Bear Valley – but it is always better when Jackie and/or Shadow are there!

Franklin and Frances have been busy at Bluff City.

D3 was at Centreport today.

29 Days to hatch watch at Superbeaks!

Black Vultures checking and cleaning the NCTC nest of Bella and ________.

Audubon’s report on the 2023 Eagle breeding season in Florida is here.

audubon_florida_eaglewatch_october_2023.2Download

Check out the size difference between genders in these raptors.

It is that time of year when all that lead that went into the animals that were hunted and killed gets eaten when the eagles and other carrion eaters find the innards left in the field. That lead is toxic just like all of the fishing equipment that continues to be used that is lead. Time to switch!

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For those of you that still have fall, remind everyone –

Please tell everyone you know not to celebrate with balloons. There are beautiful alternatives. Use safe biodegradable paper. OR let’s ditch the decorations altogether and celebrate by donating to shelters for animals or humans! Just imagine.

All of our wildlife have emotions.

John Love is responsible for reintroducing the White-tail Eagle in the UK. He dedicated his entire life to these magnificent feathered creatures. Go to roydennis.org to see the video tribute.

The Ventana Society announces that the quarantine pens for HPAI – to save the California Condors – are now on their way!

Because things are at the end does not mean they are any less important than those at the beginning. Indeed, it is often the reverse. Humans cannot survive without insects. So every time someone puts chemicals on their lawn to make it look beautiful, the insects get poisoned and then the birds that eat them. Let us all begin to re-think our attitudes before it is too late. This is a grim report.

Number-of-species-at-risk-of-extinction-doubles-to-2-million-says-study-Endangered-species-The-Download

From ‘H’ for all of us – thank you! We do what we can with what we have.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, articles, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, H, Sassa Bird’, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Sharon Pollock, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk, Dennis Becht, Window to Wildlife, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, FOBBV, Baiba, Sara A, Centreport Live Cam, Superbeaks, NCTC, Audubon Eaglewatch, Elite Falconry, Science of the Total Environment, Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew, Sassa Bird, Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, Ventana Wildlife, The Guardian, and Emily Dickinson.

Friday in Bird World

3 November 2023

Good Morning,

Thursday was a gorgeous day. The temperature hovered around 0 C. So it was damp and the wind was a little nippy but it was still a good day for a walk in the park and a party for the girls!

I did not touch the colour. This really was a ‘grey’ day! There is a skim of ice over most of the pond but not all of it.

The gardeners have left everything for the birds that winter there and the birds in the spring when all those insects come to life. Remember that if you see Cedar Waxwings in groups on the sidewalks or lawns looking dead, they have been eating fermented berries and are drunk. They will come around!

I had hoped to get the girls to wear those decorative collars and all sit nice around their cake and food dishes but…well, cats do not cooperate! They are independent with minds of their own. Too funny. Looking forward to many more years with these three. Oh, and ‘the boyfriend’ also got a special plate of food.

Missey licking her lips after some nice chicken.

Missey looked at the little cake with its raspberry icing and thought about tasting it. But Missey is too polite to do that – she only rushes and grabs if it is chicken! or butter.

Hope thought the best thing was the six different types of treats.

The vet might have something to say about ‘little’ (LOL) Hope.

Calico was all excited – she enjoyed the chicken, two plates of special tinned food and then to top it off, she wasn’t shy about checking out the raspberry icing! Happy first birthday, Calico!

Tonya Irwin reminded everyone on the KNF chat of last year’s egg laying: “That’s what happened last season. Superbeaks on 11/2 then KNF E-3 on 11/19, then Metro, then back to Florida at SWFL, then KNF E-1.”

It was a good morning at Port Lincoln. There were two early feedings!

With the chicks full, Mum gets to enjoy some nice fish.

The report for the day:

In other Port Lincoln news,

Parent feedings and self-feeding at the scrape of Diamond and Xavier early morning.

The down is quickly coming off those heads!

Lady and Dad were at the old Ironbark Nest in the Sydney Olympic Park early in the morning.

‘A’ sends the report from Sydney: “November 2: Last evening late (November 1) at 19:27, Dad brought in a good-sized fish. As no juvenile turned up, Lady ate it. This morning, both eagles came to the nest early, moving a few sticks before leaving. All was quiet on the nest during the day. Then, late in the afternoon (17:14), Lady was escorted into the nest area by the currawongs and was seen up high above the camera. Neither juvenile has been seen here today . Later, both parents came in, were seen on the nest and looking down below, before settling in.

November 3: Both parents were seen at the nest early and later down on the river. Otherwise no sightings during the day – all quiet. I went for a walk in the forest again, searching, and could not see either of the juveniles. I did find lots of gull feathers under the nest – remains of prey – though no fish bits. Maybe a fox has cleaned them up? There were also clumps of possum fur here and there and a few furry remains – maybe signs of Powerful Owl prey? The picture is from the forest in the ironbark roost area and shows our original hide. We used to watch the original oldest nest from there. This was BC – Before Camera.”

There are Bald Eagles at Decorah and in Manitoba, where I live, they are gathering along the river – juveniles, sub-adults, and adults. They will almost all begin their migration soon although some are choosing to remain here in the winter.

Clive and Connie were at Captiva. (I wonder if we should check the osprey cam soon?)

At Dulles-Greenway, Martin brings Rosa a rabbit lunch!

Looks like Ron and Rose are thinking eaglets, too! Let us hope their second season together at the WRDC nest is fantastic.

Ahhhhhh….love is on the minds of all the eagles. Louis and Anna, both recovering from some injuries, were working diligently on their nest in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana.

M15 brings a huge fish and for the first time, his new mate, F23, eats it on the nest!

Jak and Audacity always hopeful – at Sauces in the Channel Islands.

Graceful. Beautiful. The Sandhill Cranes feed on the farmer’s fields here in Manitoba in the spring and the fall. Ferris Akel captures some video of the ones near Ithaca, NY this past weekend that are undertaking migration.

The National Wildlife Foundation provides the following information on the range of the Sandhill Crane: “Sandhill cranes spend most of their lives in freshwater wetlands, including marshes, wet grasslands and river basins. Three subpopulations of sandhill cranes are migratory: the lesser, greater, and Canadian sandhill cranes. All of these subspecies spend winters in the south and summers at their breeding grounds. The cranes winter in Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. In the early spring, they begin the migration to their breeding grounds. Throughout the spring, the cranes can be seen resting and feeding along rivers and wetlands throughout the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest. The largest congregation of sandhill cranes occurs from February to early April along the Platte River in Nebraska. During the late spring, summer, and early fall, sandhill cranes can be seen at their breeding grounds. Some breed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Others breed in Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. Three subpopulations of sandhill cranes are non-migratory. The Mississippi sandhill crane is found on the southeastern coast of Mississippi. Florida sandhill cranes occur in many inland wetlands of Florida. The Cuban sandhill crane lives exclusively in savannas, wetlands, and grasslands in Cuba. Mississippi and Cuban sandhill cranes are critically endangered.”

New records were set for counting on Big Bird Day! How wonderful.

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We have Lesser Scaup in Manitoba during the spring and summer breeding seasons but not the record numbers they are seeing in Cornwall that I am aware.

Rarity-finders-record-breaking-Lesser-Scaup-flock-in-Cornwall-BirdGuidesDownload

As the weather gets cooler in the Northern Hemisphere, people worry about mice and head to the shops to get rodenticide. Please don’t.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care of yourself. I hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for the notes, posts, articles, videos, graphics, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A’, Tonya Irwin, Superbeaks, Sassa Bird, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, KNF-E1, National Wildlife Federation, Lady Hawk, Ferris Akel, BirdLife International and BirdGuides.

Sea Eaglet harassed by Currawongs…Tuesday in Bird World

24 October 2023

Good Morning!

Oh, the weather turned on Monday. No sun, just grey skies. In the morning, I could still run outside and put the birdseed out in my slip-on sandals. Then the winds came, the sky turned the deepest dark charcoal in places, and the European Starlings arrived. There were 37 of them! They are heading south, leaving Manitoba, where our temperatures are set to plummet to 0 with snow on Thursday and -5 on Friday, leading up to -10 C in a week. The furnace is on, and it is now time to find those gloves I did not have at the nature centre yesterday! The leaves quickly blew off the trees in the strong wind. They look bare against the sky like some of the drawings that Van Gogh did. Tonight I put out the food for the ‘outdoor’ cats and I was chilled to the bone. So much for winter being far away.

I am so glad that Calico and Hope are inside the house and not outside ‘homeless’.

Look who was preparing to jump into Missey’s basket while she was napping in the conservatory.

At Orange, the eyases, Marri and Barru, are changing rapidly. Notice the pinfeathers that will become their gorgeous tails – their rudders. They have their wing feathers coming in splendidly, and their faces are getting darker!

See the quills. They are called ‘blood feathers’. All of the raptors have them. The eyases will preen, and that preening will help rid the chicks of their white fluff, revealing their juvenile feathers underneath. It will also help break off the shafts from which their feathers are growing.

You can see that all of that baby pink is gone and that gorgeous slate blue-grey coming under their eyes. These chicks look healthy. Their feather development looks spot on.

Soon the white fluff will disappear and these two little ones will look like the great falcons they will become – the fastest birds on the planet (or any animal/bird for that matter)..

‘A’ adds: “At Orange, the cuddle puddle is currently on the near-side wall of the scrape, in front of the Cilla Stones. They both got up off their tarsi and tried walking today, a skill young Barru is mastering more quickly than his older sister Marri. So cute. Here are the time stamps for the day. PREY 08:33:36, 10.37.11, 17:13:37, 18:08:20 FEED 08:33 (X & D), 10.37, 17:14, 18:09 XAVIER GUARD 16:16:01. HIGHLIGHTS: 13:24 chicks up close; 13:44:27 Marri walking; 14:05:46 Barru face plants; 15:24:41 Barru sleep kicks Marri; 15:45:33 Marri standing next to D; 16:28:27 Barru walks.”

At Port Lincoln, the two eyases have eaten well with both having nice crops from several feedings and a half a fish sitting on the nest. The wind is picking up.

The pair wanted fish at 0738. Mum made four feedings out of the single breakfast fish. She knows how to keep them satisfied but yet safe on fish if she thinks the deliveries could be short.

Both of them know to open those mouths made so Mum knows they want fish. The remaining egg is a Dudley – thank goodness. Two is plenty.

You can see that both chicks have nice crops. If you look close, you can also see that their down is beginning to disappear, and sadly, we are going to be in the reptile phase shortly. I dislike it immensely as it is often the time when one or another becomes more aggressive.

Concerns over Giliath being out of the nest bowl. They cannot regulate their temperature yet.

Heidi made two videos of Giliath exploring and another longer one of the last feeding of the day! Thanks, H. There are so few videos of the Port Lincoln Nest – much appreciated!

Mum is good to feed the little one equally.

At 0659 Lady flew into the WBSE nest with a fish. There were no fledglings and Lady ate the fish. She was still there at 0740 (eating slow) hoping that one of her babies, 31 or 32, would fly in for a meal. It did not happen. She waited some more. As she sat on the branch looking out into the forest Dad flew by. Was he looking for the fledglings too? Have the Currawong now driven them from the forest? or did they fly out of their own accord? We wait for that answer to be revealed. I was so hopeful since they were returning to the nest. My heart has now sunk down to my toes and I feel nauseous. By 0840, no one is at the nest tree.

Sadly, my concerns for the sea eaglets has played out yet another year. It is heart breaking.

‘A’ sent the official news at WBSE: “The sea eagles report for the day (23 October) is as follows, confirming that both eaglets have now left the immediate area. October 24: 32 again slept on PB close to nest, 31 nearby. Very early both flew off out of camera range. When Dad brought in a leatherjacket early at 6:44, neither eaglet responded and Dad ate it himself. Lady brought in a gull at 7:43 and again ate it herself. The Annual Bird survey team spotted one eaglet in a tree in the buffer zone – safe but away from the nest. During the later morning, Lady was seen high near the nest, but the eaglets still out of camera range. We went looking for 32 and saw it on the ground – being swooped by currawongs and ravens, even pulling its tail. It then flew strongly over a fence and then over another fence into the forest. Away from the nest, safe and uninjured. We could not see 31 and did not go near the nest, fearing disturbing it. Late in the day we received 2 reports that an eaglet had been seen flying across the Armory not far from the Discovery Centre. As Rohan could still see the first we had found, we now know that both fledglings have left the nest area. So when Dad brought in a bird around 6:30pm, neither eaglet was home and he ate it himself. We shall be watching around the whole area carefully for any sign of our fledglings. Stay safe and strong.”

Jackie and Shadow show that team work can help move some big sticks about at their nest in Big Bear Valley.

Here comes Jackie to help Shadow! Look at those magnificent pine cones.

Redding Eagle Lovers. Liberty and Guardian are back! News about when the camera will be up and some images and discussion with Gary.

M15 and F23 are busy as well!!!!!!

F23 laid in her new nest for the first time – the event captured by Lady Hawk. So will this couple be the first with eggs in the nest? Could be.

Gabby and V3 have been working on their nest. Someone suggested Gabby might start giving him a right kick like Harriet did to M15! We shall see.

Nest checks were going on at Dulles-Greenway.

Thank goodness there are two cameras at Superbeaks. Pepe and Muhlady are getting those rails and that moss so high you can hardly see them when they are in the nest!

Anna appears to be sleeping in the KNF-E-1 nest Monday night.

I missed getting a screen capture of them, but Hope and Chandler were both at Port Tobacco on Monday.

The new male at Pittsburgh-Hayes has been working on the nest.

No one should be travelling to Malta. Letters should be going out demanding the Maltese government stop the loopholes in the laws that allow poachers to kill migrating birds. These poor babies struggle to survive and then when they almost reach Africa they get shot. It is despicable.

More about the illegal loopholes that allow the poaching of migratory birds in Malta.

In Malta, legal loopholes give poachers cover to hunt migratory birds

A webinar on how to stop the loopholes:

Last. It is not a story about birds going extinct or Avian Flu but about a cat that was lost and found 11 years later…and love. To put a smile on your face.

The-pet-Ill-never-forget-I-spent-11-years-grieving-for-my-cat-Biff.-Then-came-the-call-from-a-pet-Download

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please keep WBSE 31 and 32 in your thoughts and send them positive energy. Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, H’, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, PLO, Heidi Mc, Sydney Sea Eagles, Judy Harrington, FOBBV, Gary and FORE, Lady Hawk, NEFL-AEF, SK Hideaways, Dulles-Greenway, Superbeaks, KNF E-1, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, Pix Cams, Birdlife Malta, M Conservation News, and The Guardian.

Monday in Bird World

23 October 2023

Hello Everyone!

Sunday continued as a grey day with some drizzle. It did warm up a bit but we are now definitely into layers and toques (knitted hats). No gloves or mitts required – yet.

The fall colours are sensational.

There are still Mallards paddling in the ponds and there were approximately a hundred geese at mid-afternoon on the big lake. More will fly in at dusk.

At home, something wonderful happened on Sunday. All the girls were in the conservatory. Hope climbed up the big cat tree to play with Missey’s bushy tail while Mamma Calico was below on the floor. No problems. Everyone got along! Hope and Missey played for almost an hour. I was in tears. Missey has missed having someone to play with. I know the Feliway doesn’t work for all cats, but it has brought peace of mind to our house.

Hope is growing. Sometimes I have to look twice to see if it is her or Calico.

Hope also decides that she wants to share the same chair with Mamma.

About 1730, the garden came to life. The Blue Jays had been pecking at the seed on the big tray feeder. Then, the Dark-eyed Juncos arrived along with the little woodpecker. Dyson showed up with her three kits, and then Little Red had to come and push its weight around. He is a bully to all the grey squirrels. I think this is the opposite of what happens in the UK, but Little Red is decidedly ‘the boss’ and lets everyone know it. I find it unsettling when there is always plenty of food for everyone, and territory is not an issue.

The Dark-eyed Juncos are one of my favourite migrating visitors to the garden.

A female Hairy Woodpecker enjoying the new suet.

Dear Dyson. The Matriarch of the Clan still going strong. Dyson and her three kits appear to be in very good health. Their coats are lovely and their fur is getting nice and thick for winter. No one is missing a tail either!

Storm Babet hit the UK, leaving many without power, streets flooded, and damage to one or more of the Osprey nests and cameras. There are continuing worries in many areas. We wait for people to be able to get out and check – and they need to be careful – as the water is still high in many places, such as Alyth.

Stay safe everyone!

It looks lovely near the Loch Arkaig nest where there is another surprise visitor.

Lady is taking care of both of her fledglings on the nest. So far, so good. I am almost in shock – in a good way – that these two, SE31 and 32, are flying about and returning to the nest. This is priceless after years of the Currawong chasing them out of the forest the minute they fledge. So hopeful.

Fledge day for 32, if you missed it.

Both safely on the nest.

This was the summary from the WBSE. Thanks, ‘A’: October 23: a quiet night, with 32 sleeping on PB and 31 nearby – neither on the nest. However it was good to see them both find their way “home” in the early morning when swooped by currawongs. Dad brought a fish at 7:10 – as usual 32 quick, but Lady flew in and claimed it. She ate some then fed the eaglets, with 32 eating more. When Lady left 31 came back and self-fed a little. During the day, both were nearby, and swooped by currawongs at times. When I checked in the forest during the day, I could hear them clearly yelling at currawongs, though out of sight. In the late afternoon at 17:42, Lady brought in a gull, which she took off the nest to PB to de-feather. She fed 32, and then both, with them picking at scraps when she flew off. Shortly after Dad brought in part of a fish, which was claimed by 31. Both then preparing for the night, but not on the nest.”

Port Lincoln. Dad brought in a nice fish and both chicks got a reasonable feed at breakfast.

Dad came in with a nice big stick later but Mum was not impressed and despite the winds told him to go fishing!

He returned a few hours later. Fish!

‘A’ reports on the last fish delivery: “The day was very windy and no more fish were brought in for the day until 19:43. Again, the younger chick had the front position and mum gave it lots of bites. It did very well indeed at that feeding. It did become increasingly unsteady on its feet at one stage, even toppling over sideways, I think because it is totally unused to moving with such a gigantic crop. It has never had one before that I’ve seen. But both chicks ate well and will go to sleep with full tummies. That’s what we like to see. Leftovers on the nest for an early breakfast would make things ideal but this dad does like to help himself to them (though he does often eat, then bring back the last of the fish for mum and the kids). In this case, mum finished off most of the leftovers herself. There is a tiny bit of fish still on the nest. The family snuggled down for the night at 20:00.” 

Breakfast came early at Orange.

More prey later. Xavier is an incredible provider. Indeed, look at the summary provided by Orange: “Here is the day’s summary from Orange: PREY 06.02.38, 08:04:14, 09.10.54, 14:56:04, 19:03:58 FEEDING 06.03(X), 08:04, 09.15, 14:57, 19:04 XAVIER BROOD 13:07:24. PREY today: small grebe, eastern rosella, red wattlebird, starling, and pigeon for supper.”

Contentment.

Osprey counting in The Gambia with Jean-marie Dupart.

Thunder and Akecheta were at the old West End nest on Sunday. Oh, how nice it was to see them up close. Akecheta brought in prey and was eating it when Thunder arrived. There was not much left for her. (Akecheta still has his wing tag #61. Thunder lost hers).

Chase and Cholyn were home at Two Harbours as well!!!!!!!!

Gabby and V3 were very busy at the nest on Sunday.

At SW Florida, M15 is delivering food gifts to F23.

Nancy and Beau are creating a new nest. Sadly, there might not be a camera but after the unhappy season earlier in 2023, we all wish them well.

Rosa and Martin were working hard at Dulles-Greenway. Wonder how they will take to this new nest after their old one collapsed right at fledging.

There was at least one adult and one sub-adult at the Decorah Eagle nest in Iowa. Those fall colours are gorgeous.

Not much longer til the Redding Eagle Cam is back on line.

I know that we are all glad that Anna is greatly improved. She was back at the nest on Sunday with Louis, preparing for the upcoming breeding season in Louisiana.

The only Black Stork from the Karula National Forest in Estonia that is sending location transmissions is Kalvi who remains in Bulgaria.

On 12 October Waba was at the Taga Sea of Galilee in Israel. On 30 September Karl II was at Gold Lake, Turkey. On October 5, Kaia was at the fish ponds at Neve Eitan Israel. No transmissions for the three of them since those dates. Bonus’s tracker ran out of battery when he was in Ukraine.

Birds flying in areas of conflict hoping to find food makes me nervous.

More sad news as more birds and wildlife go extinct.

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I know that many of you are fans of the owl nest in Corona and they are getting it all ready for season 4.

There are concerns over Avian Flu in Canada with cases expected to rise as migration occurs.

Avian-flu-cases-expected-to-increase-in-Canada-CTV-NewsDownload

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. We hope to have you back with us again soon in Bird World.

Thank you to the following for their posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A’, Livia Armstrong, Geemeff, Gracie Shepherd, Sandra Davies, Sydney Eagle Cam, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Jean-marie Dupart, IWS/Explore, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk, Sassa Bird, Dulles-Greenway, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, FORE, Tonya Irwin, Looduskalender, The Guardian, Live Owl Camera, and CTV News.

All is well in Bird World…Sunday

22 October 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Skies with clouds ranging from the softest grey down of the newborn osplet to the charcoal-espresso band under its eye graced the skies of southern Manitoba on Saturday. The sun poked itself out to cheer us up on several occasions. It was nippy, and a glance at the neighbourhood had people scurrying to get their plants inside for the winter and last-minute clean-ups on the gardens. Did they not hear? Leave the Leaves!

The songbirds continue to flood the feeders as they migrate through our province. Crossbills today, along with Pine Siskins and Dark-eyed Juncos. The Blue Jays might stay all winter along with the House Sparrows. The Crows were flying around, but the greatest number of birds overhead were Ring-billed Gulls late this afternoon.

It is 6 degrees C at 1800. Damp. Cold. Grey. Dreary. I do not know where Hope and Missey are but Calico is cuddled up in a pile of blankets.

The girls have been so tranquil that you do not know they are even about unless one or the other -or all -decide they are ‘starving’. Pleasant isn’t quite the word. Bliss. Is it possible that the pheromone diffuser works this well? There has not been a growl or a hiss or anything uncivilised. Unbelievable. I had so worried about Missey. She was just getting herself sorted after losing her best friend, Lewis, and Calico began being aggressive. It is all over. So happy. Hoping that they might become ‘window buddies’ sometime in the future.

Hope loves cuddling with Mamma. Mamma loves her blank. Apologies for the low quality of the image, but I raced to grab the phone, afraid they would move. Hope has learned how to pose when she sees the camera!!!!!!!!!!!

Sleepy time.

Hope decided she wanted to help write the blog.

The reintroduction of the White-tailed Eagle into Scotland was no small feat. One of the primary movers and shakers was John Love, who recently passed away. Here is a guest blog written for Mark Avery by Love in August of 2023 about the project.

What a remarkable man. I met and chat with him many years ago when I was a visiting artist at Hospitalfield near Dundee. Hospitalfield (yes, it is a strange name) was the first art school in the UK. Beautiful Manor House and gardens. It was a joy to be there working on projects related to the environment with other artists from around the world. It was also good to have some free time to meet people who were important to Scotland’s conservation efforts, like John Love.

Guest-blog-–-The-SEA-EAGLE-was-its-extinction-justified-by-John-A.-Love-–-Mark-AveryDownload

Roy Dennis has some good podcasts. Check them out if you want to learn about some of the reintroductions in Scotland – including those that John Love worked on.

Podcasts-Roy-Dennis-Wildlife-FoundationDownload

Guess who woke up hungry at Port Lincoln?

‘A’ reports about the 21st: “At Port Lincoln, there are 10 feedings recorded on the Obs Board, from two fish, starting with a good feeding from yesterday’s leftover fish at 06:34. Dad brought in a fresh fish (medium, headless) at 08:15 and the third (a zebra fish, medium) at 14:17. Giliath ate at all 10 feedings, the younger osplet at eight. I watched a couple of feedings (especially the one from 14:18) and was again impressed at how evenly mum distributed the fish between the two. Both are holding their heads up and eating well. The younger is able to see better and its grabs at the food are more successful. It is also dealing better with the size of the bites, although both osplets generally end up with faces covered in fish. At least they can snack off each other at the end of the feeding!” 

Note-Dad brought in four fish! He is upping his game as the chicks need more food! Here are the feedings.

Heidi caught the breakfast. The chicks were ravenous. A great feeding.

Chicks are hungry!

The feeding times, etc for the first part of Sunday at the PLO barge. We need more fish!!!!!!!!!!! As noted above, Dad brought in 3 more fish. Excellent.

The two osplets at Orange are pondering their big feet and trying to use them to walk around the scrape. Pin feathers are definitely in!

Dr Cilla Kinross, the head researcher on peregrine falcons at Charles Sturt University and principal responsible for the scrape that is currently used by Diamond and Xavier, has a recent paper published on falcon breeding behaviour.

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‘A’ sent a link to the interview with Dr Cilla Kinross.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights/audio/2018911726/famous-falcon-family-livestream-enthralls-bird-lovers.

The sea eagles, SE 31 and 32 are flying back and forth from the nest tree to the tree that supports the camera. Adults continue to bring food to the nest for the hungry pair. I am holding my breath.

‘A’ remarks, “At WBSE, both eaglets had a good breakfast, then spent the morning exploring the outermost reaches of the nest tree. At this stage, we cannot see either, so they are either high and/or wide in the nest tree or exploring nearby. We may have to wait until food is delivered to the nest for them to show themselves. Otherwise, we wait for this evening to see who is sleeping in or near the nest. It is a really bad time for the second camera to give up the ghost, as it was extremely useful for seeing those parts of the nest tree we are currently most interested in – its outer reaches.”

What a beauty.

‘A’ puts it right – it is an egg race and who will win. “It is an egg race – the nests and the eagle couples seem ready to go at E-1, E-2 and SWFL. I haven’t watched Superbeaks, but they’re pretty much sorted there as well. I am unsure what the usual egg-laying calendar is like for those particular nests, and I wonder whether the eggs might be laid earlier if temperatures are expected to be high again this summer. I suspect the birds that don’t work that out fairly fast will not raise successful broods in future seasons. Anna and Louis were also working on their nest this morning, with no sign of Anna’s injury. She is landing without difficulty, putting normal weight on the leg and foot, and having no trouble manoeuvring large sticks into position. (Like all eagle females, she is very particular about stick placement). Louis/Anna and Alex/Andria look very healthy, as do their partnerships. These are experienced couples and appear to be progressing smoothly into their breeding season. The same is true at SWFL with M15 and F23. The only concern remains NEFL, where we are waiting with bated breath to see whether V3 will master mating this year. He and Gabby were on the nest today, mid-afternoon, and they are perched together at the lumber yard again tonight. Both look healthy, and their bond appears strong. There is just one more piece of the puzzle to fall into place. Talons crossed.”

M15 is determined to have the highest crib rails in any nest! He is also checking out the nest bowl. It is exciting to see him begin a new life with a new mate. Can’t wait to see these two as parents.

Smitty and Bella were working on the NCTC nest on Saturday. Smitty returns after being away for a day shy of a month. Tears.

Eagle Country is live. Abby and Blazer have returned after Hurricane Ian and they are working on their nest.

Gabby and V3 were up early working on their nest.

In his Saturday Tour at Montenzuma, Wildlife Drive, Sapsucker Woods and the Cornell Campus, Ferris Akel spotted Big Red! So nice to see you, Big Red!

These are the two surviving osplets at Osprey House Environment Centre in Australia. Total juvenile plumage!

The ospreys in Australia are Eastern Ospreys and they do not migrate.

In West Africa, Jean-marie Dupart is counting the UK and European Ospreys that spend their winter in Senegal and The Gambia.

A twenty-six-year-old Red Kite. Sadly the bird was found injured and due to its age, it was euthanised. Gosh, I hope someone doesn’t ‘put me down’ just because I am old and injured!!!!!!

Old-aged-Red-Kite-found-in-Carmarthenshire-BirdGuidesDownload

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care of yourselves. Stay safe!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, blogs, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H, Sassa Bird’, Mark Avery Blog, Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, PLO, Heidi Mc, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Corella, Karen Leng, RNZ, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Se McGregor, Lady Hawk, NCTC, Eagle Country, Ferris Akel, Osprey House EC, Jean-Marie Dupart, and Bird Guides.

SE32 fledges!…Saturday in Bird World

21 October 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

It is the weekend! Sometimes I laugh when I say that. Being retired it doesn’t matter what day of the week it is! One of the perks. It rained (somewhat) on and off, the skies were grey as forecast and then the sun came out for awhile. It was a good day to be inside with the girls. We are working on a design for a feeding station for ‘the boyfriend’ so that his food does not get wet when it rains or snows.

Well, Calico decided to be a little aggressive towards Missey on Friday. The behaviour had been building even though there are many perches, several food stations, multiple litter boxes, lots of playtime, and love. So, on Friday morning, a Feliway diffuser was installed. My goodness. Talk about tranquillity. It uses calming pheromones for cats. And so far it is working.

The nests are doing rather well in Bird World. The only kink in anything is the hot gusty weather in Australia that is causing issues with fishing/hunting in both Port Lincoln and Sydney.

The two little osplets at Port Lincoln appear to be doing well, and Mum diligently feeds them. Look at those beaks wide open, ready for some leftover fish in the nest! There is a size difference. All bets in my house are on that last egg not hatching.

Another feeding at 0819. Look at the nice crops on those two. My hopes are really high for the success of the nest this season (providing that other egg does not hatch). The second hatch is much stronger and Mum is so careful to make sure that both are fed.

Later, the osplets are hungry. The weather is hot in South Australia, the winds are gusting according to ‘A’ and it is not very good for fishing. They wait for another fish from Dad. “The same problem is affecting Port Lincoln, where the temperatures are nowhere near as high (just 16C) but the winds are very gusty (up to 29mph), making fishing difficult for dad. Unfortunately, sea breezes generally pick up as the afternoon goes on, so I can’t see that improving much today. Hopefully dad will provide a lunch fish very shortly.”

Only 2 fish came in to Port Lincoln at 0815 and 1417. Let us hope the weather improves for Dad’s fishing.

Marri and Barru are both developing, making milestones, and becoming the most adorable characters as they grow. Xavier and Diamond are doing a fantastic job.

Looking out at the world beyond the nest.

Beautiful Xavier.

Sunning.

SK Hideaways caught these two with their clown feet!

One of the things that warms my heart the most is seeing SE31 safe at the nest after fledgling. Sharing time with their sibling. Eating. And now 32 has fledged.

‘A’ gives us an update, “At WBSE the eaglets spent the morning perched around the nest tree. Both appear to have small but noticeable crops. Look at them from around 11:50, perched together and looking gorgeous. Such beautiful juveniles. They look strong and healthy and are really developing their flying and landing skills even in and around the nest tree. Around noon, what looks to be SE32 jumps down into the nest to look for leftovers. He finds some, so SE31 joins him. SE32 is very protective of the morsels he has found. There is some pecking which is threatening but does not actually connect. There are currawongs around the tree, and both eaglets were watching one in particular before SE31 flew off. They seemed undisturbed by them, and like yesterday, I can only see and hear one currawong. Presumably, SE31 is in the tree where the second camera is located. Alternatively, she could be in the nest tree, below.”

“By about 13:00 both sea eaglets are back in the nest tree (SE32 lying duckling style on the nest and SE31 high in the nest tree, on a branch behind the nest, so she has obviously flown around the tree to get back to that point. She has been flying around the vicinity of the nest tree for a couple of days now, often flying to the tree where the second camera is mounted (it’s a shame it’s stopped working!) and back again. So she is gaining confidence in the area around the nest, which MUST be a good thing, surely. It is a very hot (30C) and windy day in the Sydney area – bad for bushfires and bad for fishing. The eaglets really could do with one of mum’s patented giant eels.”

Prey delivery at 0628.

They are gorgeous. There is something about the behaviour of these two that reminds me of SE25 and 26 – their closeness in the nest, 25 helping 26. Perhaps together, these two can dominate the forest, fly around a little bit, get those wings strong, and then go and learn how to hunt with their parents. We will weep bucks – rivers – if this happens.

SE31 continues to do little flights but is returning to the nest. A couple of days ago they were both doing some heraldic poses that Sharon Pollock caught for us.

Then 32 wanted to join its sibling 31!

Getting ready.

32 returned and slept duckling style on the nest while 31 was located on a branch under Dad. All are safe. Can I say ‘relief’?

The folks in Sydney have posted the following:

Meanwhile the Bald Eagles continue to mate and work on their nests. Anyone have any ideas who will have the first eggs? Will it be Superbeaks? Barry College? SW Florida? NE Florida?

Pepe at Superbeaks working on that nest on Friday.

It looks like Louis’s mate, Anna, from the KNF E-1 nest is improving after a series of injuries. This is excellent news!

Is it possible that Smitty who has been missing 21 September has returned to the NCTC nest to his mate, Bella?

There are some concerns about the visits of the local GHO to the nest of M15 and F23.

Gabby and V3 continue to bring stick after stick to the NEFlorida Bald Eagle Nest. At the same time, they are lining the nest with really soft moss. Hopeful.

The latest news on the streaming cam at the Minnesota DNR Bald Eagle Nest of Nancy and Beau:

It is wonderful to read any article about birds thriving instead of going into a rapid decline.

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Ervie is certainly moving about the environment surrounding Port Lincoln.

In New Zealand, the Royal Albatross are returning for this breeding season. As YRK, the Mum of Pippa Atawhai and Lillibet patiently waits for the return of OGK, others are doing skycaps and renewing their bonds. (It is highly unlikely that our darling OGK will return. He was not seen for most of the last breeding season – MIA in May 2022).

It appears that seabirds in the UK have some immunity to Bird flu. This is encouraging news.

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A giggle from Bazz Hockaday to start off our Saturday!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, H’, Port Lincoln Ospreys, SK Hideaways, Sydney sea Eagles, Sharon Pollock, Se McGregor, Superbeaks, Tonya Irwin, NEFL-AEF, Deb Stecyk, Laura Davis Nelson, BirdGuides, Sharon Dunne, The Guardian, and Bazz Hockaday.

All eyes on Port Lincoln…Sunday in Bird World

15 October 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the weekend.

The girls have been having a whale of a time running through the house and watching everything in the garden. Missey alerted me to something ‘strange’ happening at the back – and there was Little Red.

Note: You can also see those ‘dots’ placed on the conservatory windows’ exterior. They really did prevent bird strike!

Look at his mouth. He is untying the twine around some vines and a metal screen and taking it to the woodbox where he is readying his winter abode.

Everyone came for a visit and a good meal today. Dyson was on the table feeder and the little covered feeder shovelling up seed. It is always good to see her and she is in very good shape as winter approaches.

One of Dyson’s kits.

Hope decided she wanted to relax on the wicker hamper that Missey likes to use to look out to the garden from the sitting room. She is a bit of a cheeky one. And she gets by with things because she is a cute little kitten!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope would rather play than anything and her favourite thing is to run flat out from one end of the house to the other leaping over all the furniture. It makes Mamma tired!

Hope is the cutest thing. Sometimes when I look at her I wonder if her name should have been ‘Miracle’ – it still feels like a miracle that these two were united.

I cannot imagine her being outside. Just this morning, the saddest (and most outrageous/nauseating) posting on the ‘Lost Cat’ page – some people had murdered a missing cat and had filmed the act and then thrown its body into the neighbour’s garden. For that reason and all the cars that will not slow down, darling Hope – along with her Mamma, Calico, and Missey, will never go outside! They are destined to be voyeurs.

Mamma. It has been different having the three girls. Before Calico’s arrival, Missey was the relaxed Alpha cat. She is still relaxed. It is just her very sweet nature. She does not appear to give a toss about hierarchy within the house, and throughout Saturday, it has become apparent that Calico will probably be the dominant female. I put this down to her being able to survive outside in the community. I recall one day when she was eating at the feral feeding station, and Boots – aka ‘the boyfriend’ came up. Calico gently put her paw out, and he did not try to interrupt her. Boots waited. Calico was the boss.

They will soon figure out that there are enough sofas, enough litter boxes, enough food – and more love than they can imagine – and all this is nothing more than foolishness.

In the meantime, we will continue our stories. Tomorrow, we begin another Cara Black novel, Three Days in Paris. (We are reading them backwards – ssssssh. Don’t tell. They have no idea!). When I begin reading, Calico and Hope come to the sofa. Missey is now joining in sometimes from her wicker basket. It is wonderful!

The following post asks people not to throw food out of the window when they are driving down a road or a highway. Even a city street. I would like to take this a little further. Please put a small shovel in the trunk of your car. If you see a dead animal on the road – and it is safe for you to do so – pull over. Get out the shovel from the trunk and take the dead animal way off the side of the road or put it on the boulevard. Crows eat carrion and get killed on City streets. Help them. They are hungry and they help clean up – as do many other species.

If you don’t have a shovel, a pick stick or a piece of cardboard works wonders, too. Sadly, a car going too fast hit one of our local rabbits. I put it on the boulevard, and our local Crow family had a ‘safe’ feast.

As it happened a grey squirrel was killed on one of the busiest streets in my neighbourhood. I saw a Crow there trying to get it. We went back, stopped traffic and moved it to the boulevard. We didn’t need another death and people drive way too fast!

More challenges for our raptors. Flares.

Not an Osprey but a beautiful buzzard checking out Loch Arkaig.

Mum is rolling the eggs at Port Lincoln and everyone is waiting for that first pip as Sunday morning arrives.

At 0910 Mum is calling Dad who was seen on the old barge with a large crop but no fish for Mum. Is that an eggshell behind her? No! She flies off. I hope he has a nice piece of fish for her.

Well, it is after noon and Mum is waiting for a fish.

1341. The fish arrives on the nest for Mum. ‘A’ saw it: “At Port Lincoln, dad has just flown in with a nice fish for mum. She has been fish calling but very reluctant to leave the nest because she is being pestered by a gull who fancies one of those eggs for lunch. She has flown off with her fish, leaving dad to guard the precious clutch. He carefully settles down. He’s been a perfect dad. These eggs have virtually never been left unattended for more than the time it takes for one parent to carefully get up and the other to settle down. They have been the most diligent pair of any species I have ever seen with regard to brooding. a clutch of eggs. They have been exemplary. So let’s see how they go with the next and harder stage. I am confident this is a different dad to last year. There are photos that are sufficiently forensic to show differences between this year’s dad and last’s. We all know there were questions about the health of last year’s dad, so let’s hope this dad is a better and more reliable fisher. Think back to Ervie’s year. At that stage, the old dad was fishing enough for a family of five. As his illness progressed, he became less reliable with provisioning the family, culminating in last year’s tragedy. And now we have a new dad, who does seem to be bringing in two or three fish most days. As you say, we will have to say if he can step this up once the eggs hatch. The time is nigh! We will soon find out.”

Is there a possible pip at 19:44?

Can you see it peeking up? Lost in that big nest? That is Partner and Marrum’s only hatch (so far) at Turnby Island, South Australia. (Hatched on 12 October).

As we prepare for the arrival of these little osplets, WBSE 31 and 32 are preparing for their first flight. 31 has officially branched. 32 scoots up the branch but, when I am writing this, has not flown from the nest to the branch. LOL. Maybe 32 never will!

‘A’ remarks, “How incredibly beautiful are the sea eaglets, with their gorgeous caramel-coloured pantaloons? The camouflage is absolutely superb, presumably designed to help keep them safe in the months it will take them to learn how to hunt for themselves.  SE31 is a very proficient self-feeder. SE32 is still very happy to be fed by a parent when available. I am very confident that we picked the genders on that nest accurately. Look at the shape/size of their heads, in particular. See how narrow and small SE32’s head is compared to his older sibling? Doesn’t it remind you exactly of Dad? SE31 has the head and legs of a female, as well as the body mass. SE32 has been eating as much as or more than SE31 over the past month, so the difference in size is definitely gender-based IMO. I hope she’s as brave as SE29 last season, and that she comes home to the nest each night as SE29 did.”

Pat Burke got the most amazing screen captures of the two of them on the parent branch.

The two eyases of Diamond and Xavier will have names today! And they are nothing short of adorable. Need your spirit boosted – go and watch them!

Here are the results. Thanks, ‘A’: “NESTLING NAMES are Marri (=red kangaroo) 40.7 % and Barru (bilby) 40.3%. Others were Ganyi (echidna): 20.4% Mabi (eastern quoll): 37.4% (runner up!) Budharu ( flying fox): 17.4% Wilay (brush-tailed possum): 18.1% Gidyay (possum): 10.6% Wirrang (rock wallaby): 10.4% Dingu (dingo): 25.3% Wambad (wombat): 9.3% Naagun (koala): 20.8% Gunirr (swamp wallaby):7.6% Marradhi (spotted-tail quoll): 15.6% Walarru (wallaroo, euro): 12.4%”

Beakies and little wing flaps.

Xavier is working overtime to get prey to Diamond and the babies. Lots of feedings and these two are so adorable. It is nearing midnight in Canada and I do not see any mention of names yet.

The streaming cams are up and running at both Decorah Bald Eagle nests. When the cameras were repaired a pile of fish were left on the nest. Looks like it attracted a sub-adult eagle. Nice.

Cholyn paid a visit to the nest at Two Harbours on Saturday.

Cholyn’s daughter, Thunder (mate to Akecheta), visited Tor at the West End nest on Saturday.

Louis and Anna are having problems with owls – already – at the KNF-E1 nest in Louisiana.

Gabby and V3 are quite the couple. They fly in together, work on the nest, and have some amazing ‘discussions’. I love their chortling.

Martin and Rosa have been checking on their new nest.

M15’s new mate, F23, is quite the stunner! These two have been busy working on their nest and it is a new beginning for our devoted dad who raised two eaglets to fledge after his former mate, Harriet, went missing in early February 2023. Wishing all the success for these two love birds.

The Royal Albatross are returning to Taiaroa Head and hoping their mate, whom they would not have seen for 9 or 10 months, will return safely to the nesting area. I hope that YRK (she has returned) will find her long-time mate OGK. They were the parents of Pippa Atawhai in 2020 and Lillibet in 2022 – both Royal Cam chicks.

It is not raptors but another rewilding Scotland – wildcats. As Geemeff notes, ‘They will be able to reclaim their ancestral lands.’

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, Geemeff’, Birds in Helping Hands, RMRP, Geemeff, PLO, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Pat Burke, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, IWS/Explore, Tonya Irwin, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk, Earlybird, and The Guardian.

Monday in Bird World

9 October 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

To those in Canada celebrating Thanksgiving, Happy Thanksgiving to you! And to everyone else reading this, I am thankful to all of you – what a beautiful community of empathetic, intelligent, bird-loving people you are! I feel truly blessed to be in your company. Thank you for all your good wishes for today.

Sunday was coolish – an incredibly gorgeous fall day full of yellows, reds, and oranges. The nature centre was full of people enjoying the fall foliage and the Canada Geese that were landing on the lakes and fields. There were a few Mallards about and some House Sparrows and a feisty squirrel at one of the feeders.

All of the garden animals were out. A few Dark-eyed Juncos visit the deck. I did remember, after a comment from ‘J’ to get out there and carve that pumpkin up a bit to see if the squirrels would get interested. Will keep you posted. Mr Crow was on the hydro line and I wonder if he saw the pumpkin and thought it might be tasty.

Little Red has been digging around in the old planting boxes. I haven’t seen him going in and out of the wood box and this worried me a bit so it was great to see him today.

Remember the chubby little baby Blue Jay, just fledged, that slept with the two clay bird ornaments? Well, look now! Beautiful.

The ‘girls’ are doing well. I am sad to report that Lewis took a turn for the worse. He has been unable to keep any food down – and believe me, I have tried everything. Broth, Baby food, tinned food with broth, pulverised chicken. We wait and hope that this situation will change. It is hard to deal with any suffering.

Hope is growing fast and continues to want to play more than she wants to eat.

Calico and I have almost finished our WWII spy novel by Cara Black. Wonder what she will want to read next? I am imagining putting my comfy chair by the wood stove in the dead of winter with Calico on my lap reading away.

These cats have taught me so much about the need for a safe space that is ‘their own’ and how stabilising a routine is – even for cats!

Lewis always feels better after he throws up. Sleeping on one of his favourite chairs. Poor little guy. The Gaviscon bottle is being emptied as my stomach churns repeatedly for him.

Missey was caught in Lewis’s carrier. Oh, if something happens to dear Lewis, Missey will be lost. They have been glued at the hip since they were both adopted as rescues on 2 November 2022. This evening she has been very motherly – washing and washing Lewis – over and over – and comforting him.

It is all about Peregrine Falcons – we have had falcons on our minds since the news at Melbourne. The clutch at Melbourne is believed lost for this year. We hope the female will recover from any injuries she has sustained. Our new dad, M22 – remember he was not the father of the chicks last year but came in and helped like Xavier did with Diamond years ago, is refusing to give up on those eggs. He flew in and incubated them on Monday.

There was a video posted by the Bondi Vet, Chris, in Sydney, Australia. Do you know this character? A Peregrine Falcon couple at the Westfield Mall came into his care. Oh, this is good – ten minutes long. Enjoy.

Meanwhile, Diamond and Xavier and the two little ones – who will have names on the 15th of October – are doing fantastic. Gosh, golly, they are so cute. I fear those pink beaks and toes and that fluffy white are giving way, and little feathers are popping in underneath. The first hatch is visibly larger than the second now…a female? Probably.

So cute!

In this video by Elain, Xavier feeds the babies and Diamond, too! Very special moments of our incredible family.

‘A’ writes, “Dear little Xavier had a brief period brooding the chicks late this afternoon (about 15 or 20 minutes), during which he made valiant but futile efforts to cover the chicks by sitting up and leaning over them. He was obviously concerned about being unable to fit the egg underneath him too, and tried several times (eventually successfully) to cover it. So sweet but not a chance of brooding the two chicks. He really is tiny. Check him out when he delivers prey to Diamond. She is gigantic, especially with all her broody underfluffies, whereas Xavier is very sleek, which accentuates how much smaller he is.”

 

At The Campanile, Lou is sunbathing. Nice to see these two are safe and sound. I worry about them because of the poisoning of pigeons, too. Stay safe you two!

‘N’ sent me a note asking what books I recommend on Peregrine Falcons. Here is my list – not in order of preference.

Richard Sals and Steve Watson. Everything you ever wanted to know about falcons and more. A monumental book – great reference.

J. A. Baker. The Peregrine.

Christie Gove-Berg. (especially for children)

Madeline Dunphy. The Peregrine’s Journey. Similar to Belle’s Journey that documents the migration of an Osprey.

Alan Tennant. On the Wing.

There are, of course, many, many books that mention falcons.

On Sunday, Thunder and Akecheta sunned themselves at the West End Bald Eagle nest. What a gorgeous couple. Wonder if they might reconsider their nest location this year. Nudge, nudge.

Gracie Shepherd caught more of Thunder and Akecheta.

Everyone is hopeful that there will be a clutch of eggs in that nice soft nest Gabby and V3 are working on.

The adults are on the nest in Webster, Texas on Sunday.

Connie and Clive have been working on their nest at Captiva on Monday.

Gosh, 1800. Start checking on Jackie and Shadow. These two love to come to the nest in the early evening. They are certainly doing a close inspection!

In Central Park, Bruce Yolton gives us the latest on Flaco and his adventures living in the ‘wild’ of the Big Apple. (Lots of videos in the blog below)

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Monday was the first time I heard Pied Currawongs in the forest while watching the Sea Eaglets SE31 and 32. Someone will tell me that I am a bit daffy, but there doesn’t seem to be an over abundance of prey being delivered to the nest.

At Port Lincoln, Dad brought three fish to the nest on Sunday. Both are doing incubation duty. Egg 1 was laid on the 6th of September. Depending on how you count, that would be 24 days in September plus 10 in October, making that egg 34 days old. Hang on, we will be on pip watch shortly!

Checking on the progress of Karl II and his family from both BirdMap and Looduskalendar Forum. The Birdmap check on all of the storks – not just Karl II’s family – is from the 6th. Please note the concern for Karl II who has not sent data from the 30th of September.

Kaia is making good progress towards her winter home in Chad.

Kaia continues and she I snow in the Eastern Desert.

Kalvi is still in Bulgaria.

Turkey is where Waba is currently foraging.

The second Condor chick in 2023 has fledged! Fantastic.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care – and please continue to send your best warm wishes to all the nests and to our dear Lewis.

Thank you to the following for their notes, questions, articles, posts, videos, photos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, J, N’, Bondi Vet, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Holly Parsons, Elain, SK Hideaways, IWS/Explore, Gracie Shepherd, Carol Shores Rifkin, Webster TX Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, FOBBV, Bruce Yolton, Sydney Sea Eagles, PLO, Looduskalendar Forum, and Ventana Wildlife Society.