Category Archives: nature walks

An egg, a fledge and 632 bites of fish for Tuffy…Sunday in Bird World

14 April 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

And now for some really good news before we even begin. Louis and Dorcha at Loch Arkaig have their first egg of the season! Thanks, Geemeff. This is a good nest to watch. Louis is an excellent provider although they have had their tragedies and triumphs in the past couple of years.

JBS20 fledged this morning without an issue at 08:09:10. The wind was blowing and the eaglet was antsy. Perfect form. Mum waits for the return.

It is nearing 1700 on Saturday on the Canadian Prairies when I start writing this post. I am sitting on my deck basking in the blue sky, the sounds of the songbirds in the garden, and not knowing what to think of the 20 C temperature. It is, by and large, summer.

Baby Hope is looking more and more like Mamma Calico every day. Hope just chills on the back of the sofa in the Conservatory (or glass room as we seem to be calling it) while the others try for the best spot at the open window to smell the fresh air and listen to the birds.

Mamma got to be Queen for a Day.

Of course, Hugo Yugo has the best seat in the house. I would like to give some of Hugo Yugo’s attitude to our little second and third hatches. She has never taken any ‘gruff’ from the bigger and older cats. She just pushes her way in there and gets what she wants — and she never looks them in the eye. First rule to being a little eaglet or an osplet- do not look the older one in the eye when they are in a mood.

The arrivals in the garden today include House Finches, Song Sparrows, Northern Flickers, and Cedar Waxwings to add to the Crows, European Starlings, Grackles, House Sparrows, Blue Jays, and Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers.

I walked along the river, and I was unsure whether to believe my eyes. I did not have my camera with the long lens with me. Still, it looked like a family of Hooded Mergansers. This seriously cannot be possible. The Wood Ducks just arrived at the park. In fact, today I managed to go for a long, long walk at the nature centre and a stroll around St Vital Park to welcome the Wood Ducks while scowling at the water quality and the fact that with no rain, the pond is drying up. Is there a way and a will for our City to fill it? Then, it was a walk down the path by the river with a lovely ice cream cone.

Nothing is green except for a few patches of grass, here and there. I watched five Robins pulling worms from an area where it had rained. What a beautiful sight. Seeing Robins – for me, anyway – is a rare occurrence. They hardly ever come to the garden and – wow, there were five!

Some of the geese have discovered they like bird seed.

These geese were trying to find some plants to eat under the dry grasses.

The geese were particularly aggressive to one another at the park.

The waterfowl in the river. They turned out to be Common Goldeneyes. The ones with the white patch are the males. These are divers not dabblers. They arrive in Manitoba in late March and will migrate in November.

As you can see, I took my own advice and stayed outside most of the day. Going for a walk and stopping to just notice our environment is a good way to relieve any kind of stress. I hope you will get outside soon, too! — As a result, my post is rather short today. There is no news on Meadow and I am going to assume that the old saying applies – “no news is good news”.

It has been a hard week at the nests – well, it has been a difficult season, and it isn’t over. We often think that if there is only one chick on a nest that it will have an easy life, but that is not always the case. Little B17 showed us that. The nests get damp, there is mould, there are diseases, intruders, lack of prey and loss of habitat -. A very good nest can change over night and become a tragedy. Likewise, a nest that is in trouble, can turn around. A good example of that is Duke Farms this year. We can only hope that all goes well especially for those little third hatches. One nest that still hangs in the balance is Moorings Park – if you are concerned about beaking, do not watch this nest at this time. Give it a week – let us hope that the aggression will end with the transition out of the Reptilian Phase.

But all is not negative. There are so many good nests out there to watch but, for now, ‘H’ and I are keeping track of Moorings Park and any potential Osprey nests with conflict because that is what we do. For those new to watching Ospreys, I would caution against Moorings Park for the time being – give it another week and let’s see what happens.

At Moorings Park poor little Tuffy got really beaten by Ruffy on Saturday. Ruffy reminds me of Zoe. I cannot shake her from my head but the brutal attacks on Tuffy that ‘H’ documents below when there is plenty of fish and Ruffy is full to the tip of its beak reminds me too much of that first hatch Osprey at Port Lincoln that killed her two siblings. I hope Ruffy grows out of this attitude. — Please read ‘H’s’ narrative of the day. We must find that golden lining and it does come to Tuffy on Saturday. And just a note. The research that I have done alone and over the past two years with ‘H’ has demonstrated that on average an osplet can live (stay alive but not thrive) on about 100 good bites of fish a day when a nest is stressed. As today’s title suggests, Tuffy got much more than that today.

So, thank you again, ‘H’ for your great eye and constant vigilance: “At 0929 Harry delivered the first fish of the day, a huge whole tilapia, and Ruffie intimidated Tuffy to the side rails, but also followed him and beaked him.  The size of the fish almost ensured that Tuffy would get fed eventually.  Sally started to work on the fish, and at 0932 Ruffie started to eat. At 0947 Ruffie took a little break just to go over and beak Tuffy.  Ruffie also periodically went half way over to Tuffy just to intimidate and warn him.  At 1019 Ruffie went all the way to the rail to beak Tuffy.  At 1023 Ruffie moved away from the table.  Tuffy began to make his way to Sally, but had to get past Ruffie first…Tuffy didn’t make it, Ruffie beaked him and then she ate some more.  At 1025 Ruffie moved away from Sally again, and Tuffy shuffled toward Sally, and got his first fish bite, but was intimidated by Ruffie and Ruffie ate some more.  By 1029 Ruffie had moved further away from Sally creating a wider swath for Tuffy to traverse without having to come too close to Ruffie.  Once at the table, Tuffy ate two more bites, but Ruffie beaked him and then she ate some more.  At 1031 Ruffie backed away, and there was still a lot of the fish remaining.  Tuffy got another bite to eat, and Ruffie attacked him brutally, beaking and biting him on his head, neck and wing.  Ruffie ate some more until 1035, and then moved away.  Tuffy stayed tucked in submission and Sally was the only one eating.  Finally, at 1037 Tuffy tried to get closer to Sally, but Ruffie intimidated him, and Ruffie ate some more.  The same scenario repeated at 1038.  I noticed at that time, when Tuffy was tucked that his head had a small bloody spot, the back of his neck was red, and there was a pink area on his wing.  Harry landed on the nest at 1039 due to an intruder issue.  At 1041, Tuffy raised up and finally got another bite of fish, and he received several fish bits before Ruffie intimidated him, and Ruffie ate some more.  At that point Tuffy had only eaten 9 bites of fish since the fish was delivered over an hour ago.  At 1044 Ruffie moved away, and it just so happened that Sally turned slightly so that Tuffy was on the other side of her from Ruffie.  Tuffy ate and ate!  He had eaten a total of 74 bites by 1050, when Sally shifted, and Tuffy was once again exposed to Ruffie.  When Ruffie saw Tuffy eating, she charged and intimidated him.  There was still a lot of fish left, and Ruffie ate some more.  Sounding like a broken record… At 1058 Ruffie moved away, Tuffy ate a few bites, then was intimidated by Ruffie, and Ruffie ate some more.  When Ruffie moved away, Tuffy got a few more bites until 1102, when he was intimidated by Ruffie.  This time Ruffie did not eat, but simply went away.  Go now Tuffy… Tuffy was getting fed, but slowly because Sally was spending a lot of time pulling on fish skin… “feed faster please Sally!”  By 1104 Tuffy had eaten 94 bites before being intimidated by Ruffie.  Ruffie ate, and moved away at 1106.  Then Tuffy ate again.  At 1109 Ruffie intimidated Tuffy into a tuck, and Ruffie ate a few bites.  When Tuffy resumed eating Sally was feeding faster.  Tuffy had eaten 150 bites by 1114; 190 bites by 1119.  Then Sally labored pulling on fish skin again… “please hurry up Sally, stuff the kid as fast as you can before Ruffie comes back!”  Tuffy had eaten 217 bites by 1122, but then Sally began intruder-alarming, and she jumped up and accidentally landed on Tuffy.  Harry arrived.  1123: “get up Tuffy, the intruder is gone”… but he stayed down.  Was he hurt?  Whew, 1124 Tuffy got up and resumed eating.  Ruffie was still laying down across the nest.  Tuffy had eaten 230 bites by 1126.  At that time, Harry quickly flew off the nest after an intruder, and so did Sally, and she took the fish with her!  Ah, but she immediately returned to the nest and still had the fish.  Tuffy resumes eating at 1127.  Ruffie was still too full to move, and had not been a problem since 1109.  At 1129 this was now a two-hour feeding and Tuffy had eaten 250 bites of fish.  1129 there was another intruder issue, Harry was back, Tuffy pancaked.  Feeding of Tuffy resumed at 1130, and by 1133 Tuffy had eaten a total of 265 bites of fish… at which time the live stream went down.  There was still a little bit of fish remaining at that time.


…The live stream returned 40 minutes later at 1211, and Sally was feeding Ruffie from part of a fish. In my opinion, there had not been ’40 minutes of fish’ remaining on the earlier fish.  I would estimate the previous fish would have only lasted about another 10 minutes or so.  I wonder if Harry had delivered a small headless fish while the live stream was offline.  At any rate, we returned live to find Tuffy on the furthest rail sticks, about as far as he could go without falling off the nest.  It was obvious that he had been forced into into that precarious position.  And, he was boxed in by the positions of Sally and Ruffie feeding right behind him.  At 1219 Sally moved the fish and Ruffie followed, allowing Tuffy a space to climb back into the nest.  This kid sure has a difficult life!  Tuffy circumnavigated the perimeter of the nest attempting to come around the other side of Sally, but as he got near, he was cut off by Ruffie.  By 1226 Tuffy was beside Mom and got two bites, then was intimidated by Ruffie.  Another bite of fish, then Ruffie was on him, and a couple more bites and was intimidated by Ruffie who was no longer eating but was stationed right at Tuffy’s tail.  At 1231 Ruffie ate some more.  At 1237 Ruffie finally moved away, and Tuffy was fed.  Tuffy had eaten 32 bites by 1241, and then Ruffie charged in front of Sally to beak Tuffy.  Sally and Ruffie finished the fish, and Sally fed Tuffy a couple scraps later.  Total for Tuffy at this meal (that we observed) was 34 bites of fish.  Because of Tuffy’s position on the nest when the live stream returned, he was most likely forced to the nest edge by Ruffie, and I doubt that Tuffy had anything to eat from this fish while the live stream was down.


…At 1605 Harry dropped off a headless, medium sized fish.  Ruffie began to be fed and Tuffy stayed away, waiting his turn.  At 1610 Ruffie intimidated Tuffy just for the heck of it, Tuffy tucked.  And she again intimidated Tuffy at 1611, so Tuffy moved further away.  At 1625 Ruffie moved away from Sally, but Tuffy did not approach, and stayed on the far rim.  He knew he had no clear path to get to Sally where Ruffy would not be able to attack him.  At 1627 Ruffie ate some more.  Ruffie seemed to be finished eating at 1629, and at 1630 Tuffy started to make his move, but about halfway to the feeding line, Ruffie cut him off, and Tuffy ended up tucked at the rail on the other side of the nest.  By 1631 the fish was gone.  It takes a really big, long-lasting fish for Tuffy to have a chance to eat.

‘H’ continues, “Harry delivered a large headless fish at 1658.  It wasn’t just the size of the fish that meant Tuffy was  likely to be fed, but also because it was delivered so close to Ruffie’s last meal, and Ruffie would still be full.  To start, it just so happened that Sally was positioned in a way that Tuffy could be on the opposite side of her from Ruffie.  Sally was preferentially feeding Tuffy to her left.  Several times Ruffie tried to get at Tuffy by going under Sally’s chin, but was not able to do so.  Eventually, Ruffie’s actions disrupted Sally and she had to move, which exposed Tuffy, and sure enough Ruffie inflicted a brutal and prolonged attack on Tuffy.  Sally ate, and Ruffie was not very hungry.  At 1705 Ruffie moved away, but Tuffy was hesitant and stayed tucked for a bit.  By 1706 Tuffy was at Mom’s beak and being fed.  Tuffy had eaten a total of 34 bites by 1707  when Ruffie returned, and Tuffy tucked.  Ruffie moved away again at 1713, and Tuffy had a long private feeding.  At 1723 Sally moved the fish a little closer to Ruffie and offered her some, but she wasn’t interested.  Tuffy moved closer to Mom and started to eat again.  To say Ruffie was more relaxed than earlier in the day would be an understatement.  By 1725 Tuffy was still eating and Ruffie was standing close by, just watching him eat.  At 1742 Tuffy was so crop-heavy he had to go lay down.  Sally finished the fish.  Total bites of fish for Tuffy at this meal = 249.  So far today, Tuffy has eaten approximately 548 bites of fish.”

..At 1900 Harry brought in the fifth fish of the day, a large headless fish.  Tuffy moved aside a little bit, and Ruffie started to eat.  Tuffy was able to get 6 bites before he was intimidated by Ruffie, then he got a couple more bites at 1904, and by 1906 they were both being fed.  From what he has been put through, Tuffy was understandably a little skittish of Ruffie, and Tuffy moved away a few times, even though Ruffie was not acting in a threatening way.  Ruffie laid down at 1916, and Tuffy kept on eating.  At 1917 Tuffy took a little break and laid down, but went back for more at 1919.  By 1924 Tuffy was refusing most of Sally’s offerings, and Sally finished the fish at 1928.  Tuffy ate at least 84 bites of fish at this meal.  Total for the day = 632 bites of fish for Tuffy !

Remember – it is not the number of fish but the size that matters. Five large headless fish are much better than 8 small ones!

My inbox was flooded most of yesterday with concern for Tuffy. Those that stayed throughout the day even thought Ruffy might kill Tuffy. It was then such a relief to see the little one with that full crop. ‘H’ caught it as did many others including ‘PB’.

‘H’ is also monitoring a few other nests. She reports that Opal laid egg 2 at the Forsythe Nest and egg 3 arrived at Carthage today, too.

Each one of these nests brought some bitter sadness to viewers last year.

Forsythe (Caution watching this nest):

Carthage (Caution watching this nest):

There are now three chicks at Fort St Vrain in Colorado. Like many of you, I hoped that the third egg would not hatch. The two older siblings are just so much bigger than the little one. We will wait and see how this will all work out. Last year one of the two eaglets was dragged off the nest by a raccoon and killed. This appeared to be in retaliation for the eagles taking one of the baby raccoons to feed to the chicks. A predator baffle has been installed at the nest for this year.

Sunnie Day posted a note on FB about the female at Fort St Vrain: “Mom was banded in Colorado in May 15, 2002. she is 22 years old! She has hatched 36 eaglets. “

I cannot say how this nest will behave in terms of beaking yet.

In contrast, the three osplets at the Venice Golf and Country Club appear to be fine. There is plenty of fish in the area and this nest is recommended. The osplets are out of the Reptilian phase, also. They are all getting their juvenile feathers. Perhaps I have missed it, but life seems pretty civil compared to Moorings Park. Please feel free to correct me!

The first egg of the season was laid at the Osprey nest of Dylan and Blue 5F Seren at Llyn Clywedog on Saturday. This couple have successfully fledged a number of eaglets, many of them returning in their second year. Sadly, last year, one of the osplets was taken by a goshawk when Seren was feeding.

There is a difference between the nests of the UK and the US. First, there are far fewer Ospreys in the UK. Many of them have their nests in living trees. They are rural as opposed to living in cities near people. The nests are located near reservoirs or lochs full of fish. In the seven years that I have been researching siblicide, the incidence of this in the UK has been minimal. Loch of the Lowes is one exception that comes to mind. These are good osprey nests to watch. If I were to recommend just one, it would be the nest of Idris and Telyn at Dyfi in Wales for those just learning about UK Ospreys.

Iris worked on her nest at Hellgate Canyon in Missoula, Montana to everyone’s surprise and delight on Saturday. Maybe she just had a tour of the area after she arrived and now she is ready to work on her always amazing nest. (This nest is good to watch because it is Iris, but there will be no chicks. Since 2018, there have been no chicks because the male she has bonded with, Louis, has another nest with Star at the baseball field). Most of us hope that Iris lays her eggs, the Crows eat them, and she has a lovely summer to herself eating trout!

Intruders have been bothering Hera and Zeus and there was some concern for Hera earlier.

Harriet did not return from her migration to Dunrovin. Swoop might have a new female partner. This is the latest.

Now nests that I certainly recommend include the falcons and the hawks. There is little to no sibling aggression. We will be looking for a hatch in about ten days with Annie and Archie. Archie is a first-time Dad – or is he? He can certainly incubate eggs. Maybe he lost his mate, too. In fact, poor Annie has had four mates in four years. That gives you some idea of the dangers that the males face in this urban environment.

Archie loves incubating the eggs!

The little eyases are hatching in Osaka!

And you have to watch Big Red and Arthur, the Cornell Red-tail Hawks! Big Red is twenty-one years old. When her long term mate, Ezra was killed, Big Red chose a very young Arthur – he didn’t even have his red tail which is a marker when the birds turn a year old. Watchers thought she was ‘nuts’. Well, she wasn’t. She trained Arthur and he is an amazing Dad and an incredible hunter. The year was 2017. They had their first chicks in 2018. In all the years, possibly eighteen, that Big Red has raised hawklets, only one has failed to fledge and that was K2 who had to be removed from the nest due to a jaw issue. She was later euthanised.

There are several really good eagle nests. The West End nest of Akecheta and Thunder is top notch.

But what about the nest of Liberty and Guardian in Redding, California? Their two eaglets are younger and they are doing well. (One egg broke).

The Duke Farms nest has turned around. At one point, the bites of fish that Jersey got were counted. Ringing is expected on Monday morning with measurements. Recommend to watch or fledge.

‘L’ found a recent image of Wisdom, the oldest banded Albatross in the world, taken by the USFWS on Midway Atoll. Wisdom is on the right. She is in her 70s.

‘L’ sends us images from the birds at the Fairhope Pier on the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama. An Osprey couple make their home on the lighthouse while a Blue Heron suns itself among the gulls. Thank you for sharing your day – this is where everyone should be, if they can – outside!

Osprey are on the light platform.

Birds never want to pose for a good picture – right when ‘L’ got close enough for the Heron to be in focus! Gosh, isn’t this the problem trying to photograph wildlife?!!!!!!! Or cats.

Just look at those legs.

They are beautiful. There are parakeets in London and in San Francisco and I bet some of you can tell me more places. Here is a beautifully photographed article in a French magazine about the “Parakeets of Paris.”

The-Parakeets-of-ParisDownload

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, photographs, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘Geemeff, H, J, L, PB’, Geemeff, JBS Wetlands, Moorings Park Ospreys, Forsythe Ospreys, Carthage Ospreys, Fort St Vrain, SDNP, VGCCO, CarnyXWild and Llyn Clywedog, Montana Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, Osaka Peregrine Falcons, Heidi Mc and Joy of Ospreys, Pam Breci and Joy of Ospreys, Cornell RTH, IWS/Explore, FORE, Duke Farms, USFWS, and MFCH.

*Disclaimer: I make every effort to acknowledge those that send me photographs, videos, articles, etc. If I fail to recognise someone, please let me know and I will rectify the situation. Thank you.*

Tuffy reads Ruffy the riot act!…Second miracle chick at NCTC…Berry eaglet dies…Thursday in Bird World

11 April 2024

Good Morning,

My plans for Friday and Saturday have altered. There will be blog posts but they will be briefer than normal for those two days.

It is Wednesday evening. The second egg at the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout is hatching. The chick can be heard on the microphone. Thanks ‘T’ or your keen eye! Send the most positive energy to this nest so that Scout does not kill this second miracle chick! Perhaps Bella will feed the little one when he is there so he can understand that it is not a prey item.

For dear Bella, I hope, like each of you, that this little one fledges and thrives.

Scout has been acting ‘odd’ again. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

It was another gorgeous day on the Canadian Prairies. 14 degrees C. There was a cool breeze blowing off the lake at the nature centre that made it feel much chillier. The geese and the ducks arriving did not mind! Everyone walking on the trails was happy and one of the rangers remarked that the muskrat had been seen in the swamp. There were Saw-whet Owls, a Blue Heron heard but not seen, woodpeckers, geese, ducks, Red-wing Blackbirds and the Song and Fox Sparrows have returned from their migration.

I heard the Saw-whet Owl but did not see it and this is not unusual for these nocturnal birds.

Cornell Bird Lab gives us some cool facts about these smallest of owls.

  • Cool Facts
    • The Northern Saw-whet Owl may have been named for giving a call that sounds like a saw being sharpened on a whetting stone, but there is no consensus as to which of its several calls gave rise to the name.
    • The main prey items of the Northern Saw-whet Owl are mice, and especially deer mice of the genus Peromyscus. Saw-whets usually eat adult mice in pieces, over the course of two meals. 
    • The female Northern Saw-whet Owl does all of the incubation and brooding, while the male does the hunting. When the youngest nestling is about 18 days old, the female leaves the nest to roost elsewhere. The male continues bringing food, which the older nestlings may help feed to their younger siblings.
    • The female saw-whet keeps the nest very clean, but a mess starts to accumulate when she leaves. By the time the young owls leave the nest, 10 days to 2 weeks later, the nest cavity has a thick layer of feces, pellets, and rotting prey parts.
    • Migration in saw-whets has historically been poorly understood, because of their nocturnal, reclusive behavior. In the 1990s researchers began Project Owlnet, a collaboration that now consists of more than 100 owl migration banding sites. Researchers use the too-too-too call to lure owls in to mist nets, and band thousands of saw-whets every fall. 
    • Migrating Northern Saw-whet Owls can cross the Great Lakes or other large bodies of water. In October of 1999, one landed on a fishing vessel 70 miles from shore in the Atlantic Ocean near Montauk, New York.
    • The oldest Northern Saw-whet Owl on record was at least 9 years, 5 months old when it was captured and released by a Minnesota bird bander in 2007. It was originally banded in Ontario in 1999.

In the urban area where I live, habitat loss is one of the primary reasons for wildlife decline. My goal over the past decade has been to create a corridor or the birds – an area populated by bird feeders, bird houses, bee houses, and, ironically, safe places for the feral cats to feed, drink, and sleep. (I have discovered that the feral cats do not bother the birds at the feeders. It is the domestic pets that do!) Cornell Bird Lab is reaching out and asking that each of us do something to provide habitat for the birds.

TRES_DeborahBifulco_550x230px
Make a Difference for Birds Facing Habitat Loss “As I was setting up the nest boxes, I saw my first Tree Swallow of the season and had a pair of bluebirds checking out the boxes right after I put them up—looks like the boxes are bluebird approved!”—Kim Savides, Ithaca, NY Experiences like this are more common than you might think! Creating a nesting space for birds helps replace missing habitat elements and alleviate competition for good nest sites. Cavity-nesting birds like bluebirds, chickadees, swallows, and titmice will appreciate the additional space, while you get to enjoy the magic of witnessing nature close to home. You can get personalized guidance on which nest boxes to install for your region and habitat—along with free construction plans—on the NestWatch website. Don’t have space for a nest box? Create other nesting opportunities by hanging flower boxes or adding potted plants to your outdoor space. Just don’t wait too long; birds are looking for the ideal nesting spot right now!

I promised you some images of ‘The Girls’. Missey and Hugo Yugo have been getting into far too much mischief. They have their own ‘feather’ collection, which consists of a vase full of Canada goose feathers, which they can play with at any time. Ah, but since one feather looks like the other, they have also been into my Pheasant and Peacock feathers vase. The Peacock feathers are quite old. My grandmother’s younger sister raised peacocks on her farm in Oklahoma. I remember their tails fanned out in the front garden as a child.

I there is trouble or anything ‘going on’ you can count on Hugo Yugo being involved. Dear Hope was sitting minding her own business when Hugo Yugo decided it was time to play!

Remember. Hugo Yugo is very, very tiny for her age. She easily fits into that shoe box with room left over. She plays like a kitten and continues to be the size of one even though she is seven months old.

Hope loves to watch the squirrels out of the window and is very curious about the ‘outdoor’ cats. Here she is sitting minding her own business.

Hugo Yugo has spotted Hope and is ready to play!

Hope has so much patience – like the others because of Hugo Yugo’s size.

Hugo Yugo never seems to get tired of play fighting.

She easily pushes Baby Hope over on her back.

Finally, after about twenty minutes, Baby Hope gets some peace. Hugo Yugo’s battery is out of juice.

The sweetest cat…Calico.

‘J’ sends us the latest update on Meadow:

Mid-week Meadow update: We sent the DNA sample to the lab on Monday, so we expect results back sometime in the next couple of weeks. Meadow is eating well from tongs in the kennel — and all that food gets pretty expensive! Meadow is fed four times a day, as eagles grow incredibly fast in order to leave the nest at 12-14 weeks. The average Bald Eagle rehabilitation costs our Center more than $5,000 including medical care, housing, and food. To support Meadow’s care, please contribute at https://act.audubon.org/onlineact…/ar8crC6bIUGX9UsdFBWdnw2

‘H’ brings us the fully daily report from Moorings Park:

“Harry brought a small whole fish at 0711.  Tuffy received one bite and was beaked by Ruffie.  Tuffy moved away and Ruffie ate.  At 0716 Tuffy was beaked again even though he was not in a position to eat.  The fish was gone by 0722.  One bite for Tuffy.

At 0920 Harry delivered a large live fish.  There was no initial aggression toward Tuffy other than ‘the look’, which was enough to keep Tuffy from the table.  At 0928 Tuffy got one bite and was beaked and driven away.  One more bite for Tuffy at 0934, and he was beaked.  Tuffy ate another bite of fish at 0937 and was severely beaked by Ruffie.  By 0940, Ruffie quit the feeding, but she  blocked Tuffy from Sally.  There was still a fair amount of fish remaining.  Sally ate some, and at 0945 Ruffie ate some more.  At 0946 Tuffie started to make his move to get around to the other side of Sally, but by the time he got there, Ruffie was finished eating and moved away.  At that point Tuffy was fed a nice breakfast.  Tuffy was seen crop dropping a few times to make more room.  The fish was gone by 0959, and Sally found a few scraps off the nest to offer Tuffy as well. Tuffy ate at least 63 bites of fish.”

… At 1131 Harry brought a headless fish.  Tuffy moved away as he has been conditioned to do.  Ruffie was fed.  Ruffie wasn’t very hungry and moved across the nest at 1135.  Tuffy could not believe his luck!  Tuffy had Sally and the fish all to himself, and he ate at least 98 bites of fish by 1147, at which time he walked away from Sally.  Then, Ruffie ate again for a few minutes, and Sally finished the fish tail.

…At 1519 Harry delivered a fairly large headless fish, four hours after the last fish.  Tuffy stayed near the front, but turned away from Ruffie, and Ruffie was fed.  At 1521 Tuffy received one bite, then was intimidated by Ruffie with ‘the look’.  The video live stream froze at 1524, and resumed at 1536.  So, while we have no idea what transpired in those 12 minutes, we found the siblings eating side by side.  The meal was over by 1539.  Tuffy had a huge crop…enough said!

‘H’ caught Harry coming in with two fish! A double-header.

“Master-fisher, Harry, delivered two whole fish at 1655, a medium-sized one and a large one.  Harry flew off with the larger fish.  Ruffie ate while Tuffy stayed back.  Tuffy still had a decent sized crop from the 1519 meal, and he did not seem hungry.  Sally and Ruffie ate all of the fish by 1703.

… At 1703 Harry returned with the headless one.”

Everyone loves Tuffy and MM caught this great image! It sure looks like Tuffy is giving Ruffy an earful. ‘MM’ says that Ruffy did not retaliate. Yeah for Tuffy.

This image of Tuffy telling Ruffy the what for touched so many hearts. After I saw MM’s image and H’s little video for me, The Tuffy Fan Club lit up my inbox. If only this little osprey knew what a cheering section it has – my goodness. This is a memorable moment. This is what it is all about—watching the very difficult times and seeing some of these little ones come out fighting and surviving. You never forget them.

‘H’ captured the moment in the video, making my day. I love it when these little beaten ones turn around to their perpetrator. You know that this nest is turning around.

And then, there was a late delivery. ‘H’ writes: “Harry dropped off a small partial fish at 2150.  Sally ate, and she had a difficult time connecting with little beaks due to the darkness.  It was peaceful, but Ruffie got the most simply because she could reach out further to Tuffy.  Tuffy ate 5-6 bites.”

Thursday morning report at Moorings Park from ‘H’: ‘At 0759 Harry arrived with a very large headless fish (possibly catfish).  Ruffie beaked Tuffy immediately, setting the tone.  Tuffy tucked.  At 0808 and 0810 Tuffy tried to approach Sally, but he was intimidated by Ruffie, so he moved further to the sidelines.  Tuffy remained tucked at the sidelines for a very long time.  Ruffie was not being fed that entire time, but she kept an eye on Tuffy. The fish was very tough, and it was slow-going for Sally.   At 0825, Tuffy started to slowly inch closer to Sally, and by 0826 he was at her right side letting her know that he was ready to eat…but, Ruffy was obviously ready to pounce.  Sure enough, at 0826 Sally offered Tuffy a bite, and he was immediately beaked by Ruffie.  At 0832 Tuffy scooted even further away from the feeding line, but Ruffy followed him.  At 0835 Ruffie saw that Tuffy was trying to sneak around to the other side of Sally and she moved across the nest and beaked him.  By 0849 Tuffy was still tucked at the far rail, and Ruffie was getting bites of fish whenever she could as Saly continued to struggle with the tough fish.  It’s Interesting to note, that since Ruffie has grown so much, she can reach Sally’s beak from almost across the nest, so at 0850, Ruffie was still getting a few bites from Sally all the way across the nest.  This increased range of Ruffie seemed to greatly reduce Tuffy’s ability to sneak around to get into a better position.  Slowly, Ruffie seemed to be relaxing as she got full, and Tuffy was once again near Sally at 0852.  Tuffy ate 6 bites of fish and was beaked.  Ruffie soon moved away from Sally, and by 0855 Tuffy was finally being fed.  Ruffie laid down across the nest and Tuffy had a private feeding.  Tuffy ate at least 102 bites of that tough catfish!  This feeding of Tuffy was made possible because of the large size of the fish Harry brought.  For survival of the non-dominant osplet.. size matters.”

‘H’ said that right! You can count fish, but you need regular deliveries of large fish to prevent siblicide. The delivery of 8 small fish does not help! Catfish also seem to help. The head is tough going and slows down the feeding. The oldest gets full and goes away leaving fish for the little one. Diane’s catfish at Achieva certainly pulled that nest through tough times.

‘H’ also caught the second egg at Carthage – four days after the first and Mum has been doing hard incubation since the first one was laid. Can I say, oh, dear before they have even hatched? All chicks were lost on this nest last year.

‘H’ reports that “First egg at Forsythe today, 20.10.02.” Opal is the same Mum from last year but this is a new Oscar.

Like so many others in the area, this nest was hit hard by the Nor’easter in June and then the overfishing of the Menhaden.

The weather is horrible at Loch Arkaig’s nest 2 with Louis and Dorcha. Dorcha is there in the middle of the wind and snow and it appears she could be laying her first egg.

‘J’ sends us Karen Mott’s photo of the three eaglets at Centreport on Long Island. What a surprise when their heads all pop up!

Unless you are an expert on California Condors, I really suggest you grab a cuppa’ and watch this 24 minute film. It’s new. It is by Tim Huntington and the cinematography is gorgeous.

Watch-New-Condor-Film-by-Our-Partner-in-Condor-RecoveryDownload

It feels like video day! Dani Connor Wild gives us her last instalment of her trip to Antarctica with leopard Seals, more Penguins, and story after story.

JBS20 continues to make his fan club nervous as he continues to explore the tower that would be a tree. Fledging within the week probably.

Despite the miserable wet weather, Bonnie and Clyde keep their eaglets fed and warm.

The weather is wet and miserable for the Little Miami Conservancy eagle family, too. Bette is doing a great job as Umbrella while Baker is keeping food on the nest.

The ND-LEEF babies of Dad and Gigi appear to be doing fine.

USS7 – Claire and Irvin’s little one – is super! We can certainly be thankful for these little ones with their soft downy heads and little wings and feet.

Ellie and Harvey filled up Cheyenne and Wichita on Wednesday.

I know that the prey deliveries get fewer as the eaglets get older, but after hearing about Meadow being emaciated, it would be so nice if the parents could keep up the deliveries like they did when the eaglets are in their growth period. The Dukies would have liked some more today I am certain.

Hearts continue to break for Jackie and Shadow and their dream of a family.

Port Tobacco’s ‘Only Eaglet’ is certainly benefitting from all that food brought to the nest and not having to share but Chandler, the Dad, is missing.

Update: B17 has died. Please send your good wishes to Ma and Missey at the Berry College Bald Eagle nest in Georgia. Their only eaglet B17 appears to be unwell. Did it get sick from the damp weather? This photo is from Tuesday.

This is the today’s state of affairs at the eagle nests from ‘J’:

New eaglets:
Bald Canyon 2
Folfan 3
Avon Lake 2

Eaglet died:
Berry College

MIA:
Chandler, the male, at Port Tobacco. Not seen at the nest since 9 April. Intruders about.

‘J’

The eaglets at Decorah North must bring us some happiness. They are lovely.

Raptor-Resource-Project-Bald-Eagle-and-Bird-of-Prey-CamsDownload

We have a Finnish Osprey at home. Cara arrives at the Janakkala Nest on Tuesday the 9th!

Then, almost simultaneously, Stefu arrives at the Seili Nest! They are coming home.

Falcons hatching in Eindhoven and in Japan!

At Port Lincoln, Bradley loves to show off his fish!

‘A’ brings us news of the Mums at Taiaroa Head Albatross Colony: “The mums are obviously foraging closer to home than the males in the Royal Cam families, with both BOK (arrived 12:46) and LGL (13:04) coming in to feed their boys some lunch today (11 April). I thought you might be interested in this footage, not for general consumption because it is a bit long (18 minutes) but it is the beginning that was fascinating to me. The story here is that BOK returned when she was ready to find a mate (so probably aged about four) and this bird, at the time known as Red, was her preferred suitor. This was the footage of the day Red was banded and became WYL, father of TFT chick with his mate, BOK. The thing that interested me the most was that this is a mature bird, ready to court and find a mate. They don’t return to Taiaroa Head until then. So Red must have been at least three and probably four or even five years old. And he allowed the rangers to approach him, extend an arm (for self-protection) and pick him up while holding his bill closed. There is no attempt to flee, struggle or engage in self-defence. He just quietly submits to the rangers’ tender care, while they equip him with the White, Yellow and Lime banding that identifies him as WYL. Imagine doing that to an eagle at the same age! You’d lose a limb. And an eye or three. The stately gentle beauty of these amazing birds never ceases to take my breath away. Looking at those adorable little snowmen with their tiny little fluffy wings that will soon become like the wings of a glider plane, steering their direction as they ride the thermals. These are wings designed not to flap, which would be pretty much impossible given their enormous spread, but to surf the wind currents. Truly amazing birds. So very precious. A haven such as Taiaroa Head shows human beings at our best. Those rangers (and the NZ government that finances their work) dedicate themselves to the wellbeing of the toroa, which are particularly special to the Indigenous people of NZ (the Maoris). How wonderful is it to know that these chicks are hatched in an incubator to protect them from fly strike, and are then weighed weekly, supplementary fed if necessary, and generally given optimal care throughout their prefledge period? Or knowing that the adults, too, will receive supplementary feeding and/or hydration as required, such as if one parent does not return to relieve its mate for an over-long period of time? Or that the sprinkler system will be turned on to keep the chicks and adults on the nests cool on days where heat stress might otherwise impact them?  What a joy. 

Small colony of Dorset Puffins on the brink of extinction.

Last-English-south-coast-Puffins-on-the-brink-BirdGuidesDownload

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care and feel free to send me any bird news that you see!

Thank you to the following for their notes, photographs, screen captures, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, AE, Geemeff, J, H, MM, T’, Deb Stecyk, NTCT Eagle Cam, Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey, Moorings Park Ospreys, Carthage – DTC, Forsythe Osprey Cam, The Woodland Trust, Karen Mott-Centreport Eagles, Ventana Wildlife Society, DaniConnorWild, JB Sands Wetlands, Cardinal Land, Duke Farms, SK Hideaways, Port Tobacco, Little Miami Conservancy, Kansas City Eagles, ND-LEEF, Pix Cams, Berry College Eagle Cam, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Yvonne M, Japanese Falcon Cam, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Lady Hawk, and BirdGuides.

Friday in Bird World

15 March 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Spring is coming and with it the arrival of Canada Geese, songbirds, and Ospreys amongst other raptors.

Today, more than a thousand Canada Geese turned the sky black at Fort Whyte Alive in Winnipeg. Most landed on the Bison fields while a few went to the open water on Devonian Lake and others decided to peck at the ice inside the nature centre.

As the Ospreys arrive at their nests around the world, laying eggs, and hatching osplets, I begin to be a ‘little more scattered’ than I might normally be. Last year, the total number of eggs that ‘H’ and I observed was 338. This year we hope to bring that total to 500. It is an enormous task. I am extremely grateful to those who have reached out to me, offering to send me information on the nests that they are watching. So, as a reminder, if you watch a particular osprey nest, please feel free to send me the date the eggs were laid and the dates of the hatch, and please do tell me if you are observing the chicks bashing the daylights out of one another. This could be ‘dominance play’, or it could be serious and result in siblicide. Even if you miss all of the major events but tune in to a nest and notice aggressive behaviour or something worrisome, do let me know. I appreciate any and all messages!

Let us go back to Dr Alan Poole’s talk. In my last blog, I talked about his first main topic—issues related to fish and the problems that the Ospreys face with the Chinese fishing trawlers taking huge nets of surface fish such as Manhadan and Mullet along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the US and West Africa. The other three topics were Problem Nests, Restoring Osprey Populations, and Streaming cams.

Problem Nests: Dr Poole pointed out that not having enough nests for ospreys is a ‘positive’ problem when you have too many ospreys. He notes that Greece has not a single osprey. Poland is shooting all of theirs, the Balkans have none, etc. There are 8-10,000 Osprey pairs in the Chesapeake Bay Area of the US alone. Imagine. There are 5000 nesting pairs in Florida. So, what do they use? Ospreys have adapted to use human-made structures because there are not enough good trees. In fact, this is becoming a serious problem for Bald Eagles. One human-made structure that Ospreys use are the hydro or power poles. The power companies don’t like this. They try to kick them off. It is, in fact, easy for the power companies to add an auxiliary appendage or put up an additional pole for the birds. But it takes time, employees, and money – something the companies either don’t have or don’t want to use. So when you see a power company that actually helps the ospreys, thank them! Poole is trying to find ways to get the power companies on board. In Florida, a lot of ospreys are using cell towers. So far, there has not been a problem. Of those 8-10,000 pairs in the Chesapeake Bay region, 20-30% use channel markers. The Coast Guard needs an award, according to Poole, because they allow the birds to have their nests there as long as they do not interfere with the markers. Some people put up very short poles with predator guards in salt marshes. It was pointed out that salt marshes might be a good place to try and locate some of the birds. In Finland, there are very few suitable trees for the ospreys, so the Finns cut off the top of the conifer trees and put up human-made platforms for them. It is brilliant. This could be done for the eagles and ospreys in various parts of North America, too. In the UK, we know that artificial platforms are being built, which is also happening in France.

Restoring Osprey Populations: Poole calls Ospreys “the stay-at-home birds”. Most of the time they stay within a region around the nest where they fledged. We know that this is especially true for the males. But this behaviour causes issues with overpopulation, especially where there is a lack of fish, bad storms, etc. So what do you do? You try to relocate some of the population to places without food and birds. The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation is well known in England for translocating ospreys to places like Italy, Spain, and the UK. Poole mentioned that Massachusetts ospreys are now being flown to Illinois to try and get them to populate along the Mississippi Flyway. If you move ospreys where you want them, you must provide them with nesting platforms. This is imperative. Switzerland is currently trying to reintroduce the raptors. They have released 50 young in the last five years. Starting a breeding population in a new area takes at least a decade.

There was a slight move off topic before looking at streaming cams but it was an important one – one of the most important in my mind. That is getting people knowledgeable about the history, the persecution of ospreys, their behaviour, what makes me different from other birds, etc. Poole noted that various places have set up visitor centres where people can watch the ospreys on a monitor or at hides. One is Loch Garten in Scotland, which had 2 million visitors look at their birds. These visitors paid to see the raptors. In Finland, the visitor centre, which is quite small compared to Loch Garten, had enough visitors that it paid for all of the Osprey research. One way to create awareness is through education. Tim Mackrill was not mentioned, but he has set up the Osprey Leadership Foundation and, like Sacha Dench and The Flight of the Osprey, they have forged links between individuals in the UK and West Africa. It is fundamental to have the youngsters in both countries (their parents and teachers) appreciate the birds they share. Poole also noted that some places have fairs and events and there are osprey mascots to encourage interest.

The last topic was streaming cams, and I felt that while quite knowledgeable, Poole knew less about the current number of streaming cams and the amount of research that is going on using them. Perhaps I am wrong. He suggested that one way to understand the ‘fish problem’ was to monitor the fish species brought to a nest, the number, how those fish were divided up in terms of feeding the little ospreys, etc. ——– I sighed because I knew that so many of you have counted the fish, the bites, have cried, pulled your hair out, etc at many of the nests including Achieva and Patchogue – just two examples from 2023. Citizen scientists are doing it every day. Your work – meaning each of you -needs to find a way to channel itself to the researchers who need more time, the funds, or the staff to monitor enough nests. I know this from personal experience. Various other species have individuals watching, and we now have observation boards set up at several Osprey cam sites thanks to Bart Molenaar. I can think of three he has established – Rutland Manton Bay, Seaside, and Port Lincoln. Every aspect of the life of the nest was recorded through observations and the chat. It’s a really valuable archive.

At Loch of the Lowes, Blue NC0 is eating well and working on her nest. She awaits the arrival of Laddie, her mate (LM12).

At Achieva Credit Union’s osprey platform in St Petersburg, Florida, Jack brought in a nice fish and Diane gently fed the wee babe often. Jack was also kept busy being security guard for the nest.

Dad was so excited. ‘MP’ observed Dad listening and walking around Diane. Part of the shell was out from under Mum, but the little one was still partially in the shell, with Mum being very secretive. You could tell Dad was quite happy to have a wee babe in that nest.

Mary Kerr put in some interesting notes about Maya and Blue 33 on FB today. As you know, Maya arrived a couple of days ago with Blue 33 returning Wednesday on Rutland’s Manton Bay platform. On Thursday, Blue 25 came to the nest and Maya sent her packing.

Blue 25 does cause some mischief. However, Geemeff reminds me that she is the mother of Blue 4K, the subject of Simon Curtis’s book, If you build it, he will come, the story of waiting 200 years to have ospreys at Belvoir.

First Osprey sighting at Forsythe! Thanks, ‘H’,

Was there an Osprey at Patchogue? There was!!!!!!!! They have a lot of work to do but thankfully much of the harmful debris is ‘under’ the nest.

It is extremely difficult to watch the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta today because he wind was really whipping it about. The majority of the time I could only see two heads getting fed. That said right after 1106 you can see the blur of the third and it appears to have eaten.

That 1106 feeding.

Others.

There is plenty of food and Thunder and Akecheta are experienced adults.

Dixie and Mason are scooting all over the Superbeaks nest. It won’t be long til they are walking on those big clown feet.

The kids at Johnson City are both eating well. Boone has lots of fish in the nest and Jolene is a great Mum to these two.

Leaper and Jersey both had crops at Duke Farms today. At one point, Leaper was so full she looked like she would burst!

Swampy and Blaze are huge compared to these bobbleheads.

At Captiva, Cal flew off the nest on Wednesday. He flew around the area constantly observed by Clive and Connie. Today, he flew back to his natal nest. Well done, Cal!

Nothing like a lot of flying to make you want to go home to your bed and sleep duckling style.

Ron brought R6 a fish in the early afternoon. So cute. R6 had been working his wings Thursday morning. Not ready for fledge yet and still working on the self-feeding. No hurry, R6.

A lot of people thought E23 had fledged but he was up above the camera on Thursday. He could fly anytime!

Caught Gabby at the NE Florida nest today. She’s a beauty. We adore her and I am so glad that her and Beau are so bonded. Next year!

Chase and Cholyn’s only egg at Two Harbours was laid on February 22nd, making itay. In a fortnight, we should be expecting a pip/hatch on March 28th. 22 days old todMark your calendars.

Liberty and Guardian had three eggs. One was broken in the nest and it is unknown which of the three was lost. Those eggs were laid on Feb 15, 18, and 21. That would make them: Egg #1, 29 days, #2 26 days, and #3 would be 23 days old. We have at least a week to find out if egg #1 is alright.

It is now officially confirmed that Frederick and Betsy are back at the Carova Beach, North Carolina Outerbanks Osprey platform. — Don’t get me started. Look at those plastic carrier bags on the nest and around the foot of one of the adults!

I thought Annie might be ready to lay her first egg today. She was napping in the scrape when Archie, Daddy Door-Dash, came in with dinner.

There are currently three Peregrine Falcon eggs at the scrape in Eden, Netherlands. The third was laid on the 13th of March.

Waiting for Duke and Daisy to return to Barnegat Light in New Jersey. The couple lost 2 out of 3 chicks to starvation/siblicide during the Nor’easter of June 2023 and it was feared, for some time, that Duke might have died also. His return some weeks later was such a great relief for everyone.

Lucy was on the Lake Murray platform on Thursday.

Did Spirit visit her natal nest at Big Bear on Thursday? Cali Condor thinks it could have been her.

I am so looking forward to the Cornell RTH season. Big Red and Arthur were both checking and tweaking the nest and spending time on the light stand. Eggs could come any time.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Remember to go outside and smell spring! It will lift your spirits more than you ever will know. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, presentations, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J, MP’, Alan Poole, Scottish Wildlife Trust (LOTL), Achieva Credit Union, Mary Kerr, LRWT, Forsythe Osprey Cam, PSEG, IWS/Explore.org, Superbeaks, Johnson City-ETSU, Duke Farms, Eagle Country, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, SW Florida Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, FORE, Carova Beach Osprey Cam, SK Hideaways, EDE Peregrine Falcon Cam, Lake Murray Ospreys, and Cali Condor.

And his name is Archie and her name is Dixie…Wednesday in Bird World

21 February 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

The City put up the signs and cleared all the diseased Elm trees on my block. It is so sad to see these 122-year-old trees cut down, but…I understand they had to go. I wish there had been some foresight, and smaller trees were planted some time ago in anticipation that these might have to be cut down. The beautiful canopy that covered the streets in my neighbourhood once the leaves come in the spring is now gone for the most part. I feel like I live on a barren moonscape. Thankfully, my little plot has trees and shrubs that shelter the animals. There will be more planted this spring. I wonder what options the City will give us for species.

Congratulations to the New Guy who has a name – Archie Williams. Apparently it was a no brainer. We hope that you and Annie have a great season and a long life together.

He isn’t ‘Whatshisname’ anymore! And yes, he was lucky to be picked by Annie…his entire life changed. The ‘King’ of the Campanile.

So many books were written during the pandemic as people worldwide were required to stay ‘put’. So many of those books talk about nature’s glory right before us or the healing power of birds and trees. The book that I am just finishing, 12 Birds to Save Your Life by Charlie Corbett, is one of those. (Priced between $10-21.99 CDN.). No beautiful coloured images but a good solid read to make you look again at the life around you.

Corbett’s mother dies of cancer. He falls apart. The 12 birds in the book bring him back to life. One of those is the House Sparrow.

Long-time readers of my blog will know that I love House Sparrows. they will also know that I disdain people who set up bird feeders only to resort to everything possible so that they do not have to provide seeds for these little songbirds. How reckless. Why they are gone, and their numbers are declining significantly, we will not get them back. In my garden, it is the songs of the sparrows that can be heard halfway down the lane not those of the Blue Jays or the European Starling, the Woodpeckers, or the Pine Siskins. Sometimes it is the Crows, but it is always the sparrows. Here are some quotes from Corbett about his relationship with Sparrows.

“Male House Sparrow (Passer Domesticus)” by foxypar4 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

“Not that long ago, the house sparrow- that most important, nay saucy, of characters, – provided the background music to the life of town and country dweller alike; the cheerful chirruping never ceased. But no more. They have vanished form our streets, and even from large tracts of the countryside, too. The silence is deafening….I wander the silent sparrow-free streets and lanes. Some people blame loss of habitat, while others blame overpredation from sparrow hawks and cats. Some people even blame unleaded petrol. Personally I think it is a mixture of the first two theories. Sparrows used to thrive in town and country because in the old days our houses were more tumbledown affairs, with gardens full of grass, flowers, and seed. Sparrows like to nest in cracks in the wall, under broken tiles or tucked into a loose brick, and they eat grasses, grains, and seeds. We no longer tolerate this sort of idiosyncrasy in our houses. Our gardens, more often than not, are lifeless low-maintenance lawns. Green deserts….We have left no room for nature. Put simply, there is nothing for them to eat. We’ve evicted them from our lifestyles without even realising that we’ve done it.”

He continues, “From these sparrows, I learned an incredibly important lesson: just to live. To take solace in the everyday. Even in the grey skies of an empty Tuesday afternoon – a prime time for endless thinking and creeping melancholy. But a sparrow doesn’t know it is Tuesday afternoon. They get on with what needs getting on with, oblivious to my inner struggles. As the philosopher Alan Watts once said: ‘The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.’ ” (173-75).

In North America, the population numbers of House Sparrows has, according to Cornell Bird Lab, declined by 84% since 1966. In Europe and the UK, the numbers are also declining dramatically. These declines are significant enough for me to beg you to feed them at your feeders. Don’t try fancy trips of aluminium foil or whatever, but embrace them for their lovely song and let’s see if we can help get their numbers up.

House-sparrow-population-in-Europe-drops-by-247m-Birds-The-GuardianDownload

The House Sparrow is on the Red List of Birds in the UK. They are cited as being ‘Globally Threatened’. As my Great Bird Count suggests, the number of House Sparrows in my garden has dropped dramatically since last winter. Instead of counts in the hundreds, there were maybe 45 tops.

Egg collectors still threaten endangered species. Convicted for the third time what will they do with this man?

Serial-egg-thief-Daniel-Lingham-convicted-for-third-time-–-Raptor-Persecution-UKDownload

We had the first hatch at Superbeaks and the next egg is showing signs of an eaglet being here by the time I hit ‘publish’ tomorrow morning, the 21st. Superbeaks confused me. They kept saying they could hear the chick in egg #3. Well, egg three when you also 1 and 2? That was my thinking, but Superbeaks counts differently – thanks, ‘H’, for that. The third egg is the first egg of the second clutch. Egg one and egg two from the first clutch did not hatch. OK. I get it now.

Cheeping heard from egg 4 so it won’t be long. First chick of second clutch at Superbeaks has been named Dixie.

Meadow did alright on Tuesday after the rain at the weekend and Swampy having her nose out of joint. Thank goodness. So much food and super parents – it just didn’t seem possible we could lose an eaglet. Things seem to be on the mend.

Oh, the weather was quite nasty in Big Bear Valley when I checked on Jackie and Shadow earlier. I worry about them slipping on wet sticks and puncturing the eggs that are now 8 days away from pip.

And then the snow came. I really am on tender hooks as to what is going to happen at this nest. Note: “Tenters and tenterhooks were commonly used from the fourteenth century, both as an important part of the process of weaving woolen fabric. Starting sometime in the eighteenth century, the phrase “on tenterhooks” came to mean “in suspense,” the way a piece of cloth is suspended from tenterhooks on a tenter.” That suspense is going to turn into a full blown anxiety attack in a week if we don’t get some decent weather on this nest.

Still snowing.

Horrible wind and little pelts this morning on Jackie.

Jak and Audacity still have their one precious egg at Sauces Canyon. Fingers and toes crossed for them as well.

Is there a second egg for Pa and Missey at Berry College? Sure looked like Missey was in labour when I checked, but she wasn’t giving us any peeks so I cannot say for sure.

Yes, that egg did arrive, but not until later! Congratulations Pa and Missey on the 2nd egg of your second clutch!

The Royal Albatross chick was weighed on the 20th. It didn’t look like it was going to fit in that sack, but it did!

Royal Cam chick slept partially alone.

Two nice fish came to the Captiva nest. Adults appeared to eat one of them while Connie fed the other to Cal. Perhaps Clive or Connie will move Lusa’s remains off the nest soon.

Is there going to be a bonded couple on the Captiva Osprey platform, finally? Jack and LO7??

So grateful to Ildiko Pokk for getting those screen captures of two little osplets at Pelican Bay.

At SW Florida, it looks like M15 and F23 are keeping E23 well fed. That eaglet is huge! And yes, some mysterious meat appeared on the nest on Tuesday.

The American Eagle Foundation is reminding people that we may see Gabby and Beau only occasionally. They have now abandoned the egg and since they do not need “the nursery tree”, we will likely not see them much. They are still in the area and will not migrate til later. Gabby normally returns in September.

Ron and Rita seem to be enjoying every minute they can with R6. What a big eaglet! Goodness, when HE stands up, you can see those beautiful strong legs and that fat little bottom…love the colour combo of light greys and espresso brown/black with that pop of white on the top of the head! This is a guy with good taste! — And yes, R6 is a ‘guy’.

The JB Sands Wetlands eaglet is getting bigger too…It is so nice to be able to ‘see’ this little one as it develops. Thermal down now.

They are on egg watch at Pittsburgh-Hays. Nothing so far on Tuesday the 20th.

News from Ventana Wildlife Society after the big storm that hit – they got all that rain and wind, too.

Iris’s cam is lie at Hellgate Canyon in Missoula, Montana. We are not expecting her back for 5 weeks, but she could fool us.

For those that have concerned themselves with Flacon and his living in the wild to the point of being ill that something might happen to him in the Central Park/Manhattan area, this post should help you get some peace. Flaco is in less danger than many of the raptors in the area for some of the reasons listed – and is at the same level of danger as the hawks and others that eat mice/rats due to rodenticide.

There is a new study on these designer rodenticides that has come out. Each of us should create a web of individuals and businesses that will spread to other individuals and businesses to stop the use of these dangerous toxins.

New-Study-is-First-to-Find-Exposure-to-Neurotoxic-Rodenticide-Bromethalin-in-Birds-of-Prey-Tufts-NDownload

Milda and H492 have been visiting their nest in Durbe County, Latvia. I am so looking forward to little White-tail eaglets this year.

Arthur visited the nest at Cornell – Big Red was there on Monday. We are not expecting eggs for at least another three and a half weeks.

The earliest that an Osprey on a streaming cam has arrived in the UK was Maya on the 12th of March at Rutland. That was early. Using that as a marker, we are 21 days from a possible arrival. Wow. I am getting Osprey fever! Thank goodness those eggs of Jackie and Shadow will have hatched by then!!!!!!

Thank you for being with me today. Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, screen captures, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: The City of Winnipeg, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways, 12 Birds to Save Your Life, Openverse, The Guardian, Raptor Persecution UK, Superbeaks, Eagle Country, FOBBV, Gracie Shepherd, Cornell Bird Lab, Sharon Dunne, Window to Wildlife, Iloilo A Pork, NEFL-AEF, WRDC, Lloyd Brown, JB Sands Wetlands, PIX Cams, Ventana Wildlife Society, Lucille Powell, @urbanhawks, David Lei, Tufts Now, LDF, and Cornell RTH Cam.

First egg second clutch for Missey and Pa Berry…Sunday in Bird World

18 February 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Thank you for all your good wishes for Hugo Yugo. She was fed with a syringe every 30-60 minutes until 1300 on Saturday when we went for our long walk at the nature centre. The sky was blue but, strangely, the temperatures had risen to a lovely -4 C. It was a fantastic day to be in the woods – and it really helped take away the worrying for the little ginger kitten for a bit.

Instead of going through the regular paths, I cut in and out of the forest area. There were lots of people doing things – tobogganing, sitting by the outdoor fire pits, ice skating, bike riding – because of the good weather. Even so, it was so quiet in the trees.

On the way home, we stopped and got special cat food – a gentle chicken and rice. I was curious to know if Hugo Yugo would eat. She has refused food – except for about a Tablespoon on Friday morning. I hoped the ground-up kibble and kitten milk syringe feeds would strengthen her and create an interest in food – and play. — And it worked. She ate. 2 T for the first feeding, which increased to the point where she ate three small portions of the chicken and rice food. I was literally in tears.

Ah, the one that causes all the worry. Ragged and missing whiskers, curious about everything, and getting better. She will cause all my hair to fall out!

But, oh, she is so adorable. I would do anything for this little one. She is the life of the party – the heart beat of our house.

Baby Hope’s face is changing a bit. She looks more and more like a cat and less like a kitten. She is a real little sweetheart. This girl is big and strong.

Missey found another high hiding spot. She seems to be able to plot where to get away from Calico if Calico is cranky.

As I finished checking on the birds at midnight on Sunday morning, Baby Hope and Hugo Yugo were playing. It is the first time now since Thursday that Hugo Yugo has played.

Sunday Morning Update: Hugo Yugo ate all of her chicken and rice food and drank her kitten milk. Then her and Baby Hope proceeded to ‘clear’ the island. I think she is now fine!!!!!!!!!!!

So on to these birds…

Please go and vote for the name for New Guy at Cal Falcons! ‘B’ did some searching and found some very interesting information about one of the nominated names in addition to the information circulated the other day by Cal Falcons. This is for the name Archie. The high school in Marin County that was named after this Archie is known as the “Home of the Peregrine Falcons”, the name for their athletic teams.  And their logo features a peregrine falcon with aviator goggles (Archie Williams was a pilot who during WW II was an instructor at the school where the Tuskegee Airmen trained, and himself flew missions in WW II and Korea):

I am not suggesting one name over another but I do love that logo!

Everyone at Berry College is more than excited. Pa and Missey have worked on their nest since their first clutch failed. Nothing was going to deter them from having a family this year. On Saturday the 17th around 1911, Missey laid the first egg of their second clutch for 2024. Let’s wish them well. Congratulations!

The cams were down, and during that time, the folks at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose took the opportunity to band R6. He or she is fitted out with the normal green and black band for the nest with “the sequential number 5/6 green/black”. ‘H’ tells us that a feather sample was taken to do DNA sequencing. By the end of the week, we will know whether R6 is male or female.

In the second photo, look at R6 standing tall and strong!

Ron Magill posted some images that he took of Rita during the opening celebrations of her enclosure at Marathon. Notice Rita’s green and black band also.

In Florida, band colours can be confusing. The Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey uses this: “The band color indicates the type of nest the young eagle hatched in: green for nests in trees and black for nests on artificial structures.” So what if they have a black and green band?

Blue is also a colour used in Florida.

But the Green over Black in Florida is for Brian Mealey, the bander. See PDF below.

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Swampy and Meadow continue to do well, also. They are growing leaps and bounds. At the moment you can easily tell Swampy because of its darker plumage, darker and more shiny black bill, and s/he has fewer dandelions on their head.

Someone asked how birds hear. You can clearly see Swampy’s ear in the top photo. Look at the corner of the mouth and go straight back…that is the ear. It will be covered with feathers eventually.

Swampy and Meadow being fed before the rains begin.

29 February is officially pip watch for Jackie and Shadow. That is 11 days away. The eggs look good. Jackie rolls them ever so gently…she is completely aware of what could happen. 11 days. We are all so anxious for this loved couple…imagine a hatch. The news agencies around the world will be celebrating.

Bonnie and Clyde have their second egg at the Cardinal Land Conservancy Nest.

It’s raining at Superbeaks – and we are now on hatch watch for Pepe and Muhlady and their second clutch.

We will be looking for egg 2 at Decorah North on Monday.

There might be a problem at the Dulles-Greenway nest of Rosa and Lewis. Rosa calls Lewis to incubate the egg. Will he? There is snow, and it is cool. The leg has been left on and of for periods of time so Rosa could eat and have a break.

Egg 2 is due today. Will this new partnership work out? We wait.

The egg has been left several times. Rosa is an experienced female with a new inexperienced male (or not the same male at all). We will just have to wait and see how this turns out but best it be eggs that become non-viable than eaglets on the nest suffering.

And then, Rosa laid her second egg, right on time.

I have been looking for studies about the life expectancy of the males versus the females in terms of Bald Eagles living in the wild. I haven’t found anything good to post for you – the answer to whether the males live longer than the females is unclear. We do have some older females this year – Gabby, Rosa, and Ellie (below)- who have younger mates. We know that M15 has a younger female partner. Maybe we should start keeping a list and come up with our own data.

There is a new Bald Eagle couple on Farmer Derek’s land in Peabody, Kansas. They have a nest now with their first two eggs. The banded female is Ellie and she is ten years old. The male is named Harvey. He was there with her on Saturday when she laid the second egg at 13:39:52.

Dad and the new female at the ND-LEEF nest have been very busy.

The first female Bald Eagle I ever saw buried in snow as this same female at Duke Farms. She has a new mate this year. Wishing her the best.

If you are watching the new couple at the Kistachie National Forest nest E-3 (Alex and Andria’s old nest), there is a fishing line and lure tangled in the moss bedding of the nest. Neither eagle is tangled. There are no eaglets on the nest. But does this pose enough of a threat to the birds for USFWS to allow Cody to remove it? Let’s hope so – before there are eaglets.

We still have only one egg at the nest of Jak and Audacity (Sauces) in the Channel Islands. The track record is dismal for this super pair of eagles – all due to the continuing presence of DDT after what? 75 years?

The following material is intended for classroom use for students ages 11-12. However, I find it really informative about the impact of DDT on the Eagles in the Channel Islands. If you are not aware of why Jak and Audacity continue to have difficulties – as well as Jackie and Shadow – have a read. (Note: Many areas of the US were sprayed with DDT including Big Bear Lake).

ClassroomStudyGuide-ChannelIslandsDownload

There are many articles.

COLUMN-ONE-DDT-Ills-Still-Haunt-the-Coast-Years-after-scientists-thought-threat-from-pesticide-hDownload

Osprey fever is beginning to happen. Geemeff sent me a link to an Osprey nest in Mallorca that I did not know about! And also an Osprey chat space for the off season. Have a look! Thanks, Geemeff.

To the live feed camera:

To the Osprey Fanatic chat page. Adam has two young daughters…you might enjoy this space.

https://walkingwithdaddy.com/osprey

Harry and Sally laid their third egg of the Florida Osprey season at their Moorings Park Nest in Naples at 10:59 on Saturday, the 17th! If anyone can raise three, these two can.

Sally obliged cam watchers by showing us her labour…She raises her back slightly and spreads her wings out. Like eagles, ospreys will allow the egg to cool and harden after laying. Sally will surely being hard incubation now.

The Peregrine Falcons are getting busy. It is almost egg time in California.

She certainly has beautiful under fluffies. The third egg is shiny and wet. All three appear to be darkly speckled.

Bolivia rehabilitates three Harpy Eagles so they can return to the wild.

After-Years-in-Captivity-These-Rescued-Harpy-Eagles-Are-Flourishing-in-the-Wild-AudubonDownload

Everything you need to know and more about the world’s largest eagle, the Harpy.

Harpy-eagle-guide-where-these-strange-but-iconic-eagles-live-how-they-hunt-and-why-they-are-calledDownload

Thank you so much for being with me and for all your positive energy for Hugo Yugo. She is doing so much better. We hope to see you soon! Take care.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, articles, screen captures, photographs, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘A, B, Geemeff, H, J, SP’, Cal Falcons, Berry College, WRDC, Ron Magill FB, The Centre for Conservation Biology, Eagle Country, FOBBV, V, Superbeaks, Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, Dulles-Greenway, Gracie Shepherd, Duke Farms, KNF-E3, Farmer Derek Eagle Cam, Phillip Josse, Return Flight, Column One, SEO Birdlife, Walking with Daddy, SK Hideaways, Moorings Park, and BBC Discover Wildlife.

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

29 January 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PLO has posted some tracking data.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A-wonderful-sightingDownload

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday in Bird World

26 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Thursday was simply a gorgeous day. By the time I had treated all over King’s Park and through the entire space of IKEA – well, I had accomplished more than my goal of 5km. Whew! The snow is melting quickly and soon, we will be getting stuck in the muck. But, for today, it was marvellous. The puppies were off to the dog park and everyone had a smile on their face and a big hello. Tomorrow, I hope to find some Short-eared Owls and some Snowy Owls in an adventure north of the City.

It is not Calico, it is Baby Hope. She looks more and more like Mamma every week.

Calico wanted to give Baby Hope a good wash, but unlike Hugo Yugo, Hope wasn’t having any of it!

Missey sat close and watched Calico trying to be a good Mamma.

Hugo Yugo is always a bit of a blur…

When the first thing you read in the morning is the shooting of a Peregrine Falcon, it is hard to put on a happy face.

Peregrine-found-shot-in-Doncaster-–-Police-appeal-for-information-–-Raptor-Persecution-UKDownload

At Big Bear, Shadow was attacked by an unidentified eagle at 1443 on Wednesday! The worry beads were out, and tears were falling – Shadow has now returned safely to the nest at 1135 Thursday.

Then, the unexpected happened. Jackie laid her first egg of the 2024 season. Tears of joy are flowing around the world for this most beloved couple who fight against the impact of the DDT spraying from decades ago on their breeding success.

Here’s the video!

At Sauces, there are fish gifts form Jak to Audacity. Love this couple whose name should be Tenacious and Persistent.

Gabby and Beau protecting the nest and incubating an egg that is going to need a super miracle if it is to hatch for these two.

Beau had a lesson in incubation today! It looks like he might have gotten it! Thanks, Gabby!!!!!! He is a keeper. Maybe not eaglets this year, but next.

E23 is really noticing what is beyond the nest. And what a change – like the eaglet doubled in size!

There is a surprise and some joy in the Kisatchie National Forest today after the loss of Anna and Andria, their eggs, nests, and mates. The time stamp of 2014 must be an error.

All is going well for Duke Farms. There is a second egg – that should be it!

Here’s the video.

Royal Cam chick enjoys breakfast with Mum.

A tour of the landscape around the Pittsburgh Hays nest occurred on Thursday. You can see the river where the eagles go fishing…gorgeous.

Gracious. Your giggle of the day comes from V2 and DG. Practice. There are no eggs at the Dulles-Greenway nest of Rosa and V2 but practice for incubation is underway and guess what V2 is using? A hambone! Maybe we needed one of these for Beau.

Successful mating at Moorings Park on Thursday with the first egg expected any time.

Cal and Lusa are getting their cute little tail feathers! 

No eggs yet for Liberty and Guardian at Redding in California.

Both the new female and Dad were on the ND-LEEF nest today after the snow melted. New female (top) and Dad (below).

‘A’ sends the reports for the past days at the Parramatta River. It appears that SE31 has now dispersed from the nest area.

“Here are the WBSE reports for the past three days (24, 25 and 26 January):

January 24: Early in the morning, one eagle was at River Roost. It appeared to be Dad. On the incoming tide, there was lots of floating rubbish, man-made and natural – leaves, branches, plants. Stormwater carries lots of debris. Only Dad was seen by the river during the day. A drone was seen over the wetlands, delivering routine mosquito-management spraying. Later in the afternoon, again only one eagle was seen. SE31 seems to be out of sight or has moved away from this area. She was last seen flying towards Homebush Bay. The photo below is from the other day, a good catch though our youngster was not there to claim it. Thanks to Jan and all our other eagle watchers and photographers.

RangerJudy1d

January 25: An eagle-free day, it seems, as none was seen by the river all day. Watchers checked nearby bays and the ospreys were sighted.

RangerJudy29m

January 26: A very quiet day today, with no sea eagle sightings recorded. A picture from the past for a memory. We wonder where they all are.

Meanwhile, it was another fish frenzy day with five coming in to the nest for Brad and Gil who are still at home!

So it seems our girl has moved on – apparently, with peregrines, the females disperse much greater distances from the natal area than do the male juveniles. I’m unsure if the same applies with sea eagles. SE29 headed north, up along the coast, a particularly lovely part of the country.” 

What a wonderful day! Thank you so much for being with me. Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, photographs, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ’A’, Raptor Persecution UK, FOBBV, SK Hideaways, Gracie Shepherd, NEFL-AEF, Lisa Yen, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Cody Wayne, Duke Farms, Ondabebe, Bill Kitchen, NZ DOC, Pix Cams, Dulles Greenway Eagle Cam, Mooring Park, Window to Wildlife, FORE, ND-LEEF, Eagle Cam, PLO, and Bart M.

Moorings Park is up and running…Saturday in Bird World

6 January 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that the start to your weekend is a good one!

It was only -5 on Friday at the nature centre. It was a really good day for a walk. The Chickadees, the squirrels, and the woodpeckers were all out looking for food and enjoying the mild weather before – next week – when it is forecast to be -29 C. There were so many going for walks today. Happy. They were smiling and taking photographs. Sometimes, when it is frigid, we don’t want to get outside! So Friday was a good opportunity to walk in and have that quiet, peaceful time in the woods. Nature is healing.

Not a great shot of the woodpecker upside down at the feeder.

Snowshoes. The Ontario Heritage Trust gives us a good history of the snowshoe in Canada: ”Snowshoes are a practical mode of winter transportation, and they are also a symbol of practical ingenuity representing thousands of years of cultural history and adaptation to the country’s snowy winters. It is believed that snowshoes arrived in Canada during ancient migrations at least 10,000 years ago from eastern Siberia over the Bering Strait. In 1608, Samuel de Champlain provided the first written account of the First Nations using snowshoes to walk across the deep winter snow. Recognizing their value, Europeans used snowshoes for hunting and trapping, and for exploring the rugged landscape. In the mid-1800s, snowshoeing became a popular recreational activity, with clubs meeting for hikes and competitive races.”

The girls are fantastic. Every day – many times a day – I profess my great astonishment that these four girls are safe and sound. They bring me such happiness I cannot imagine life without them.

Today, my daughter sent me an article form the local news. Apparently feeding stray cats is illegal in my city. Well, who would have known? If I had not been feeding strays, I would not have Calico or Hope and the Boyfriend would be thin. My entire neighbourhood would be fined. Now how ridiculous is that? It seems that someone has thought so too so there is a move to strike that law and allow people to care for these needy animals. The girls and I intend to write in support of lifting the law that prohibits the feeding of feral cats.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-considers-allowing-care-for-feral-cats-1.7074944

Missey is rather ‘wild’ looking. ’J’ thinks she comes from a magical forest full of unicorns. I could not agree more. She is now 22 lbs. and is 16 months old.

Storytime and Baby Hugo decides which of the treats everyone is going to receive.

Calico listening to a chapter about the establishment of The Ramble in Central Park and all the birds that migrate there twice a year.

After story time, Baby Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope wrestle and run.

Hugo Yugo knows that Baby Hope is hiding under the tablecloth, ready to pounce.

There would not have been enough fines in the world to get me to stop feeding Calico — and I am so glad that someone rescued Missey and took her as a week-old kitten to the Humane Society – and that some kind heart took pity on Baby Hugo Yugo’s mother and brought her in to have her 7 kittens safely. These four beautiful souls are what rescue is all about. 

There is not a lot of action in Bird World. In some ways this has turned out brilliantly for all of us as we can enjoy three little eaglets – both clutches at such different stages of development – without having to spend much time decided on which streaming cam to watch.

There is much relief at watching the SW Florida nest – no bonking! Just one very special little eaglet who has the complete attention of its parents – the super dad M15 and his new mate F23.

E23 is an eating machine…and F23 and M15 are fantastic parents. Food coma after a great feeding from Dad!

The variety of food coming to the SW Florida nest this year is quite incredible. Today it was an Armoured Catfish – but there has been rabbit, egret, fish. F23 is very grateful for the fish!

A nest full of fish and eaglets looking out to a beautiful world at Captiva.

My goodness the nest was really rocking for Rose at the WRDC Bald Eagle nest in Dade County. Thinking pip in a week?

It is always a good day when Jackie and Shadow are in the nest at Big Bear.

At Port Lincoln, it is wet. Bradley took the first fish delivery from Mum. Giliath had to wait for food today until dad brought in a headless fish at 18:09.  He ate the entire thing in 15 minutes. 

Look at Gil’s tracking! We all wish Brad could have had that extra tracker. It would have been fantastic to compare the two brothers.

At Orange: ”At Orange, Marri was seen and heard flying past the scrape yesterday (5 January). Diamond and Xavier had two bonding sessions this morning (05:39:30 and 07:24:45). Diamond spent a lot of the day surveying her territory from the ledge of the scrape.”

WBSE news of 5 January: “SE31 appeared from River Roost at 6:40am, then flew to the island. She flew around the bay then, just before 7am, attempted to catch a fish, with a splash. Shortly after, she was not eating, so must have missed (or dropped it). Neither parent was seen earlier, but at 7:45am, one adult was seen at River Roost with SE31, who was whining continually for food. Around 11am, we saw SE31 soaring way up high and one adult on River Roost. Then, at around 12:05pm, the juvenile returned, past the adult and into the mangroves below the adult. Lady took off from River Roost, then the other adult appeared from behind the island. Both then set off, hunting hopefully, at 12:22pm. We did not see SE31 or either adult when we left at around 1:30pm. Then, at around 5pm, SE31 was seen again, and set off on a long flight, over the river to Homebush Bay and over Meadowbank, then back to more familiar territory.”

The latest news from WBSE: ”January 6: Early in the morning, our observer reported one adult and  the juvenile upstream of River Roost. Being Saturday, river traffic was very noisy. They were still there some time later. Then, at around 12:30pm, one adult was seen flying with a big fish, followed by an eager SE31. Around 40 minutes later, SE31 was seen sitting on a low branch on the island – had she eaten? Later in the afternoon, after a very hot day, none of the eagles could be seen from the boat ramp. Plenty of fish were jumping – come on SE31! “ Thanks, ‘A’.

At the Royal Albatross Colony near Dunedin, New Zealand:

Now this is the kind of news we want to read.

Oh, oh, oh. Moorings Park Ospreys are live!!!!!!!! Didn’t we have a great year last year with Harry and Sally. Look who is home. Oh, talk about a fluttering heart.

It is time to have some fun with some of those strange ‘bird terms’….Gorget, anyone?

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How can we help our urban birds? An article in the latest Living Bird Magazine from Cornell Bird Lab has some answers.

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Results of the Christmas Bird Count in Canada. Now, please make sure that you join Cornell and other groups for the Big Bird Day coming up in February. I will remind you again and again of the date as it approaches. All of this helps us understand what species are in decline, which are flourishing, and where. Then, we can ask why.

The-123rd-Christmas-Bird-Count-in-Canada-AudubonDownload

If you live near Threave, you might want to join in the fun! This sounds like a great experience…wish I was in Scotland.

Two more book reviews coming for Sunday, 7 January.

Thank you so much for being with me today. We should have a few more eaglets in a week and hopefully some more eggs. We are looking for hatches at the WRDC and Berry College. Take care all. We hope to see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me write my blog today: ’A, H, J’, SK Hideaways, Vija, Window to Wildlife, Jenna Dorsey, WRDC, FOBBV, PLO, Bart M, Sea Eagle Cam, Ron Young, Fran Solly, Moorings Park, Living Bird Magazine, Audubon, and the National Trust for Scotland.

Barru fledges…Tuesday in Bird World

14 November 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heidi Mc caught the fledge as well.

Barru is still in the scrape.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They are still eating!

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

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

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

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

Beautiful images coming out of Centreport Bald Eagles.

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

Hoping there is nothing amiss with Abby at Eagle Country.

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

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

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

Shadow and Jackie were both at Big Bear on Monday.

Waiting or her mate with hope for a better year.

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

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

Shrikes-store-prey-for-healthier-chicks-BirdGuidesDownload

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

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

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

Made my Day! Seren Blue 5Fs mother is seen in Senegal

11 October 2023

Good Morning,

It is Wednesday, and today is the day that Lewis has his test. I am touched – you will never realise how much – by the outpouring of concern and care for this big goofy, lovable cat. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will never forget your kindness.

I took him off his pain meds thinking that they might have been the cause of his distress. His vomiting returned in spades in the middle of the night on Monday. He had little reprieve. He has plenty of water and is drinking, but regardless of the food – thin broth with babyhood, pulverised chicken and broth, tinned food – he cannot keep it down. An ultrasound will be taken to see if there is an obstruction and, of course, fluids for any dehydration – all providing that the HPI test comes out negative. Send warm thoughts to our big guy!

Pets are our children. These cats are mine now that my children are all grown.

I have had cats since I could crawl – as a toddler, my playmates were the strays my dad fed and a three-legged dog. Those strays were very gentle. It was a different time. Did anyone talk about HPI? No. Teeth problems? No. Cats going to a vet? Not really. My Dad had his own ‘home remedies’. Gosh, I would love to have a chat with him now.

Of course, he was not always right about their gender. Or was he? A big brown tabby came to our porch one day. Oh, it was a sweet soul. “Could I have it? I asked. My dad dutifully checked under the tail, pronouncing it was a boy, and said “yes”. My grandmother always said that the cat was “sweet”. She declined comment when I insisted that it was the most beautiful cat. “She sure is sweet” was a constant. Of course, she had kittens a few weeks later and lived another ten years with us. A girl! Maybe my Dad knew but didn’t want to alert my mother. Who knows! I mean seriously could he not have known the difference? Those kittens were gorgeous. Each one was a smokey blue-grey colour with yellow eyes…yes, like Burmese. Being my dad, we kept them, too. ——– The point of all of this is that it is hard to deal with the members of our animal family when they are ill. They are family. They bring us joy in the same way that the birds do. We want to heal them when they are sick or injured. It is like we wanted to reach out and mend Little Mini’s leg at Patchogue or make F22 at Collins Street well so she could incubate her eggs.

For now, I am waiting to see if Lewis can be helped. It is the waiting that is hard. Watching him suffer eats away at my soul. If love could heal him, Lewis would be thriving. There are 15 more hours of waiting as I write this – waiting to find out if he is HPI negative or positive. The result of that test will determine the outcome. I have just given him his sedative and will give him another in the morning. A long walk in the park helped me clear my head and realise that whatever the result is – this is all about Lewis. Not me. Lewis. His quality of life is all that matters.

There were lots of geese and some ducks plus Dark-eyed Juncos everywhere, various types of sparrows flitting about, and a couple of hawks. Gulls, too. It was a beautiful clear, crisp fall day.

As I was walking through the park, it was World Mental Health Day. One thing I have learned by being out in the forests and the parks and spending time with the animals in my garden, the birds, and the cats – trees and nature in all its glory is a place where we can settle our troubled minds. Just find a bench and sit in the sun. Close your eyes and listen to the birds. Or listen to the stillness. It is gold.

Migration is in full swing in southern Canada. In the eastern US, Hawk Mountain gives us their most recent count. The birds follow the thermals over the mountains. The Broad-winged hawks are certainly doing well.

There was a lot of sadness in Osprey World last season and when good news comes it just makes you tingle. Well, it doesn’t get much better than this. Last week Blue 5F Seren, the female from Llyn Clywedog and mate of Dylan, was spotted on her normal concrete post in The Gambia. I posted those images just the other day. Well, look, at this – it is Seren’s mother!!!!!!! Yellow 30. Is she the oldest breeding female in the UK now that Mrs G is no longer with us?

My friend Tiger Mozone and I have chatted often about the Ospreys and how two things go into making success – good DNA and a heck of a lot of luck. Yellow 30 certainly has both and she passed that on to her daughter, Blue 5F Seren. I hope that continues down to Seren and Dylan’s fledglings, too.

Jean-Marie Dupurt counted 222 Ospreys in Senegal yesterday including ‘his old friend Yellow 30.’

Sadly, many migrating birds continue to be lost as they cross the border into Malta on their way to Africa. It is time to figure out how to help those in Malta deliver a message to the politicians that humans care about these birds and indiscriminate slaughter for sport needs to be banned.

GPS-Tracked Protected Birds Disappear As They Make It To Malta: https://lovinmalta.com/lifestyle/pets/gps-tracked-protected-birds-disappear-as-they-make-it-to-malta/

In Australia, the oldest 2023 chick, SE31 did branch – real branching! Congratulations. A bittersweet moment as this leads up to fledgling too soon.

Here is the video of that historical milestone for SE31.

SK Hideaways gives us another look!

Oh, gosh, Xavier is so tiny compared to Diamond! Here he is arriving with prey for the babies and Mum. Adorable isn’t a big enough word.

The chicks can now see. Consequently, they are also snatching morsels of food out of their parent’s beak. A milestone.

Doesn’t this image just make you melt? Notice the pin feathers coming in and you can clearly see the crops when they are full. Their eyes are bright and focused and their beaks and feet are losing that pink baby colouring.

This is Cilla Kinross’s latest blog on the 7 and 8 day old chicks of Xavier and Diamond and, as we can expect, it is a great report on these two healthy chicks. Gosh, golly they can take the gloom out of any day.

Week-old-chicks-thriving-–-FalconcamDownload

Martin and Rosa visit the brand new nest at Dulles-Greenway. They fledged three last year – fantastic parents – and one chick the year prior. Let us hope this new nest serves them well for years to come. They are an incredible couple. Watching them raise the three eaglets in 2023 was inspirational. Be sure to put this nest on your watch list.

Lady Hawk gives us some gorgeous images of F23 at SW Florida.

Pip watch officially begins today at Port Lincoln.

Victor Hurley has stated that the camera feed at 367 Collins Street will only be on for a few more days. For those who might be playing catch up, it appears that Mum, F22, was injured. Precisely what the problem was or what caused it is not known. she abandoned the eggs. The male tried to incubate them, and then Mum came for a few hours, but they are considered unviable by Victor Hurley, who monitors this and many other nests throughout Victoria.

Some really good information in the form of an easy to understand chart on Bald Eagle nesting. It is a great resource to keep you informed as to what is happening state by state.

Jolene and Boone have been working on the Johnson City, TN nest for the past day.

Checking on Jackie and Shadow. Did you know that their nest is one of the highest in terms of elevation in the US? It sits on top of a Jeffrey Pine Nest (145 feet up) at 7100 ft.

Did Jack go fishing and fly to the Achieva nest that he shares with Diane to dry off on Tuesday?

In New Zealand, YRK, the mate of OGK, has been seen on the headland! I am going to wish for a miracle – to see OGK waddling over a bumpy hill!

Help get snares banned in Scotland!

Call-for-Scotlands-Environment-Minister-to-ban-all-snares-including-the-cynically-renamed-‘humane-Download

Following Karl II’s family. There remains no transmission from the beloved patriarch Karl II. Kaia, his mate, has reached the Sudanese border. This is fantastic news. Kalvi is till in Bulgaria.

Thank you so much for being with me and for all your notes and good wishes for Lewis. As someone reminded me today, if love could heal my dear Lewis, he would be in top form. I do want you to know how much I appreciate your kindness. Please take care. Stay safe!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me with my short report today: Woodland Trust, Hawk Mountain, John Williams, Jean-Marie Dupurt, Se McGreger, Sydney Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, Cilla Kinross, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Dulles-Greenway, Lady Hawk, PLO, Linda McIlroy, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Baiba Grausting, Johnson City Bald Eagles, FOBBV, Achieva Credit Union, Royal Albatross Centre, Raptor Persecution UK, and Looduskalender Forum.