It was a beautiful day in Guadeloupe. We spent it at the Botanical Gardens. If you are ever in this part of the world, I highly recommend a visit to this beautiful space. As you might recall, we are staying in a cottage on the grounds of the old Botanical Garden.
The new one began its current configuration in 2001. Scattered throughout the gardens are koi ponds, flamingos, Rainbow Lorikeets, and Parrots. The birds used to fly free in great numbers on the island. They are now extinct! Habitat destruction (deforestation) and hunting wiped them out. You can purchase food for the various fish and birds at the entrance gate. It is a great way to spend three or four hours.
The koi pond.
Lorikeets eat out of your hand.
The Panoramic Restaurant at the top of the water falls. Great local dishes but everything is on Caribbean time – allow at least 2.5 hours for a lingering lunch.
The sound of the water falling over the rocks. Click for the video. Oh, I hope it plays.
Looking at the Flamingos from the Panoramic Restaurant.
Look at the size of the tree compared to the humans below.
There are roosters, chickens, and chicks everywhere!!!! This is a Red Jungle Rooster. There were Crested Hummingbirds, Carib Grackles, Bandicoots around the garden.
Roger is having his lunch.
A beautiful day in paradise.
Now to check on our bird families…
Everyone in Bird World continues to mourn the loss of E24 and E25 with the SW Florida Bald Eagle family. We hope that F23 and M15 will be spared and return to the nest next season to once again raise a family. It has certainly been difficult not knowing how the adults are doing.
One of the most wonderful notices that I received was that M15 was seen at the pond on Friday. The individual told me he looked good. We need to allow for a fortnight from when the eaglets were sick and passed away for F23 and M15 to be ‘out of the woods’. Then they should have temporary immunity to this blessed curse that has hit the avian world. Here is the video link showing them: https://youtu.be/ZTANpuxjUNE?
While we wait for word from the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta and more sightings of F23 and M15 that show that their health is good, we really must rejoice for those nests that are, at this time, doing very well. I cannot think of a better place to start than the Royal Albatross colony in New Zealand near Dunedin. There OGK’s son, RLK, is brooding their beautiful chick! The NZ DOC has put out the most precious video of RLK meeting that wee babe and reaching down to talk to it. OGK would be very proud! https://youtu.be/0uZs1z5msug?
They are the gentle giants of the sea. They hunt over 6 million square miles of sea, mostly The Roaring Forties of the Southern Ocean, for food. It is a shame that as an international community we have not stopped the practices of the long-haul fishing trawlers (dropping their lines during the day) or have not come up with ways to rid the seas of plastics to save these beautiful creatures with their ten foot wingspans. They live in the winds lowering their heart rate to the same as when they are on their nests (80 beats per minute). They spend years foraging before returning with their wobbly legs to find a mate and then maybe, in years to come, to have a family. They should live to be as old or older than Wisdom, now in her 70s.
There are some things that we cannot control, that we cannot do anything about and then there are others that we can. With Avian Flu, demands must be placed at every level to curtail the disease including the factory chicken farms. Many would have them closed. We can certainly lobby environmental groups to help put into place best practices – demand that best practices be used – on those fishing trawlers such as loading lines at night and on the side of the boat, using safety protections on the hooks, etc. The list is not long and many agencies offer free devices for the ships. It is shameful that we cannot cause change in the industry to the extent that we no longer have to worry about an albatross being beheaded. Yes, that is what happens. It is horrendous. But eating plastic and thinking it is food and dying is horrific, too. While it is difficult to stop buying items that are made of plastic, we certainly should be trying our best. The other day, I realised that one of the biggest culprits is plastic medicine bottles! Why not put tablets in wax-lined paper envelopes? I plan to contact several of our local pharmacies when I return to Canada. We need to also support and call for funding for companies seeking to rid the ocean of consumer plastic waste.
We must smile when we look at Jack working so hard at Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest in St Petersburg. While we were trying to get help for that platform, Jack had other ideas. He started building a nest anyone would be proud of. Now ‘MP’ reports that he is bringing in fish to the nest and calling. Is he calling Diane? That is so sad. Maybe another female will want this beautiful nest and that fish!
Maybe Jack will attract a female! Someone arrived.
Tandem feeding for 31 – and, at the age of 10 days, 31 gets out of the nest bowl and up to the buffet to be fed by Dad. Fantastic! https://youtu.be/_rpYDa8AW6w?
Still waiting for the cams at the West End. Will we have eggs? Thunder usually lays them at the end of January or beginning of February – around our anniversary!
Congratulations to Alex II and Andria II at the E3 nest in the Kisatchie Forest on their first hatch of the 2025 breeding season! https://youtu.be/5iD4P2eY4z8?
Geemeff sends us this: How the Sport Shooting Industry is spreading HPAI and getting away with it! These poor animals are bred only to be shot, and not even for food which would allow some slight justification for their slaughter, then dumped illegally. Besides the potential spread of bird flu, scavengers of their carcasses are prone to getting lead poisoning from the lead shot used by the disgusting shooting industry.
In a highly significant step forward for vulture conservation, India’s government has banned the use of Nimesulide – a widely used veterinary painkiller that’s highly toxic to these threatened birds.
Egg #2 for Sally and Harry arrived at Moorings Park on Friday.
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you late Sunday or Monday.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, H, J, MP’, Jardin Botanique de Deshaies, NZ DOC and Cornell Bird Lab, Royal Cam Albatross, Lizmn, Whiskers and Wings, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Achieva Credit Union, Baiba, SK Hideaways, HDonTap, Raptor Persecution UK, GalS, Window to Wildlife, birdlife.org
It is 1600 on the Canadian Prairies, Tuesday 31 October, as I begin to write. In about an hour before children will begin screaming ‘Trick or Treat’ or ‘Halloween Apples’. I am ready! Let’s hope that I am not too scary.
If you are trying to read the apron, it is from the Hanoi Cooking Centre and if you are ever in Hanoi and want to take cooking classes, I highly recommend it as an option.
The water was not completely frozen at the park near to where I live Tuesday morning but the hundreds of Canada geese and ducks are gone leaving a pair of Mallards and about a dozen Canada Geese. It was quiet except for the occasional honk.
In the garden, there were lots of Sparrows at the feeders along with many Dark-eyed Juncos and Red Crossbills. The Starlings came to visit as did Mr Crow and, of course, the squirrels.
The nest in the Sydney Olympic Park, home to Lady and Dad, and SE 31 and 32 (this year) is eerily quiet.
No one slept on the nest and no eaglets have been seen so far in at least 36 hours.
‘A’ gives us the official report: “October 31: A very hot windy day. Both parents were at the nest early, moving a few sticks, then away. During the early morning bird survey over in the nearby wetlands, I could see both parents over on River Roost. During the afternoon, we think there was a sighting of one juvenile flying into the forest. We went for a walk in the forest searching, but everything was very quiet with the heat. Both parents were in the forest around 3pm and then seen again down on River Roost. Looking under the nest, we did find the dried remains of a puffer fish and the tail of the little ringtail we saw them eat previously. Also lots of silver gull feathers and a couple of eagle feathers. Around 5pm, both adults were heard down on River Roost. We shall keep watching and listening for signs of our fledglings.”
‘A’ reports to me that there are bush fires around Sydney. We are both worried about the sea eaglets and, in particular, SE31.
At the Port Lincoln barge nest of Mum and Dad, Mum was waiting and flew off for either a comfort break of to try and get breakfast.
Mum hoping for a fish and Galiath and #2 ready!
Gave up.
Dad got the fish to the nest at 08:56:30. Everyone was ready! And thrilled. Dad had eaten before the delivery – so a fish.
At some point in the morning, #2 beaked Galiath and Galiath retaliated…#2 became submissive. All appears to be well. Galiath is substantially larger than #2 and we can only assume that Galiath is female and little 2 is male since there is only two days difference between them in terms of hatching.
Then the fish fairy came.
Just look at that crop on Galiath. I hope that #2 got some fish!
11:24
2 tommies and 2 red mullet supplemental fish delivered!
Sup. Fish (M,Whole)
11:24 2
Mum’s back in the nest much more quickly than yesterday. Giliath’s on the left and chick #2’s behind Mum. Both chicks eats some. 2 whole tommies and 1 partial red mullet and 1 red mullet tail remain for now.
12:02 3
Mum’s back on the red mullet. Giliath’s on the left and chick #2’s behind Mum. Giliath eats som
‘A’ comments, “Everyone ate well at Port Lincoln today. As usual, dad brought in a nice breakfast fish, the fish fairy arrived with lunch, which fed the whole family throughout the afternoon, and dad is currently on dinner duty (it’s nearly 5pm there now). The osplets ate a huge meal from 08:56 and their crops were topped up repeatedly during the day, with the fish fairy delivering four nice fish. Once again, I saw no bonking whatsoever on the nest, and feedings were peaceful and fraternal. Big sister sat and watched little bro get half a dozen bites in a row, without objecting or getting aggressive. At one point, after Little Bob had been eating uninterrupted for a couple of minutes, Giliath did shuffle slightly to indicate she was getting slightly impatient, at which point mum promptly gave her a bite. But that was as exciting as things got. Both osplets are well into their reptilian phase and are looking as if they’ve been dipped in a bucket of dirty sump oil. Gone are the cute fluffy creatures of only a few days ago. These slimy-looking black chicks have fat tummies and very round little bottoms. When their crops get too big to stand up to eat, they sit like plump little ducklings to feed. Of course there is a lot of preening occurring and the first wingercising has begun. Although Giliath did faceplant once or twice in the process, she soon worked out how to operate her wings today, doing some very impressive and energetic flapping. Little Bob was in awe. “
Xavier brought in a Starling for Marri and Barru.
Diamond came to the rescue so that both would have some breakfast.
Migration Count from Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania, USA.
There are a few ospreys staying in places that humans think they shouldn’t. Some in Colorado and some in the UK.
San Francisco is one of those places where some ospreys migrate like Rosie while others stay like her mate, Richmond. Here is another pair – are they the only bonded pair that are staying behind in California together?
Can you help monitor the Condor cam in search of #171 California Condor named Traveler who has been missing from the feeding stations at Big Sur has caused concern. They are asking for our eyes. Thank you.
Bella and Smitty are reunited at the NCTC Bald Eagle nest. Please send warm wishes that all the intruders and injuries are now past.
Gabby and V3 continue to work on their nest. No on-camera mating that I am aware. ‘A’ is worried that V3 might not be up to the job. We will wait and see. I am hoping he is camera shy!
Jackie and Shadow were working at their nest despite the fact that they will be the last ones to lay their eggs, most likely.
Work continues on the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive, parents of Connick. No word yet on Connick’s release. Will let you know when I hear some news.
The pair at Duke Farms have a beautiful nest and I do mean gorgeous. Look at the rails and the grasses!
These are two updates from Duke Farms: “June 25 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection update: The nest collapsed in several sections. This is not an uncommon occurrence with eagle nests. Nests that are used for many years get very large and heavy. Every year a few nests fall or, in some cases, the entire nest tree falls. Depending on what time of the nesting season this occurs, it can result in chicks being injured or killed. The fact the nest collapsed after the juveniles fledged is a good thing. They have been fledged for over a month, haven’t been seen at the nest as frequently and will soon be going off on their own. We’ll have to wait and see what will happen with the nest. The adults could try and rebuild the nest or move to a new nest tree. August 11 NJDEP update: A volunteer has been keeping an eye on the cam. Two adult eagles have been seen at the nest – it looks like the eagles are a male and female based on the size, but it’s not clear if one of the eagles is A/59 or a new male. It’s indeterminable if the pair will return to the nest. In many cases, pair rebuild nests in the same location or close by if a collapse has occurred. Sometimes, if there is a new bird in the bird, they will move nest locations. The identity of the male in the pair is a contributing factor in the situation. The fact that two adults are together at the nest may lead to the possibility of rebuilding in the same spot or close by.”
Martin and Rosa checking out the skies over their nest at Dulles-Greenway.
Mr North, Mrs DNF, and a lovely Red-tail Hawk were at the Decorah Eagle nest on Tuesday. Looks like there is snow in Iowa, too!
Aerial battles over Loch Arkaig??????
Any time our feathered friends make the news, it is good. Someone new will learn something and maybe they will spread the word about how we are trying to help!
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care! Looking forward to having you with us again soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A’, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Hawk Mountain, BarbandBob Larsen, Jeff Kear, SF Bay Ospreys, Ventana Wildlife Society, Deb Stecyk, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, Window to Wildlife, Duke Farms, Dulles-Greenway, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Geemeff, TCD, BirdGuides and Sassa Bird.
It was an exciting time in the garden today. The usual suspects were all here but there was a new addition! The European Starlings brought at least one of the juveniles to the garden. It ate in the square feeder, drank in the bird bath, and went into the lilacs to be fed by a parent. Warmed my heart because so many of the Avian families in my neighbourhood bring their babies to the garden to eat and to be safe.
It is very difficult to tell European Starling adults apart – the males and females – just like it is with Blue Jays. This juvenile Starling is gorgeous. The bird book says it is a ‘dull grey-brown’. Well, I don’t think there is anything ‘dull’ about this little beauty.
Just look at the plumage. Under the neck is a soft dark grey collar with a light dove grey trim. Think about the reticula lace ruffs of European royalty in the late 16th century! Not precisely, but think along those lines when you look at the plumage of birds.
So now look at that lovely collar.
Then skip over to the wings and the rump and you begin to get the darkest charcoal, nearly ebony in parts with thicker and more defined outlines on the feathers. This time they almost appear bronze. This is seriously a handsome juvenile.
You can see more of that golden bronze that breaks into a rust when the juvie leans over and the light hits those feathers.
My goodness – what an excellent combination for a fall wardrobe. I worked with a man once that collected all manner of natural objects – well, he collected lots, but he often told me that we have to look to nature for the colours and the patterns. He was right.
The adult trying to find the juvenile in all the thick lilac branches to feed it. This is why I fill those feeders up day in and day out…I could not be more happier to see the adults bringing their babies to the garden. It is a tough world in an urban environment for wildlife. I continue to say that and I hope you don’t get tone-deaf to hearing it. We have taken over their habitat and it is up to us to help them. On the hottest of days that means water – water is hopefully something everyone can spare. But the next time you are tossing food into the bin look and see what you are throwing away. Would a bird eat it?
How did you spend your Friday? I know that many were watching Little Mini to see if she would fledge. Let us hope that she is with us a few more days before flying but, she wants to. Remember. Mini was so tiny we could hardly find her in the nest amidst the big siblings. She appears to be a female which means she has 50% more growth to do than say Three who appears to be a male. Her wings are the span of the nest, she has her tail feathers, now for all of them just to be ‘perfect’ and then, her body will know when to fly. Unless someone knocks her out of the nest or she gets crazy listening to Three ‘fish cry’.
Mini had at least two nice fish and a glorious PS on Friday. The adults do not forget about the chicks on the nest.
Look out below!
As a result of Mini and doing a lot of clearing out, I did not watch the nests on Friday hardly at all. And that is sometimes a good thing. It was not a beautiful day – it was hot and very humid. I still need to get to the nature centre for my daily walk. Instead, I watched Little Red harass Dyson over peanuts. Red squirrels can be very aggressive. I was just screaming at that squirrel who was obviously stashing the peanuts in the wood pile while the others wanted to eat.
Many of you have written in to see what has happened with WBSE30 presumed to have died. Well, she is alive!
There is some nest news and let’s go and see what happened on Friday and early Saturday morning.
Glaslyn: OH2 has not yet fledged – at least not at the time I am writing but it is going to be soon. 0H1 has fledged – both are males.
It was a nasty day at Glaslyn and Saturday morning is even wetter. Happy that 0H2 decided to stay on the nest.
Dyfi: Home to Idris and Telyn. Everyone is soaking wet Saturday morning.
Llyn Clywedog: Every time I think of this nest, I tear up. Dylan and Seren had two beautiful healthy osplets. When I first saw the fish on the nest just there, no one about, my heart sank a bit. thankfully, our fledgling arrived to claim it.
Alyth: The weather is much better and there are three fledglings waiting for fish deliveries!
The last chick did not leave this nest until mid-September and It is confirmed that Dad remained there feeding it all the time. What a fantastic nest.
Loch of the Lowes: Blue NC0 has not been seen for a week. She has not started migration – it is just too early. There have been intruders all season at this nest. I do not believe she would leave two fledglings for this long. Something has sadly happened to her although I hope that she lands on the nest and makes a fool out of me. That would be brilliant and it would be welcoming. Laddie is trying to keep intruders away and be both Mum and Dad. The fledglings are both hungry——and I do mean hungry. Just like they were at Achieva or at Forsythe, currently. He is doing the best he can in circumstances he cannot control.
Blue NC0 and Laddie LM12.
Laddie delivering a fish and the male PF5 got it – he is so hungry having been pushed about by the sister PF4…Two fish so far today – I cannot completely confirm who got the second but I hope that each fledgling got a meal.
Poole Harbour: Food security is paramount for a civil nest. Just look at Poole Harbour!
It is now confirmed that Blue 5H4 did a two-part fledge at 17:13:13 on 21 July. Returned safely. All waiting for their breakfast fish with CJ7 looking on from the perch.
Fortis Exshaw had such a huge fish that I had to post it earlier than H’s report. This nest should simply put a smile on our faces – it and Little Mini and even the Third hatch at Boulder. They are survivors.
‘H’ writes: “Things seemed to have settled for this nest since Mr. O came along eight days ago to help Louise after the disappearance of her long-time mate, Jasper. Mr. O landed on the nest at 1205 to provide deterrence against an intruder, while Louise was out fishing. Louise brought four large fish to the nest, and Mr. O brought a few sticks throughout the day. At 1818 Louise assisted Mr. O with his stick placement. At least one of the chicks seems to be learning from his stepdad, and has been practicing moving sticks around.”
Forsythe: “Fishing must still be difficult for Oscar and Opal. There were only three fish delivered to the nest on 7/21, one by Opal, two by Oscar, and the fish were not very large. Owen, the oldest of the two fledglings, managed to acquire all three of the fish, with nothing left over for Ollie. Ollie last ate a small piece of fish at 0935 on 7/20. There has been an increase in aggression on the nest.”
Kent Island – “All is well for Audrey, Tom, and their 40 day old offspring. Some have been referring to the little one as ‘Junior’. Junior is simply cute as a button!”
Boathouse – “Life is good on Muscongus Bay for 42 day old Skipper. Skipper has been learning from his dad, and he is becoming quite adept at rearranging sticks.”
Dahlgren – “The fledglings D11 and D12 seem to be enjoying exploring their new world. They both return to the nest for meals, and to sleep. I am still amazed how peaceful this nest was all season, despite the siblings hatching four days apart.”
Thanks so much, ‘H’.
Tatarstan RU: Eastern Imperial Eagle nest of Altyn and Altnay. G osh those two little eaglets are growing and they are sporting some green bling!
Lesser Spotted Eagle nest of Anna and Andris in Zemgale, Latvia: What a gorgeous baby!
Karl II and Kaia Black Stork Nest, Karula National Forest, Estonia: Three gorgeous storklets waiting for fish in the morning sunlight. Thank you Urmas for ensuring this family has food in a year of drought and few fish or frogs.
News for Waba and Bonus, the two surviving fledglings from Karl and Kaia’s nest of 2022 (Bonus was a foster from the nest of Jan and Jannika):
Dorset Hobby Falcons: One is Self-feeding! That nest is getting smaller as these two fluff balls grow bigger and bigger.
There is growing concern over the kills by goshawks of ospreys. I am reposting a FB post so that you can see this fantastic image of an Osprey’s talons. Notice the curve and the reason for this – it is not for fighting. Ospreys cannot defend themselves with their talons like eagles and hawks can.
Puts a smile on your face. There are many kind people willing to drop everything and help our ospreys.
Sadly the osplets were lost. But like so many of you who saw this earlier and wrote to me – if it was such an iconic nest, why were these chicks not saved like the ones in Nova Scotia? Did the fire burn so quickly? Did no one not see the smoke and get help? Can you imagine those adult ospreys flying above the nest seeing their chicks burned alive? Will the power company put up a new safe platform on a pole nearby like in Nova Scotia?
I have been asked to spread the word about a beautiful white parrot that needs to be located. It belonged to an elderly woman who was ill and could no longer care for her beloved pet. She entrusted the bird to A Tropical Concept Exotic Bird Rescue, who then found an adoptive home. The individual who took the parrot was a ‘flipper’ – get the bird and resell. A Tropical Concept Exotic Bird Rescue wants to find Bella, the white Parrot. She is unusual in that the parrot will say, ‘Bella, Bella, Bella’. If you or someone you know might have seen or had contact with this parrot, there is a $3000 USD reward. It is believed the bird could be in Arizona but, as I know, birds are flown daily so she could be anywhere. They just want to know that she is well cared for. No questions asked. Here is the contact: https://www.facebook.com/atcbirdrescue
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, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J’, Wikipedia, the Spruce, PSEG, Linda McElroy and Raptors of the World, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Ospreys, CarnyXWild, Alyth, LOTL, Jannet King and Love for the Pool Harbour Ospreys, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Fortis Exshaw, Lisa Lavargna and Ospreys Only, Cherly Scott Trueblood and Birds of Prey, Forsythe, Kent Island, Dahlgren, Boathouse Ospreys, Tatarstan RU Eagle Cam, LDF, Eagle Club of Estonia, Looduskalender Forum, Dorset Hobby Falcons, and Sunnie Day.
It is Valentine’s Day (as I begin writing Wednesday’s blog) and it would feel a lot more warm and fuzzy if fish started falling from the sky on the SWFlorida Eagle nest. The FFV has been protecting the area (photographs by local photographers confirm this). Her right foot has lots of injuries as if she has been in a recent fight during the last 2 or 3 days. She might need some time to heal before she is able to help bring in prey. I wonder how she is eating? M15 helped Harriet in 2015! The eaglet was E6. There are other examples of male or female eagles stepping in to help raise eaglets that are not theirs, also. There is a snow storm with high winds hitting Jackie and Shadow after three days of their on again-off again relationship with the two eggs they guarded so closely for over a month. It seems things are back to normal in Big Bear. If the earthquakes have significantly decreased, I am going to really think they might have had something to do with their behaviour for 3 days.
So, some good news was needed to mend my aching head and heart and it wasn’t, however, the third egg laid at the Achieva Osprey nest in St Petersburg, Florida on Valentine’s Day at 03:30. No, it came in the form of three pieces of news. The first one was a tweet from Geemeff Wednesday morning:
It is a huge beginning. Come on North America!!!!!!!!!!!
The second is form ‘H’ saying that all three of the falcons at Orange have been seen on the tower. Excellent.
The third is news about a small owl named Flaco that had been living at the Zoo at Central Park. Someone cut the wire to its cage and the owl escaped. Flaco has been seen eating and living nicely in the wild around New York City’s Central Park by a circus of curiosity seekers and residents. Zoo officials thought that Flaco could not live in the wild but he is proving them wrong. We learn something new every day from our raptors!
The New York Times reports for Valentine’s Day on Flaco…In the image below there is a bait tap but Flaco is not hungry!
“A major concern for everyone at the beginning was whether Flaco would be able to hunt and eat,” the society said in a statement, noting that zoo employees had observed him catching and consuming prey. “That is no longer a concern.” The officials from the Zoo also said, “In addition to proving himself as a hunter, the society said in its statement, Flaco had shown “a rapid improvement in his flight skills and ability to confidently maneuver around the park.”
The image above is a baited trap. Right now Flaco is full form his good hunting and is ‘not taking the bait’. The goal, according to the article, is to retrieve Falco and bring him back into the safety of the Zoo where he would not fall prey to rodenticide, GHO attack or killing, and collisions. Those are the risks of any urban raptor (or songbird for that matter). I find myself torn – while I believe in intervention, Flaco appears to be doing quite well living the ‘wild’ life.
Good news is also coming out of Orange. Xavier and Indigo have been back to the scrape. We wait and hope that Diamond was not too traumatised…Cilla says that Xavier will check and make sure it is safe and inform Diamond. Well done, Orange falcons.
Xavier made sure Indigo had a good breakfast. Look at that nice prey item that is in the scrape! (or am I wrong and this is Indigo’s great hunting?). The image was taken around 0849, the 15th of February in Orange.
Elain captured yesterday’s highlights.
I was so used to the Landings Nest near Savannah being an Osprey nest…then it was taken over by a GHO couple. Yes, those owlets are adorable. :)). I just wish they would leave the eagles alone!
An Osprey flew by this morning. Getting hopes up!
Heading to the SWFlorida nest..I am taking a bit of a breather today. E21 is 41 days old today and E22 is 39 days old. I am still concerned for E22 but, I want to be hopeful. Observers at the SWFlorida nest have posted this explanation as to what they think is going on at the nest. M15’s duty right now is to finish raising these eaglets. The female wants M15 and the territory ——she should be interviewed. There would be 100s of 5 year old female eagles wanting to match up with this super guy. I just wish she would prove her devotion by not just doing security but also becoming Mommy Door Dash.
This was also posted on the SWFL FB group this morning:
E22 is hungry. Dad jumped down first thing and fed the old fish tail to 21. Wishing for several big ones.
Bird with long legs and tail feathers came on the nest – it was a carcass. If the whole bird had made it, maybe 22 would have had some good food. I wonder what is going on. M15 ate, 21 ate, and 22 got some bites. Not many. Some by his quick snatch and grab out of 21 and Dad’s beak. Some up at the table when there was not much left.
On top of everything else, now there are drones. When will M15 cut a break?
At 1828, E22 got bold. Tired of having 21 get all the food for the day – and I do want to use the word ‘starving’, 22 went for it. M15 backed up a bit to help 22 and there was some quick snatch and grabs. It is unclear to me how much fish 22 got after 21 ate – 21 has a crop in the image below. The snatch and grab netted him a number of bites. And 22 was bold – he has to be. His life depends on it. I have seen statements that he got lots to eat. I would not characterise it as that but…he ate. And he had a ps that looked reasonable during the day. Someone got a screen capture of it.
It was frenzied for 22 who worked to get between Dad and 21 and grab every bite he could. Some were a nice size. We wait til morning. Again, the fish was not huge, 22 got some at the end.
After the feeding, M15 joined the FFV in the tree.
Wednesday morning M15 and the FFV were close on the tree.
M15 came in with a fish which 21 seems to have gotten the best of. 21 bonked 22 to keep it away. At 09:38 21 is self feeding on a leftover fish piece and 22 grabs it and takes it and wolfs it down. He is hungry.
To be clear, this is a small piece of fish and 21 will retake it, then 22 will get it back, and then M15 will fly down again. Someone said that in all of this 21 ate half a fish – if I had seen 21 eat half a fish I would be jumping on top of my roof for joy.
At 10:49, 21 is still eating and 22 is trying to find a scrap.
There is no shortage of food at many of the other nests. Still it helps to be ‘the one and only apple or Valentine of your parent’s heart’. Connick has an enormous crop! Looks like he is trying out for the role in some super hero movie with those amazing wings and big strong legs! Granted it is hard to take your eyes off that enormous crop to look at those wings and legs. He is one healthy eaglet…and I for one, wondered if he would make it early on. Well, no worries here. His smile is yellow and the black of his beak is shiny and healthy. Of course, nice clown feet, too, Connick…they go well with the mini-mohawk.
B16 is adorable. Notice the difference between B16 below and Connick above. Ask me if I would like to see 22 look like this? Of course.
There is something terribly ‘sweet’ about this little eaglet..I don’t know quite what it is but, something. Now look at B16’s wings. Consider for a moment how large they are.
The cameras have been on and off in the Kisatchie National Forest. The eaglets are fine and all of them are growing and developing those gorgeous juvenile feathers that we are going to see on Connick all too soon.
Gorgeous Trey. The IR camera really shows the thermal down and where the juvenile feathers are coming. Trey is incubating Dudley! She takes good care of that old unviable egg. Practice for the future. You can just see a little triangle of white almost directly under her beak. That is Dudley.
Anna and Trey with Dudley hiding underneath Trey.
Valentine and Nugget are simply developing into beautiful feathered eaglets. Valentine seems to have had a huge growth spurt…or is it the camera angle?
Jackie and Shadow have had at least one shift change today and they are both staying close to the nest and those two precious eggs. The storm system with snow and winds moving through is due to pass later today (Tuesday as I am writing).
The couple look much more settled.
At 11:06 Jackie called Shadow and he was there in a second to relieve her and incubate. Not leaving those eggs for a second longer than necessary. Am I thinking that we are back to normal and that pip watch is tomorrow? Hope.
Gabby and V3 were at the natal tree perched on the branches and in the nest bowl doing some work today. Gabby is in really good condition. Look at the colour of her beak and her feathers. Her eyes are clear. She is not tired and she is really healthy.
There are now three eggs at the Achieva Osprey nest. I mentioned it in yesterdays blog. So right now we have three osprey nests that have eggs being incubated in Florida: Moorings Park, Venice Golf and Country Club, and now Achieva in St Petersburg. We wait to see if there will be any eggs at Captiva this year for new couple Mabel and Angus.
Beautiful Diane will be doing hard incubation for between 38-43 days. Mark your calendars. Looks like 24-29 March. Later than 2021. (No eggs survived in 2022).
Most of you know that I am very fond of Diane and often get rather irked at Jack. Some of us even thought he had 2 nests in 2021 – the fish delivery was erratic and poor little Tiny Tot Tumbles, the third hatch, well…was deemed to be on death’s doorstep, literally, several times but, thanks to her Mum who saw her daughter want to live, fed her catfish after the two older siblings were sound asleep. In the dark, the little one ate and ate. TTT become the dominant bird on the nest staying long after the older two had fledged. She even helped her dad defend the nest and I want to add, as a juvenile having hatched in early March, she defended the nest many times by herself beginning in June. So….a warm soft spot for this Osprey Mum. I wish that third hatch had a band. Several times it looked like she visited the nest late in 2021 and in 2022.
Other Bird News:
Several months ago I added a note about two individuals that care for Cockatoos – sanctuaries for unwanted birds. One was April whose Victoria Cockatoo was believed to be dying and required urgent medical care. Individuals came to the rescue with their donations and now Victoria Cockatoo has gained weight and is doing extremely well.
The other was Dan Scott with Chloe’s Sanctuary. Funds are now in place for Dan and his flock of 11 ‘highly needy’ Cockatoos to take up residence in a new home in Nevada. Their old home in California was flooded. Thank you to all who answered their call.
Most people think Cockatoos are beautiful. So do I. We know that they are highly intelligent. Not Sulphur-Crested but Guffins have demonstrated that they can use tools!
People want one as a pet – that is what some of the YouTube videos do…make us want a pet bird.
Around the world, people go to pet stores and buy birds instead of going to sanctuaries. This means that the rescued or sanctuary animals could be euthanised if no home is found. I was sent a list of parrots, cockatoos and budgies requiring homes in one European city. It was huge. There is a growing call – by individuals that have ‘rescued’ parrots and budgies as well as animal right’s persons – to stop the breeding and sale of birds.
Two pet stores in North America that are getting a lot of attention because of their relationship to puppy mills, and other factory breeding programmes for animals, birds, and amphibians are PetSmart and PetCo. You may know these companies. Organisations that want the rights and lives of animals to be respected are asking customers to boycott those stores. Wallets do speak loud when profits are the only concern! There are a number of videos on YouTube that you can access showing dumpster divers finding fish and amphibians literally being tossed in to die. But there are just as many concerns for the dogs, cats, and birds as well. Our beloved feather friends often come from pet mills that are anything but caring and will do what they can to cut costs and maximise profits. So before you buy a bird from a pet store, think twice. Before you buy pet and bird food at a pet store, think about which store and what their policies are that you are supporting. Call your local organisations to see if your local humane society or rescue centre has any birds. Check out the reputation of the company selling the animal. A certificate saying an animal is a purebred does not mean that it came from a caring lovely small family breeder. Believe me I can tell you horror stories about cat breeders! Ask about surrenders and rescues. Give them a second chance at life. Parrots and Cockatoos live for a long time and many outlive their owners. Planning should be in place for all feathered friends just as you might do a dog or cat. Research the species. Every one of my contacts with Cockatoos warns that they are like tyrannical toddlers. I am also told that getting a beak trimmed can cost anywhere from $100-140 and the beaks must be trimmed.
‘J’ reminded me this morning that you can also adopt a ‘Cockatoo or a Parrot’ from a sanctuary which will help with their care. Many allow you to visit your adoptee. What an idea…a win-win for all. Some provide photographs.
Birds can be fantastic friends. My maternal grandfather had a Blue Budgie. My grandmother knew he adored that bird more than her! Think first! Thank you for listening…we need to be mindful, always, of the welfare of the animals and birds, both in our care and in the wild.
Thank you so much for being with me today. If you haven’t done so, do suggest a name for the new guy in Annie’s life. Go to Cal Falcons FB Page. I am not certain how long they will take potential names. Take care everyone. See you soon….please continue to send your good wishes to M15 and E21 and 22, our dear Diamond so traumatised by the fireworks, as well as Zoe who has yet to send in a transmission.
Thank you to the following for their notes, essays, articles, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures that form this blog: ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘Geemeff’, and ‘J’, The New York Times, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Elain and the Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Cornell Bird Lab, SWFlorida Eagles FB and Lisa Marie, Iris Schneider and the SWFL Eagles FB, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Paul Kolnik and Bald Eagles 101 FB, Window to Wildlife, Berry College Eagle Cam, KNF-E1, KNF-E3, FOBBY, NEFL-AEF, Achieva Credit Union, Victoria’s Playhouse, and The Guardian.
Thank you so much for your good wishes for the holidays. I always do appreciate your notes and the beautiful images of your pets, garden animals, and arrivals in your gardens. It is so very kind of you to think of me. It means the world to me.
We have news from Captiva, V3 returning to Gabby’s nest, little eaglet heads popping up at Superbeaks, and more today including a call for help with moving and temporary accommodation for a person who cares for emotionally abused Cockatoos. Please do not buy a Cockatoo. Tell anyone who is considering it not to as well. They live a long life and well, they can be like badly-behaved toddlers. They require care, attention, training, and the ability of the owner to commit to a lifetime of vet bills (even trimming beaks is very costly), food, enrichment toys, and proper enclosures. Many who have owned parrots for a long time are calling for a ban on the sale of birds. I heartily agree. So many wind up caring for those disposed of by others simply because they did not understand the demands made on them by birds. I would also suggest that many of the ‘cute’ videos on YouTube have driven these sales. As ‘J’ says, it might be cute to hear a parrot swear 10 times but for an entire life time, ‘no’. Parrots that swear are also less likely to be adopted if their owner dies or can no longer keep them. Please pass this along. OK. That is my rant for the day!
It is a warm day here on the Prairies considering what it has been like. -5. That means that I am off for a walk at the nature centre for sure. I wonder if there will be any birds? Will let you know tomorrow! It will be so nice to be outside for an extended period of time in the fresh air. It is one of the most dire things of living where it is cold – being stuck inside. I plan to try the Merlin Sound ID to test it at the winter feeder. Will let you know how it works.
Geemeff sent the link to the final episode in the radio series for Flight of the Osprey this morning. Oh, thank you, Geemeff. Looking forward to the film!
BBC Earth takes us into the jungle, up a tree and into a Harpy Eagle’s nest!
Come back to this one – but try your luck at guessing some of the environment’s top stories from The Guardian (the emphasis is on the UK wildlife and environment but give it a go anyway!).
Things are really going to start to perk up in the US. There is a pip for Connie and Clive at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest! Congratulations. Their first egg was laid on 3 December. We will be watching for M15 and Harriet around the 3rd of January but, tonight there could be a pip at Kistachie National Forest at E3. With the humidity, that strong first hatch took 29 hours, 49 minutes and 07 seconds to hatch. Then, of course there is Missy and Pa Berry…and before we blink, the Florida Osprey season will start.
Thankfully Clive and Connie took a break from incubation so the camera could pick up that pip.
In addition, the Captiva Osprey Cam is now up and streaming. It is unclear who will claim the platform nest for this upcoming year. There is a new female FO and the male MO. There have been three ospreys flying around this platform. Lena is apparently fine. It is my understanding that with Andy not returning, she left the area. It is completely unclear what happened to Andy but he could have been lost during Hurricane Ian. We know Lena was seen after the hurricane so she survived but, of course, her platform nest did not. Might she return? I wonder. Andy will, sadly, be added to the Memorial Wall for the year.
Gorgeous Gabby on the morning of 27 December wondering what her fate will be for this year, possibly. The visitor that has been coming and going flew in with a squirrel today (the 27th). He is confirmed by the AEF to be V3.
V3 flew in with a squirrel to the nest. It looked like he intended to share it with Gabby.
Here is he. Gabby is obviously giving them a second look or three!!!!!! I hope this fellow measures up. He is rather handsome. At the end of the day, I don’t care who she chooses as long as they can try to match up to Samson.
The latest announcement from the AEF:
At the WRDC, Rose has brought in what looks like a gull for lunch. She is beautiful. Let us wish her and Ron a long life together and many successful fledges!
Despite the PS that hit the camera along with the pine branch obscuring our view, we can see the two eaglets at Superbeaks today! They appear to be thriving. What a wonderful sight!
These eaglets are semi-altricial. This means that when they hatch they have a very thin layer of down. They cannot regulate their own temperature. Their eyes are open or partly open but they cannot focus. That is why they are bobble heads. They are entirely dependent on their parents for food, for warmth, and for teaching them how to be eagles. The two eaglets at Superbeaks are getting their second coat of natal down which begins growing in about a week after hatching.
Alex and Andria seem to be doing very well. Alex is really keeping a lot of food and a variety of items on the nest – I cannot identify all the fish species but there are several different ones and the remains of that Coot.
That little eaglet seems to grow right before our eyes! Let us hope that it is a cracker of a big sibling to the one that should be trying to hatch tomorrow. There is lots of food and Andria and Alex are doing an incredible job.
The Bald Eagle nests at Kincaid Lake benefit from a stocked lake right out their doorstep. And the males continue to fish even if there is a pile of fish on the nest. It is wonderful to watch but, oh, can you imagine the smell after awhile??????
The eagles were at the nest at Decorah, Iowa today. One was even having their lunch on one of the main branches to the nest. What a beautiful winter setting on a farm. Like a postcard.
Oh, a correction. It was a Musk Lorikeet that Indigo had for lunch on Boxing Day! It remains unclear if Indigo caught the bird or if it was a prey transfer from the parents. He sure wasn’t going to share it and he found a way to eat the entire bird….nothing left for Mum to snatch.
I have been concerned about Big Red, Arthur, and L4 since the temperature plummeted in the Ithaca region during the big weather bomb. This morning @CornellHawks posted images of L4 hunting. Much relieved. Now for Arthur and Big Red! Maybe tomorrow.
This is a great little clip from Montana about the dangers of lead poisoning. Please pass it along to those you know who hunt or fish (if you feel you can). They need to know that the raptors can be killed by secondary poisoning and toxins and that there are alternatives to lead. Thank you.
Migration News for Karl II’s family. There has been no transmission from Bonus since he crossed the Eastern Desert in Egypt nor from Kaia since she arrived in Chad nor from Karl II since he flew southwest from the Nile. We believe Karl II and Kaia are well in their winter homes and hope that Bonus is, too. We will look forward to transmissions in the spring.
First up, little Udu from 2021 has sent a transmission!!!!!! He has left Italy and is now in Turkey!
Yes, Udu is always late and sometimes does things backwards but, he is alive and for this we are thankful. This is the pond near to where Udu is foraging.
Waba is also alive and well and remains in the Sudan foraging at the Nile River. I suspect he might well just spend the winter here. Why not?
Dan Scott – the Chloe Sanctuary -has put out a call for assistance. This year the 501k charity that looks after traumatised and sick cockatoos lost their home due to flooding and their benefactor to dementia. He is looking for help packing the flock of 11 up for their move as well as temporary accommodation until they can get settled in their new home in Nevada. He is not asking for funds but, if anyone knows anyone that could assist, he would be grateful (directed to persons in California, Arizona, or Nevada).
Thank you so very much for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their posts, announcements, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: The Guardian, BBC Earth, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, WRDC, Superbeaks, KNF-E#, Raptor Resource Centre and Explore.org, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, @CornellHawks, Looduskalender, ‘J’ and Dan Scott.
It is relative quiet in Bird World as things begin to settle down between Gabby and V3 and Annie and the new guy at Berkeley. The first Bald Eagle nest to have hatches that is on a streaming cam is at Superbeaks in Central Florida. There are eggs now at SWFlorida (2), Berry College (1), Kistachie National Forest at both nests E1 and E3, Captiva (2), and Metro Aviation in Northwest Louisiana (2).
Tonya Irwin has created a great chart:
We continue to keep an eye on Port Lincoln and the scrape of Diamond and Xavier at Orange while, at the same time, watching for any news coming out of Sydney Sea Eagles. I am also hoping that the streaming cam at the new Osprey platform for Lena and Andy at Captiva will be on line soon.
There is a big storm brewing that is destined to bring about a foot of snow to areas just south of me. It is unclear if it will impact Winnipeg. However, the birds and squirrels were really crowding the feeders late this afternoon. They are often very good indicators of any bad weather that is heading our way.
Dyson was not prepared to give up her spot on the seed cylinder. These are fabulous. There is no mess and if you are going to be away for a few days and worried about your visiting birds in the winter, they will also give you peace of mind. We feed hundreds of birds a day and if Dyson didn’t love them so much, I think one would last about a week.
Dyson has her thick fur coat on. Isn’t she gorgeous? I like to think that the food we provide helps her endure the cold of our ‘Winterpeg winters’.
The Sparrows and the Starlings prefer the softer cornmeal and peanut butter cylinder that has a substantial amount of suet in it.
Junior is looking for peanuts! All of Dyson’s kidless have taken them. Junior is not happy.
Sharpie of course would not mind having one of those House Sparrows for his lunch. I think he is out of luck today.
Making News:
A major investigation as to how 13 Bald Eagles were poisoned at the Inver Grove Heights landfill is underway. Three of the eagles have died and the other 10 are recovering at The Raptor Centre at the University of Minnesota. What terrible unnecessary suffering and death.
The last episode with Sasha Dench and The Flight of the Osprey on BBC 4 Radio is here. The programme is about 13 minutes long. I urge you to have a listen. Thank you, Geemeff, for recording the programme and sending us the link. Very thoughtful as so many do not live in the UK.
The announcement that an enormous number of budgies are being taken into care and need homes in the Baltimore area came on my Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters FB. If you or someone you know might be interested in providing a home, please read the posting carefully and make that call.
News has come in from the Kakapo Recovery that all of the transmitters have now been changed on Anchor Island. The last bird was Alison and she was found to be in good health. Wonderful news. It has to be difficult trying to find these pesky little non-flying parrots to treat them and change the batteries in their transmitters so they can be found!
It’s the first egg of the season for Pa Berry and Missy at Berry College in Georgia. Happened at 0950 13 December. Congratulations!
Pa Berry flying in with more nesting material and seeing their first egg for the first time.
The soap opera at the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest continues. Will Gabby choose the bachelor behind door 3, V3?
He flew in with a nice catfish. It was obviously for Gabby but she was not home. Later they worked on the nest together.
‘H’ sends news that V3 is now playing ‘hard to get’. Order some more popcorn!
Harriet and M15 have an alternative nest on the property of the Pritchett family. A GHOW has taken up residence there and this owl could be the one that attacks Harriet and M15. Two days ago, that owl was attacked by a trio of Crows. Thanks EJ for sending us this link!
Jackie and Shadow have been pair bonding/mating at Big Bear.
Checking in on our Australian birds:
Diamond was not happy to have the scrape box cleaned by Cilla!
At Port Lincoln, Zoe is 87 days old today. Yesterday, Dad brought his girl 3 fish. Well done, Dad! At one time 06:55 Zoe was on the ropes with what looked like a fish. Did she catch it? No one knows.
I just love this image from yesterday with that crest. Today Zoe has been on and off the nest.
In California, Annie and ‘the new guy’ have been pair bonding in the scrape. He is cute. So tiny. I wonder if he will be the one? He is sure a good scraper! But will he be a good provider for Annie and the eases?
Migration News: Waba continues to feed at the Nile River. There has been no transmission from Bonus since he was flying through the Eastern Desert of Egypt. It is likely we will not hear from him until spring. Send your good thoughts your way.
It is that time of year when people are thinking about suet and putting out tasty treats for the birds. Here is some advice from the RSPB in the UK.
In our garden, Mr Crow and the Blue Jays will be having some special foods during the holiday season. They both like to eat off the deck directly or at a table feeder. I will be putting out Meal Worms, Fresh Cranberries, Hard boiled Eggs, and cubes of streaky bacon along with peanuts in the shell.
Thank you so very much for joining me today. I hope to get back to the list of vulnerable birds in the UK, The Red List, tomorrow. Take care everyone. Stay safe. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Geemeff for sending me the link to the BBC 4 Radio series, ‘H’ for the video of V3 playing hard to get, ‘EJ’ for the link to the Crows attacking the GHOW, Geemeff and The Flight of the Osprey, BBC Radio 4, Tonya Irwin, The Raptor Centre, Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters, The Kakapo Recovery, Berry College Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Cal Falcons, Looduskalender Forum, and the RSPB.
So happy to have you here with me. I set out ‘in my mind’ last evening that I would get up early and head out to find Snowy Owls sitting on large round hay bales near Oak Hammock Marsh. I got a text from a friend – ‘no’ owls seen. So, determined to see a Snowy Owl today, I did something entirely different! I went to the zoo.
How long has it been since you have been to a zoo? With all the criticism against keeping animals in small cages, our Assiniboine Park Zoo set out to try and make the enclosures for the animals considerably larger. At the same time they addressed issues of ‘boredom’ and the environments that the animals would live in if they were out in the wild. It was a much more pleasant place to visit because of those major changes.
One of the zoo volunteers saw me looking at the map and asked me what I wanted to see. The answer was Snowy Owls and Birds. I wonder if they were disappointed that I didn’t say ‘tiger’ or ‘cougar’. As it happened we were very close to the Snow Owls and it was feeding time. Fluffy yellow chicks raised specifically for the purpose were being dished out. For several seconds, it seemed that a woman standing near to me was going to pass out she was so overcome by seeing the owls eat the chicks. I stood in wonderment trying to figure out if she thought that they ate lettuce – our zoo purchases an inordinate amount of Romaine lettuce – or fruit. It is a good thing that she was away from the cougar or the Stellar’s Eagle compounds at that specific moment.
The real character of the entire four hours was the Toucan. He made eye contact immediately. What an incredibly beautiful bird he is.
This is the Toco Toucan. They are the largest of the species at 62 cm long with a bill/beak that is 17 cm long. Their lifespan is approximately 20 years. The Toco Toucan is native to South American rainforests where its numbers are decreasing due to deforestation.
I wish we could have had a conversation. This chap was a real cutie pie.
These little Sun Conures were tiny in comparison to the Toco Toucan. No wonder they have the ‘sun’ as part of their name. Oh, those faces ranging from yellow to orange to red are the colours we painted the sun as children. They are native to northeastern South America. They are approximately 30 cm in length but these certainly did not look that big unless you count that long olive green tail in the measurement! These little cuties were using their bill and their feet to dig around the edge of their enclosure. They have a stubby quite muscular tongue that helps them move their food around in their mouth.
This beautiful Golden Eagle was finishing up its breakfast and not the least bit interested in anyone looking at it. What a beauty. It is one of the largest birds of prey in North America, about the same size as a Bald Eagle. Unlike a Bald Eagle whose legs and talons are bare, the Golden Eagle has feathers on its legs. In Canada, they are ‘at risk’. Their meals consist of small mammals such as rabbits and squirrels.
The Stellar’s Sea Eagle is the largest of the sea eagles. With its striking bright yellow beak and legs and its espresso brown/black and white plumage, it is easy to recognize this raptor. It has a wedge-tail and fine pointed wings. They are rare. In the northern areas they will stand on the ice and fish and love the salmon in the north. It is thought that they almost exclusively breed in the north of Russia. You may recall that there is a Stellar’s Sea Eagle that has come to Newfoundland, Canada travelling south to parts of New England. I believe it is back in Newfoundland.
There were so many little Red Squirrels. This one is eating a ‘helicopter’, the seed of the Maple Tree.
Little Red stuffed these Maple Tree seeds in every part of the old shed. There were boxes full. Never knew if he used them for insulation to stay warm as well as eating. There is a large box full of them in his new home if he ever moves in!
It was great fun. Lovely to see families out with small children running about. Next time you are looking for a place to go – think the zoo!
A very small fish landed on the Port Lincoln Osprey barge at 061847. Middle got some of the tail but Big got most of it at 062652.
Breakfast arrived at 0618 on the ledge of 367 Collins Street for the Melbourne Four. Another plucking lesson, too!
This big one has run off with a nice piece and is self-feeding.
After eating it was running to get those legs strong, finding scraps of prey, and flapping those wings. What a brilliant place for these eyases to get exercise! I wonder how being able to run and flap freely – running a great distance – might give these falcons an edge in terms of physical strength that would help them survive? Just a thought!
This is the Recap for the morning feedings at Orange. Goodness Xavier has been busy hunting!
BirdieCam RECAP: 6:07:33 starling, X leaves, 6:20:58 D feeds; 6:38:31 X w/RRP?, he feeds; 09.13.33 X w/Noisy Friarbird, D feeds
Everyone has had breakfast, some more than others. Wish for fish – a big one for Port Lincoln.
Take care all. This is just a quick check and all are doing well at the 3 nests we are watching in Australia.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Port Lincoln Ospreys, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross.
