Nova Scotia Ospreys – Page 2 – Mary Ann Steggles

Monday in Bird World

14 April 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

It was a bit nippy on Sunday, but spring is definitely here. It was time to shake off the winter and get back to walking 4 or 5 times a week. Our first trip was around St Vital Park and then over to the duck pond. There were approximately 85 Canada Geese there along with 5 male Wood Ducks and 2 females, and a couple pair of Mallards along with 3 Ring-billed Gulls. There is still some ice on the pond. It was nice to see families with proper seed feeding them as we wait for the grass to turn green and grow.

You have no idea how happy I am that the walkways are free of ice. This winter has been long because of this. I so enjoyed all the walking that we have done in previous years. Oh, this is wonderful!

Moving on to our feathered friends…

Eggs are starting to land in those osprey nests! Eaglets are growing or fledging or halfway there.

Birds of Poole Harbour: CJ7 laid the season’s first egg for her and mate, Blue 022, on Sunday.

Maryland Western Shore Old Town Home: There are now three eggs in this osprey nest.

Glaslyn: Ospreys can count and they ‘know’. Aran arrived on Saturday and Elen laid her first egg on Sunday the 13th. It would have been KC1’s, Teifi’s. Aran tried to evict it and then when that did not work, he buried it. Aran might have trouble holding on to the nest he shared with Mrs G and then Elen when Mrs G did not return from migration. We wait to see how this works out.

So why did Aran (and other males at different nests at different times) try to eject and then bury the egg?

Male ospreys eject eggs from their nest if they suspect they didn’t fertilise the eggs. We quickly learn that ospreys can count! This behaviour is a strategy to ensure their offspring survive, as they may eject eggs from the nest that they don’t believe to be their own. Ospreys are generally monogamous and mate for life, but if a male suspects infidelity, he may eject eggs to remove potential competitors.

Ensuring their own genetic line: Male ospreys are motivated to ensure their offspring survive. They may eject eggs if they believe they are not their own, as they are essentially removing potential competitors.
Guardianship of the nest: Ospreys fiercely protect their nests and mates. If another male is suspected of mating with the female, the male may eject eggs to ensure his own paternity.
Courtship and Mating: Male ospreys engage in frequent courtship displays and mating behaviours, which can increase the likelihood of fertilisation by their partner. If they witness a female with another male, they may attempt to eject the eggs to ensure their genetic line is the only one present.
Territoriality:Male ospreys are territorial and will defend their nest and mate from other males. This can extend to ejecting eggs if they suspect other males have been involved in mating with the female.

In summary, the ejection of eggs is a behaviour driven by the male osprey’s instinct to protect his mate and ensure his genetic line continues. It’s a natural defence mechanism against potential rivals and a strategy to maintain the success of his breeding effort.

Film showing a bathing osprey. It is delightful. https://youtu.be/rev2Y0sbFhk?

Oh, what a worry KNF-E3 O3 was to everyone. Steve looked. Cody helped. And on Sunday that fledgling flew up to the nest like a pro wanting fish. Mum and Dad did not disappoint. Isn’t this wonderful? We will count every one of these moments as gold.

Little Miami Conservancy: These two are doing well but cannot yet thermoregulate their temperature.

Foulshaw Moss: White YW and Blue 35 have their second egg on Sunday. at 1308.

Fort St. Vrain: Less drama today at the nest. Both eaglets fine.

Fat little bottom. Cute.

NCTC: The trio of Scott and Bella are doing extraordinarily well. Little angels.

Port Tobacco: All is well.

Johnson City ETSU: I blinked and that little fluffy chick now has juvenile feathers!

Bluff City ETSU: And just look at these two!

Duke Farms: Then there is this trio. All doing well.

US Steel: Only Bob is doing well. Getting his pin feathers.

Sauces: Betty Lou. Look at those feathers coming in!

Fraser Point: Two adorable babies being well cared for by Andor and Cruz.

Big Bear Valley: Is it possible they will be too full to fly? We would love to keep them on the nest.

Geemeff’s Daily Summary for Loch Arkaig. Just look at the number of fish that Louis has brought in. Now he started out, as Geemeff reminded me, like this last year. But bad weather and an illness and/or injury turned the tide on the nest and the two osplets were translocated. One survived. One did not.

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 13th April 2025

Another calm day without intruders, Affric 152 or Prince dropping in. And sadly, no unattached female visitors for Garry LV0 despite his bringing a fish and making Nest One very cosy with sticks and bedding. Garry’s fish tally rises by a whopping 50% up to a total of three since he arrived on 9th April, fingers crossed that this will be the season he finds a mate. Louis on the other hand is providing so well for Dorcha that she initially refused the second of his two fish deliveries today, and his tally now stands at twentynine since they returned on 2nd April. At the time of filing this report (23.45) Nest Two is empty – will Dorcha return and spend the night as she did last night, will she lay the first egg tomorrow? We must wait and see. The weather forecast is light rain and light winds overnight and into tomorrow, not the best weather for eggs but Dorcha will cope.

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.31.19 (05.28.03); Nest Two 21.29.45 (05.32.34)

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/cJRzg3GKcZw N1 Garry LV0 brings a fish but takes it away seconds later 07.58.17

https://youtu.be/tJxdXWMuArw N2 Louis brings a late breakfast 09.02.07

https://youtu.be/2sWdD3SyZQI N1 Garry LV0 stays a little longer on his second visit 08.56.47

https://youtu.be/8_TK0aK9cus N1 Garry pole-vaults in for a third visit 09.33.50

https://youtu.be/Y2Zr8mmDBxA N2 Dorcha doesn’t want the second fish 20.19.17

Bonus guide to Osprey egg production:

https://kielderospreys.wpcomstaging.com/2013/05/04/copulation-and-laying-eggs-a-bit-of-a-biology-lessonBlast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/S79vEf6sTV0 N2 Louis chases an intruder 2020 (Slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/aw9gnUSlGO0 N1 Late night drama as Louis chases another intruder 2020
https://youtu.be/6yGNxv2KqNQ N2 Misty morning mating 2022 (x-rated!!)
https://youtu.be/P60wseTCepU N1 Louis brings a fish to his old nest 2022
https://youtu.be/NmUONfZzPeI N2 Louis loses a stick and nearly gets lucky 2023
https://youtu.be/9dNWnjbzqEY N2 Dorcha sees off a Hoodie 2023https://youtu.be/NHDU63bbEag N1 Garry LV0 brings another fish 2024 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/G1l5YJriSt8 N1 Garry LV0 startles a little songbird 2024 (slo-mo zoom)
https://youtu.be/9MU4DHe21Ak N2 No egg tonight: both depart 2024

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Loch of the Lowes: News from The Woodland Trust:·

“Over the last 5 days, things appeared to have settled into a fairly relaxed routine for LM24 (The Dark Intruder) and his new mate the Unringed Female. The pair have been spending more time on and around the nest, often appearing at first light, indicating they are likely to be roosting nearby. Mating has been regular, though the male is still sometimes getting himself back to front, but he has also busied himself with bringing material into the nest, skydancing and bringing in fish to his mate – everything you would expect a breeding male to do.

Throughout the week there had been little in the way of intruders, with only a fleeting incursion on the 9th April, which the Unringed Female easily defended against. Not content with LM24’s offerings, she brought in a huge trout yesterday, which unusually she caught on the Loch where it is usually more common to see pike and perch.

This morning it was only LM24 who appeared on the nest at dawn, and it remained quiet for much of the day, with no sign of the Unringed Female. Ospreys can be a little bit like buses, with not much happening and then everything happening all at once! True to form it all kicked off mid-afternoon with the arrival of yet another new intruding bird (another unringed female) who was very ‘hangry’!

This female wasted no time in demanding food from LM24, who although initially reluctant, passed his half eaten pike to her, before trying to attempt to mate. The female, with very striking markings (a large triangle on the back of her head, dark chest and a white gap between her eyes) was not keen to reciprocate, but quickly began rearranging the furniture. This female behaved in a way that was very confident and suggested that she may be a little older and more experienced than both LM24 and his Unringed Female partner.

The ‘hangry’ female (who devoured her fish) very vocally began demanding more food from the male, who was keeping a close and perhaps rather confused eye on the things from the top of the camera. After several more failed mating attempts, he finally managed to encourage the female to lift her tail and mate successfully, before……enter stage left; LM24’s mate, the Unringed Female landed on the nest, flapping her wings and mantling, clearly unhappy with proceedings!! She was closely followed by LM24, who briefly touched down before being chased off by the ‘hangry’ intruder!

All three osprey then took to the skies in a spectacular display of flying, diving and shouting, before the Unringed Female returned to the nest. Her respite was short lived however, with the other female returning to launch another furious attack! Once again the birds took off in a flurry of talons and wings, before order finally seemed to be restored 5 minutes later with both LM24 and his mate the Unringed Female settling back onto the nest together.

Things appear to have settled down and order for now seems to have been restored, but for how long?

Follow the webcam for all the action, or come and visit the centre, open 10:30am – 5pm each day”

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/…/loch-of-the…

Hellgate Canyon: Gorgeous Iris. Still waiting for Finnegan. He was there on the 14th last year. Fingers crossed he arrives today!!!!!!! Oh, tears will flow around the world. Please let this miracle happen again…

Salem Electric: Lots of work to do on this nest. I sure wish that humans in the US would follow some of the UK’s practices where the nest is refurbished each year while the ospreys are on migration!

Clark PUD: Both ospreys are on the nest. Lovely.

Port of Ridgefield: Both home.

Seaside: Bruce has been supplying Naha with some really nice fish since their return. Sunday was no exception with a Redtail Surf Perch and two trout.

Niagara Bee Ospreys: No eggs but a Canada Goose is visiting the nest.

Farmer Derek’s Owl Nest: Bonnie and Clive have one owlet this year, Starr. She is a beauty.

Russell Lake, Nova Scotia: Oscar arrived so early. It seems that he was so happy to have Ethel return that he has been out looking for any kind of gift to brighten her day! OK, Oscar. You can stop now. Those eggs and chicks don’t want to get mixed up with human litter!

Coeur de’Alene, Idaho: No ospreys in sight. Canada Goose nesting on the north platform.

In 2024, with four osplets on the nest and everyone hoping for them, the male disappeared during a heat dome. Mum tried but it is difficult to raise four even if both parents are fishing. Three of the chicks died of siblicide/starvation. One fledged.

Update from Fort St Vrain:

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, and articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post: ‘Geemeff’, Birds of Poole Harbour, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Maryland Western Shore Old Town Home, RAKPhotographic, Kistachie National Forest, Little Miami Conservancy, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Fort St Vrain, NCTC, Port Tobacco, Johnson City ETSU, Bluff City ETSU, Pix Cams, Duke Farms, IWS/Explore, FOBBV, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, The Scottish Wildlife Trust, Montana Osprey Project/Cornell Bird Lab, Salem Electric, Clark PUD, Port of Ridgefield, Seaside Ospreys, Niagara Bee Ospreys, Farmer Derek, Ospreys of Nova Scotia, City of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, The Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Loch of the Lowes Visitor’s Centre, Fort St Vrain/Excel Energy

Sunday in Bird World

6 April 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

It is +5 on the Canadian prairies, and spring is almost here! The House Finches have arrived along with the Dark-eyed Juncos. We have had several new woodpeckers over the past couple of days at the suet cylinders, along with the garden regulars. They are all accounted for, and that is a good thing! Brock was here twice today. He is not afraid of me any more. He will sit on the chair until I put his food in the dish. Isn’t that just a marvellous change!?

Now, please tell me you have been outside. Did you smell spring in the air? Are you watching for the hummingbirds migrating through? How about the ducks? Have you seen any? I can’t wait to tell you about the first ducks’ arrival at our local park’s pond. Will they be Mallards? or Wood Ducks?

Ferris Akel’s Saturday Tour went through Wildlife Drive – the first time this spring. There were beautiful shorebirds, at least one Sandhill Crane, but Ferris thought it was guarding a nest, and ducks – ducks of many species.

Oh, I am getting so excited. It doesn’t bother me that the geese poop over everything. It is so nice to see them home. This year there will, undoubtedly, be less due to bird flu which has hit the species hard. We will be grateful for each and every one that made it back alive!

One of our favourite nature centres, Oak Hammock Marsh, is getting a real makeover. They have been renovating for the past two years. We could head out there for a walk to see who is on the water. The new building is not open yet, but the trails are, and the ice should be melted. Then, of course, the American White Pelicans should arrive at Lockport by the end of the month. There is a lot to look forward to.

Ferris says that the rust colour on the back and wings of the cranes is from the soil.

There is not a lot of activity in Bird World. As of Saturday morning, 30 well-known ospreys had not returned to the UK. The weather has been bad along the migration route, and we need favourable winds, but by the 12th, I will start to worry. I am watching the Montana Ospreys, especially Iris and Finnegan, and looking out for Aran. Many are also watching the Russell Lake nest of Oscar and Ethel, who have been raising osplets there for about 15 years. Oscar is waiting for his gal to return. VV constantly checks on 15 nests in the Maryland area while Heidi monitors a long list of US nests. We will know soon enough who has returned and who hasn’t. Send good positive energy to all of them.

Ospreys are arriving at Kielder Forest. Mrs PC8 from Nest 2 was there on Saturday. Here is their latest news.

Bubba is ready to fledge…Monday in Bird World

11 November 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Thank you for your good wishes for Hugo Yugo. As I write this, she is pretty sick. She ate a little food on Saturday night and drank water on Sunday morning. She was able to keep it down. I am preparing to feed her with a syringe with ground-up kibble mixed with kitten milk to keep her going until she can see the vet on Wednesday. I will feed her every 1.5 hours. It is now late Sunday evening. Hugo Yugo had another feeding and instead of going straight to hide in my room on my pillow, she plunked herself down on the foot stool to watch her sisters. It feels like an improvement. And yes, we fed her with a syringe until nearly midnight when she ate on her own. Tears.

She is now cuddled with her Missey. This is fantastic.

I am really, really tired of hearing about our wildlife being killed unnecessarily. It has been a week that just keeps on giving!

New research shows that skyscrapers are killing millions of birds annually during migration. It doesn’t have to happen. What is wrong with people?

Fears New York buildings’ deadly toll on migratory birds could be on the rise. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/10/birds-building-collisions-new-york-city?CMP=share_btn_url

It just seems there have been so many deaths associated with humans where I live lately. There were the eight bald eagles in the field (COD pending), then the two local foxes whose den was destroyed at the site of new condos – the one being hit by a car on a busy street last night and the other on a busy bridge. My fear is that they were targeted – the driver of the vehicle either baiting them or driving around til they saw them out and speeding up. I am worried about Dyson and her kids who now run across a street that has nothing to slow down the would be Formula 3 drivers since their trees were cut down. We went to get Hugo Yugo more kitten milk and noticed the large tree at the intersection where the Blue Jays nest has a vast orange circle on it this morning, indicating it is now destined to be cut down. When they are finished, we will not have a tree anywhere in sight higher than a meter. Our street was fully canopied two years ago after the leaves came out. It was gorgeous. Looks like the barren moonscape now. The trees the City planted will take 25 years even to become a size for animals to use. The ones being cut down were planted in 1902. If I could scoop up all the garden animals and The Boyfriend and move them, I would leave.

Oh, enough of my rant. The animals are so used to me that I can now sit on the upper deck and photograph them while they forage.

Just look at Dyson. She is not young. She is a real Senior citizen in the squirrel community, but, more important, she is the matriarch.

It is not a great image, but look at that strong back leg of Dyson’s as she gets ready to jump down with her precious peanut.

One of Dyson’s three kits. Isn’t it cute?

And another kit. The three of them were running around the garden with their Mum. They don’t mind me at all. I feel so privileged – and, of course, these are the reasons that I could never leave here – just vacation elsewhere. There is no natural food or not much for them anymore. The Squirrels used to eat the ‘helicopters’ (the seeds) of the Maple Trees but there are no more Maples and no one had the foresight to plant Oak trees!!!!!!!!!!! So no acorns. I did catch Little Red at the very top of the crab apple tree getting the little apples, though. That is not enough to sustain even him, however.

This is how it starts out in the morning. Today, I discovered that the Blue Jays get busy pecking the peanuts and shooting the ones they don’t like off the feeding tray! Dyson & Co thank them for sure. Junior is also stuffing peanuts down its throat like Mr Crow – like a pouch as in pelican. :))

Both Crows visited today.

Oh, the joy they bring! Just look at that face on the Crow above. I cannot imagine anyone harming them.

Isn’t this a gorgeous image? Don Dennis photographed this Bald Eagle couple on Russell Lake, Nova Scotia on Saturday, 9 November 2024. Many more will be coming to our prey-rich Atlantic province for the winter! Don is an excellent photographer. It looks like these two were deep in conversation. I love the evergreens and then that touch of autumn foliage.

Time to check on the birds on streaming cams.

Bubba is ready to fly! 56 days old. Heidi got all the hovering action on video! https://youtu.be/Hbi_1T2zyfc?

At Port Lincoln, breakfast came early. Kasse ate last, but the milestone reached was by Wilko who stood up to eat! He is becoming a ‘big boy’.

Wilko stands up tall part way through the feeding to eat! Way to go, Wilko.

Now it is Kasse’s turn for some fish!

At Collins Street, the parents want the triplets to fledge. They deliver prey and take it away flying by to tease them to use those wings and chase them! It is all coming far too soon for Melbourne and Orange. https://youtu.be/l-xDYFIszYQ?

Diamond and Xavier are not withholding prey!

No news really for the fledgling WBSE. It kind of worries me. The one was in the bushes the other day. Will someone check? I wonder. One had their wing caught eons ago in branches down low and couldn’t get away.

At Hilton Head Bald Eagle nest, we have a takeover (or potential take over bid) by the GHOs. The nest was battered by Hurricane Milton. Wonder where the eagles will nest? https://youtu.be/5WqBTRFWqZ4?

Meanwhile at NE Florida, Gabby and Beau worked tirelessly on Sunday getting that nest ready for those precious eggs (fingers crossed).

It rained in Iowa. I did not see any eagles working on the nest at Decorah North. Rain started later in the afternoon.

Eagles were present at Denton Homes.

Beautiful sunset over the Captiva Bald Eagle nest of Connie and Clive.

Where are the Ospreys at Captiva?

Jackie and Shadow make us all smile! They were at Big Bear on Sunday! https://youtu.be/QqiawH1-NpA?

Franklin was near the ETSU-Bluff City nest on Sunday.

And look who later joined him on the branch – Frances!

At the WRDC, Ron and Rose are getting cosy. https://youtu.be/g-bRObhrWfQ?

Incubation changes at SW Florida are smooth and routine.

Lots of work to do by Jolene and Boone at the ETSU-Johnson City nest destroyed by Milton. They got a kind helping hand on that rebuild.

Incorrigible. The Grouse Moor Licensing Scheme to protect raptors is already attacked by the estate owners! Unbelievable.

Scotland’s grouse moor licensing scheme has already been sabotaged – Raptor Persecution UK Download

I hope they don’t mind. Karl II was the most amazing Black Stork father and he deserves to always be remembered on ‘Father’s Day in Estonia’ and every where around the world where he was loved.

Here is that video: https://youtu.be/ECHO4uUJrFQ?

The latest from Sharon Dunne on the Royal Albatross chicks and their flight to the waters off Chile.

Rita the Eagle Monday Facts.

Live in Vancouver? There is a fundraiser for The Nest Companion Bird Car & Rehabilitation Society.

There are still hundreds if not thousands of Canada Geese in Winnipeg who have not migrated. In SW Manitoba, the Sandhill Cranes are still flying south. It is the middle of November!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, images, posts, videos, and streaming cams: ‘A, Connie and Don Dennis,H, J’, Heidi McGrue, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Judy Harrington, Hilton Head Land Trust, NEFL-AEF, Raptor Resource Project/explore.org, Denton Homes, Window to Wildlife, Heidi McGrue, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Cali Condor, ETSU-Bluff City, ETSU-Johnson City, Raptor Persecution UK, Madli Allsoo, Sharon Dunne, Rita the Eagle, The Nest Companion Bird Care & Rehabilitation Society

Thursday in Bird World

19 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

First, landmark EU ruling protecting songbirds migrating through Malta! Thanks, Geemeff.

“n a landmark ruling, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) today declared the trapping of seven finch species in Malta, to be illegal – a practice which has been criticised by Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) for years. According to the judges in Luxembourg, the practice clearly violates Article 9 of the EU Birds Directive and may no longer be authorised. The proceedings before the ECJ are the premature conclusion of a long-running dispute between bird conservationists and the Maltese Labour Government, which has repeatedly tried to circumvent the Birds Directive in recent years in order to secure the votes of bird trappers. Because finches are strictly protected under EU law, bird-trapping was officially relabelled as a “scientific research project” in 2020 and licenses were issued for more than 2,600 trapping sites. In recent years, official complaints by CABS have resulted in the confiscation of thousands of birds that were caught illegally under the guise of the alleged research project. It is still unclear whether the Maltese government will accept the verdict or appeal and allow the trappers to continue. CABS have already confirmed that we will be in Malta in October with several teams to monitor compliance with a possible ban on trapping.”

Full article here:

In a landmark ruling, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) today declared the trapping of seven finch species in Malta, to be illegal – a practice which has been criticised by Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) for years. According to the judges in Luxembourg, the practice clearly violates Article 9 of the EU Birds Directive and may no longer be authorised. The proceedings before the ECJ are the premature conclusion of a long-running dispute between bird conservationists and the Maltese Labour Government, which has repeatedly tried to circumvent the Birds Directive in recent years in order to secure the votes of bird trappers. Because finches are strictly protected under EU law, bird-trapping was officially relabelled as a “scientific research project” in 2020 and licenses were issued for more than 2,600 trapping sites. In recent years, official complaints by CABS have resulted in the confiscation of thousands of birds that were caught illegally under the guise of the alleged research project. It is still unclear whether the Maltese government will accept the verdict or appeal and allow the trappers to continue. CABS have already confirmed that we will be in Malta in October with several teams to monitor compliance with a possible ban on trapping.

The ruling shows that international law and cross border agreements can achieve huge benefits for protecting nature. The mills of the EU Commission and the ECJ may grind slowly, but in the end the directives – as in this case the EU Birds Directive adopted in 1979 – are enforced even in the unwilling member states!

Best regards,

Alexander Heyd and Lloyd Scott

Second up today before we even get to the garden animals…it isn’t the photographs (they are great) it is a statement in there about fish fairies!

We hope that your week has been going well for you! With all of the rain the past few days, we have taken to finishing up some of those odd little things around the house that are like monkeys on your back. The space behind my desk has now received its colour block to go with the feather images. The area around the tub has been painted a deep navy black. The storage room has been cleaned and decluttered, with much donated or put out for the free weekend. The kitchen drawers and utility room are now cleaned, cleared, and washed. The Girls were not that keen on all the mopping. They sure hate getting their feet wet! It feels so good to get things off lists, open a drawer, and find precisely what you need quickly. My life needs serenity and a deep, quiet calm now. My patient nature becomes overwhelmed unnecessarily over trivial things like a messy drawer where I cannot find a bottle opener when I want nothing more than one of the Mexican watermelon sodas whose lids require them.

We woke to a garden that was bursting with green – the deepest blue emerald – after the rain we had over the past three days. Today’s was a downpour. Speaking of green, another ‘Greene’ indicated that he saw an osprey that might be Sum-eh. Is the family fishing downriver? Is Iris still here? We are waiting for confirmation and an updated posting from Dr. Greene.

The Blue Jays are sweeping down to get peanuts. There are two of them this morning. It is Mr and Mrs Junior. I suspect that their fledglings have departed or, sadly, have been killed. You might recall that I counted eighteen Blue Jays in the garden after all of the close nests had fledged their young. Eighteen. It was wondrous. The neighbour saw the hawk take one. Survival rates in urban areas are low for all of our feathered friends. No one reported any other Blue Jays found dead. I hope they found other places to feed. The competition in the garden was keen at times. That said, food is scarce as habitat turns into concrete parking lots or new condos around me.

It is now 1200, and I have returned from a quick run to the shops so that Mr Crow and Mrs Crow and at least five fledglings can have their dogs along with some fruit today in the rain. Tomorrow is hard-boiled egg day. Question: How do you keep Crows healthy through food? I am confident they need a variety and must seek out this answer. Some days, they prefer pecking at the nut cylinder. Some days, they look at the fruit and veg, declaring that l am a monster: cheesy dogs? Where are our dogs!!!!!!!! Hopefully, the Crows amuse the neighbours with all their cawing and swooping about! Right now, one is cawing loudly. He alerts us that there is a cat in the garden. It is a poor grey tabby with a bent ear. His family lets it wander. This lovely lad really likes my neighbour, who also feeds the feral cats of the neighbour. He can feel her love.

Baby Hope did not appreciate the monsoon style rain.

You can hear the rain starting and getting heavier at the end of the video below. Baby Hope moves off the post and goes into her quiet spot out of the conservatory. It is where she feels safe.

Click on the image below to get the arrow to start the video.

Baby Hope listens as the rain begins and leaves when it is heavy! It was like a monsoon.

Geemeff sent us news from the Woodland Trust and Spain about the surviving osplet of Louis and Dorcha:

“We have had an update from Spain. 1JW has not been seen since last Tuesday and may be now on migration. Sometimes the birds disappear for a few days and come back so the team are going to wait until tomorrow to confirm. If he hasn’t reappeared in the district by then we will regard him as on migration.”

I wanted to check the nest of Hope and Beaumont in Newfoundland right away. Beaumont is still home delivering fish to one of the most beautiful ‘dark’ fledglings I have ever seen. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to see Hope and Beaumont’s chicks survive and fledge. To see what they look like. My goodness. I never knew I loved dark osprey females until I set eyes on Louis’s Dorcha in 2022. Now they are fascinating. The two fledglings on the Snow Lane nest take after their Mum, Hope, who is exquisitely dark. There is no competition for this fish as expected if both juveniles were still home. We wait to see for sure. The other juvenile was seen on Tuesday the 17th.

Others in Canada are leaving. The Osoyoos’ nest appears to be empty. There continue to be reports of a few ospreys still in Nova Scotia. Those in Manitoba have headed south, and the Russell Lake group feels like empty nesters!

Fortis Exshaw at Canmore looks quiet.

I have seen no activity at the nest despite my desire for Iris and her mate to come and work on that nest for next season! That touch and go might have been her goodbye to all of us! If, however, Dr Greene has seen one osprey – if it happens to be Sum-eh – might indicate that the family is still in the area.

There is still one osprey at Charlo Montana.

At the Kurzeme nest in Latvia, the male is still home and at least one juvenile, Janice. Liznm has them on video. https://youtu.be/GK8gwFZGi18?

There are lots of nest round-ups or memory logs starting to take shape across Osprey Land. Dunrovin Ranch published theirs this morning. It is a beautiful read about Swoop and his new mate and little Junebug while, at the same time, remembering Harriet.

This ones all about the ospreys Download

Jeff Kear gathered information on all the UK Osprey nests and has added some more with a good view of all the nests. It is a reliable historical document. Please have a read.

https://ukospreyinformationcoukdatablogdomainonly.wordpre…

Geemeff – how do they do it? – also does summaries for some of the other nests including, of course, Loch Arkaig. These can prove useful and interesting to you.

https://community.rspb.org.uk/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/f/loch-garten-ospreys/287633/loch-arkaig—the-woodland-trust—june-2024—february-2025

https://community.rspb.org.uk/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/f/loch-garten-ospreys

It is a disappointment that the nests on streaming cams in the US and Canada do not have, for the most part (Bart is sure helping with information at some of those! Thank you, Bart), do not have detailed information on arrivals/departures, egg dates, hatch dates, and fledge dates and then the migration dates. As a researcher this is useful information. On the other hand, many of you now have good log books that would benefit from these summaries.

I need to catch up in entering data for the International Osprey Data Project. I know that I am because the starvation rate in the overall summary is not high enough. The Colonial Beach nests and 31 others from Virginia will change that dramatically, sadly, and for the worst.

More studies are linking the starvation of Ospreys to the lack of Menhaden. Now we know what is causing a lack of Menhaden —-Omega, a Canadian company that I am not proud of!!!!! I will continue to ask you to write your Senator and Congressional Representative – write anyone who has a vested interest in the upcoming election – and if you have the energy left, write to the culprits in Virginia politics including the two Senators and tell them they are starving ospreys out of existence in the Chesapeake Bay. All we need is one person with the will power like Rosalie Edge in the US to make a difference.

Study Links Menhaden Depletion to Osprey Chicks Starving in Nests | Chesapeake Bay Magazine Download

In New South Wales, Australia, the Avalon nest has a chick. I am waiting for permission to post the photo! Congratulations.

Judy Harrington brings us the latest news from her FB posting of the Olympic Park eaglets.

At the NE Florida nest, there is some confusion and it will not be settled until Gabby picks a mate. Beau was at the nest on Tuesday. Gabby was not there with him. She flew in with another male before midnight and was still there with the male in the morning. It is not time for eggs or working on the nest. I am hopeful that this will be sorted and Gabby will have baby eaglets this year with whatever male she picks.

The visitor flew off and Gabby remained. The visitor returned at 1331.

At SW Florida, M15 and F23 were on the nest on the 17th of September. https://youtu.be/2uuMhoiUky4?

Royal Cam chick gets a feeding with parent flying effortlessly off into the skies showing the chick precisely what to do!

https://youtu.be/DTbGZTu-JBQ?

Rolling the eggs at 367 Collins Street. Oh, it feels like agony waiting for eggs to hatch.

Darling Xavier only wants to incubate his eggs. This sweet little falcon tries and tries. Diamond is one formidable mate!!!!!!!!!!

Gorgeous Mum at Port Lincoln.

Estonian Black Stork Karl II’s son, Waba, has been in Ukraine for nine days in a restricted area. Feeding well, we hope. His father, Karl II, had his favourite spots to stop despite the war raging. Ironically, after spending so many weeks getting his strength up, it was to be a Turkish hydro pole that would kill this much-loved Black stork father. We continue to weep for him.

I am looking forward to taking you through the latest exhibition at The Leaf. I hope that happens next week. Here is the description: Yasuragi: Gardens of Japan. Yasuragi: Gardens of Japan, a serene journey into the heart of traditional Japanese garden design. The word Yasuragi translates to the deep, calming breath of relaxation, an invitation to slow down and immerse yourself in peaceful reflection. As you wander through this tranquil space, notice the subtle shifts in the atmosphere—vibrant pathways give way to serene, minimalist landscapes, guiding you into deeper mindfulness with each step. This display is a harmonious blend of nature, history, and artistry, featuring signature elements of Japanese garden design. Each detail, from the vibrant chrysanthemums to the contrasting green and red shades around the Torii gate, reflect a deep cultural heritage. You’ll also come across a bamboo gazebo, perfect for a moment of quiet reflection. At the center of the journey lies the Zen Garden, with its carefully placed boulders, sand, gravel, and rocks that mimic the patterns of nature. A tranquil dry river through the display is home to brass cranes that mirror the delicate 1,000 origami cranes suspended along the windows of Grande Allée.”

If you live in Winnipeg, take a look!

Calico’s Tips for the Day: This tip could save you, a friend, or a family member much money and a heck of a lot of anxiety. I am so surprised that Calico is so informed!!!

Are you feeling a little overwhelmed? Is cleaning your house getting to be too much? Have you decided to look into hiring a cleaning company? Calico wants you to be super smart and not be taken to the cleaners!!!!!! First, when things are quiet, make a list of what it is that is important to be clean? Is it your floors? Walls? Is it your windows? Your Bathroom? Kitchen? Fridge? Calico says make that list, set it aside, and then examine it again. Rank what is important. Then Calico wants you to interview the cleaning company before telling them what your priorities are. Ask them what they have trained their staff to clean first. Find out if they clean the floors last? Is fridge cleaning included if it is important to you? or is it extra? What is extra? What kind of cleaning products do they use? Are those products good for the environment? Now, did you watch the TV series House? Where he is constantly saying ‘everyone lies’? Keep that in mind? They will need to know the sq footage of your house or the number of rooms they are cleaning and what they are. You must get a quote in writing. If you don’t, well…..Calico will come back and give you a hefty tutorial!!!!!!

Let me give you an example of precisely why you need to do this. It is a true story and has happened to several people by the same company which is ‘highly rated’. The company does not do windows or fridges. Those are extra and the cost is specified. The company quoted for two girls for two hours to clean approximately 900 sq. feet for $259. The quote was in writing and it said that any time over had to be pre-approved. They gave everyone ‘a discount’ of $63 up front for being first time users of their service. After the two hours had passed and the two girls were into the third hour, each client mentioned this to the girls. They did not appear to speak good English. The clients contacted the service – now it is 3 hours. Now remember that they said that the additional hours had to be pre-approved. The clients felt their hands were tied. Each and every one of them allowed the service to continue cleaning because the essential things had not been done. Do you know what has been cleaned? Trophies in the back of a closet. All the bottles in the bathroom. All canisters, etc, on the kitchen counter. The track around the shower. The top of picture frames. No walls, not the front of the appliances, not the floors! I think you are getting the picture of what Calico is warning you about. Each client wound up with a bill of approximately $635. Floors were cleaned last as the girls crawled out the front door. Because they hurried, the floors were not that clean in some instances.

If that has happened to you, don’t feel guilty and not complain because it took so long for your house to be cleaned and you feel guilty that it was so dirty. That is what they would like you to feel. Complain vigorously on social media, BBB, to anyone who will listen.

You will notice that I mentioned hiring a cleaning service company. Hiring an individual is another species of fish. Calico will discuss that another day!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘Geemeff, H’, Geemeff, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Newfoundland Power, Connie Dennis and Ospreys of Nova Scotia FB, Fortis Exshaw, Montana Osprey Project, Owl Research Project, Days at Dunrovin, Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Information, Geemeff, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Judy Harrington and the Sydney Sea Eagles FB, NEFL-AEF, Androcat, NZ DOC and Cornell Bird Labs, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Port Lincoln Ospreys, and Looduskalender.

Iris calls, no one answers…Tuesday in Bird World

17 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone!

It is Monday afternoon. 25 C. We are expecting a thunderstorm with heavy rain any moment. We have had rain on and off since dawn and it is ‘humid’. Did anyone say New Orleans? It is still raining Tuesday morning. The garden has been rejuvenated from all the moisture. It is the deepest emerald green. Beautiful.

Hugo Yugo wishes everyone the best Tuesday ever.

Well, there is something ‘changed’ at Hellgate Canyon. Iris was on the nest early Monday calling for Antali. She had a piece of fish. Antali was not on the perch. Antali did not come flying in tearing Mum’s talons off. Antali was not there. Antali was not there later in the day. You will understand immediately that this is not Antali’s normal behaviour. So the question is: 1) Is Antali with Finnegan and Sum-eh along the river fishing? OR 2) Has Antali left the area?

Iris calling Antali.

No Antali and no more Iris on Monday. I suspect that Antali is gone and that the sun is setting on the season at Hellgate Canyon.

I would say they are gone – the entire family of four. No doubt Dr Greene and his team will be out trying establishing for certain that everyone is on their way. Mark your calendars for the end of March 2025 and 8 April. We look forward to a re-run of the Iris and Finnegan Show.

The NE Florida camera has been fixed and is now streaming. Beau has been to the nest and there are some new wounds on his left leg. I did not see Gabby.

Gabby flies in at 1853. Her and Beau fly off together a minute later.

The SW Florida Bald Eagle streaming cams are up and running. If you have Osprey withdrawal, you can watch Gabby (we hope) and Beau and M15 and F23! https://www.youtube.com/live/fMum_nLPJqM?

Eagle 22 caught Shadow at Twin Pines. https://youtu.be/yzAO4lbtr9w?

Beaumont and Hope’s two dark beautiful fledglings are still at the Newfoundland nest screaming for fish! These chicks are beauties. What a great year.

I could show you a dozen images of C16 on Monday. What a gorgeous bird. She is trying to catch her own fish. She was rewarded by Charlie with a whole trout! A nice one.

Quiet at Sandpoint. I did not see River until the time of this screen capture.

Quiet at Dunrovin. I did not see Junebug up until the time of this screen capture.

Heidi says that it appears that Fen has now started his migration from the Fenwick Island osprey platform. The kids are starting to move south. Bless their wings, everyone. Full crops all around…safe trips, productive lives.

Still home at Niagara Bee.

Port Lincoln reports that the White-bellied Sea eagle chick is doing well.

Heidi discovered a new Osprey platform in Australia with a chick.

Please, please write your Senator, your Congressional Representatives and then flood those in Virginia. Another article about Osprey chicks (and we know adults died, too) from a lack of Menhaden. They starved to death. You saw it on your screen.

“The latest study surveyed data from 12 different sites this year in both Virginia and Maryland. Osprey young were struggling to survive at 10 sites in saltier waters where osprey primarily depend on menhaden for food. However, osprey young had much higher survival rates in two freshwater sites studied for reference, where they eat mainly catfish and gizzard shad.

Menhaden are a key component in the Bay food chain, serving as a food for striped bass, osprey, and whales. For years, the industrial harvest of menhaden in the Bay by Omega Protein and affiliate Ocean Harvesters, owned by Canada-based Cooke Inc., has raised concerns due to threats to other species. Last month, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission voted to form a workgroup to consider additional restrictions on the industrial harvest of menhaden, following a presentation of survey results showing low osprey nesting successThis year’s osprey data adds to the growing concerns about the number of menhaden in the Bay and the importance of a robust menhaden population for species that depend on them for food and Virginia’s economy,” CBF Virginia Executive Director Chris Moore said. “We must follow a precautionary, ecosystem-based approach to setting limits on the menhaden fishery. That approach must include the study of the industrial fishing impacts to the Bay, as well as considering seasonal fishing closures from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission…Often called “the osprey garden,” the Chesapeake Bay is home to the world’s largest breeding population of ospreys. “They’re an iconic bird,” said Remy Moncrieffe, marine conservation policy manager for National Audubon Society. “They’re one of the most approachable birds in the world. They’re historically everywhere. And they are a great indicator species.” With their distinctive cheep cheep cheep, majestic dives, and admirable work ethic, osprey—a tell-tale sign of summer on the Bay—are extraordinary birds. They mate for life and each spring return (often traveling thousands of miles from Cuba, Colombia, and other points south) to nest in the same area where they were born.”

https://www.gettysburgtimes.com/sports/article_bcba7b80-7166-11ef-af20-aba799f20f91.html?

Something must be done now and politicians only listen when their constituency seats are at risk.

Another article from Martha’s Vineyard on the importance of Menhaden to whales and dolphins, too.

Martha’s Vineyard Magazine | Martha’s Vineyard Magazine | Let Us Now Praise Famous Menhaden Download

Who won New Zealand’s Bird of the Year? Have you ever heard of this smelly penguin? Hoiho is its Maori name which means ‘nose shouter’. It has the most amazing yellow eyes! They are the most rare penguin in the world and only live in New Zealand. The Yellow Eyed Penguin Trust says, “That’s not the only thing that makes this a most unusual penguin. Hoiho are not as social as other penguins. Very shy, they prefer to nest often well away and out of sight of their neighbours.

Hoiho are dependent on both marine and terrestrial habitats. The land provides nesting habitat as well as loafing, roosting and moulting space. The sea provides food for hoiho and is essential for dispersal and movement between terrestrial habitats….Hoiho face a number of threats at sea and on land which impact their survival and ultimately lead to a population decline. They have become casualties of human activities – historically they were hunted for food, fires destroyed vast tracts of habitat and people arrived with predators. Today these predators still roam the countryside and we continue to share the coastal space occupied by penguins, putting their lives at risk.

Terrestrial impacts such as predation and land-use changes, can for the most part be managed. But even on offshore islands without terrestrial impacts, a decrease in the hoiho population is evident. This indicates that marine impacts are a major cause of decline.

Hoiho are considered to be ocean sentinels, helping us to understand the effects of pollution, over-fishing and climate change. They are highly sensitive to variation in the ocean, and sound the alarm on threats to marine ecosystems.

The cumulative impact of a range of different threats means that hoiho are less resilient to any additional impacts.”

“Hoiho/Yellow-Eyed Penguin, Porpoise Bay, Catlins” by flyingkiwigirl is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Rare smelly penguin wins New Zealand bird of the year contest | New Zealand | The Guardian Download

National Geographic gives us a look at Emperor Penguins taking the leap.https://youtu.be/4PwDFddpo4c?

Please leave the leaves! Go bird watching with all that time saved!

Send good wishes to this little fella – his injuries were caused by steam! So we can add that to the list of things that ‘J’ just sent she had read about injuring our birds in a single day: “football netting, fishing line, lights at night, poison, and shooting.” I am going to toss in there habitat loss, industrial fishing, industrial fishing nets and then there are the other 35 that Heidi and I discovered one day!

This one also had burns to his legs along with feather damage.

At the Olympic Eagle nest in Sydney, the little sea eaglets are ‘friends’. Have a peek! So cute, but it is the closeups and that beautiful plumage. https://youtu.be/kR3g4p8qX7I?

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

Thank you to the following for the posts, comments, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J, PB’, Montana Osprey Project, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Bald Eagle Cam, Eagle22, Charlo Montana, Newfoundland Power, Sandpoint Ospreys, Dunrovin Ranch, Pam Breci and The Joy of Ospreys, Port Lincoln Ospreys, thegettysburgtimes.com, Heidi McGrue Raptors of the World, Martha’s Vineyard, The Yellow Eyed Penguin Trust, Openverse, The Guardian, National Geographic, Leaves for Life, Raptor Centre of Tampa Bay, and SK Hideaways.

Saturday in Bird World

14 September 2024

Hello Everyone,

The weather is still warm and will continue to be. The air was heavy Friday morning. We headed out to the nature centre to see how many geese were on the lake and check on the Mallard family with the two small ducklings. The sky was black, and it looked like rain could start any minute. In the forest, we could hear the Black-capped Chickadees and the American Goldfinch. The Goldfinches migrate, but the Chickadees stay all winter!

We found the Mallard family, but we could only see one duckling. I hope the other one was hiding in the reeds. The tiny duckling has grown but is still not large enough to migrate. Our weather is supposed to stay warm through October, so it should be fine to take off then.

At the hide, a female Downy Woodpecker was at the peanut feeder while another Mallard looked for seed in the grasses. Honking was constant overhead as the winds grew stronger, and the dark clouds gathered.

Even with the impending rain, it was a good morning to be outside for a walk. Always makes our day!

I was just so happy to see Annie! Annie is loafing!!!!!! Oh, it is so good to see you, Annie. https://youtu.be/3Vcnr3Fg9yU?

In Bird World, Hartley and Monty are back at the scrape in San Jose, too!

https://youtu.be/bg-SeoBSjDc?

Please tell everyone to please store their sports nets (of any kind) but especially soccer when they are not in use. Look what happened to this owl!

West Nile Virus killed the only surviving, of two, hawlets of Big Red and Arthur this year. It is also having an impact on all of our feathered friends including ospreys.

What is West Nile Virus and how is it impacting birds? Sadly, the most common in Canada are my beloved Crows and Blue Jays.

West Nile and Dead Birds | West Nile Virus | CDC Download

“As of September 2003, West Nile Virus has been identified in 11 Page 2 species of native owls, 4 species of falcons, and 15 native species of diurnal raptors, including osprey, vultures, and bald and golden eagles.”

This document from the Cascade Raptor Centre is particularly good:

West-Nile-virus Download

Heidi reports that Harvie and the two juveniles at Fortis Exshaw Canmore Osprey Platform are still home. You can see the wildfire smoke spreading through the valley behind the nest. Yesterday, Heidi saw five fish delivered in a short period of time to the fledglings at the nest after a period of rain.

Heidi checked on Fenwick Island and Johnny is still bringing Fen fish.

At the Hellgate Canyon nest, Antali had a very late night fish. I can’t rewind but he is holding it at 22:46 and is till eating in the wee hours of the morning. Antali has an enormous crop. It seems Finnegan wants to fill his fledgling up and hopefully get him on his way south.

Antali’s crop was still huge at 0741 when he was fish-calling. No delivery. Antali flew off after Dad (or so it would seem).

Finn sits on the nest with a lunch fish looking around and Antali comes flying in! He is not going to miss that fish dinner.

Finnegan takes good care of his boy. Another headless fish is delivered at 1644. Antalia has not had a sunken crop all day!

Now I love geese and on my ‘Bucket List’ has been a trip to see the Pinkfooted Geese that breed in Iceland and Greenland and then travel with their fledglings to the UK to winter arriving sometime after September 1. In the 1880s, the birds did not come to the UK til the last week of October. Now, to the astonishment of all, a pair of Pink-footed Geese have bred in Lancashire!

The concern was with climate change and the melting tundra that the Pinkfoots might not migrate to the UK. So this is very interesting.

Look at the image below. The heads are the colour of a cafe lait. This dark to medium brown head fades into a boey that is blue grey. The lowest part of the neck is pink! The goose has fluffy white underparts. The legs are, of course, pink matching the lower neck which gives these geese their name.

The female lays a clutch of 3-5 eggs. It takes 26 or 27 days for the wee ones to hatch. At that moment, both the male and the female will lead the clutch to wetlands to feed. In Iceland, they also eat crowberries, which makes their ‘ps’ pink!!!!! Their main enemies in Iceland are foxes and gyrfalcons.

“Pink-footed Geese” by naturalengland is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Pink-footed Goose pair breeds in Lancashire – BirdGuides Download

Some absolutely gorgeous closeups on this video by Cornell Bird Labs of the Royal Albatross chick. https://youtu.be/PsUNmjyrOFU?

The area of Shadow and Jackie’s nest is under voluntary evacuation for the Line Fire that is scorching parts of San Bernadino County. Shadow was spotted at the Snag and Roost Tree despite the wind and smoke by Eagle22 on the 12th of September. https://youtu.be/VNOQ7VrBTXc?

They say Jackie and Shadow are safe from the Line Fire (as of 9 September).

Are eagles Jackie and Shadow safe amid California fires? | Raleigh News & Observer Download

Connie Dennis reports that Oscar is still feeding Skylor at the Russell Lake nest in Nova Scotia. So no migration other than Mum, Ethel, so far.

Skylor you crack me up!

Dad is still providing fish at Niagara Bee.

Charlie is still supplying fish to C16 at Charlo. Interesting that it is the males staying behind at the nest and having Dad fish and fish and fish!

No love is lost at the Newfoundland nest of Hope and Beaumont between fledglings when a much-desired fish dinner arrives at the nest. That was the only delivery I saw at the nest – fish could be provided elsewhere, I do not know.

Juveniles in Latvia fight over dinner! https://youtu.be/eh85H6lpaW8?

A juvenile at the Kurzeme Osprey nest in Latvia gets a goldfish dinner. https://youtu.be/E-Bm_C8mv4E?

There was an odd break in the transmission from Sandpoint. Keke is still delivering fish. River was on the perch and then mysteriously on the nest with a nice fish. It was the camera. River is not catching fish – as far as I know, none of the males at these nests are getting their own food. Gorgeous wingspan on this fledgling.

At Orange, a Willy Wagtail comes to visit Diamond.

https://youtu.be/fl7TSd-6KiU?

Incubation continues at 367 Collins Street.

Still no breakfast at the Olympic Sea Eagle nest by 1130. Lady found a few scraps in the nest.

Do you love seabirds and Puffins? Dani Connor Wild has some amazing images in her recent video. https://youtu.be/IJi4vnEk1do?

Calico’s Tip for the Day: When the sisal on the scratch post cylinders is ragged, and you are ready to toss the entire thing in the garbage, don’t. First, could you check your online retailers for replacement sisal disks? They are about half the price of a replacement post where I live. The package we ordered also contained new hardware and an Allen key. Calico knows that I am the least ‘handy person’ in the neighbourhood, so if I can do this, so can you!

The Girls had really scratched up that sisal!

New cylinders to compare. Note the small bag with the hardware and Allen Key. We used our handy dandy cat fur remover and tried to get the old scratch post in near new condition.

What do you think? You can see that we got it all finished. Make sure that the Allen Key has everything secure. Gosh, I even amazed Calico and she gave the new sisal cylinders her Golden Paw Award – because they had a small bag of hardware with the Allen Key so I didn’t have to go rummaging around trying to find one!

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

Thank you to the following for their posts, notes, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: SK Hideaways, Farmer’s Way, Diana Lambertson and The Joy of Ospreys, the CDC West Nile Virus, Cascade Raptor Centre, Fortis Exshaw Canmore, Heidi McGrue and The Joy of Ospreys, Montana Osprey Project, Openverse, BirdGuides, Cornell Bird Lab, Eagle 22, News & Observer, Connie Dennis and Ospreys of Nova Scotia, Pam Breci and The Joy of Ospreys, Charlo Montana, Newfoundland Power, Sandpoint Ospreys, Liznm, Holly Parsons, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac,

Thursday in Bird World

12 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

We hope that your week has been going well.

The City of Winnipeg continues under an extreme weather warning. It is air quality – the problem is the wildfires burning in northern Saskatchewan, the province to the west of us. This is one of the predictions from the CBC: “The long-range forecast calls for a drawn-out summer with above-normal temperatures extending patio season well into October. But in the more immediate present, people are being encouraged to limit their time outdoors due to heavy wildfire smoke in the air.” We did not follow their instructions and went to the nature centre and the farmer’s market. It is late in the farmer’s market year, and the crowd there in late July has dwindled. One of the highlights was the local honey – hives from St Boniface and downtown Winnipeg. We bought little bottles of each to try before a big commitment next week – honey to last us over the winter. The late-night snack was a mug of hot chocolate (it got cool in the evening, but it will be 30 C tomorrow) with a slice of toast slathered with butter and honey. Delicious. Oh, there is something wonderful about the nip in the fall air — but sadly, our forecast is for the high temperatures to continue.

If I had been Jack in the Beanstalk, I could have touched the Canada Geese, forming their wedges and flying off Devonian Lake at Ft Whyte at noon on Wednesday. We had just exited the car when the first skein flew over us. There were about 500 on the lake resting and gathering strength to begin their migration further south. It is so amazing to see them. Of course, we did not have the camera, and my phone was charging at home for some silly reason. We will get other chances, but this morning’s flight were magical because they flew so low over the parking lot. Our dates to go and see the Goose Flights at the Ft Whyte Alive Nature Centre are ten days away and at the marsh for two and a half weeks. How many geese will there be, then?

All About Birds shows the areas for Canadian geese. When they arrive in your area, be kind. Try to get people to slow down when they are driving. Geese bond with a partner. They have emotions. When one dies, the grieving is intense. There is stress when one is taken into care, and the other does not know where their mate is.

Please stand up for the Geese. This article in Psychology Today shows how killing them (culling) is wrong! Our cities have taken their habitat. We should seriously be able to work ourselves around their poop. It astonishes me how privileged humans have become.

Why Geese Matter | Psychology Today Canada Download

The Hidden Lives of Ducks and Geese | PETA Download

Everything you ever wanted to know about our beloved Canadian geese: if the font size is too small on the device you view my blog, please click the link below. It should lead you to the original publication.

Canada Geese Download

In Iceland, Greenland, and Siberia, the Pink-footed geese, Russian Whitefronts, Barnacle Geese, Brent Geese, and Graylags to areas of the UK, mainly Norfolk. In his book The Meaning of Geese. A Thousand miles in search of home, Nick Acheson gives up a life of flying around the world. He wants to study the geese first-hand at his home in Norfolk. He rides a bicycle. I have read this book to The Girls three times, and we are starting it again. Acheson knows that with our warming planet and the tundra melting, the winter visits of these geese to the UK will stop. Precisely when that will happen is anyone’s guess. I, too, want to see them, and if you fancy geese like I do and live near the UK, you can see them from early October through the winter months. There are even some rare Red-breasted Geese that find themselves in Norfolk. They will be gone by January. Think about November! It is the best month, according to Acheson’s diary. And, if you are looking for an excellent book to read right now, The Meaning of Geese is it. You will fall in love with honkers. It gets Calico’s Golden Paw Award.

A more scientific book on migration is Flight Paths by Rebecca Heismann. This book charts the earliest research to understand migration and the people behind the research on the annual movement of our feathered friends. I find it to be a good reference book.

Let’s check and see if we can figure out which of our feathered friends are still home.

Oscar and Skylor are still at Russell Lake, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Avian behaviour dictates that Oscar remain until Skylor leaves—even if it is an hour! Typically, the males ensure all fledglings are gone before departing. I remember Blue 33 waiting several days at Rutland just to be sure.

To my knowledge, all UK Ospreys on streaming cams have departed. If I am in error, please don’t hesitate to send me a comment correcting this.

Don Dennis has done a fantastic job chasing Skylor and family around Russell Lake for everyone. Thank you!

Richmond and Tully could still be at the light stand nest in SF Bay. This recent video seems to indicate just that. https://youtu.be/hCv1bEtKTn0?

Richmond is very handsome! He does not migrate. He stays around the SF Bay for the winter while Rosie goes somewhere south? Perhaps the Baja Peninsula??

Finnegan and Antali were at the nest at 09:27 and 11:45. I bet Antali’s fish screams can be heard over the sound of the passing trains. What a character! Finnegan is keeping him fed, and the morning’s fish were caught close together. He wants Antali to be well-fed and ready for the journey south! Finnegan delivers again at 17:54. Iris has an amazing partner. What a glorious year it has been. The biggest question is: is Iris still in the area? I am hoping we will get some confirmation of her presence or absence of Iris from Dr Greene soon.

The latest from Dr Erick Greene. If you are thinking about making a donation, please read this post carefully.

C16 is at the Charlo Montana nest. The cam went back and forth to Highlights, so it is unclear whether there are any fish deliveries.

Is C16 looking down at the water and thinking of trying his luck at fishing?

I think all four ospreys are still home at Newfoundland Power’s Snow Lane nest of Beaumont and Hope. My goodness. One of those youngsters is so dark – the thickest dark 90% chocolate eyeband. Wow.

At the Sandpoint nest, River is wishing he had that double-header breakfast that Antali had at Hellgate Canyon. I have seen no deliveries by noon Wednesday.

‘PB’ has had a response from Niagara Bee. They said the osplet on the nest was killed by an eagle in the area they think is looking for a nest for next year. They are planning on fundraising to raise more platforms. I find this quite odd. Did they re-wind the video footage and see an eagle kill the osplet and leave the body on the nest? Eagles are not known for hunting at night. They hunt from dawn to dusk. We have seen them swoop over a nest and take the osplet with their talons flying off. Think of Cowlitz PUD in 2024. Owls hunt silently at night. They sometimes eat their prey, sometimes only eat the head, and they are even known for killing and leaving prey. The perfect example this year is Lake Murray’s osprey platform. One osplet survived. The obvious predator at Niagara Bee should be an owl. I would really like to see a screen capture showing the eagle at Niagara Bee.

The surviving juveniles at Niagara Bee continue to come to the nest for fish. Dad is busy providing for them!

It looks like two different juveniles are visiting the Blackbush nest, but I witnessed no deliveries at the nest. ‘MP’ identifies the fledgling in the top screen capture as the third hatch, a female who bossed her older siblings about!

Junebug is on the perch at Dunrovin while the a Magpie cleans the nest.

The Osoyoos camera was not frozen on Wednesday. One juvenile was seen at the nest early in the day. I did not see a fish delivery; however, I did not check back late in the day so perhaps some of you saw something? Let me know.

Quiet at Cowlitz PUD.

Please remember to write to your Senators and Congress representatives if you live in the US. Demand a moratorium on Menhaden fishing in Chesapeake Bay.

‘PB’ sends us the latest on the Denton triplets from SOAR:

It was raining at The Hamlet. Looks like Beau and Gabby at the nest tree. Gabby flew off early leaving Beau to protect the tree. He stayed til the rain got heavy.

I thought I had heard everything, but there is a rumour going around that the eagle visiting the nest with the necrotic feet is Romeo, Samson’s father, last seen in 2017. If you want to know the truth about who is or is not on the NorthEast Florida nest, please go directly to the American Eagle Foundation website. Click on the NE Florida nest camera and check on the chat there and check on their FB page. Please do not fall for gossip by chatters or even some that have their own FB pages.

Quiet at Chase & Cholyn’s Two Harbours nest. Will these 25 or is it 26 year old eagles breed again this year? We wait to see.

I did not see anyone at the Fraser Point nest of Andor and Cruz.

We had an extreme weather warning for the City of Winnipeg on Wednesday. It was for wildfire smoke. Speaking of wildfires, everyone’s eyes are on that Line Fire in San Bernardino County, California that is well – making us nervous about Jackie and Shadow despite the reassurances. I did not see them at the nest in the early part of the day Wednesday.

The Line Fire is one of the largest ever wildfires in the US.

FOBBV shows us the smoky valley: https://youtu.be/j-lRBiHko6M?

It is gorgeous at the Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest. Pretty quiet, too.

Pretty quiet at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose.

If you have been missing M15 and F23, here they are getting that nest ready for a great season. Think we might have two eaglets this year? https://youtu.be/xVa-G_NzXis?

There is some action—maybe not so good—at the eagle nests in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana. I hope they are all safe as Hurricane Francine hits southern Louisiana as a category 2. https://youtu.be/DNIIxYXSfz8?

Audubon Florida tells us that Eagle season is beginning.

Bald Eagle Nesting Season Starts October 1The official Bald Eagle nesting season in Florida runs from October 1 through May 15, but birds don’t use calendars! We’re already seeing eagles return to their nesting sites to prepare for the season ahead.

Florida hosts an estimated 1,500 nesting pairs; one of the highest concentrations of nesting Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states. Audubon’s EagleWatch program monitors more than 1,200 pairs in Florida, covering 55 counties. This growing community science program documents, monitors, and protects nesting eagles in Florida.

Eagles continue to face increasing pressures from Florida’s ever-growing human population and land development. Habitat loss due to this development, car strikes, electrocutions, and environmental toxins all threaten the health of the eagle population. EagleWatch volunteers collect critical nest data, which is shared with state and federal agencies to investigate new conservation challenges, including the movement of Bald Eagles into urban areas and the increasing use of artificial structures for nest sites. This community of volunteers ensures that eagles continue to thrive in our state.

Did you Know?

Cute little penguin escaped and is found in Japan. http://‘Miracle’ penguin found two weeks after escaping captivity in Japan https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/11/miracle-penguin-found-two-weeks-after-escaping-captivity-in-japan?CMP=share_btn_url

‘A’ brings us up to date with the Olympic Park Sea Eagles: “The littles ate a good breakfast this morning and then a good lunch. Both eaglets ate and there was no bonking or intimidation.

Dad brought in a small/medium fresh fish for breakfast shortly after 07:46. Lady was at the ready for the feeding job, but the littles were still lying duckling style on their nest, side by side, and apparently fascinated by something on the perch branch (Dad?) and didn’t get up to come to the table. By 07:55 SE34 is up on his feet and eating, leaning across SE33’s tail to take the food. At 07:56:45, SE33 stands up and, being closer to mum, is immediately in prime position. Lady starts feeding SE33, who is now in front of SE34.

By 07:58, SE34 is moving forwards towards Lady. He does a little wingercising in slow motion, which somewhat takes SE33 aback, as SE34’s wings hit SE33. By 07:59, the pair are side by side at the table, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt. SO sweet. They are so cute. Mum is taking her time, eating some bites herself, and the chicks wait patiently, behaving like perfect little angels.

SE34 keeps shuffling forwards, and just before 8am, he is rewarded with his first bite of breakfast fish. He gets three bites before Lady begins feeding the two alternate bites. Their table manners are impeccable. Lady feeds half a dozen consecutive mouthfuls to SE34, without objection from SE33, who does some stretching while waiting its turn. By 08:01 she is feeding only SE34. Again, there is no protest from SE33.

Lady soon resumes alternating bites, and both eaglets are eating well, getting their share of the fish. The feeding ends at 08:16 when Lady swallows the last of the fish and leaves the nest. For once, SE33 looks larger than SE34 as they sit side by side after breakfast. SE34’s juvenile plumage is rapidly developing, and the caramel streaks are starting to appear on the breasts of both chicks. They are exquisitely beautifully designed. Sheer perfection.

Dad arrives just before 09:18 with more food. It appears to be feathered. He waits for Lady, who arrives a minute or so later. The eaglets are snuggled up together, and SE33 gently nuzzles SE34’s cheek with its beak. They are SO adorable. More food, and again both eaglets eat. These are big juicy bites of red meat, and after their second breakfast, both must be stuffed.

They eat again later, in the early afternoon, and in general had a peaceful day. It was lovely to watch them together. “

And the other Australia or NZ nests: “AtOrange, the bonding session was again extremely early this morning (04:04:17). Xavier brought Diamond two prey items, and she is currently doing night duties on the eggs. Xavier had another run-in with the black-shouldered kite, who is still obviously in the area. When Xavier arrived for a brief (20-minute) stint on the eggs in the late afternoon, he had a crop Diamond would be proud of, so both ate well today.

At Lonsdale Street, I could not see a changeover this afternoon – it appeared that dad did a long incubation stint. F24 flew up to the ledge momentarily, to be greeted by M22’s chirps, and then immediately turned and flew off again. When darkness fell, it appeared there had still been no changeover, and I saw no food deliveries to the ledge (at either end). So I am presuming food is being eaten off camera, possibly from a stash. It is a very difficult nest to monitor.

SK Hideaways caught the gusts at Collins Street that flipped MUM!

https://youtu.be/CRJSQNiNVe8?

“At Port Lincoln, Dad brought in a headless fish for breakfast at 08:26, but apart from a small snack (small partial fish) that he delivered late in the afternoon (18:14) that was the only food for mum today.

Both TF and TFT were fed by both parents today, so the chicks had an excellent day. They are wingercising and preparing to fledge. Isn’t it amazing that after five years or so, these male chicks will return to nest within 40 metres of the nest from which they were fledged, while the female chicks will nest, on average, about 80 metres from the site of their natal nest. That they can travel so far and for so long, returning to where they fledged from years later, is simply incredible. These chicks are carrying data collection devices that will not transmit but will collect three years of data, to which researchers will gain access when they return in five or six years’ time. “

Calico’s Tip of the Day: Are you worried about your cat’s teeth? That happens to be one of the biggest expenses. I remember when it was $395 for a cleaning. My vet shocked me when she told me that the cleanings begin at $1300 and could go up if extractions needed to be done. With four cats, I cringe at that thought – it is precisely why we do not have five! Calico’s Golden Paw Award goes to Greenies. She likes the salmon flavour, Baby Hope likes the Catnip, and Hugo Yugo eats anything. Our bags are empty! It looks like I will be shopping.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today, ‘A, MP, PB’, All About Birds, Psychology Today, PETA, Canada Geese, Ospreys of Nova Scotia and Connie Dennis, Golden Gate Audubon SF Osprey Cam, Montana Osprey Cam, Montana Osprey Project, Owl Research Project, Dunrovin Ranch, Sandpoint Osprey Cam, Newfoundland Power Snow Valley Osprey nest, Niagara Bee, Blackbush at Tracerdie Osprey Platform, Fortis Exshaw Osoyoos Platform, COWLITZ PUD, Menhaden- Little Fish, Big Deal FB, SOAR, NEFL-AEF, IWS/Explore.org, FOBBV, Duke Farms, WRDC, Wsprynwngs, Tonya in NO and Kisatchie National Forest, Tonya Irwin and Raptors of the World, Audubon Florida, Loon Preservation Society, SK Hideaways, and The Guardian

Tuesday in Bird World

10 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It is a scorcher, but thankfully, there is a good breeze. Clear blue sky, sun beating down, 30 C. We have filled the bird baths twice, and they require more water. It is 1341. Most of the little songbirds stay in the shade of the lilacs and that deep tunnel we created between them and the trees at the back. Two Blue Jays are getting peanuts off the big table feeder. I have yet to see the squirrels.

We had a bit of a fright Monday morning. All of the doors were locked and secured. Like many of you, I have a particular alarm if those doors are opened. It did not go off. Baby Hope did not come for breakfast. She always comes, but she never eats wet food. She did not come. I know precisely how quickly one can go from calm to hysterical – about 15 seconds! The storage room was emptied, and all appliances, cupboards, etc. were checked. No Hope. Eventually, she was found ‘terrified’ under the sitting room sofa. We had checked, and she wasn’t there, but she was this time. She was very skittery. She came out after four hours and nosed Calico, and they had a bit of a tumble. She is not herself. Quite frightened. I cannot imagine what has scared her so much. I wait in the hope that she will be herself soon. And, by 1600 she was fine. Very strange. It did force me to clean the storage room, though. Lots of things on the boulevard that others might want or need!

In Bird World, Antali and Finnegan are at the Hellgate nest. The image below is Iris who is also still home and who visited the nest shortly after noon on Monday. Iris has a necklace and Finnegan is white breasted like Antali. She needs a fish!

It will not be long til Antali is prepared to take flight and then Finnegan will probably eat up for a day and take off. In normal circumstances, the male will never leave a fledgling. They do not normally catch their own fish until they are on their way away from the nest, although some have been known to be precocious and do fish.

Antali was on and off the nest and the perch. Finnegan brought him a headless fish at 1240.

And away Finnegan goes!

At Charlo Montana, C16 is on the nest wanting fish. His chest is quite sunken – the kiddo needs a fish. It is very windy there. C16 got some fish!!!!!

The nest cleaners – European Starlings – were at Dunrovin.

‘H’ tells me that this camera at Osoyoos has been frozen for a number of days. It came back on Monday morning. ‘H’ identifies this juvenile as #2 or Middle. Soo delivers a fish on Monday, too. Mum is still home.

At Newfoundland Power Snow Lane’s nest, Beaumont and Hope are both home along with at least one juvenile. I did not see a fight for fish which makes me wonder if one of the fledglings has left the area.

Keo is still delivering fish to River at the Sandpoint Osprey platform.

Harvie is delivering fish to the Fortis-Exshaw nest also.

There is at least one juvenile hanging around the Blackbush at Old Tracadie Harbour osprey platform hoping for some fish. I did not see a delivery and I cannot tell you if it is a single osplet coming and going or more than one. No one is banded! And I have not studied the head patterns of the chicks at this nest.

I did not see any Ospreys at the Cowlitz PUD nest on Monday.

Some may be concerned about the Line Fire in San Bernardino County and Jackie and Shadow. Sharon Pollock posted news from Big Bear:

Jackie and Shadow are very experienced and they can fly and we must presume they will do so to get out of harm’s way should the fire spread to the area of their territory in Big Bear Valley.

Didn’t see any eagles at the WRDC nest when I checked. It is the home to Ron and Rose.

The latest migrator bird count as posted on the Loch Arkaig FB page! Only 36 ospreys so far.

This is Geemeff’s closing daily summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust. Enjoy! She will be back with us in the spring after our osprey family arrives.

Final daily summary Monday 9th September 2024

Quoting WTS George: As the dried up flounder tail of time finally descends into the expectant crop of autumn, I notice it’s nearly the end of our season… I’m sorry I haven’t an Osprey, but here’s one I prepared earlier: A rollercoaster season in 2024: triumph, tragedy, and plenty more! Season’s highlights captured from Nest Cam Two, I’ll be doing a separate highlights video for Nest One in due course which will be on my YouTube channel and I’ll also post it on Adam’s site,

https://walkingwithdaddy.com/osprey/ To keep in touch over winter, Adam welcomes everyone to his site, it also uses Hyvor, and for those on Facebook there is the Friends of Loch Arkaig. It has been an eventful season, all part of nature in the raw, and it will be interesting to see what next year brings. Hoping for two resident families next year.

Many thanks to everyone for their company during the season, special thanks to George for this forum, and Woodland Trust for allowing me to clip bits off their livestreams for my own amusement, Steve Q for the fish stats, Liz B for the wonderful off-nest reports, Beverley for the overnight reports, and Postcode Lottery for funding the nest cams. Extra special thanks to Brenda J for keeping me up to date when I’m away by sending me frequent fishmails, much appreciated.

I look forward to Spring 2025 and Season Nine for the Loch Arkaig Ospreys.

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 20.39.55 (05.57.58); Nest Two 20.35.01 (06.05.38)

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/DO7XJOA6OEs A rollercoaster season in 2024: triumph, tragedy, and plenty more! Season’s highlights 2024

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/XUYF6OEpQ88 N2 Sarafina does a fly-by before landing 2022

https://youtu.be/sUpzBM54QHY N2 Thief! A Raven arrives and steals a stick 2022

https://youtu.be/PLOmU0AJ8nM N2 Several little birds come and go on the empty nest 2022

https://youtu.be/BQC_B1pN3tk N2 Lights at night near the nest – deer management team 2022

https://youtu.be/5LK7YZ2CtZ8 N2 Confirmed – final sighting of Sarafina LW6 2022

https://youtu.be/6h4T2QWS_68 N2 Three Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) visit 2023

Watch the Loch Arkaig Osprey livestream 24/7 and join in the conversation here:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

The White-tailed eagle at Port Lincoln is growing. There were high winds the other day and some were concerned. It is still there – that little white bundle in the straw.

Tweed Valley’s Teddy (oh, just adorable as a youngster in the nest) is in Portugal. He made it!!!!!!!!!!

At Nova Scotia’s Russell Lake osprey nest, Oscar and Sylor are still home.

Beautiful close-ups of the Olympic Park sea eagles. The gorgeous rust is coming in at the tip of the espresso-black juvenile feathers. My goodness talk about gorgeous on that snow white! https://youtu.be/LRiIuOhlu9g?

‘A’ remarks, “Just TOO cute this morning was SE33, who tried to join in when Dad and Lady were doing their 05:39 morning duet. The tiny little honks were the most adorable thing I’ve heard in days. I couldn’t quite believe my ears, so I rewound and could see SE33’s little body vibrating with the honking it was doing.

SE34 is growing very nicely and looking active and healthy. SE33 is fed first at most feedings, by mutual agreement, but SE34 is almost always able to eat enough once SE33 has eaten enough. And of course Lady is keeping an eye on him.

The eaglets did a lot of preening while waiting for their meal this morning. They must both be itchy, with feathers emerging everywhere! SE33’s tail feathers are becoming visible now too. Breakfast arrived courtesy of Dad shortly before 06:25. Again, it was young and feathered. SE33 was closest to the table and as usual was fed first. (SE34 still appeared to have a reasonable crop from the night before!)

Shortly before 06:29, SE34 shuffles forward so that the two eaglets are side by side. He is rewarded with his first bite of breakfast. SE33 is unbothered until Lady goes to give SE34 a second consecutive bite, at which point SE33 leans in front of SE34 and steals the bite from Lady’s beak. Remember the pecking order, mum! Lady gives SE34 the next bite, and again there is no objection from SE33 until mum goes to give SE34 a second bite, and again, SE33 leans in to take what it believes to be rightfully its mouthful.

Lady resumes feeding SE33 only, with SE34 a step further back from the table, waiting his turn. SE34 definitely appears larger than its older sibling as they sit side by side at this morning’s feeding. It may be extra fluff, but it may also be because SE34 is female or because SE34 has been getting the better of the feedings over the last few days (which I don’t think is the case – at least not on a regular basis). So I will be fascinated to know (if we ever do find out) what gender these two are. I do so wish they would band and sex these nestlings. It would really help SO much in establishing where they are dispersing to and whether they are breeding successfully in their new territories. That surely would be worth knowing. But obviously not. “

At Port Lincoln, Heidi caught Dad delivering the morning fish.

.’A’ brings us up to date on Xavier and Diamond, “At Orange, Xavier had nearly two hours of egg time this afternoon, though Diamond has now resumed her rightful position as incubator in chief. Diamond was swooped four times in the middle of this afternoon by a black-shouldered kite but sustained no damage. All is well between them of course, with bonding early this morning and Xavier spending quite a bit of time just standing next to Diamond as she incubates the eggs. He is such a darling. He adores Diamond…..Diamond and Xavier had a particularly early bonding session in the scrape this morning (04:36:50), after which Xavier remained in the nest box for about an hour, just hanging about and keeping Diamond company. He has been doing this quite a lot over recent days. He is just SO sweet and he really does adore Diamond. She is doing most of the incubating, but Xavier did get a half-hour of egg time shortly after 11am (Diamond has just resumed her position on the eggs). These two are just SO endearing, and we have watched them together for several years now, 24/7 all year round, so they are like family to us and we know their little habits and routines so well. Of course it makes us all experts! We like to think we understand these two, but of course we don’t. We only get a glimpse of their lives. We’ll never know what it feels like to go into a stoop at 100 miles an hour for example. We see only one part of their lives really – their relationship with each other and with their chicks. But I sometimes wish they could equip a falcon with a tiny camera that gave us a vicarious version of their true lives… At Orange, a persistent visitor today was a willy wagtail, who repeatedly landed confidently on the ledge. Such cute little birds, so well known in the Australian bush. Very brave and determined little creatures. Xavier bought himself some egg time when Diamond headed off for lunch, returning with an absolute monster of a crop. The general consensus was that it contained a luncheon pigeon and would sustain her until morning. It was so gigantic that it appeared almost as large as Xavier. All of him. He took one look at the gigantic Diamond on the ledge and made no protest at all – left the eggs and the scrape in double quick time for him. These two really make me laugh. They are so ‘human’ in their interactions, or perhaps they just make it easy for us to anthropomorphise. Hatch watch begins some time in the first week of October. I really hope there are only two hatches and that they are not too far apart. And a Dudley to lean on or to use as a pillow is always useful for the younger chick when trying to reach Diamond’s beak. Many chatters are hoping for three chicks but I don’t think they’ve watched Diamond closely enough! We both know how lazy she can be, even with two, and the younger chick in her scrape really has to work hard for its food. Mind you, it does usually end up pretty proficient at getting fed, like darling Rufus. Such a sweet little falcon. I loved him dearly. He was such a personality for one so small, and so very determ”

There is sad news coming out of Kakapo Recovery. Thank you, ‘J’ – Ranger was my adopted Kakapo!

‘A’ sends news of the Royal Cam chick: “We are getting so close to fledge at Taiaroa Head, where TF chick was 231 days old today and TFT chick about a week younger. Neither was weighed today, as the rangers are concentrating on chicks requiring supplementary feeding (one is being fed five days a week, which is most unusual). Last week, TF chick weighed 9.7kg (average for male chicks of that age at this colony) and he has been fed by both parents in the week since. He produced a bolus on 6 September, so was obviously ready to fledge, and has been really working his wings over the past couple of days. Probably all it will take are favourable winds to launch him on the lonely journey that will be his life. When I switched on the albatross tab for a quick chick check tonight and could see no signs of TF sleeping on his nest, my heart literally skipped a beat. Is he gone? No-one on the chat is indicating that there has been a fledge but I cannot see either of the chicks (TF or TFT) right now. (It is a particularly dark night and TF’s new nest is not in the circle of light provided by the IR light on the camera.) But both chicks were still on the headland late this afternoon (around 17:30), so I doubt they have departed quite yet. I am unsure whether TFT has produced a bolus as yet, but TF has been fed by both parents since producing his on 6 September so will probably produce another before fledging. I have read nothing about the contents of the bolus he has expelled.”

Calico wants to give everyone some ways to make their phone last longer. Our reading time Monday night was an article in The New York Times. She was surprised when we read that you should not plug your phone in and charge it overnight every night – that you should check your settings and only charge your phone to 80%. The battery will last longer! There are other tips and she hopes that they will help you. Calico wants you to use Merlin when you go for a walk or go to the park and check for birds!

Wirecutter: You Don’t Need a New Phone. Here’s How to Make the One You Have Last Longer.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/how-to-make-your-phone-last-longer

One of our heroes is Bob Horvath and this year the Centreport Eagle family is donating all of the proceeds of their 2025 calendar to WINORR – Horvath’s organization that rescues and rehabilitates raptors including many of our beloved ospreys. Here is the information:

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, streaming cams, annual summaries and daily synopsis: ‘Geemeff, H, J’, Montana Osprey Project, Owl Research Project/Explore, Fortis-Exshaw Osoyoos Osprey Platform, Newfoundland Power, Fortis-Exshaw Canmore Osprey Cam, Sandpoint Osprey Platform, Blackbush, Cowlitz PUD, Sharon Pollock, FOBBV, WRDC, Loch Arkaig FB Page, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Connie Dennis and Ospreys of Nova Scotia FB, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, and Heidi McGrue and Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Kakapo Recovery, and The New York Times.

Wednesday in Bird World

4 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It was 29 C on Tuesday in Winnipeg. Hot. Ice cream weather. There was a hawk high on a pole near to a grain elevator just outside the city. Skeins of geese flew into the City as the sun began to set. Migration is truly on. I look forward to heading out to the marsh for the geese landing later this month and at the nature centre. These can be amazing moments with hundreds, sometimes thousands, flying in and landing on the water. It is so beautiful.

I was with my best friend today. She lost her husband a little over a week ago. So today’s blog is a little thin. Events in Bird World are also very thin! It is that in-between time except for the Australian streaming cams.

We are going to start with Geemeff’s summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:

Daily summary Tuesday 3rd September 2024

A damp day with occasional fogging of the camera lenses but with the prospect of a dry night tonight and a few sunny patches tomorrow. A Raven flying near Nest Two being carefully watched by the Mistle Thrushes perching on the nest was today’s only activity.

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.15.35 (05.31.19); Nest Two 21.28.54 (05.43.26)

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/SANdIv1GZKc N2 A pair of Mistle Thrushes visit, and a Raven flies nearby 13.42.31 (zoom)

Bonus action – plenty of time to select your favourite and vote for Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year:

https://www.timeout.com/uk/news/these-are-all-the-shortlisted-trees-for-tree-of-the-year-2024-090324

Please note one of the candidates, the Darwin Oak, is under threat from development, link to the petition to save it:

https://www.change.org/p/save-the-darwin-oak

Watch the Loch Arkaig Osprey livestream 24/7 and join in the conversation here:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Oscar and one fledgling are still at Tweed Valley.

The Melbourne Ospreys are having to fight off intruders. Stay safe, Dad! We don’t want a repeat of 2023. https://youtu.be/zOGHyN6snQ8?

Dad not only defends the Melbourne scrape, but returns to relieve Mum from incubation duties! What a guy. https://youtu.be/XvTDg9J8OIg?

Ron and Rose were at the WRDC nest!

Antali was on and off the nest most of Tuesday. Breakfast was a smaller whole fish around 10:39.

Finnegan supplied a nice headless fish later in the day to his screaming juvenile!

Rose Shields gives us the latest news from Border Ospreys. Thanks, Jeff, for posting it!

WELL, WELL, WELL – Border Ospreys Download

Pam Breci posts the last sighting of Mum Winnie at Dunrovin Ranch.

Dad not only defends the Melbourne scrape, but returns to relieve Mum from incubation duties! What a guy. https://youtu.be/XvTDg9J8OIg?

You might have heard about the kerfuffel about renaming 150 birds that was instigated by the American Ornithological Society. Mark Avery from the UK has his say:

Mark Avery: it’s not all in a name – BirdGuides Download

Tulley, Rosie, and Richmond were still at the SF Golden Gate Audubon Osprey nest on 3 September. https://youtu.be/X2YoikLzBnU?

Dad LJ2 and Mum 372 were still at the Llyn Brenig nest with the two fledglings on Tuesday.

Blue 33 has not been seen on the Rutland Manton Bay nest since the 2nd of September. It is presumed he has begun his migration. Maya was last seen on the 30th and Blue 1R0 last seen on the 29th.

Ospreys are really moving down from the UK to their winter homes in West Africa.

There is an eagle on the Dulles-Greenway nest on Tuesday. https://youtu.be/UIC9KOR70hw?

Olympic Park sea eaglets are growing and growing. Enjoy them in their lovely white down, because all of those pin feathers are going to be gorgeous feathers very soon.

Both Sea Eaglets had full crops at the Olympic Park Eagle nest. https://youtu.be/1W5VeBHOI98?

These additions to the UK Red List of Birds make me sad. The Arctic Tern. I read, during the dark winter months, a book about a woman who followed what she believed would be the very last terns to fly from the Arctic to the Southern Hemisphere and she followed them. It was incredibly moving. The book was Migrations. And this is a note about it, “Migrations follows Franny Stone’s journey following the last of the Arctic terns. The time is in the not too distant future and almost every bird, fish, and wild animal is extinct. Almost all domestic and farmed raised fish, birds, and other animals are raised for food.”

This is the article in The Guardian about the addition of the two birds to the Red List. Again, said twice, this breaks my heart. The future is at our doorstep.

Arctic tern and common gull join red list of UK species in crisis | Birds | The Guardian Download

From Geemeff: Sad news – anglers, PLEASE take your rubbish home!

https://www.birdguides.com/news/kingfisher-found-dead-in-fishing-line/

For all you SW Florida fans, ‘J’ sent a historical summary by Wskrsnwings to us:

Season 1 2012-2013 Videos link: http://bit.ly/1wJAphi

Season 2 2013-2014 Videos link: http://bit.ly/1U9p0Av

Season 3 2014-2015 Videos link: http://bit.ly/1FlPEjc

Season 4 2015-2016 Videos link: http://bit.ly/1Nqaxz8

Season 5 2016-2017 Videos link: http://bit.ly/2cSOUcL

Season 6 2017-2018 Videos link: http://bit.ly/2w7FeqH

Season 7 2018-2019 Videos link: http://bit.ly/2Nthd2w

Season 8 2019-2020 Videos link: http://bit.ly/2lvqYnC

Season 9 2020-2021 Videos link: https://bit.ly/3iGSmI5

Season 10 2021-2022 Videos link: https://bit.ly/3h6Hmow

Season 11 2022-2023 Videos link: https://bit.ly/3qFa6sQ

Season 12 2023-2024 Videos link: https://bit.ly/3sVHAaT

Season 13 2024-2025 Videos link: https://dickpritchettrealestate.com/videos/

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘J, Geemeff’, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Gracie Shepherd, Montana Osprey Project, Rosie Shields and Border Ospreys, Pam Breci and The Joy of Ospreys, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Mary Cheadle and Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys, SK Hideaways, Charlotte McConagy, Migrations, The Guardian, Dulles Greenway Eagle Cam, Geemeff and BirdGuides, ‘J’ and Wskrnwngs.

Tuesday in Bird World

3 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

It is our area’s first day of school – always the day after Labour Day and, for parents and children, it marks the end of summer. The weather certainly doesn’t indicate the end of summer and crisp air. It was a sunny, hot 26 C on Monday. Everyone was enjoying the last holiday before our Thanksgiving, which is in mid-October (unlike the American one, which is in November).

We went to check on the fields north of the City. Migrating birds depend on leftover grain from the harvest. In the evening, these fields could be full of Canada Geese and gulls fattening up for their long trips. Twenty-five flew over our garden this evening at 1930.

In this same area are quarries—old and new. The old ones, now long deserted, have filled with water and are home to ducks, geese, the local deer, which are here year-round, and all other types of wildlife. They are quiet spaces away from humans, leaving the animals to ‘do their thing’.

It doesn’t look very secure, but there are security guards around 24/7 that can arrive quickly if notified.

‘The Girls’ had their party. The marking of having Calico and Baby Hope as part of our family for a full year still brings tears to my eyes when I think of dear Calico living in the cold winter, having been dumped by her former family. It just hurts me to my core, even though I know she is happy, healthy, and much loved now. She is also safe, and we are triple-checking that garden door so that she doesn’t run out until the locksmith can get here. The four have brought more joy to us than can be imagined. Hugo Yugo will be a year old, and in late November, we will celebrate her year with us. She is not the tiny kitten that arrived. She is still the smallest but also the ‘boss’ of everyone else.

There were hard treats (some healthy for teeth), squeeze treats, catnip, several small new toys with a Halloween theme, and a new scratch post. The top hits were: catnip, squeezy treats, and the scratch post. They can certainly make a mess of things very quickly!

Baby Hope and Hugo Yugo were the first to check out all the goodies. Within seconds, Hugo Yugo had claimed the catnip that was inteded for Calico!

Missey was over at the new scratch post marking it before you could blink while waiting for the squeezy treats.

Calico decided that the catnip was truly hers and Hugo Yugo needed to scat!

Then Hugo Yugo wanted the scratch post!

Baby Hope didn’t like all the bother on the table and preferred playing with the stick toy and little frilly things.

Calico was the last to leave the party enjoying the reclining aspect of the scratching post and the catnip.

They seemed to have a good time. They have given such joy and comfort this past year. Life could never be the same without them and I thank my lucky stars every day (many times a day) that fate sent them my way. ‘J’ says, “Happy Einzugstag!!. That’s what I call it, “move-in-day“. Congratulations to all of you for finding each other to build a new family!!!”

Calico Approved: With four cats and a complete dislike for cat hair and cat food (it almost makes me sick), I am always on the look out for the perfect thing to remove cat hair. I think I found it today! It was my present from the party!!!!!!

It worked so well. 10 Paw Prints!

Moving on to our birds – eagles continue to arrive, geese are flying south, falcons are incubating in the Southern Hemisphere along with the Ospreys.

Heidi has worked really, really hard on this video summary of Mispillion Harbour in Delaware. These summaries are so difficult. Hours and hours of footage and no professional equipment. So bravo, Heidi.

Please go and watch her efforts, give her a thumbs up and subscribe to her channel. She deserves every like she gets! This nest, and it is a wonderful one, has been overlooked until she started monitoring it. Thank you so much. https://youtu.be/IOTOSegZTsU

Moving over to Montana –

Video on how they track the Montana Ospreys that are ringed:

https://youtu.be/lFQUgAXcF88?

Poor Diamond tried to get in the scrape and the wind was horrific. Xavier watched his mate struggle. https://youtu.be/SMFeIZ1hrM8?

Geemeff has created a summary of the entire season at Loch Arkaig for The Woodland Trust – and us! Thank you, Geemeff, for all the video summaries and your dedication to this nest and sharing all with us. We look forward to another season next year with dear Louis an Dorcha!

Daily summary Monday 2nd September 2024

Back to wet and windy weather so no activity on either nest, no change expected tonight or tomorrow. The nights are lengthening rapidly, today’s cam switchover times are: Nest One 21.04.58 (05.43.42); Nest Two 20.57.16 (05.51.13)

Here is the synopsis for Loch Arkaig’s 2024 roller coaster Season Eight:

Louis arrived at 15.18.38 on Thursday 28 March

Dorcha arrived at 14.21.27 on Saturday 30 March

First Egg laid 11.13.47 Sunday 14 April

Second egg laid 05.55.52 Wednesday 17 April

Dorcha is injured in an Eagle attack 11.08 Friday 19 April

Third egg laid 02.26.08 Saturday 20 April

First chick hatched 06.16.48 Wednesday 22 May

Second chick hatched 22.26.15 Wednesday 22 May

Third chick hatched 16.36.10 Friday 24 May

Sad death of little Chick3 approx 19.02 Sunday 16 June

Louis last seen Wednesday 26 June

Louis returns with fish, uninjured but definitely not himself Saturday 29 June

Chicks 1&2 are removed to a translocation programme Monday 1 July

Chicks ringed with Spanish yellow Darvic rings: C1 – 1JW & C2 – 1JR Thursday 11 July

Sadly 1JR started having seizures and succumbed to a heart condition Tuesday 23rd July

FLEDGE! The surviving chick 1JW found his wings and flew 3pm Thursday 25 July

Dorcha last seen on camera on Nest One 11.19.43 Saturday 27 July

Louis last seen on camera on Nest Two 13.31.18 Tuesday 30 July

And the regular visitors:

Garry LV0 last seen 13.35.57 Wednesday 22 August (first seen 9 April)

Affric 152 last seen 15.09.07 Saturday 17 August (first seen 10 April)

Prince last seen 09.24.01 Saturday 29 June (first seen 1 April)

Today’s videos: none

Bonus guide – Meteorological Autumn started yesterday, WT explain the tell-tale signs showing nature gearing up for the next season:

https://woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/08/first-signs-of-autumn

I mentioned Finnegan as new Dad of the Year and, of course, forget another amazing Dad who helped raise four. Archie! ‘B’ writes, “You know, I have to agree with you that Finnegan gets a “New Dad of the Year” award. It has been so amazing to see Finnegan arrive at Hellgate, completely displace Louis, and be such a wonderful mate for Iris and super dad to Sum-eh and Antali. But what is also amazing is that in any other year Archie would be the runaway New Dad of the Year, showing up for Annie at Cal and being such a great dad to Aurora, Eclipse, Sol, and our dear Nox. It has just been a really good year for new dads all around!”

It is hard to believe but those little sea eaglets are doing wingers and have pin feathers. What is it with time? It is passing so quickly! Soon they will be scampering all over the nest! https://youtu.be/trE2K9UQTSA?

There is some really sad news coming out of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. There is a possibility that the entire family is no longer with us. I had thought that I had seen Dad on the nest, but it turns out it was the intruder as there was no federal band (that was the Wednesday). This is so very, very sad.

Black MS – was banded in 2002 at the nest off of Kings Point Road just north of HWY 7 and Carver Park Reserve in Hennepin County, Minnesota. In 2024, he is 22 years old.

Both juveniles and at least one adult (if not two – both Beaumont and Hope) are at home on the Newfoundland Power nest on Snow Lane.

Want to know how important it is that fishing be regulated to support wildlife and not industry? No Menhaden came into the Potomac. Few, if any, of the Colonial Beach ospresy survived. They starved to death. It is a sobering read and please do sit down with a cuppa and write to people in power and let them know that you care before the ospreys are starved out of existence.

Virginia is fighting for its wildlife. The contacts are in the file below. Please help them!

The Osprey Flyer, Volume XXVI, September Edition Download

Iris is still with us. She was on the nest fish calling a couple of times on Monday. Antali was fish calling late afternoon.

Nesting Bird Life and More caught Finnegan delivering a magnificent fish to Antali. https://youtu.be/0UiClVDZq2c?

Aran is still delivering fish to two fledglings at Glaslyn. Elen and one juvenile have departed for migration.

News from the Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross at Orange. Mark those calendars!

I did not catch them on rewind but Pa and Missey were at the Berry College Eagle nest making nestorations Monday morning.

Jolene and Boone were caught by Sara A making nestorations at Johnson City: https://youtu.be/bFvDiI8-HIY?

Beau has been at the nest. Observers have noted some scratches, etc., to his feet due to territorial protection. Gosh, I wish him and Gabby could cut a break this year.

Annie and Archie have been courting around The Campanile. https://youtu.be/wS94ETIf-14?

At the Dunrovin nest, beautiful Junebug on the perch and a huge fish comes to the nest!

C16 at the Charlo nest with a huge crop later in the day.

At Sandpoint, River has been on and off the nest all day according to the local observers. The camera is offline.

Pam Breci caught up with Niagara Bee ospreys:

White YW is still at Foulshaw Moss but all fledglings and Blue 35 have departed. He should be heading south shortly.

Thank you so much for being with us today. We are glad to have you here. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, H, J’, Heidi Mc, Montana Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Olympic Park Eagles, Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch, Newfoundland Power, Virginia Osprey Foundation, Nesting Bird Life and More, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Holly Parsons, Sara A, Dunrovin Ranch, Charlo Montana Ospreys, Sandpoint Ospreys, and Pam Breci.

Category Archives: Nova Scotia Ospreys

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Thursday in Bird World

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Iris calls, no one answers…Tuesday in Bird World

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