26 July 2023
Good Morning Everyone!
Every once in awhile there is a lull…a time when chicks are ready to fledge but haven’t quite yet. Others are eating fish and coming on and off the nest. It is a good thing. It has been a bittersweet year full of dramatic miracles like M15 raising the 2 Es, River getting a male partner to help with intruders and fish so that the only surviving eaglet at Dale Hollow could live, Mr O showing up right on time to help Louise at the Fortis Exshaw nest – and, of course, Little Mini living to fledge. She is a survivor.
At a time when many nests lots all their osplets, there is much to be thankful for – every time you look at an osplet surviving this year, smile. It has been a whirlwind of losses and tears due to weather, starvation, and predation. We must celebrate those that lived and continue to send positive energy to the nests that are struggling or that could potentially have issues with predation. The Osprey season is not over yet in the Northern Hemisphere until the last chick or adult has lifted its wings and started its long journey south. In Australia, the first osplet chicks are hatching! Soon we will turn our attention in that direction, but today, there is the pip in the first egg at the nest of Lady and Dad in the Sydney Olympic Forest, and everyone is cheering.
‘H’ and I are monitoring the life of 311 osprey eggs. So far 10.61% of those eggs did not hatch. 23.74% died meaning that 76.26% so far have lived. Starvation was the most common cause of death followed by predation by other raptors then siblicide.
Now, in the garden, because you have asked. The Little Blue Jay is doing well. I might have mentioned this – I meant to. The frightened Little Blue Jay lost its tail feathers so it would not die by cat predation. The month old fledgling met up with a tiny little Blue Jay who recently fledged from another nest who came to the garden. Its parents told it to sit and not move. The two were rather cute. Yesterday evening that little blue jay flew back with its parents to their nest at the corner of my street. Meanwhile, the older Blue Jay lacking a tail, joined its siblings, eating and flying around the garden. I am hopeful. It is sitting in the square feeder with a roof covering tonight.
Our weather has been nothing short of horrible. The clouds are holding the smoke from the wildfires in place. We had a thunderstorm that began Monday night around 2200 and lasted til the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday. Lightning and thunder kept me awake, along with Lewis and Missey, who hate the storms. Everything is humid and saturated, making it difficult to breathe. The plants and trees love it, though! The birds do not. Their seed was soaked and needed a thorough removal. Now, because of all the rain, seed will only be put out in small amounts and refilled…oh, does it ever get gross when it is wet and begins to ferment. Yuck!
So, let’s get checking on our nests:
Steelscape, Inc. This nest and Forsythe are right up there for continuing worries. There are intruders, and fish deliveries might not be plentiful. On Tuesday, keen-eyed fish bite counter ‘PB’ watched as the third hatch at Steelscape, Inc had two feedings before 1300 with 100 bites. That is fantastic. This osplet will not do much rushing around the nest, so don’t worry. It has to conserve its energy and make those bites of fish count. It is a survivor, and the Mum is fantastic, offering bites whenever that big sister allows. Another reader, ‘MP’ took a great screenshot of Third’s ‘ps’. It is good…a dehydrated chick would not be able to project its ps over the side of the nest like this… and then ‘PB’ watched Three was fed an entire fish. Life is good. Thanks, everyone! Our worries are not over but this fully feathered chick has not died and will definitely live to see another day.
Cowlitz: Fledgling continues to come to the nest! Excellent.
Clark PUD: Both surviving chicks are doing very well.
River Ospreys, Blackwater NWR: All three osplets have fledged and today a visiting juvenile came to the nest. This nest is located in Maryland and is one that survived the storms to raise three healthy birds.
Dunrovin: Pop fledges on Tuesday. Wasn’t interested in the fish, just flying!
Boulder County: The two oldest chicks fledged Wednesday morning! Way to go Boulder!
Patchogue: Little Mini got a great big fish for breakfast on Wednesday. All is well. Each of the four fledglings has been seen in the last 24 hours. Excellent news.
I did promise that we could check on the UK and European nests today and that is where we are heading.
Finnish Nest 1: Oh, my goodness. If I didn’t worry about goshawks I would smile every time I see this beautiful nest in the forest. The three osplets have been ringed – Yellow HKU a female named Usva, HXT a female named Tuomi, and HXR, a male named Roil. Usva is really flapping her wings and wanting to fly. Lots of nice fish coming to this nest. It is wonderful.
Finnish Nest 4: The is the nest of Nuppu and Nemo. They had three chicks. One died. Both survivors are females named Lumo, HWL and Apila, HXA.
Finnish Nest L-S5: Two surviving chicks of four eggs. The first egg was displaced by the male and never incubated and the fourth egg did not hatch. The two remaining osplets are Sade Yellow K1S a female and Slim K2S a little male. They were ringed on July 13. Both are doing very well.
Janakallan: Both osplets are doing well. I am looking for information regarding ringing and gender reveal.
Loch Arkaig: Louis and Dorcha’s fledgling, Ludo, is quite the pesky osplet!
Dyfi: Telyn watching over her chicks as they eat their fish.
Glaslyn: Aran makes sure that both of his boys have fish to eat as Elen looks on.
Loch of the Lowes: Laddie continues to deliver fish and this one is getting eaten in the rain. As far as I know there has been no sign of Blue NC0.
Rutland: Fussing over Fish Deliveries! Normal osprey behaviour after fledging. As long as they don’t kill one another.
Osprey House, Australia: Third egg hatched on Tuesday! Congratulations.
Time for ‘H’s reports:
Fortis Exshaw – This family had another nice day. The Stepdad, Mr. O, delivered one fish for the family and Louise brought 4 large fish. One of the fish caught by Louise was so big, it allowed for two meals. Mr. O also contributed a splendid stick, which Louise immediately took command of and deftly placed it exactly where she wanted it.
Forsythe – What a difference a day makes. Oscar and Opal delivered 8 fish to the nest for their two fledglings. After all the wrangling and stealing, it appeared that Owen and Ollie each had 4 fish. Fantastic!
Osoyoos – It was an atypical day, in that Olsen apparently had some difficulty fishing. There were only three fish brought to the nest where there are typically 6-9. At the last fish delivery of the day at 2029, there was some bonking of sib #2 by sib #1.
Kent Island – What a big surprise … Audrey and Tom’s 43 day old youngster was banded! And, there is currently a naming contest, so ‘Junior’ will soon have an official name.
Barnegat Light – The big news is that Dorsett managed to double the height of his/her brief hovers on 7/25. A day or two more until s/he fledges? Dorsett is 56 days old.
Severna Park – The two fledglings are often seen in the nest enjoying a fish. Oscar has been bringing them fish, and I’m not sure, but Olivia may be taking a break.
Audubon Boathouse – This is a photo of Dory on the nest at sunrise, a day after she lost her only baby to a predator. My heart breaks for Dory and Skiff.
South Cape May Meadows – Since the terrible 3-day storm in June resulted in the deaths of her three young nestlings, Hera can occasionally be seen at her nest, sometimes eating a fish. Her mate, Zeus, had not been seen since 6/20, and it was feared that he died in the storm. Well, Zeus was at the nest on 7/25 with Hera (confirmed by an ‘expert’). How wonderful that Zeus is still alive.
‘H’ also adds that the second osplet at Seaside, Naiku, fledged on Tuesday. Congratulations Seaside. Thank you, ‘H’! Your reports are always appreciated.
Dorset Hobby: My goodness, those little falcons are the cutest things and can they ever devour prey! They are seriously cute as Mum feeds them.
Lesser Spotted Eaglet, Zemgale, Latvia: Doing great. Should be branching in the nest week? Beautiful eaglet.
Eastern Imperial Eaglets, Tatarstan RU: Talk about beauties. These two – again defied the odds – and this nest will have two fledge. No Jainism here! These parents found lots of food for their two youngsters.
An osprey nest is saved! Thanks Sunnie Day.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care! See you soon.
My special thanks to those that sent notes, screen captures, observed nests, made posts and who operated streaming cams that all helped me to write my blog today. Thanks to ‘H, MP, PB’, Se McGregor and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Steelscape Inc, Cowlitz PUD, Clark PUD, Dunrovin Ranch, River Ospreys, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Dyfi Ospreys, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, LOTL, LRWT, Fortis Exshaw, Osoyoos, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, Severna Park, Forsythe Ospreys, Cape May Meadows, Audubon Boathouse, Kent Island, Boulder County Fair Grounds, PSEG, SK Hideaways and the Dorset Hobby Falcons, Osprey House, LDF, Sunnie Day and Shaw Local, and RU Imperial Eagles.