Moorings Park Ospreys – Page 2

Tuesday in Bird World

18 March 2025

Good Morning Everyone!

Thank you to ‘PB’ who sent me a CBS video of the Sandhill Cranes, thousands, hundreds of thousands? of them gathering in Grand Island, Nebraska. What a beautiful sight. I wish everyone would wake up this morning and see the beauty in wildlife and nature and become so empathetic – not separate – but together with nature to actually do something about making their lives and our planet a better place.

Not the same video but the event of a few years ago!

Well, osprey season is starting off with a flurry of arrivals. As you probably know, my first love was the Red-tail Hawks in my birthplace, Oklahoma. I then had an ‘experience’ with a very large female hawk in my garden, and so, the smaller raptors – the hawks and the falcons – have a special place in my heart. My knowledge is, however, about ospreys. I am, therefore, over the moon that so many are returning.

I have a tiny, but dedicated group of helpers. I have said, many times, that we monitored 502 osprey eggs last year. That is a phenomenal number. I could not do it without Heidi. We prop each other up emotionally when things go sideways, as they might well do again this year with poor little ones starving. But, I want to start the year off on a positive note in the hope that it will be different. I can personally use a break from what has been happening on the bald eagle nests especially Kistachie E3 where the adult seems to not respond to the two starving eaglets on the nest – with their full juvenile feathers. Andria had two owl strikes and there has been an intruder flying around the nest. Intruders steal prey intended for eaglets in the nest and the hits from the owl could have caused injuries.

Video of owl strikes: https://youtu.be/xYm8HqzHHBo?

As I was told many years ago by an eagle expert, the Bald Eagles will first defend their territory, then they will protect themselves and their mate, and the chicks/eggs, etc are last on the list. If Akecheta died, it was because he was protecting his territory. Even so, I find it utterly gut wrenching to watch babies die on a nest from lack of food – either because of intruders or a sick or missing parent. If these two are to pass, I hope that it is quick. They have no one giving them supplementary food like Brodie at the BBC nest last year.

Meanwhile, Gabby has decided to feed the intruding juvenile at the NE Florida nest to the dismay of many onlookers. I have mentioned her own fledgling getting lost and going from nest to nest in the area (BOGs watched and reported) trying to find food. Then I remembered that a couple of Richmond and Rosie’s fledglings from the Golden Gate Audubon Osprey platform also left their nest, went for food elsewhere, and were fed. Bodie has no siblings and while this has been ‘tough’, Bodie has to be a fighter in the real world of eagles. No one is going to cut her a break. Gabby and Beau have enough food for both of the juveniles. Gabby knows what she is doing by feeding the intruder. Yes, it will return for food. Hopefully Bodie and it will both have good crops. Bodie can learn from watching the intruder and if it is fed, maybe it will be nicer. We do not know what we would do if we were starving.

Beau came in with a rodent and Bodie self-feed! https://youtu.be/LIfKQVnJwMk?

The warm sun has melted the snow, or most of it, in the nest of Jackie and Shadow. Shadow has been doing some really good work as daddy and it turns out he is a great feeder. Those two little ones were stuffed to the top of their heads and quickly into a food coma!

The Only Eaglet at Sauces, SC1, is the sweetest luckiest little eaglet in the Channel Islands.

But back to the ospreys. I am returning to the format that I used where I include Heidi’s reports and mine daily under our names. If I miss something, it is entirely my fault. I wish that we could aim for as comprehensive a study this year as we did last year, but my life is more challenging than I ever imagined, so if we get half the number of eggs watched and all the data recorded, that would be just fine. (I have hired a Girl Friday to help with other things so I have Friday afternoons free to work on all things osprey).

If you wish to add to our knowledge and data bank, we welcome your input. We need the name of the nest, its location, the link to the streaming cam if there is one, the names or ID numbers of the adults, the dates of their arrival and departure, the dates of eggs laid, hatch dates, fledge dates, and death dates and causes.

Please note that this might not be a comprehensive listing of every osprey nest. Rather, it will include significant milestones.

Heidi’s Osprey News:

Fenwick Island: 3/17 – Fenwick Island, Delaware (Captain Mac’s Fish House): June arrived back home to her nest in the early evening! June is the ‘queen of the striped bass’… she caught so many of those large fish last season to feed her only osplet ‘Fen’.

Lake Murray, South Carolina: 3/17 Congrats to Kenny and Lucy. Lucy laid egg #2 at 10:16.

Dewey Beach, Delaware: 3/17 – The female of the pair arrived on 3/12, and today at 08:30 her mate finally arrived. It was immediately apparent that this is a bonded pair, and they fell right in step with fixing up the nest. Best wishes for their success this season.

(Gosh those two are a handsome pair)

Mary Ann’s Osprey News:

Maya arrived at Rutland and Blue NC0 at Loch of the Lowes on the 17th.

Geemeff catches NC0’s arrival: https://youtu.be/CUabK04PELs? Oh, how I hope she gets a good mate. I often wondered if Laddie LM12 had been ill for a couple of years or unwell leaving Blue NC0 without food or the babies, some who starved. While I adored Laddie and I did, Blue NC0 deserves an eager fisher for a her new mate. I want to see that nest piled with fish.

Blue NC0 sleeping on the perch branch protecting her nest. Come on Dark Knight!

Eschenbach Osprey Platform, Germany: The news under the streaming cam is: Herbert arrived on the 16th of March. “We are waiting for Hermine to arrive, but the activity in the nest does not stop. Other females are present: some claim the place, others are passing by and take advantage of the male’s generosity. Today Herbert appeared accompanied by an unringed female. A very demanding girl who has demanded (and obtained) several deliveries of fish. What will happen? We will wait to see the events of the next few days.”

Last year Herbert arrived on April 4.

Birds of Poole Harbour:

Who will return to Loch Arkaig?

RSPB Loch Garten has had its share of drama.

Many more ospreys will be arriving in the next fortnight. At some of the US nests there are little bobs and only bobs. May each and every one flourish.

Moorings Park: Beautiful Only Bob.

Frenchman’s Creek: Only Bob doing well also!

Venice Golf and Country Club are incubating.

Incubation at Brevard, Florida:

Oceanside MNSA Osprey Nest: Blondie returns on the 13th of March.

News from Others (various birds):

Geemeff sends lots of news items including this one about Wisdom!

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2025/3/oldest-wild-bird-wisdom-has-more-than-doubled-her-life-expectancy-and-become-a-grandma

Storrington has been named the capital of the White Storks!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/17/storrington-in-west-sussex-named-uk-first-european-stork-village

Are authorities turning a blind eye to the illegal killing of birds by trapping in Cyprus. Watch and judge for yourself.

A reader from Berlin writes that they found this ebook on Germany’s Amazon site. The book is not affiliated with FOBBV:

‘J’ sends Rita’s History Monday:

We have news from Chichester Falcons.

chichester newsletter no.2 Download

Worcester Cathedral Falcon Scrape has its first egg of the breeding season.

Lead can and is being replaced by other materials. Lead is toxic and deadly to our raptors. Why do the governments that make up the UK miss deadlines to stop its use? Why do people no longer care about the suffering the wildlife experience?

UK Governments miss deadline for responding to recommendations for restrictions on use of toxic lead Download

The intentional poisoning of over 150 beautiful corellas in Australia is enough to turn your stomach.

‘Heartbreaking’: poisoning suspected after mass deaths of more than 150 little corellas in Newcastlehttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/18/newcastle-corella-birds-mass-deaths-suspected-poisoning?CMP=share_btn_url

“Little corella (Cacatua sanguinea gymnopis) Blanchetown” by Charles J. Sharp is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Their challenges:

Department for Environment and Water – Little Corellas Download

Pip watch for Bella and Scout at the NCTC nest begins today.

‘A’ brings news of Angel and Tom: “Again, Angel spent more time at the nest this morning than Tom did – and again, she is doing a lot of nestcupping, as if making final preparations to lay in this nest. I do hope so. In 2023, she laid her first egg on 24 March, which is under a week away, so I am hoping we see two eggs, as we did in 2023, rather than what happened in 2024, when they simply disappeared before Angel laid any eggs at this site. We have no idea whether she laid elsewhere, though I still think the landowner would have spotted Angel at least if she had still been nearby last season. We will never know of course and their whereabouts last season will forever remain a mystery. But ol course they may do the same thing this year and simply stop showing up at the nest.

But I am still determined to be hopeful – after all, we have seen joyous outcomes for Iris and her Finnegan, Gabby and her Beau, and now Jak and darling determined Audacity. If this is to be a year for miracle chicks, then please let Angel and Tom’s be among them. “

Thank you for being with me today. We are always delighted to hear your news and have you with us. Take care in the times we are in. Look for the positive and the good. Take care of your neighbours, your friends, and your family – even if it is only a smile you have to offer or a hello in an e-mail.

Migrating Birds are passing through. Protect them from your windows. Put out high-energy food if you can and water. Water is good!

We were so happy to see Star back at the feeder today.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, Heidi, J, MP, PB’, Rhoda A, American Eagle Foundation, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, IWS/Explore.org, Fenwick Island, Lake Murray, Dewey Beach, Geemeff and Loch of the Lowes, Eschenbach Ospreys, Birds of Poole Harbour, The Woodland Trust, RSPB Loch Garten, Moorings Park, Frenchman’s Creek, Breward Ospreys, VGCCO, The Guardian, RSPB, Cassandra McClurkin, Chichester Peregrines, Worcester Cathedral, Raptor Persecution UK, The Guardian, OpenVerse, South Australia Department for the Environment and Water, Guinness World Records, Rita the Eagle FB, Visit Kearney Nebraska

Sunday in Bird World

16 March 2025

Hello Everyone!

We hope that you have had a glorious weekend! While it was nice weather during the week the cold winds hit bringing in some freezing rain that is still lingering. Did you know that kitty litter is very good for melting ice?

I wonder which nests you have been watching?

Many of you have commented that watching what is happening at the nest of Gabby and Beau is causing you a lot of anxiety. The juvenile did return to the NEFL nest of Gabby, Beau, and Bodie. The fledgling from another nest – probably lost from their own nest and hungry – was ushered off unceremoniously several times by the adults.

It is a lot of drama and I know it is difficult to watch. Gabby’s fledgling was also lost one season and could not find her nest for a week or so and she was so exhausted that she stayed home for a month once she found her nest! I feel sorry for this one – hungry and lost. Life is confusing enough and these eaglet is young. Let us hope it finds its home – and I hope its parents are alive and have prey on the nest.

Of course, you could be watching the miracle child of Jak and Audacity. What an amazing ending after years of waiting. Audacity and Jak wanting a little eaglet so much! Well, here it is!

Jak is so excited. There is fish all over for this little blessing. They are also eating the placenta from the seals that are having pups in the harbour. This is really good food for that baby.

‘A’ writes on Sunday: “The new baby at Sauces is the sweetest fluffiest little person with the cutest wee face. It is strong and active and was eating eagerly when I watched it with Audacity at lunchtime today. I was concerned that the nest bowl was too deep but the chick seems to have no trouble peering above the rim, and given the current lack of baby rails (get moving, Jak, this nest requires some toddler-proofing), it’s a good thing that the bowl is deep! As long as no-one pulls a load of grass in there and buries the baby! Or tugs a fish on top of it and squashes it! So far, Audacity is being very careful with her pride and joy.

Lunch today was some sort of rodent, and the little one ate eagerly, managing very large bites for what I believe was its first meal. The blood all over the nest comes from yesterday’s treat for the new mum – seal placenta apparently. It does look absolutely gruesome but is of course incredibly nutritious. I have no idea of its calcium value (god knows Audacity needs to replenish that, as her body has been cannibalising her own skeletal structure season after season as she has laid all those eggs). It looks well, despite its difficult hatch (it has managed to get every piece of shell off) and it seems healthy. I have high hopes for this little family. Jak stayed on the nest after delivering lunch and seemed to want to help with the feeding, leaning in to the chick on a couple of occasions Audacity mixed in some seal placenta with the rodent, and I’m sure the level of nutrition from that placenta would be amazing for a newly hatched chick. “

At the nest of Jackie and Shadow, the two surviving chicks of that terrible winter storm appear to be alright. Please send them your good wishes because they, too, got cold and wet despite all the good care of Jackie and Shadow.

Fish are now on the menu at Big Bear along with a pile of Coot!

Shadow comes to say good night to Jackie and the kiddos. https://youtu.be/BtNhMzwjDqY?

Sunday breakfast and all looks good except the kids are alone and uncovered. I sure hope that sun is warm.

At Manton Bay, Blue 33 (11) continues to wait for Maya, his mate who is fifteen years old this spring.

Sisters Blue 24 and 25 have both visited the Manton Bay nest hoping that Blue 33 will bring more fish for them. I sure hope Maya gets home safely and if she doesn’t, I hope that Blue 33 gets a mate worthy of him!!!!!!!

Blue 33 is known, sometimes sadly, for bringing large live fish to the nest. He was caught on video by Geemeff battling one of those a couple of days ago! https://youtu.be/9a8cvy7GrJo?

On Sunday, Geemeff writes about the shenanigans at Rutland: “Fingers crossed that both Maya and Blue 11 return safely. Meantime, this looks like a successful mating between 33 and 25, judging by the way she shakes her tail feathers. Or at least, much better than his attempts earlier today.”

https://youtu.be/QhcMVRfb6kA

Two cutie pies at Port Tobacco!

There are now three at PA Farm Country!

A nice fish came on the Kisatchie E3 nest. The eldest ate first while the little one was submissive, almost hanging over the edge of the nest to its peril. but it clung on, listened, watched, and is getting good at the snatch and grab after the oldest one is full. Oh, help this nest. It needs more food and there are tornadoes in the area tonight (Saturday). It was two days ago – on Thursday that 04 had a really nice crop. He needs to not be so fearful and snatch and grab more. It is hard with such an aggressive older sibling. They sometimes go to bed very hungry. What is happening with deliveries and fish from the lake? Anyone know?

Beautiful little eaglet at the Johnson City nest of Boone and Jolene.

Two wee ones at Bluff City. Franklin and Frances each brought in fish and the kids ate well.

Tornadoes and big storms passing through parts of the US. Berry College seems to be right in the middle of it with rain and lighting at the old nest. Pa and Missey are using another nest so I have no news on eggs.

Oh, what a sweet little osplet at the Moorings Park nest. And it is going to be a healthy one, a fat little bottom full of fish!

Hard to see but that little one at Frenchman’s Creek seems to be doing well, too.

There were at least two fish deliveries at Duke Farms and all ate well and had crops. The little one even had a private feeding.

Are these the official names? If so, I missed it! Harpo, Meechi, Jupi???

Hartley and Monty now have three eggs at the San Jose City Hall scrape!!!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/BqfENvs4uec?

Now we can see those eggs at San Jose! https://youtu.be/jOnjWZ6PGjk?

The first egg for Frida at the Falcon Cam in New Jersey was laid on Saturday.

Gorgeous Milda incubating her two WTE eggs in Latvia.

Ever wonder what gulls eat besides fries at the sea side?

From profiteroles to moles: project uncovers gulls’ surprising diethttps://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/mar/15/from-profiteroles-to-moles-project-uncovers-gulls-surprising-diet?CMP=share_btn_url

Calico wishes to thank everyone who helped with her fundraising. She is pleased to report that when all the funds are in by the end of March, she will donate $420 to two of the charities that care for feral mothers and their kittens, trying to find them homes and for abandoned pets. She is delighted. Thank you so much! Fundraising is over for this spring.

I cannot tell you how much I miss Akecheta and Thunder. We have had so many losses this year, but this one really gutted me and still does – along with Annie and Alden. I know. They all took a piece of us, some more than others.

This was posted and I wanted to share it so that you will go to the Channel Islans Eagle Lovers: CIEL Facebook group to see the entire video clip of Akecheta courting Thunder!

Thank you for joining us today. On Wednesday, we are going on a mini-break to Hecla Island. We hope the weather is not too frigid and that we will see more geese and even the arrival of some American White Pelicans. I will post on Wednesday, take a few days break, and return on Saturday. Take care of yourself during that time. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, Geemeff, Heidi, J’, NEFL-AEF, IWS/Explore (Sauces Canyon), FOBBV, LRWT, Geemeff, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, Lori Staely and HDonTap, Kisatchie E3 Bald Eagle nest, Union County Falcon Cam, LDF, The Guardian, SK Hideaways and San Jose Falcons, Berry College Eagles, Moorings Park Ospreys, Frenchman’s Creek Ospreys, Stephanie Ross and CIEL, SK Hideaways and FOBBV, Geemeff

Monday in Bird World

10 March 2025

Hello Everyone!

UPDATE: Chase and Cholyn have their first egg at Two Harbours.

It is +5 and it was a remarkable Sunday on the Canadian Prairies. There were eleven Canada Geese at the nature centre enjoying the open water while children tried their luck at ice fishing at the other end of the lake.

It is going to snow today with the temperatures dropping to -15 C. It felt like spring on Saturday and Sunday and this was remarkable in lifting our spirits. We were outside without heavy coats!!!!!!! The birds are singing, the squirrels are playing chase, and well, life feels so good. Winter is ending.

The arrival of the geese signal the arrival of spring.

‘PB’ sent me a post showing the Kearney Centre where they have never seen so many Cranes an snow geese at one time at the Nebraska site. Our feathered friends are on the move!

This is the image posted by Michelle Neville and sent to me by ‘PB’. Isn’t this amazing?

All of the staring at the Big Bear triplets caused me to miss the first hatch at Moorings Park. Apologies all around! Thank goodness it is a nest that ‘H’ is watching for the forms, and if anyone ever doubts her observations , well, don’t. Believe her regardless of what all the chatter is saying. She is persistent. She will stay up all night watching frame by frame to make certain she has it. So here is the report, “Moorings Park had its first hatch this morning at 0726, at 39.5 days if it was egg #1. It could have been egg 2 at 36.5 days. This year, eggs 1 and 2 were very similar. So, if there is a DNH (and I’m hoping there is), then I may go back in and modify the hatch order of the eggs.) [We first saw a small pip at 2357 on 3/8. I searched the entire evening, and could not see an earlier pip. Last season at Moorings only two eggs hatched, and the experts on the chat said that egg #1 did not hatch. I think we have egg 3 as DNH in the forms, but I do recall them saying egg 1 didn’t hatch.”

Watching the baby at Big Bear. These triplets are so cute. That first hatch is a bit of a corker. Love this family!

‘B’ reports more weather coming to Big Bear: “More weather is forecast for Big Bear — snow predicted for Tues, Wed, Thurs. Fingers crossed — glad the chicks are still small.

https://www.bensweather.com

Glad that Shadow brought in 5 fish on Sunday. Better keep busy today! The feedings of the little ones are so cute, especially those tandem feedings.

The rays of the sun kissed those adorable babies.

Lots of food coming to the Big Bear nest! https://youtu.be/r2IjbNsj4Eo?

More than 31,000 souls watched this dual feeding!!!!!!!!!

SK Hideaways caught this dual feeding on video: https://youtu.be/VV9DnU30QAs?

The second hatch at the Kisatchie National Forest E3 Bald Eagle nest is really getting a raw deal from its older sibling. One would have thought that the dominance would have ended. Is there a problem with the amount of food being brought to the nest that is causing this type of bonking?

No food for the younger one this time round.

E04 will get some foo but the viscious attacks have really caused it to be hyper cautious and often not eat.

Andria II is very much aware of what is happening on the nest and made several attempts to ensure 04 had some food.

The Institute for Wildlife Studies has announced Dr Sharpe’s successor and the information for the Adoption Challenge for 2025. Here is the post. This is their big fundraiser and you could get a chance to name an eaglet! One of our readers did just that for one of Akecheta’s triplets. What an honour.

Bald Eagle chart, thank you for checking all those locations and sending this to us, ‘J’: (I cannot make it any larger). E is pip or hatch watch. F is the hatch date.

At the nest of Beau and Gabby, the adults have to watch their talons when they deliver food to Bodie. This big girl really loves her prey. She is gorgeous. It has really been a joy watching this new family raise its first eaglet (yes, I know Beau has been around for a few years, but this is the first year as a ‘family’).

Bodie is so good at the snatch and grab. Beau and Gabby are training their only youngster to survive in the world when it did not have the chance to scrap with siblings! Watch: https://youtu.be/orZm8josGhg?

Mum and Dad were very protective of their two beautiful eaglets during a recent storm in the Dallas area!

Certainly only eaglet at Johnson City is such a cutie and could well have a life of bliss like Bodie.

The triplets at Duke Farm seem to be doing fine. Life can change quickly.

‘J’ sends news that the Osprey ambassador Oliver at Marathon (home to Rita) has died.

It is not an osprey but a Sparrowhawk at Loch Arkaig. https://youtu.be/5eeCTuyXl-8

The loss of butterflies is catastrophic – a wake up call to us!

Butterfly population in US shrinking by 22% over last 20 years, study showshttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/06/declining-butterfly-populations?CMP=share_btn_url

Upcoming pip watches: Port Tobacco and Sauces starts and we wait for hatch for Bonnie an Clyde at the GHO nest on Farmer Derek’s Property in Kansas.

News from ‘A”: “Tom and Angel are spending time at the nest most days though not all. They are still bringing pine sprigs to the nest and doing a lot of nest cupping so they appear to have largely completed the early structural work (although more baby rails will no doubt be added once any hatchling/s start venturing out of the nest bowl) and are now perfecting the soft surface in the centre of the nest and trying to eject the pine cones that fall into it. There is still no guarantee that they have committed to a clutch at this location this season but we watch and hope. At least they both appear healthy and their pair bond remains strong.

At Taiaroa Head, I’m not sure if you heard the news that the DNA results showed our chick to be a female. She is getting fed regularly and is rapidly becoming a gorgeous snowy-white fluffball. I love that her plumage is unstained by regurgitation, indicating that there has been no incident to cause her undue stress or fear during the post-guard period. She sure is an adventurous small person and has explored the vicinity of her nest, A rat was seen on the camera yesterday morning and ranger Sharyn advised that they have been catching a larger number of rats than usual at this time of year in the traps the rangers set. The albie chicks should be large enough to not be endangered by the rats but apparently they are a major hazard for the little blue penguins, who are only breeding successfully in areas where there is trapping. We need to be incredibly grateful for the work these rangers do to protect not just the albies but also the other native wildlife of this area. “

Thank you so much for being with me today. My goal is to post ‘some’ news each day. It will not be a full account of every nest! I do hope that you find something enjoyable and valuable. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, articles, announcements, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, H, J, PB’, Michelle Neville, Moorings Park Ospreys, FOBBV, Ben’s Weather, SK Hideaways, Kistachie National Forest E3 Bald Eagle Cam, IWS, NEFL-AEF, AEF, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Johnson City ETSU, Duke Farms, Marathon Wildlife Centre, Geemeff, The Guardian

Sunday in Bird World

9 March 2025

Oh, my goodness. Hello from what feels like the arrival of spring on the Canadian Prairies. For days I have worried about Dyson, the matriarch of the Grey Squirrel family. The three kits have been out, but not Mum. Well, Saturday morning there she was perched above the brand new suet cylinder way back in the lilac branches. She looks good. She ate 1/3 of the cylinder. Good old Dyson!!!!!! Living up to her name. The sparrows are singing and the Starlings have come and gone removing every last meal worm while leaving the pieces of butter bark. Surely someone will want those.

I am spring cleaning. The feral feeding station has been cleared, cleaned and left in a smaller state with the hope that no huge snow storms arrive before I can rush out and put a cover over things. Brock has already checked it out and approved.

If the nest of Jackie and Shadow has preoccupied me, I do not apologize. Just the idea that our much loved couple could have three chicks to hatch is well, just beyond my wildest dreams. It is all I can think about. As I said in Saturday’s post, I am so grateful for Bodie (who is now six weeks old and as big as Gabby) and these triplets after losing the Es and well, having Thunder and Akecheta MIA along with Annie and Alden.

A reader asked me not to put them on the Memorial Board. They said, “Don’t put their names into the list of those who we know is lot alive for sure. And then we will be always in hope to see them again one day.” If you have checked there is no Memorial Board for 2025. I simply have been too overcome to compile it. There are certainly others. The Memorial Board is really a testament to their presence in our lives and eventually I will simply put them as Missing in Action. Because that really is all we know.

I am happy to attach the PDF of the Los Angeles Times article on Jackie and Shadow. Thank you to the reader who sent it! You don’t need to subscribe.

A pair of bald eagle hatchlings inspire hope in Big Bear – Los Angeles Times Download

As I am writing now, Junior is flying in and out getting peanuts an Dyson is back chomping on that cylinder. No one told her it should last a week!!!!!! The warm sunshine is so welcome here this year. My plan is to move the bird baths and fix the deck as a sanctuary for humans to bask in the sun as well. There will still be 3/4 of the garden devoted to things with wings or fur. :))))))))).

Everyone worried about the third hatch at Big Bear, but this little one is well, as big as the middle sibling and I am hoping that it is a really scrappy female like Jackie. It will do well on the nest with the two older siblings and I have a feeling that both Jackie and Shadow will be more than busy caring for these triplets.

Just look at that pantry.

One of the BB babies got caught and was dragged out of the nest cup. By a small miracle, it rolled off the snow and back into the nest. My heart stopped. https://youtu.be/n6lYn-zjdO4?

Some are concerned about what appears to be preferential feeding at the Duke Farms nest. Conserve Wildlife of NJ says that all the triplets are doing well.

‘A’ provides her observations, “At Duke Farms I am most heartened to see that the pantry is overflowing with fish (I can count seven) and mum is being very diligent about ensuring that all three of the littles get fed. The oldest got the best of one feeding, and at the next, mum circled around to the other side and concentrated on the younger two (the older one appeared to be in a food coma behind them). If dad keeps that pantry full and mum is patient enough to feed it to the chicks until there are no more begging beaks at the table, then these three have a very good chance at survival (assuming we don’t have a Zoe on the nest of course). We know that nests turn in an instant – the disappearance of a parent for example can change everything. But I still believe that the patience and dedication of the parent/s at feedings is the primary factor – can they be bothered with the hard work of carefully getting enough food into all those swaying little beaks? Some can’t, and only feed the closest ones. But the mum at Duke Farms appears to be patient and prepared to do her part in ensuring her chicks get fed. I hope this continues. They are SO cute at this age, before they decide to start bonking each other. I just love these first few days. Little masked bandits. They are certainly loud! “

The first sighting of an osprey in the UK – an so it begins. It is flying north! Wonder which one it is…Work continues on repairing nests

You might enjoy this talk from the Wildlife Trust at Rutland Osprey. George Smith is really knowledgable and I highly recommend this even if you live elsewhere. Lots of good information! https://youtu.be/7l6aOLlw0Vw?

In other news,

At the Captiva Bald Eagle Nest of Connie and Clive, Dancer has now branched. That was at 1508.

Nothing seems to be happening at Moorings Park Osprey platform yet.

Pip watch at Sauces starts on Monday! That egg is holding. Maybe there is something to having it wrapped with nesting material in a deep hole. The egg has been rolled an if it is fertile we just might have another miracle in California.

Bodie. What can I say? Our first miracle of the year. Looks like a big beautiful Gabby to me!

This may be the year for strange things happening. Take Lake Murray. Is it entirely possible that the egg of Kenny and Lucy has wound up in a glove? “The strangest thing… Lake Murray…

Lucy and Kenny have been obviously ‘incubating’ all day (I could not find egg lay time), but no one has seen an egg. There is a black glove in the bowl, and I had thought that the egg must be under the glove. There has been the shape of an egg under the glove, and they have been ‘aerating’ the glove. But, at 1719 Lucy picked up the glove and moved it, and the egg shape moved with it. I now believe that the egg somehow ended up inside the glove. “

Ferris Akel caught both Big Red and Arthur on camera on Saturday. It is so very, very good to see them.

Just look at all these gorgeous birds. Now imagine taking them from the wild for falconry. The licenses in the UK might be canceled. This will, of course, be controversial. There are many falconers around the world, and as a teenager, I was involved in falconry in Oklahoma. My older self shakes my head. I firmly believe that raptors need to live freely in the world unless they absolutely cannot.

DEFRA endorses Natural England’s recommendations for a presumption AGAINST the issuing of licences f Download

Beavers will be living free. News from Knepp Farm.

Licenced beaver reintroductions allowed – Knepp Download

Possible egg at the University of Florida-Gainesville platform.

We are awaiting our beloved geese. Some are also waiting for hummers. Here is a good timeline.

I hope to hear honking in the wind soon! After some more clearing tomorrow we will head out to Oak Hammock Marsh to check on any of those waddling poopers.

Calico’s Tip for the Day: It has nothing to do with a bird, but it could save someone’s life. Most, if not all of you, will have heard about the deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife. Hackman had very advanced Alzheimers while his wife, thirty years younger, was in good health and had been his only (it appears) caregiver. It reminds me of my situation with my husband except for the age difference – I am ten years older. No one would have predicted that the younger healthier caregiver spouse would have died of a very rare mouse virus. But she did leaving Mr Hackman at home alone – probably not knowing anything. A maintenance worker came to their door weeks before their fate was revealed. ———— This could happen to any of us. Calico wants you to develop a plan with your neighbours, friends, and family so that this does not happen to you or your loved one. Do not rely on landline phones or watches that are supposed to alert the police or necklaces with a panic button. My husband would probably not be able to find the landline phone or remember how to use it or what number to call. My Apple phone is not reliable. It often thinks I fall when I don’t and when I do, well, it did nothing the other day. So – get something old fashioned in place. Text friends and family on specific days to let them know that you are OK. That is all you have to send is ‘I am OK’. Don’t wait. Please get the ducks in a row.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care of yourself. We hope to see you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, articles, streaming cams, etc that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, H, J’, The Los Angeles Times, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, Dfyi Osprey Project, Rutland Water (LRWT), Window to Wildlife, Moorings Park, IWS/Explore, NEFL-AEF, Lake Murray Ospreys, Raptor Persecution UK, Knepp Farm, AccuWeather, Ferris Akel Tours

Sunday in Bird World

2 March 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

Please note that Lori had an error and has updated the cost of the six pack cards for Calico’s Corner. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please see the posting Calico’s Corner for the update.

Before we begin with all the news, ‘EJ’ sent me a magnificent image of an osprey that flew over them in Alabama. We all need smiles right now and this is a beautiful healthy bird! (I am always so grateful for your images and your generosity in sharing with all of us!)

As I write this there are three ongoing matters in Bird World. The first is the missing Thunder from the West End nest. She left at 1430 on Friday, February 28 and has not been seen since. Makaio has gallantly incubated the eggs even bringing prey to eat on the nest while taking some short breaks. The second is the anxiousness surrounding the pip/hatch watches for both Big Bear and Sauces. I am always concerned about third hatch eaglets so I guess there are four items – that wee one at Duke Farms. I recall too many dying on that nest.

In the cast of Thunder, many speculate that she has gone off for a spa day like Gabby typically does. I am not convinced. There are several possibilities to consider: she might have been injured in a territorial fight, or worse, she could have been killed. Another concern is that she may have succumbed to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), though I hope that is not the case and I am unsure if it even exists on the islands. I tried to check and could find no conclusive information.

The romantic-comedy writer in me imagines a more whimsical scenario where she went to get prey, encountered Akecheta, and they flew off into the sunset together. Of course, this is just fanciful thinking and should be taken as such, but it would make for a marvelous ending.

If we do not see Thunder back on the nest by mid-afternoon on Monday, we must assume that she has been injured or killed.

It is the beginning of March and it is time to start watching for the arrival of Canada Geese on the Canadian Prairies as well as the return of the UK and European Ospreys. But for now, my friend ‘J’ reminds me that love, companionship, and joy wrapped up in a lot of hope for this year can be seen in 5 letters: Bodie!!!!!!!!!!

What a precious eaglet that is – and yes, Bodie is NOT small! If every nest could have one single eaglet as healthy as Bodie it would be fantastic. There is no need to cheer for three eggs or even two. Sadly, too many nests last year looked like they had two healthy eaglets when, in fact, they were not. Thing Eagle Country. One well fed eaglet. That is all we need. And it is certainly all the parents and the environment need.

Last year, Heidi and I monitored over 502 osprey eggs along with VV who kept an eye on an inordinate number of nests in Maryland right out their front door! Sadly, none of the chicks at Island Creek survived and most along the coast of the Chesapeake Bay also died. While many might wish to state categorically it was due to the heat dome, there is evidence from countries much hotter and for longer – that with sufficient fish providing hydration nests of 2 or 3 osplets can survive intense summer weather. I hold no hope for the nests again this year. There has been no change in making the Canadian company, Omega, accountable and no real science behind what is a sustainable catch limit. The people fighting this in the region are tireless but they are up against lobbyist and politicians. The dolphins and whales have already left. Would anyone in this lifetime ever have believed that this entire area could be without ospreys? Well, it can happen. What we need are fish fairies and large garden koi ponds. People who will take risks to help the ospreys.

It is now the end of February. I had intended to return to posting Bird World news every morning. The last full moon saw a marked decline in my husband’s cognitive powers and his behaviour. It has been overwhelming and my colleague ‘H’ says my ‘brain is fried’ from all of it. Thankfully, osprey season has really not started and ‘H’ has been handling 99.9% of the data entries so far. I will start with the UK nests, Rosie/Richmond, and Iris plus Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. I am hoping our dear friend VV will monitor those nests in Maryland in their front yard! We won’t get up to 502 but we will do our best to get accurate information so we can see what is causing mortalities in 2025. In 2024, it was weather/starvation as the main driver of deaths. But, back to the posting of news. I am keeping my head above water by posting two larger blogs twice a week. I hope the information is helpful. These will come on either Sunday or Monday and Thursday. Essential news items will come as they happen. I will also try to post at least one or two good news items each day by mid-afternoon. I miss all of you! And I miss being in contact with the birds in their nests like I was before…

So, let’s see what is happening!

Golden Gate Audubon: Rosie has returned to Richmond on the light stand in San Francisco Bay! March 1. I am so delighted. She landed and started calling for Richmond right away.

Port Lincoln Ospreys: I am so grateful to the folks at Port Lincoln Ospreys who are regularly posting the tracking of the ospreys in South Australia. Looks like Ervie is having a fun time hanging out with Giliath! They spend the night together. How cool is that. You can find all of the tracking on the Port Lincoln FB page. I am including the one for Ervie and Giliath here because Ervie still melts my heart.

Dale Hollow Eagle Cam: Thank you to ‘KR’ for alerting me to the two eggs at this nest. As many of you will remember, there were issues getting help for the eaglets when they were tangled in fishing line. I am only putting this notice now for those of you that wish to watch this nest. I will not be covering it.

Duke Farms: There are currently three eaglets with the last hatching on Saturday, March 1. ‘A’ comments: “Another feeding at Duke Farms about four hours after the last (no time stamp on the feed as far as I can see, which is irritating) and on this occasion, the older hatch did even better, grabbing big pieces. The younger hatch was at least facing the right way this time, and sat nicely beside its sibling at the table. However, mum only half-heartedly offered it a bite or two, it made no attempt to grab at them, although like its older sibling yesterday, it is VERY loud and persistent in its begging for food. Even so, mum is adept at ignoring all pleas and simply sitting on the noisy little bundles. Oh Mary Ann they are just ADORABLE. Aren’t they the sweetest things at this early stage (while any attempts at bonking are harmless because they can’t even see their target properly.”…”I fear I can see a definite pip on egg three, which is of concern to me for the reasons outlined yesterday. This nest is already problematic – it was with only one eaglet – so I hate to think of what will happen with three. The nest is covered in fish – dad is certainly doing his job – but whether that fish gets into those little beaks is another question altogether. Mum did give the first hatch a nice feed this morning and the wee one was doing really well, swallowing quite large pieces with relative ease. Hatch two was still fairly unsteady (and facing the wrong way) but I suspect it will be 24 hours before we need to start worrying about its food intake. It is very reassuring, though, that the older chick is eating well and mum is doing a good job of feeding it. “

Like so many nests this year, Duke Farms has three eggs. Personally I do not like three egg hatches unless the male digs right in there and helps like Akecheta did at the West End. It is difficult. Some have even raised four.

Sauces: The first egg laid by Jak and Audacity is holding! ‘A’ remarks “In wonderful news from Sauces, darling Audacity’s egg continues to hold – she has it buried fairly deep and safe in the nesting material but we still get a good look at it around 13:22. (Mind you, if Jak continues to mate with Audacity while she is incubating, there are no guarantees! Men!!) Assuming the egg doesn’t break, pip watch begins in 10 days. I think everyone is praying this egg is strong and that this poor long-suffering mum will finally get the precious eaglet she has sacrificed so much to give a chance at life. My heart goes out to this couple. Audacity is so brave and so determined. I do wonder whether the repeated calcium depletion year after year has had any long-term impacts on her bones. Certainly, she has given everything she has in her efforts to raise an eaglet. She deserves this more than anyone. It’s like Iris last year. Repeated loss finally followed by a miracle baby (or babies in Iris’s case.”

Leucistic Red-tail Hawk Nest in TN: ‘A’ writes: “Meanwhile, Angel and Tom were at their nest again this morning. The nest looks absolutely ready for a couple of eggs and we are so hopeful this season that there will be eggs at this nest. Talons crossed (speaking of which, how gorgeous is Angel’s French polish?). There was even another afternoon check-in, and there have no blue jays in sight (or heard) today or yesterday, which ho-efully will persuade Angel and Tom that they can raise chicks without harassment at this nest. Still, after last season, I think we are all holding our breath every time they skip a day of nest work.

I have not seen any mating on camera but if I remember rightly, that was the case in Deyani’s season too so we shouldn’t read anything into it. Tom managed two fertile eggs out of two (even though only one chick survived) so I see no reason for concern in that regard. Young he may be but I doubt that slows down a male of any species! Just saying.”

Falcon Cam Project: Xavier and Diamond have been bonding in the scrape. Oh, how nice it is to see you! https://youtu.be/4fmYvw-ZSWo?s

Florida Slub Jay Population: Attached is Audubon Florida’s annual report on Slub Jays.

jaywatchreport2025_v5_web Download

Royal Albatross Colony, New Zealand: The Royal Cam chick is in the post-guard phase and is getting lots of good meals from the adults! https://youtu.be/5XgDs0L8A6A?

Big Bear Valley: 13,976 souls watching Jackie and Shadow as Jackie takes over the evening incubation shift. We are on pip watch at Big Bear Valley!

Both eagles protecting those precious eggs! How dare a sub-adult try and land on that nest during this crucial time!!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/bxQRZvfUftE?s

West End: Not sure how many eggs since the camera was down. Thunder and Makaio continue incubation and then Thunder disappears. Makaio was on incubation for over 24 hours. Is this a case of needing a spa day like Gabby or Gigi or has something more sinister happened to Thunder? We wait.

Makaio took several breaks on Saturday and even brought food to eat at the nest so he is doing fantastic. Let us hope Thunder returns safely.

Kansas City: Harvie and Ellie continue the incubation of their two eggs.

Achieva Credit Union: Jack and his new mate now have two eggs in that amazing nest that Jack built.

Moorings Park: Three eggs for Sally and Harry. Pip and hatch expected between March 8-12. Yes. We are that close. This is a very good nest to watch but will three be a challenge?

Frenchman’s Creek Ospreys: Continuous owl strikes.

Venice Golf and Country Club Ospreys:

Kisatchie E3 Bald Eagle Nest: Both eaglets are doing well. https://youtu.be/JOrFfsjn6ik?

John Bunker Sands Wetlands: Both eaglets are really losing the few remaining dandelions on the tops of their heads. What a wonderful nest this has been to watch this year!

Red Kite killed in the Cairngorms. ““The Park Authority condemns the illegal killing of raptors in the strongest possible terms. Raptor persecution has no place in 21st century Scotland but sadly incidents such as this are still taking place. It is an unacceptable crime that not only harms our raptor populations, but also damages the reputation of those land managers that act lawfully and work hard to care for wildlife.

“We are committed to working with partners to make sure the National Park is a safe haven for raptors and to establish the full circumstances of this incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0846 of Thursday 27 February. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously”.

Cairngorms National Park Authority condemns latest shooting of red kite – Raptor Persecution UK Download

The issues with wind power and raptors are real. This article was contained in the most recent Raptor Resource Project Journal.

Wind power development affects entire raptor | EurekAlert!Download

Manitoba is home to Polar Bears! 27 February was International Polar Bear Day! We love our bears, but their lives are becoming more and more challenging. https://youtu.be/uDN3x4sMnjs? and https://youtu.be/nYY0k0O9g6I?

Did you miss Ventana Wildlife’s February Condor Chat? Well, never fear. Here is the archived talk! The next live event is 27 March. https://youtu.be/RATJ0DwkoQE?

Thank you to all those people who help all those rehabbers every day of the week. They would not be able to save our precious wildlife without your help.

Wondering about all those three egg Bald Eagle nests? THIRTEEN nests already with 3 eggs (incl. Sauces)…Bartlesville, Big Bear, Centerport, Duke Farms, FOLFAN, Fort St Vrain, Fraser Point, NCTC, ND-Leef, PA Farm Country,Port Tobacco,Sauces 2 broke, and US Steel. Thanks, J.

A big shout out to all the teams in the UK who went out and cleaned up the osprey nests and refurbished them if needed! The raptors are on their way home and will arrive feeling most welcome. I wish every individual associated with a streaming cam (or not) would help our dear fish hawks (or others) with a cleaned out nest and new nesting material. It makes a difference. Just ask Hope and Beau at Snow Lane, Newfoundland.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care everyone. Go outside for a walk. Listen to the birds. Clean your feeders. Migration is coming! Turn off the news and feel the sunshine on your face. We hope to see you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, images, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, EJ, Geemeff, H, J’, NEFL-AEF, Golden Gate Audubon, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Trudi Kron, Duke Farms, IWS/Explore, Falcon Cam Project, Florida Audubon, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, Farmer Derek Kansas City Eagles, Achieva Credit Union, Moorings Park, Frenchman’s Creek, Heidi McGrue, Kisatchie National Forest, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Raptor Persecution UK, EurekAlert, Polar Bears International, Ventana Wildlife Society, Hoo’s Woods Raptor Center

Late Thursday in Bird World

30 January 2025

Hello Everyone,

When we left Canada, it looked like this at the Montreal airport. There was heavy snow in the area that hit both Ottawa and Montreal. We wondered if we would take off. Thankfully, we did!

The learning curve upon arrival in Guadeloupe was high. I have to admit that my French is not that good! Renting a car might take only minutes in North America, but after a long day, it was a three-hour wait in 28-degree heat. Then, it was an arduous drive up and around the mountains to our cottage on the grounds of the Old Botanical Garden near Deschaines. The anxiety was worth it!

This is the view off the terrace of the cottage.

Complete with a dog that adopted the owners of the property – a Guadeloupe rescue. She is sweet. They even have cats!!!!!!! Who said we would be homesick?

It is Paradise. We are way up on the mountains in the rain forest and while it is 28 C, the breeze is vibrant, and we are not hot. Today was a wee trip into the small village to pick up a baguette and acquaint ourselves with what is available here. The nearest large supermarket is in Sainte-Rose. That is about 11 km away on a very winding road up and down and around the mountain. We opted to stay local. Tomorrow we will venture out to find one of the many restaurants that our host has recommended.

Now, skipping briefly to Bird World News:

The news has come that both E24 and E25 tested positive for HPAI. I do not know the strain but there is a new one in California, H5N9. I was also sent this information from my sidekick: “To the best of my knowledge… no one (bog’s) has reported seeing M15 today. F23 was recently seen at the pond, and looked okay. I’ll let you know anything I can find out. Crow made an announcement at the nest tree, and the vet said we should possibly be concerned about the parents for up to two weeks. They also said that HPAI is relatively new to the SWFL region.”

I found CROW’s press conference. It is here: https://youtu.be/BJelOrdk6P0?

Please send this amazing couple your best wishes. It is not easy seeing the two children you cared for so much die before you and you are helpless. I still remember Joe (Connie’s former mate at Captiva) mourning over the loss of Peace and Hope (rodenticide poisoning several years ago). It haunts me – that figure of him looking down as the last one, apparently healthy, broke a blood feather and bled to death.

Barb Henry posted a screen capture of F23 down at the pond.

Wings of Whimsy’s tribute to the SW Florida Eagle family and to E24 and E25. Get the tissues. https://youtu.be/YcEUG9mZJKI?

We have the first egg at Moorings Park Osprey nest for Harry and Sally.

Jackie and Shadow have surprised us with three eggs. My goodness if this is a year for a miracle at their nest, is this an extra one for luck? What if all three hatch? Shadow will be busy!!!!!!

Fishey eagle love at the nest before the third egg at Big Bear: https://youtu.be/tsKskF0ue-g?

All is well at the nest of Gabby and Beau. Beau loves being a Dad!!!!!! He has really picked up on feeding NE31. Gabby joins him in this video: https://youtu.be/_rpYDa8AW6w?

OGK’s son, RLK, got to meet his newly hatched chick at the Royal Albatross Colony in New Zealand.

NZ DOC image shared by Sharon Dunne on the FB group:

There are some wonderful events to celebrate. Please send all of the nests your most positive wishes for success. They have many, many challenges to over come – both the wee ones and the parents.

Thank you for being with us for this brief recap of what has been happening. There is lots more news out in Bird World. We will be back with you later on Saturday from what can only be called ‘Paradise’ – Guadeloupe. Take care everyone.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write this post today: ‘H, J, PB’, CROW, Barb Henry and the NEFL and EFL Eaglecam Watchers, Wings of Whimsy, Moorings Park, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, NZ DOC, Sharon Dunne

Monday in Bird World

27 January 2025

Hello Everyone,

Fortunately, there were some beautiful moments on Sunday that helped ease the sorrow of losing E24 at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest, as well as the ongoing concern for dear Akecheta. As one of the chatters pointed out, his name means ‘fighter.’ We can only hope that he was able to utilize all the skills at his disposal so that when the cameras return, he will be there beside Thunder.

In fact, the Es were doing so well – meeting every milestone – and being so loved by M15 and F23 – that we were paying most of our attention to NE31 and to Jackie and Shadow. We never thought something would come out of ‘left field’ at M15 and F23’s nest. It reminds us never to take anything for granted!

E25 looks reasonably alert.

I will not be able to answer all of your letters today and I apologize as I know that everyone is grieving and is concerned by the odd behaviour of M15 and F23. Neither returned to the nest after E24 passed on Sunday. Heidi writes that F23 brought a fish to the nest this morning and E25 took a few bites. E25 should have been ravenous. I want us to prepare ourselves for the worst while hoping for the best.

I will not speculate as to what caused E24’s passing. The little one had a seizure prior to its collapse at 1841. It had been lethargic for a few hours.

Bird Flu is always one of the tragic diseases that comes to mind – and, again, I am not stating this is Bird Flu. HPAI is highly contagious and we should review aspects of it because it could impact our beloved raptor families this year. Almost exactly three years ago, I wrote about Avian Flu and a case that had hit Estonia in the spring of 2021. That was the very first time that the Virologist, Thijs Kuiken, knew of HPAI happening outside the normal time of autumn.

The excerpts below were written on the 18th of January 2022. Even if this is not Bird Flu at SW Florida, it is good to remind ourselves that this deadly disease is still ravaging the avian populations around the world.

On 6 January, the CBC announced that hundreds of birds in Newfoundland, Canada had contracted the H5N1 strain of avian flu.

What is extraordinary about this is that it is the same ‘highly pathogenic’ (HPAI) avian flu strain that killed the two White-tailed Eaglets in the Balkans last spring. The male had brought a stork or a crane onto the Estonian nest and the two chicks died as a result of eating it according to the autopsy conducted by Madis Leivits. Thijs Kuiken, Virologist from Erasmus University, Rotterdam said to me in an e-mail, ‘HPAI outbreaks in wildlife were restricted to autumn and winter, and had stopped altogether or were at low levels by the time spring arrived’. Kuiken notes that the incidence of HPAI is overlapping with the breading season of many wild animals that could have been impacted. Many chicks could have died.

Going back to the Newfoundland issue, the question is: how did it cross the Atlantic? Kuiken is working with the Newfoundland Government to discover how this might have happened.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/avian-flu-newfoundland-labrador-1.6304817

Today it was announced that this same Avian Flu is responsible for the culling of swans in the UK including those that belong to the Queen.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-60025956

Of further interest is the fact that the same HPAI strain was discovered The in a bird shot in South Carolina in late December 2021. No region appears to be untouched.

If you are interested in learning more about Avian flu and its impact, please read the following article by Dr Kuiken. It is very informative and can be understood easily without great scientific knowledge.

https://thecorrespondent.com/831/the-next-pandemic-is-being-hatched-in-industrial-poultry-farms/1080687412200-1dda10f4

How will this impact the health of all wild birds in Europe and North America? What can be done? Some answers are in the article above. Perhaps it is time to really look at the factory farming of animals carefully and deliberately to a view of becoming more local.

Geemeff also sent me this very clear graphic that outlines how HPAI spreads.

It is hard to move on. There have been some shocking events already in Bald Eagle World that have hit us to our core. It is hard to put them in a box and celebrate the good, but we must do that. There are ways to halt the spread of Avian Flu and Thijs Kuiken writes about that in his articles. For now, though, I ask you to rejoice in the lives of the eagles that are with us, celebrate them, do not close your eyes because it is hard. To grive for these families – for Thunder as she might be mourning Akecheta – for F23 and M15 who have lost one of their children – is to show that you care. Cry. Kick the fridge if you must. It isn’t fair. Do whatever it is that shows your remarkable humanity. That is what makes the Bird World community special. We share in the triumphs and the losses day in and day out. I am so grateful for all of you because you care in a world that seems to be spinning crazily in the other direction. Hold on to that empathy. Send your love out. Mourn with these families.

NE31 is a darling. https://youtu.be/cIroMsxUKjs? The American Eagle Foundation has certainly been busy catching some of the sweetest moments at this nest.

Calico has been unwell and I found that 31 brought me a lot of comfort. There is something so special about new life and the hope that it brings to all of us, especially an eaglet that we so anxiously awaited to see for over two years!

Just look at those strong wings and fat little bottom. 31 has shown how strong it is from the moment it hatched and held its head up pretty high.

On Monday, NE31 was working its wings and pulling itself up higher in the egg bowl as Gabby was getting some fish for its snack. It will not be long until this one is clamouring out of that cup and up to the pantry! You will recall that Gabby gets them moving and up to the table as soon as she can. Food is a great motivator.

Right now, Gabby is on the big screen in our sitting room. She is looking up while 31 peeks out of her breast feathers. Relish ever precious moment.

Heidi reports that the deliveries at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose have stepped up! Excellent news. There are lots of fish dinners for the family.

It was a very welcome sight at the Captiva nest when a very large fish came. And then, the eaglet stood and walked over and went – ‘hey, I can feed myself!”

Each nest is passing milestone after milestone daily. Dasher and Dancer are working their wings and getting those Hulk leg muscles stronger and stronger as the dandelion mohawks disappear.

It can’t be easy walking around on that nest. But to stand and flap wings using the tips for balance is a real achievement. Both eaglets are doing this.

Dasher is determined to get some fish flakes off that head.

Fish at John Bunker Sands, too!

I am grateful that Ospreys only (well 99.9% of the time) eat fish. (Mind you I know all the issues, as do you, about fish, but…). Wilko who is 114 days old is enjoying a fish. Kasse is 111 days old today.

On Monday, Mum brought in 2 fish and Dad delivered 1. Kasse had two meals and Wilko had a single dinner – at least that is what we can see on camera. No doubt these two fledglings are following their parents and others to the fishing grounds as they get older.

Jack continues to work on his nest. And what an amazing nest he has made! Bless his heart. The bark is coming in to line the area for eggs.

At the Royal Albatross colony, the Royal Cam chick had made 3 star like pips on the egg and is making good progress towards hatch. The first pip was spotted on the 23rd of January, and the egg was removed to prevent a fly strike. A warmed dummy egg was placed with the Royal Cam chick’s egg in an incubator. Fly strike spray was used on the nest to prevent any harm to the chick once it is returned upon hatch.

It is a white grey day in Winnipeg. It feels like it could rain. New suet cylinders are scattered throughout the lilac bushes that extend about 10 metres along the east side of the garden. The tube feeders are full of black oil seed while peanuts slide off the table feeders. There is Alfalfa for the deer and this evening, I will literally dump a huge bag of Black Oil Seed and half a huge bag of peanuts. This should last the birds and squirrels til we return home. The Cat Sitter, Gary, will make certain that The Girls are fed and have plenty of play time. He also takes care of Brock, Star, and the two other cats that come to the feral feeder. That heated double bowl for wet food and water has been such a blessing for the outdoor cats this year. If all goes to plan, they will have a small shed with heat lamps and straw for next winter.

On Tuesday we fly to Montreal. Keeping with our motto of ‘Stay Calm’, we will spend the night there before getting on the flight to Guadeloupe. We arrive there late afternoon on Wednesday. Can you tell we are not rushing anything? My plan is to have a post for you for Thursday evening unless there are some significant occurrences in Bird World. Until then, be easy on yourself. Grieve and then celebrate. We are so privileged to get to know these raptor families. They touch us in ways that one never expects.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, graphics, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this afternoon: ‘Geemeff, Heidi, SP’, IWS/Explore, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, CBC, BBC, The Correspondent, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, Achieva Credit Union, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Port Lincoln Ospreys, NZ DOC and Cornell Bird Lab

Saturday in Bird World

18 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

The blizzard, being noted as a historic one for parts of my province, blew and blew in the early hours of Friday morning. I do not know how much snow came with it. There were gusts when I was out feeding the birds, and the neighbour’s house was sometimes invisible. It is now late afternoon. The sky is a beautiful transparent Wedgwood Blue as the sun sets, casting a golden glow over the Japanese garden area. The Starlings are still here, along with several dozen sparrows. Little Red and a couple of grey squirrels have been gathering peanuts all day. Mr Blue Jay – yes, Junior is in the garden – was here at noon. Even the Crows came to criticize the food that was left by the time they arrived! I did not run out of cheesy dogs since I had none! They had quit eating them and only wanted peanuts for so long. Now I wonder what they are craving.

Tiny fawn arriving to go around the side of the house to the garden.

These are European Starling prints leading to the cat dish with kibble.

Oh, goodness. Brock is here eating! I have not seen him for four days. Talk about anxiety. That coupled with Beau and Gabby kept me awake at times when I should have been sleeping. I wonder if he were locked in somewhere? We try to take a digital image of every cat that we see eating at the feeders each day. We can also track them if they come in through the front and the video camera catches them and says ‘pet’. I can then check and take a screen capture. Well, this is a relief. Now maybe that second egg for Gabby will begin to pip!!!!!!!!!!!

This was the word from the moderator at NE Florida Friday afternoon: “Today is day 40 for egg 1 and day 36 for egg 2. With delayed incubation, if egg 1 doesn’t pip by tomorrow it likely won’t. We still have 3 days for egg 2.”

Later Friday afternoon:

I have had more than a couple of dozen e-mails with a similar question: If Gabby’s eggs do not hatch, will she take another mate? The answer is ‘yes’. Eagles are known to mate for life. If their partner dies, they take another mate. We have seen this over and over again. F23 is the new mate of M15 at SW Florida, for example. Yes, if there is a period of unsuccessful breeding, they might take another mate. Still, Jackie and Shadow stay together and Gabby has hung in there with Beau. We will have to wait and see what happens.

Only the eagles know if there are any little cheeps in those eggs. Egg 2 is 36 days old as I write. There is still hope for it and I am sending out tonnes of energy on Friday to them, good energy.

At Pine Island, the GHO is very bold. Not only knocking off the resident ospreys, but sitting on the perch staring at the three eggs! There are also Bald Eagles in the area. I am more than concerned for this nest. I won’t mention it again, but the presence of such a bold owl eyeing three eggs and thinking future fat chicks just makes me ill. Reminds me of several nests from 2024 including the Boat House, Lake Murray, and Cowlitz (eagle) amongst others.

In our data forms for 2024, owls accounted for the loss of 13 chicks, while Bald Eagles killed 5.

They are so cute. What is that song about ‘I can’t take my eyes off of you?’

Eggs coming soon at the Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian?

At Port Lincoln, Mum should receive some type of citation for really providing the food this year. She has completely surpassed Dad in terms of her abilities and the light on the barge significantly helped her earlier in the season when she could dive and bring a fish to the nest quickly. Kasse and Wilko owe their lives to her efforts. Of course, we cannot forget the Fish Fairies whose dedication to this nest has ensured fledglings over the past several years.

This was the tally for Friday in South Australia.

Jack has been working hard on that nest at Achieva. I wish that someone would reach out and fix those drain holes so that the eggs and/or chicks would not fall through them to the ground below.

Sally and Harry were at the nest before the rains came to Moorings Park.

Do you think we will have a family at the osprey platform at Captiva this year?

The view at Boulder. We will soon be counting down the days til the Ospreys arrive. It is less than two months for some hope for the really early birds in the UK but more like 2.5 months.

Both Eagles are working on their nest at Ft St Vrain, Colorado.

Thunder and Akecheta early Friday morning.

Beautiful family at SW Florida. M15 sitting on the perch being vigilant to protect his family. Look at those sweet babies. Tears. M15 certainly got a good mate to replace the much loved Harriet.

E25 walks for bites of prey! https://youtu.be/2rTHwUQ99xg?

Alex and Andria II incubating eggs from a beautiful view of the lake at Kistachie National Forest E3 nest.

The Norths are working on their nest at Decorah.

Eagles at the new MN-DNR nest on Friday.

Drilling ban off the coast of New Jersey could significantly help wildlife.

Environmental Groups Praise Bird Delisting and Offshore Drilling Ban – Two River Times Download

New from Kelly Sorenson on the remarkable year for the California Condors in 2024. They continue to treat the Condors for lead poisoning despite their efforts to provide free non-lead ammunition. Iniko 1035 was just released into the wild after being treated for lead toxicity at the LA Zoo.

There is outstanding news in the first paragraph. Congratulations to everyone at the VWS! They have worked harder and harder to achieve those figures. Let us all hope that the growth in fledgling chicks and their survival continues.

While I am not happy with GHOs, it appears eggs are being incubated at the Owl Cam! I know that some of you love them. Here is the link to that streaming cam: https://www.youtube.com/live/pxMQgmeROEM?

Christian Sasse photographs thousands of eagles gathering! https://www.thedodo.com/daily-dodo/photographer-stumbles-upon-mysterious-gathering-of-1000-bald-eagles

News items from Geemeff:

Raptor monitoring volunteers needed:

https://www.abc4.com/news/everything-utah/calling-bird-enthusiasts-volunteers-needed-to-monitor-raptor-nests-in-utah

Good news for persecuted Hen Harriers – 2024 Christmas Satellite Tag Appeal smashes the target:

Hen Harrier Action 2024 Christmas Appeal Smashes Target Again

This Heron’s been fixed and is flying free again:

GREAT WHITE HERON FOUND FLOATING IN A CANAL SET FREE IN ISLAMORADA

The winds have stopped gusting Friday evening and tomorrow I hope to get out and get some deer pellets. They have much more nutrition than the vegetables, fruit, and peanuts I have been leaving out for the deer. It is supposed to be super cold with a Polar Vortex visiting us. Send positive wishes to Brock, Star, and all of the garden animals as they navigate winter!

Calico also has some good news. She has developed a line of cards featuring the birds visiting the garden and our province’s nature areas. She has partnered with one local group that helps feral cats and their kittens to raise funds to buy food for them. This local fundraiser will be taking place in February. More news to follow!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me write my post today: ‘EJ, Geemeff. Heidi, J’, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Pine Island Osprey Cam, Window to Wildlife, FORE, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Bart M and the PLO, Achieva Credit Union, Moorings Park Osprey Cam, Boulder County Osprey Cam, Fort St Vrain Bald Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore, Androcat, Kistachie National Forest Eagle Cams, Raptor Resource Project/explore.org, The Two River Times, MN-DNR, Kelly Sorenson and the Ventana Wildlife Society, The Owl Cam, The Dodo, ABC4, Florida Keys Weekly,

Friday in Bird World

10 February 2024

Hello Everyone,

Missey wishes you the best day possible!

Oh, it is a balmy day on the Canadian Prairies. -1 C. The sky is a clear blue with no clouds and the sun is so bright it is blinding. Gosh. Feeling like summer. Just kidding, but after -28 C with winds, it feels pretty nice. I plan to do some cleaning up of the feral cat area today. This morning Brock greeted me at the garden door. I think he has been missing out on some full dishes of food thanks to Star. I saw her last night, but not this morning.

From the inbox, everyone is getting excited about Saturday. Most of you are nervous at the same time about Beau’s reaction to the potential hatchlings. We can only send them good wishes. Whatever happens at the nest, Gabby will take it all in stride. She is pretty amazing. As are all the eagles. I long to be more like them.

Cornell Bird Lab reminds us that the Big Bird Count is coming. Please mark your calendars and take part. We need a really good look at what is happening to the birds this winter! Or summer if you are in the Southern Hemisphere.

I am giving a loud shout out to a young man in Virginia who is going to attend an event where he can talk to the politicians of Virginia in a hope to get them to stop Omega’s commercial fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Dustin Byler is a sportsman. He wants to see the Striped Bass and Rockfish populations return to the Bay. I want to see Ospreys fed. We are on the same side!

It will help him if anyone who has observed or cares for the ospreys that died around the coast of the Chesapeake Bay contact him. Do for it for Cobey at Colonial Beach.

Cold weather is heading to Florida and the Eagles know it often before the weather people. M15 and F23 are taking lots of grasses to the nest to help the Es stay warm, too – they are too big to get under Mum comfortably! https://youtu.be/kWt4JkJuiks?

M15 and F23 had some private time away from the kids. https://youtu.be/3iU_g-U-r3E?

It’s Friday. We are one day away from pip watch at this nest!!!!!!!!!!!!!

These are the observations from Port Lincoln for Thursday:

Kasse on the nest after ousting Wilko on Friday.

Kasse grabbed that first fish delivery, the first one on Friday! In the image above she is enjoying that fish while Wilko is fish calling to Mum and Dad. Way to go Kasse.

The protests for more fish seem to fall on deaf ears. Hey! Where are the fairies? Are they still out of town?

Two well fed eaglets at Captiva. One really big sister and one tiny brother or so it appears.

Can’t take the eyes off that little one, C13. Just the cutest.

Scout and Bella at the NCTC nest on Thursday.

Eagle at Two Harbours on Thursday.

Harry and Sally are bonding and they have been making appearances at the nest at Moorings Park.

We have ospreys at Frenchman’s Creek!

White-tail Eagle visits the Durbe nest in Latvia. https://youtu.be/xKwS2BeHPg4?

There is good news coming out of Claremore, Oklahoma. Skylar, the Bald Eagle with the problem feet, will be coming out of her boots today.

Audubon’s Birds and Offshore Wind Report:

Birds and Offshore Wind Report | Audubon Download

Two lynx released in an illegal reintroduction scheme in Scotland.

https://news.sky.com/story/two-lynx-captured-in-scottish-highlands-after-suspected-illegal-release-13285825

This is not the way to do this folks! Everything needs a plan and I am all for rewilding and reintroductions after careful consideration. Thankfully the lynx are safe.

Dyfi is working on a project and it is a hide. I am smiling.

Bird Flu has surfaced in Louisiana. Oh, please send your strongest wishes for our eagles (and for all birds) in that state.

First Bird Flu Death in U.S. Reported in Louisiana – The New York Times Download

An extremely rare sighting of a shorebird in the UK. “The least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) is a new world species, breeding in Alaska and Arctic Canada, before heading south to overwinter in warmer climes, from the southern states of the US to Brazil. In Britain they are a rare vagrant, with fewer than 100 sightings recorded, virtually all in autumn.”

These are tiny shorebirds, 13-15 cm, 5-6 inches. They have piercing eyes. Could you take a look at their bill? It is only slightly curved and very pointed to help them get food. Their greenish-yellow legs are almost as long as they are tall. The underparts of their bodies are white. They have a beautiful variegated plumage pattern that ranges from white, cream, taupe, darker brown and espresso brown. They are gorgeous little shorebirds.

They feed in the mud along the shores especially areas where the tide is receding. They also feed higher up on the ground. Do you remember the shorebirds that I saw when I was in Nova Scotia? Think of these little beauties.

Cool Facts provided by All About Birds:

Cool Facts
- The Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird in the world, weighing in at about 1 ounce and measuring 5-6 inches long. Males are slightly smaller than females.
- Eastern populations probably fly nonstop over the ocean from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and New England to wintering grounds in northeastern South America, a distance of about 1,800 to 2,500 miles.
- Researchers studying Least Sandpipers discovered a new feeding mechanism. While probing damp mud with their bills, the sandpipers use the surface tension of the water to transport prey quickly from their bill tips to their mouths.
- Least Sandpipers hunt for food on slightly drier, higher ground compared to other small sandpipers. Although numerous worldwide, they usually flock in smaller numbers—dozens rather than hundreds or thousands—than some other shorebirds.
- The oldest Least Sandpiper on record was a female, and at least 15 years old when she was recaptured and released by a Nova Scotia researcher in 1985.

“Least Sandpiper Don Edwards WR 1” by Britta from San Francisco Bay Area, California is licensed under CC BY 2.0.a heise

This bird almost certainly crossed the Atlantic a few months ago, but was not discovered until early January when a couple of sharp-eyed local birders at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s Steart Marshes reserve spotted it.”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/08/birdwatch-an-unlikely-encounter-with-the-least-sandpiper-in-somerset?CMP=share_btn_url

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J’, Cornell Bird Lab, Dustin Byler FB, Real Saunders Photography, NEFL-AEF, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Bart M and the PLO, Window to Wildlife, NCTC Eagle Nest, Moorings Park Osprey Cam, Frenchman’s Creek Osprey Cam, LDF, Audubon, Sky News, Dyfi Osprey Project, Openverse, All About Birds, The Guardian

Tuesday in Bird World

7 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

We hope that you are having a good start to the week.

It is a white-grey sky day in Winnipeg. I can see the little birds puffed up, trying to stay warm in the lilac bushes. What you can see in the winter is incredible, hidden by all the spring and summer foliage. All around the neighbourhood, squirrel dreys hang precariously. Bird nests are there that I didn’t know about. I see the hawk waiting at the corner, hoping for a quick lunch. Even with the cold there are so many wonderful things waiting to be discovered.

Something was terrific to be found in my garden at 2026. It was a young buck with only one antler. According to the home camera, the deer had been foraging around the bird feeders since 2056. This was unexpected despite the deer roaming the neighbourhood and especially at our park looking for food. So a load of potatoes and apples were left in case he or they return. We will get deer pellets tomorrow.

Calico had her annual check-up today. I was concerned about her weight as I joked the other day. She came in at 6.4 kg. It is right at the line or crossing it to be concerned about diabetes. Calico is beyond precious to me. I would never want to jeopardise her health, so she is now on Metabolic cat food – and so are all her sisters! If you have only one cat, it is easy to control what they eat. If you have four, it can prove challenging. So keep your fingers crossed for this special girl.

A couple of things off the top. Ranger Judy is not responsible for what happens to the Sea Eagles when they are picked up and taken into care. She is as devastated as are others who live in the area, like Cathy and Jen (and some I do not know), at the death of SE33. Yes, I wish I could have wiggled my nose to get Dr Tess down there to see if something else could be done. I am not a vet, and like everyone else outside that examining room, I don’t know anything about that injury. My wish would have been for Dr Tess to have had an opportunity to try and figure out if there was another possibility. She thinks out of the box, and in wildlife rehabilitation, that seems to be what is needed. Sadly, we will never know. Watching Lady and Dad work so hard to lose both of their eaglets is hard.

Donations. Thank you for all of your letters. I want to do a shout-out to the Ojai Raptor Centre that miraculously rid Victor of the zinc in his system – and, I forgot, and I am embarrassed about this – 19 was picked up when we feared he was dead near the nest in South Bend, Indiana and transported to the home of Humane Indiana where 19 was cared for and trained to be an eagle, returned and released near the nest. We all wept. —– There are so many other great centres. The ‘small and mighty’ Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey where Lisa Ferguson was the Volunteer of the Year. Today, she wrote to me to say that their 30-year-old ambassador, Bald Eagle Paige, took her last dance. Lisa says that Connick ‘was a character’. We hope he is happy at the Smithsonian. So look around you to the people who care and work hard for the birds when you decide to donate.

To answer a sack full of the same question: Did Beau bring prey to the nest? Yes, he brought some. Sometimes Gabby wasn’t there. That is, however, the big question. Will he bring prey to Gabby and the babies? Or will Gabby let Beau brood and she will do the hunting? We wait and we will have our answer shortly.

Traverse City, Michigan Bald Eagles, Harry and Harriet, love the snow! https://youtu.be/hac2G673Vo4?

Incubation continues with Gabby and Beau at NE Florida. They might just be hearing the little cheeps of their babies by now.

Gabby returns for the late shift after having a mud bath it seems!

Beau is up on security duty.

Meanwhile, eaglets are being fed at Captiva and SW Florida with no problems that I am aware.

Those babies at Captiva need a bath! Clive has food all over the nest and they are moving everywhere getting it stuck on those feathers.

Just look at the size of the wings on those Es at SW Florida!

Other Bald Eagle nests are still preparing and having fun with sticks. Just look at Liberty and Guardian. https://youtu.be/G6JplHWsizo?

Checking on Port Lincoln, both fledglings on the barge. Kasse is down by Dad in the cave with her fish tail and Wilko is on the nest.

Food deliveries for Monday and Tuesday at Port Lincoln:

There is some bonding going on at the Captiva Osprey nest! https://youtu.be/4lQxLJEbsj8?

The following was released by Terri at FORE on Monday:

Friends of the Redding Eagles-FORE

10h ·

Announcement 1/6/25:

We wanted to let you know that we have received the Final Necropsy Report on our Redding eaglet “Luna”. We want to thank Krysta Rogers with the Wildlife Health Laboratory California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife for her hard work & thorough examination & extensive testing.

At this time, we are still reviewing the very detailed information presented in the entire Final Necropsy Report & we are consulting with our raptor rehab expert Marily Woodhouse on a few questions & clarifications on the findings. We also realize that some of the very graphic details of the report could be upsetting to many people who loved our Luna with all of their heart, so we want to be careful with how much of the Final Report we release publicly.

We would like to share this brief Summary that Krysta Rogers wrote so you will at least know what the findings revealed…

“Attached is the necropsy report for the eagle. Cause of death was likely related to the high temperatures in early June. There were no indications of infections or exposure to toxins, although testing was limited by the poor condition of the remains.”

Krysta also added this crucial information to the report:

“The unusually high temperatures in early to mid-June likely caused the eagle to leave its nest before it was physically ready. On June 11, when the eagle reportedly left the nest, the high temperature was 106°F. In early to mid-June 2024, there were two periods of consecutive days with temperatures above 100°F including June 5-7 when the maximum temperature ranged from 103°F to 106°F and June 10-12 when the maximum temperature ranged from 104°F to 106°F.

Additionally, the nighttime average low temperature for this week remained relatively high at 72°F. In early to mid-June 2023, the average high temperature was only 87°F during the day and 65°F at night, a temperature difference of 14 and 7 degrees, respectively.

Young birds in nests with little shade have few options to escape the heat and direct sunlight. During consecutive days of high heat, conditions in the nest may cause heat stress and the nestling may fall or jump from the nest when trying to escape the heat. The sibling of this eagle reportedly remained in the nest and died during this period of high heat. Heat stress may contribute to respiratory and/or cardiovascular strain, dehydration, and/or damage to the organs and gastrointestinal tract.”

Krysta Rogers

WILDLIFE HEALTH LABORATORY

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

As upsetting as this is to read, the information makes us feel even more relieved that our beloved Redding Eagles Liberty & Guardian accepted the Starter Nest we built for them & will now be nesting in a LIVE Tree with shade & a canopy to help protect all of their future eaglets. And, it was also a huge relief to learn there were no indications of infections like West Nile Virus or Avian Influenza present.

At least we finally have some closure on the 2023-2024 Nesting Season & now it is time for us to follow the lead of our beloved Redding Eagles as we begin the next chapter of this amazing journey together.

Here’s to New Beginnings!

Thank you to all of you for your never-ending patience & understanding. We appreciate all of you!

~Terri & the FORE Team

Moorings Park Osprey Cam, home to last year’s fledglings, Ruffie and Tuffy, is up and running for 2025. https://www.youtube.com/live/KSTIu8KwrfI?

Hob Osterlund has solved one mystery on Kauai:

There are ducks paddling about on the river in the UK! Oh, I can’t wait til spring til ours return.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/06/country-diary-gadding-about-on-the-river?

There is an exhibition in The Netherlands about birds. This is part of the text. If you are close, attend! “With a bird, showcases projects, objects, and investigations where artists explore our relationships with birds. These works delve into how we seek to understand, emulate, and connect with birds while examining how they transcend categories such as human and non-human, science and folklore, life and death, reality and dreams, and the realms of land, water, and sky. With a bird, supports resident city birds like sparrows, black crows, blackbirds, magpies, and tits with supplementary foods and invites humans to dream, imagine, speculate, observe, converse, listen, read, feed, reminisce, and reflect.”

with a Bird, | Onomatopee Download

Rita’s History Monday:

Geemeff sends us the link to the osprey nest in Spain: https://youtu.be/WiW_Ys_qLeQ?

Calico’s Tip for the Day: Work with all agencies including Wild Justice in the UK to ban lead in all its forms for ammunition! It will mean a huge life support to our raptors.

Image is from Wild Justice.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘B, Geemeff, J, S’, Great Lakes Bald Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, Window to Wildlife, SW Florida Eagle Cam, FORE, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Bart M and the PLO, Sylvia, FORE, Hob Osterlund, Moorings Park Ospreys, The Guardian, Rita the Bald Eagle, SEO Spain, Wild Justice

Category Archives: Moorings Park Ospreys

Tuesday in Bird World

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Friends of the Redding Eagles-FORE

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