Category Archives: Midway Atoll

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.

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.

The osplets are ‘itchy’…Sunday in Bird World

5 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Saturday was a day that fluctuated between blue skies and grey. It was also the day I learned all there is to know about making insulated homes for the feral cats that come to my feeder. Our winters are cold and can be wet with heavy snow. I often long for the dry snow that used to blow across the country roads, creating ‘whiteouts’ on the highway. Most often, I was told when I first arrived on the Canadian Prairies, people would go off the road and into the ditch but on the other side. Whiteouts are precisely that – solid white – opaque milk glass. You quickly get disoriented when you are driving, and the snow is blowing across the highway.

The insulated boxes mean ‘The Boyfriend’ and another friend (wonder who that will be?) will have warm and dry places to stay if they choose – under the deck. That horrid old carpet that needs to be replaced will remain til spring. It will keep the snow from falling between the decking onto the ground below. Hopefully, they will have a nicer winter.

Calico can watch them from inside, snug and warm. Gosh, I love how that cat finally came to trust me. The three girls are such wonderful gifts. They are creatures of ritual and the story reading one is very precious. It reminds me of the time when my children were small and cuddled in for their bedtime stories. Now they nestle on the scrap quilt my grandmother made beside me – Calico and Hope – with Missey either on the table or the cat tree. I am so lucky. If petting a cat removes stress, my life should be completely stress free!

Today I did put a little post in FB seeking out a very young male kitten, a little brother for them. I am looking for a little boy younger than Hope, perhaps 6-8 weeks. Fingers crossed.

Calico trying to catch a ‘cat nap’. Hope does sleep but rather than eat or sleep, she would much rather play!

In keeping to my promise to try and get out to the park for a walk at least 5 days out of 7, I headed off to check on the Wood Ducks, the Mallards, and the Canada Geese that were at Kildonan Park a week ago. There is an area by the ‘Witches Hut’ where people come to feed them seed.

There were no ducks in sight, but there were twenty-five Canada Geese.

Squirrels who are getting their thick winter coats were chasing one another all around the park, up and down the trees, and across the snow. Isn’t this one adorable with his paw across his chest? I bet he thought I might have a peanut. Sadly, I did not – which reminds me that I must get some peanuts for the feeders. They must be rationed because of Little Red, who will take them all and not share. Dyson and Gang, along with the Blue Jays generally eat the nuts this time of year.

‘H’ knows how much I love ducks and geese, and she checks on the Barnegat Light streaming cam regularly. Today, she sent me such a treat – a short video clip of the Brandt Geese. You should check out that streaming cam! Oh, I would love to be sitting in those dunes listening to them.

Wikipedia gives us the following information: “The brant is a small goose with a short, stubby bill. It measures 55–66 cm (22–26 in) long, 106–121 cm (42–48 in) across the wings and weighs 0.88–2.2 kg (1.9–4.9 lb).[4][5][6][7] The under-tail is pure white, and the tail black and very short (the shortest of any goose).The species is divided into three subspecies:[8]

  • Dark-bellied brant goose B. b. bernicla (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Pale-bellied brant goose B. b. hrota (Müller, 1776) (also known as light-bellied brent goose in Europe, and Atlantic brant in North America)
  • Black brant goose B. b. nigricans (Lawrence, 1846) (sometimes also known as the Pacific brant in North America)”.

Audubon describes their migration. It is possible that ‘L’ spotted one in Mobile Bay today!

“Long-distance migrant, travelling in flocks. Birds from central Canadian Arctic move down east side of Hudson Bay, then may make nonstop flight overland from southern James Bay to central Atlantic Coast of USA. In Alaska, large numbers gather at Izembek Lagoon and then depart almost simultaneously for long overwater flight to wintering areas on Pacific Coast. Migrating flocks may fly very high. Wintering birds may linger later in spring than most geese, as coastal breeding areas in high Arctic remain unsuitable for nesting until summer.”

“Brant Geese” by flythebirdpath > > > is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

“Brant Geese” by Andrew_N is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

In her book, The Comfort of Crows, Margaret Renkl says, “The world will always be beautiful to those who look for beauty.”

In the garden, it was damp and grey today. The snow is melting and everything looks ugly. I’m not too fond of this time of year. When you leave your garden to be messy to help the birds and insects, there are some weeks when everything looks so dishevelled, so rotten, in such a mess. I must remind myself that all of this is for the greater good and hope that a large dump of snow will come and cover it with a winter blanket until spring!

The European Starlings flew in and out, and a Blue Jay has been searching through the Black oil Seed to see if the Sparrows left him anything. It is time to go and get some food just for the Blue Jay, but, of course, that will not work as the others will want to share in the goodies, too.

This is Junior, the Dad. He was at the feeder with the youngest of the fledglings the other day. Several appear to have moved on. Often Junior will stay for most of the winter.

It has been especially difficult to get a good image of the Starlings when they come in during the day. They are fond of the solid suet and have consumed many large cylinders this past week in their attempt to keep warm.

Now if I misspell names, tell me! Bazz not Bazza, Giliath. I put an ‘a’ in there. It is Barru and Marri. Apologies all around. My fingers sometimes go faster than my brain!!!!!!!

At the beginning of the season at Orange, my wish was for one healthy eyas. Instead, we have two. Double happiness for Diamond and Xavier this year. And that second hatch is quite the character. Barru and Marri have their ongoing tug-o-wars for prey and then, in a wink, sit there and pull off pieces, sharing their lunch. What great siblings!

It has been a glorious year at Orange.

Just look at how much soft white down is coming off the backs and wings of these two. Imagine if you will that it might well be all gone, flying about the scrape along with the feathers from the prey being plucked. Marri and Barru are turning into ‘falcons’.

‘A’ reports: “There was much wingercising, eating and screeching, along with zoomies around the scrape. THOSE EYES! Oh how gorgeous are those sidelong glances? So very cute. And we’re only a week from fledge watch!! Surely not. Already? Here are today’s time stamps: PREY 07.02 04, 08.16.37, 09.50.37, 17:10:18, 19.09.00, 19.18.35 FEED 07.02(M,D,B), 09.52(M,D,B), 11:57(X scrap from floor), 17:10 (M&B), 19.09(M&B), 19.19 (M,D). HIGHLIGHTS: 17:18 Barru takes the prey! 18:05:46 Marri shows off her giant wings but 18:07:18 Barru wins the winger competition. 18:08:23 they discuss it with beakies. 19:18:38 tug-o-war between Barru and Marri. Barru wins the tug-o-war at 19:18:49. We will miss this pair. What huge personalities they both are. As always, Diamond and Xavier do raise one male chick each year who is a very memorable eyas indeed. Izzi. Yurruga. Rubus. And this year, Barru. I do think this is their first female chick in many many years – Marri is definitely female IMO, as she is as big as her mum (bigger with all that fluff) and towers over poor little Xavier.” 

The water at Port Lincoln is choppy. Will Dad get a fish in? How will the boat ride be for Fran and Bazz as they head out to get fish for the nest on the barge?

Giliath and #2 are getting almost too big to fit under Mum comfortably. You will be able to notice the pin feathers coming in if you look carefully.

The kids are preening. Feathers are itchy!

It is 1244 and no fish has arrived at Port Lincoln yet – not from Dad or the fish fairy. Thinking they need a tank!

It is mid-afternoon. Dad appears on the ropes. Mum and kids in the nest waiting for fish. I hope the fish fairies are not having difficulty finding the catch of the day.

‘A’ reports: “At Port Lincoln, dad brought in only one small fish for the entire day (at 10:07:20), which fed both osplets a small snack. So it was indeed fortunate that the fish fairy delivered an extra large whole trevally (709 grams) at 14:51. This fed both kids to their gills (the feeding lasted 69 minutes), and there was another feeding from the same fish at 16:27 which was listed on the Obs Board as small but apparently lasted for 29 minutes. Either way, both osplets had full crops at bedtime.” 

It is raining in the Sydney Olympic Forest home to the Sea Eagles and the two fledglings SE31 and 32.

Several years ago, a dear ‘late’ friend, Phyllis Robbins, introduced me to Cathy Cook. Cathy lives near the Discovery Centre, and you might remember that she has helped spot the sea eagle fledglings when they are grounded. She has helped on more than one occasion to get help for them, even riding with them in the van to the rehab clinic. I so admire her dedication to these beautiful raptors. Today, Cathy has some news for us that will make you smile.

Then there is more great news!!!!!!!!!!!! Just tape that smile on your face. Look at this sea eaglet.

‘A’ sends the report from Sydney: “November 5: Rain and wind this morning. No action on the nest during the day, but great observations from our ground team again. One juvenile, we think SE32, was seen with the parents across the river in the mangroves, possibly eating as well. Both appear to be still in the area. The watching and listening continues.”

Gracie Shepherd caught Irv and Claire at the US Steel Bald Eagle nest in Pennsylvania. Bravo! I keep missing them. So glad they are both home safe and planning for a new season.

Gabby and V3 continue to work on their nest near Jacksonville. Have these two ever mated? ‘A’ has been sceptical for some time. Now, I am starting to wonder. Why would V3 be camera-shy?

And at Duke Farms…

There are beautiful eagles in the trees with their fall leaves at Decorah.

It was a stunning morning at Big Bear, but I did not see Jackie and/or Shadow at the nest (yet). Don’t you love the way the sun rising creates those beautiful diamonds?

Pepe and Muhlady are taking such good care of that precious egg. Look for another soon!

The situation at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest of M15 and F23 – or is it the nest of the GHOs – is worrisome. Whose nest is it? M15 and F23 have not been sleeping at the nest. Do they know that the owls are staking it out as their own?

Some news from around the world:

A growing colony of terns! Oh, I do love terns. My friend ‘S’ has some terns living in her garden on the Hawaiian islands, and they are so pretty. We also have terns in Manitoba during the spring and summer breeding seasons.

Recently-discovered-Sandwich-Tern-colony-is-thriving-BirdGuidesDownload

Banana noses????

Short-tailed Albatross incubating eggs on Midway.

The Black Stork migration continues. Maria Marika reports that many are flying over Egypt. They are almost to their winter homes. I hope Kaia is with them and she is safe. It would be grand if Karl II was by her side – hard to imagine we lost him.

The Royal Albatross continue to return to Taiaroa Peninsula to find their mates and start the process of nest building and egg laying!

Do you know this nest cam with squirrels and songbirds in Nagano?

Please share. Once, when we were trying to protect some Cooper’s Hawk nests in my city, I was told repeatedly, that the hawks had been carrying away the local dogs! The gentleman who told me this was busy trying to locate all the nests in the area so he could destroy them. It took great effort and one of the local wildlife officers to deter his actions.

Thank you so much for being with us today in Bird World. Please stay safe. I hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, photographs, videos, graphics, articles, and streaming cams that helped me write my blog today: ‘A, B, H, L’, Wikipedia, Audubon, Openverse, Margaret Renkl, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, PLO, Cathy Cook, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Gracie Shepherd, Rohan Geddes, NEFL-AEF, Duke Farms, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, FOBBV, Superbeaks, Androcat, Bird Guides, The Petrel Station and Seabird Tours and Research, Holly Parsons, Maria Marika, Lady Hawk, Nagano Songbird Cam, and The Medina Raptor Centre.

Thursday in Bird World

2 November 2023

Oh, good morning everyone!

It is a very special day at our house today. When our vet examined Calico and said she was not a year old and that her best guess was that she was only ten months at the time, she asked me to pick a birthday for Calico. I picked 2 November. So today is Calico’s first birthday. We are having a little party full of lots of treats and an extra chapter of story time. We have now finished H is for Hawk and starting another book. Will tell you all about it tomorrow.

There will be some treats and an attempt at a birthday cake made of tinned food plus lots of love.

Some flashbacks…

Calico on 7 May 2023 when she was an outdoor kitty. She came regularly for food and slept under the lilacs. Often she slept under the deck.

30 June. By now, Calico is bursting and it is apparent that the kittens she is carrying will be born any day. And they were, two days later. She came to the feeding station many times during the day. She would eat for no more than 5 minutes and rush back to where she had hidden her kittens.

26 July. Her kittens are three weeks old. We have been looking for them.

26 August. Calico has joined the family inside. We hope to find her only surviving kitten.

The next day, Calico has relaxed.

Out with the rest of the family on 4 September. This will be a momentous day.

Little Hope shows up at the feeder. She will be humanely trapped and brought inside to join her Mamma and her new family.

Little Hope on 1 November 2022. She was born on 2 July so she is four months old today. Hope is a real treasure. Look at those eyes.

It is also another special day. It was one year ago today that Missey and Lewis joined our family. Oh, how I wish Lewis was still with us. He died way too young. Poor lad. You would not know that the fate of feline viruses would turn against him so quickly.

Lewis and Missey were so cute and tiny and so full of love for one another.And what a great day it was….these two brought me so much comfort and joy.

Missey still misses Lewis. She has lost some weight and we are monitoring her closely. Spending extra time with her and making sure that she gets lots of good roast chicken.

Once upon a time, the term ‘publish or perish’ was a big part of my university academic life. After a residency at Hospitalfield (the first art school in the UK) in Arbroath, Scotland, which focused on the environment, I became ever more critical of ceramics as a practice of making. Four book chapters highly critical of the teaching of the discipline came out of that residency. The last one will be published this summer.

Books take a long time to reach publication – this one some six years. Since then, I have retired and moved on to what truly sparks my life – osprey behaviour and conservation. It is nice to be putting this ‘to bed’ as they say.

The book ‘Finding Hope’ should be finished in the new year. It will address the tragedy of people dumping pets through the eyes of Calico and Hope. The proceeds will go to our local mobile vet unit that spays and neuters strays and feral cats in our City. Will keep you posted. It was a joy to write – just getting the illustrations perfect and the layout.

Now, let’s get to the three nests we are following and then to check on any recent news.

SK Hideaways gives us some chuckles thanks to Marri and Barru.

Oh, these two are so cute. They are both doing really well at the self-feeding and in the images below you can see that both are getting prey. Marri is flapping those wings and the baby down is flying all around the scrape. Marvellous.

Just look at those beautiful wings being revealed.

Barru is tired.

Just look at the difference in size between Galiath and #2.

Dad brought the fish at 06:48. Both had large crops, #2 achieved that goal first, I believe. They are both well and truly in the Reptilian Phase!

Look carefully at the nape of the neck and there is a hint of the copper feathering on Galiath. Their colouring is as dark as the ebony of their beaks with the pin feathers making them look like they are wearing a Donegal Tweed.

And the clown feet are here, too.

Babies are hungry.

Still waiting. No fish fairy either. Odd that there is not a regular time for the delivery of the daily supplement.

The fish fairy arrives. Mum eats and then feeds Galiath and #2. Dad arrives a little later with a fish but Mum has had the supplemental fish so Dad will leave with it returning with the fish tail which he will also remove as Mum and the chicks are full. All have eaten – Dad has to eat as well.

The experiment that is taking place is interesting. Will the number and amount of total weight of fish change as the chicks require more food? It reminds me of the kindness of Urmas and his team with the Black Storks in Estonia. They are endangered there, like the Ospreys are in South Australia. To attempt even a slight change of increasing the population, humans realised quickly that habitat destruction and weather patterns, lack of rain and food, meant that Urmas and his team had to provide food. Similarly, thankfully, Fran, Bazza, and Janet knew they had to help this nest.

She moves! #2 has a huge crop. Galiath is being fed. Mum and the two chicks will be full.

Galiath is full and turns away. #2 is still being fed. Mum does turn to see if Galiath wants some more fish then she takes some large bits for herself.

Oh, Galiath changed her mind! It could be the only fish they will have until tomorrow morning. Best ill up completely, crop drop and eat some more.

The report from Port Lincoln so far:

06:38A brief, morning bonking starts. Mum’s blocking the view. Looks like chick #2 started it and Giliath retaliates. Chick #2 submits.Couple of minutes later, Giliath nibbles at Mum’s talons.
06:48Dad in with a whole fish!Dad (L,Whole)
06:48 1Mum feeds. Giliath’s in front. Both chicks get full crops! Dad takes the fish. Mum eats scrapes on nest.
09:03Giliath bonks chick #2 and chick #2 submits. Then Giliath bonks Mum! Mum doesn’t react.9:18 Giliath bonking chick #2 again. Giliath gets distracted when Mum comes back into the nest with nesting material.
10:37Mum takes out some sea weed and brings it back in. Mum’s making trips bringing in some of nesting material.10:55 Giliath tries to do some nest work too. lolEven more nesting material! Chick #2 tries to help out with the nest work as well!  lol
15:073 supplemental fish delivered! 2 red mullet!Sup. Fish (M,Whole)
15:24Dad in with a partial fish!Dad (M,Part)
15:24Dad takes the partial fish off after Mum shows no interest with the supplemental fish.
15:37Dad back on the nest with his fish tail. Mum’s not interested and he takes it off to eat.

HeidiMc got the feeding on video! They love their Red Mullet.

The camera at the Sea Eagles nest points away towards the river and where we might see the adults flying about or even, in my most desired dreams, a juvenile. One eagle was in the nest over night (or were there two) and both were at the nest for a brief period in the morning.

I am more than worried about SE31 and 32 as there appears to have been no sighting of them in several days.

SK Hideaways caught their rendezvous. They must be searching for their children in the forest and around the river. Let us hope that they find one another.

M15 sure picked a beauty! Let us all cross our fingers and toes that their babies – their first clutch together – are safe from egg to fledge.

Work continues at the NE Florida nest of V3 and Gabby.

Fish gifts for Gabby?

There is snow at the nest of Little Bit ND17 and some concern that the new female is lost to us. Locals are keeping an eye.

It was a beautiful day for having a meal at Dulles-Greenway.

Pepe flies out of the nest taking much of that nice moss for his and Muhlady’s eggs on Wednesday. Oh, that makes me nervous. Seen too many osprey chicks and eaglets pulled off accidentally when nesting material gets caught in the talons of the adults.

There were 522 people watching the Big Bear nest of Jackie and Shadow hoping to get a glimpse of our couple. They were not disappointed.

Did Ron’s Rose at the WRDC nest fly into something that had white paint on it?

Dyson, not the squirrel, but the hooded crow, visited Loch Arkaig. So many visitors during the off-season for the Ospreys. It is lovely to see all the wildlife.

Cross your fingers and toes. Karl II’s chick of 2023 with its transmitter is in Turkish territory.

Falco continues to enjoy his freedom around New York City’s Central Park. Thanks Bruce Yolton for taking him down!

Remember we talked about Ospreys that are still in their spring and summer breeding grounds in the UK and Colorado. Here is one in Newfoundland, Canada today! Unbelievable. There is apparently an endless supply of Brown Trout going through the area at the moment. Maybe this is the smartest of the local ospreys!

Midway Island. This is from a year ago. There will be another count soon.

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: Wilfred Laurier Press, SK Hideaways, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, PLO, Heid Mc, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Hazel sky, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk, ND-LEEF, Dulles-Greenway, Superbeaks, FOBBV, Geemeff, Maria Marika, Bruce Yolton, John Alexander, and the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels FB.

Laysan Albatross, Eaglets Growing…Thursday in Bird World

2 February 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

Today some in North America will be checking out to see if there are shadows that scare the groundhogs back into their hole. It is Ground Hog Day! Did you know that this particular belief comes to us from a very old Pennsylvania Dutch notion that if a groundhog comes out of his burrow and sees its shadow, it will be frightened and go back in for another more six weeks. If, however, the groundhog does not see its shadow – spring will be early!

It has sort of ‘warmed up’ on the Canadian Prairies. It is now 2345 on Wednesday and it is -18 C outside with winds gusting to 26 km/h. That translates into an extreme cold warning with ‘Dangerous wind chill values below -40 C tonight’. In other words, the skin on your face could get wind burn if it was exposed for 30 seconds. Frost bite. Death from the cold. It is not good to be outside. Next Monday, things will be much nicer – with temperatures around -7 C. The Polar Vortex will have moved elsewhere. So wherever you are, stay warm, stay inside, prepare ahead. Do not go out if it is not necessary. And for those of you having extreme heat, you must stay hydrated and cool.

In the News:

The second Kakapo to hatch in 2022 has been named.

It feels so good to read about an eagle being released from rehab! Soar high!

Looking at ways to prevent bycatch can vary from area to area. BirdLife is examining the area around the Mediterranean Sea and, specifically Malta in this article. It is a good read and helps us to understand that everything has to be balanced. You cannot just remove all the turtles and hope that the eco system will survive.

Tori lines have proven to be helpful if the right line is used.

Tackling-accidental-fisheries-bycatch-A-win-win-operation-BirdLife-MaltaDownload

More eagles being admitted with lead poisoning. I wonder how many there are in a day across the US?

At the Nests:

Are you missing Mr President and Lotus? like me you haven’t seen them at the National Arboretum nest? There is an explanation. It looks like they might be moving house – er’ nest – just like Akecheta and Thunder.

No worries. Zoe and Indigo are still around. Indigo has not been seen in the scrape but …here he is! Screaming up a storm.

Indigo, you sure are handsome! Hi there. Nice to have you back in the scrape…we missed you.

Gabby and V3 were said to have a ‘dust up’ over a squirrel around 0730 on the morning of Wednesday, 1 February. Gabby got her talon stuck in the squirrel and could not get it out and V3 wasn’t letting go either. They are definitely back to loving one another!

They were back working on the nest afterwards. These images are from 0850.

In other areas, Wednesday was a soggy day. The eaglets in Louisiana have been fed but word is coming from Paul White that neither Ringo or Boots have been fed earlier today because of the hard rain. It has stopped and at 1055 there was a feeding. Ringo ate. Even got out of the egg cup to stretch its neck. Boots made no effort to eat but, as you will see from a later posting, Boots had already eaten. He did, however, have only one meal yesterday. It is amazing how well eaglets can cope on so little.

People reacted to the feeding and also to the possibility that Boots cannot free its right leg – it is stuck in the nest. Let us please hope that this little one can get free. Send all of your positive energy. In order to bed fed, this mother is wanting those chicks up at the table and out of the bowl so Boots has to engage. He has had some food as you can see in the image below he has a bit of a crop.

It has been cold in and around the Houston area just like it has been in Louisiana with rain. hanks, ‘J’ for drawing that to my attention. It will not begin warming up until Thursday but it isn’t going to be hot, hot then. So no issues with dehydration from the heat, just lack of food because it appears Boots has been stuck in the nest for some days. There are certainly discussions about getting someone to the nest to release little Boots because that is possibly fishing line around its leg. Send good energy.

Anna, sensing the weather, was up feeding E03 several times before the storms hit including first light.

It is also cold – 36 degrees F – and rain.

Alex brought in a fish to go with the Coot and Valentine and 02 were fed early, just like E03.

Little E03 can still fit under Anna but, Valentine and 02 are having issues trying to get under Andria.

Either Tico or Pearl sent off a ‘ps’ that has caused the camera to be coated again at Superbeaks. Oh, goodness. Let us collectively wish for rain to clean that lens so we can see these two fledge…it is awhile but…Thankfully the ps is at the side!

Connick is adorable. There was a time when I wondered if this little eaglet was going to make it to this stage…we can see his ears! Connick has a mohawk, his beak is shiny ebony at the tip, his eyes are clear, and he is eating well and moving too much on the nest for comfort.

The birds seem to be doing fine. There are eggs being laid, birds incubating, raptors thinking about eggs, the temperature of the South getting warmer as we move through February.

Holly Parsons is long associated with the Peregrine Falcons at Orange. She runs the FB group there and also runs the Albatross Lovers FB Group. I admire Holly. Look her up and read her bio. A film that she posted a link to today in her Albatross Lovers Group is one of the most beautiful documentaries on the Laysan Albatross. The images are amazing – so close up. The story is detailed and thought provoking. It is inspiring and bittersweet. The film is about an hour and a half long. You might want to watch it with your popcorn on a Friday night or watch it in sections or just sit quietly and see the whole thing. It is difficult seeing what all the plastic that we use does…but, we need to watch this. It is a beautiful wake up call. We will all thank Holly collectively. It is a really good look at the life of these amazing sea birds on the Midway Atoll —-and the challenges these birds face because of us.

http://www.albatrossthefilm.com

There is the trailer but on the right a tab says, Albatross the Film. That is what you are looking for.

Zoe is on the move again. She has been to an isolated bay where Osprey have been seen catching fish. Go girl! I hope our girl has turned out to be a good fisher.

Bonnie looks so pretty in that nest on the Kansas farm of Farmer Derek. After observing the GHOs run off the Bald Eagle couple, I found myself completely fascinated watching Clyde bring in rats and mice and other critters for Bonnie at dusk and dawn. And then the two owlets…so cute. So we will keep an eye on this GHO. (I have to admit that after causing such pain to Harriet and M15, I am not too thrilled about the relationship between the GHOs and the other raptors).

Thank you so much for being with me today. It is so nice to have you with us. This was a bit of a round up with some nests that are doing splendidly not mentioned. We will wait to see what will be the next Florida Osprey nest to have eggs – will it be Achieva or Captiva? Take care everyone! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, announcements, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Kakapo Recover, Tamarack Wildlife Centre, Birdlife Malta, Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey, AEF, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, NEFl-AEF, Paul White and the Webster Texas Eagle Watchers, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, Superbeaks, Window to Wildlife, Port Lincoln Osprey, Farmer Derek, Holly Parsons and the Albatross Lovers Group plus The Midway Project film, The Albatross, by Chris Jordan.

Zoe flies more, rare Albatross incubate their egg…and more news in Bird World

24 November 2022

Good morning to everyone and the best of Thanksgiving to those celebrating in the US today.

It has been wonderfully warm on the Canadian Prairies. I do not know if it is atypical for this time of year but, it certainly feels like it. The birds in the garden had some of their feeders rearranged and thanks to a lovely friend I swopped out some old feeders for some she gave me yesterday. One of the visitors today was a beautiful Starling. It’s an immature non-breeder. Note all of the white spots on his breast and it has yet to get its oily black head. The males and the female Starlings look alike. Did you know that? One difference is that the beaks of the males are a deep blue while those of the female are a pink colour. This then looks like an immature non-breeding male.

Look closely and you can see their rose coloured legs. It is also a pair of non-breeding adults. They are really loving this soft suet.

The Starlings will not perch on the metal. I do not know why. They want to lean down from the branches to get to the suet. You can see this behaviour in the image above also. So the feeder below was moved so they could more easily reach it! Who says I am a softie?

Junior was grateful for a bowl of corn today.

One of many varieties of the Sparrow family that visit the garden. They are particularly enjoying the Butter Bark Balls on these damp days.

The kittens have had great fun watching the birds and the squirrels. They continue to find places in the house to get into mischief. And they do not always come when they are called setting in a panic that they have miraculously gotten outside in the cold. Of course, they are somewhere laughing (do cats laugh?) while I panic!

Missy has discovered a Rodney Mott sculpture that is just perfect for hiding in. Lewis is in the overturned basket not even showing a whisker.

At the Australian nests, Zoe took off for her first flight of the day at 0901. It was an absolutely perfect take off and her landing at 0907 was spot on, too. She is a very strong osplet. I do hope she gets some nice fish. It has been 24 hours since she last had some food.

While the camera was down for a couple of yours, Dad brought in fish. We are only seeing the tail of the fish but I hope that Dad had some nice fish – the entire head – and that it was big enough for Mum and Zoe to also have a good feed. This family would really enjoy a day with several deliveries but, I am grateful to know that there was a delivery mid-afternoon.

Zoe had a nice crop.

At the scrape in Orange, things were decidedly low key. Xavier and Diamond in and out of the scrape box and Diamond enjoying sleeping in the box all by herself at night. They have busy days chasing after Indigo and Rubus. Little Rubus is, apparently, doing more flying and getting much better.

This was the news from Orange: “Rubus and Indigo both seen within the last hour. Rubus is exploring the campus, going from building roofs to trees etc. He fledged on 20th November. Indigo is way ahead getting flight training from parents, visiting the box etc. He fledged on 11th November at 41 days.”

If you haven’t checked out the FalconCam site in a few days, I urge you to do so. Someone is really adding historical data and you can go back to 2007 to see earlier chicks and read about the big events at the scrape. Here is that link if you lost it.

https://science-health.csu.edu.au/falconcam/home

Oh, it is stormy up near Jacksonville. Samson and Gabby have been on the nest today working despite the wind and the bad weather that looks like it is moving in.

I put this image in not so you could peer at the fluffy bottom of a big Bald Eagle but, rather, for you to see the colour of the legs and feet of Gabby. Then look at their beaks. This is a bright chrome-yellow. This is a very healthy bird.

Harriet and M15 are sleeping at the nest and so far no eggs, just like at NEFL.

At the E-3 nest in the Kistachie National Forest, they have their second egg today. Congratulations Andria and Alex.

There is also news coming out of the Midway Atoll about a very rare pair of Albatross.

As we give thanks for all the birds that bring our lives joy, remember that we are the cause of much of their suffering. Please spread the word to anyone you know – or where you work – that there are solutions other than using rodenticide to get rid of mice and rats. Also teach them about secondary poisoning. It could be their dog or cat but, it is often one of our beautiful raptors.

At small islands in New Zealand, Dr Digby and his team care for the rare non-flying parrot, the Kakapo. In 2016, they hand-raised more than a dozen of these precious little birds. Today they continue to do that work when it is required. The work that Digby and his team do to restore the health of these birds and to keep them safe and try and increase their numbers is remarkable. So thankful.

No 13. The Red List. The Marsh Tit

At first I thought these were out Black capped Chickadees. The Marsh Tit is small, it is mainly shades of a soft grey-brown or taupe with a shiny black cast, a black bib, and a pale ivory underbelly. The bill, eye, and legs are black. They are not plain by any means, look closely at the plumage patterns. Simply lovely.

The woodlands of the United Kingdom – and elsewhere – are changing and that it causing a huge decline in the number of this very small song bird, the Marsh Tit. The woods are more fragmented now, separated by grazing pastures, a growing number of introduced deer. Marsh Tits, according to Mike Toms, “favour woodlands with a complex understory and require surprisingly large patches of suitable habitat in order to breed successfully.” And they’re like their woodlands to be “wet”. Climate change has meant that they are now laying their eggs at least ten days earlier than they were 50 years ago. This change has had a decided impact on available or peak food supplies for the chicks which is also contributing to a decline in population numbers. The Marsh Tit is also known to visit older gardens, copses, and parks, and has sometimes been seen on feeders.

“Marsh Tit” by Vine House Farm is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.

They feed mostly on insects, seeds and berries, and often cache food over winter if they find a good supply. They nest in existing tree holes, rather than excavating their own, and produce seven to nine eggs.

Their song sounds like a sneeze “pitchoot”.

Here is their range.

Thank you so much for being with me today. I hope that each of you had a wonderful day no matter where you are — or will have a great day if you are just waking up reading this. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their posts and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, NEFL-AEF, SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, KNF, Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, A Place Called Hope, Kakapo Recovery and Dr Digby Twitter, Openverse, and RSPB.