Category Archives: Manitoba wildlife

First egg at Achieva, Second egg at Big Bear, Second hatch at JB…Monday in Bird World

29 January 2024

Oh, good morning. Sunday was a marvellous day. Sunny and warm at 0 degrees C. It was the perfect day to get outside – and most of the people in the City where I live agreed. 

I had been waiting to go and visit the chickadees, and it was ‘almost’ the perfect day. The parks department decided to trim all the trails at the Chickadee Walk at Bird’s Hill Provincial Park for the cross-country skiers. As a result, the hundreds of Chickadees were right up by the entrance at the parking lot waiting for seed. They are so tame that the birds land on your hands, arms, and heads! There were also Red-breasted Nuthatches, and a quick drive through the country meant seeing some soaring hawks and owls. 

Close by is a place that I have visited since I returned to Manitoba more than two decades ago. Pineridge Hollow as built on the site of an old quarry. It was originally a small restaurant serving a locally sourced menu and a small gift shop with a petting zoo. It has grown over the years to become a destination about half an hour’s drive outside of my city. There is now a ‘village’ – a dozen or more shops full of marvellous things, including an old-fashioned grocery. 

To expand their operation, they built the Village – parallel shops selling local produce, a bakery, a coffee shop, and clothing. I was surprised at how busy everything was, but we longed to get out in the winter, and today was the perfect day. The roads were good; there was no snow or wind, and our hands didn’t freeze if we didn’t wear gloves.

Many families and couples were milling around the property, visiting the goats and chickens, tasting the cheese and meats, and sipping hot chocolate by the numerous outdoor fire pits. It was fantastic. What a nice boost.

The cats have been fantastic. Hugo Yugo sees the vet on Wednesday, and I think Dr Green will be in for a shock. E23 has nothing on this darling ginger cat in terms of growing overnight. It is shocking. I can’t wait to see how much Hugo Yugo weighs.

Once I got home, all the bird news was good except for the egg at NEFL. We can’t complain, and Gabby and Beau will move forward. Hopefully, next year will be a success for them.

The first egg of the osprey season has landed on the Achieva Credit Union nest in St Petersburg. Diane looked like she was ‘thinking about something’ since Saturday morning and that egg arrived 1421:57. 

I am so excited. Little ones are arriving the first week in March!!!!!!

While we dream of ospreys at Achieva, Gil is 105 days old and Brad is 103 days old at Port Lincoln today. They could disperse anytime OR maybe, because they are male, they will hang around Port Lincoln like Ervie.

Gil was on the nest when Dad flew in with the first fish of the day at 0816. Brad was hot on his tail!

I don’t think that Gil is going to save anything for Brad.

No fear. Dad flew in at 1241 with another fish and this time Brad was on the nest and got it! Don’t you love how they do a toe dance like Mum when they see that fishy dinner arriving?

PLO has posted some tracking data.

This is Giliath who is following adults to their favourite fishing spots.

“Ervie continues to do laps of the Bay. He forages at Point Boston quite a bit and seems to return to the wharf to roost.” (PLO)

‘MP’ sends news that the second chick has hatched at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands on Sunday. Congratulations Mum and Dad. Oh, let us all hope that things go well and we have two fledglings this year from the nest. That would be splendid. It was a dual feeding before bedtime for the duo.

Lady Deeagle has the two getting a feeding! I understand the need for the deep nest. Just look where it is located but, a camera looking down would be helpful!

Great capture at the nest by ‘AE’. Thank you! Were they celebrating the arrival of Dad with that magnificent fish? or alerting to an intruder? or both?

Jackie and Shadow have their second egg of the season. Congratulations. We are into hard incubation with an eaglet expected the same time as the osplets at Achieva.

There were constant intruders at the SW Florida nest of F23 and M15 as caught on video by SK Hideaways. Just listen to that alarming.

E23 is sleeping and eating and growing. Just in case those sub-adults come back and threaten her little one, F23 is in the nest tonight with her baby. M15 got himself an amazing mate!

All seems to be well at Captiva. ’A’ writes: “CE10 and CE11 spent the day eating and eating and eating. There were TEN feedings during the day. Seriously. Ten. These are not hatchlings. They are growing up so fast, and with ten feedings a day, they are going to be massive fledglings! Connie and Clive continue to astonish me. They are amazing parents. Absolutely amazing. Right up there with M15 and F23. Connie in particular has been the most devoted of mums, while Clive provides so well for his family.”

Poor Gabby. She wants to be a Mum. And there were two sub-adult intruders today – they were gorgeous. Jasper and Rocket?

The new couple at Anna and Louis’s nest (KNF-E1) appear to be serious. They are bringing in nesting materials.

So what is happening at the WRDC? Well, it looks like all of the fish that was provided when the nest was cleaned and that huge fish that Rose brought in, is now gone. ’H’ reports that it is windy and that the fishing might be very difficult again. ”Now, it seems that they may be having trouble fishing again.  It was quite windy on Sunday, and neither parent brought prey to the nest.  Yesterday, Ron was hungry and ate some of the ladyfish and tilapia, but he did provide two very nice long meals of the fish for R6.  R6 was fed 7 times, but two of those meals consisted of fish scraps.” ’H’ provides a photo of the pellet that R6 cast Monday morning. 

And then when everyone was worrying, three big fish came to the nest! The times were: 7:06:51 Rose; 7:10:16 Ron; 8.52.14 Ron.

Tears of joy all around for this lovely eagle family that was so hungry.

At Decorah North, DNF is really finishing off that nest. Are they ready for eggs?

There is no egg at Moorings Park yet. Perhaps next week!

SE31 appears to have set off on their life journey. Lady and Dad have visited the nest to give it a good check – maybe before they head to Goat Island for a vacation.

LGK has returned home – quickly – to feed the Royal Cam chick! What a turnaround…it is hard to stay away once the little one arrives. How sweet.

Been wondering about what Challenger is doing today? Don’t know who Challenger is? For both, check out this video.

On the Cornell Campus, Big Red and Arthur were both spotted.

‘SP’ sent me the news of Marri being seen at Orange. She has not left! How wonderful.

Kielder Forest is excited. One of their fledglings from 2020 has been sighted by Jean-marie Dupart in Senegal!

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We love our birds and we participate in bird counts. Is there anything else we can do to help alleviate the threats to their existence? More than 600 million birds are estimated to have been lost in the UK in the last four decades. That is shocking. I wonder what it is in North America. So what is causing this? And believe me, the farming practices in the UK are not dissimilar to those in NA and other parts of Europe.

“Nor is it hard to trace the main cause of this loss of birdlife. As the RSPB has made clear, intensive farming practices, particularly the increased use of pesticides and fertilisers, have been the main drivers of most bird population declines in the UK since the end of the Second World War. The fact that farming could affect all birds, even those in inner cities and suburbia, may seem unlikely.

However, almost three-quarters of the UK is made up of farmland. What happens there affects birds in all habitats. In effect, our urban and suburban avian populations are overspills from the countryside. It would therefore be tempting to blame farmers for this unsettling state of affairs and press for quick measures to cut farm yields. Biodiversity loss would be slowed and carbon emissions cut. However, such rapid impositions would be risky.”

The-Observer-view-on-Britains-Big-Garden-Birdwatch-take-pleasure-in-counting-birds-but-dont-ignoDownload

Thank you so much for being with me for a quick run around some of the nests to see what is happening. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, photos, chat rolls, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, Geemeff, H, J, MP, SP’, Bird’s Hill Provincial Park Songbirds, Pineridge Hollow and The Village, Achieva Credit Union, PLO, John Bunker Sands Wetlands Eagle Cam, Lady Deeagle, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, WRDC, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Moorings Park, Se McGregor, AEF, Lady Hawk, @CornellHawks, Kielder Ospreys, The Guardian, and Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam Chat.

Royal Cam egg has pipped…Saturday in Bird World

20 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

There is some good news about pips and eggs in Bird World today. Sadly, there will be no further hatches at WRDC and none at Berry College. 

There are lots of visitors in the garden this morning. To my huge delight, three Crows were flying down to get peanuts when Dyson wasn’t in the way! Dyson’s kits were all here, along with Little Red and the two Blue Jays. I did not see a single European Starling. I wonder where they are.

Hugo Yugo seems to have grown overnight. Seriously. She is busy watching everyone in the garden from the table in the conservatory. She hasn’t moved for more than an hour.

Baby Hope wanted some quiet time. It didn’t last long.

Hugo Yugo is tired after all that play fighting. But, look, she fills up part o the top of the cat tree. She is growing!

A new all Black cat showed up at the feeder today. Its image has been posted in all the local missing cat FB pages in case it is lost. 

Earlier, ‘The Boyfriend’ had had his traditional Friday roast chicken dinner. Maybe the visitor got some leftovers.

Congratulations to Jolene and Boone at the ETSU nest in Tennessee on their first egg of the season on 18 Jan. This new Mum raised two eaglets to fledge last year.

The biggest news is that we have a pip in the egg of the Royal Albatross couple in NZ. 

Jackie spent some time at the nest she has with Shadow at Big Bear Lake on Friday. Gosh, she’s gorgeous.

C11 has a huge crop, stands, and does some wing exercises, while C10 stretches underneath the dry palm frond blanket. Everything is going well at Captiva.

New bedding material and more fish brought to the nest as the winds pick up in the area.

E23 has eaten, slept, and grown. This eaglet is changing so quickly. E23 has a Mohawk now. Pin feathers are coming in. Clown feet and today, many thought that E23 was going to start chewing on that possum tail. Just look at that fat little bottom. Privileged only eaglet. 

This little one really likes to sleep with its head propped on the rails! Thank goodness M15 and F23 are filling in the holes.

E23 is too big to fit under Mamma F23 anymore.

Ron and Rose certainly have that nest cup deep. You can just get a glimpse of R6 if it stretches its head way up high. What a little cutie. Looks like R6 is going to be an only eaglet – nothing wrong with that!

R6 is five days old today.

At the NE Florida Eagle nest, Gabby and Beau took turns incubating the egg.

Event Log for Gabby and Beau for Friday:

All that snow that fell across the US and Canada has meant the Eagles are working hard to get their nests in order. This is Beau and Bella at the NCTC nest on Friday doing just that.

Wow. There were five fish brought to Gil and Brad on the 20th – 3 from Mum and 2 from Dad. How lucky these two are! And we now see clearly that the help the fish fairies brought to ensure both survived was a huge success without any harm done to the actual fishing of the adults. Keep it up Port Lincoln!!!!!! 

Age (chicks): Giliath : 95 days, Bradley : 93 days
Fish count: Mum: 3, Dad: 2
Fish times: 09:00, 09:31, 15:19, 16:34, 16:49

Bradley was doing some hovering and flying in the late afternoon.

Video of SE31 at the Parramatta River. Just look at the size of SE31 whose is playing with garbage down at the River Roost.

‘A’ brings us the latest for January 20 at Sydney: Early, at 6am, both parents were at River Roost, with SE31 whining for food. At 6:40am, one of the parents caught a fish for her, in front of River Roost. She is so hard to see at times in the mangroves. Later, in the early afternoon, SE31 was out of sight, but Dad was seen taking off, circling over the wetlands, returning, then heading off again towards Wentworth Point. He returned at 2:23pm with a small fish – Lady was still there. By 2:40, our juvenile was eating on a low branch, Dad was in the air and Lady was still in the same place. The picture below is of Dad – with some feather gaps in his wings.

‘A’ sent in today’s antics with Marri at Orange! Oh, she’s loud. Xavier and Diamond must be delighted their daughter is alright and still home. (Parent at end of video is Diamond, not Xavier as amended by SKHideaways).

In St Petersburg, Jack is bringing Diane fish gifts as we begin to dream of eggs in a couple of weeks at the Achieva Osprey platform.

Red Listed Birds found shot and dumped in Cheshire. Despicable.

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The BTO brings us a paper tracking the behaviour of 47 Short-eared Owls. t is a totally interesting study that found that one female raised two broods of chicks to fledge in two different countries in a single year!

Tracking-Short-eared-Owls-Notes-from-the-field-BTO-British-Trust-for-OrnithologyDownload

Have you read it, The Raven? 

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, J’, Trudi Kron, NZ DOC, Sharon Dunne, Lady Hawk, SK Hideaways, FOBBV, Window to Wildlife, SW Florida Eagle Cam, WRDC, NEFL-AEF, Deb Stecyk, PLO, WBSE 2024, Diana Lambertson, Raptor Persecution UK, BTO, and The Woodland Trust Scotland.

Friday in Bird World

12 January 2024

Good Morning,

We had an ‘Alberta Clipper’ hit southern Manitoba overnight on Wednesday, and when we woke up Thursday morning, all of the main roads surrounding the city were closed. They reopened at 0845, but many city streets were blocked. There is not a vehicle moving where I live. It is wonderfully quiet. What was different, also, was the traffic at the bird feeders. The Crows arrived – two of them – for peanuts. They were joined by five woodpeckers, 4 Chickadees, and 2 Blue Jays, the usual cohort of squirrels and sparrows.

I have been talking about the Crows and how I noticed that they have not been around the neighbourhood. It was worrisome. The other day, I saw one at the corner waiting for a neighbour to put out food. They were not coming to the garden. Today they are here. Oh, tears. Joyful tears.

Our City has marked diseased trees and sadly, their nesting trees are due for cutting. We are all hoping that they will find another tree. These trees were planted in 1902. They are huge and made a beautiful canopy once the leaves were fully out in the spring. It is so sad to see them needing to be taken down. There are others being planted in their place but it will be a decade or more before they are even a decent height, never mind 60 for 70 feet in height.

The Blue Jay in profile is the baby that slept with the ornamental birds in the garden last summer. It is here with its dad, Junior. These seem to be the only two Blue Jays still in the neighbourhood that did not migrate (or die).

The male Downy. Notice the red patch at the back of the head near the nape.

This is the male Hairy Woodpecker.

One of Dyson’s kits was enjoying peanuts, too!

It is one of the female Downy Woodpeckers eating the suet on the big table feeder.

As a result of the activity in the garden, I spent much time in the conservatory watching rather than on the computer – something that I ask all of you to do! It was so nice. There is no hatch news so it is simply the status quo so far.

Iowa got some snow, too, and the eagles at Decorah North were doing a bit of cleaning up.

The Hatchery Eagles stayed in the trees.

Sunny Florida on Thursday. At the nest of Gabby and Beau, Beau is really coming into adulthood. He is helping Gabby and has incubated twice on Thursday. As the hatch approaches, let us all send positive messages that this egg is viable and that Beau begins to bring prey to Gabby and their chick.

We do not ever have to worry about E23 not getting enough prey!

E23 tried to yank that rabbit out of the nesting material to eat it today. Our little eaglet is getting pin feathers and will soon have some dandelions as the thermal down comes in. You can also now see the ear.

Rose is not giving any hints at the WRDC nest on Thursday.

At Captiva, C10 and C11 are sleeping with the fishes.

Shadow brought in the first fish of this season on Wednesday!

Heavy rains caused flooding at the Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest on Wednesday.

SE31 continues to put smiles on our faces. 

Changeover at the Royal Albatross Colony. Everything is OK.

Marri’s return to the nest and – some memories thanks to SK Hideaways.

In California, Monty and Hartley want one another’s breakfast!

The Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey in Maitland – one of our favourite wildlife rehabilitation centres – released its 700th eagle into the wild! This is where Bailey, the Osprey, is an ambassador and where Connick was cared for before going off to the Smithsonian as an Ambassador.

Audubon-Center-for-Birds-of-Prey-Celebrates-700-Eagle-Release-Milestone-Audubon-FloridaDownload

Why is the Jackdaw the most beloved Corvid in the UK?

Birdwatch-why-the-jackdaw-is-Britains-most-endearing-crow-Birdwatching-The-GuardianDownload

Why is the population of Winter Finches in decline? Audubon gives us some answers. 

A-Beloved-Winter-Finch-Is-In-Decline—and-Scientists-Want-to-Know-Why-AudubonDownload

You are looking at the only breeding pair of Short-tailed Albatross at the Midway Atoll and they are feeding a chick. They also breed on Mukojima, Ogasawara Islands, Japan.

Pesky intelligent Kakapo do not like staying in their enclosure.

New comes about one of the Hancock Eagles from British Columbia.

Thank you so much for being with me today. We are anxiously awaiting a pip or hatch at both the WRDC and Berry College. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my blog today: ’A, H, J’, Raptor Research Project, NEFL-AEF, Jan Lester, SW Florida Eagle Cam, WRDC, FOBBV, Duke Farms, Window to Wildlife, Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey, The Guardian, Audubon, Friends of Midway Atoll, Robyne Hocking, and Hancock Wildlife Foundation.

Tuesday in Bird World

9 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It is -21C on the Canadian Prairies. The cold weather has arrived. It was a good day to wake up to hot coffee and warm cardamon rolls out of the oven. LOL. The girls didn’t care! They wanted breakfast and story time before I started my day. Calico now ‘walks’ me out to the conservatory sofa to read. It is too funny. The cats have me fully trained. 

As you know, if you have read my blog over the summer of 2023, a large family of Crows lives in my neighbourhood. They bring their fledglings to the garden to get peanuts and for the bird bath, where they dunk their food and have baths. The numbers have decreased since the end of autumn, and I am worried about them. Today, I was happy, but simultaneously sad, to see a single crow at the corner waiting for another person who feeds birds. I know she specifically feeds the crows, but where are the others?

I have also been reading more about Crows, and if you are interested in the intelligence level of the members of the Corvid family include Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays, I have a book for you! It is called Bird Brains, and it is by Candace Savage. This is the latest edition from 2018. 

I was impressed by the writing that drew me in and made the new findings on this amazing species’ intelligence level relatable. The photographs are top-notch. (Sorry about the glare from the light)

The introduction included mention of anthropomorphism. Put simply it is ascribing human traits to animals. if, however, you study the behaviour of animals, the apologies of individuals such as many on chat for doing just that will more than irk you. 

Savage discusses the ‘ascription of meaningful intelligence to nonhuman creatures’ as problematic. She notes that at a point, scientists and researchers into behaviourist psychology who looked into memory, insights and thoughts stopped looking at nonhumans. Some had been tricked, and she noted that no one wanted to be embarrassed. It paused the subject of knowledge and intelligence…She notes that anyone who dared to state that nonhumans were intelligent was accused of the dreaded anthropomorphism. Savage’s entire book bunks the notion of ‘dumb animals’, stating that humans ‘have a lot invested in keeping animals dumb’ (19). Think about it – humans can treat animals any way they want if they believe they do not feel pain, have feelings, share emotions, solve problems, etc. Savage points to the research of many, including Irene Pepperberg from the University of Arizona, who concludes that Corvids are superbly intelligent, capable of identifying items by name, able to distinguish similarities and differences in objects, as well as ‘capable of acquiring complex vocal and nonvocal behaviours that many scientists believe are co-or prerequisites for referential communications’. Pepperberg, in her research, discovered that Corvids have the same cognitive capacities as primates. Indeed, their superior powers might be higher than primates (18).

If you are interested in avian behaviour and love the Corvid family or want to learn more about the intelligence of our feathered friends, this is an excellent book. It is well-written, wonderfully illustrated, and at a good price point. 

One of my favourite Corvids, the baby Blue Jay from the summer, came to visit the feeder on Monday. Delighted to see it!

The girls are doing great. The plumbers were here again today – they will be finishing up tomorrow – and I could not ask for better behaviour. They all stayed out of the way of any danger!

Missey has a new sleeping spot. It is on top of one of the tallest cabinets – almost touching the ceiling – next to a carved cat on a skateboard that my late friend, Charlie Scott, made. Missey is very smart. What a safe place and out of the way of Calico. They do not always get along. I would say they tolerate one another.

Hugo Yugo and Calico slept on the cat tree together, ignoring the workers who dumped the vanity behind them piled with anything and everything.

I was so delighted when ‘AM’ sent me some beautiful images they had taken of Blake Kites near their home in Japan.

Nature Japan gives us some information on one of the country’s most beautiful raptors: ”The Black Kite or “Tobi” トビ as it is known in Japanese is a common sight in the skies throughout Japan. This raptor is thought to be the world’s most abundant bird of prey. Its numbers are healthy and is under no threat.

This bird can be mainly found in Eurasia, Australasia, Oceania and is a year-round resident here in Japan. You can see this powerful looking bird often soaring in the thermals high above coastal areas, rivers and lakes. I’ve also seen them in farming areas throughout the Kansai region of Japan. They are very graceful flyers that soar with ease and turn with precision.

Male and female Black Kites look very similar and are very opportunistic hunters. They prey upon fish, rodents, and other birds. They are also known to scavenge which is one of the reasons they are so successful a species. I have watched them dive towards the ocean plucking fish from the water and I have also seen them dive-bomb people at highway rest stops trying to steal their rice balls and bento box lunches.” Their only predator is the Eurasian Eagle-owl. “This powerful owl can easily pick off even adult Black Kites and can sometimes be found in northern parts of Hokkaido (common throughout Europe and other parts of Asia).”

Wilde Nature gives us the size variations for these birds of prey: “The Black-eared Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey, measuring about 45–55 centimetres in length with a wingspan of up to 150 centimetres. The distinguishing feature of this subspecies is the black patch of feathers on the sides of the head, located behind the eyes, which gives it its name. Its eyes are dark brown; its bill is short and hooked. The outer wing feathers are black, with dark crossbars and a mottled base. The underparts are pale brown and become lighter towards the chin. The body feathers have a dark shaft, giving it a striped appearance. The corner of the mouth is yellow, but the bill is black. Male and female birds look the same, but females are slightly longer with a larger wingspan.”

Black-eared Kites are opportunistic hunters and feed on various prey such as small mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles. They are often seen soaring high in the air on thermal updrafts, effortlessly gliding while searching for potential prey on the ground.

Thank you ‘AM’ for allowing us to share these beautiful images of the kites.

Look at this beautiful White-tailed Eagle that visited one of Finland’s Osprey (Selli Island) nests on Monday. Gorgeous.

Connie with C10 and C11 today. Note more dandelions are missing! There are pin feathers coming in along the wing tips.

‘A’ comments on these little eaglets: ”Speaking of having enormous appetites, so does CE10, who is absolutely massive in comparison to baby brother CE11. I am still not entirely sure that CE10 has the temperament of a female, but certainly she has the physical characteristics of one. Little CE11 seems to eat his fill most of the time, but she can eat SO much more. Today, both of them had very big crops mid-afternoon (of course CE10’s was larger), and then Connie came in and CE10 was fed the majority of a good-sized speckled trout! CE11 lifted his head from his afternoon nap and initially decided not to bother, but about 20 minutes later, he eventually got up and made his way to the table, by which stage you might have expected CE10 to have long since fallen into a food coma, but no, she was continuing to eat, so that CE11 still had to wait some time to get perhaps a dozen mouthfuls out of the entire fish. CE11 is definitely getting enough to eat, but CE10 is bottomless. She is making no specific effort to prevent CE11 from eating, and has not really done so at any point in their development. She eats and eats and eats, while CE11 is a confident eater but not a pushy eaglet at the table. Occasionally, when big sibling is asleep, CE11 gets a quiet private feeding, usually from Connie, but the size differential continues to grow between the two eaglets. Fortunately, there has been no real food shortage (except one day where there was an inkling of ‘hungry’ experienced on the nest). The bonking has been minimal throughout (and instigated often by CE11, who has been prepared to look his older sibling in the eye from an early age, despite the inevitable results). “

‘J’ has a reminder: Today is also Connick’s first birthday. Connie and Clive’s 2023 hatch will be the Ambassador at the Smithsonian. Maybe you will be able to travel to see him!

Changing before our eyes. Thanks for the close-ups, cam op.

Faxinating caught the whole fish drop to F23 for her and E23 today – we all cheer when the Dad doesn’t eat the head, but we also cringe when the fish flops everywhere. Not to cause alarm, but these live fish have killed eaglets and Osplets. (more on SW Florida below)

Tonya Irwin reports on the action at the Kistachie National Forest E1 nest that Louis shared with his late mate, Anna.

Not a lot of action at the nest of Beau and Gabby. I really hope Gabby is getting to eat enough. It looks like Beau is busy with the defence of their territory.

All is well with M15, F23, and E23 at the SW Florida Eagle nest after the earlier fish delivery. Dad stopped in before bedtime to feed the cutie pie some fish.

The Great Horned Owls are nesting at the Hilton Head nest it seems.

On their social media page, the Hilton Head Island Land Trust posted a short video of the male bringing prey and being in the nest with the female. You can see the two eggs.

Meanwhile at the nest of Bonnie and Clyde on Farmer Derek’s property in Kansas, it is snowing. No sign of the owls.

Just northeast of Kansas, in Iowa, the snow is coming down in Decorah, home to the Decorah North Bald Eagle family as well as the Hatchery Bald Eagle Family.

Snow was also coming down on the Denton Home Nest.

Baiba caught Blazer going after a squirrel coming up to the Eagle Country nest where he is incubating his and Abby’s eggs.

At Port Lincoln, Gil got himself a really nice fish off the nest. This is not just any fish – this is a delivery by the fish fairy at 0938.

The lads have been fighting for the fish and today Gil was the clear winner until…

Mum came in with a really large fish at 1344. The lads struggled. Gil had a nice crop – come on, Gil. Let Brad eat! Brad was hungry and got that fish and really enjoyed it. Well done, Brad.

‘A’ sends the report for the WBSE: “January 9: Early this morning, just one eagle was spotted at the river, moving between roosts. Just before 9am, SE31 was finally seen soaring high above the wetlands and the river. Then, at 9:15am, she was at River Roost with Lady, both flying back and forth a bit. At 9:20am, SE31 took flight, followed by Lady, up high, circling then off over Homebush Bay. Neither had returned at 10:15am. Just after 12 noon, SE31 was seen at River Roost, but no parents. But then we heard that at 11:06am, she had been seen catching a fish shortly after returning from her flight with Lady. At 4:30pm, one adult was seen at River Roost, and it then flew off to the west. Shortly after, at 5pm, both adults were spotted on the island, then SE31 was seen there as well.” 

BirdGuides review of the week for the UK, including some unusual finds.

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Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretative Centre is closed for renovations, but they have some online events for people living in my province. Want to know where to go birding? Check this virtual information session on the 14th of January from 1300-1400.

Virtual-Birding-Hour-Where-to-Find-Birds-in-Manitoba-Oak-Hammock-MarshDownload

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

I would like to thank the following who also helped me with my blog today: ’A, AM, J’, Nature Japan, Wilde Nature, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Window to Wildlife, Faxinating, Tonya Irwin, Carol Shores Rifkin, Hilton Head Island Trust, Farmer Derek, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Denton Homes, Baiba, PLO, Bart M, Eagle Cam, Bird Guides, and Oak Hammock Marsh Wetland Centre.

Friday in Bird World

24 November 2023

Hello Everyone,

There was some excitement in the garden mid-afternoon on Thursday. A small Sharp-shinned Hawk showed up on the post that Sharpie used to use when he hoped to grab a sparrow at the feeders. It is not a great image – taken with my phone. The branches are so bare. There is no place for a songbird to hide from the hawks so they fly away in a group as fast as they can when they know s/he is in the territory. This one has been coming for a few days, but this is the first time I have seen it. This is an Immature Northern.

Calico watching the hawk!

Hope is feeling better. She is looking out the glass door wanting out…how do you really stop them from running, and jumping and just being cats? One of their aunties asked about putting a cone on Hope…thankfully she has not been licking, but, like her mother, she fought that cone to the point that it was safer for her not to have her wearing it. She did lick the places on her legs where they were shaved for the IV. She is a sweet little thing…but ever so terrified. She played with me for quite some time this afternoon, but she is still quite nervous.

Hope wants to give you a ‘High Five’.

Missey has been a very bad influence on Hope. Last year the little twinkle tree had to be taken down because Lewis and Missey were eating the flocking off the branches. This year Missey has been doing that with reminders to stop. Still Hope saw and copied! Human children do this, too. As adults we have to be ever so careful.

Calico and Hope are so happy to be reunited after her absence. These two can never be separated. They share a traumatic bond – a young kitten having a single surviving kitten in a very dark place. The kitten lost for a week and then by a miracle, Hope finding where Calico was.

Wanting out to join the rest of the world!

Hope has been reminding everyone that there is a Green Friday. She is watching to ensure that I do not purchase anything on Friday, telling me we need nothing. The approach of Canada’s Green Friday reminded me of a woman I met in Beijing after the 2008 Olympics. She had owned a cafe, a cooking school, and a catering business in NYC. She was now enjoying her retired life. Over breakfast at a Hutong near the Drum and Bell Tower, I asked her what she was buying as a souvenir of her time. She smiled and said, “I spent the first 50 years of my life buying stuff, and I will spend the last 50 getting rid of it!” That single statement had a profound impact on me. Instead, because cooking was her passion, she would go to a 15-course Palace-style meal, Ming Style. How appropriate. An experience. A memory.

Ferris Akel was on the Cornell Campus on Thursday and he spotted Big Red and Arthur. I cannot imagine anything more wonderful than seeing the two of them safe and sound on a November day.

Again, there is a lot of activity. The Port Lincoln osplets are getting such beautiful juvenile plumage and they continue to wait patiently for their breakfast to arrive.

Still waiting for fish. The cam operator gives us some gorgeous images of beautiful Mum.

13:11. I wonder when the fish fairy will arrive. Dad is on the ropes.

The fish fairy arrived at 14:16. It was one of those nicely prepared Trevallys with a secret Red Mullet tucked underneath – Mum’s favourite. Thank you FF and to all those who have caught and/or donated fish to keep these babies alive so they can fledge.

‘A’ reflects on Port Lincoln, “At Port Lincoln, the two osplets are just so gorgeous. I love how well they get on with one another and have come to the conclusion that they are both males – Giliath was just first-born and as greedy as most chicks. Barru is fast catching up to Giliath in terms of size. Both are very laid-back and have been pretty much the whole way through, even in the reptilian and itchy phases. Mum works so hard to feed her babies. She is such a good mum and really does seem to do her best to ensure she looks after both osplets. Don’t we just love a peaceful nest? The fish fairy has been such a boon, and doesn’t seem to have stopped either parent from fishing – she just brings in larger fish (those pre-sliced trevally are GIGANTIC but you’re right – mum’s favourite does seem to be red mullet). Here are time stamps for the day so far (it is nearly 18:15 local time). “

Observation board for Port Lincoln for yesterday:

Annie and Lou at The Campanile have a brisk discussion. We are not expecting eggs for a few more months.

At Orange, gorgeous Diamond was in the scrape.

Early morning with Diamond and Xavier and..

They grew so fast…hoping that Marri is still flying. She was such a strong girl.

There is a rumour that Samson has returned to the NEFlorida Eagle nest…not sure who started this, but it looks like Gabby and V3 to me. (Samson would have been gone a year…).

I was reminded that this is the first anniversary of Samson’s disappearance. Oh, what a lovely mate he was for Gabby. Still missed.

Gabby and V3 this morning.

Jackie and Shadow came to check the nest and move a few sticks on Thursday.

There were two eagles in the nest at SW Florida protecting it from the GHOs Thursday night. M15 and F23 are getting serious. We are on egg watch.

We are a fortnight away from hatch at Superbeaks!!!!!!!!!!

There is action at the Webster Texas Bald Eagle nest, too. Look at that nice fish! Wow.

Why are these birds dying along the Scottish coast?

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Missing Hen Harriers?

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How many have watched the last season of The Crown? In one of the episodes, King George V is out grouse hunting while his cousins, The Romanovs, are being killed in Russia. For those that are not familiar, it is the beaten grouse hunting that has caused the number of raptors deaths in various localities of the UK to rise significantly. The gamekeepers of the land where the hunts take place kill the hawks – sometimes stomping on their chicks in the nests on the ground – so that they will not eat the grouse. Hopefully there will be a growing call and those in power will listen to stop this practice. More on this later…

Thank you for being with me today. There isn’t a lot of news. Sometimes it is nice to slow down before we have eaglets in nests all over the place! Please take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, pictures, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A’, Ferris Akel Tours, PLO, SK Hideaway, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Cilla Kinross, Karen Lang, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Superbeaks, Paul White, The Guardian, and Raptor Persecution UK.

Thursday in Bird World

23 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

Thank you so much for your kind get-well messages for Hope. She was at the clinic at 0730 and home at 1645. Hope was terrific on the way and home but she was so frightened by the entire experience. I find that Hope and Calico are different from Missey. Those Maine Coons are nothing but ‘chill’. Hope is in the little office with soft blankets, a hiding tent, a heated bed, food, litter and toys – plus heat. I have turned the lights off. When she got home, she smelled like the vet clinic, and that started Missey and Calico hissing, so, to allow Hope to have some peace and calm, I may keep her in there overnight. Everything went well. She was just unnerved by the entire event, which is understandable. She only knew ‘the wild’ with Calico under a dark porch and our house, so it was all new. — Well, fast forward five hours. Despite being hungry – Hope is a good eater – she would not touch her food or treats. She continued to cower in the corner, so I said enough. I fixed all the food and treats on a tray called my usual ‘Calico, Kitty Kitty’ and escorted Hope into the conservatory with her Mamma, where there was a bottom sniff and lots of rubbing between the pair. I could feel the happiness. Hope was hanging like a monkey from the cat tree when I looked back, which she should not have been doing within minutes. She had shown some interest in the packet that the food was in but would she eat? We will see. Happiness and contentment are being with Mamma! That will help her heal if my little busy body doesn’t rip those stitches out! Hopefully, she will stay lower to the ground but a final peek and there she is on the top rung of the cat tree with Calico in the chair below. She looks very content.

I am very grateful to everyone at Fixing Feral Felines, the staff, and Dr Torske at the Tuxedo Animal Hospital. They took such excellent care of Hope. I discovered that Fixing Feral Felines spayed or neutered over 300,000 cats in Manitoba in 2023, and it isn’t even the end of the year—my goodness. That is a huge effort to get these needy fur balls into loving homes.

More Canada Geese were flying over as I drove to the clinic. Perhaps another 50 or 75. It looked like they were headed towards the nature centre. We have no snow. Not a speck anywhere, even in the shade. It is -6 C, so chilly. Tomorrow, the high is forecast to be 0 C (32 F) with a low of -9 C. We get progressively colder during the rest of the week. It was wonderful to see a Blue Jay at the feeder. It looks like Junior is the only one that is staying here. I cannot imagine the others – 13 at my corner in the two nests – all succumbing to demise. They do migrate, but they don’t always. Junior has stayed in previous years, while the others have left to return in April. The Starlings were eating furiously at the peanut cylinder, and Dyson and one of the kits were frantically stuffing seeds into their cheeks.

And before I forget, to everyone celebrating Thanksgiving in the US on Thursday, have a wonderful day with friends, family, and colleagues – take the time just to be thankful to be alive and be smiling. We have so much to be grateful for – I am thankful for your empathy and compassion for the non-human living souls that occupy our planet with us. I wish we could spread that love and understanding worldwide like the seeds of a dandelion blowing on a windy day.

Lady and Dad were soaring over the Parramatta River. Beautiful footage.

SeMcGregor posted another image of the juvenile on the banks of the Parramatta River. Fantastic to see them. So grateful to those on the ground for sharing the images which are so reassuring.

At the Port Lincoln barge, Mum flew off and in a blink – or that is what it felt like – she returned with a fish. The time was approximately 12:48. The kids were pretty happy! Beak cleaning at 13:22.

There was some chatter about Dad. Mum clearly sees a fish in a special place and quickly goes and hooks it with her talons. Maybe Dad fishes in a different place. Clearly we do not know but, if this is ‘original’ Dad as we now assume, it is possible that the seizure type behaviour he exhibited in an earlier year has impacted him. The dives for fish are strenuous. What we do know is that the Fish Fairy has saved this nest and Mum’s contributions are also critical to the success.

The fish fairy delivered another partially prepared Trevally and a Red Mullet – what a nice treat for Mum -.

These babies are getting so steady on their feet! Looks like there will be lots of fish left for everyone.

The eating times have not been recorded on the observation board but the time and notes of the two fish deliveries so far have been. No doubt there will be other entries. The observation board information can be found under the streaming cam information if you haven’t located it.

Lovely images of a juvenile at Orange taken by Cilla Kinross.

Gosh, it is pretty quiet in the nests. Imagine, if you can, that 4 or 5 nests might lay their first egg on the same day. No one appears to be rushing to take over that 4th spot although eyes are still on the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23.

Gabby is serious!

Rose and Ron are getting friendly.

There is officially a second egg for Alex and Andria. Thanks, ‘H’ for the heads up. First seen at 1806.

In California, at The Campanile, Lou finds himself with a female floater. Annie would certainly help this young lady find her way out of her territory.

Oh, no. There are concerns for Milda, the White-tail Eagle’s mate, Voldis, from the Durbe County nest.

It is the holiday season for many, many people of various faiths. It is also the time of year when so many are reaching out for donations. At the same time, it is a challenging year for many people worldwide. The cost of groceries is estimated to have increased by 28-30%. Many cannot afford to make a donation or take on an adoption. But remember, if you know someone who wishes to help, there are many other ways! Our vet centre just called for clean old sheets (well, of course, they could be new). Sheets, clean old towels, you name it…it can be used. Putting out that water bowl will help many animals live – a cup of cat kibble helps the feral cats.
Volunteer to drive injured animals to the wildlife rehab centre, help with a fundraiser – and share your talents in other ways. It isn’t always money. If you are creative and want to teach your children how to help birds while having fun, gather some pine cones on your walks (if it is possible). Find a source of suet (local butcher, perhaps). Melt the suet. Dip the pine cones in the suet and roll them in birdseed. Safely attach them to a branch so your children (and cats) can watch the birds enjoy the food. Missey will help me find some recipes for homemade bird treats this weekend…stay tuned.

Lots of adoption notices are being sent out as fundraisers this time of year. Do you love Kakapo? Do you want to help with their care? You can adopt a Kakapo.

Look what showed up in the Shetland Islands and it isn’t a film crew.

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Decorations are just an unnecessary problem for wildlife—all those balloons, the Halloween netting, and now holiday lights. I would love to see signs that said I donated to the wildlife rehabilitation clinic or a charity helping the homeless feed their pets instead of putting up decorations that will be up for 6-8 weeks max. Think about it.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, articles, posts, photographs, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘H’, SeMcGregor, PLO, Cilla Kinross, Carol Shores Rifkin, Gracie Shepherd, HeidiMc, KNF-E3, SK Hideaways, Biruta Papa, Kakapo Recovery, BirdGuides, and Greenwood Wildlife.

News of Blue KWO…Monday in Bird World

20 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Sunday was another glorious day on the Canadian Prairies. So many people were at the park. There were even barbecues and picnics happening. One thing I really noticed was that everyone had a smile and said ”hello”.

There were 28 Mallards and 2 Canada Geese enjoying all the pond plants in the pond. Some were munching on seeds that visitors were tossing. I did not see anyone giving bread to the waterfowl, only approved seeds. How grand. And not a single duck was rescued that had Angel Wing. Glorious.

The kittens had a lovely day, too, and Calico was playing with Hope just as she used to. Oh, it was marvellous to see! It felt like a huge weight was lifted when she romped with the other two! Yes, Missey, too.

Calico loves catnip! Oh, she was so happy. She rubbed the catnip all over her face and then rolled in it.

Calico’s face just glows now that she feels better. Her eyes sparkle. Thank goodness for antibiotics.

Hope melts my heart. She is now scheduled for her surgery on the 22nd of November. That is this coming Wednesday. Thank you, Fixing Feral Felines!

This is Hope, but if you blink, you might think it is Calico.

Missey was watching the Blue Jays on Cat TV. Her fur has gotten so thick even though she is a house cat. She is the most gentle soul even though she looks like she could tackle anything that came near her.

Life is good in Cat World.

I have received news from Michael St John in Barbados that he spotted Blue KWO Sunday morning soaring in the thermals with a companion. Could this be the start of a love affair in the Caribbean for our ‘lost’ British Osprey? You will recall that Blue KWO left the UK in August 2022 and is spotted in Barbados by Michael. So happy that this osprey is safe! Barbados will take very good care of her.

At Port Lincoln, Mum found the tail of that big Trevally and fed it to the youngsters very early. It is there on the right and then in the next image it is gone. She is feeding the babes. What a great Mum she is.

Look at those feathers…the heads, the cute little tails. Giliath and #2 looking out to the world they will conquer before the end of the year. They are getting stronger on their feet.

Look at that sweet little bottom. It looks like a miniature Turkey!!!!!! Oh, gosh.

They are cute. They are also hard to see in that nest – they blend in so well.

It is 13:56 nest time and no fish yet. Thank goodness for that little morning snack.

The fish fairy came! Dad caught a fish. The observation board is at the bottom under the images.

There is news from Sydney about the sea eaglets!

It is V3 for Gabby. They spent the night at the nest tree and then worked on the nest, adding some seasonal greenery on Sunday. Lots of chortling is happening.

Chortling is not an alert call. They are making a sound that shows happiness, pleasure, and satisfaction. Like I said – they are a loving pair!

Attempted mating at the NE Florida nest.

Things are not improving at SW Florida where the GHOs have knocked F23 off the branch twice already on Sunday evening. This is not a good situation and believe me, the Bald Eagles do not always win in these battles. GHOs are formidable enemies to have and they are at the top of the food chain. Their silent flight and strong legs and talons – and some might say their persistence – often plays out in their favour.

The NCTC nest of Bella (and Smitty?) is unsettled, also. Is this Smitty? or is it someone else?

Turkey vultures are visiting the NCTC nest, too!

Boone has been adding sticks to the Johnson City Bald Eagle nest on Sunday.

At the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose, Ron spent the night on a nest branch and started some early morning cleaning.

An adult at the Duke Farms nest on Sunday.

Martin and Rosa were at the Dulles-Greenway nest on Sunday.

Definitely not an Osprey but wouldn’t it be grand for herons to nest here?!

Birds are adapting to climate change by breeding earlier in certain locations. Why not the Cuckoo?

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How do wind farms impact our beloved Terns (and other seabirds)?

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This graphic touched my heart. We have had many issues with people photographing wildlife – shaking trees to try and make the owls wake up and fly away – in Winnipeg. It is out of hand and very selfish – for a photograph! When photographing wildlife, please be respectful and remind others to do the same. Not just owls…

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Please take care. Looking forward to having you with us again soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, graphics, photographs, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H, MSJ’, PLO, Kathryn Palmer, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk, Deb Stecyk, Johnson City Eagle Cam, WRDC, Duke Farms, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, Heidi Mc, Bro, and Black Swamp Bird Conservatory.

Beautiful Big Red…Sunday in Bird World

19 November 2023

Hi Everyone,

Saturday was a fantastic day on the Canadian Prairies. 6 degrees C. Snow melting. Blue sky. Bright sunshine. Happy people. I dropped off the pet food donations, picked up some Salmon Oil for Calico (and, of course, all the girls will get it along with the Cod Liver Oil and Lysine), and headed straight to the nature centre for a walk. My neighbour stopped me as I was leaving, wondering if we would get punished in January for all this nice weather…it made me think that we cannot wait to go outside on a nice day; it is a nice day. Go for it!

The girls and I are almost finished reading Margaret Renkl’s book, The Comfort of Crows. Every chapter reminds us to ‘live’. Renkl is just turning 60, and she understands that she has lived most of her life and ponders the shortness of time she has left. Renkl reminds us to slow down – to stop with the meaningless tasks we set before ourselves. To live a meaningful life not one full of just business.

Here is a quote from one of the chapters the girls and I read today: “During the funeral, when my friend spoke about her parents’ long marriage….In her eulogy, my friend reminded us of how much her father had loved to sail:  “He always said that he felt at peace when sailing, where it was serene and quiet”, she said.  “I now appreciate that he enjoyed those days on the boat because the family was together without being in a hurry.”  Instantly, I thought about those Post-it notes stuck all over my house.  How had I allowed myself to become so busy? How long had it been since I’d spent a day in the sun, eating sandwiches from a cooler and watching water ripple across the surface of a lake? Why do I so often behave as though there will be unlimited days to sit quietly with my own beloveds, listening to birdsong and wind in the pines? (129).

That is why I continued on to the nature centre today. To see the squirrels running around, to watch the one hanging on the bird feeder trying to pry out a peanut, to stop and listen to the chickadees. There is so much beauty that surrounds us. You just have to stop and listen. You can do this by simply standing outside your door or walking to the nearest green space. Sometimes, opening a window and letting the fresh air in brings contentment. Today, when I closed my eyes in the forest and took a deep breath, the smell of the damp leaves, some beginning to decompose, was so very lovely. For you see, it is impossible to smell those leaves beneath the snow!!!!!!

I am sure you do not think this looks like winter! One of the things about living on the prairies is the huge sky – the landscape is horizontal. Many modernist Canadian artists focused entirely on the tiny strip of land and the huge sky that is the hallmark of where we live.

There were three Canada Geese. The lake has only a thin sheet of ice in a couple of places. The smaller ponds are melting and there is plenty of food for geese and ducks available. There was the usual banditry of Black-capped chickadees so named as a group because they look like they have black bandanas or are wearing a mask, a single White-breasted Nuthatch, and numerous squirrels, both Red and Grey.

The chart below shows that we are above normal temperatures for this time of year.

Today I hope to get to another park where I am told the ducks are still paddling!

Thank you for your good wishes for Calico. She seems much improved and has been running around the house – something she has not done in a week!

The girls had their lunch and then it was time to ready for a nap. Calico and Missey were in the conservatory and Hope was in Missey’s basket in the sitting room. They love to curl up and stay warm – even with the temperatures outside, the oven has been on and the central heating hasn’t (the thermostat is right by the oven – bad design). Their heated beds arrive on Monday! Just in time for any dip in temperatures.

It is so peaceful. The Feliway continues to work, and there are no hissing or stalking behaviours that I have seen. Calico and Missey can sleep within a few feet of one another, and Calico is no longer concerned when Hope is playing with Missey. Smiling.

There are several videos of Diamond and Xavier feeding a fledgling on top of the tower. As at Sydney, it is not confirmed if both fledglings are being seen or if there is only one. Send positive wishes for both Marri and Barru as well as 31 and 32 – we hope that we are seeing both at each area.

The latest one, from SK Hideaways, is second..

‘A’s report for Orange: “The parents had a lengthy bonding session, which I believe was at about 16:11:05. (These two have had bonding sessions lasting up to four hours, though I think Xavier fell asleep during some of the longer ones!) But they are taking advantage of some adult time. Meanwhile, at least one of the juveniles has been spotted sitting on the roof of the water tower, where we saw at least one yesterday. I am unsure whether both juveniles have been positively ID’d or not. At least one of the fledglings is strong enough to fly to the top of the tower. Now, some landing control practice and we will see at least one of them in the scrape again. Talons crossed for them both.” 

At Port Lincoln, Mum, Giliath, and #2 wait to see who will be first in with the fish. They are hoping for Dad!

It is 10:38 and Mum is telling Dad that it is about that time he leaves the barge and goes out to fish…

It looks like Dad has not gone out fishing yet…it is nearing 0930. Mum and osplets are waiting patiently.

It is 12:30 and so far no fish from Dad. PLO says the fish fairy will be there in half an hour.

A 1.424 kg Trevally was delivered to the nest. It was taken to the ropes. PLO says that two fish were delivered. Mum is eating one on the ropes. Could you look at the size of it? It would feed everyone. I hope she doesn’t lose it overboard. Watchers think something smaller was under the larger fish the chicks nibbled on. It is a bit confusing. There is nothing on the observation board yet to clarify.

OK. Mum took the supplementary fish to the ropes and right after Dad landed on the nest with his own fish.\.

Hopefully Dad will have enough to eat and Mum will not lose the big one and feed herself and the kids for the rest of the day – with maybe some for Dad, too.

Note: Dad’s fish is nice, but that single fish would not be enough to feed 4 for the day. Again, I am thankful to the Fish Fairies.

Confusing. Is Dad feeding part of his fish to the osplets?

Dad is finished with the osplets and is on one of the perches. Mum is still prepping that huge fish. It has to be tough working through that head. She has been at this for more than an hour.

OK. Some clarification. It was a Trevally and a large cleaned squid. Dad fed some of the squid to one of the chicks (#2, I think) while Mum arrives on the nest with the huge lunch. Both will join her.

Mum is going to be exhausted when she finishes feeding this fish.

The chicks are getting quite full. Mum continues to feed them and herself. She has been working on this fish for two and a half hours.

Thank you to the crew of the Calypso Star and the young lad who donated the squid to the osplets. Kindness. Sometimes when the news gets too much, it is these small gestures that make us realise that there is goodness out there.

Today (Monday in Australia), the osplets are 34 and 32 days old. Unless they are females, they will normally peak in growth at 35 days Western Ospreys. Must check and see if this is the case with the Eastern.

The observation board for Port Lincoln. It is unfortunate that Dad lost the fish down on the barge.

The cam ops are not sure who is at the nest with Gabby. I just want Gabby to be able to raise a clutch in peace this season since she lost her fabulous mate, Samson.

I am going with V3 in the nest. Gabby was flirting and V3 was interested.

Handsome couple.

I think I missed this video of Jackie and Shadow!

Ferris Akel found Big Red on the Cornell Campus on his tour on Saturday. Oh, goodness, isn’t she beautiful. Look at that deep auburn Red plumage. She will be 21 years old in March. My goodness it is so good to see you Big Red.

There are two adults on the Achieva Credit Union nest. Jack and Diane?

Been missing Monty and Hartley? A pair of love birds. Don’t you wish you could talk falconsese?

18 Days until Hatch at Superbeaks!

This is the most recent report on sightings of Lady, Dad, and at least one juvie in Sydney:

‘A’ set this report for the 17th at Sydney and I missed it so I am including it here today: “November 17: an early report of a juvenile in the usual spot in the mangroves, then seen flying to River Roost, near both parents. In the afternoon there was a large drone flying over the wetlands –a new method of mosquito spraying, rather than by helicopter. Parents were away during the day – maybe even at Goat Island, closer to the City. Both returned to River Roost before 5pm, and then to the juvenile’s usual area. Shortly after, both parents were at River Roost, with a vocal greeting. Juvenile was seen at the water edge around 6pm, then went deeper into the mangroves. At 6:45pm, an adult was seen flying from the wetlands with a fish, taken to Mangrove Island. It is unclear if a juvenile ate today. Picture shows juvenile flying yesterday.” — Any report, regardless of the day, is good news when it is about the sea eaglets flying about and being fed!

This is the most recent report from ‘A’ for Sydney: “November 19: At 7.50am, 2 adults and a juvie were near each other. Juvie moved a couple of times like yesterday, before settling on another branch nearby, in the heraldic pose at one point. Heard a couple of duets, and sounded like juvie joined in. At 10am, the parents were in much the same spot, both facing more west. The juvie must have been there somewhere. At 11am, one parent flew to River Roost. Later in the afternoon, both parents were on River Roost, near the juvenile, in the usual spot, and then one circling over Ermington Bay. Numerous people using River Walk stopped to ask about the eagles, but the juvenile is still so hard to spot. I don’t believe a feeding was observed.” 

M15 and F23 were at the nest on Saturday. I do not see them there currently but they might return later in the night.

Lady Hawk posted this video.

This was earlier.

There has been some concern about the new female ‘F’ at ND-LEEF. ‘H’ reports that she was on the nest with Dad this morning. Fantastic news! ‘H reminds us: “‘F’ was last seen at the nest on 11/12.  This morning ‘F’ was back in the nest with Dad, starting about 073341, Dad in first.  They left around 0800.”

I love books and I get so excited when I hear that youngsters are learning about our feathered friends and the challenges that they face. Thank you to one of our readers, ‘R’ who introduced Chile Bird to her second graders! We must start with the youngsters so that their respect and empathy for wildlife will grow. Hakai Magazine always has a good list of children’s books this time of year – for all of the holidays celebrated by the various people around the world – and the gifts that they give BUT also because we should all be reading! This offering is called Ten Coastal Kid’s Books. Their summaries are excellent and very useful in helping to make choices for purchase.

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There is another set of books that are meant specifically to inspire empathy and understanding in the young readers.

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I recently included an article on how intelligent vultures are. BirdLife International explores the efforts to stop the poisoning of these captivating creatures in Kenya.

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I read an article that you mind find interesting – it isn’t directly about raptors or wildlife but it certainly is about the quality of life of our neighbours. As many of you know, wealthier countries export their trash – whether it is plastic waste or donated clothes – to poorer countries, often in Africa. This creates untold harm to the people living there at many levels. I recall my granddaughter – who did her practicum for Social Work in Senegal – telling me never to donate clothes. They are sold cheaply and exported and then sold in the markets where they cause the local textile industry to die. We have all seen the piles of plastic garbage. Now the EU is passing legislation to ban the exporting of plastic. Thank goodness someone is tacking responsibility for their own mess. Now which other countries will follow suit?

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Thank you so very much for being with me today. Please take care – keep sending your good wishes to our three Australian families on streaming cams. Their challenges are certainly not over, and we want all those fledglings to be safe and well fed. We hope to have you with us again soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, tours, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H, R, SP’, SK Hideaways, PLO, NEFL-AEF, Ferris Akel Tours, Achieva Credit Union, Superbeaks, Anna Laios, Lady Hawk, Hakai Magazine, BirdLife International, and The Guardian.

Sea Eaglet photographed near River, V3 protects nest…Friday in Bird World

17 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Missey and I sit at the table (under the twinkling tree) in the Conservatory, watching the birds flit about at the feeder. There are Sparrows and European Starlings, and it looked like a few Crossbills and Junior, the Blue Jay. One of Dyson’s kits was here earlier. The big cotton ball flakes of snow have now stopped. The lilac bushes and shrubs look like they have been flocked like the old twinkle tree. Missey tried climbing into the branches. Last year, she and Lewis fit in there nicely – not this year!

Missey is very woolly and highly determined to lie down inside the container with the tree. It is ‘not’ going to happen.

Hope. Darling Hope.

Mamma goes to the vet tomorrow. Fingers crossed that there is nothing wrong. Calico just has not been herself…anyone who has a pet knows that each one is an individual, and you can usually sense when something is amiss. I did not with Lewis…I knew he wasn’t himself but did not know what was wrong. Continue to feel bad for that sweet little fellow. Miss him terribly. He was an energetic breath of amazing air racing through the house like his namesake, Lewis Hamilton.

Thanks to one of our readers, ‘EJ’, who wrote to me about their cat and the solution for its arthritis. Calico will get a heated cat bed, but to be fair to the other two, they will get heated beds, too. Indeed, that heating pad will make Calico’s legs feel much better. Thank you, EJ!

Oh, and Little Red is here, too. I can see him perched on the back fence, eating some snow. Fantastic. I always feel better when all the garden animals are accounted for…they made it through another day. With the City cutting down all the diseased Maple trees, the squirrels now have to cross the street using the pavement. They used to be able to go up one tree on one side and down a tree on the other. No longer. Soon, the Crows will lose their nesting tree, and the Woodpeckers will not have any old trees for their nests or to find insects. I do understand about diseases spreading from the trees. I wish there was a solution besides slow-growing replacements. Any ideas?

The best news of the day comes from Cathy Cook and Pam Allan, who filmed one of the sea eaglets on a branch near the Parramatta River! Tears. Just wonderful, joyous tears. What an incredible sight.

And another…

Jackie and Shadow were up early Thursday morning working on their nest. They usually lay their eggs in January and sometimes later. What will happen this year? They are the couple I am cheering for, along with Jak and Audacity. Yes, there is Gabby and V3 – those who did not get to raise eaglets last year. M15 and his new mate…all those with new mates. Send warm, warm wishes to them, but for those who were impacted by DDT and who tried so hard to raise a family like Sauces and Big Bear, my heart goes out to them.

SK Hideaways caught Jackie and Shadow working on Wednesday, too.

M15 stayed in the nest all night again trying to deter the GHOs.

Not sure where M15 is but the GHOs were back at the nest Thursday night.

V3 and Gabby were at the NE Florida nest. My goodness, they are pulling on those sticks! Then it started to rain.

V3 soaking wet protecting the nest he shares with Gabby.

Abby and Blaze were also moving sticks about at Eagle Country. Who is going to be nest after Superbeaks and then Captiva?

At the WRDC nest, a squirrel has its eye on the real estate. Ron doesn’t think that is going to happen!

Eagles working at Duke Farms.

Muhlady and Pepe are wet but they are keeping the two precious eggs set to hatch in three weeks warm and dry in Central Florida.

Some nesting at Decorah.

Cameras at KNF down until Monday so that they might recharge their batteries.

There is a contest on the chat at PLO to guess the gender of Giliath and #2. I am the odd one out of most…to me their behaviour is like the year we had Bazza, Falkey, and Ervie. A little bit of grief at the beginning and then settling down. Clearly the fish fairy has helped keep the ospreys alive – Mum and Dad, too – but I will stick with them both being male and accept lots of egg on my face when it is revealed they are both female! (Or will that change later when they see the osprey with a known female bird like Calypso???). Only DNA is 100%.

Banding will take place either the 5th, 6th, or 7th of December. #2 will get a name and one or both will hopefully get a satellite tracker.

The PLO kids are itchy with those feathers and they are anxiously awaiting breakfast.

10:14. No fish yet. Their legs are getting strong! There was some chatter about the colour of the leg bands. They are not red and blue for gender – the colour will depend on what the bander has in their box and could be different from any previously used. Remember, Falky had a yellow one, Bazza a bright red one, and Ernie’s was a very dark, almost black-green. The colour can peel off, sadly.

Nearing 2pm and no fish deliveries form Dad. The chat says that the fish fairy is on their way. Thank goodness! The chicks are amazingly civil despite hunger. I wonder if Dad has enough fish to give him the energy to go out and look for fish for the family sometimes. It is hard to know precisely what is happening. Is it weather? lack of fish? a combination of both? These are beautiful babies….incredible. They so remind me of the year of Bazza, Falkey, and Ervie. Gentle little souls.

The fish fairy arrived with 5 supplementary fish. Mum took the Red Mullet first! Everyone ate. Dad came and took a fish. He is hungry, too. Fishing for ospreys is a physical feat often requiring 13 or 14 dives (on average according to experts who have closely observed the raptors fishing) to get a single fish. The males require much energy. I am glad to see that Dad got a fish! He requires this to keep up his strength if he is to find food for the family.

Osplet nibbling on fish.

By 15:15 all the fish appear to be gone.

Ah, ‘A’ adds her thoughts on the gender of the osplets: “It’s hard to tell isn’t it? I’ve been saying for ages that from size, it looks like Giliath is a female and Little Bob is a male, but the temperaments are the exact opposite – Little Bob is the pushy one who starts nearly all of the (very limited) bonking that occurs on this nest and Giliath is SO laid back. Therefore, I would not be at all surprised to find that they are both male – Giliath is just older and can fit more food in. I don’t think they take any DNA when they band them, so we’ll still be guessing.”

Here are the times from the observation board. Note that Dad brought in no fish at all yesterday. Again, so thankful for the fish fairy. I think we all can imagine what this nest would be like without the food security of the fairies.

At Orange, feedings are taking place on the roof. This is awesome. That is some feat flying ‘up’ to the ridge! Impressed.

‘A’ sent us the time stamps from Orange: “RECAP 6:46:46 ledge-kangaroos; 8:27:24, 13:02:48 bond; 8:49-9.17 juvie calls; 8.55.21 ledge-adult flyup w/juvie; 16:27:43 D w/pigeon, quickly leaves with the prey. 17:27:06 D returns with a HUGE crop. TOWER: 12:29:31 juvie on roof, 13:18:01 roof walk to adult, 14:58:13, 15:57:23, 16:30:34 prey; 17:08:15 prey and feed. Query if prey at 15:24:49; 18:00:03 ridge walk.” 

How exciting is THAT news? If at least one of the juvies at Orange has the strength to now fly up to the roof of the water tower (it’s Marri on the roof btw), then all they now have to perfect is landing on that small ledge. We may see a juvie back in the scrape within a week. Indigo made it back to the scrape relatively quickly (only about four days, from memory), and Marri sure is a big strong girl who may very well get up there soon. 

Ever get a tingle in your arm from something so wonderful you can barely believe it? Spix Macaws breeding! They are known as the Blue Macaw and they are critically endangered.

“In 1995, conservationists and scientists embarked on a desperate attempt to save the world’s rarest bird, a blue-gray parrot called the Spix’s macaw. The bird had scarcely been spotted since scientists first described it in the early 19th century, and it had taken on an aura of mystery, making it irresistible to parrot lovers—and to poachers. “For well over a century we just had this very, very weak information that there was this kind of mythical, rather beautiful blue bird,” says Nigel Collar, a conservationist at BirdLife International. By the mid-1990s only a single individual remained alive in the wild, close to this dusty, small town in northeastern Brazil.”

“Spix’s Macaw” by Tim Green aka atoach is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

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Deer Hunters in New York are opting for non-lead ammunition.

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My son tells me that many fishers are switching to tungsten fishing equipment instead of lead. Yahoo! Everyone switching over helps our wildlife.

Two calls for help in Winnipeg but – both could also apply to your local community! So please ask around. (Remember – clean sheets, old clean towels, bleach, laundry detergent, working tools…..all of these things the wildlife centres appreciate!). Keep this in mind if you are doing spring cleaning (or winter) or clearing someone’s home.

Check your cupboards. Did you buy food that your pet doesn’t like? This is your chance to help someone who cannot afford to get food for their beloved companion. Please help if you can.

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

Thank you to the following for their comments, notes, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, EJ’, Cathy Cook, Pam Allan, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk, NEFL-AEF, Eagle Country, Duke Farms, Superbeaks, Tulsiducati, Darleen Hawkins, PLO, Penelope Clarke, Openverse, BirdGuides, Science, Cornell Chronicles, and Feed the Furbabies Canada.

Barru fledges…Tuesday in Bird World

14 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

Monday was another gorgeous day on the Canadian Prairies. We have a light blue sky, little wind, and melting snow. Tomorrow, we are looking at 9 C. Everyone will think summer has returned! There was a brisk wind at the nature centre, but still many people on the trails for a Monday, hoping to spot some wildlife.

On display at our nature centre is a Red River Cart. They were used to carry goods and are symbolic of the Metis people of our region in Canada. In fact, Manitoba is the home of the Metis Nation. “The term Métis refers to a collective of cultures and ethnic identities that resulted from unions between Aboriginal and European people in what is now Canada.”

Today, in the garden, a Blue Jay was at the feeders. It is Junior, the Dad. I have not seen any of the other Blue Jays for some time.

They might have migrated or found their territory away from Dad, but that is generally not true. They tend to stay together as a family just like the Crows. Strange. I have not seen or heard the crows for several days. All of this is a bit concerning. Hoping nothing has happened to them. The Starlings are here pounding away at the hard suet cylinders, and the Sparrows and Juncos are all over the place. Little Red is here, too, along with the Chickadee. No sign of Dyson but two of her kits were at the feeder. The Boyfriend has been here many times today cleaning out the food bowls. He is looking good.

One of Dyson’s kits (two came today) getting ready to climb into the little covered feeder on the deck.

The other one was on one of the solid seed cylinders having a good old lunch.

That high-quality/high protein dry cat food has undoubtedly improved the sheen on his fur. He is a beautiful tuxedo cat.

Hope and Missey have been playing in the house, but Calico seems unwell. She is not her usual self, and I am watching her closely. She did not eat her food at breakfast. This is highly unusual. Calico loves to eat. I hope she has filled up on some really good, high-quality dry food instead. Oh, good news. She ate her lunch, and I caught her refuelling at the hard food dispenser. She is fine! Relief. Little Hope goes for her surgery next week. Thanks to Fixing Feral Felines for all the good work that they do.

The news for Monday/Tuesday was that Marri fledged from the scrape of her parents Diamond and Xavier at 09:38:42. Barru is watching closely.

Here is the video of that amazing first flight – it was a beauty! Looked like she had been flying for over a week. Amazing. So happy.

Heidi Mc caught the fledge as well.

Barru is still in the scrape.

Well, Barru did fledge! A few hours after his sister. 15:36:34. It was brilliant. Like Marri, Barru flew like a pro. I love how he went to the ledge, hopped around the scrape, flapped those wings like crazy and out he went. Tears. Congratulations to Xavier and Diamond – two beautiful fledges for 2023.

Aren’t these two just the cutest little osplets? We blinked. Overnight they left the Reptilian Stage and started their way to juvenile plumage. And now there are those Clown Feet! Adorable. Sweet. Civil. We only had the rare little incident. Lovely.

Mum went fishing. She flew in with a really nice one at 09:05:13.

She is feeding herself and her kids. A bite for you and a bite for you. That is a huge fish Mum brought in. Remember. The supplementary fish is simply that – supplementary. The three are hungry and this is wonderful.

Mum was hungry. The osplets are stuffed. I am feeling glorious right now. So, when anyone asks: Do the female ospreys go fishing to feed their family? You know the answer. Mum can leave her chicks because they can regulate their temperatures. They are bigger and not easy prey as they would have been a couple of weeks ago. Bravo, Mum!

The feeding lasted 88 minutes. Mum finished the fish off. She was very hungry.

Dad brought in a whole fish at 13:56:20. I bet he is hoping there is some fish left for him!

They are still eating!

Dad looks like he has a nice crop. I wonder if he ate a fish and caught another one to bring to the nest?

Dad is sure looking close to see if there is anything left. Just look at the crops on those babies.

PLO did not supply any supplementary fish – they did not need to. Mum brought in that whopper and Dad brought in three fish. Thanks ‘H’. The fishing conditions must have been so much better yesterday. Fantastic.

The big excitement is the streaming cam at Captiva, and there are already ospreys visiting the new platform that was put up by Window to Wildlife after Hurricane Ian. Sadly, they had just installed a new platform and camera then. Let us hope that this is a safer year.

Beautiful images coming out of Centreport Bald Eagles.

No rest for Bella. Smitty has been missing for too long and there are many intruders.

Hoping there is nothing amiss with Abby at Eagle Country.

The GHOs are back at the Bald Eagle nest on the Pritchett Property.

‘H’ reports that one of the eagles has been in the SW Florida nest for some time. Is today egg laying day? or are they protecting the nest from the GHOs?

I am not sure what is happening at the nest of Gabby in The Hamlet. That is the reason that I have made no comment. Waiting to see what will happen there in the next couple of days. She nipped at the feathers of a visitor male today in the nest bowl.

Shadow and Jackie were both at Big Bear on Monday.

Waiting or her mate with hope for a better year.

More information coming in about the camera at the West End.

Did you know that Shrikes keep a larder just like Peregrine Falcons and some other birds so that there is food for their chicks?

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I love Corvids and this beautiful Raven came to Loch Arkaig. The now familiar Buzzard had been there a few hours earlier.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care of yourselves. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H’, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Heidi Mc, PLO, Liz Schwartz, Deb Stecyk, Sassa Bird, SW Florida Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, Holly Parsons, Gracie Shepherd, Bird Guides, and Geemeff.