Category Archives: Louisiana wildlife

Late Thursday in Bird World

29 January 2026

Hello Everyone,

It is warming up. -15 C wasn’t bad today but it is still cold. Not having any wind really helped on our morning excursion. The last Thursday of the month is ‘old people’s day’ at pet food stores, with 10-20% discounts. Toby loves going to the pet store. He is spoiled. Well, is there a word that means ‘more than spoiled’. He is always on the ‘lookout’ for a new toy when we go shopping, and today it was a fishing wand with some Valentine feathery bobbles. He would not stop whining til it went in the cart!!!!!!! Now, pet stores often do things on purpose just like grocery stores – put the toys down low in line of the pet’s sight. Remember having a toddler at the checkout line with candy???

Well, the fishing wand toy was a big hit with everyone – including all The Girls. So, thank you, Toby!

We managed to get The Girls two extra-large bags of their kibble and six large 24-tin boxes of wet food, and then there was Brock. He got his huge bag of dry kibble and some wet, and I got a big box of wet food for my neighbour, who also feeds Brock. Toby got his dry food and a handful of Lamb Chop toys. On the way home we stopped to pick up a box that had been delivered earlier in the week when we weren’t home. It is an aviator jacket – faux leather with shearling. Toby is a WWII fly boy!!!!!!

Does he look tired of trying on coats? He isn’t actually. Apparently, the tri-colours look ‘grumpy’ because of their colour patterns. I think he is rather handsome and reminds me of the character Andrew in the Foley’s War series.

Toby now has more jackets than Don and me combined. I guess it is time for a doggie closet. It is a good thing that not one of the The Girls likes to be ‘dressed’.

We have finished one book and begun another for Calico’s story time at night. The book was an ‘accident’. Yesterday was the day you don’t want to wake up to. I woke up unwell, but did manage to get the last appointment with my doctor on Friday. Then, when I went to do errands while Ann was here, the front passenger tyre was cooked. The book was a purchase so I could relax and read while the chaps worked on getting a new tyre for my car. The Kamogawa Food Detectives Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai. If you have ever travelled or lived in Japan, I recommend this book. When I visited Japan, which I often did, starting in the 1980s, I always stayed several blocks from the JR Station on Gojo-dari. I could walk to the Kamo River. The book somehow brought back all the flavours and aromas of the streets that I loved so much, like a tsunami rushing over me. Calico approves. The other book, The Friendship Book, arrived in the post – I had not ordered it. Who blessed me with a book of daily readings??? Eventually, the mystery revealed itself, and we are very grateful to ‘MC’ for the volume that we read at the start of story time each evening.

There is a lot going on in Bird World.

‘N’ writes about the Kansas City Bald Eagles, “Ellie laid her first egg this evening! Woohoo so excited. I have included the Facebook post of the announcement. I felt like I was reading Elfuler’s section on behavior in oviposition (egg laying) as I am watching. Amazing. Never gets old does it…

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AZTyqT5eN/

‘R’ sent me a link to a story about a Nightjar that has found itself in Florida!

Here is a better link: https://www.alligator.org/article/2026/01/lesser-nighthawk

The Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) is a small, mottled brown-and-gray nightjar found in open, arid habitats throughout the Americas. Known for its buoyant, butterfly-like flight, it feeds on flying insects at dusk and dawn. It is often distinguished from the similar Common Nighthawk by its lower, more erratic flight and a white or buffy bar located closer to the wingtips. 

“Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis)” by forstwalkris licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Our Melbourne correspondent is in love with the Royal cam albatross: “Just look at that beautiful little creature. Isn’t it just exquisite beyond words? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeHJsX84JAI. And how wonderful is Mum BOK? They are so serene, gentle, and patient. Beautiful, stately birds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeHJsX84JAI“

‘A’ continues, “The partying juveniles are keeping our baby awake. (Probably, they’re providing some form of entertainment for BOK as she sits there for days on end.) Seriously, aren’t these ‘adolescents’ just too funny? Mind you, after this period of partying, they can spend literally decades as part of a bonded pair, devoting themselves to raising a chick every second season, so perhaps this is the only real chance they get in a very long lifetime to ‘live it up’. 

Aren’t their sky calls just wonderful? One of those adolescents has the most startling screeching noise. They do seem to have highly individual voices at that age. 

Plateau Chick is progressing well, although it is still fairly small (and lost weight the first two days after hatching, which is not unusual). Mum regurgitated a squid beak during yesterday morning’s feeding, which the chick spat out and the ranger later retrieved from the nest. The twice-daily weighings and health checks will become daily at one week of age I believe, but so far, there have been no concerns with the wee one. It is absolutely precious, is it not? That perfect little bill and those sweet little feet are totally adorable.”

The Royal Cam chick was weighed. LizNm has it on video: https://youtu.be/Nsd2qegdeYU?

SK Hideaways caught two of the cutest little eaglets at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest! https://youtu.be/GPwd5POXfuM?

At the Moorings Park Osprey platform, Harry and Sally now have three eggs. They are an incredible couple. Food is normally not scarce but, honestly, I hope one of these eggs does not hatch!

All those Hen Harrier killings in the UK??? Well, one man, Racster Dingwall pleaded guilty to the offences in some of the killings.

Gamekeeper pleads guilty in England’s first ever Hen Harrier persecution case (RSPB press release) –Download

The North Yorkshire Police made a statement following the first-ever guilty plea for the illegal killings of Hen Harriers:

Statement from North Yorkshire Police on conviction of gamekeeper Racster DingwallDownload

In part it reads, “MAN SENTENCED FOR BIRD OF PREY PERSECUTION OFFENCES ON GRASSINGTON MOOR

A man has been sentenced for trying to kill a legally-protected bird, following an investigation by North Yorkshire Police. 

The case against Racster Dingwall for encouraging or assisting bird of prey persecution, using the Serious Crime Act 2007, is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.

In October 2024, a covert camera placed by the RSPB captured footage of three men on Grassington Moor, using radios and speaking in code to discuss shooting towards and killing wild birds, including hen harriers.  

The recording was passed to North Yorkshire Police, and an investigation was launched by the force’s Rural Taskforce. 

The footage was processed by technicians at the Regional Scientific Support Services, and an expert from the National Wildlife Crime Unit was called in to interpret it.

This analysis showed that one of the men – later identified as gamekeeper Racster Dingwall – was in possession of a semi-automatic shotgun for the sole purpose of killing a hen harrier.

Dingwall, 35, from Ellingstring, was interviewed by Rural Taskforce officers, and subsequently charged with encouraging or assisting the killing of a Schedule 1 wild bird (contrary to Sections 45 and 58 of the Serious Crime Act 2007); and possessing a shotgun for the purpose of killing a Schedule 1 wild bird (contrary to Section 18 (2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981).

All wild birds are protected by law, and ‘Schedule 1’ birds, including hen harriers, have additional protection.

It is thought to be the first time a charge of encouraging or assisting an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2007 has been used in relation to bird of prey persecution. “

There are still more people to find, as a substantial number of satellite-tagged Hen Harriers have been shot over the past couple of years.

At the Fort Myers nest o M15 (who delivered three meals in record time on Thursday), E26 has not only been incubating the egg, covering it with moss, and is now working on building the rails. Quite the eaglet!

Gabby and Beau’s NE32 and 33 are growing like wild weeds in a picture-perfect garden. Both had huge crops on Thursday afternoons, and the adults even managed to get some nice fish.

There is a lot of prey on the Winter Park Bald Eagle nest. There was a tandem feeding. Both have been fed. The oldest is simply big in comparison, so you can probably guess that she is a fierce first-hatch female and a second-hatch little boy. Things have turned around. Fingers crossed that it continues.

Cuties at the E1 nest of Anna and Louis II in the Kisatchie National Park.

It will not be long til those little bobbleheads of Anna and Louis will be the gorgeous feathered juveniles like those on Ron and Rose’s nest at Dade County.

C14 or Quinn at the Captiva nest of Clive and Connie is catching up with those juvenile feathers quickly. So sweet this Only.

Thank you so very, very much for being with us today and for all your wonderful comments, e-mails, and snail mail letters. I do so appreciate them! Take care of yourself. We look forward to having you with us again at the end of the weekend!

Thank you so much to the individuals who have created some incredible video captures of our raptor families, to those who post information on the various social media sites, and to Raptor Persecution UK, OpenVerse, and to ‘N’ and ‘R’ for sending me great information along with ‘A’ and her commentary on the Australian birds. My life is so much better – as is my blog – with each of you in it!

Toby relaxing in the conservatory.

Calico tempted to eat Toby’s chicken for her lunch!

Hatch underway at Royal Albatross Colony…Monday in Bird World

19 January 2026

Good Morning,

We hope that you had a good weekend! It was ——– cold here. You can use whatever word you like. The wind blew so that even in the City there were whiteouts. I cleared off the two tables beside Brock’s feeding station to see how much snow actually fell. Have a look!

The young lad clearing the snow has certainly been busy. We are now under an extreme cold warning and some forecasts say that we will have between -38 and -42 C temperatures this coming weekend. I cannot even imagine it.

Toby was finally able to get the mats off his tummy after his stay at the vet, but the groomer had to shave him. Now Toby likes to go outside to do his ‘business’. Potty pads are for little baby training – you can almost hear him say that. Poor fella. He flew outside, did the job, and got right back in. I had a warm towel waiting for that bare stomach of his. Can dogs get frostbite?

Neighbour came up with a solution – we are going to try doggie long johns on Toby tomorrow for his walk with Ellen.

The big worry at the moment is Brock. He has not been seen since late Thursday. This is unlike him. One of the neighbours and I are keeping a close eye on our feeding stations and others have joined in to check for prints – but with the blowing snow prints are not always present. I fear he has gotten snowed in his bolt hole and cannot get out even by clawing. Oh, please let him be alright.

Bird World? What is happening.

The egg has been switched and the hatch for the Royal Cam chick is underway in New Zealand! Liznm has the switch on video: https://youtu.be/Ab_hrAB1jp8?

There is also a hatch underway in the Kistachie National Forest in the first egg at E1 nest in Louisiana.

At the E3 nest, the eggs are ​​28 and 25 days old today.

SK Hideaways has a great line up of videos for the week.

SK Hideaways Videos Week of 11 January 2026

AEF-NEFL Eagles ~ Northeast Florida ~ Gabby, Beau, NE32 & NE33
Courtesy American Eagle Foundation/NEFL Eagle CamOps https://nefleaglecam.org/
Nest Cam 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouWBQoVFegI
Nest Cam 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQrJv_Dt4tY
Cam 3 (Approach view) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImHK7o8UHXE
Nest Cam 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkln9bA4CwE

NE33 Comes to Terms with New Clown Feed & Flappable Arms (2026 Jan 17)
As 18-day-old NE32 napped, 17-day-old NE33 looked down only to discover very large appendages at the end of its legs that seemingly sprouted overnight. Yes, the clown feet phase has arrived along with more exuberant baby wingers. This is going to be fun. 
Video: https://youtu.be/ydq-njzJr7I


Channel Island California Eagles
Livestreamed nests:
~ Fraser Point ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Cruz & Andor
~ Sauces Canyon ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Audacity & Jak
~ Two Harbors ~ Catalina Island ~ Cholyn & Chase
~ West End ~ Catalina Island ~Resident in flux

Two Harbors: 22 Years Wed ~ Cholyn & Chase Still Bump, Beak, and Cuddle (2026 Jan 13)
Cholyn and Chase filled their morning nestorations with lots of bonding bumps and beaking. Though some might call “anthropomorphism” on us, the frequent direct physical contact made by these 28-year-old wonders could only be described as cuddles (by us). Nearly 23 years as a mated pair and the romance lingers on. 
Video: https://youtu.be/njM08jBvYNU
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies, explore.org, Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops
Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI
Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ

West End:  Possible Haku Return Followed by 3-Way Chase Around the Tors (2026 Jan 15)
A third eagle appeared at the West End, who looks a lot like Haku. A positive ID awaits her visiting the nest, where field marks are clearer. The pair that has been around for a while sat together away from this third eagle. 

As sunset approached, there was a remarkable chase scene that seemed to involve minimal physical contact. All three eagles were seen flying after that, so all is well. Who knows what will transpire tomorrow. 
Video: https://youtu.be/XiDDW4QvFpA

FOBBV Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, California ~ Jackie & Shadow
Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley

Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE
Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc
LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz

Jackie Brings Another Tree to the Fortress ~ Shadow Shakes His Head (2026 Jan 13)
Jackie is very focused on creating a fortress to protect the eaglets we hope will come along in this nesting season. To that end, she brought an even bigger “tree” to the nest than before. Shadow wasn’t too sure about all the big new furniture, but in his easygoing way, just helped “fix” the placement once Jackie stepped aside. They also both pancaked in the nest bowl to test the comfort level. 
Video: https://youtu.be/rmGaHA-YRtM

Jackie Adds Large Furniture ~ Alters as Needed ~ Shadow Steers Clear (2026 Jan 12)
Shadow thought evening nestorations would be minimal, but Jackie arrived with a massive, complex branch. Shadow mostly stayed out of the way as Jackie tinkered away ~ whittling and snapping branches. Final placement of the big, new furniture is pending. 
Video: https://youtu.be/EMnEs2oLQ74

Redding Bald Eagles ~ Redding, California ~ Liberty & Guardian
Courtesy of Friends of the Redding Eagles, Redding, California 
URL changes frequently, so here’s main page to livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@FriendsoftheReddingEagles/streams

Liberty & Guardian Tweak Nest Bowl ~ Bump Bonding All the Way (2026 Jan 16)
Liberty and Guardian made two morning visits to the nest, tweaking sticks, aerating nesting material, and all the while bump bonding. There was a minor disagreement about furniture placement, but the ensuing beaking was brief and flirty. 
Video:  https://youtu.be/gP7Yj1vtEH8

Liberty and Guardian Defend Nest Against Mystery Midnight Intruder (2026 Jan 15)
Guardian flew in to the nest just after midnight and began alert calling. Liberty joined him shortly after and the two of them sounded the alert for quite a while. While we didn’t see the intruder on camera, it could have been a Great Horned Owl or the female sub-adult bald eagle who has been hanging around the nest in the past few days or both!  At 6:02-6:06 in the video, there is rustling and the sound of a sub-adult right before Guardian issues a few wing slaps. 

Our dynamic duo defended together until they deemed the threat over. Liberty pancaked in the nest and dozed with her head against Guardian as he continued to keep watch. We think he grabbed a few winks as well. Eventually Guardian flew off, but Liberty stayed till dawn. This middle-of-the-night nest defense surely signals that nesting season is in full swing (not to mention the mating observed!). (2026 Jan 15)
Video: https://youtu.be/hM36iXT_qfc

Want to learn more about the illegal killing of raptors in the Dales? There are three free webinars to inform you.

Three free webinars about illegal raptor persecution hosted by Friends of the Dales ‘Eyes on the SkiDownload

Fish gifts arriving at the US Steel nest! Indeed, across the eagle nests, the others are getting ready to breed. https://youtu.be/kVmf5ljfXaM?s

One of my favourite books is H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald. Indeed, I like all of MacDonald’s books. Now H is for Hawk is an audio book! And it is a movie. Yes! Part of the article reads, “It is coming up to 12 years since the publication of H Is for Hawk, about the historian, writer and naturalist Helen Macdonald’s time spent training a Eurasian goshawk after an intense period of grief. Showered with awards, the book was a runaway hit and sparked a literary trend for shared transformative encounters with animals including cats, dogs, magpies and hares.

This month, H Is for Hawk comes to the big screen in a new adaptation starring Claire Foy. But there is still time to get to know the source material, which tells of the sudden death of the author’s father and how Macdonald, an experienced falconer who had previously trained kestrels and peregrines, took delivery of a temperamental young goshawk named Mabel with the aim of taming her and teaching her to hunt. Macdonald, who is non-binary, is the audiobook’s narrator. Their reading is characterised by introspection, curiosity and flashes of humour as they observe this “spooky, pale-eyed psychopath” who, as well as feeding and flying, likes to play ball with scrunched-up bits of paper.”

H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald audiobook review – a soaring journey through griefhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/15/h-is-for-hawk-by-helen-macdonald-audiobook-review-a-soaring-journey-through-grief?CMP=share_btn_url

Updates on the Northern Ireland Peregrine Falcon shooting:

Update on the shot Peregrine in Strabane, Northern Ireland – Raptor Persecution UKDownload

Update on what is happening at Knepp with its rewilding and Burns night celebrations. Oh, I wish I could be there!

Regenuary Burns Night Celebrations at KneppDownload

More eagles dying of lead toxicity. (There is great information on amounts that kill in this posting from Wild Heart Ranch in Oklahoma. When will humans get fed up with using lead and its impact on wildlife and stop the lead? ‘J’ sends us news:

·”It takes 1 ppm lead (parts per million) to kill an eagle, but less can easily be fatal. 

This is the last photo of this beautiful eagle standing, taken Saturday. He crashed last night and we gently ended his struggle. 

His initial lead test was above .65 ppm, which is as high as our machine reads, but he was responding to treatment and gaining strength, though he never did keep solid food down. All his calories were gavage fed (tube) and even though we deal with lots of birds that initially cannot deal with solids, we usually have them eating within 3-4 days. He wanted the fish so badly. He just couldn’t tolerate it, indicating the severity of his condition. 

We did 5 days of lead chelation (binding lead in the blood with CAEDTA) and we were getting there, but it was too little too late.

His last blood test showed 27.3 on the machine (.27ppm). We had brought his levels way down, but the damage was already done. His blood tests on Friday showed his liver was struggling, so we knew then not to get our hopes up. 

A “lead eagle” is an every day, all day-late into the night high alert here. We give them privacy and rest, but in between, we are on a medical battlefield, in constant contact with the veterinarians from the Tulsa Zoo, (eagle experts) adjusting, evaluating, changing treatment… following directions to the letter, recording every move we make and every result, so that if things go south, we KNOW we did everything we could, and if we pull off a “miracle”, we have our map for next time. 

There is no confidence when lead levels are this high, but if they are fighting and stabilizing, we will continue to support them, even when we know their odds are low. When they crash, it isn’t a small symptom. They go down, close their eyes and they give up. That’s what he did last night. 

For some of our crew, this was their first “lead eagle”. They gained experience and understanding of treatment and symptoms and the delicate and intense work of battling this toxin. His life made an impact here as he helped new hands learn how to care and reminded us of the reality of lead in the wild and why it is so important that we educate and ask, again and again. However long it takes. 

ONE is too many. Lets keep lead out of the wild. For our eagles, a FLAKE, smaller than a grain of rice, is likely fatal. 

Annette 

I’ll be on Fox News Tulsa this morning talking about him. 

His last test was a .27

Here is AI overview of blood test guidelines:

„A lead level of 0.27 ppm (27 µg/dL) in an eagle is a significant finding, indicating subclinical lead exposure, meaning the bird has ingested lead and is likely suffering chronic effects, even without obvious symptoms, but isn’t in immediate acute crisis like levels over 60 µg/dL; it’s well above background levels (below 0.2 ppm) and a major concern for eagle health, with many birds in this range experiencing subtle issues like poor body condition or anemia, and it’s a common level found in wild eagles, highlighting ammunition as a primary source.”

Beyond sad.

The first mortality of 2026 has been added to the new memorial wall. If you know of others, please let me know! Adding these names just makes me weep. I know that I am missing some from 2025 – if you notice one that isn’t there, don’t hesitate to contact me.

I am working hard to review how my care of Don is doing – and how I can engage him in helping me rather than me having to do all of the housework, all the care of the animals, and ‘entertaining’ and caring for Don. I have learned that those with dementia do not need to be entertained. Some people with dementia need to be busy – and Don is one of those. But it doesn’t need to exhaust me at the same time. So, for as long as he can, he and Toby will vacuum the carpets and apply Bono to the hardwood floors. Don can fold towels or clean out drawers (under supervision), and Toby can drag them out just as he puts them in. In the end, it doesn’t matter. Dishwashers can be unloaded – we have done all of this before, but I will engage him in helping with earnestness until the weather warms up and we can be outside. I know how much my life has changed because it was this time last year that we were in Guadeloupe. Shortly after, a sea change occured and Don’s dementia has progressed. That progression has changed our lives – and clearly it has impacted how often I can send out a newsletter about our favourite birds. But, I am not giving up! So, wish me luck. If you have any ideas, send me a note. I appreciate any and all ideas.

Thank you so very much for being with us today. We hope that you have a really good week. We are looking forward to having you with us in a couple of days, when we have some cute little hatchlings.

Thank you to SK Hideaways for their great videos. Thank you to the creators of the other videos, the owners of the streaming cams that let us view the lives of our favourite bird families, authors of FB posts, and authors of articles and posts that help us understand the lives of our raptors. My blog would never be the same without your talents.

Day 21. Welcome to Winter. R10 on its way!

22 December 2025

Good Morning Everyone!

[I am sending this out at 2200 Sunday evening in case things get hectic Monday morning – have a great day everyone].

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice. From now on, we will have a tiny bit more daylight, which is always welcome. Sunday was bright and sunny, and there is nothing better to energise a weary body after days of snow and grey than bright light. The Girls certainly enjoyed having those beautiful rays of warmth fill the conservatory.

For the past several weeks or months, I have encouraged each of you to slow down – to savour the moment at hand without worrying about what happened a week ago, what will occur in a month, or if your holiday dinner is perfect, or your house looks like the best cleaning service has detailed it. You would be too worn out to enjoy any of the fun if you did that. Instead, relax. Make the days simple so that you can enjoy them.

I found a blog post about ‘How Not to Feel Lost in a Parisian Cafe’, and I want to share it with you, not that you are going to Paris soon (or maybe you are), but because it speaks to sheer relaxation. Take a quiet moment with a cuppa and enjoy it. Practice relaxing. It is one thing that North Americans are not good at! Endless lists, too much goal orientation and achievement having priority over simple living.

https://open.substack.com/pub/frenchglimpses/p/how-not-to-feel-lost-in-a-parisian?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

This led to a link about the joys of doing nothing in retirement. In this article in The Wall Street Journal, there is this quote: “Earlier this summer, I read ‘This Is Happiness,’ by Niall Williams, about a fictional Irish community in the mid-20th century where rain is a constant presence in the lives of the town’s poor residents, until it isn’t. “You don’t see rain stop, but you sense it,” he writes at one point. “You hear the quietness you thought was silence get quieter still, and you raise your head so your eyes can make sense of what your ears have already told you, which at first is only: something has changed. The quote describes more eloquently than my words how I felt that morning at the cabin when something for me had changed. It was the realization that in experiencing the peace that doing nothing brings, I could acknowledge quietly to myself, “This is happiness.”

Here is the link to the entire article (I don’t have a subscription and I was able to open it; I hope that you can): https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/relationships/retirement-rest-do-nothing-benefits-90d52ff4?reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Nellie arrived. The pups have been in and out, and then a rest, and then in and out again. Nellie loves the deep snow in the garden – she is a big girl. Toby likes to go out but not stay out as long. It has been great fun watching them play.

We had a proper ‘tea’ and christened a new teapot. This year we managed to break two teapots – the daily glass one and a much-loved temmoku one made by my friend Gunda Stewart years ago. There are ‘art’ teapots in my cupboards made by people across Canada, but I don’t use them. So…dear Anne brought us a replacement glass one, and I went over the top and purchased a rather glitzy version for special occasions. It is entirely unlike me; I am a much more rustic, handmade person. I like the story behind this design. It is based on the ceiling of the Library in the Fairmont Hotel in Toronto. This is where the ladies had to wait and have tea while the men checked them into the hotel.

I met a wonderful woman years ago in Yangon. Besides the fact that we both looked up and noticed that we were each reading Burmese Days, we were also sequestered inside our hotel for a few days during bombings in the City. Victoria introduced me to Coronation Chicken, and that is what we had today, along with egg mayo, sausage rolls, vegetable samosas, cranberry, orange, and mince tarts, shortbread cookies shaped like Scotty dogs, Fortnum’s Christmas cake, and chocolates. It was a fantastic way to celebrate the solstice! (I meant to take photos and forgot in the flurry of Nellie’s arrival!)

I wondered if Nellie was going to get stuck. She didn’t. She jumped and rolled.

A really tired Toby. He went to sleep before he even got in his bed.

Next to Toby, Nellie is in her big dog bed.

All is right in ‘dog’ world.

SK Hideaways Videos, week of 14 December 2025

Sauces Canyon Eagles:  Jak and Audacity Chortle in the Dawn ~ An 11-Year Love Story (2025 Dec 19)
As Jak and Audacity greet the day with nature’s most perfect music ~ chortles ~ we share a little history of this 11-year love story. 
Video: https://youtu.be/jCVVKQNIbfw
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnTsOesC6hE

West End Eagles

Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies, explore.org
Nest Low Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfuqjSNXZ14
Other Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmmAzrAkKqI
Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kad6O4nF6bg

Haku Issues Mating Invitation ~ Akecheta’s Not in the Mood (2025 Dec 20)
As Akecheta and Haku enjoyed their often frequented ocean view, Haku started feeling a little frisky. She let out some beautiful chortles and lowered her head, making it clear she was inviting Akecheta to mate. This time, Akecheta was focused elsewhere and did not respond. These two are spending a lot of time together on camera, so we could guess they’re doing so off camera as well. We have seen at least 2 mating attempts before this event, so may also guess that such attempts are being made behind closed tors. We are feeling optimistic about a fruitful nesting season for these two. 
Video: https://youtu.be/zhov66JVXDI

Akecheta Attempts Mating After Haku Casts Massive Pellet (2025 Dec 17)
After spending the night together on the night perch, Haku woke before Akecheta and cleared her gizzard by casting a rather large pellet. So large, in fact, that when it hit the ground, it woke Akecheta. Unperturbed, he went right back to sleep before waking later to attempt the first mating we’ve seen on camera. While unsuccessful, it bodes well for these two pursuing nesting and mating behaviors for the season ahead. Akecheta later did some nestorations before setting off to the middle tor, posing beautifully for the camera. (2025 Dec 17)
Video: https://youtu.be/YWxv9J9LbMM

FOBBV Eagles: Two Juvie Eagles Visit Nest Tree ~ Jackie & Shadow Let Them Be (2025 Dec 15)
Two first year juvenile eagles (2025 hatch year) visited the nest tree. The first flew to the very top while Jackie and Shadow were finishing their day’s nestorations. While their hackles were raised and they were very vocal, Jackie and Shadow did not physically approach the visitor. The second juvie arrived at the nest tree after Jackie and Shadow had retired to their Roost Tree. Who might they be? #CouldBeSunnyOrGizmo
Video: https://youtu.be/F6R4BuHTTOc
Courtesy FOBBVCAM, Friends of Big Bear Valley, CA

FalconCam Project
Courtesy FalconCam Project, Charles Sturt University NSW
Box Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv2RtoIMNzA
Ledge Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuZaWzhXSAI
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KCFRoO6URs
Tower Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQxrTGgNu4M

GIRRI FLEDGES at 43 Days Old (2025 Dec 18)
Girri woke early on her fledge day, full of energy and raring to go. After some vigorous wingercises and a full frontal attack of the camera, Girri took a wee rest and did a bit of yoga before taking flight. The fledge was perfect, as she flew across the flatlands to a perch tree. Cilla Ross captured video of her perched safely to everyone’s delight. Wishing Girri well in this exciting new phase of her young life.
Video: https://youtu.be/96yPLdvaixU

Viewer Discretion: Diamond’s Prey  Unzipping Lesson ~ Girri Chases Gimbir (2025 Dec 15)
Diamond brought another galah (aka pink and grey cockatoo) to the nest for Girri. She watched as her chick tried to consume the galah, but Girri does not yet possess the skills to prep prey. After letting Girri struggle a while, Diamond demonstrated how to prepare and ultimately consume prey. While SK Hideaways doesn’t normally publish graphic displays of raptors eating, we felt Diamond’s master class was interesting and educational. This is something raptor lovers may want to understand about these birds of prey. But we understand if you’d rather skip this lesson. When Gimbir came for the second seating, Girri chased him around the nest. Then Diamond fed him a few bites, but decided better of it. Best he remember that he’s a mate/parent and not a chick.
Video: https://youtu.be/rgCWPyT11No

There is nothing cuter than a couple of bobbleheads – .

Dade County R9.

SW Florida E26.

Two very much loved eaglets. R10 appears to be on its way.

I am unclear as to the status of E27’s egg. A single healthy eaglet fledging strong would be fine for me for each nest.

It looks like a juvenile eagle on the Berry College Bald Eagle nest in Georgia.

For those following the ups and downs of Lumi, the young lynx that found itself in the care of our local wildlife rehabilitation clinic, Wildlife Haven, is improving all the time. A video was posted on Instagram of Lumi going through the morning zoomies. She certainly looks like she is getting stronger each day!

We have eggs with Louis II and Anna II at Kisatchie National Forest’s E1 Bald Eagle nest. Now there is a bonded pair at the E3 nest. Tonya suggests that we are now on egg watch for them. Nice. https://youtu.be/NkSdsMy2WAo?

Gimbir in the Charles Sturt University Falcon scrape overlooking the wooded area below where Cilla saw Girri yesterday. I wonder if Gimbir can encourage Girri to try and make her way up that steep flight to get to the scrape where she hatched?

At Port Lincoln, let’s see what Giliath and Ervie have been up to – Giliath has been to Lincoln National Park, Boston Point, and Boston Island (very similar to Ervie).

Ervie’s tracker – both lads come back to the wharf at Port Lincoln to roost at night.

I don’t know about you but I am always relieved to see our dear Ervie doing so well.

I read Mark Avery’s Blog every month and he always reports on Bird Flu in the UK. Having seen the deaths of hundreds of Canada geese near to where I live, I continue to be interested in how HPAI is still impacting wildlife.

This was the report in Mark Avery’s most recent blog:

“Bird flu: Defra’s most recent update seems to cover the period up to 30 November and has a lot of positive records, especially of wildfowl, and adds Woodcock to the 2025 list of affected species bringing the total to 53: Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Bewick’s Swan, Black Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose, Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Tufted Duck, Eider, White-tailed Eagle, Red Kite, Buzzard, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Kestrel, Curlew, Woodcock, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Kittiwake, Little Gull, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern, Common Tern, Roseate Tern, Gannet, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, Cormorant, Razorbill, Guillemot, Puffin, Black Guillemot, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Tawny Owl, Grey Heron, Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Greenfinch and Starling. The flaws in the ‘surveillance’ scheme mean that it is difficult to know what this species list means in terms of species affected – click here. “

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care! Have a great beginning to the week. See you on Tuesday!

Thank you to SK Hideaways for those great videos and to the owners of the streaming cams who give us a look into the lives of our eagles. I also want to thank those who take the time to post reports and images on FB so that we know what is going on with our beloved raptors. Thank you to Mark Avery for his blog where I used his bird flu report today as well as to the authors of the articles in Substack and WSJ.