Category Archives: Manitoba wildlife

Soo returns to the nest…Tuesday in Bird World

1 August 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

It is the first day of August and I am reminded that we have about 7 more weeks of summer. It cooled down in the garden today and the birds were noticeably happier. The lilacs have given them respite when it was really hot and the bird bath – remember to keep putting out water. Dehydration is a terrible problem. Many wildlife rehabbers say it is worse than not having regular meals. Clearly, the Blue Jays, now totalling more than 14, find the bird bath a source of pleasure!

Today it will go up to 31 degrees. It has been like a yo-yo – temperatures going up to the 30s and then dropping to the low teens.

Missey and Lewis continue to enjoy watching the birds and ‘talking to them’ – and as always, staying rather close to one another.

Once in a while, a bird will land on the glass ceiling, which fascinates the kittens.

On days when we lose an Osprey, it is always comforting to have the garden birds and the kittens.

I want to start with some amazing news coming out of Loch of the Lowes. The female fledgling, PF4, – a strong and determined and hungry fledgling – caught her first fish today. Why is this such a big deal? It is rare for a fledgling osprey to catch a fish before it has left for migration. This is still July! It was small but that does not matter. The skill and coordination required – well, it looks like this one is well equipped to face the world. Fantastic.

I am really hoping that LOTL will post a video of this special moment in PF4’s life.

Others have been wondering if anyone could remember another UK fledgling successfully catching a fish before migrating. The only one that has come to mind so far is Oswald who hatched in Naimshire in 2011. He did not migrate until October!

At Llyn Brenig, Mari tried over and over again to catch a fish. Maybe she will be successful like PF4 tomorrow. That would be fantastic.

We always need a feel good moment and here is the one to begin our day. Couple saves Osprey! Salmon Arm, BC.

And because we can all use good news about more generous and compassionate people, another osprey save.

Staying in British Columbia, the second hatch at Osoyoos died Monday 31 July.

The little one, the second hatch, is alive at 0531 when fish comes in before the attack by One. (I do not like the images of the chicks being brutalised or dead…one of the last looks when this one could hold its head up). It has been an incredibly difficult year for the Ospreys around the world this year.

Soo, the female has not been seen since Saturday. Olsen has been bringing in nice fish but this little one was too weak to eat Monday morning. Problems with starvation/siblicide were mitigated by the growing heat domes in the area and the wildfires and then the disappearance of Mum. Olsen has been doing splendidly under the circumstances. This evening, good news has come from ‘H’ who says that Soo is back on the nest at 1633. She adds, “After Soo returned to the nest at 1633, she fed #1 from a large fish that had been left on the nest.  Soo was on the nest with #1 when Olsen delivered a fish at 2008.”  Thank you, ‘H’. With two parents and a single osplet, let us hope that all goes well for this little one to fledge.

In order to highlight the threats to our feathered friends, NZ is adding some very interesting birds to its ‘Bird of the Century’ contest.

“This year five extinct species will be included among the 75 contenders, to bring attention to the pressures facing the natural world. In New Zealand, 82% of birds are threatened with extinction.”

New-Zealand-to-add-extinct-species-to-bird-of-the-century-poll-to-highlight-wildlife-threat-New-ZeDownload

Bruce Yolton continues to follow the Eurasian Owl that escaped from the Central Park Zoo as the owl continues to live and hunt in the wild.

At Steelscape, things continue to look good.

Patchogue: Mini enjoying a fish while another sibling is envious.

Mini enjoying another fish! Our girl is doing well.

Bridge Golf: Cam went down late on the 27th of July. Both osplets were fully feathered, healthy, and eating well. No reason to believe that they will not fledge.

MN Landscape: Even with lots of intruders around and Dad on the nest, this 21 year old father has made sure there is fish on the nest. The only surviving osplet is doing well – and there are many, many nests in this area that have suffered this season. A number of reports indicate that a number of males are missing and the females are having to provide protection and hunt. Lots of nests have lost osplets in the area because of this.

Collins Marsh: The first hatch has flown. I am not certain that 31 July was the first time because this bird flew like a pro! Congratulations.

Sydney Sea Eagles: SE31 and 32 are off to a very good start. They are about the same size and Lady is a pro at feeding them the tiniest bites of fish. Both are doing so well.

SK Hideaways gets us up close and personal with these little fluff balls:

The three little Osplets at Osprey House in Australia will melt your heart.

Dorsett Hobby Falcons: Cuteness overload. Gosh, it is easy to forget that the little hawks and falcons grow so much faster and fledge sooner than the ospreys and big eagles. I just love their little beaky kisses!

Finnish Osprey Nest 1: Roihu, the little male on the nest with two sisters, fledged today! Congratulations.

Finnish Nest at Muonio in Lapland: All three are doing super.

Alyth: The trio have all fledged. They did not spend the night on the nest but nearby and were there at dawn waiting for fish deliveries.

Poole Harbour: Lots of fish coming to the nest and every once in awhile you just wonder if CJ7 might like to have a long fish lunch. There has been at least one intruder in the area but so far everything is going smoothly at the nest.

RSPB Loch Garten: Five fish were delivered before the camera went down. It was a really good day at the nest.

Fish scuffle at Manton Bay: Blue 33 flies in with a fish with two of the fledglings on the nest. Another flies over after the delivery. There was a bit of a fight for the fish but nothing like we have seen on other nests. They all know there will be more fish — and look at the size of it. Can you imagine if a fish this size fell on the Osoyoos or Forsythe nest?

At Loch Arkaig, a Sparrowhawk visits the nest of Louis, Dorcha, and Ludo…it is no threat to them but what a lovely chance encounter.

Boulder County: All three safely flying and on the nest. Life continues to be good at Boulder.

Time for ‘H’s reports: Fortis Exshaw: Mr. O made a quick stop at the nest at 0612.  Louise had not yet arrived at the nest in the morning, so only the kids were there.  Mr.O stood there for ten seconds, looked around, checked the skies, then he left.  Mr.O was just checking up on things for the family.  Smile.  There were three fish delivered to the nest, including one by Mr.O.  Chick #1 is undergoing a bit of a personality change.  S/he is slightly aggressive toward #2 when a fish is delivered, and often grabs the fish, and self-feeds.  All perfectly normal at this stage in its development.  Chick #1 ate the first two fish that were brought to the nest.  When the third fish was delivered by Louise at 1221, #1 sent #2 to the sidelines, and then was fed by Louise.  After several minutes, #2 managed to get to the other side of Louise to be fed as well, but it was the only meal of the day for chick #2.  Chick #2 will learn to try to acquire fish as well, and s/he needs to improve its self-feeding skills.  But, a few more fish would help in this situation, I think.

Forsythe: “After two days of much cooler temperatures, it seemed that fish were easier for Oscar to catch.  Oscar started the day off like gangbusters, delivering fish at 0839, 0852, 0949, 1024, and 1052.  There were three fish for Owen, and two for Ollie.  But, then there were no more fish for the rest of the day.  Go figure.  So, as the fledglings became hungry later in the day, there were a couple of kerfuffles between them.  Five fish is not bad, though.  With easier fishing, perhaps it’s a good time for the juvies to try to catch their own fish.  They are 70 and 71 days old and fledged two weeks ago.”

Thank you, ‘H’!

I have often mentioned Urmas and his fish baskets. These baskets have saved the life of Karl II and his family. It is a beautiful intervention intent on saving these rare birds. Kindness. Compassion.

Emyr Evans (Dyfi Osprey Project) has posted a short article discussing inbreeding in Ospreys. you might find this interesting.

Inbreeding-in-Ospreys-A-Matter-of-Affordability-Dyfi-Osprey-Project-WalesDownload

On the Cornell Campus in Ithaca, New York, Suzanne Arnold Horning was able to catch sight of some of the Ms. The three fledglings have done well…super well in fact. I won’t say another word because I do not want to jink this year.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care of yourself. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘AMW, Geemeff, H, MP’, LOTL, Carol White and Friends of Llyn Brenig Osprey Project, Sunnie Day, Linda McIlroy and Raptors of the World, APCH, Osoyoos, The Guardian, Bruce Yolton, Steelscape, Patchogue, Bridge Golf, MN Landscape Arboretum, Collins Marsh, Sydney Sea Eagles, Osprey House, SK Hideaways and Dorsett Hobby Falcons, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Alyth, Poole Harbour, RSPB Loch Garten, LRWT, Boulder County, Fortis Exshaw, Maria Marika, Emry Evans and Dyfi Ospreys, and Suzanne Arnold Horning.

Osoyoos under evacuation alert, Dorsett and Huey fly..Sunday in Bird World

30 July 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

I have a huge tip for you today if you feed birds in your garden. The weather could not have been more grand. It was a good day to work in the garden. The humidity had dissipated, there was no hot sun, the wasps were visiting somewhere else and life felt good. I did not stare at the computer screen worrying. We have some troubling nests and must wait and see how things unfold.

M’ asked me about the window dots/the pink squares that I use for to prevent bird collisions. They are a brand called Feather Friendly, and a single roll does about 100 sq ft and costs about $25 at my nature centre. you can purchase them online at many places, but the key is the name Feather Friendly. Clean the windows and let them dry. Apply lots of pressure on the strips outside the windows, then pull the supporting strip off easily. They work, and I have tried everything. The single decals must be placed outside – anything to prevent bird strike -must be on the exterior.

Today I am experimenting with birdseed. It is expensive as you know. Someone told me to go to the feed and seed store. I wish I could remember who that was and thank them. So today I mixed up 1/3 chicken scratch with 1/3 birdseed and 1/3 black oil seed. It is undoubtedly Dyson approved. She scooped it up with her paws for several minutes. It thwarted Little Red, who only wanted peanuts! LOL.

The seed mixture is a winner! I pushed the chicken scratch even further at the late top up. It appears that I can do 50% chicken scratch, 25% black oil seed, and 25% birdseed and everyone continues to approve. There were 8 Blue Jays at one time vying for space on the square feeder. Some stayed on the telephone wires and others were on the ground. Wow.

‘The baby with the tail’ – the little one that is slightly more round is changing every day. It still loves to be in the bird bath splashing about and it also loved the new seed mixture. I cannot put out peanuts for them because Little Red and Little Red2 take them all. They are so fast!

The little one that lost its tail is flitting around everywhere with the bigger ones and seems to be so agile. I am so surprised. It has adapted, like all birds seem to do, to the challenges that are thrown at them.

Little Red yesterday quickly removing about 35 peanuts from the table one by one. He could win an Olympic medal.

Oh, good news is always so welcome. An 11-year-old Osprey has been saved from netting!

SP sent me a fantastic article about tenacity and commitment. 50 Years of working with Puffins…a jolly good read.

50-Years-of-Project-Puffin-An-Oral-History-of-An-Audacious-Idea-AudubonDownload

Twirling around the nests:

We will start with ‘H’s reports this morning because two of the nests are under the radar for needing boxes of worry beads – Osoyoos and FortisExshaw, both in Canada.

Barnegat Light: “At 60 days of age, Dorsett opted for an early morning fledge on 7/30, at 06:09:10.  She first flew north, then headed east toward the ocean, hung a right at the Atlantic, then flew south, made a right turn at 24th street, and made a perfect landing back onto the perch at her nest.  Dorsett has since taken a couple of additional flights.  Congratulations to Duke, Daisy, and Dorsett!”

FortisExshaw:

Fortis Exshaw: “It was a good day for Louise and her kids, with only a few indications of minor intruder issues.  Louise brought three fish to the nest.  The first fish at 1104 was so large, it resulted in a prolonged period of feeding that was the equivalent of three meals.  Prior to Louise feeding, she allowed the chicks a chance to practice self-feeding from the headless fish for over an hour.  Chick #1 has learned the advantages of holding the fish down with its talons, and s/he was able to tear small pieces from the fish.  Chick #1 is now grabbing and mantling fish when Louise delivers.  Even though they hatched less than 12 hours apart, chick #1 is more advanced in skills development.  Mr.O was not seen on Saturday.  I hope Mr.O was not injured during the altercation with the intruder on Friday.”

Forsythe – Oscar delivered three fish, and Opal delivered a fish after a few days’ absence.  It was nice to see Opal.  Owen was the recipient of three of the fish, Ollie just one.  As with most nests during the post-fledge period, any given day may seem unfair in that one sibling gets the most fish.  But, it does seem to even out in the long term.  Ollie had eaten the majority of the fish the previous two days.  Starting Sunday there will be a break in the heat wave, with cooler temps the next several days. 

Osoyoos – There were four fish brought to the nest.  Dad ate the first small fish at 1041.  I’m sure he was very hungry, but perhaps he should have eaten it off the nest.  Just the fish being brought to the nest caused #1 to attack #2.  The fish at 1131 was very small, and chick #1 was fed a small meal.  At 1237 Mom brought a partial fish.  Chick #2 was beaked and bit by #1, and had no chance to eat.  At 1531 a larger partial fish was delivered.  Chick #1 wasted a full minute of feeding time attacking #2.  Chick #2 later snuck up on the other side of Mom and grabbed a large piece of fish equivalent to about 6 bites of fish.  It took a while, but #2 managed to swallow that whole piece of fish.  Chick #2 has had 30 bites of fish to eat in the last three days.  Note:  There is a wildfire located SW of Osoyoos, which has been renamed the Eagle Bluff Wildfire (previously called the Lone Pine Creek fire).  Parts of Osoyoos are under an evacuation alert, that currently does not include the area where the nest is located.

[‘H’ has just written that the nest area is, according to AMW not under an evacuation alert. Please send your best energy to Soo and Olsen. Just look at those two beautiful chicks. The camera feed could go down and we might not ever know what happens to these chicks if the fire does rage through. Our thoughts are with everyone…]

Dahlgren – Really big news . . the youngest of the two fledglings went diving! D12 dove from the nest platform four times, and did a little swimming and bathing.  While she did not catch a fish, this was an important milestone.

Severna Park –  Oscar continues to provide fish for his two fledglings at the nest.  It’s always nice to see them.

Patuxent Nest 1 –  The fledglings, Sibling-B and Foster, are frequently seen at the nest. But, it’s a good thing they no longer sleep there, because a Great Blue Heron has decided to make the nest its nighttime roosting spot.  Last night the GBH found a welcome surprise . . a fish had been left on the nest, which he quickly gobbled up.

WDNU Tower, South Bend, Indiana: The only surviving osplet on the WDNU Tower, Baby Huey, endured a horrible storm and then took his first flight on Saturday the 29th. Amazing. Congratulations. It was a tough year on the nest. So pleased for everyone.

Pathogue: Every time I checked Mini had a fish. At least three on Saturday. Dad is obviously feeding the fledglings off the nest as we do not see the older siblings bombarding Mini for that fish like they are doing on some other nests. These parents really know how to keep the climate chill.

Charlo Montana: Those osplets are adorable.

Boulder County: All is good.

Dunrovin: Harriet and the three fledglings pose together.

Pitkin County Open Trails and Spaces: Both fledglings continue to return to the nest. Everything is excellent.

SSEN Alyth: When everyone is hungry and scrambling for fish, things happen. Mum came in with a fish at Alyth, it got caught on the talon of one of the chicks and they both went overboard….and the first then went to the third hatch! Some of the nest went down with them.

Well, the good news is that everyone is alright at the nest after this terrible entanglement and high tumble. Thank goodness.

Manton Bay: Blue 33 delivers fish and everyone goes crazy.

It may look rough on the nests but in the real world, the ability to eat is literally ‘life and death’ to our fledglings. They have to learn strategies, be quick – and be ruthless.

Loch of the Lowes:

Cowlitz: It is hot in the Pacific NW and the nests could be suffering. The fledgling at Cowlitz has rested on the nest and has had at least one fish on Saturday.

Sandpoint: At least two fish were delivered Saturday morning. I am not clear about deliveries the rest of the day.

Steelscape: I did not watch the nest closely enough to count deliveries but I do know that the third hatch had some fish on Saturday.

Minnesota Landscape: The weather has cooled down a bit and it makes for much better fishing. This one is doing well.

Maryland Old Town Home: The fledglings continue to come to the nest and like many of the others there is a lot of rivalry over fish deliveries.

Dfyi: All is good. Idris continues to bring in the fish! And Telyn loves to feed her ‘big and more independent every day’ babies.

Glaslyn: Aran is delivering lots of fish and the two fledglings are doing very well indeed.

Loch Arkaig: There were winds beginning to blow and rain starting late on Saturday at Loch Arkaig. Ludo is hoping for fish! Oh, by the way. The Crow that vacuums up the Loch Arkaig nest so well has been named Dyson!

Poole Harbour: It is all good.

Llyn Clywedog: Seren on the perch and beginning to get in form for migration. She will fly and will land on the same tree in the Tanji Reserve that she does every year. Meanwhile, the surviving fledgling of the goshawk attack has been photographed flying all over the area. So all is well.

Sydney Sea Eagles: Cuteness Overload. The pantry is stocked and Lady is joyful. 31 and 32 are delicate little snow people.

My friend ‘A’ lives in Australia and she loves the royal Albatross and most of the Australia nests and is happy to send us reports on recent events at those nests. A says: ” in Sydney, Dad brings in a lovely big fresh fish at 06:51:18. He heads off up the branch off the back porch and shakes himself off. He is still wet from catching that fish. He hasn’t even eaten the head. It’s been left on the nest for Lady and the chicks. He is a good provider. That should keep the family going for the rest of the day. Lady starts working on the head herself, and around 07:01 starts feeding the chicks. SE32 is ready to eat now, and the first bites go to the baby. It does really well, managing four or five consecutive mouthfuls without dropping them and without falling flat on its face. By now SE31 is awake too and ready for some more food. She feeds both chicks plenty of fresh fish, though concentrates on the younger one. These two are doing great.”

Orange Peregrine Falcons: “In Orange, Diamond spent the night perched on the ledge of the nest box, tucked and facing inwards as usual. Xavier arrived for an early morning bonding session at 06:28:24. These two are just beyond adorable. Xavier really is only half Diamond’s size. He is so svelte and handsome. She appears significantly older and lazier than Xavier. She watches the sunrise from her ledge and leaves the box at around 06:51. Both spend a few moments on top of the tower before Xavier heads off to get some breakfast..He arrives back at the box with prepared food at 07:37:05, with Diamond hot on his heels. He hardly has time to e-chup before Diamond has swooped in, grabbed the food and left again within three seconds! Xavier looks a little stunned. He glances down a couple of times at where the food was, as if wondering where it’s gone. Then he cleans a few feathers out of his talons. Oh but he is such a handsome falcon. Tiny but gorgeous.”

Collins Street: “At Collins Street, there was a short falcon visit about 9.30am – the falcon flew off the nest at 09:42. It doesn’t look as though any eggs have been laid but I note that the birds seem to be favouring the same nest box as last season. There has not been any shelter added at that end, which surprises me after what happened last year. (I’m sure you well remember the day mum went for a spa morning and returned to find two chicks in the gutter and two in the nest, all baking in the hot sun and looking as if they might be in serious danger. And mum pulled the smallest chick back into the box by lifting it with her beak! It was a very dramatic day.)”

Reports that a new camera is being installed at Port Lincoln and the stream will be back up sometime on Monday or Tuesday.

At the Royal Cam Albatross colony, ‘A’ notes: “I forgot to mention that on Friday (28 July), all 33 of the albatross chicks at the New Zealand colony received their permanent Darvic bands (no more coloured leg bands). Manaaki’s is black (for male) and his Darvic number is D36. They used Darvic bands last season but for some reason, this season’s are the first that are permanent and will last a lifetime. (And as we know, a lifetime can be 70+ years for an albatross!)”

Thanks, ‘A’! And thanks for giving me the head’s up that Ervie has been out fishing with Dad. Port Lincoln Ospreys posted these images of Ervie, and I knew you would love to see our favourite Eastern Osprey! —- Do you remember when we thought Ervie would eat Puffer Fish all his life? When he lost a talon, and we feared he would starve to death? Well, here we are. Ervie is almost two years old. I have not heard any news about Bazza or Falky, but Ervie, that little third hatch that didn’t take any gruff off Bazza, the first hatch, grew up big and strong and stayed near the natal nest – safe—still fishing with Dad. Do you recall those chin wags that Ervie had with Dad down in the cave? What a season that was! (I still want to forget last year…that was traumatic).

The Lesser Spotted Eaglet in Latvia is nothing short of adorable…and happily a small vole was brought in for food.

I think the eaglet has spotted the camera! Just look. Almost all of the natal down is gone revealing a soft brown plumage with stunning blue eyes.

The fledgling ospreys – three of them – return to the platform for some lovely fish meals at the German Goitzsche Wildness nest.

At the Finnish #1 nest, tummy and Usva took their first flights on 28 July. Only Roihu is left and that could be any moment. Beautiful healthy osplets!

Finnish #4. The two surviving chicks were younger when they were ringed and both are still on the nest. Neither has taken their first flight yet.

Whew…I hope I didn’t make you dizzy with that swing around the nests…in no particular order! Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care everyone. Have a great weekend. See you soon.

Thank you to absolutely everyone for their notes, comments, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H, M, SP’, Audubon, Fortis Exshaw, Osoyoos, Patuxent River Park, Dahlgren, Conserve Wildlife of NJ, Forsythe Ospreys, Stephen Basly and WDNU, PSEG, Charlo Montana, Boulder County, T Barrington and Dunrovin Ranch, Pitkin County Osprey Cam, SSEN Alyth, LRWT, Loch of the Lowes, Cowlitz PUD, Sandpoint, Steelscape, MN Landscape Arboretum, Maryland Old Town Home, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, The Woodland Trust, Poole Harbour, CarnyXWild, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, NZ DOC, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Latvian Fund for Nature, Fischandler Webcam, and the Finnish Osprey Foundation.

SE31 is here…Thursday in Bird World

27 July 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

I am starting to write my blog at 1700 Thursday evening after a lovely but short trip to the local farmer’s market. It is 31 degrees C, but the humidity makes it feel like 34 C. There is yet another thunderstorm warning for this evening until tomorrow morning. This has been the norm for a week now with massive dark – near black-blue clouds coming in and torrential rain and wind. Thankfully the storm passed north of where I live because the hail that occupied it was the size of a large heirloom tomato! I can only think of the osplets in the nests along Lake Winnipeg. It had to be horrific.

When I got home, it was time to put out the evening spread for all the garden animals. Little Red ‘decided’ that he was going to stash all of the peanuts before the Blue Jays could have even one. What an energetic tenacious little squirrel! What he doesn’t know is that I know where he is putting all those peanuts – in the home that I made for him last year! So…those peanuts will be brought out again on Thursday evening and he can take them all over again! No wonder he stays so slim and trim.

Missey had been watching all of the action until she got totally bored! BTW. you can see some of those pink bird collision squares on the window…just barely. They work!

Sometimes she sits, like the Queen of the Conservatory, that she is!

This is the little stork that Dmitri saved named after the coin in the RU because he was the fifth hatch and his mother was killing him. Dmitri has had his surgery and is up the ladder saying hello and feeding Pyatachok! This is fantastic. Both are looking well. Pyatachok is obviously pleased to see the person who saved his life. Smile. There are wonderful people in the world living the most ordinary lives but doing the most extraordinary things.

Here is the video!

Gosh, it was nice to open the mailbox on Wednesday and find two news articles sent to me by ‘EJ’. Each was a fantastic rescue. These will warm your heart!

Bald-eagle-rescued-from-New-Jersey-electrical-tower-after-its-wing-was-stuck-for-five-hours-Fox-NeDownload
Bald-eagle-rescued-from-James-River-after-getting-caught-in-fly-fishing-line-WRIC-ABC-8NewsDownload

Whenever you think about a rescue or an intervention that people tell you is impossible, I want you to always remember Dale Hollow 2023. We were told the terrain was too steep, no cherry picker could get to the nest, that it was just impossible. Well, geez. Remember that it was an arborist that got onto the nest and worked a miracle getting the two eaglets untangled from one another. While DH17 went on to live and fledge sadly we lost DH18 because of the arguments and paper trails that had to be created for the rescue. So, please do not give up. Remember — a way was found for a nest deemed impossible!

A rescue in Canada. You know when we begin to despair and believe that humans don’t care – we have lots of examples that tell us otherwise!

SE31 got out of that shell in great time. Can’t wait for 32 to be with us…this nest is always a really bittersweet one. The chicks are incredibly lovable and beautiful. They are harassed by the Pied Currawong that chase them out of the forest so that they are unable to return to the nest to be fed and learn to fly and fish by their parents. They end up on the sidewalk by the Discovery Centre if they are lucky and taken into care and then released. Can I even begin to hope that this year might be different?

The saddest thing is that Lady and Dad do not get to experience training their fledglings and seeing them thrive in the wild. Bittersweet.

Dad watching his wee baby hatch. Beautiful. How touching is this?

‘MP’ got a great screen shot of this little fluff ball. Thank you for sharing it with all of us!

Dad is so proud of his new baby!

SK Hideaways gives us a video of all the excitement in the Sydney Olympic Forest:

SE32 is on its way.

Around the Nests:

Tweed Valley 2: Poul, the surviving osplet from the goshawk attack that killed Sasha, fledged on Wednesday. Congratulations!

Osoyoos: Sadly, the heat of the area around Osoyoos is causing the fishing to be slow. The fish will go deeper into the water (if there are fish) and then the Osprey cannot get them. ‘H’ is already reporting a drop in fish for those two lovely osplets of Soo and Olsen. It is what we fear every year.

Dunrovin: The second chick, Snap, fledged on Wednesday. Only one more to go!

Steelscape, Inc.: Not sure about the number of bites of fish but chick 3 did get some fish dinner. The older chick that will be fledging any time is more interested in flapping those wings now than eating so this is now a good thing for Third. It may not stay that way but for now…fingers crossed.

Patchogue: Those parents continue to amaze me. Chicks in and off the nest. Mini getting fish. What a lovely year. What a devoted family. I would so love the precise gender mix in this group…but, like all of you, I am still smiling.

Mini and the live fish that flipped and flopped. That was a brilliant save!

Loch Arkaig: Ludo keeps making milestones. Carrying fish by themselves is one of those! Well done.

Glaslyn: Elen with OH1 and OH2. Aran and his new mate did very well…two Welsh lads to return and breed!

Kuopia Saaksilvie Kallavest: The three osplets were small in weight when they were ringed on the 17th of July. Each appears to still be doing well and is ready for flying.

Time for ‘H’s report – as always, I am so grateful ‘H’.

Forsythe: There were five fish brought to the nest for the two fledglings, and all were delivered by Oscar.  Owen acquired three, while Ollie managed to grab two of the fish.  But, my goodness these two fought.  There was quite a battle between the two of them at 1726 that lasted two minutes, and resulted in Ollie being ejected from the nest!

Barnegat Light – Wow, look at the height of that hover!  Dorsett is 57 days old.  Stay tuned . . .


Kent Island – The Biologist that banded Tom and Audrey’s chick determined that she is a female.  The soon-to-be-named chick is 45 days old.


Patuxent Nest 1 – On 7/26, while the fledglings were on the nest, and Sib-B was eating a fish, a Great Blue Heron landed on the nest!  They sibs both skedaddled, but Sib-B managed to keep her fish, and then later returned with it.


Osoyoos: Fishing was poor for the second day in a row.  Dad delivered three small fish to the nest, and Mom may have tried to fish as well.  Chick #2 had some bites of fish during the first meal of the day, but due to aggression by chick #1, s/he was prevented from eating at the next two meals.  Chick #2 was subjected to chick #1’s aggression at off-meal times as well.

FortisExshaw: Louise brought seven fish to the nest, and Mr. O delivered one.  At 1612, Mr. O landed with a fish while Louise was out.  He waited for a couple of minutes, then flew off, leaving the fish on the nest. The two kids looked at each other like “What are we supposed to do with this?”, lol.  At 1157 and 1204, Mr. O landed on the nest to assist Louise with intruder defense.  What a guy!  The 39-day-old chicks are both practicing wingers.  And, one of the two chicks tried a bit of self feeding in the evening. 

Thanks Heidi. How many remember the battles between Ervie and Bassa at the Port Lincoln nest after those two had fledged? Gosh that Forsythe nest sounds like Port Lincoln! Bassa left – and Ervie stayed and our dear little third hatch survivor, Ervie, is still in Port Lincoln waiting for a mate and a nest. Not so fast, Ervie!

Black Eagles:

When you are feeling a little despair at the nests, what do you do? I recall ‘MP’ told me that he watches the sparrows in Mini’s nest! Well, my Geemeff sent this to me this morning. It isn’t raptors but it is people working hard to get seals untangled from fishing nets and line! Remember…there are our super heroes working quietly every day to help wildlife.

Royal Cam Albatross: ‘A’ loves this little guy. She writes, “This is priceless. First up, have a look at the size of that pile of nesting material at the beginning of the video. It is HUGE. It looks like the pile of lawn clippings after my large back lawn has been mown. He is amazing. And then check out how aggressively he works on pulling out the grass. I have never seen bunches of grass pulled out like that, even by the adults. They normally pull out a token blade or two at a time, not beakfuls like Manaaki. He is not playing around here. This albie is one serious builder.”

The osplets were given health checks, ringed, and bagged to head to Ireland for the translocation project to restore Ospreys to the Emerald Isles. There is much excitement and here is the image of the flight being tracked. They are travelling by private jet! A person from Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service is with them.

Thank you so much for being with me today. The big story is down in the Sydney Olympic Forest and it is not going to be long until we begin to look rather closely at Xavier and Diamond, the Peregrine Falcon couple that everyone loves in. Orange, Australia. Then it will be the Port Lincoln Ospreys and the CBD Falcons. It is hard to believe but in a fortnight many ospreys will start their journey south in North America. Those that fly over Cuba will arrive about the middle of September as they make their way to Brazil and other areas of South America. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, EJ, Geemeff, H, MP’, Storks 40 Pyatachok, Fox News, ABC 8 News, Western Wheel, Sydney Sea Eagles, SK Hideaways and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Conservation Without Borders, Osoyoos, Dunrovin Ranch, Steelscape, Inc, PSEG, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Forsythe, Conserve Wildlife of NJ, Kent Island, Patuxent River Park, Osoyoos, FortisExshaw, Ocean Conservation Namibia, Lady Hawk and the NZ DOC, Gregorius Joris Toonen, and Merry Kotka.

Little Skipper predated by GHO…Monday in Bird World

24 July 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Every day I am so grateful for the joy that the garden animals bring to my life and for the gifts, like these beautiful sunflowers, that they grew.

I hope that each of you checked in on Mini on Sunday. Oh, goodness. That bird has no idea what a fan base it has nor how loved it is but, Mini proved that with great parents, an area with enough fish (many do not), and the ‘will to live’, a tiny fourth hatch can survive. Sunday was, therefore, a day of celebration!

There are still issues at other nests with lack of fish – or lack of fish deliveries due to a single parent and intruders: Steelscape, Loch of the Lowes, Forsythe to name three. Keep sending them your best wishes. If you had asked me if we would lose so many fully feathered osplets this year so close to fledge or that we had the potential to lose some more I would have said ‘no’. It has been a challenging year everywhere but, particularly, on the US coasts (Washington and the Columbia River), Chesapeake Bay Area, and Florida.

But, for now, I just want to relish Mini’s day…

And that is just about all I did!!!!!!!!!!!! Sometimes it is good to just stop and rejoice. This was no small feat this tiny fourth hatch pulled off. Some of you might even think it was a miracle.

Mini took a couple of flights after that remarkable fledge. There is that empty nest at 1116. Mini is going to come flying over the brewery across the street and put her landing gear down. She has a little hiccup with the rim but otherwise, perfect.

Here comes Mini trying to line up with the runway!

Beautiful Mini around 1725. The lovely brown dots of her necklace look like little hearts. She has a solid dark eye line and her head is a little muddy. That head is the only thing that will not change so get lots of images of it. Too bad there is no distinctive type of image but memorize it and keep a file. You will be able to recognise her easily by her necklace now but, if she were to return to this nest in the future, you need to know that head because, sadly, banding is not common in the US. She will look different with her adult plumage. It is not often that females return to their natal nest – the males do but it does happen and wouldn’t we love to see her again in a couple of years?

At 1906, the four siblings are on the nest. A huge round of applause for these parents fledgling four this year, please. Many nests could hardly manage two. Many lost all their chicks. For whatever reason, the two PSEG nests did very well indeed.

At 2008, Mini does a really nice ‘ps’. It is all that fish she got today!

Thankfully we did not need a rescue at Patchogue. But I know from all of you that wrote or commented that the plight of Mini caused you to move into action to try and save her should something go amiss. It is those traits in all of you – generosity, compassion, caring – that take away the despair. When you see a chick on a nest that might be lost, you do not hesitate to move into action to try and get help. We cannot save them all and, indeed, the system is set up so that they fail. But today, we witnessed a chick that defied the odds because it wanted to live and a family that made sure that happened – including the siblings on this nest who were nothing short of amazing.

Good Night Mini!

My time today was otherwise occupied with that adorable little Blue Jay that once slept on the little birds and who often watches me from one of the perches. Today, it let me get too close and then….I noticed. Can you see what is missing?

It is called ‘fright moult’. One of the feral cats might have caught this little one, or was it a squirrel? Difficult to know, but my bet is on the cat. To survive, it moulted all its tail feathers. That means this sweet baby can fly with some difficulty but not for long distances. This means that migration is out of the question. In the past, we have had Blue Jays during the winter, so…I am trying to find where the incident occurred so that the feathers might be glued back. Wish us luck. Right now, this baby is in a safe place.

‘H’ has just sent me word that Little Skipper was predated by a GHO on 24 July at 00:20 (12:20 am). This much loved and only osplet of Dory and Skiff was 44 days old. Audubon Boathouse. A real little gem up on the coast that survived til now. You will note that Little Skipper was not so little. The GHOs wait til right before or right after fledge (mostly, it seems) when the chicks are nice and fat. We need protective guards placed on these osprey nests like Cowlitz PUD provided its couple.

What do you think of when you think of a duck pond? I bet it isn’t this! This just literally makes me ill.

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The look of the ducks coming up to get their food so that they can be shot in cold blood in that dire forbidden muddy mess is beyond my imagination. Sorry, folks. But there needs to be an outright ban on this practice. There is no skill involved – it is like baiting the area for the fish around the boat or using ‘fish finders’. Or putting out tonnes of apples for bears…Of course, what I would like to see is an outright ban on killing all wild animals and all fishing. Put a moratorium in place for 8-10 years and see how well the oceans have recovered. (Fish can be farmed if humans insist on eating them).

What would happen if we stopped fishing?

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There is another osplet caught up in fishing line. I do not know the nest but the information was posted on Nor-Cal Birding. In all instances do not give up if someone doesn’t respond or help. If you see an osplet tangled in fishing line (or any other wildlife) get pictures for proof, get the exact location, and find the nearest wildlife rehabber and the nearest USFWS office. Go to ahnow.org to search for the nearest help to the site. If you are not satisfied with that, then Google “nearest wildlife rehab to _________”. Do not wait. Remember how long it took to get help at Dale Hollow? Take action quickly once you see that something is clearly wrong.

A good example. We might not always win but we always need to go the distance for our feathered friends. They cannot advocate for themselves – and sometimes we win. It is those wins – and the fledges that seem impossible – like Little Mini – that really do brighten our day and give us the strength to carry on for others.

Another Osprey nest caught on fire and another set of babies were rescued. This was in Lavigne, Ontario.

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We now know of at least 3 nests that have caught on fire in the past week. Two, in Canada, had the osplets saved. Recommendation: Every utility company undertakes to erect a new pole and platform for all nests on old hydro poles. Be caring, be generous, be compassionate power companies. Need funds? CrowdFunder can be started!

I am so proud to be part of the efforts to raise nesting platforms for the Ospreys in South Australia. Without these artificial nests on poles, the Ospreys have to lay their eggs on the rocks were the eggs and chicks are prone to predation.

Now for a spin around the nests:

Roundhouse Loch Noon: Both of the osplets have now fledged! Congratulations.

Loch of the Lowes: Laddie tries his best to fend off intruders and feed both fledglings. The first hatch, the female, PF4, got this one! She has gotten the last two. The lad, PF5, got a considerable fish earlier on Sunday.

Glaslyn: OH2 fledged on Sunday. Congratulations Aran and Elen – both chicks are now flying.

Here it is on video:

MN Landscape Arboretum: Everything is good.

Steelscape: Things are not good. ‘PB’ has monitored the nest and reports that the third hatch is getting weaker and weaker. It is kept from eating by the first hatch. It had no fish until 7:35pm today when the little one got a private feeding from Mum. There is a drought in the area dn the water is low. As a result there are problems getting enough fish to the nest for Mum and the trio. Please send warm wishes.

Mum reaches out to the little one and this time it eats! The others are quite full. Let us hope that there is a good portion of fish left. You can see where the big one has yanked the feathers from the back. It would be a shame to lose another chick so close to fledge. Thank goodness that fourth egg did not hatch!

I bet that fish never tasted so good as it did to this wee one today. It was quite weak earlier.

At Dunrovin, we are on fledge watch.

For those of you watching the Sydney Sea Eagles, it is pip watch. Can you believe it? There is a fish in the nest already waiting for Lady and any hatchlings.

The remainder of ‘H’s report. Little Skipper was one of her favourites and my heart goes out to my friend who helps me monitor a number of nests. It is so difficult – what a challenging year it has been. Our hearts are broken.

Kent Island –  “There were at least eight fish brought to the nest on 7/23, including one by Audrey.  At 42 days of age, ‘Junior’ has been learning how to perform nestorations under the tutelage of his Mom.”

Fortis Exshaw – “Breakfast consisted of a fish that Louise had brought to the nest very late the previous evening.  Throughout the day, Louise delivered three large fish to the nest, and Mr. O delivered one.  However, Louise was already feeding the kids at the time of Mr. O’s fish offering, so he flew away with his fish.  At 36 days of age, the youngsters are doing very well.”

Forsythe – “Between Opal and Oscar, six large fish were delivered to the nest.  Both Owen and Ollie had plenty to eat.  Ollie managed to grab the 10:10 fish from Opal but was pushed off the nest by Owen.  Ollie was seen flying off the nest with the fish in his beak, and a short while later she flew to the cam pole holding the fish in her talons!  At one point in the afternoon Owen and Ollie were each just standing on their fish, because they were too full to eat.  The temperatures were lower on 7/23, so perhaps fish were easier to catch.  Let’s hope the improved fishing conditions will continue.”

Thank you ‘H’.

I have a little Blue Jay to attend to and was hoping that today would be quiet. Already human debris is causing a disturbance. ‘L’ writes that one of the osplets at Patchogue has a mask attached to its leg this morning. Let us all hope that this mask comes off.

Remember that all manner of things require cutting before disposal. Loops in bags, rubber bands, those plastic tabs that come with bread need to be cut in half…and we need to be diligent and clean up – after ourselves and others. If you do go on a clean-up of parks and places where there are birds, you should wear gloves, clean your hands thoroughly, and use sanitiser afterwards.

Good Morning Mini!

There is an article about the SWFlorida nest – home to Harriet and M15 and the darling Es that you might enjoy.

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Please keep all of the wildlife and our dear nests that are struggling without the help of the heat that is penetrating everything. ‘PB’ just sent me the forecast map for the US which has been hit so very hard this breeding season.

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

Thank you to everyone who sent notes about Little Mini. Our entire Bird World family has been uplifted by her success. Relish this Sunday and her achievements. It does not often end with such success! Yeah, Mini!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘H, L, L, M, PB, SW’, PSEG, Raptor Persecution UK, BBC, BBC Radio Leicester, Municipality of West Nipissing, Newstalk 1010, Port Lincoln Osprey, Friends of Loch Arkaig, The Woodland Trust, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, MN Landscape Arboretum, Steelscape, Inc, Days at Dunrovin, Sydney Sea Eagles, Audubon/Explore, Kent Island, Fortis Exshaw, NOAA, and Forsythe Ospreys.

WBSE30 is alive…Saturday in Bird World

22 July 2023

Good Morning All!

It was an exciting time in the garden today. The usual suspects were all here but there was a new addition! The European Starlings brought at least one of the juveniles to the garden. It ate in the square feeder, drank in the bird bath, and went into the lilacs to be fed by a parent. Warmed my heart because so many of the Avian families in my neighbourhood bring their babies to the garden to eat and to be safe.

It is very difficult to tell European Starling adults apart – the males and females – just like it is with Blue Jays. This juvenile Starling is gorgeous. The bird book says it is a ‘dull grey-brown’. Well, I don’t think there is anything ‘dull’ about this little beauty.

Just look at the plumage. Under the neck is a soft dark grey collar with a light dove grey trim. Think about the reticula lace ruffs of European royalty in the late 16th century! Not precisely, but think along those lines when you look at the plumage of birds.

So now look at that lovely collar.

Then skip over to the wings and the rump and you begin to get the darkest charcoal, nearly ebony in parts with thicker and more defined outlines on the feathers. This time they almost appear bronze. This is seriously a handsome juvenile.

You can see more of that golden bronze that breaks into a rust when the juvie leans over and the light hits those feathers.

My goodness – what an excellent combination for a fall wardrobe. I worked with a man once that collected all manner of natural objects – well, he collected lots, but he often told me that we have to look to nature for the colours and the patterns. He was right.

The adult trying to find the juvenile in all the thick lilac branches to feed it. This is why I fill those feeders up day in and day out…I could not be more happier to see the adults bringing their babies to the garden. It is a tough world in an urban environment for wildlife. I continue to say that and I hope you don’t get tone-deaf to hearing it. We have taken over their habitat and it is up to us to help them. On the hottest of days that means water – water is hopefully something everyone can spare. But the next time you are tossing food into the bin look and see what you are throwing away. Would a bird eat it?

How did you spend your Friday? I know that many were watching Little Mini to see if she would fledge. Let us hope that she is with us a few more days before flying but, she wants to. Remember. Mini was so tiny we could hardly find her in the nest amidst the big siblings. She appears to be a female which means she has 50% more growth to do than say Three who appears to be a male. Her wings are the span of the nest, she has her tail feathers, now for all of them just to be ‘perfect’ and then, her body will know when to fly. Unless someone knocks her out of the nest or she gets crazy listening to Three ‘fish cry’.

Mini had at least two nice fish and a glorious PS on Friday. The adults do not forget about the chicks on the nest.

Look out below!

As a result of Mini and doing a lot of clearing out, I did not watch the nests on Friday hardly at all. And that is sometimes a good thing. It was not a beautiful day – it was hot and very humid. I still need to get to the nature centre for my daily walk. Instead, I watched Little Red harass Dyson over peanuts. Red squirrels can be very aggressive. I was just screaming at that squirrel who was obviously stashing the peanuts in the wood pile while the others wanted to eat.

Many of you have written in to see what has happened with WBSE30 presumed to have died. Well, she is alive!

There is some nest news and let’s go and see what happened on Friday and early Saturday morning.

Glaslyn: OH2 has not yet fledged – at least not at the time I am writing but it is going to be soon. 0H1 has fledged – both are males.

It was a nasty day at Glaslyn and Saturday morning is even wetter. Happy that 0H2 decided to stay on the nest.

Dyfi: Home to Idris and Telyn. Everyone is soaking wet Saturday morning.

Llyn Clywedog: Every time I think of this nest, I tear up. Dylan and Seren had two beautiful healthy osplets. When I first saw the fish on the nest just there, no one about, my heart sank a bit. thankfully, our fledgling arrived to claim it.

Alyth: The weather is much better and there are three fledglings waiting for fish deliveries!

The last chick did not leave this nest until mid-September and It is confirmed that Dad remained there feeding it all the time. What a fantastic nest.

Loch of the Lowes: Blue NC0 has not been seen for a week. She has not started migration – it is just too early. There have been intruders all season at this nest. I do not believe she would leave two fledglings for this long. Something has sadly happened to her although I hope that she lands on the nest and makes a fool out of me. That would be brilliant and it would be welcoming. Laddie is trying to keep intruders away and be both Mum and Dad. The fledglings are both hungry——and I do mean hungry. Just like they were at Achieva or at Forsythe, currently. He is doing the best he can in circumstances he cannot control.

Blue NC0 and Laddie LM12.

Laddie delivering a fish and the male PF5 got it – he is so hungry having been pushed about by the sister PF4…Two fish so far today – I cannot completely confirm who got the second but I hope that each fledgling got a meal.

Poole Harbour: Food security is paramount for a civil nest. Just look at Poole Harbour!

It is now confirmed that Blue 5H4 did a two-part fledge at 17:13:13 on 21 July. Returned safely. All waiting for their breakfast fish with CJ7 looking on from the perch.

Fortis Exshaw had such a huge fish that I had to post it earlier than H’s report. This nest should simply put a smile on our faces – it and Little Mini and even the Third hatch at Boulder. They are survivors.

‘H’ writes: “Things seemed to have settled for this nest since Mr. O came along eight days ago to help Louise after the disappearance of her long-time mate, Jasper.  Mr. O landed on the nest at 1205 to provide deterrence against an intruder, while Louise was out fishing.  Louise brought four large fish to the nest, and Mr. O brought a few sticks throughout the day.  At 1818 Louise assisted Mr. O with his stick placement.  At least one of the chicks seems to be learning from his stepdad, and has been practicing moving sticks around.”

Forsythe: “Fishing must still be difficult for Oscar and Opal.  There were only three fish delivered to the nest on 7/21, one by Opal, two by Oscar, and the fish were not very large.  Owen, the oldest of the two fledglings, managed to acquire all three of the fish, with nothing left over for Ollie.  Ollie last ate a small piece of fish at 0935 on 7/20.  There has been an increase in aggression on the nest.”


Kent Island – “All is well for Audrey, Tom, and their 40 day old offspring.  Some have been referring to the little one as ‘Junior’.  Junior is simply cute as a button!”

Boathouse – “Life is good on Muscongus Bay for 42 day old Skipper.  Skipper has been learning from his dad, and he is becoming quite adept at rearranging sticks.”

Dahlgren – “The fledglings D11 and D12 seem to be enjoying exploring their new world.  They  both return to the nest for meals, and to sleep.  I am still amazed how peaceful this nest was all season, despite the siblings hatching four days apart.”

Thanks so much, ‘H’.

Tatarstan RU: Eastern Imperial Eagle nest of Altyn and Altnay. G osh those two little eaglets are growing and they are sporting some green bling!

Lesser Spotted Eagle nest of Anna and Andris in Zemgale, Latvia: What a gorgeous baby!

Karl II and Kaia Black Stork Nest, Karula National Forest, Estonia: Three gorgeous storklets waiting for fish in the morning sunlight. Thank you Urmas for ensuring this family has food in a year of drought and few fish or frogs.

News for Waba and Bonus, the two surviving fledglings from Karl and Kaia’s nest of 2022 (Bonus was a foster from the nest of Jan and Jannika):

Dorset Hobby Falcons: One is Self-feeding! That nest is getting smaller as these two fluff balls grow bigger and bigger.

There is growing concern over the kills by goshawks of ospreys. I am reposting a FB post so that you can see this fantastic image of an Osprey’s talons. Notice the curve and the reason for this – it is not for fighting. Ospreys cannot defend themselves with their talons like eagles and hawks can.

Puts a smile on your face. There are many kind people willing to drop everything and help our ospreys.

Sadly the osplets were lost. But like so many of you who saw this earlier and wrote to me – if it was such an iconic nest, why were these chicks not saved like the ones in Nova Scotia? Did the fire burn so quickly? Did no one not see the smoke and get help? Can you imagine those adult ospreys flying above the nest seeing their chicks burned alive? Will the power company put up a new safe platform on a pole nearby like in Nova Scotia?

I have been asked to spread the word about a beautiful white parrot that needs to be located. It belonged to an elderly woman who was ill and could no longer care for her beloved pet. She entrusted the bird to A Tropical Concept Exotic Bird Rescue, who then found an adoptive home. The individual who took the parrot was a ‘flipper’ – get the bird and resell. A Tropical Concept Exotic Bird Rescue wants to find Bella, the white Parrot. She is unusual in that the parrot will say, ‘Bella, Bella, Bella’. If you or someone you know might have seen or had contact with this parrot, there is a $3000 USD reward. It is believed the bird could be in Arizona but, as I know, birds are flown daily so she could be anywhere. They just want to know that she is well cared for. No questions asked. Here is the contact: https://www.facebook.com/atcbirdrescue

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J’, Wikipedia, the Spruce, PSEG, Linda McElroy and Raptors of the World, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Ospreys, CarnyXWild, Alyth, LOTL, Jannet King and Love for the Pool Harbour Ospreys, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Fortis Exshaw, Lisa Lavargna and Ospreys Only, Cherly Scott Trueblood and Birds of Prey, Forsythe, Kent Island, Dahlgren, Boathouse Ospreys, Tatarstan RU Eagle Cam, LDF, Eagle Club of Estonia, Looduskalender Forum, Dorset Hobby Falcons, and Sunnie Day.

Crash landings, itchy wings…Friday in Bird World

21 June 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

It is the end of the week. It is almost the end of July. We are less than a month away from some of the females in Europe and the UK preparing for and possibly leaving for their migration. Indeed, migration is on my mind and I have a book recommendation (below) for those that want to learn more of the history of how scientists discovered where our feathered friends go in the winter or spring/summer for breeding. I am also including a study on the impact of Avian Flu and some suggestions on what must be done to curtail it before populations are decimated. There will be continuing news about fledges and, of course, our Little Mini – not so little anymore – who is hoping to take those beautiful wings of hers and hit the skies.

In the meantime, there was a Crow funeral this morning. At first, I did not know what was happening as a dozen or more Crows gathered and flew in circles over the back lane and in front of the house behind me. I thought the GHO had come into the neighbourhood, and I knew the adults would not have that with their fledglings being out of the nest for less than a fortnight. So I investigated, and sadly, one of the fledglings was dead on the side of the street. They had all come to mourn and say goodbye. Usually, I would pick up the carcass and place it on the boulevard, but a wise and knowledgeable Corvid person once told me that the Crows do not like humans to touch their dead. So, I left the lovely one there. How sad.

One of the fledglings on my fence – along with four of its siblings – waiting for its scrambled eggs and cheesy dogs. Sadly taken through a screen of the conservatory so the image is soft and this is as light as I could push it. They are so beautiful. Their beaks are like highly polished ebony and those dark piercing eyes. They know precisely when I am cooking those eggs and arrive and wait so they can get to them before the Blue Jays. I adore them.

That one little Blue Jay is so funny. He likes to take his naps here and he loves to be in the bird bath. He went to sleep eating and kept his lids closed for over fifteen minutes. He was only woken when another sibling flew in to gnab a peanut. Looking over my photographs, there are more than 600 digital images of this one fledgling. Don’t tell my children!

Did you know it is impossible to tell a male blue Jay from a female one unless you see them during courtship or laying eggs? Blue Jays bond for life just like our raptors.

This little one does not mind sharing the table feeder with the Sparrows.

Take the time to observe the birds around you. They are precious. Listen to their songs. Focus on their behaviour and their markings. Soon you will get to know them and they will become ‘family’.

Speaking of family. Mini will never know all the people who have sent positive energy to the nest so that it might survive but, today, this wee fourth hatch has survived and is ready to leave the nest and become a bird.

Three is on the Patchogue fish calling, and Mini just dreams of flying. She has had two good fish from Dad today – perhaps even more I missed. One was at 0920 and the other at 1523. Nice fish, so Mini is not hungry. Gosh, I am going to miss her when she fledges. What a survivor…I hope all she learned on the nest and her fortitude carry her well through life.

Oh, Mini wants to fly. She is getting some height. 1918 Thursday night. Stay home Mini until Friday.

Good night, Mini.

‘L writes that Mini got a fish at 0740 on Friday and that Three had a fish shortly after, too. That is fantastic news!

Mini got the fish and that darn black bin liner. It continues to stick to Mini’s talons. I hope when she fledges she does not take it with her!

There are lots of fledges and some hard to keep up with. All of the three osplets at Alyth have fledged with the last one flying on the 18th of July, 9 days after the first. They are being fed on the nest by the parents although, like all nests, there is a bit of a scramble.

At the Loch of the Lowes, the scramble between the two siblings for fish is intense. It reminds me of Achieva when Big knocked Middle off – these chicks are hungry! Here is the latest posting about conditions on the nest and why they are what they are from The Loch of the Lowes:

What we want to see is all the fledglings return to the nest for a good month to get fed well, fattened up for migration, and get their flying skills in order and those wings strong for that 5000 km journey most will make starting in August – in a month.

Everyone is home at Rutland! These three are keeping the adults busy catching fish…soon Blue 33 will be the sole provider of fish and I can’t think of a better Dad to fatten up these three for their migration.

Another of the Kielder nest 7 chicks has fledged. This time Blue 2B0 Gilsland.

At the Borders nest, Blue 733 Jed flew on the 20th, Thursday. Time 1600. He was airborne for 3 minutes! Well done. Thanks Rosie Shields for that great blog…congratulations, Jed!

Landing back at the nest.

There are still three chicks on the Boulder County nest but not for long.

Pitkin Open Spaces and Trails: One of the osplets is getting a lot of height and is really working its wings today. Fledge is going to be soon – just like Mini, this one wants to go!

Three beauties at Poole Harbour. I want everyone to send positive energy to the nest of CJ7 and Blue 22 that the goshawk does not return to the nest this year and snatch one or more of these beautiful babies.

At Loch Arkaig, there was a bit of an issue with one of Ludo’s flights. Geemeff says, “Ludo LY7 had a bit of a day today – made his second flight with no problems, but got divebombed by his mum Dorcha on his third flight, and missed his landing, tumbling over the edge of the nest and landing in the branches. Fortunately not hurt, took a few minutes in the tree with a few squeaks, then flew off, did a circuit, and landed properly. Relief!” Here it is on video – thanks, Geemeff.

The chick at Cowlitz has really grown and is hopping and flapping. The metal protective grids are not a bother.

Some information on the translocation project for Ireland that involves removing osplets from Norway and transporting them to their new home. Ireland has no breeding pairs of ospreys at this time.

Time for the reports form ‘H’:

Fortis Exshaw: “It was a peaceful day for this osprey family.  There were four fish brought to the nest, including one by stepdad, Mr. O.  A couple of the fish were very large, including a monster fish delivered by Louise at 0604, and there were at least 6 feedings.  No one went hungry.”

Patuxent Nest 1 – The fledglings were both seen partaking of fish at the nest.

Osoyoos – Dad delivered at least 7 fish on 7/20.  The kiddos are 24 and 25 days old, and are doing very well.


Barnegat Light – Thanks to the efforts of Duke and Daisy, there is no shortage of fish at this nest.  Little Dorsett is 51 days old, and is not so little any more.


Patuxent Nest 2 – One of the fledglings was seen on the nest enjoying a meal.

Suzanne Arnold Horning is diligent in finding the Ms after they have fledged their nest on the Cornell Campus – she spots Big Red and Arthur too. SAH has ‘hawk eyes’ – for sure! All of the family are safe and sound today.

I wanted to check in on the nest of Bald Eagles in Juneau. Look at beautiful Hope who is now self-feeding rather well.

‘A’ gives us a report on the Royal Cam Albatross: “

Later on 19 July, after GLY came in for that short breakfast feed, have a look at the late afternoon feeding on the same day. Those chunks of octopus or squid of some variety are MASSIVE. Well done dad! And then we had a feeding from mum L around 08.23 yesterday morning (20 July): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXxHaJngJXs (Notice L’s standing feeding position, different from GLY, who tends to get down really low, as he did when Manaaki was still a tiny chick. These little differences are what we rely on when it is impossible to discern leg bands, which is often the case in the half light or the long grass.) It’s a short feed and Manaaki continues to whee away as she leaves (‘Don’t go, mum!’), but then he did have two meals the previous day, including the giant chunks of squid the evening before this feed. He’s certainly not starving, our giant fluff ball. Manaaki was not weighed on Tuesday but we will see how his weight is going next Tuesday. With half the local cephalopod population being swallowed by Manaaki this week, there should be no problems in that department! What a gorgeous albie he really is. No wonder we all call him Prince Manaaki. He is just the most beautiful bird. So healthy and active and with such a curious personality. He loves to explore. We will all miss him a great deal when he does finally fledge. Day 240. It suddenly seems all too close – day 200 is looming.”

Worried about an animal in need that is not in a nest – phone the fire department! A feel-good moment.

Do you know about migration? There are several books on the subject, but Rebecca Heisman’s Flight Paths has been on my reading list. Migration is a topic that is coming up for almost all of our feathered friends. What I liked about the book is that it is full of science and what we have learned about migration through new methods using satellites, satellite tracking as well as boots on the ground, It is a page-turner—primarily black and white text with images in the middle. I didn’t miss seeing the images of birds. The writing is so good it draws you in. I was fascinated with the study of where birds go —so where precisely will the baby Blue Jays in my garden travel for winter? or the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks? What about the birds in the Himalayas that fly through really thin air to those tiny warblers that weigh no more than a ballpoint pin and travel three days over the ocean to get to their winter homes? This is exciting reading – well, to me it is – the history of migration, how humans discovered the amazing journeys our feathered friends take. This book will add much to your knowledge, deep appreciation, and respect for our feathered friends. It was $37 CDN for a hardback copy. Why not ask your local library to order a copy? Surely this is a subject that will interest many!

It isn’t about raptors but, it is about a natural solution to a problem – instead of using herbicides and pesticides. Just like raptors are the solution for rodents!

Canada is working to save the endangered Piping Plover- it is a good news story in amongst the bad – the BC Government allowed shooting and logging in the area of the endangered Spotted Owl – in fact, there is only one of them and there is shooting. Am I angry? You bet’cha. When will nature be a priority and not the economy? Without nature, there is no economy.

Record-number-of-piping-plovers-pair-up-across-Great-Lakes-The-NarwhalDownload
B.C.-sanctions-shooting-logging-in-endangered-spotted-owl-habitat-The-NarwhalDownload

Lots to read today but Birdlife International has published a report on Avian Flu and some possible solutions that must be taken if our feathered friends are to survive this global catastrophe. The report states, “Bird Flu has evolved to spread more rapidly and easily in wild bird populations. Previously, this disease spread significantly in farmed bird populations and it was quite rare for wild birds to catch it – when outbreaks did occur, they usually impacted a limited number of species and only lasted a few months. This is no longer the case. With birds under greater threat than ever before, this virulent strain of Bird Flu cannot be categorised as a natural process and left to wreak havoc.”

CMS-FAO-TF_avian_influenza_statement_July2023Download

Lots more nests with fledges to come today. Little Mini is just itching to fly – so keep an eye! But if you feel low, think of Fortis Exshaw and how wonderful this season has been with Mr O. He is our Osprey Super Hero! Thank you for being with me. Take care all.

Thank you to the following for their notes, photographs, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, Geemeff, H, L’, PSEG, Alyth, LOTL, LRWT, Rosie Shields, Boulder County FG, Pitkin County Open Trails and Spaces, Anne Ryc and Poole Harbour, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Cowlitz Pud, Gregarious Joris Toonen and Ospreys, Fortis Exshaw, Patient River Park, Osoyoos, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, Suzanne Arnold Horning, Glacier Gardens, NZ DOC, KRCR News 7, Amazon, 27east, The Narwhal, and Birdlife International.

OH1 at Glaslyn just took off…Thursday in Bird World

20 July 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

It has rained every day for ever so many days. The garden is emerald green. Without even looking at the forecast – the storm clouds roll in quickly – you can tell that something is going to happen by the frantic activity of everyone trying to eat!

One of Dyson’s kits got so excited and then lost its peanut over the edge of the feeder. Ahhhh….

The little sparrows lined up on the branch of Abigale’s tree hoping to get fed or get a turn at the feeder after the squirrel.

It was delightful to see Little Red at the feeders! He knew I was watching and thwarted my gaze.

Baby Blue Jay having a nap.

The little one only woke up when a sibling came to pester. There are five of the babies alive out of the original six…they were all in the garden on the feeders, having baths, and eating today. That is pretty good…they bring me such joy I cannot even describe it properly sometimes.

The baby on the left (above) is the one that slept with the little garden ornamental birds. Its crest finally has blue on it! But I can still tell which one this wee baby is from its behaviour. Adorable. Always loves a good long bath.

Lewis, of course, could care less. These days he is either sleeping or eating!

Oh, my goodness, the ospreys were fledging on Wednesday! I am going to lose count of all of them quickly! It took great effort to get all of the data in my forms along with the continued quest to find more French and German osprey nests.

And they were fledging on Thursday. OH1 just took off not long ago at the Glaslyn Nest! Congratulations! Time was 14:33.

‘D’ wrote and told me that it looks like it is possible all three on the Crooked Lake, Iowa osprey platform of parents Nobel and Whitley fledged on the 19th. Sunnie Day was going over to the footage to make sure that the first hatch CL16 also flew – and the verdict is ‘yes’ – all three flew today.

Take off and return for the first chick’s flight.

Siblings watching.

A great return.

‘H’ wrote and the second chick at Dahlgren flew!

Geemeff wrote that Ludo, the newly named osplet of Louis and Dorcha at Loch Arkaig, fledged before he got his official name. It was apparently the shortest trip ever from the nest take-off to the return landing.

Here is the video of that short flight:

Blue 5H3 took off at Poole Harbour at 1719 on the 19th.

These are exciting times for these young birds but, we have to remember that their journey is just beginning. Like many others less fortunate, these birds got to fly and we hope they will be safe.

The news coming out of the Chesapeake Bay Area that has been hit with storms and whose ospreys are starving to death underscores the coming challenges for the osprey population in the area.

“Williamsburg, VA – In 2023, The Center for Conservation Biology has documented the highest rate of osprey nest failure ever recorded within the lower Chesapeake Bay.  Only 17 of 167 nests monitored during the season produced any young.  The nesting population produced only 21 young resulting in a reproductive rate of 0.13 young per pair.  This rate is below that recorded during the height of the DDT era.  In order for the population to sustain itself, pairs should produce 1.15 young per pair.”

Here is the full report:

The-Center-for-Conservation-Biology-documents-unprecedented-osprey-nest-failures-within-the-lower-ChDownload

When a goshawk attacks a fledgling osplet on the nest while it is eating along with its sibling and Mum, my heart stops. Those are dangerous raptors and all of you know that predation by goshawks occurs throughout Europe and the UK. The loss of these chicks is personal to those who live and work around the nests – to whom the birds really are family. Have a read of John William’s poignant blog regarding the loss of the Llyn Clywedog fledgling on the 18th of July.

Tragedy-The-Clywedog-OspreysDownload

Translocation projects continue.

Instead of chopping down the Osprey platform for the demolition, it will be left standing long after the osplets fledge! We needed a good news story like this one. Thanks, Geemeff – it is “one for the good guys” as you say.

Rare bird spotted in the UK. Accident? Intentional? Black winged Kites are a “Small and distinctive falconlike kite. Light underneath, blue-gray above with conspicuous black shoulders formed by black wing coverts. Juveniles have a scaly back and brownish-washed breast. Found in open savannah, semi-desert, and agricultural lands with scattered woods; frequently seen on exposed perches. Varied flight style, hovering like a kestrel or gliding like a harrier with deep wingbeats and raised wings.. ” (eBird).

Rare-black-winged-kite-spotted-in-Norfolk-Broads-BBC-NewsDownload

Time for a spin around some of the nests not covered above:

Boulder County Fair Grounds: A Fantastic news with diligent devoted adults and three very healthy nearly ready to fledge osplets.

MN Landscape Arboretum: It is all good. Lots of nice fish meals beginning very early. Our 21 year old Dad is doing fantastic.

Patchogue: Little Mini had a nice fish first thing as the sun was coming up.

The time was 0525 and Mini scrambled with that fish stuck on its foot!

Cowlitz PUD: All is well. Chick is eating, sleeping, and growing. And the metal grids are still holding out against the Bald Eagle predation. At the suggestion of ‘MB’, I wrote to Tweed Valley and Llyn Clywedog about the metal grids erected on the nest at Cowlitz to try and stop predation. It is something that the UK nests might have to consider if the goshawk threat to ospreys continues.

Oyster Bay: All present and accounted for.

Wolf Bay: Fledglings come to the nest hoping for a fish dinner.

Dunrovin: Everything is fantastic.

Poole Harbour: Getting lift and then gone. Blue 5H3 fledged at 1719 while its siblings watched.

Glaslyn: I thought it was the best screen capture I had seen of Aran’s new mate Elen and their two lads. Everything is fine. No fledges as yet. Soon.

‘H’ reports on the nests she is monitoring:

Fortis Exshaw: “Thankfully it was a mostly intruder-free day for this blended Osprey family.  There were a couple of minor intruder issues, with Mr. O quickly flying to the nest at 0624 and 0651 to assist with defense.  There were a total of 5 fish brought to the nest, one by Mr. O.  At 1249 Mr. O landed on the nest and got an earful from Louise.  She may have been telling him to go fishing, and even the two kids got involved and had a ‘talk’ with their stepdad, lol.  This went on for about three minutes, with poor Mr. O just standing there and responding with soft chirps.  It was comical.  He showed up later with a headless fish.  After Louise had brought the last fish of the day at 1951, Mr. O came to the nest and simply stood by for 27 minutes, while Louise fed the kids and enjoyed a meal for herself.  Very cool, Mr. O.”

Dahlgren – At 1246 D12 became a fledgling at 58 days of age, although it was unclear if that was her intention at the time.  She flew across the nest and may have intended to land on the other side, but miscalculated and tumbled over the edge.  There was the sound of sticks hitting the water, but no splash or ripples were seen.  Several seconds later, D12 was seen flying low past the nest toward a nearby dock.  D12 landed safely back on the nest 4 1/2 hours later.  Enjoy your new life as a flighted bird, D12! 

Kent Island – All is well on the Chesapeake for Audrey, Tom, and their 38 day old youngster.

Severna Park – Olivia and Oscar continue to provide for their two fledglings at the nest.

Forsythe –  At 57 days of age, Ollie jumped up, flapped three times and landed on the camera pole.  Then 52 minutes later she jumped back down to the nest.  Perhaps she will fly away from the nest and take a spin around the marsh today.

Boathouse –  At 40 days of age, Skipper has been taking wingercising very seriously.

Thanks so very much, ‘H’!

Dorset Hobby: Oh, my goodness gracious. These little Hobbies are adorable.

Port Lincoln: Mum and Dad seem to be staying more and more on the barge nest as egg-laying approaches in August. ‘A’ reports some failed mating attempts, and you might recall that there was some concern for Dad last season.

Sydney Sea Eagles: ‘A’ reports that the 19th was “another quiet night, possums passing a few times. Lady left for a short break just before 7am and back straight away. Dad brought part of a fish shortly after, which she took away to eat. Both were then in and out during the day though Lady spend more than 2 hours longer than Dad on the eggs today. In the whole incubation period to date both have spent an almost equal time on the eggs. At dusk, Lady was settled as usual for the night.”

Durbe County, Latvia: Milda and Voldis’s male eaglet returns to the nest looking for a meal. Isn’t he gorgeous?

The female fledgling also visited the nest! both are safe and flying well.

Lesser Spotted Eaglet Nest in Zemgale Latvia of Anna and Andris. the eaglet enjoyed having a vole and a frog for a meal. I wonder how scarce food is in the forest?

Three beautiful storklets at the nest of Karl II and Kai in Estonia.

Four beautiful storklets of Bety and Bukacek are superb.

Lady Hawk captures a feeding at the Selati Verreaux Black Eagle Nest in South Africa.

Black Eagles are large raptors that live in various parts of Africa. The pair will lay two eggs four days apart. Incubation is 40-45 days. If two eggs and both hatch, the oldest chick will kill the second one. There will be only one chick to raise and fledge. They eat mammals such as monkeys, small antelope, squirrels, and rabbits.

Thank you so much for being with me today. P lease take care. Have a good end of the week. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Thank you to the following for their alerts, notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, D, Geemeff, H, MB’, Timothy Dygert Live Street, Pool Harbour Ospreys, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, The Centre for Conservation Biology, John Williams Blog, Gregorious Joris Toonjen and Ospreys, CBS2, ITV News, BBC News, Boulder County Fair Grounds, MN Landscape Arboretum, Wolf Bay, Dunrovin Ranch, PSEG, Annie Roc and The Glaslyn Osprey Group, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Fortis Exshaw, Dahlgren Ospreys, Kent Island Ospreys, Severna Park, Forsythe Ospreys, Boathouse/Audubon, Dorset Hobby Nest, Pool Harbour Ospreys, Cowlitz PUD, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Sydney Sea Eagles, LizNM and the Latvian Fund for Nature, Latvian Fund for Nature, Eagle Club of Estonia, Mlade Buky Storks,Lady Hawk and Selati Verreaux Black Eagles.

Thankfully -A quiet Sunday in Bird World

16 July 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

The weather was coolish on Saturday morning. I am sitting here with a heavy jumper on, deciding whether or not to go and find the wool socks. It would be a nice day if it were not for the ‘air quality advisories’. So we no longer have the heat but the smoke from the wildfires northwest of us. Not nice. So far, all of the animals have been to the garden today. I did not get a photo of Dyson, but that girl can suck in’ the peanuts. The Blue Jays decided it wasn’t safe to land to disturb her, so she sat in the middle of the feeder, eating a huge pile. She had to be hungry as she did not move to store any of the nuts. Then, while painting the front door, the Blue Jays decided to come and tell me all about Dyson eating the peanuts. It looks like the tray feeders may need to be really separated!

Dyson two days ago on the 13th of July. I am trying to figure out how old she is – she is not a youngster, for sure.

Oh, I finally caught her. Dyson on the 15th. Not a great image..she knew I was there.

I did not go out until the evening and oh, what a surprise there was in store. A week and a bit ago I saw hundreds of Canada Geese doing a ‘day care’. That day the little ones were on the grass and heading back down to the Red River. Today, they were in a ‘train’ – a Goose Day Care outing – to the pond! It was unbelievable. I had my long lens on and could not get a single view so here you go…what you are looking at are the older goslings getting their feathers. There is still baby down in places and the adult are in charge of this long line of youngsters.

‘A’ wonders if they fought – no they did not. All just kept following the lead adults!

They kept going. It was brilliant! The goslings are now so big that it is hard to tell them from the adults unless you look closely at their heads which still have some baby fuzz.

There were others about also. These five little tiny ones were separated from Mum and Dad. A gentle walk around got them back to the other side of the road where they should have been.

This remarkable time at the pond was marred by a small group of young people and a teenager who had some bread and were luring the goslings up on the bank and then kicking pebbles at them. I turned and spoke to them. Their parents did nothing…when I was across the pond, they started up their behaviour again. — We must educate the pre-schoolers on wildlife rights and how stressful their lives can be and their parents. This was completely unacceptable – it was ‘mean-spirited’. Perhaps, like the geese, ducks, and raptors, the children only copy the behaviour they see in the adults who are part of their lives. If so, what a sad world.

Now for some good news!

I mentioned this the other day. Everyone is still celebrating Nova Scotia Power’s rescue of the two osplets. Their parents built a nest on a power pole and then one day they brought in a stick that made the wrong connection causing the nest at Musquodoboit to catch on fire. The adults were frantic. The fire crew got there in time. The chicks were a little smokey but not injured. They were kept in rehab for a fortnight and then returned to a new nest on a new pole dedicated to them and their parents. The icing on the cake? the parents returned to care for their babies! Two weeks! Yes. Can you see my smile?

The nest is on fire.

Osplets in Rehab.

New nest.

New nest on a new pole close to the one on the power line but this one is safe! The parents return. Thanks CBC for the coverage!

Mini is still at home. The parents are still bring fish and Mini is getting much better at self-feeding as s/he grows and grows. Oh, I hope our little one is patient and enjoying life alone – or semi-alone.

Mini is really enjoying the fish that Dad brought.

Fire Island News has an article about the PSEG sponsored nests – at Patchogue (our little Mini) and Oyster Bay.

The-Ospreys-of-Long-Island-—-Fire-Island-NewsDownload

The heavy rains in parts of the UK on Saturday continued from Friday. Aran came in with fish for the two at Glaslyn – he is the king of fishing in the rain and appears to have broken some kind of record Sunday.

It was really blowing at Dyfi, the home of Idris and Telyn, on Saturday. That wind was a help to Cannon who fledged Sunday!

Those high winds and heavy rains were over in the Lake District impacting Foulshaw Moss.

Sunday morning and it is still wet in Alyth but let us hope that as the sun rises over the UK the Osprey nests will dry out.

Things are so much better in Poole Harbour Sunday morning. Blue 022 arrives with breakfast for CJ7 and the trio.

At Loch Arkaig, Only Bob is flapping those wings and looking around to see if Dorcha or Louis are bringing a breakfast fish.

Geemeff catches Louis bringing in a super fish for lunch at Loch Arkaig on Sunday.

Everyone is still home at Boulder County but for how long?

All is well at Collins Marsh.

Only Bob at Cowlitz PUD is self-feeding! If this osplet fledges, it will be the first time in many years this nest has had a fledge. All others died due to the heat domes and lack of food or predation by Bald Eagle. Keep your fingers crossed. Cowlitz PUD is counting on those wire grids protecting this family! If they do, let us put this design into use elsewhere. Lake Murray would be a good start!s

Lots of nice fish for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum chick on Saturday.

This post showed up regarding some of the nests around Minneapolis. Please read. I commented that we have a lovely situation at the Fortis Exshaw nest with a wonderful step-dad osprey!

I wonder how common it is for Osprey males to step up and help with the fishing when a male goes missing? are there so many looking for mates and nests? It is all very interesting.

Louise and her two beautiful surviving ‘well fed’ and cared for osplets – the last of the line for her and Jasper.

‘H’ reports on FortisExshaw: “What a splendid day they had!  There were a total of 11 fish brought to the nest, including two by ‘Mr.O’.  Fish were delivered by Louise at: 0548, 0638, 0735, 0757, 0903, 1423, 1807, 2050, 2117.  Fish delivered by ‘Mr. O’: 0731 (but Louise was off nest, so he waited for 2 1/2 minutes then left with the fish), and 1244.  ‘Mr. O’ also brought sticks to the nest three times.  After his last stick delivery there was a brief period where Louise was helping ‘Mr. O’ move some sticks.  You know you have really made it to the big time when you and your potential new mate have engaged in mutual nestorations.  Nicely done, ‘Mr. O’!”

Audubon Boathouse:  Skipper claimed his first fish!  He took a couple of little nibbles, but then of course Mom, Dory, reclaimed the fish and fed her youngster.  Skipper is 36 days old.

Barnegat Light:  At 46 days old, Duke and Daisy’s youngster is doing great, S/he has been doing some impressive wingers.  Check out ’09’s impressive wing span.

Kent Island:  At 34 days of age, little ‘Junior’ has passed a couple of mini-milestones.  He stood up, took a couple of tiny steps, and did a mini-winger.  He also tried to move a stick.  But, the stick he chose to move was too big . . and he just happened to be standing on the end of the stick, lol.

Forsythe:  There were 3 fish delivered, two from Oscar, one from Opal.  The high temperatures are predicted to be slightly lower this week, with heavy rains and storms in the forecast for Sunday.  The 55 and 54 day old opletes are doing well.

Severna Park:  Both of the fledglings continue to come to the nest to eat, and occasionally to simply hang out.

‘A’ has been observing Diamond and Xavier nothing that Diamond spent much time in the scrape with a sunken crop: “Her crop appears unusually sunken. She nearly always sports a huge crop, so I am most unused to seeing her like that. She arrived at the nest box at 17:24:45, e-chupping. For some reason, she appeared fascinated by the ceiling – or something above and spends some time gazing up. She waits. At 17:45:23 we hear an e-chup from outside the box and she answers immediately. She then moves into the centre of the box, e-chupping and obviously expecting a bonding visit. After a minute or so, it becomes obvious he is not coming, but she stands expectantly in the centre of the nest box for several minutes, occasionally letting out an e-chup. At 18:05:28, she suddenly looks up and to her right again. I am sure Xavier is up there somewhere. She bobs her head, looks around, prepares for departure, and flies out of the scrape at 18:05:40.”

Diamond will be glad of the scrape and the rest. She fought off an intruder earlier in the day.

In Dorset, the Hobby Falcons are serving up ‘bat breakfast’. Oh, goodness, those chicks are the cutest.

In California, Annie is enjoying her Saturday! Lovely to see you Annie and hear all that e-chupping.

Studies are beginning to reveal that human disturbance can cause nest failure.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-scotland-66200130?fbclid=IwAR2uxf2RW5St_IVvaQRcKf9w5njexQSFJessCHVHyzNV-PC_0RgwEJl-lvE

I do not have a bird feeder with a camera but many of you have written to me to know if I did or if I know anything about them. I do not know anything about them but Wired – part of The New Yorks Times – has an article devoted to the three best in their opinion bird feeders with built in cameras in case you are interested.

The-3-Best-Smart-Bird-Feeders-of-2023-Reviews-by-WirecutterDownload

Thank you so much for being with me today. it is a cool and damp morning again on the Canadian Prairies and it is time for me to fill the feeders! Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, H’, CBC, PSEG, Fire Island News, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey News, Polly Turner and Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys, Alyth, Poole Hrbour Ospreys, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Boulder County Fair Grounds, Collins Marsh, Cowlitz PUD, MN Landscape Arboretum, Twin Cities metro Osprey Watch, Fortis Exshaw, Audubon Boathouse, Conserve Wildlife of NJ, Kent Island/Explore, Forstythe ospreys, Severna Park, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Dorset Hobby Falcons, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, BBC, and The New York Times Wired.

Monday in Bird World

10 July 2023

Greetings Everyone,

I hope that you found time to be outside, to sit, and to just listen to the birds. What a lovely feeling it is. I spent part of Sunday searching for a gravestone. It was not to be found but the little cemetery sits on the bank of the Red River and the birds were singing. What a tranquil place. The benches were also lovely and I could imagine sitting there sipping tea and reading a book. Just might do that one day!

Across the road there was a fawn that had lost its mother and was in a right panic. By the time the Wildlife Reha number was dialled, it was gone – hopefully back with Mum.

It is always good to start with a wonderful Osprey nest and what better one than Moorings Park. Have you still been checking in? If you are then you know that Victor is at the nest fish calling. Did Harry think he would still be supplying Victor with fish in July? Who knows but – Harry is doing an excellent job and just look at what a beautiful bird Victor is!

If you are worried about Soledad, San Jose City Hall’s fledgling falcon, she is fine! Screaming for prey!!!!!!!!!!!

We have been distressed about the fireworks and the raptors. Friends of Big Bear Valley have noted the impact on our dear Jackie and Shadow, the Bald Eagles, that live in the Valley. They are hoping to gather enough evidence to stop the fireworks in that area. Please send them anything you have in terms of articles, and also, if you have images of instances of fireworks near raptors that caused them stress, please also send that. Here is the information that ‘B’ sent me today:

The latest post on the Friends of Big Bear Valley facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FOBBV/) from Sandy Steers. She talks of how Jackie and Shadow disappeared for three days after the Big Bear fireworks show, and how last year they disappeared for six days after the show.  Sandy closes with: For any of you who might be interested, we are gathering information on the intense and detrimental impact that fireworks have on wildlife, on the lake, on the environment in general and even on domestic animals and humans. If any of you have references to studies about any of this, please share them with us at fobbvinfo@gmail.com. Thank you!

I sent Sandy a number of articles and I am attaching a few of those here for you to read if you would like. Perhaps we need a movement that begins in the name of Jackie and Shadow and spreads across North America to stop fireworks out of respect for our non-human friends.

Fireworks-have-long-lasting-impacts-on-wildlife-•-Earth.com_Download
How-Do-Fireworks-Harm-Wild-BirdsDownload
Fireworks-BC-SPCADownload

Sandy also included a history of the eagles Jackie and Shadow. Enjoy!

Two Imperial Eaglets at the Tatarstan nest in Russia got their bling, and they are both girls! Anyone reading my blog for any time will know that female raptors are highly aggressive. Imperial Eagles are no exception. Rarely does the second hatch survive. Well, this nest is a bit of a miracle for having two eaglets survive, but never mind, they were both girls. There were plenty of small mammals, and the male just kept bringing in prey. There was never a feeling of food insecurity, so both survived. Beautiful.

The three osplets at the Dunrovin Ranch have been ringed and it looks like there are two males and a female! Congratulations. More information as it becomes available.

‘H’ is concentrating on the FortisExshaw nest as it appears tragedy is just brewing. She writes, “What a mess this feeding was . . from 0903 to about 1115 – 090253 Louise brought in a monster fish, and she began to feed.  Big beaked both its siblings right away.  Louise began to have intruder problems at 0909.  There was a pair of intruders, and the feeding was disturbed many times, as Louise defended and flew off after the intruders.  Each time she returned she would resume the feeding.  At one point, one of the intruders landed on the nest while Louise flew after the one on the perch.Long story short . . Over the course of more than two hours, Big and Middle each ate the equivalent of two or three meals.  Little never got a chance.  If it hadn’t been for those intruders, there would most likely have been a couple of opportunities for Little to get fed from that huge fish while the others were full and napping.  But, it just didn’t work out that way.  Total bummer.   In addition to Jasper being missing, Louise does not need intruders to interfere with her attempts to care for her three offspring.After that, Louise left the nest a few times throughout the day, and would usually return with nesting material.  But at 2032 she returned with a fish.  It was difficult to be certain due to the  raindrops on the camera, but the fish appeared to be partially eaten.  The feeding lasted until 2041.  At the beginning of the feeding, Big once again beaked both of its siblings.  Middle did get to eat however, while Little cowered and stayed tucked behind the feeding line.  At that point Little had not eaten for about 34 hours, and Little did not have very much to eat on 7/7 or 7/8.  Little seemed to be weak, with waning resolve.Jasper has been missing since 0930 on 7/7.  

The intruder on the nest at Fortis Exshaw. We may lose Little but please send this nest your most positive wishes. When Jasper disappeared these babies were so tiny. Most of the Mums do not go easily slip into getting fish for their chicks and it is going to be very difficult for Louise.

The two osplets have been ringed at the Borders nest and if you watched it is no surprise that the bigger and more aggressive second hatch is a female with the first hatch being a male. The male weighed 1480 grams and is Blue 733 and the female weighed in at a good 1720 grams and is Blue 732.

I still love how Dad likes to be on the nest ‘to see’ Mum feed the only surviving osplet at the MN Landscape Arboretum nest.

The little one got a late night feeding. Feeling optimistic.

Little Mini might have dreamed about being home alone and getting a huge fish delivery from Dad until it became a reality on Sunday at 12:41. Mini worked on that fish til 1330 when one of the Big siblings came home and took it. Oh, how I wish Mum had flown in and fed Mini.

There was so much left I wonder how much Mini was actually able to eat…I know she pulled really hard on the skin – you could see this on the streaming cam.

Mini got a late night feeding by Mum. These parents will not forget their fourth chick!

Awwwhhhh. After seeing fish on the nest and wishing, Mum feeds little Mini at 10:15 Monday morning. Mini I son Mum’s right.

So a spin through some of the nest that I have been monitoring:

Cowlitz PUD: Nice fish on the nest and it looks as if some was left so the Only Bob could practice self-feeding. Fantastic.

Collins Marsh: The two osplets were doing well on a rather misty/foggy Sunday. The fish cannot be huge or plentiful – or else that streaming cam goes through quickly. Still everyone seems to be alright.

Clark PUD: Sometimes the camera angle is so bad you cannot see a feeding! The only hint I have is that one of the osplets has a large crop and there was a fish left on the nest. Looks like the adults are teasing the waters of self-feeding at this nest, too.

Bridges Golf: Everything is fine.

Boulder County Fair Grounds: Lots of nice fish coming on to the nest. Sometimes Little tries to go under Mum to get some bites but, at the end of the day, Mum was hungry, too.

Island Beach: Beau and Bay and their lovely feathered osplets are doing fantastic. The kids are starting to try self-feeding.

Loch Arkaig: He is a beautiful little man who will soon have a name. Louis on top of his game with the fish deliveries on Sunday.

Llyn Clywedog: No place better than home!

Llyn Brenig: Everything is fantastic.

Loch of the Lowes: Blue NC0 did some feeding while one of the chicks delighted in having a piece on its own. Lots of wheeing…just like an eagle. Blue NC0 made sure that both were fed. Fantastic Mum.

Manton Bay: We get a glimpse of them now and then if we are lucky.

Dyfi: Two beautiful birds. Everything is good and better than good with Idris and Telyn and their two chicks. Fledging will be soon.

Glaslyn: Lots of nice fish coming in for these two. Elen and Aran made a great team and I think we have all fallen in love with the new Queen of Glaslyn.

Poole Harbour: Blue 022 made sure that CJ7 and the trio had a nice fish before bedtime!

Alyth: Lots of fish coming on the nest. The chicks give self-feeding a go but Mum comes in and makes sure that everyone gets some fish.

Finnish #1. A middle of the night feeding for what looks like Little.

Finnish #4. Now only two.

Finnish #5. Only two chicks to begin and now two as well. They appear to be alright and not suffering from bad weather or poor fish deliveries.

Moving over to ‘H’s’ reports- thank you ‘H’:

Kent Island – Despite some afternoon storms, all was good for this Osprey family on the bay.  I am so happy for Audrey that she has a little one to care for this year.  Tom and Audrey’s little kiddo is 28 days old.  

Barnegat Light – Duke brought a fluke for his family in the afternoon.  At 40 days old, 09/N was doing some wingers.


Severna Park – Chick #1 fledged on 7/9, at 62 days of age.  She made a nice return landing on the nest three hours later, and she enjoyed several more flights throughout the day.  Chick #2 is 62 days old on 7/10.


Forsythe – All is well for Opal, Oscar, and their two chicks aged 49 and 48 days. 

Osoyoos – The fish have been plentiful at the nest.  At 14 and 13 days old, those two kids are doing great.

South Cape May Meadows –  Hera was seen at her nest in the morning of 7/9, where her three babies died of starvation due to the prolonged storm in June.  Zeus has not been seen since the storm.  My heart aches for Hera.

Dahlgren – We could see chick #1 fledge this week.  The chicks are both doing well, and are 53 and 49 days of age.

Patuxent Nest 1 – There could be another fledge any day.  The two siblings are 56 and 55 days old, and I think I can tell them apart, lol, so hopefully we’ll know which one fledges next.  Foster loves that perch so much, she spent the night on it, with Mom back on the nest last night.

Audubon Boathouse – Dory and Skiff’s only chick is 30 days old already, and little Skipper is doing great!

It is always a joy to receive your e-mails, to read your comments, and to have you hear with us in Bird World. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘B, H, T’, Moorings Park Ospreys, SK Hideaways and SJCH Falcon Cam, Earth.com, Page, BC SPCA, FOBBV, Tatarstan Eagle Cam, Dunrovin Rach, Fortis Exshaw, Borders Ospreys, MN Landscape Arboretum, PSEG, Cowlitz PUD, Collins Marsh, Clark PUD, Bridges Golf, Boulder County Fair Grounds Ospreys, Island Beach State Park, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, CarnyXWild, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, LOTL, LRWT, Dyfi Ospreys, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Alyth, Kent Island, Severna Park, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, Forsythe Ospreys, Osoyoos, Audubon Boathouse, Patuxent River Park, DAhlgren Ospreys, and SCMM.

Fledge is the word of the day and Louis and Dorcha’s chick is a boy…Sunday in Bird World

9 July 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

All of the Corvid babies are coming to the feeders. This includes the six Blue Jays – easy to recognise from the adults because they have their crest – the adults are now moulting having fledged this large nest. then there are the baby Crows. They do not look so much like babies but the adults feed them on the top of my fence and it is so cute. Then now, this morning, we have the Grackles. Of course, in the mix, are the dozens and dozens of baby House Sparrows, and Dyson’s kids. The images are not great…it is very difficult with the iridescent black and the black eyes and beak to capture the Crows when they are in the south of the conservatory.

Of course, the peanut stock is being depleted regularly with all of these Corvids. The St Boniface. is near the shop to get the birdIndustrial Park . It has two larger ponds and a smaller one. I have not been there this year, and it was high time to check to see what was happening. First, there were no Canada Geese. Not one. Not even a feather from moulting. There were four Ring adult Ring-necked ducks, a pair of Mallards, a few Red-winged Blackbirds, Song and Savannah Sparrows, and a lone Robin pulling worms out of the moist soil. All this rain is helping the birds!

That said- the running around for seed (the shop is quite a distance from where I live) means that my blog today is not nearly as long as normal.

‘H’ sent me great news on Saturday, and if you did not see the posting, you will be thrilled to know that Rita, the former mate of Ron, from the WRDC Bald Eagle Nest, is splendid. While we would all want her living in the will with Ron, raising eaglets, it was not meant to be. She had to have part of a wing amputated and she was in guarded condition for some time. Here is the latest news from the Miami Zoo and it is good. Thanks, ‘H’,

Gosh, it’s nice to start off with good news and there is more.

Check out the growth of Dmitri’s storklet! This is from May to July, 2 months. I will put the link to today’s feeding below. Dmitri has been overwhelmed by the international response to his health condition. Enough funds have arrived for him to have the private surgery and not wait a long time in the queue at public hospitals. He has said that the storklet ‘saved his life’… The belief that storks bring individuals good luck if we care for them is shown clearly in this instance. This is a feel-good story, and so happy and grateful for this kind and generous ordinary person. If you wanted to donate, however small, to Dmitri, send me a note, and I will give you the address for the fund. He will need help and funds to feed the storklet and himself after the surgery. Donating was very easy.

The link to this feeding. There does not appear to be a streaming cam live but a camera has been provided to Dmitri so that he can make short clips of the storklet’s progress and post them.

Soledad is still yelling and screaming and the parents are furnishing her with breakfast and keeping track of their only eyas this year. Monty and Hartley you did well! It is sure nice to know that these babies that have fledged are safe.

The third hatch at Outerbanks 24/7 has fledged and like its two older siblings has already returned to the nest! Well done. Put this Osprey nest on your list to watch next season. They are all gone and then they are all on the nest. You can hear them fish calling on the cam!

There is a fledge at Llyn Clywedog. Dylan and Seren’s eldest boy, Blue 8B1, took to the skies, did a fantastic flight around and returned landing on the perch right next to Mum.

Dylan brought his young lad a nice Brown Trout as a reward.

Female chick PF4 has fledged at Loch of the Lowes! Oh, goodness they are all taking to the skies or thinking about it.

At the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn, the chicks are hovering.

The Finnish Osprey #4 nest was a concern. ‘A’ was correct to be concerned. The lack of fish and rain has prompted the first hatch to attack both Middle and Little. The female appears reluctant to feed the Little one and despite two large fish being brought to the nest one after another, the Big osplet has now killed the little one.” It was an outright attack according to my friend ‘T’.

Finnish #1 nest. Eine really loves to eat her fish and those chicks have to work hard to get fed. There could be a potential for problems. The Big one eats, then the second, and we hope there is enough for the third!

The Patchogue Osprey nest is doing fine. There is a lot of wing flapping. The two older osplets have fledged and returned to the nest. On Saturday, Three got up to the perch so it is only time til it flies officially. That left Mini on the nest and our deal little one looked so lonely. Little Mini had a couple of good crops on Saturday. Fully confident that this fantastic chick will fledge. Please continue to watch as we celebrate these amazing parents who raised four energetic and healthy osplets.

Mini keeping an eye on that fish that one of the older is eating. Mini is very smart and has proven itself a survivor. The only issue could be a nest accident but I didn’t say that! This is also a good nest to put on your list for viewing next year.

Mini alone -.

‘M’ got this nice screen capture of Mini alone today, too. The flying is going to cause the older ones to be hungry so no doubt the nest is going to be frantic when there are deliveries. Gos, this chick is gorgeous. Notice her nice necklace and those amazing eyes. You can always tell Mini by her head and neck form the others. And look at those thick ankles. Little tears of joy…I know many of us worried so much that we would lose Mini.

After some initial hiccups, Boulder County Fair Grounds Ospreys are doing fantastic.

Everything appears to be alright at Cowlitz PUD. This nest was fortunate – only one egg hatched and there is enough fish for three. If you have forgotten, the theory is that the Bald Eagles – which are plentiful in the area – steal the fish from the Ospreys.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest is very interesting. It is thought that this is the first breeding season for the female. The male is 21 years old. He often stays in the nest and observes the female feeding the chick. Today is the first day I can say that this baby has ‘a fat little bottom’. Things have improved since the beginning of the season on this nest.

Clark PUD is alright. I keep thinking this nest could use some more fish as the osplets are growing rapidly and feathering.

The female at Collins Marsh is just a sweetie. The two chicks of this new couple are doing very well, indeed.

The three chicks at the Lipka Forest Osprey nest in Poland are doing super.

The ringing of osplets (or any raptor or bird) can cause upsets at the nest. After the initial delay of the parents returning to the nest on Saturday, Louis comes in with fish number two. On Sunday, it is confirmed that this big chick is a boy! The naming contest has begun. Geemeff sent the link, please scroll through the comments when you get to this site: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/

‘H’ continues to be concerned about the FortisExshaw nest. This is her report for the morning: “Their only feeding yesterday was from a large fish brought by Louise at 0934.  Since then, Louise has left the nest numerous times, and the longest she was away was 52 minutes.  She returned a few times with nesting material.  She was never seen with a large crop.  I have seen beaking of Little a few times.  I assume this beaking is probably taking place more often than I am finding it on rewind.  Jasper will have been missing 48 hours on 7/9 at 0930.  I hope Jasper returns.  This is really tough on Little.”

Louise alone wondering what happened to Jasper with three very young chicks to feed and protect – and brood.

Ferris Akel has been checking in on Big Red, Arthur and the Ms and on Saturday he found all of them. Those fledglings are doing great.

Suzanne Arnold Horning found the Ms as well. Gosh these are precious little ones.

A beautiful story coming to us from the Kakapo Recovery about Nora – and, yes, she is still alive. I have attached the article below so you can read about this remarkable female, the matriarch to the now 209 Kakapo in the world.

Celebrating-40-years-with-Nora-the-kakapo-Conservation-blogDownload

All of Heidi’s other Osprey nests are doing well so no individual reports on them.

Thank you for being with me today. Send your positive energy to those struggling nests, including Fortis Exshaw. Take care, everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘Geemeff, H, M, T’, Miami Zoo, Dmitri’s stork, SK Hideaways and the SJCH Falcon Cam, Outerbanks 24/7, CarnyXWild, George Green and the Clywedog Osprey Group, Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre and Wildlife Reserve, Dyfi Osprey Project, Finnish Osprey Foundation, PSEG, Boulder County Fair Grounds, MN Landscape Arboretum, Clark PUD, Collins Marsh, Lipka Forest, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Ferris Akel Live Stream, Suzanne Arnold Horning, and kakapo Recovery.