Category Archives: Marion Island

Will wildlife exist for our grandchildren? Monday in Bird World

20 October 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

It is so nice to have you with us today. Everyone sends you a big hello and a wish for a good start to the week.

Part of the week was spent packing away the summer linens for the fall and winter wool. It has rained – and then it rained some more. This is fantastic for the trees and shrubs and will help them during the dry cold of the upcoming months. The Girls continue to enjoy the conservatory, where, when the sun does shine, it is hot. Toby will soon give up his raincoat for winter boots held up by suspenders, along with a padded puffer jacket, hat, and jacket! He is quite the fashion aficionado! The neighbours must be chattering away behind their curtains about this very spoiled little pooch. They must think we have gone daft!

Brock continues to amaze me. Toby sends him scattering under the deck where he waits for me to get Toby inside and call ‘kitty kitty’. He then scampers out to eat his meal returning at least twice more during the day. I caught him sitting down a bit on the fence. Brock is looking pretty good these days.

The Girls are good. I will get some good images of them this week for you. We are all doing well. There are long walks with Toby around the neighbourhood and to several of our favourite parks. We are starting our third year with Anne and our fifth year of living with dementia. Either I am so used to the situation or things really are better than they were a year ago – I am not sure, but I am thankful for our days, which aren’t full of the kind of excitement some dream of, but they really are nice and comforting.

We woke up to yet another day of rain. Toby and I bundled up and cleaned out the bird feeders. The tray feeders now only hold corn kernels or peanuts as the moisture does not cause them to go off so quickly. All other seed is now in either covered feeders or in those cylindrical tube feeders. New suet out for the woodpeckers! Oh, I wish there were places to walk dogs inside when it is pitching down rain!!!!!!!!!!

A sadness fell over Bird World this week as it was acknowledged that there would be no little osplets on the Port Lincoln barge for Mum and Dad this year. The eggs were removed by Bazz Hockaday and sent to Adelaide for inspection to determine the cause of the nest failure. The eggs were fertile. There were little osplets, but for some reason, Mum determined that their lives were not viable and stopped incubation. In a post, Tiger Mozone, thought it was odd that incubation was stopped as some stay on eggs, hoping for 70 days!

The barge nest looks lonely.

This is the latest post from Port Lincoln Osprey:

What was curious to me was that later Ervie chose to visit the barge for one of the first times in ever so long. Will Ervie take over the nest one day?

Everything you ever wanted to know about osprey eggs and more:

An Eggstraordinary Journey | Scottish Wildlife TrustDownload

There are many myths and scientific explanations when events don’t work out as anticipated. In this case, ‘everyone knew’ that rain would cause eggs to fail. But, does it? Not for this clutch in Maryland:

Rain, Rain, Go AWAY | Osprey Camera BlogDownload

You might think ospreys would not lay eggs if their nest is disturbed or removed. But think again.

Eggs laid despite nest removalDownload

SK Hideaways Videos for the week of 12 October 2025

Introduction: I first fell in love with raptors in 2019 ~ Annie & Grinnell, the CalFalcons, at the UC Berkeley Campanile. All the videos I’ve created since that time stem from that love and my desire to learn all I can about these and other raptors. My mission is to inform, educate, and entertain viewers. I have never and will never monetize my videos. They are purely a labor of love that give me great joy to share with anyone kind enough to view them.

Two Harbors Eagles: Cholyn & Chase Perch on Favorite “Thrones” ~ Spend Day on Cam (2025 Oct 19)

Chase was spotted just after sunrise on the cactus perch. Later, Cholyn was on her low ocean view perch, where Chase joined her ~ a special treat for fans ~ as they chortled and spent time together. In the afternoon, a visitor, possibly a juvenile bald eagle, was chased around the territory, but soon all was calm. The late afternoon found Cholyn on another ocean view perch, where she watched the world go by till dusk and beyond. Catalina Island, California.

Video: https://youtu.be/tpBHvj1M6hc

Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies, explore.org, Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops

West End Eagles ~ Akecheta & Haku VERY Cozy on Tor in AM🌅Back Together at Dusk🏜️(2025 Oct 18)

Akecheta and Haku met on the far tor in the morning, sitting close as they observed their habitat. They spent the day (on camera) apart, both visiting the nest at separate times. Then, as dusk approached, they came back together on the night perch. While they didn’t remain there ~ owing to human disturbances off shore ~ it is likely they either reunited elsewhere for the night or will come back together in the morning. 

Video: https://youtu.be/fcqFxHeft_4

Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org

West End ~ Catalina Island, CA ~ Akecheta & Haku (2025 Oct 17)

Akecheta and Haku roosted together on the same perch overnight for the first time. They greeted the dawn with long, glorious chortles and then settled atop the far TOR (top of rock) on a sparkling blue sky, blue sea morning.

Video: https://youtu.be/Linoj1-qkYE

Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org

FalconCam Project ~ Diamond & Gimbir (2025 Oct 17)

Gimbir made an early wake-up visit. When Diamond’s initial breakfast order went unheeded, she went out and gave him a few minutes of egg time. He came through later with breakfast, only he dashed out with Diamond, so she stashed the gift and returned. Finally, Gimbir gave her a longer break and she was able to get her breakfast.

Video: https://youtu.be/ws5pv5K34Lg

Courtesy FalconCam Project, Charles Sturt University NSW Australia

367 Collins St. Falcons🪽Wee Chick Gets Private Feeding 🍽️ Big Chicks Want Their Share🐥🐥(2025 Oct 20, 6:14-10:36)

The smallest chick ~ presumed male ~ has been unable to scale the nest since entering the gutter a few days back. This “limitation” has gotten him private attention from Mum F24 ~ including brooding and feeding. The two bigger chicks ~ presumed female ~ decided they’d had enough and barged in on a feeding. The little one was unfazed, remaining steadfast at Mum’s beak. In the end, everyone got their fill. 

Video: https://youtu.be/kGmGAtLA8kg

Courtesy 367 Collins St. Falcon Cam

367 Collins St. Falcons: Chicks’ Morning Shenanigans ~ Wingers and Gutter Stomping Practice (2025 Oct 16)

Video: https://youtu.be/m4OPMsfrGrg

Courtesy 367 Collins St. Falcon Cam

367 Collins Street Falcons: F24, M24, 3 eyases (15 Oct 2025, 11:26+)

As is true every year, the chicks get fed up with the morning sun and venture towards the shade. Mum F24 is never ready for this transition, doing her best to corral the chicks and keep them in the nest. This hasn’t worked in the past and didn’t work today. There was a frantic hour or so with Mum trying to brood the chicks still in the nest and those who’d escaped. Eventually she accepted the inevitable and relaxed. We were also treated to a camera adjustment, which allowed us to see the three toddler chicks sleeping peacefully in the shaded gutter. (15 Oct 2025, 11:26+)

Video: https://youtu.be/ENBYHEEkjTg

Courtesy 367 Collins St. Falcon Cam

South Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibsohQ14cY

North Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNKk0ivuWe4

367 Collins Street Falcons: F24, M24, 3 eyases (14 Oct/17:39+)

When Mum F24 brought yet another large meal, the chicks’ crops were already bulging. But F24 was determined to feed them, regardless of how many times they fell into food comas. 

Video: https://youtu.be/x_L57QAqFvY

Courtesy 367 Collins St. Falcon Cam

Sydney WB Sea Eagles: Lady, Dad, Eaglets SE35 & SE36 (2025 Oct 15)

Yesterday was a day of special moments for the memory treasure chest. SE35 and SE36 are quite inseparable these days. They perched on the nest rim and SE36 “hugged” SE35 while they cuddled in the nest. SE36 also performed a spectacular horaltic pose. The family came together in the evening for a meal and just to hang out.

Video: https://youtu.be/ER17Mt44mfA

Courtesy Sea-EagleCAM@BirdLife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park (https://www.sea-eaglecam.org/video.html)

Nest cam also at https://www.youtube.com/@SeaEagleCAM4/streams

It is a concern that should be on all our minds: what will the world be like for our grandchildren? One photographer “Margot Raggett has spent the past decade raising money for conservation efforts around the world but now she feels nervous about the future. “It does feel like we’ve taken a backward step,” she said.

The wildlife photographer has raised £1.2m for the cause in the past 10 years through her Remembering Wildlife series, an annual, not-for-profit picture book featuring images of animals from the world’s top nature photographers. The first edition was published in 2015, when the Paris climate agreement was being drafted but, in the years since, efforts to tackle the climate crisis have been rolled back.”…..”“Compared to a few years ago, there was a desire for renewables instead of drilling for oil across the world. I think the importance of nature is something for us all to cling on to,” said Raggett.

Despite this, she has some hope. “I’m nervous but equally I’m encouraged by the fact that there are so many people that do seem to still care. I’ll do everything I can to keep my end of the bargain and keep fighting. And I know there’s lots of other people who feel the same, so time will tell, but we certainly can’t be complacent.”

In a timely reminder of how fraught the outlook is for wildlife at the moment, this year’s release, titled Ten Years of Remembering Wildlife, is being published alongside original and altered images of animals including polar bears, cheetahs and pangolins living in, and then scrubbed out of, their natural habitats.”

The images are intentionally meant to provoke us into thinking what life would be like if there were no animals, no birds. Can you imagine it? The book is a massive picture book which will be released on 11 November in North America at a cost of $100 CDN.

World’s landscapes may soon be ‘devoid of wild animals’, says nature photographer | Climate crisis |Download

In another article, The Guardian looks at the peregrine falcons that have taken over an industrial site in the UK. I love these 350 word Country diary stories! And, of course, we all love the falcons.

Country diary: Racing peregrines among the rusting mills | Bradford | The GuardianDownload

Good news is that one of my favourite books by David Gessner is out in a 25th anniversary edition, Return of the Osprey. A Season of Flight and Wonder. Helen MacDonald, author of H is for Hawk (amongst others), has written a powerful foreword to the release that you will enjoy. If you have read this book years ago, it may be time for a reread! And when you finish, I suggest returning to Soaring with Fidel, too. MacDonald describes Gessner’s odyssey with the ospreys, “Perhaps all this makes Gessner’s quest sound dry. it is not. It is a gloriously gonzo, whole-souled pursuit. He wrenches at raw fish with pliers to see what it might feel like to feed like an osprey, leaps into water to try and catch herring in a manner as much like an osprey a human can manage. There is a transporting lyricism in this book’s pages, along with passages of raw horror and moments of glorious weirdness, as when Gessner imagines the female osprey delicately feeding torn pages of his writing notebook to her young” (xi).

The release gave me the nudge to write to David Gessner to alert him about the situation in the Chesapeake Bay region and osprey starvation. This was his response:

“Mary Ann,

Thank you. I’m on it! Three weeks or so I got back from a trip up the East Coast where I saw some of the usual osprey suspects including Bryan Watts, P. Spitzer, Joannie in Colonial beach, Ben Wurst and of course Alan. Like you, I’ve got menhaden on the mind. I’ve been swallowed up by school but am heading up to Cape Cod the last week of this month and plan on finishing a longform piece then. The folks at the Atlantic said they would take a look so that’s my first stop for the essay.

All Best, David”

I am really hoping that someone like Gessner can get the kind of attention needed to stop Omega from killing off the entire ecosystem – if it is not too late already for our ospreys. I need the hope of ten Jane Goodalls. Politics should not be a part of protecting our environment. Humans must recognise the damage we are doing and work mightily hard to correct it.

How much do you know about Chimney Swifts? Charles Brown has just finished a 45-year study and has done a video presentation on YouTube on that very subject: https://youtu.be/VnnPOaf1Dpc?

Things appear to be going very well for Gimbir and Diamond at the Charles Sturt Falcon scrape in Orange, Australia. Incubation continues without issue.

Gimbir is adorable and rather brave not bringing in the entire Eastern Rosella. Diamond and all of us – while clearly missing and never forgetting dear Xavier – are appreciating this young falcon and his food gifts for Diamond. Cilla Kinross gives us the latest…notice that nice crop of our little man.

F23 takes extraordinary care of her trio at the Melbourne CBD falcon scrape! I am more and more impressed with her. The chicks have now moved themselves to the opposite end from where they hatched, keeping out of the sun and the deadly heat of Melbourne.

‘A’ comments: “Oh they are the sweetest family. Little dad is adorable – he works so hard at bringing plenty of food for those ravenous babies. And mum is very efficient at keeping the littles warm and dry and fed and generally safe. My goodness, they gave her a run for her money once they discovered the gutter, didn’t they? Poor mum. She couldn’t work out what to do. And I loved dad’s solution. He just took one look at the chaos and got the hell out of Dodge. It was hysterically funny. Which of course is why I sent it to you. Those moments are just too precious – the way the birds think is on display, and it is truly fascinating. They DO think, and you can see them logically eliminating alternatives and coming up with new ones, then being forced to prioritise, which is always absorbing. For people like us, trying to understand the thoughts and emotions of their world is absolutely fascinating. While we may run the risk of anthropomorphising a little too much, at the same time it is obvious that birds definitely do have emotions.”

At the Olympic Park WBSE nest, we have branching! The currawongs have been relentless this season in their attack on the nest. There are days that I wish the WBSE would eat all of them!!!!!!

Lots of wingersizing!

These eaglets are so gorgeous. It is difficult to tell them apart, and it is getting to be that ‘sad time’ when they will make their way out into the world. We can only hope that they survive the Currawong attacks and make their way to the river roost of their parents, where they can be fed and learn to hunt.

Screen capture of the eaglets by SK Hideaways in their video.

It has not only been the currawongs that are causing mischief but also owls.

At the West End nest, Haku and Akecheta are getting accustomed to one another.

Akecheta watching Haku soar above the nest.

Oh, I have such a fondness for Akecheta. The year that he took such gallant care of the triplets just warmed my heart beyond belief.

There are, of course, so many others – M15 raising his two eaglets alone after Harriet disappeared, every one of Annie’s mates, dear little Xavier…I could go on and on. They really are special – our raptors. It breaks my heart that our environment is changing so quickly that many of them might not be able to adapt (of course, along with humans, too).

Chase and Cholyn are at home at Two Harbours in the Channel Islands.

Big Red has been spotted at some of her favourite spots on the Cornell Campus. Suzanne Arnold Horning knows our Queen of the Red-tail Hawks very well! Thank you, Suzanne, for always keeping us informed.

There is a tragedy underway in the area of the Panama Canal. The first-ever failure of the 2025 seasonal upwelling has occurred. This is critical for fisheries and coral reefs; widespread plastic pollution; and the ecological disruption of the Panama Canal, which is allowing marine species to invade freshwater ecosystems. These problems are impacting coastal communities and local livelihoods– and will ultimately impact seabirds.

Failure of seasonal upwelling 

  • What it is: The seasonal upwelling is a natural process where trade winds push warm surface water away from the coast, allowing cool, nutrient-rich deep water to rise. This is vital for the marine food web in the Gulf of Panama.
  • The issue: For the first time in at least 40 years, the upwelling did not occur in 2025. Scientists suspect this is due to weakened trade winds linked to climate disruption.
  • Consequences: The lack of nutrient-rich water is stressing fisheries and could harm coral reefs. This event highlights how climate change can disrupt long-standing ocean systems. 

Plastic pollution

  • The scale: Panama faces a major plastic pollution crisis, generating over 380,000 tons of municipal plastic waste in 2022.
  • Waste management: More than 88% of this plastic is not properly managed, with large amounts ending up in landfills, being burned, or polluting the environment.
  • Consequences: This pollution threatens marine ecosystems, wildlife, public health, and the local economy. 

Panama Canal ecological disruption 

  • The issue: The 2016 expansion of the Panama Canal has allowed saltwater to enter the freshwater Lake Gatun and facilitated the movement of marine species inland.
  • Consequences: Ocean species like snooks and lionfish are entering freshwater ecosystems, displacing native species and disrupting the food web. This also introduces new challenges for local fishermen who rely on the freshwater ecosystem for their livelihoods.
  • Other impacts: The expansion has also contributed to saltwater intrusion into the canal’s freshwater supply, which is a source of drinking water for a large portion of the population. 

Mongabay explains further:

Panama upwelling fails in 2025, threatening marine ecosystemsDownload

More by La Ravi:

Panama’s vital ocean route vanishes for the first time in decades – Le RaviDownload

Billionaires Africa notes that one of their own donates funds to try and save the Wandering Albatross on Marion Island from the ravenous mice!

https://www.billionaires.africa/2025/10/18/south-african-billionaire-mark-shuttleworth-donates-1-million-to-save-the-worlds-largest-flying-bird

It is time to think of the birds that visit our gardens as winter approaches. Lesley the Bird Nerd tells us how to care for them properly in her video: https://youtu.be/Zi6iIGUGxpo?

Oh, I do love the Blue Jays in our garden. Junior and the Mrs and three of their fledglings are here all day long, and if the peanut tray is empty, you can hear them easily. Two Crows visit daily along with all the squirrels, red and grey, and an army of sparrows, a few black-capped chickadees, and some woodpeckers. The Starlings continue to visit around 1530 for puppy chow!

There are osprey nests that we can begin watching in the US that will have eggs after the new year. They include Achieva in St Petersburg, Florida, where Jill has been captured sitting on the perch, along with Captiva on Sanibel Island, Florida, Moorings Park, and Frenchman’s Creek – notice, all are in Florida, where the ospreys do not necessarily migrate and where there is the warmth and fish for them earlier than in the north.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care of yourself. There is a very nasty cold going around that is making people extremely tired. We will look forward to having you with us again next Monday!

I want to extend special thanks to SK Hideaways for their videos and for caring so much about our raptors and to ‘A’ for her commentary on the Australian raptor nests. Thank you to the individuals and owners of streaming cams, as well as those posting for various FB groups listed in Bold. The Guardian continues to publish informed articles on wildlife and the environment, as well as several others listed in bold. There is no way that a single individual can monitor all of the nests and keep up to the minute. I am grateful to all those who post in the various FB groups. These individuals so generously send me precious notes about their favourite birds to the authors of books that educate and inspire us, like David Gessner.

C11 gets 2 great feedings…Wednesday in Bird World

17 January 2024

Hello Everyone,

Gosh, it warmed up here in Manitoba to a balmy -17 during the day. Everyone was smiling. Seriously, it feels so much warmer than yesterday (I am writing this on Tuesday so Monday). It is now -21 C just after midnight.

‘B’ sent me a note wondering about the falcon investigations and trials. I have mentioned the theft of Peregrine Falcon chicks and eggs sold as if they were bred from captive birds in the UK. There are actually several ongoing cases involving different individuals. And, yes, the time incarcerated is so little it is almost a joke, certainly not a deterrent when these birds are fetching such high prices in the Middle East. Maybe some of the other raptor numbers in decline are due to theft? I wonder how many other countries have nests that are targeted? And why aren’t they breeding their birds in the Middle East? That might help put an end to this despicable behaviour.

The girls are fine and so is The Boyfriend. He came up to the deck to eat Tuesday afternoon instead of having ‘delivery’. There were 13 European Starlings in the garden along with the usual group of garden animals. Everyone seems to have survived the very cold temperatures. I am smiling.

Calico continues to do well on her weight loss programme. She would love to have lots of treats, but she is getting used to have 3 or 4 little nibblers. She finally let me clean her right eye today. Now, will she let me cut her nails tomorrow? Oh, I love this cat. OK. I love them all. Surprise.

Missey enjoyed having a nap by herself while Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope tore up the house playing ‘kitty cat hockey’ with a ball of paper.

Hugo Yugo watching me as I put up paint swatches for the wall behind the cat tree. It is finally time to paint and bring some life to the walls! I just wonder if she will have some other stripes? (I did finally get the little bits off of that eye!). Hugo Yugo still has her round kitten face and she is getting so fuzzy…love the eye line that resembles that of a little osprey. 

The top of the cat tree is a 14 x 14 inch square. You can see how tiny this 4.5-month-old kitten is – half the square! Seven inches. Ever so little, but dynamite comes in small packages, and this is one huge character. Hugo Yugo runs her battery down to empty. If there is something to get into, she will find it. The twinkle tree has all its ornaments put on daily so that Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope can tear them off at night. Hugo Yugo seems to have two speeds – zero and 100 kph! Did I say I adore her? She is also the sweetest snuggle bug when her battery is completely flat.

On the other hand, Baby Hope is monster-size for a six-month-old. She has gorgeous almond-shaped, celadon-coloured eyes. She looks so much like Mamma Calico with that teardrop. Baby Hope is the first to come when you call her specific name and the one who always cleans up her food dish. She is a very gentle soul.

There are certain ways that Baby Hope turns her head, and I think, at a glance, that it is Calico. This is one of those.

Congratulations to Pepe and Muhlady on their second egg of the season laid Tuesday afternoon. Hard incubation and good positive wishes for this couple that lost their first clutch.

Ron made sure the nest was stocked for Rita and R6. That little one is a cutie—no word on a pip in the second egg.

With the bad weather, I am very concerned for little C11 at the Captiva Eagle Nest. 

‘A’ comments “The only food that was brought in today was the head of a catfish that Connie caught and obviously ate most of herself. She has to eat. The little ones got a few mouthfuls only – perhaps three or four at most for CE11, who did clean up the leftovers and even tried to swallow the bone. (CE10 did finish the ibis bone later in the day.) There has now been virtually no food at all for CE11 for over two days. If he doesn’t eat well tomorrow, he won’t make it. Luckily, the weather is forecast to clear, but it has been a very hard couple of days for the eaglets. CE10 has been no more aggressive than usual, which is a bonus, but if they have a third day like this tomorrow, there will definitely be at least one casualty on this nest, which is horrifying to contemplate. Clive brought nothing in all day, and only one speckled trout the day before (from which CE11 effectively got nothing). So this is a very unexpected situation for Captiva to find itself in… The good news is that both of the PSs I have seen from CE11 today have been healthy. That is something.”

“I’m praying for a large, early fish. Problem is that both parents are hungry too, so like early yesterday morning, when Connie headed off and quickly caught that catfish, only the remnants of its head were brought back to the nest at 08:17. CE11 did get three or four smallish mouthfuls off it – he got himself quickly to the table and it appeared that Connie wants both her babies to live because she was very careful to ensure that he got a little bit of that catfish head. Not much, but she coaxed him to start eating fast, not wait for CE10 to allow it! He also cleaned up a piece that had been left on the nest and even tried to eat a long thin bony bit (he picked any flakes off it first). So a couple of mouthfuls, though as I said, during the day he did do a couple of PSs that looked healthy. He had only two mouthfuls of the partial fish Connie brought in about 4.07pm and apparently spat one of those out. And he got nothing at all from the little piece of fish Clive brought in about 4:13pm. So CE11 has had just enough to survive a little longer. But he must eat and eat properly as early as possible today (17 January). At least both parents ate today and CE10 had enough to eat – just. She is, however, becoming much more aggressive towards CE11, who is in turn becoming increasingly submissive. At the last feeding of the day, around 4.17pm, CE10 got a small but adequate meal, while CE11 was too frightened to even lift his head until the food was pretty much gone. His hunger did drive him to take a few risks today, none of which really paid off for him. I’m very worried, though at least he’s still trying. He is looking a little unsteady though, perhaps suggesting he is getting a little weak and disoriented. Tonight, it is not raining and it is not too cold, so hopefully the little ones will dry out, which should help a bit with energy conservation.”

Ron is at the nest as of Wednesday night. Let us hope that C11 has had enough food and will get more fish tomorrow – oh, please. 

Great news. C11 has a huge crop! Life is good.

“Both eaglets have eaten now – you should watch that feeding (from about 08:08). CE11 was so smart. His crop is now actually larger than CE10’s! He has had a big morning – self-feeding, learning to shelter on the far side of Connie, and demonstrating sheer courage in the face of CE10’s aggression. And to cap everything off, he did a PS at around 08:03 that proved he still had something in the reserve tank – he would have made it another day, even had there been nothing to eat today IMHO. I could be wrong, but that’s what his behaviour and his PS suggested to me this morning.”

Small fish delivery by Clive. Every bite keeps C11 going until more food can come on the nest.

More fish came after 0900 and C11 is filling its tank again. C10 has already a huge crop.

There is concern for Ruby and Jack, the Ospreys at Captiva. ’H’ reports, “Ruby was last seen on cam on 1/11.  Jack was seen every day until yesterday, and was even bringing fish to the nest, waiting for Ruby.  Jack was a no show yesterday. The area has been inundated with really lousy weather for several days.  Lori has been at her Captiva home since 12/30.  She said that Ospreys in general seem to have vacated the immediate area.  Yesterday, the only O seen on cam was an unidentified flyby.”

The weather tapered off at Fort Myers. Little E23 is doing well – has had many full crops. No worries at this nest after the fright over the fish bone the other day.

A dual feeding, something that M15 loves to do! Precious.

R6 is doing fantastic. ’H’ reminds us: ”At Dade: No pip on R7 egg yet…will be 38 days today at 1355.”

At the NEFL nest, both get a fright. Pip watch should not be for another ten days, around the 27th, perhaps – if that egg is viable.ls

https://www.facebook.com/AEFNestCams/videos/1069926117588390/

The annual review of the year from Centreport, New York has been posted on FB. I cannot post those links on my blog but if you are interested, you can go to the FB page of the Centreport Eagles and find it. 

No word of a pip coming from Berry College yet.

‘H’ sends news and a video of the storm and damage at Hog Island. 

Storms-wreak-havoc-but-Queen-Mary-stays-High-and-Dry-Friends-of-Hog-IslandDownload

Good news coming out of Port Lincoln. The chick that was at Whaler’s Way fledged and has returned to the nest. Excellent news. This is that very precious nest on the cliffs.

At the Port Lincoln Barge, there were three fish deliveries by 1315. Gil got the breakfast fish at 0641 while Brad took the 1235 delivery by Dad and the large fish at 1315 delivered by Mum!

Condor in care doing well.

I am loving seeing all the birds from where I grew up. There were so many hawks then. Look at this beautiful image below. You might think it is a Red-tailed Hawk if you did not look at ‘the tail’. Look. It is a ‘Red shouldered’ Hawk and isn’t she a beauty? Wow.

The weather in Oklahoma dipped to 0 degrees F but felt like -17 F with the wind chill on Tuesday.

Big Red and Arthur were out with another hawk on the Cornell Campus on Tuesday. When it is cold the little critters hunker down. Big Red in all her glory. I am putting the photograph Suzanne took of the ‘visitor’ below. It has light eyes and could well be one of the Ms visiting the nest area. Big Red and Arthur did not seem to be concerned.

It’s cold everywhere and people are looking to feed the birds to help them make it through the freezing weather. Here is another recipe, a Vegan one, for bird suet.

A-Winter-Treat-for-Wild-Birds-Plant-Based-Suet-Real-Gardens-Grow-NativesDownload

Geemeff sent me this article showing the lovely poster that people received for supporting the efforts to get the mice off Marion Island.

Giving-back-the-Mouse-Free-Marion-Project-releases-a-poster-to-thank-its-many-supporters-Mouse-FrDownload

The December count for the Albatross at the Midway Atoll is in!

What has Audubon Florida been up over the past year? Here is a copy of the latest edition of The Naturalist. Have a look.

naturalist-winter-2023Download

White-tailed Eagle flying over Wales gives everyone a wonderful surprise. “White-tailed Eagle formerly bred in Wales, but has been absent since the 16th century. The recent reintroduction programme on the Isle of Wight has seen birds spread throughout southern England, resulting in the first English breeding record for 240 years in 2023.”

White-tailed-Eagle-causes-a-stir-in-Wales-BirdGuides-1Download

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care of yourself. Stay warm and safe during these periods of extreme cold weather wherever you are. We hope to have you back with us soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, H, J’, Raptor Persecution UK, Gracie Shepherd, WRDC, Window to Wildlife, SW Florida Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, WRDC, NEFL-AEF, Berry College Eagle Cam, Friends of Hog Island, PLO, Ventana Wildlife Society, Oklahoma Ornithological Society, Suzanne Arnold Horning, Real Gardens, Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds, USFWS, Audubon Florida, and Bird Guides.

Tuesday in Bird World

16 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It is warming up on the Prairies for a couple of days. We hit a summery -16 C on Monday!!!!! There was some snow falling. It looks like snow was falling down in Texas too…there is some seen on the John Bunker Bald Eagle nest near Dallas.

It was raining in Fort Myers and little E23 wanted under Mamma. The thermal down is not all in. There are pin feathers coming. 

SK Hideaways catches F23 as the great Mumbrella for us.

F23 is still protecting her precious chick, E23, into the night.

R6 has been fed at the WRDC nest – I am not hearing any news about a pip in that second egg. Remember they were laid four days apart.

Oh, I wish Rose would be more cooperative when she is feeding R6! This little one is a real sweetheart.

It is pitching down rain at the Captiva Eagle nest of Connie and Clive. C10 and C11 are tucked under Connie as best she can!

The very heavy rain stopped at Captiva around 1715.

‘A’ writes: ”Connie flew off the nest about 06:53 this morning and immediately headed off for food. When she returned, it was with the head of a fish – she too must have been ravenously hungry. The little ones both got something to eat, CE10 more than CE11 of course (he largely had to pick up dropped scraps), and the eaglets are now hunkered down under mumbrella as the rain pours down. It’s as bad as it was yesterday and poor stoic Connie has been in this position for all but two of the past 12 hours or so. She is amazing. The garage door technique is her only option at this stage, with the eaglets growing so large, and today, CE11 has managed the prime position right under mum, happily, as he got the raw end of the deal quite a bit yesterday afternoon. “ Where is Clive? 

No rain for Muhlady yet at Superbeaks where she is partially incubating the first egg of the second clutch for her and Pepe.

It is dry, so far, for Gabby and V3.

Beau is protecting Gabby and the nest.

It is wet for Abby and Blazer at Eagle Country.

The snow appears to have stopped in Iowa and one of the eagles, looks like DNF, at Decorah North is plucking their dinner on the snowy nest.

Chandler was in and out quick checking the snowy Port Tobacco nest.

There was some quick work on the rails at Duke Farms by both Mum and the new Dad. Mum has been laying in the nest for some time Monday afternoon late and evening. Might there be an egg coming?

There was no noticeable pip on either egg at Berry College Monday night. Egg 1 is 39 days old today.

The first fish of the day came at 0732. Both Brad and Gil were on the nest and could see the arrival. It was tense. Gil got it. These are incredibly handsome lads.

Brad gets a nice late afternoon fish!

The most recent posting for SE31 at the Sydney Olympic Park and the Parramatta River. So grateful for the images that the BOGs are sending.

“January 16: all 3 Eagles were reported at the river early at 7:30, with a duet and SE31 calling too. I have noted that she was seen with prey yesterday, probably a fish, though no catch details. At 8:30, juvenile was at Juvie Roost and one adult nearby at River Roost when an osprey flew past, calling. The adult flew to SE31, as the osprey, possibly the young one,  continued upriver. The river is still very muddy, with floating rubbish. Then at 10:10am, SE31 was spotted on the island with prey, possibly a bird. She was eating, then distracted by the parents’ duet, and when changing branches, she appeared to drop it, though was seen pecking at scraps on the initial branch. She probably did not catch this herself, though delivery was not seen. She was heard whining again later, and at 11:05am, all members of the family were still around on their riverside roosts. Later, at 1:30pm, SE31 was on the island, but her parents were not seen until mid afternoon, at around 3:30pm, when they were both seen near Goat Island.”

‘M’ sent a note about an intruder at the Achieva Osprey Nest of Jack and Diane. A female. Jack didn’t mind. Was it, ‘M’ asks – one of their chicks visiting? I have old images of the heads of the fledglings. You will remember that the pattern on the head of the osprey is the ONLY part of their plumage that does not change. I wonder if it is Tiny Tot Tumbles? She has returned on a couple of occasions. ’M’ says, “…09:25:08 when an intruder came into and landed in nest with Jack. He allowed her to land in nest with no push back and I’m wondering if she might be a chick from previous years. She is certainly a beauty and I think Jack is really impressed by her.”

For all you Red-tail Hawk lovers, World Bird Sanctuary (Home of Murphy the BE that incubated the rock and raised a fledgling) has sent some news of two of their RTH releases that have trackers!

“Both of our former rehab patients that had radio transmitters put on them are doing well. Lynyrd, the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, is covering quite a bit of ground as he moves around the city. He spent the first few nights near the release site before heading east, further into the city. Since then he has moved southward and is now moving back west while still remaining in St. Louis City. As a juvenile bird, Lynyrd doesn’t yet have an established territory. He will mostly likely not breed until his 3rd year (2025) and it will be interesting to see if he finds a territory before then or remains more nomadic. Check in tomorrow to see how the adult is doing! Forest Park Living Lab is a collaboration between the Saint Louis Zoo, Saint Louis University, the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, Washington University in St. Louis, World Bird Sanctuary, and Forest Park Forever.”

It is always good to see birds safely released and living in the wild after receiving rehabilitation. 

Humans brought mice to the islands of the Southern Ocean. It took more than a million dollars to make Marion Island mouse-free. Can you imagine mice eating adult albatross and petrels? Well, that is what they did!

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I tried to take a good photograph of the article about the Million Dollar Mouse that appeared in the Winter 2023 BTO News. It isn’t great.

The drawings are great and there is additional reading on the bottom right which is pretty clear.

More details about the father and son team that stole wild Peregrine Falcons and their eggs in Scotland and sold them on to the Middle East are coming to light.

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It is winter everywhere. What is cold to me might not be the same temperature as it is in Iowa or Texas, but when the temperatures drop – we all get cold. Birds and animals. I grew up in Oklahoma, and they have posted a recipe to help the birds out in the winter. This could be a fun project! It is a great recipe and is much more cost-efficient than purchasing ready-made. This could be a great project to create interest in children – yours, at school and in youth groups. Bring in the science of how birds stay warm. What kind of food do they need – get them involved in making the suet! 

Because it is cold, the suet does not melt. It can be cut with cookie cutters or pressed into other forms such as paper cups that can be removed. A hole can be made, and they can be hung from branches.

Use only unsalted peanut butter, please. No bacon grease, etc. 

Thanks so very much for being with me today. Stay warm. Stay safe wherever you are. We hope to have you back with us again soon.

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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, MP’, John bunker Tower Cam, SW Florida Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, WRDC Eagle Nest, Window to Wildlife, Superbeaks, NEFL-AEF, Eagle Country , Raptor Resource Project, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, Duke Farms, Berry College, PLO, Eagle Cam, Achieva Credit Union, World Bird Sanctuary, NZ DOC, BTO Winter News, Raptor Persecution UK, and the Oklahoma Ornithological Society.