Greetings from a beautiful day on the Canadian Prairies. We hope all of you are well. Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope have the perfect idea for what to do on a cool fall afternoon.
Hope has been at the Port Tobacco nest on and off and flew in with a big fish late Monday morning.
No one has been at the Bluff City nest in Tennessee so far.
Duke Farms is working on their camera.
Gigi has been on the ND-LEEF nest. A male eagle has also been seen.
Eagle on the NCTC nest on Monday.
The fledglings are being seen. Now are they being fed?
‘A’ writes: “October 28: An empty nest but a couple of sightings during the day. During the morning, we think one eaglet was heard in the mangroves. The parents were circling overhead. Lady was seen with a fish, circling over the whole area. We were listening for alarm calls from the swooping currawongs and ravens, which alert us to where an eaglet might be. Early afternoon, we spotted an eaglet in a casurina by Wharf Pond – just over our heads, with a couple of currawongs in attendance. After a while, it flew off strongly, out of sight. Later, both eagles were reported with prey over the river, though both fed themselves and when seen again had no catch. Just after 3pm, I saw one adult circling over the Armory area. One eaglet spotted again in the area – it’s hide and seek . We watched as the eaglet, we thing SE34, hoped along a wire fence-line, with ravens pulling and poking it. It finally flew off along the pathway, landing clumsily in a tree. The swoopers found it again, both currawongs and magpies. By standing still, the swoopers gradually left and it was resting. We think it flew off again late. A long day for 2 eaglets out in the world.”
At SW Florida, M15 and F23 are like an exquisite machine working together in a kind of blended harmony. Just image when Harriet went missing. Did anyone believe that M15 would raise those two beautiful month old eaglets to fledge? He did. Did we ever believe seeing all those female eagles fight for fish on the nest with their worn talons that he would find a beautiful mate like F23? And just look. Their second breeding year together. I can’t wait! https://youtu.be/-tgJiE7otoU?
Breakfast at Port Lincoln. More fish and more fish. Wilko and Kasse are little eating machines. Aren’t they beautiful?
As we prepare for the Osprey breeding season next spring in the northern hemisphere, why not begin to grow your knowledge? I will be posting articles from the most basic to several theses that deal with specific aspects of the fish hawk’s behaviour.
‘J’ sends us a book recommendation (I have not read it yet), but I thought you might be interested:
Calico’s Tip for the Day!
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you for to the following for their posts, notes, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, J’, Nesting Bird Life and More, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, The Real Saunders Photography, SW Florida Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, WRDC, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, ETSU-Johnson City, ND-LEEF, Rohan Geddes and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, tulsaducati, Androcat, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Osprey Cam, RSPB, The Guardian, Taschenbuch, Winnipeg Missing and Found Cat Watch.
Oh, we had a fun time Saturday afternoon. For the past four years, CPAWS (Canada Parks and Wilderness Society) hosts a Halloween walk with games and treats at Bird’s Hill Provincial Park. We headed out to get our 2k exercise and check out the chickadees. Had they returned? And would they land on our hands for seed?
Decorations lined the paths, which were clearly marked. There was that peculiar smell of fall, the musky sweet aroma of the fallen leaves under our boots, so familiar that one never forgets it from year to year.
To the right of our dear witch are the golden leaves of the Oak trees, so plentiful in the park. There were conifers, aspens, and birch.
When we were in Nova Scotia, our remembrances of the trip were the Red Maple Leaves we collected and the pine cones. There were no Red Maples in the woods, but we did find pine cones to add to the bowl on our dining table. They are so tiny compared to the ones we brought home from the Annapolis Valley.
The Black-capped Chickadees were not shy. They would get their seed, fly quickly to a branch to crush and eat it, and then, just as quickly return for another. The energy they expend getting food is admirable. It is their familiar song – the chick-a-dee-dee – that filled the air on Saturday.
I had no idea how many calls these cute little birds had until I checked the information on the Cornell Bird Lab site.
‘A’ remarks on SE34’s fledge: “The rain had come over this morning shortly before SE34 fledged. It looked grey and overcast and as if it were raining or about to do so. It was not great fledging weather, but soon after SE34 fledged, the sun came out and things were looking a lot brighter.
In the minute before fledging, SE34 had been struck by a swooping currawong on the nest (09:58:40). The currawong then flew to a branch right in front of SE34’s face, about a metre away, and the two vocalised at each other before the currawong flew off. SE34 hopped and flapped around the nest, making vocals indicating his displeasure. Just before 09:59 the currawong swooped again, this time met by SE34, who flapped and vocalised at the currawong. SE34 moved up the perch branch, and at 09:59:06, the currawong again swooped past him. SE34 hesitated for a second and then fledged, flying off in pursuit of the currawong, or so it appeared.
We did not see either eaglet for the remainder of the day, so I am keenly awaiting the ranger report for this evening. “
In Port Lincoln, Wilko and Kasse have stopped the slight agro as they move out of the reptile phase. Totally grand. I have loved how Kasse tried to make herself bigger and looked Wilko straight in the eye. Would not be surprised if Wilko is a male and Kasse a female. But we will have to wait – and wait for a long time maybe. Everyone believed Calypso to be a female and she turned out to be a he with a mate this year. I often wonder at how Falkey and Bassa shot out of Port Lincoln like Zoe if they weren’t females….just weird thoughts on a Sunday morning sitting in the sun. Of course, Tiger Mozone told me in jest years ago not to question the person ringing the raptors. But, of course, I do because only DNA testing or seeing an egg is the absolute mark of gender. https://youtu.be/foDdB91SsI4? (more below)
I hope that eel that Lady kept from the ospreys is for the sea eaglets!
‘A’ comments on what I am worried about, too – have the sea eaglets been fed? “I’m concerned too. Here is yesterday’s ranger report, which doesn’t actually give much comfort:
October 27: SE34 slept on the front rail of the nest overnight – were the parents nearby? Early morning swoopers were about and swooping SE34 as he moved a little about the nest branches. SE34 moved up higher, then back to the nest again. A currawong came close, clipping/ SE34. The eaglet flew off then, strongly – flying out and up. So SE34 fledged today around 10am, at 81 days from hatching. Then, he was out of sight. The ground crew reported adults down on the river and SE33 possibly out of sight in the mangroves. At 1:20pm, no prey had been brought back to the now-empty nest. Around 1:30pm, one fledgling was seen flying over Ermington Bay, landing on the power tower. Then, when flushed, it took off over Wentworth Point and the residential areas – and away. The parents were circling overhead. Later, SE33 was seen flying back towards the general forest area again. As well, an eaglet was reported earlier on the ground in the area near the nest – SE34 – in the restricted access area. After 5pm, the adults were seen circling high overhead. There were several sightings of them, so SE33 seems to be moving about. We are unsure where SE34 is at the end of the day. Will the adults return to the nest area? Will either fledgling?
When SE34 fledged, he had just been struck by a currawong swooper, and it seemed to me, watching the footage of the five minutes or so leading up to the fledge, that SE34 took off after the currawong, chasing it. I was pleased to see that it was not the other way around! But SE34 definitely appeared to me to be chasing his tormentor. That attitude is a good one, at any rate. But the fact that it has been seen on the ground near the nest is not a great sign. Still, the parents are obviously aware of where the fledglings are, and are keeping an eye on them, though that’s not the same thing as feeding them. Obviously, I am waiting anxiously for tonight’s ranger report, which should be posted in about an hour, two hours at most. I’ll let you know as soon as there is word from the BOTG at WBSE. We are reliant now upon their reports, and it is a wonderful thing to know that they are out every day in that forest, watching and listening for the eaglets and their parents. It is a great comfort to have their daily updates on what the fledglings are doing and whether they are with their parents or getting fed. Things are a little unsettled at the moment, and I would give a lot to see those eaglets return to their nest. But whether they have the physical strength or the flying skills to do so at this stage is dubious. So obviously, we are hoping the parents will bring food to them wherever they are perched. SE33 has apparently at least stayed off the ground, which is more than can be said for SE34, who is in serious danger as long as he remains there, vulnerable to feral cats, foxes and even dogs, not to mention the swooping smaller birds. I am sick with worry about both of them and it makes us feel so helpless.”
If you missed it, SE34 fledged while being harrassed on the nest by Currawongs and then chased. S/he flew out of the forest in a path very similar to the adults. Wishing 33 and 34 long and productive lives with lots of eels. https://youtu.be/neBjn5AZJO4?
Wilko and Kasse are doing so good at Port Lincoln! 22 and 19 days old now. Beautiful juvenile plumage coming in. They survived the dreaded reptile phase and now we can just breathe nicely. Of course, the fish fairies are always there should there be the need, which is another bonus for these two beauties.
These two at Port Lincoln are so adorable. I am absolutely smitten by Kasse.
Breakfast arrived as the golden rays of the sun kissed the scrape of Diamond and Xavier.
At 367 Collins Street, breakfast was served at the cooler end of the ledge. Goodness me those little chicks knew to run down there and stay where the sun would not beat down on them. One went and the other two followed. As far as I can remember, this is the earliest the chicks have moved down to the other end and used this scrape in the shade. Mum has a great perch to watch her triplets, too.
Beau and Gabby are dedicated to their nest in NE Florida near Palm Court.
Wings of Whimsy gives us a round up of what is happening at 17 Bald Eagle nests from the 21st to 24th of October. https://youtu.be/erEAiieAfj8?
One of the images from the video summary is from the John Bunker Sands Wetlands where Mum and Dad are busy at work fixing up that beautiful nest of theirs.
Calico’s Tip for the Day is don’t turn into a bear that hibernates. Get out and enjoy nature, make it part of your life regardless of clock changes and weather! It will make your life so much better.
From the article: “It’s easy to pass birds without really seeing them or to walk through a park without paying attention to the trees. We can become so caught up in our own thoughts and conversations that we miss the sensory gifts nature has to offer. By tuning in to the sights, sounds and sensations around us, by listening to the birds, we can transform passive wandering into an immersive experience. When we truly notice nature, something magical happens.”
And last, please leave the leaves. Spread the news. It will save you time to do other things. If you must, just pile the leaves but do not put them in bags! or grind them up with a mulcher. Just let them sit. Read a good book.
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H, J’, Heidi McGrue, Cornell Bird Lab, Olympic Park Eagles, SK Hideaways, Rohan Geddes and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, NestFlix Memories, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Trudi Kron, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, NEFL-AEF, Wings of Whimsy, The Guardian, Brian Collins – Menhaden, Little Fish, Big Deal, Pollinator Friendly Yards.
Again, because of these important developments in the Olympic Park, I am posting on Saturday night instead of Sunday morning, and I will return on Monday.
First news. SE34 fledged at 0959:08 Sunday October 27 amidst attacks by the Currawongs. He was honking and flapping his wings just as he might as an adult. He flew off to the right.
Look at how big that Currawong is – that is not our eaglet. SE34 is behind the big branch.
SE34 leaving the nest.
It’s pear season! The trees in Nova Scotia were full, and each bite promised juice running down our chins. We now have delicious pears in the markets in Manitoba.
This time of year reminds me of my father. When I was a child, he would take me on his boat with his best friend to an island in the middle of a lake. No one lived there, but there were pear trees. My dad and his friend would bring three bushel baskets: one for my paternal grandmother, who would make pear preserves, and the other two for us and for “ES.” Once home, each pair was carefully wrapped in newspaper and placed in boxes in our garage to ‘ripen’. They were delicious, and the juice running down my chin on our trip to Nova Scotia reminded me of my father. What a gentle soul he was. Almost as soon as we had started eating the pears out of the boxes, it was time to pick the pecans from our neighbour’s tree. They were not the tiny, tasteless pecans I buy now, but meaty, long halves full of flavour. While many went into cakes and pecan pie, they were also made into pralines. Oh, goodness, those were so good. Sweet memories.
What a glorious day and what wonderful news of SE 33 flying over the river. We can all breathe a sigh of relief that this fledgling overcome the Currawongs, got out from the bush near the nest, and can now be taught to be an eagle by Lady and Dad. S/he was flying by the river roost. I don’t know about you, but I am utterly in tears! Thanks Jen for the video! https://youtu.be/rlZYZ4Zx21k?
SE34 is in the nest being dive bombed by the Currawongs as I write. The yet to fledge sea eagle is honking at them like Dad and Lady!
The latest from Ranger Judy:
And, of course, if you missed it, the other good news is that the chicks at 367 Collins Street refused to bake in the hot Melbourne sun and made their way to the shadier end making F24 move house! (And, apologies. Yesterday I called her F23 in error. Thanks SP for noticing that!). https://youtu.be/6Umglw1ZJp4?
Xavier was in with prey, out and back again and fed the chicks. One appeared to take the leftovers from Diamond when she flew into scrape and was self-feeding. It was a tad confusing. Yira and Garramma are quite content even if my mind is boggled.
Waiting for Dad to bring in a breakfast fish at Port Lincoln. He is off the barge and we assume he is diving for fish. And he was! At 820, Dad arrives with a really nice fish for the family. Well done, Dad! I love how Kasse joins in with Mum to call Dad and cheer him into the nest with the fish. That little one is really cute and this morning, Kasse raised her head up, stretching it really high while looking Wilko right in the eye. I wonder if Wilko is a male and Kasse is a female.
Everyone is going to be stuffed.
At NE Florida, Beau and Gabby work on and off from dawn to dusk working on their nest despite eggs being about a month away. It is now full of moss with lots of pine boughs. Beau loves working on the crib rails.
Gary gives us the latest on the starter nest for Liberty and Guardian at Redding with some great historical information. https://youtu.be/OVVAcyDeOOk?
I have been on a mini rampage for several years about our need for trees. I am not going to tell you about the importance of trees for our planet – you already know that. I also know that most of you recognize that in order for our birds to thrive, they need trees!!!!!!!!! All I could do was stop on the side of the road and stare at the trees in Nova Scotia. The trees on the prairies were destroyed by urbanization – Winnipeg can’t contain itself and spreads out like mercury on a floor! The farmers when they modernized and purchased larger and larger tractors cut down trees, too. If we are to help our planet and our feathered friends, we need to fight for ancient trees and plant new ones.
They could seriously have diverted around the tree. Human efficiency is nothing short of deplorable.
Calico’s Tip for the Day is borrowed from our friend, Connie Davis, in Halifax:
Thank you so much for being with us this evening. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, graphics, and streaming cams that helped me to write this post: ‘J, SP’ Olympic Park Eagles, Se McGregor and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Judy Harrington and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Heidi McGrue, Port Lincoln Ospreys, NEFL-AEF, Gary and the Redding Eagles, and Connie Davis.
I want to once again thank SK Hideaways for putting together the Memorial video of dear little Nox. So many have reached out to say how sad they are at his passing and how much they enjoyed it. Nox (Equinox) was a very special little guy. One of those amazing birds that come into our lives that will never be forgotten.
It was a nippy albeit beautiful fall day on the Canadian Prairies. The only leaves remaining on my property are on the small Cranberry bushes and the lilacs. Everything else is bare and brown, and the grey-brown dismal, taupey days of early winter are heading our way.
The park looks pretty desolate.
There have been only two Blue Jays lately, Junior and the Mrs. Only two Crows. The Starlings continue to dominate the numbers at the feeders. Around the City there are still Canadian geese feeding on the grass and ducks in the ponds and at the river. It is time again to go and check the numbers and see how many are flying in and out at night.
Mr Crow enjoying a peanut.
One good thing that did happen today was an apparently successful mating between Gabby and Beau. Last year he just didn’t know which end was which! https://youtu.be/bAIeeFqm72Q?
That mating was on the nest! And Gabby didn’t seem to nip or be off putting. All good signs.
The pair to continue to work on their nest bringing in sticks and moss. Fingers crossed for a successful year for these two – can I say ‘finally’.
At the Sydney Olympic Park, SE34 is still on the nest after having its elder sibling SE33 fledge yesterday. SE33 was located on a low bush near the nest after spotters heard Magpie calls. It is unclear if any food is going to SE33 or if he can get out of its location.
SE34 might fly at any moment.
A nice whole fish came to the Port Lincoln barge for Mum, Wilko and Kasse at 0711. Wilko seems to be behaving his/her self better.
And more for Kasse.
Mum had some fish, too. Yeah!
‘A’ is monitoring our little osplets: “Meanwhile, at Port Lincoln, Dad brought in a large whole fish at 07:09 this morning and both osplets ate well. Dad retrieved his leftover fish at 07:34 and ate hungrily but returned the tail end about ten minutes later, so the kids had a second breakfast at 07:44. I saw no bonking and little Kasse is an eager eater, definitely not intimidated by its sibling, which is good to see.
These two are deep in their oily teenager phase but will soon emerge from it as those gorgeous shades of bronze appear on their heads and necks. Meanwhile, those round tummies and fat little bottoms are testament to their good health and always make me smile. These two are just SO cute. I don’t think Kasse quite understands bonking – he looks confused more than scared. “
In Melbourne, the triplets are moving up and down the gutter and have no trouble getting back into the scrape box.
‘A’ remarks: “All is well at Orange, where a pile of fluff slumbers in the corner while Diamond watches from her favourite position perched on the ledge. Here is the summary of this morning’s activity:
26 Oct FEED 05.55.22 leftover; 06.49.53 scrap; PREY 06.06.08 X feeds; 07.39.04 X feeds/07.42.43 stashed on MW ; 07.57.36 feeds; 09.04.30 feed; WATCH 07.46.10 Yira selfie
At Collins Street, the chicks have taken advantage of their newly found mobility to immediately change scrapes. When I tuned in this morning, the scrape was EMPTY and of course for a moment, I panicked, before I realised where they had to be. Sure enough, on the north facing camera, we can see two chicks sleeping in the sheltered scrape, with a parent perched on the comfortable spot that was added to the front of the sheltering structure, so the parents can comfortably use the perch rather than getting stiff perching on the edge of a board. They used some sort of car-tyre rubber, I believe, to create that perch and it is obviously very comfortable for the adults, who can get up and out of the melee to a good supervision spot. Perfect. A great addition.
So this makes us happy because the shelter at that end is SO much better, giving mum a break from her mumbrella duties and also improving the safety of the chicks themselves. You know how much I wanted the scrape at the south end of the ledge actually removed altogether, forcing them to use the northern end, but the chicks have done that of their own accord as soon as they were able. TOO funny. I wonder whether they will stay at the north end, return to the south end, or split themselves between the two scrapes. It could get very awkward for feedings and confuse the parents no end.
Anyway, that’s the big news in Australia’s falcon world this morning. “
Clive’s Ride made more news stations. Clive is possibly the most positive story to come out of Hurricane Milton.
I missed her on cam but the chat says that Hope was doing some nestorations early Friday at Port Tobacco.
I did catch the two darlings of the Big Bear Valley, Jackie and Shadow, perched looking out over their territory.
‘J’ sent a link to a video showing Jeffrey the Pinecone on Jackie and Shadow’s nest is bigger than Fiona! https://youtu.be/Oqy1JFa4r4o?
Liberty and Guardian were home working on their nest in Redding, California.
Sadly, today I added Nox and the little fourth hatch at the Coobowie Osprey Platform in South Australia to the Memorial Page.
How do war zones – and as I write this tonight there are many of them – impact our raptors, their lives, and their migration?
I have been concerned about the Black Storks that have migrated through Ukraine. Now I try to keep an eye on Waba whose last transmission was on the 18th of October when he was in Israel. I hope to goodness he is now out of Israel and well into Africa.
As we continue to monitor the issues surrounding Osprey’s deaths in the Chesapeake Bay, Geemeff sends us to reports on the impact of commercial fishing of Menhaden on osprey deaths. Thank you, Geemeff.
Calico’s Tip for the Day could save your pet’s life: Do not use scented candles, air fresheners that plug in, or any time of air freshener spray. There are also essential oils that are extremely dangerous. You might be putting a few drops in water in one of the new plug in contemporary diffusers. Please check with your vet to find out which oils are safe! This is why.
‘The Girls’ wish you a fantastic day! And a lovely weekend. Remember to sit outside and listen for the birds! They sure would like to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, J”, Nest Flix Memories, NEFL-AEF, Androcat, SWFlorida Eagle Cam, Olympic Park Eagles, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Nesting Bird Life and More, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Falcon Cam Project, AccuWeather, Decorah North and Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, Gracie Shepherd, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, FOBBV, Nature Lover Bird Life Odyssey, FORE, Current Biology and British Trust for Ornithology, Cal Falcon Cam, cbf.org, William and Mary University.
I have decided to send out Friday’s news late Thursday instead. There are two main news points: Nox has died and SE 33 fledged. By the time Friday morning arrives, it is possible that SE34 will have also fledged. I will resume my normal postings on Saturday morning.
It is with a very heavy heart that I write that cute little Nox, the fourth hatch of Annie and Archie in 2024, has died. Many of you will already know this sad news as it is the biggest story in Bird World. Nox was taken into care shortly after fledgling after being found grounded at the Marina and treated for a fracture. He was kept in rehabilitation and sent to a falconer for training. He was released into the wild on Monday the 21st of October 2024 amidst great applause and happiness. He was found grounded again, highly anemic, three days later. He was emaciated. A post-mortem is being undertaken to find the cause of his death.
There are deaths in Bird World that impact us more than others. Nox was the cutest little chick who won all of our hearts. While we want all of the chicks to thrive, Nox was very, very special to so many and, thus, his death has impacted us deeply. Fly high little one. Soar in places you never dreamed possible!
A male Bald Eagle that won everyone’s hearts and caused us great concern during Hurricane Milton was Clive, the mate to Connie at the Captiva Nest in the Barrier Islands off the west coast of Florida. He rode out the hurricane protecting his nest and, now he is making the news and well, he should. I don’t believe anyone has seen this on a streaming cam before (please feel free to correct me on that!).
Around many of the Bald Eagle nests there is some question about who is who and who is on what nest with what mate. We wait to see US Steel’s nest of Irvine and Claire and now Dulles-Greenway, the nest that formerly belonged to Martin and Rosa.
SW Florida is stable. M15 and F23 are busy, busy looking forward to their second breeding season together.
We hope that NE Florida will be stable and that Gabby and Beau will finally have a family!
At the WRDC nest, Ron came in, landed on the nest, took a selfie around 0655 Thursday morning and departed.
Thunder and Akecheta were both at their West End nest!
I did not see Andor and Cruz at Fraser Point nor did I see Jackie and Shadow at Big Bear on Thursday.
In Australia, Diamond is stuffing Yira and Gammatta to the top of their little heads!
At the Port Lincoln Osprey nest, Wilko is being aggressive towards Kasse. This is a food issue. As clearly demonstrated by the Poole Harbour nest of Blue 022 and CJ7, frequent fish deliveries can ensure that four osplets fledge without anxiety and beaking. Thankfully, Dad came in with half a fish (or that is how it appeared) Thursday morning around 0730. I thought that poor little Kasse was going to go off the rim of the nest trying to get away from the aggression.
It is impossible to see who is getting fed, but I suspect it is Wilko eating first. There is plenty for Kasse. I hope that the fish fairies will appear and bring supplementary fish to the nest to fill in the spaces when Dad is not bringing fish.
On Friday morning, the oldest sibling SE33 fledged from the nest around 0619. They stayed near the nest eventually flying out of the forest around 0643.
Where is Mum at Collins Street? The eyases are in the gutter and back up to the scrape but there has yet to be a prey delivery. It is 0820.
Thank you for being here this evening. Take care.
Thank you to the following for their posts, articles, news, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write this post: Cal Falcons, weather.com, Dulles-Greenway Eagles, NE Florida-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Olympic Park Eagles, Port Lincoln Ospreys.
It is a gorgeous, albeit windy, fall day on the Canadian Prairies. I noticed about thirty-five Canada Geese feeding on the soccer field at one of our nearby high schools while five flew overhead. At last count, thirty European Starlings were feeding on the suet at the big table feeder. Mr Crow was also getting peanuts, sometimes, he would take six at a time, swallowing them (seemingly) while the Blue Jays retrieved theirs. The squirrels were eating the ones left on the deck. It was a bit of a feeding frenzy. The temperatures dropped to 0 C last night, and the birds, being more attuned to weather than most humans unless you have arthritis, must feel the end of fall is coming soon.
Notice how, in the space of a few minutes, the suet cylinder is reduced. The Starlings really peck away at it. Their beaks can only eat certain seeds so no Black Oil Seed or peanuts for them. We get this suet especially to give them energy. Tomorrow I plan to put out apples and oatmeal. We will see who is happy!
The days for our nice walks without heavier clothing are swiftly coming to an end. Tomorrow we hope to get out to the park for a goose count!
Nox. When he went back into rehabilitation three days after being released, he was emaciated and required a blood transfusion. Was he not able to hunt? I hope they keep him in and give him more training at hunting! He has had a complete blood transfusion and his condition is now stable.
The triplets at Collins Street are healthy and becoming quite independent. Not sure what the Mum F23 thinks about all of that, but they are growing and we can look forward to a lot of running back and forth and gutter-stomping it seems. It is wonderful they are so healthy! Dad slipped in and even got to feed his little ones. They look like snow people but that cotton ball coat is going to shed itself just as we are beginning to see a change in the plumage around their eyes. https://youtu.be/rucHRHj2VQ4?
There was a nice breakfast feeding with the triplets quickly falling into food comas.
As it got hotter in Melbourne, the kiddos stopped their gutter stomping and she protected them from the hot rains of the Melbourne sun. It is 16 C but hotter up on those top floors of the concrete buildings with the sun beating down.
There were three feedings at Orange before 0800 on Thursday!
More feedings at Orange and the kiddos explore the scrape checking out the Cilla Stones!
Seriously cute with its little bloody beak. Just look at those sparkling black eyes. Adorable.
‘A’ comments: “Meanwhile, the falcon chicks at both scrapes are eating machines. All five appear very healthy and active. The parents are barely able to cope with their demands and are working tirelessly to do so. At Collins Street, the littles are into the gutter and the stomping season has begun. So far, there have been no problems and no-one has got themselves trapped down there. Mum is now leaving the kiddos to get up and down by themselves, as they are capable of doing.
Darling Diamond and Xavier are feeding their pair about eight or nine meals on an average day and the chicks seem to be growing before our very eyes. At every feeding, they seem larger than at the last. Similarly, the trio at Collins Street appear to have permanently bloated crops. “
More osprey nests with eggs in South Australia.
Many will have noticed the netting that Mum brought in to the Port Lincoln nest. So many were concerned that the osplets could get caught in it and be pulled off the nest. We have seen this many times before. Pitkin County comes first to my mind where one chick died and the other spent a year in rehabilitation before being released. The fish fairies came quickly removing the netting and leaving some nice fish.
This happened on the 21st – the removal of the netting so a few days ago.
Wilko had breakfast with Mum at 0611 on Thursday. Kasse slept through all of it. It looks like a rather small fish or partial fish arrived at 1340 and had not been clocked on the obs board when I checked. Both osplets fed. They do need more fish!
Geemeff sent us an article about the Coobwie Osprey nest with the four chicks. I have yet to confirm that the fourth has made it. It was not eating when I left for Nova Scotia and I have not seen any information. If you have, please let me know.
Judy Harrington gives us a good report on what SE33 and SE34 were up to. Notice that they are way up on the branches and could fly any moment save for the fact that currawongs send them back to the nest. Personally I think this is a good thing. They need to get used to and ignore those pesky birds. Hopefully spending more time on the nest watching Lady and Dad deal with them will help.
The two could easily fly Thursday morning. They certainly have me sitting on the edge of my chair and it looks like several hundred more! They were way up in the branches. They came down to the nest several times, went higher, and then down lower. They are very aware of the Currawong. This is a good thing – the longer they stay on the nest the more they should develop skills to either fly out when the Currawong aren’t around or ignore them and follow the path Lady and Dad take to the river. Once at the River, they will be fine. They will be trained to hunt and fish by Lady and Dad. They just have to get down there, not somewhere else!
They are still in the nest at the Olympic Park in Sydney, being harassed by the Curras. That might keep them home so that they can mature more…
‘A’ sends us the latest report from the nest at Sydney: “October 24: An early quartet to welcome the day [don’t you just love the eaglets joining in the morning squawking?], then Lady was off chasing a currawong. Both eaglets moved out on the limb together, side by side. The eaglets were resting – waiting – and Lady brought in a gull just before 10am, along with swoopers. SE33 self-fed well and both were fed a little by Lady. After a quiet late morning, Lady flew in at 12:15. She must have seen Dad coming with a fish. This was grabbed by SE34, who took a long time to break into the flesh. Lady tried to join in, SE33 ate a little, until finally they left it at 2:30pm. A long feed. Dad finished off a few scraps. Both eaglets were then resting on the nest and venturing up the perch branch – flapping and exploring a little. Both eagles were seen down on the river at 16:40. At dusk, the eaglets were standing on the rim of the nest, with a magpie swooping.”
‘A’ continues with her own thoughts which parallel mine – the sea eagles do not eat the chicks of the Curra so why bother one another? “October 24: An early quartet to welcome the day [don’t you just love the eaglets joining in the morning squawking?], then Lady was off chasing a currawong. Both eaglets moved out on the limb together, side by side. The eaglets were resting – waiting – and Lady brought in a gull just before 10am, along with swoopers. SE33 self-fed well and both were fed a little by Lady. After a quiet late morning, Lady flew in at 12:15. She must have seen Dad coming with a fish. This was grabbed by SE34, who took a long time to break into the flesh. Lady tried to join in, SE33 ate a little, until finally they left it at 2:30pm. A long feed. Dad finished off a few scraps. Both eaglets were then resting on the nest and venturing up the perch branch – flapping and exploring a little. Both eagles were seen down on the river at 16:40. At dusk, the eaglets were standing on the rim of the nest, with a magpie swooping.
…
I continue to gain confidence in the eaglets gaining confidence from repeated successes in dealing with the swooping birds. It simply HAS to help, doesn’t it? This has not happened in any season I have seen previously. This is the first time they have had a substantial pre-fledge period where they have self-fed and been fed on the nest while seeing off the swoopers and using the nest as their ‘safe spot’.
You can see the difference between the magpies and the currawongs – the currawongs have totally black heads and a white band across the end of their tails. They are also noticeably larger than the magpies. From my knowledge of these birds, neither attacks in pairs or groups like the smaller birds (such as the noisy mynahs, who attack in twos and threes, repeatedly swooping at the target bird, either simultaneously or in rapid succession, from different directions). These larger birds swoop individually at the target bird, as the magpie is doing in this photo. (The white on the back of the neck in this pic shows the swooper to be a magpie not a currawong, who has no white on its head or neck.) The magpies also have white (or light grey for females and juveniles) on their backs, unlike currawongs, whose backs are black. The magpies have longer, slightly thinner beaks. Apparently, both magpies and currawongs will often steal both eggs and chicks as prey, though I personally have not seen it. They also attack fledglings of smaller birds as prey but presumably not fledglings of the size of the sea eaglets.
They continually say in the literature that the currawongs are merely protecting their young, but if this is the case, why is it that we never see the sea eagles bring in currawongs or magpies as prey? In all the years we have watched the WBSE nest, how many have you seen being eaten? No, me neither. Not a single one.”
At NE Florida, Beau and Gabby slept on the nest tree and then did some great nestorations. This is becoming a beautiful spot for eggs.
Across the state of Florida from Gabby and Beau, M15 and F23 are working diligently on getting their nest ready, too! They have been working on the crib rails and bringing in moss to make everything soft and nice for F23 and her eggs.
It was a scary moment. M15 working on sticks and F23 nearly hit by a car! This is when we are more than grateful for boots on the ground with their cameras like The Real Saunders Photography. Their images are incredible. I urge you to follow their FB feed to see all the action you miss because it is not on the cams. https://youtu.be/5AVTQD7d3Z8?
I have been helping Brian Collins get fish count figures for all the osprey nests that I can. Geemeff sent me the count for Loch Arkaig for this past year and a few earlier. Poole Harbour raised four to fledge. Blue 022 and CJ7 were really busy fishing. I was sent their count today by Jenny Moore. Thank you to Geemeff and Jenny. The individuals overseeing the regulations for commercial fishing of Menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay have no idea how many Menhaden exist in the Bay nor do they have any notion of how many fish osprey take for various size nests. We hope to educate them. If you or if you know someone who did fish counts at a nest for 2024 or earlier, please have them get in touch with me with that data. It will really help our approach.
Here is the count for Poole Harbour. This is amazing information. Notice they even include the time of day and which parent was most active in deliveries.
The fish count from Loch Arkaig:
These are the actual figures with a brief explanation of chick and egg numbers. The vast majority of fish deliveries are Brown Trout, with Mackerel and Flatfish coming in next but in low numbers, and a couple of other species in insignificant numbers eg one eel.
G Fish stats for Loch Arkaig:
2024 Male delivered 255 and female delivered 1 fish: three eggs, three chicks hatched, C3 starved to death at 23 days old due to weather making fishing difficult, C2 died before fledging at 62 days old as a result of weakness due to semi-starvation due to weather, and C1 survived to fledge after being placed on a translocation programme.
2023 Male delivered 396 and female delivered 1 fish: three eggs – one lost in owl attack, one unviable, C3 hatched and fledged
2022 Male delivered 546 and female delivered 0 fish: three eggs – C1 and C2 hatched and fledged, C3 died at 7 days old,
2021 unknown fish: female failed to return and male moved to a non-cam nest with new partner therefore number of eggs and hatches unknown, two chicks hatched and fledged
2020 Male delivered 553 and female delivered 26 fish: three eggs – all hatched and fledged
2019 Male delivered 407 and female delivered 7 fish: three eggs – C2 dead in shell, C1 and C3 hatched and fledged
Calico and Baby Hope always make sure that we take good care of ‘The Boyfriend’ by providing him with food and water, special treats, and several choices of outdoor accommodation. It is not his fault that his owners ‘dumped’ his mother and/or him to live on the streets. He is too frightened to come and live in the house so we do the best we can for him, giving him options which he can choose or not knowing that one day, we will put the food out and not see him again. Life is short for the urban feral cats. Many asked me if I think he will go in the little container home. I don’t think he will. I believe he lives under the deck where Calico had Hope (and maybe some other kittens who did not survive that litter). Calico and The Boyfriend were together before she moved into the house. They were always in the garden and at the feeding station. Although the vet felt that Baby Hope was a kitten from Calico’s first litter, I am unsure. It is possible that he is actually a surviving kitten from Calico’s very first litter (if Hope wasn’t in that litter). It is just my gut feeling. When we lived in the UK, we rescued a small Calico cat and her kitten, a tuxedo. Because he stays where Hope was born, I wonder even more. The neighbours look out by giving food and any time anyone makes a remark about trapping him, we all go crazy so that talk has stopped. He is not adoptable. But he is a gentle soul nevertheless. We do the best we can for him knowing that under that deck he is dry and away from the weather. He has now survived at least two winters there.
Baby Hope always watches The Boyfriend when he eats and, in return, he sits and looks longingly at her for several minutes before leaving. He now comes if I call ‘Kitty, Kitty’ really loud. I try to manage that he gets all the food put out at the beginning and if he wants seconds he can have it. I pick up the deworming medication this week! He is a lovely tuxedo and is now part of our family although not inside with us.
He was intently watching Little Red from a perch on the barbecue table.
Calico’s Tip for the Day concerns feeding the birds outdoors. Look over the list. There are some items that you might not have considered. That said, I disagree with ever feeding birds bread despite even the leader of our bird house building workshop saying that everyone does it after admitting it is unhealthy. So please, no bread. I always give the Crows and Jays cat kibble but I do not soak it.
Calico also found a poster about feeding ducks. The majority of the ducks resident in Manitoba during the spring and summer are now gone. Many will be showing up in ponds near the southern US (if not further). Please keep in mind what to feed them.
Calico would love it if we had hedgehogs in Canada. She reminds everyone in the UK to please leave the leaves. The hedgehogs might need them!
Cockatoo finally rescued after being trapped in shopping mall!
‘J’ has been monitoring the situation at the US Steel Plant where there is the nest of Claire and Irvin. It appears there is a new female there. We do not know the status of Claire. We will continue to monitor. Thanks, ‘J’.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care. We hope to see you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, Jenny Moore, L’, UC Berkeley News, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Heidi McGrue, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Friends of Osprey Sth Aus, Australian Rural & Regional News, Judy Harrington and Sea Eagle Cam, Olympic Park Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, The Real Saunders Photography, Jenny Moore and Poole Harbour Fish Count, Geemeff and Loch Arkaig Fish Count, Backyard Bird Lovers, For Fox Sake Animal Rescue, Hope for Hedgehogs Woodside, The Guardian.
I had a lovely vacation, but it was so nice to be home and to wake up with Hugo Yugo cuddled under my chin Tuesday morning.
It is Wednesday morning now and Baby Hope is watching ‘The Boyfriend’ eat his breakfast. All is right with the world. It is 1 C.
Most of the leaves are gone on the trees at the back. The lilacs have some. The memorial tree to our cat Abigale is bare, and it feels like the end of fall with the temperatures plummeting at night. We have gathered up kindling and logs and will have some nice fires in the wood stove in the late afternoon. I might even bake some of that Nova Scotia Oatmeal Molasses bread this week. It looks like we are into comfort food weather!
When he is ready to leave, The Boyfriend always stops and looks in the house for about ten minutes before he leaves. We have put out the little container with straw, but I believe he sleeps under the deck of the house where Calico had her kittens.
Gosh, I really missed The Girls!
The biggest news that I read while I was away was that Nox was released into then wild….and then is back in care!
Nox has to be the cutest peregrine falcon in the world!
And they also are playful and want to escape her attentions! This poor Mum she has her hands full with this bunch! https://youtu.be/Igt2Dndy74c?
If you haven’t watched this peregrine family, you should. They are hilarious and it is even going to get more exciting as these chicks lose their down.
Bubba at Growing Home is working its wings and walking around the nest. 38 days old. Oh, the joys of being the Only Bob. Eating and eating without any anxiety or strife.
Wilko and Kasse are well into the reptile stage. Poor things. So many pin feathers coming out. So far two fish have been brought in at the time I am writing this. It is early in the day; hopefully there will be more.
After eating some of it on the ropes, Dad brought in a super fish right around 1800. Wilko and Kasse had a great dinner along with Mum!
They are beautiful and their interactions are so cute. They could fly any day and yet they are still with us – thankfully. Many believe (or hope) that SE33 and SE34 will remain on the nest observing their parents ignoring the Currawong and when they fly will head to the river. I hope for the same!
At 1102, the pair had full crops. They are both restless.
“Shocking to hear these gamekeepers plotting to kill Hen Harriers, and actually shooting one, not knowing the RSPB investigations team were filming them.” https://youtu.be/l4dRN1L_X6Y
One of my long time readers is really wanting people to understand ‘why’ people should not purchase budgies. I know that many of you could also talk about people not purchasing pure bred dogs or cats and, instead, taking rescues. I promised ‘J’ that I would alert all of you and I ask that if you know of anyone thinking about buying a budgie, please educate them! Share this information. Thank you.
‘J’ writes: Could you please put this in your blog and ask people to send it to anyone considering buying a budgie?
It’s a fantastic FREE ebook with everything a budgie caretaker should know and should read before taking a budgie into their home.
If only one person reads it before buying, it’s a win.
Had to check on Gabby and Beau. They have both been working on the nest
Hawk Mountain’s migration report. Those numbers for ospreys are truly troubling.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, J’, UC Berkeley News, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Liznm, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Growing Home, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Olympic Park Eagles, Nesting Bird Life and More, Raptor Persecution UK, The Guardian, Pamela Clark, NEFL-AEF, Hawk Mountain Migration Chart.
We hope that this post finds you having a great weekend. Full of curiosities and birds! Maybe cats, too!!!!!!!!
Update: First gutter stomp at Collins Street! Gosh, wonder what Mum is going to do now? https://youtu.be/uUg0pXetEOo?
Friday was just another gorgeous fall day near the Minas Basin and Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. We returned to the Grand Pre Memorial Site, the church and the land of the Acadians that were deported by the British Planters. We enjoyed our walks here in August, the discovery of the juvenile eagle, and re-learning the history of the French settlers, the Acadians. Today, the adults raising the juvenile were soaring above their nest near the Blacksmith Shop. They were so high above me that any iphone photos were positively inadequate. Today, circling and soaring they went til finally they stopped and headed north towards the farmer’s fields. They are two of the eagles that feed on the fields near where I am staying. It felt wonderful. Seven or eight Blue Jays flitted about and the gulls continued scavaging on the newly plowed fields, too.
There was hardly anyone on the grounds of the UNESCO Heritage site. Peaceful would be the best word to describe the morning. It was precisely what I needed.
Saturday will be lovely, too, and it is Homecoming weekend at Acadia University where I taught and chaired the Fine Arts Department eons ago. We fly home early, early Monday morning so we will take full advantage of the wonderful fall weather today – and the good food to be found in the small villages up the mountain.
Ah, but moving on…We were here in August and I wrote about the Acadians. If you missed it, this is your brief refresher.
The Acadians began to settle the area just east of Wolfville, Nova Scotia in 1682. They worked very hard building dykes and taking advantage of the soil left by the tides. Their area became known as the ‘Breadbasket of Acadie’.
The Memorial Church: “The Memorial Church expresses the Acadian’s strong attachment to Grand-Pré National Historic Site of Canada. Built in 1922, with funds raised from Acadian communities throughout North America, the Memorial Church symbolizes the spirit of Acadian nationalism and the deep-seated desire to commemorate the tragedy of the Deportation. Architect René Fréchet of Moncton, New Brunswick, drew up the plans for the church, which reflect Normandy-style architecture of the 1700s. The design does not duplicate the original pre-Deportation church whose appearance is unknown. Archaeological excavations in 2001 suggest the Memorial Church was indeed built approximately where the original Grand-Pré parish church stood (Parks Canada)”.
Evangeline is the heroine of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem of the same name. She was not a real person, and you will not find her name on the list of deportees. Many believe, particularly those Acadians living in Louisiana, that she is Emmeline LaBiche, who reunited with her lover, Louis Arceneaux, in Saint Martinsville, Louisiana. The tragedy of this tale, unlike Longellow’s poem, where they never met again, is that Areneaux had wed someone else. It was too late for the couple.
Longfellow’s poem is symbolic of the breaking up of families and potential families caused by the British deportation of the Acadians. Many settled in Louisiana if they survived. The Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the Seven Years War and the hostilities between the French and British. It had a clause that allowed the Acadians to return to their land in Nova Scotia. Most never did.
The original well used by the Acadians and a piece of one of the original willow trees on the land.
The Deportation Cross. There are several deportation crosses – the one at the UNESCO site in Grand Pre (below), another at Hortonsville just 3.2 kms away that marks the site of the deportation of 1755 of more than 2000 Acadians, and at least one other in St Martinsville, Louisiana.
A view of the farming lands of the Acadians inside the dykes.
We had hoped the Memorial Church would be open as we did not go inside on our last visit. It wasn’t. You can walk through the grounds at your leisure, but the church and the interpretative centre are closed for the season. Everyone is preparing for winter and the falling leaves, now crunching beneath our feet, are a reminder that snow and much colder weather will be here sooner than we think.
Moving on to the birds…
F23 can get them back in the scrape and shelter them from whatever the Melbourne weather throws at that nest site! https://youtu.be/q9RZZgnuQv4?
At Port Lincoln, Wilko and Kasse had a nice early morning breakfast. Dad delivered fish, everyone ate and there was plenty left when Dad removed it so he could have some breakfast, too. Well done, Dad!
Oh, these two are changing right before our eyes. Look at all the down off that little head and the pin feathers coming in.
Later…Wilko and Kasse are wanting more fish, but nothing is arriving.
Wilko is such a reptile!
Two Sea eaglets still on the nest in the Olympic Forest.
Mum either headed out to get prey or went to the pantry. The triplets are sooooooo cute and they had a lovely breakfast while the sea eagles wait for theirs.
The chicks at Orange had their breakfast starting at 0811. It looks like it lasted 6 minutes before Diamond stopped feeding.
At the Growing Home Osprey platform, Bubba looks to have all of his/her juvenile plumage. Don’t you love how Dad spends so much time on the nest with Mum and Bubba? Except when he is fishing, of course!
Wondering about Gabby and Beau? Both were at the nest tree on Friday.
It was windy at Captiva – I only caught one eagle on cam, but that doesn’t mean that Connie and Clive were both not there! In fact, the mates are often on other branches and we can’t see them on the streaming cams and so we worry for nothing!
At SW Florida, F23 has brought in at least one pine cone to the nest along with lots of twigs. We are now past the middle of October. Eaglets are born in late December and early January with incubation being, on average, 35 days in Florida. Things will start to get serious in another month.
‘A’ sends us news of the recent Royal Albatross fledglings with trackers: “The leading two chicks from Taiaroa Head are more than halfway to Chile now. We have GPS data for five of the fledgees from this season and we can see their progress towards their summer fishing grounds off the coast of Chile. Meanwhile, previous seasons’ fledgees are returning to Taiaroa Head for their breeding season. We have lovely footage on the chat of a previous chick from the colony, now a nine-year-old male, returning to where he was born, presumably to find a mate. Let’s hope he is successful this season in finding Miss Right. These birds are exquisite and their wingspan is astounding. It never ceases to amaze me that they live for so long without setting foot on dry land and that after all those thousands of kilometres, they return to within 50 metres of the nest from which they fledged. Is that not just awesome? Nothing we as humans can do compares with the feats of some of the birds and animals we observe. How do we not have the utmost respect for these creatures instead of treating them as somehow inferior to us, fatally flawed humans? The outrageous arrogance of it never ceases to astound me. We should be breathless with wonder. Seriously.”
In the UK there is growing concern over laws to make it legal to carry chickens by their legs (don’t even get me started on animal cruelty) and by bird flu which seems to be reappearing in articles about various species from shorebirds to pheasants.
Do you live in Pennsylvania? If so, you might be interested in visiting the nocturnal animals! Here is the info for Zoo America. Thanks, ‘RP’.
Zoo America allows guests to meet nocturnal animals after hours at Creatures Of The Night
The program allows guests to learn about the Zoo’s nocturnal animals
HERSHEY, Pa. — For the next two weekends, you can explore ZooAmerica in Hersheypark after the sun goes down to meet their “Creatures Of The Night.”
The program allows guests to learn about the Zoo’s nocturnal animals, like owls, gray wolves and even skunks. This is the only time of the year the zoo is open after-hours.u
Organizers say it’s a fun way to get into the Halloween spirit and educate people on the animals’ nighttime habitats.
“It’s nice to learn about the animals we have in our environment,” Alicia Snyder, education specialist at ZooAmerica, said. “So since we’re ZooAmerica, we only have animals from North America. You might see them around your house. So usually if people see a skunk, they’re not gonna get close to it, which is good, but we should know that we should still take care of their environment.”
Creatures Of The Night also features Halloween crafts, a magic potion scavenger hunt, animal enrichment activities and special educational displays.
It runs Friday – Sunday over the next two weekends (Oct. 18 – 20 and Oct. 25 – 27) from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We look forward to having you with us again soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A,Geemeff, J, RP’, Sharon Pollock, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Ospreys, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Olympic Park Eagles, Growing Home Osprey Cam, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, The Guardian,BirdGuides, Zoo America.
Thursday was a slow ‘stay close to the cottage’ kinda’ day. Sometimes we just need to sit and not go too far. It was a beautiful blue sky with sun day and no hint of rain day. The wind was brisk and it was 10 C. The Bald Eagles were nowhere to be seen. The gulls were still feeding and in one field, the closest to where we are staying, a hawk was vigilant in its attempts to get some dinner. Tenacious. Persistent. For at least an hour. We wondered if it was sitting on top of a rabbit hole.
Our batteries should be recharged by tomorrow.
The apples continue to amaze us. We have just finished eating slivers of the Honeycrisp apples we purchased from the little stand in Port Williams the other day. There is no comparison to the apples in the shops. Crunchy. Full of juice. Delicious.
Today, this was a sign at the farmer’s market in Wolfville. In Winnipeg, these apples would be nearly $4.00 per pound. Can you imagine how many pies 25 lb would make – and for only $8.00! Oh, and these are not ones with bruises. They were perfect.
A few of the dykelands from The Lookout on the way to Cape Split. People were lining up to take images of the views. It is simply breathtaking. The water in the distance is the high tide at Wolville.
Cape Split. It is a provincial park that is fantastic for hiking.
Tomorrow, we will be checking out the height of the tide. Remember it is to be unprecedented at 43 feet. On Thursday, at 39-40 feet, the high tide was almost level with the bridge at Port Williams. Everyone is holding their breath in Hall’s Harbour, waiting to see what will happen. I hope to have some images for you. We don’t think about tides on the Canadian Prairies!
Let’s do a very brief check on the Australian nests.
At Port Lincoln, have a look. Our little osplets are both beginning to turn into Reptiles. Wilko is 13 days old, and Kasse is 10 days old. This easily accounts for the commotion caused by the fish coming in late.
Notice, the osplets head under Mum. The soft down is disappearing and giving way to that oily head that will be tinged with gorgeous copper feathers. I am not going to get anxious…the fish fairies are waiting in the wing to help out!
Mum and the kids are waiting for breakfast!
You can really notice the change in Wilko. Notice that head that is getting darker. Kasse also has some black spots!
‘A’ writes: “At Port Lincoln, dad brought in a small fish at 07:50 and both osplets had crops after the meal. Another small fish and another feeding for both at 09:02. Dad is in with yet another fish at 14:22 and this one is large and alive. Again, the osplets get a good feeding before dad is in with the fourth fish of the day at 15:24. There is bonking on this nest but as far as I can tell, it is not impacting the feedings at all. Wilco is periodically enforcing pecking order but Kasse does not appear to be particularly intimidated. We will see how this develops but it is not a significant problem at the moment.”
Bradley and Giliath have their first birthdays this week.
At the Growing Home osplet nest, Bubba is benefitting from being the ‘Only Bob’. Look at those beautiful feathers coming in. These parents have really done well with this little one.
It is really nice to see some more Australian nests coming on line.
Both SE33 and SE34 have branched. They are flapping wings and hopping all over the nest. They helped Lady and Dad defending the nest with an oil last night. https://youtu.be/CsNU5dZb0zs?
‘A’ sends the ranger report: “Today’s ranger report from WBSE:
October 18: An owl again disturbed the family, not long after midnight. SE33 sleeping on the rim was alert early – all joined in a warning and both parents chased the owl. Then a quiet night, with all waking early and greeting the day. Swooper currawong was awake early as well. SE33 is doing some serious flapping/flying across the nest to the perching branch and back. At 9:30 both parents were seen down on the river. Eaglets were waiting until, finally, at 15:13 Lady brought in part of a fish. They fought over it, with SE33 mantling, as the currawong swooped. Finally SE33 ate, with SE34 watching – a small meal. Both eagles were seen down on the river at around 4pm. Dad came in a few minutes after, chased by currawong. The eaglets were keeping their heads down, though SE34 is bolder in protesting at the swoopers. Down on the river, Lady was seen missing a catch twice. They both returned to the nest soon though, Dad with an eel and Lady right behind. SE34 grabbed it and mantled – but took a long time to break into the skin, with swooper disturbance as well. Later SE33 managed to push in and ate some. Tough prey for beginners.”
We have not seen this level of interaction between the eaglets and the swooping smaller birds in previous seasons. Will it have any effect on their ability to handle these birds post-fledge or will it make no difference at all? I have to believe it improves their chances, surely.
Breakfast came early to the triplets at 367 Collins Street! One of the trio has been consistently going into the gutter. That female is amazing. She doesn’t hold any punches and gets that chick back up with the others. She knows, like anyone living in Melbourne does, that they need to stay cool and to do that she has to be able to shade them at that end. She can’t have them exposed to the full sun.
‘A’ remarks: “At Collins Street, they were left alone for a lot of the afternoon. It was a very wet day and mumbrella was in operation for much of it, sheltering the trio as best she could. Little dad also took a couple of shifts, doing his very best to ensure that the littles stayed as dry as possible, although it was impossible to stop them getting somewhat damp. Mum herself was absolutely soaked for much of the time. She is amazingly stoic, in pouring rain or in the heat of the summer sun.
The rain was absolutely torrential at various stages, such as from about 14:00, while at other times the day was just grey and overcast with persistent rain. The first feeding I saw for the day was at 12:43. when little dad flew up to the ledge beside the scrape with a piece of headless prepared prey.
Mum quickly took charge of the food and fed the trio, who all ate well. The younger two were at the front and got the first of the food but the oldest soon joined the feeding line. Everyone had a crop by the end. They are so civilised at meal times. Yes, they compete for bites but there is absolutely zero aggression. Feedings are a noisy affair at any falcon scrape and this one is no exception. The almighty racket these three make is a happy din and one I have come to love. The soundtrack of a Melbourne spring.
The next feeding occurred when the rain eased, at around 14:45, when mum arrived with a prepared piece of prey. She may have caught this but it looks more like something she has retrieved from a pantry. Either way, it becomes the second meal of the day for the three littles, who tuck into their yummy ex-pigeon (I think) with gusto and some excitement. Mum obscures our view of the meal, so the precise division of the food is a mystery to us all, though the post-meal crops attest to the fact that all the chicks again ate well.
These three are very good at stretching and grabbing and competing for their food. It is a competitive affair but without malice. The younger chicks are often (usually) at the front of the bunch, and are not shut out of the feedings at all. This female is good at ensuring all mouths are fed and she is patient enough to keep feeding the chicks until she cannot find anyone interested in eating more. “
At Orange, nothing short of adorable as breakfast came in stages.
‘A’ writes: “At Orange, there is nothing to worry about. There is plenty of prey and the littles are getting along famously. Diamond and Xavier are doing their usual wonderful parenting job. This scrape really is a joy to watch as long as Diamond is not raising more than two chicks. I would not like to watch her raising three. When the rain got really heavy, Diamond moved in off the ledge and onto her Cilla Stones, which is her usual spot when she is scared of the thunder. Those stones are her security blanket. It’s too cute. I do hope Xavier is hunkered down somewhere dry. It would be so nice if he joined the rest of the family in the scrape when the weather is so bad.
Here is today’s prey summary from Orange. Everything brought to the scrape today was a starling, with the exception of the feed at 15:46, which we think was a rosella. 18 Oct PREY 07:25:11 feed; 07:40:57 feed; 08.57.54 feed; 09.39.31 feed; 11.25.17 feed; 15:19:27 X feeds; 15:46:00 feed; 18:23:04 feed; 18:59:03 feed. Nine feedings! Seriously! “
Thank you so much for being with me today for this short catch up. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: To ‘A’ who filled in the blanks for all of us – a big thank you, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Growing Home Ospreys, Olympic Park Eagle Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Liznm, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Falcon Cam Project.
It is Sunday morning at 1000. The three Blue Jays are dashing in and out caching peanuts this morning. We have spread the nuts out in four different places so that there is less fussing. The Red Squirrels have the small square feeder while the Blue Jays and Crow are sharing the large one. The Grey Squirrels are on the deck. In the middle of all of this are the Starlings who have decided that they are really enjoying the solid suet cylinders more than the ‘Superior’ birdseed. They all seem happy and energetic. The rain from last night has given way to blue skies and fluffy cotton ball clouds that are moving rapidly to the South. ‘The Boyfriend’ appeared right on time. He is going to be ‘dewormed’. That is the plan for our return from the Maritimes. De Worming The Boyfriend. We will also build him a new winter home complete with lots of straw and a heat lamp. Winter feels like it is approaching fast! Today is a day for wool socks and jumpers.
We had our Thanksgiving dinner earlier in the week with my ‘bestie’, but we are sneaking in another little meal, just the two of us and The Girls and ‘The Boyfriend’ before we head to Nova Scotia. Everyone deserves a special treat. We are likely on our way as you read this. We are so grateful for everyone: the animals, our family and friends, and you, as I said yesterday. We feel blessed. Thank you so much for your good wishes for our Thanksgiving and holiday. So appreciated.
Just remember, there will be no blog on Tuesday. We will be travelling to our digs for the week.
The streaming cams that have nests with chicks are doing very well. The Sea Eaglets will be fledging soon, and we must send positive wishes to chase those Currawongs away from them when they fly. That is the only major event that will be happening while I am away. Of course, we hope all those birds not seen on camera since Milton sped through Florida will be seen soon – including Clive, Gabby, and Beau.
Neither Beau or Gabby have been seen on camera at their NE Florida nest since Milton passed through until late Sunday evening. What a relief to see them. The last time we saw Gabby was when she brought in sticks last Tuesday.
At SW Florida, it is full speed ahead for M15 and F23 as they make that nest as cosy as possible.
Thunder and Akecheta were at the West End nest in the Channel Islands on Sunday checking it out.
Look at Kasse’s fat little bottom and that cute tiny tail. (More about this family later).
Honestly, even with their pin feathers coming in, can we imagine more cuter chicks?
Pin feathers on the go at 367 Collins Street, too. And breakfast came early!
Heidi caught a feeding on video – and there are so many feedings. These little falcon dads are incredible. https://youtu.be/xqEGJsmCfFY?
The sea eaglets are getting ‘too antsy’, hopping about the nest, on and off the branch, and looking out to the wider world.
Some news from Ranger Judy Harrington:
Oh, the first flight for 33 is getting so close. I just held my breath.
‘A’ gives us the report from Sydney’s Cam: “October 14: Again, there was some unknown disturbance during the night – SE33 was alert, with wings out. SE33 spent a lot of the night sleeping standing. Early morning duets with the young ones joining in, then eagles away. At times in the early morning, there was a very noisy flock of Rainbow Lorikeets close by the nest – youngsters standing and watching. Then calling together, reacting to lorikeets. At 10:15, one eagle was seen down on River Roost, Eaglets were resting, lying in the nest. At 10:34, Dad brought in a scrap of fish, which was grabbed and mantled by SE34 but stolen by SE33, and self-fed. When Lady brought some leaves, SE33 mantled over his prey and kept it. Mid-afternoon there was a big storm, and all enjoyed the feeling of rain on their wings. By 5pm, the sun was shining again. Dad brought in a late gull at 17:57, which was taken by Lady and fed to the eaglets. Maybe a little self-feeding with scraps. At last light, Dad came to the nest – false alarm, not prey – followed by Lady.”
The wind is blowing at Port Lincoln. Mum looks to Dad, who is on the ropes, hoping that a fish will be coming soon.
Mum is still waiting for fish for the Wilko and Kasse – and, of course, herself.
Dad came in with a huge Sheepshead (I think that is what it is) for the chicks the evening prior (see top image below), but they are still waiting on Monday in Australia. Mum is trying her best to just sit on them so no unpleasantness but Wilco is getting impatient.
‘A’ remarks: “ I’m writing because dad has just brought in a very late fish at Port Lincoln (it’s nearly8.30pm there) – those IR lights must really be helping (I know they helped that night heron that was fishing off the barge). This is probably a good thing, as there was only one fish brought in today, and it didn’t arrive until after 4pm. The littles behaved themselves, and mum gave a saliva feeding to keep the osplets calm at lunchtime. The fish dad brought in 8.20pm was a big one, minus its head, and mum was hungry herself so had a good dinner, as the kids were in food comas from their late afternoon feedings. “
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care. See you in a few days!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A’, Charter Group, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore.org, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Olympic Park Eagles, Judy Harrington and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam.
