Category Archives: protecting wildlife

Iris calls, no one answers…Tuesday in Bird World

17 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone!

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

Hugo Yugo wishes everyone the best Tuesday ever.

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

Iris calling Antali.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Still home at Niagara Bee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Martha’s Vineyard Magazine | Martha’s Vineyard Magazine | Let Us Now Praise Famous MenhadenDownload

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Iris is still home…Monday in Bird World

16 September 2024

Hello Everyone,

Well, after three irritating days, the end of the ads is nigh. Thank you again to everyone who helped me spot those pop-up ads. WordPress assures me there should not be any, but…

At 1900, 38 Canada Geese flew over the conservatory in a line, not a wedge or V. Normally, geese fly in a V or wedge to conserve energy. When the leader gets tired, s/he falls back, and the next one takes its place. Being the leader is hard work; they are breaking the wind – creating a slipstream – for the other geese so that they can fly without expending so much energy. As they flap their wings, each bird helps to create a ‘lift’ for all the other geese in their formation. Research shows that flying in this type of formation also allows the group to communicate better. Talk about teamwork and cooperation. Humans have something to learn from our honkers.

Those V formations are quite extraordinary. You can’t tell from the ground, but the lead goose is the lowest of the bunch. Each goose behind is slightly higher than the one in front of it, all the way to the last goose, which is flying the highest. They do this because of the aerodynamics of their wings. The only goose that is using all its wing power is the lead goose… the point-man, so to speak. When that goose flaps its wings, it causes a certain turbulence of the air that’s following the wing. The next goose in line benefits from this swirling air, and doesn’t need to apply 100% of its wingpower. The next goose, again benefits from that one, and so on down the line. Flying in formation this way adds 71% more distance that they can fly than when flying alone!

So who gets chosen to be point-man? You’d think the one with the map! Or the leader? Or the new-guy? No. None of these. They actually take turns. When one gets tired, he will drop back so he can rest a bit and benefit from another goose’s turbulence. When migrating in good weather with favorable winds these guys can make up to 1,500 miles in a single day! That’s crazy, man! Hard to imagine, but it’s been done. They are migration masters.

So the flying at night thing … I’ve already touched upon one of the reasons they prefer the night. It has to do with that turbulence I just mentioned. You see, many other large birds (and these are large birds!) use thermals to gain altitude and to soar on. Raptors do this. Hawks, eagles, etc. During the day, the landscape is riddled with all kinds of thermals rising from the ground, all depending on what the surface looks like below; how much heat was absorbed and stored from the sun; if it’s dark or light … or even water. These thermals are great for raptors! Lots of vertical air movement all over. But geese don’t soar, and they don’t have need to fly in circles. They have somewhere to go. And all those daytime thermals are a pain in the butt; they don’t make for smooth sailing. Plus, they interfere with the aforementioned wing turbulence that they use to keep from tiring. At night, several hours after sunset, the Earth cools and those pesky vertical thermals disperse.

So that’s one reason they like the night. Another reason for night flight is to prevent over-heating (makes sense, right?) Nights are cooler, so birds that expend a lot of energy with constant flapping (as opposed to soaring) take advantage of the cool of the night.

A third reason is also something I’ve already mentioned. Hawks! And eagles! And falcons! All those guys are diurnal hunters, meaning they hunt during the day. Which goose in its right mind would want to share the not-so-friendly skies with something called a “raptor”? Now, if you’ve ever seen flocks of geese on the ground and tried to get among them or feed them or something, you may already know how mean and nasty they can get. People have used geese instead of watch-dogs. They are tough! Especially on the ground. But falcons, hawks, and eagles, hitting them from the air often spells doom. In other words, their goose is cooked. During the day, they often rest and feed and rejuvenate in the water where they are safe from raptor attack. As long as they stay in the water.

So given the choice, they take the red-eye.

Why Do Canadian Geese Fly At Night?, Forbes Magazine, 1 March 2018 (updated).

So why were the geese flying in a straight line over my house? I can’t find an answer. Maybe you know. Perhaps they were readying to land at Fort Whyte or at the river a few blocks away???

The other day Calico and Baby Hope watched ‘The Boyfriend’ as he ate at the feeder. I wonder what Calico was thinking. This was her little friend when she lived in the wild. They would come and eat together, but he always let her eat first. They would often rest under the lilac bushes. He will not come into the house; he runs away. I have tried frequently to get him to soften to me. So we make sure his food is out by 0900 and, again, at 1700. He also comes at other times, including in the middle of the night. Another animal, a raccoon, comes at night, eating everything still available and dumping the water from the bird baths. That means we must ‘jump’ in the morning to prepare everything for The Boyfriend’s arrival.

Dr Erick Greene and others around Missoula are keeping a close eye on Iris, Finnegan, Sum-eh, and Antali. It appears that all four are still fishing in the Clarke-Fork River. As far as I am aware, this is the latest that Iris has ever remained in the area. Her usual date for departure is 8 September. She must relish being a mum again to two such fine fledglings and having a mate like Finnegan.

Iris came to the nest at 0838 without fish. I did not see a delivery at the nest by 1100 on Sunday despite Antali’s persistent calling.

This person had a first hand view of Iris and family — have a read!

Hellgate Canyon Osprey Nest · iNaturalist United KingdomDownload

From Dr Greene:

Iris was at the nest at 0738 Monday morning. She was calling loud and seemed to have a piece of fish in her talons (??). She is looking for Antali and he did not come. She waited three minutes and when Antali did not arrive, she flew off towards the river.

At Charlo, is C16 catching its fish? Our fledgling observes the water below the nest and has returned wet, once, perhaps, with a fish. This is one gorgeous fledgling! That full crop sure makes me think he had an excellent breakfast.

C16 is always watching that water – unless he is sleeping! Can’t see those stunning eyes.

When I checked on the nest of Junebug at Dunrovin Ranch – which was several times including re-wind – I did not see anyone. Did you?

Just look at the fish that Beaumont delivered at the Newfoundland Snow Lane nest. Good gracious. There is enough for both of the fledglings. Will the winner share?

Still eating three hours later!

Niagara Bee Dad still delivering!

River was at the Sandpoint nest, but I saw no fish deliveries from Keke. Perhaps Keke is feeding River off the nest. River has been seen ‘wet’, and he flies back and forth to the river. Is s/he catching their fish dinner?

At the Golden Gate Audubon nest in SF Bay, Tully was last seen on the 14th of September.

Here is the video of the fly off: https://youtu.be/9MJdNDRKcEM?

Some more great information from the Dyfi Osprey Project in Wales, home to Idris and Telyn.

Hartley and Monty continue to bond – and then bond again – at the San Jose City Hall scrape. Love is in the air. https://youtu.be/pjskOK2DcNc?

Xavier. What can we say? Isn’t he the cutest little Peregrine Falcon? He always wants time to incubate his eggs, but…Diamond often has different ideas. They have been together for nine years. Today, he demanded squatter’s rights on those eggs!!!!!! https://youtu.be/fygxtkCjkwA?

Beautiful Sea Eaglets.

‘A’ remarks: “Both chicks did well out of that breakfast, and afterwards, they settled down together, side by side, to rest their giant crops (especially SE34!) and do a bit of preening. They are very companionable, the best of nest mates, and even when food is around, they have been behaving beautifully. Observing the pecking order seems to ensure peace at meal times – Lady is aware of the need to feed SE33 first if both chicks are at the table, although SE34 is now confident enough to accept food before its sibling has eaten if their relative positions create this situation. They are pretty much equal in size now and SE34 is confident and able to get himself fed. He moves forward if he needs to get closer to mum’s beak and he is not showing any behaviour that suggests that he feels intimidated at meal times. So all is going swimmingly at WBSE. “

And more from the morning of the 16th from ‘A’: “Lady was up early this morning (05:29). She found a substantial piece of feathered prey on the nest, so started feeding the littles, who roused themselves and got to the table despite the fact that it was still dark. Lady started by feeding a bite to SE33, as per pecking order, while SE34 found which direction the table was in (he had his back to it and turned around very clumsily, inconveniencing SE33 in the process). Once both eaglets were settled in their places, breakfast proceeded peacefully, with both nestlings behaving beautifully. 

Oh, I adore these two. I love what good nest buddies they have become, sometimes even allopreening and nibbling gently at each other’s facial feathers. They are so cute. I love these few short weeks on the nest, being cared for by doting parents and having little to do other than eat, sleep, grow and play. Their lives will be very hard, and their chances of successfully managing as juvenile sea eagles are not great based on previous years. Although of course they don’t realise it yet, these peaceful days in the nursery, as it were, probably represent some of the happiest of their lives. It is lovely to share them. “

I love storks. Even if you can’t speak German, you can enjoy the amazing images in this documentary. Click on the link above the image or copy and paste into your browser.

Beautiful sounds from the forest despite the Line Fire…it is now downgraded. https://youtu.be/pTw5X8U-ktg?

There is news from Portugal. I have signed up, but this file is thanks to UK Osprey Information and Jeff Kear, who kindly attached a translated version. Please scroll down and see the map showing where the ospreys have their spring and summer breeding grounds and travel to Portugal for the winter.

English translation Osprey News #8Download

Real Saunders Photography has posted some images of M15 and F23. There is action at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest. The streaming cameras are to be operational on 1 October. https://youtu.be/3wJeooaW6oI?

‘A’ comments on the Royal Cam chick: “At Taiaroa Head, both TF and TFT are still there, though TFT in particular has been moving around a lot, going down the hill and perhaps seeking out a suitable spot from which to fledge. He may just be exploring – he’s always done a lot of that. No parents came in today, as far as I am aware, but of course the chicks will be emptying their stomachs before their big take-off. (That doesn’t make sense to me – surely they would want to keep any remaining nutrients they were given by their parents, as they have never done any fishing of their own and the next meal they get once they do fledge may be some time away – I have no idea how they understand where and how to find their own food, having never been taught how to do so nor even witnessed the adults doing it. So to leave home with an empty stomach seems to me a risky thing to do. I suppose getting and staying airborne is the most important thing, and that, too, they will be doing for the first time. It’s an awful lot of difficult things to be doing for the first time when their survival depends on getting it all right on the first try essentially. The thought of it worries me terribly.”

I caught a feeding. How wonderful!

‘A’ also checks on the falcons incubating on the ledge of 367 Collins Street in the CBD of Melbourne: “At Collins Street, Mum left the eggs just before 11:17 for a morning break, but she is back quickly, at 11:18, and repositions herself on the eggs. Dad flies up to the middle of the ledge, chupping as he arrives, soon after 12:47. He has not brought food, though he may have stashed some for her somewhere nearby. He’s such a cutie and so chatty. F24 chats back as she gets up from the eggs, so hopefully, he is telling her where he has left her breakfast. But no. He dives off the ledge, which she watches with some shock it seems, gazing after him for a while before settling back onto the eggs. I’m still not sure about food deliveries at this scrape, tbough mum does not appear to be starving so there must be some (or, more likely, she is eating off camera from a stash spot where dad is depositing food). 

Dad is back at 14:46 to relieve mum, who flies off the ledge. Again  though, he brings no food. He doesn’t settle down to incubate, instead flying off the ledge at 14:46:30. The eggs lie uncovered in the mid-afternoon. sunlight.”

Calico’s got two Tips for the Day: Help Stop Bird Strike and if you find a bird that has hit a window, helpful tips on how to help them.

Migration is a time for bird strike, sadly. Calico wants everyone to protect the birds from breaking their necks on windows. The most economical way to do this is by using window paints available where crayons, markers, etc. are sold. We found the white worked the best. Just scribble. After migration season, you can easily clean the window paint with white vinegar. We purchased Feather Friendly dot strips. The company says they last ten years. Calico wonders about that but they have been very effective in preventing any birds hitting our conservatory or the windows in the sitting room.

Calico asks that you read this helpful advice:

The Geese that have been breeding in northern Canada and in Winnipeg are starting to migrate. They face many challenges but the other one is BREAD. Do not feed waterfowl bread!!!!!!! It causes ducks to get ‘Angel Wing’ and that also impacts Geese. If you see others feeding ducks and geese bread, be kind, but educate them. There is nothing more fun for children than feeding bread to ducks and geese, but that is not what they should be eating! It will kill them in the end. So, please help my beloved geese. Thanks, ‘PB’ for this article. It is so timrely.

Geese are developing a fatal deformity after being fed too many carbs, park officials sayDownload

If you have the time, please check out Amy Tan’s talk on line about backyard birds. I have so enjoyed her book and her journey to learning about the feathered friends that visit her garden and her creation of special areas for them.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Have a fantastic week! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, reports, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, J, PB’, Forbes Magazine, Montana Osprey Cam, Montana Osprey Project, iNaturalistUK, Owl Research Project, Dunrovin Ranch, Newfoundland Power, Pam Breci and The Joy of Ospreys, Golden Gate Audubon SF Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, Olympic Sea Eagles, SOS Tesla Maria Marika, Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Information, Real Saunders Photography, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Virginia Wildlife, Kelli Knight LeVan, NZ DOC, and Amy Tan.

Saturday in Bird World

14 September 2024

Hello Everyone,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

West Nile and Dead Birds | West Nile Virus | CDCDownload

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

This document from the Cascade Raptor Centre is particularly good:

West-Nile-virusDownload

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pink-footed Goose pair breeds in Lancashire – BirdGuidesDownload

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

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

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

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

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

Skylor you crack me up!

Dad is still providing fish at Niagara Bee.

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

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

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

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

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

At Orange, a Willy Wagtail comes to visit Diamond.

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

Incubation continues at 367 Collins Street.

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

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

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

The Girls had really scratched up that sisal!

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

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

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

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

Wednesday in Bird World

11 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Gosh, it is the middle of the week! The days are getting shorter. I noticed this evening when, after celebrating the grandson’s 16th birthday, I started home just after 1930. It was already getting ‘dark’. By the time I was half way home, it was. What happened to those beautiful evenings when we still had light at 2200? And have you had an ice cream cake? I must be the only person in the world that hadn’t until last night. It was so delicious, but the best thing is spending time with almost the whole family. Treasured moments. Everyone is so busy. Some of you will remember Elysha, the granddaughter who came with her environmental checklist more than two decades ago and changed my world. She is heading off to Paris on a European tour in a couple of weeks. I am so proud and happy for her and all of them. The birthday kiddo is in all the school choirs – they are outstanding. I am looking forward to some beautiful concerts this year.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are the afternoons when I have ‘respite’ care come to my house. As a consequence, you might find that the posts are Wednesday and Friday are somewhat shorter. A big shout out to ‘A’ who covers the Australian birds for us!!!!! She is in Melbourne and has a particular interest in those CBD falcons. Today she is thinking about the available prey for them. So even thought it is shorter today, I hope that there is a smile and some valuable information in there somewhere!

At the feeder was Mrs Downy today. No photo, sorry. I am so glad I saw her along with the Blue Jays, Crows, and other songbirds. Fall migration is in full gear, and we will be heading north to the Icelandic River up near Arborg, Manitoba, to see the fall migration of waterfowl. We have several reservations for goose flights and will be helping out with the cleanup of the shore near Delta Marsh. It looks like the next three weeks are going to be quite busy – delightfully so.

Have you ever wondered about the cost of keeping animals in rehab? Each of you has seen the request for donations when a bird comes into care. Please have a look at what Raptors in Rehab posted in 2022. I would love to see an up-to-date cost breakdown as we all know – everything has increased by at least 25% since then.

The biggest question on most of your minds is: ‘Is Iris still in Hellgate Canyon or has she left on migration?’ Let’s check in and see what is happening there. Here is the latest posting from Dr Green who is keeping a close eye on our family at Missoula:

There is a second posting by Dr Greene that might get you really excited. As you read further down you will see mention of the ‘Iris’ pens. I have had mine for several years since the last time Sharon Leigh’s husband made them. It is wonderful. Could that have been 2020? 2021?

What we have to realise is that Iris is like Dr Greene’s daughter. I think Finnegan has moved into son space – he is so excited about the family this year that a new camera is going up in hopes we have a re-run next season.

Antali had fish deliveries at 0856 and 1013. He was on the nest crying for fish and expecting a delivery at 1413, but nothing came. Both deliveries were from Finnegan. And then Finnegan could not let his lad go to bed hungry, he brought another fish at 1936.

The Owl Cam is showing Antali at the nest or sitting on the nest perch.

The last delivery of the day. Can you just hear Antali fish calling – probably as far as the train tracks. That delivery was at 1936.

If you missed it, you really need to check out the most amazing colours in the sea eagles plumage! https://youtu.be/LRiIuOhlu9g?

From FOBBV, an update on Jackie and Shadow and the Line Fire that is raging through San Bernadino County, California. https://youtu.be/j-lRBiHko6M?s

C16 had a really nice fish delivery from Charlie! Looks like the day got hotter as C16 is panting. The temperature in the area was 27 C or 81 F. The hydration in that fish is essential as ospreys do not ‘drink’ water.

Gosh C16 is one beautiful juvenile.

Xavier and Diamond are the favourites of so many of you. Their antics can keep us laughing our heads off. Diamond doesn’t like Starling, and Xavier always wants more ‘eggie’ time. We all know that Diamond is the ‘boss’, but we always shout and cheer for that tiny little male falcon. For those of you who don’t know, Xavier is exceptional. His name means ‘Saviour’, and he saved Diamond and her chicks when her old mate did not return. Xavier brought food for Diamond and the hatchlings, ensuring they were well-fed and protected. That was eight years ago. The pair have been together ever since.

Diamond trying to get Xavier up off the eggs. Meanwhile, Xavier appears to be asking for extra time.

‘A’ remakes: “At Orange, Xavier has been sitting on the ledge, keeping the incubating Diamond company, for about 90 minutes now. (He came into the scrape at about 09:02.) As I have mentioned in previous emails, he really has been doing this quite regularly this year. It is so sweet, and he is the sweetest little male falcon of them all (okay, I may be biased, and some of Annie’s partners have been adorable, but Xavier has been there since about 2016, so he is a long-term resident of our hearts here in Australia, especially considering the circumstances in which he came into Diamond’s life, supporting her and her chicks after mate Bulla disappeared. (I was unaware until recently that Diamond was only in her second season here when that occurred, so she has been with Xavier for all but one of the many seasons she has lived at this scrape.) 

Diamond and Xavier are very deeply bonded, and companionable behaviour like this is becoming more frequent each season, based on my observations. I honestly think these two get closer and closer – yes, they work well as a team when it comes to raising chicks, but it is more than that.  Xavier simply keeping Diamond company is so very ‘human’, but what else could he be doing? Waiting for egg time? He knows that bringing in a nice pigeon or a plump duckling would give him far more chance of some incubation time than simply sitting there, so that surely cannot be the aim of this exercise. It seems to me that companionship is the only rational explanation for the behaviour. Thoughts? Am I anthropomorphising yet again? But oh how we love little Xavier. “

‘A’ brings up a very good point about the availability of prey in areas abandoned during the pandemic including the CBD in Melbourne: “Speaking of cute little male falcons, the way M22 sings to his eggs at Collins Street just makes me smile every time. He is such a sweetie, but again, as with all new couples, I would prefer that only two of those eggs hatch. Three is a big ask for a new couple, given how rapaciously hungry little falcon eyases are. Let’s hope this pair is up to the task of providing for three chicks. The same of course applies at Orange, where chatters are all hoping for two while you and I are deeply concerned about the welfare of a third hatch at this scrape. Diamond has been very lazy with her second hatches over the past couple of seasons and I cannot even imagine what she would be like with three. Xavier might be allowed to step up and doing some feedings, of course, but wow, he would be working pretty hard. Diamond has a huge appetite (the size of her crop yesterday after her lunch, probably of pigeon, had to be seen to be believed – it was so gigantic, it simply HAD to be uncomfortable, surely) and having to provide for her plus three chicks would really put Xavier to the test. 

The Melbourne CBD has not recovered from COVID. Too many office workers got a taste of working from home, and the overseas students who lived in one-room apartments in the CBD (the only real resident community there – it’s otherwise offices and department stores) are only just starting to return in large numbers. My sister lives one suburb away from the CBD, in Fitzroy, and she said that since COVID, they (and other suburbs next to the CBD, such as Richmond) have had a major rat problem. Rats moved out of the CBD because without office workers and shoppers and residents providing rubbish for them to eat, they moved rather than starve. Now they are comfortably settled in Fitzroy and Richmond, of course, no-one has emailed them to tell them that people are back in the city and they can move back to their city digs so they have stayed where they are. 

I presume a new generation of rats is growing up in the city, but my point is that the pigeons would also have depended for food on those visitors and residents, so they too would have moved into the parks and suburbs around the city, and would see no reason to move back now. (although they would be way more mobile than the rats and may be aware that the food supply has started to return to the CBD).

The COVID-related changes,though, are presumably going to radically affect the food supply for falcons in the CBD this year. I am very worried that it may be difficult to provision a scrape containing three eyases right now. Time will tell, but I haven’t seen/heard any prey deliveries to the ledge over recent days. It seems mum (whom they are finally correctly referring to as F24 – at least on the videos I have seen) is finding her own food, flying off for a break and being relieved on incubation duty by M22. He does love his eggs, and we love listening to him talking to them. His enfluffling technique is a good one, and three eggs is about perfect for him. Four would be a stretch. “

The University of Toledo says this about the amount of food a falcon requires per day: “How much does a peregrine falcon eat in a day? An adult peregrine will eat about 70 grams (2 1/2 ounces) of food per day. This is equal to about two blackbirds.”

And the Young People’s Trust for the Environment says – if you didn’t know: “Birds are the peregrine’s favourite prey, ranging from small meadow pipits to larger birds such as red grouse and pigeons, although birds as big as a Brent goose may be tackled. In winter, estuary birds are often preyed on, such as ducks, gulls and waders. The falcon may also hunt rabbits and bats. Most victims are caught in the air; the peregrine circles high in the air, keeping a sharp eye out for prey. It can spot prey on the ground from a height of 300 metres. When a victim is spotted, the hunter suddenly snaps back its wings and plunges down in a dramatic ‘stoop’. It can reach speeds of up to 180mph (290 km/h). If the attack is successful, a blow from the peregrine’s sharp talons breaks the neck or back of the flying prey.

Birds on the ground and in hedges may be flushed out as the falcon flies over vegetation, and then they are pounced on. The catch is immediately taken to a plucking post such as a tree branch or rocky crag, and the feathers are pulled out. The whole carcass is eaten and any indigestible material is regurgitated in the form of pellets, usually near the peregrine’s nest. A peregrine eats about 100g of food per day. “

That gives you some idea of what the birds eat in an ideal environment. Falcons like catching the birds in the air so I am not worried about the rats – leave those to the owls and the hawks!

‘A’s final report for the day, “Finally, an update on our albatross chicks. There is good news on the contents of TF’s bolus, expelled I believe on 6 September. It contained three small pieces of plastic, a bottle top, and nothing else but squid beaks and more squid beaks, plus a few extra squid beaks. I was SO happy to see that. Yes, three pieces of plastic and a bottle top, but they made up a tiny percentage of the total (it weighed 75 – about 2.5 ounces in imperial measurements I think). There is a photo of it on the site. https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/albatrosses/royal-albatross-toroa/royal-cam/royal-cam-discussion/

We are on fledge watch, I think. It will be a matter of when the winds are favourable and the mood takes them. Lilibet’s fledge was a bit of a shock, and I fear it may have been a fludge – she was one of the younger chicks in the colony but fledged very early, into a storm. I worried about her so much. But the look of intense joy on her face in those final seconds before she launched into the winds of that storm, I will never forget. This was a creature about to embark on the epic journey that was her destiny. It was a highly emotional moment, and yes, I sobbed like a baby. I hope this year, they wait until they are physically stronger than Lilibet, as Manaaki did last year. But we could have fledges any day now. 

One of the reasons we are not getting weekly weigh-ins now is that the rangers are doing daily head counts so they know whether any chicks have left – the chicks will often move away from their natal nests to find a suitable launching place (based on the winds, obviously) for their fledge. Rangers keep a close eye out so that any chicks who don’t make it (ending up on a beach or ditching in the bay itself) can be rescued for a second attempt at fledging. “

I am posting it again if you did not see Geemeff’s season highlights video from Loch Arkaig. This year was sadly bittersweet with the death of Little Bob due to siblicide/starvation when food deliveries dropped and weather was bad. https://youtu.be/DO7XJOA6OEs?

This reminds me. If I am missing any bird from our streaming cams that died, let me know. Thanks so very much.

‘PB’ has been contacting Niagara Bee to no avail. They were to check the video feed and determine what killed one of the fledglings in the nest.

J’ sends news about the Duke Farms Bald Eagle nest:

The Bald Eagle nest that everyone is watching is NE Florida. The necrotic toe male was at the nest early Tuesday, cuddled up with Gabby on the branch. Beau was there later and appears to be keeping any other ‘intruders’ away.

The Osprey translocation project in Italy is doing well.

There must be a lot of exasperated people in the UK when it comes to the mysterious deaths of raptors. Laws do not seem to stop the shooters. The penalties when they go to court are laughable. What a sad situation and now eight more dead or missing – beautiful Hen Harriers.

These owl faced small raptors are one of my favourites. They live in the heather on the moorlands in Scotland and make their nests on the ground. They are one of the most endangered raptors in the UK. They feed on grouse and other small birds which puts them in peril near the grouse moor hunting estates. It is there they are shot or their innocent chicks trampled to death in the nest.

Eight more hen harriers for the dead_missing list – Raptor Persecution UKDownload

“Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)” by gilgit2 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Last, but never least, checking in with Skylor in Nova Scotia’s Russell Lake area. If you haven’t seen this FB group, do. What a laugh. Connie and Don Dennis have managed to get everyone in Nova Scotia watching and reporting on their local nests. It is incredible. More than 30 of them! I bet camera and binoculars – oh, gosh, scope sales soared, too, like the ospreys.

Calico’s Tip for the Day: Leave the Leaves. Don’t Bag them. That could injure the insects. If you must, rake them carefully into a corner. Put away that noisy leaf blower. It is annoying to everyone that has sensitive ears. Just constrain yourselves. Leave the leaves alone. Take that time to read a good book or go for a walk OR pet a cat!

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, articles, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, J, PB’, Raptors in Rehab, Montana Osprey Cams, Montana Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, FOBBV, Owl Research Project, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, University of Toledo, YPET, NZ DOC, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Conserve Wildlife of NJ, NEFL-AEF, Gregorious Joris Toonen, Raptor Persecution UK, Open Verse, Ospreys of Nova Scotia, and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

Tuesday in Bird World

10 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

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

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

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

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

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

And away Finnegan goes!

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

The nest cleaners – European Starlings – were at Dunrovin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final daily summary Monday 9th September 2024

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

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

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

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

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

Today’s videos: 

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

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday in Bird World

9 September 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

It is Sunday, and the sky is hazy. It is 27 C at 1730. Sorry for the mantra, but 27 C is nearly as hot as St. George’s Grenada, WI, which is 29 C. Tomorrow is forecast to be 30 C, then 28, and again 30 C on Wednesday. Please let me know if I am wrong, but this is exceptional heat this time of year for Winnipeg. Fort Myers, home to M15 and F23, is 31 C, while it is a cool 13 in Port Lincoln, 10 in Orange, and 12 C in Melbourne. One of the hot spots is Osoyoos, home to Soo and Olsen, which is 34 C. I have yet to see anyone on the nest there, and I hope they have begun their migration. The temperatures are important. We witnessed what heat can do to raptors this summer. The Bald Eagles feeding here in Manitoba (one of the coldest places on the planet in the winter, according to many sources) would stay during the winter if there were food. Several remain in Winnipeg – one lives on the roof of one of our major hospitals. The other couple did live at Ft. Whyte Alive. There is plenty of prey in the winter. Some were seen pecking at ice, trying to get fish at Lake Winnipeg.

The birdfeeders and the feral cat station were filled early Sunday morning. We have a raccoon who is visiting some nights. It makes a huge mess of everything. Tips the lower bird bath over and dumps and eats all the food for either the community cats or the Crows. It ate an entire chicken carcass one night! I am sitting watching Little Red and one of Dyson’s kits alternate gathering peanuts along with the Blue Jays.

They are taking them away, storing them somewhere. I do hope not in or on the bark of a tree destined to be cut. There are House Wrens and House Sparrows around, too. The cheesy dog bowl is full and Mr Crow has finally arrived. It is 1022. Baby Hope is eating hard food, and Calico is staring at the other cat dishes, wondering what happened to all the wet food. Missey ate it and cleaned up all the extra. So now they wait until 1700 – vet rules. While we want some fat on our ospreys, the vet wants the cats ‘more lean’ than ‘pleasantly plump’. Calico has done well on her diet, and her playfulness is a testament to how weight can impact their behaviour.

‘The Girls’ are fine. They are enjoying having more songbirds in the garden to watch and all the squirrels scurrying around.

Hugo Yugo curled up in the house of the cat tree, sleeping after dinner. It seems cats go into food comas, too!

Missey used to sleep in the plant pots with Lewis after they were watered. She barely fits now.

Everyone would like to sleep in the little basket! Hope is waiting patiently. It is impossible for both to sleep together, not enough room. Hugo Yugo is small, but Hope is nearly the size of Calico.

Hope is busy checking out one of the Blue Jays. I must have startled Hugo Yugo! She had been busy watching the Jays flit around eating cheesy dogs, trying not to get stung by the wasps that had invaded the space.

We have several visitors to the feral cat feeder now. There is ‘The Boyfriend’ who has been coming for over 18 months, the other black cat with an entire bowtie moustache and now a young solid black kitten and a ginger male. We know that the ginger male belongs to a neighbour who insists on leaving him out. We hope that he does not get hit by any of the cars that use the streets like they are race tracks.

Calico was very interested in the younger solid black cat. She watched it moving back and forth from the door to the small cat tree. It is really sweet and I will post its image in our neighbourhood FB group tonight.

Gosh. Sunday was just the most beautiful day. Perfect weather. We need rain, but I am thankful for these days. Let it rain at night!

In Bird World, Gabby has been seen mating with ‘the visitor’ – not Beau. Are we destined to have another year of males fighting over Gabby with no eaglets produced?

Every talon is checked and the folks at the AEF are busy trying to identify the necrotic male. Is it A1 from last year?

There is conflicting information, and I cannot see the eagle’s feet to the left. AEF said that Gabby and Beau were at the nest. Their moderator further stated that Gabby and Beau flew off later, and Beau returned to the nest. Gabby did not return. Others have posted that it was ‘the visitor with the necrotic feet’ on the branch next to Gabby, noting that Gabby and Beau hardly ever perched next to one another. We will have to wait and see how this season’s drama unfolds.

The AEF confirms that this is Beau in the tree. He arrived just at 1150.

Then Gabby returned and the couple worked on their nest before heavy rains began.

Beau is still at the nest (confirmed by AEF). He shakes the rain off and looks out over the horizon from the Lookout Tree.

Send good energy that Beau is up to be a great mate AND Dad this year and that all the others leave this couple alone!!!!!!

At Hellgate Canyon, Finnegan delivered the breakfast fish to Antali who, after taking a few bites, flew off the nest with his fish. No sign of Sum-eh at the nest fighting for fish and everyone thinks that she has now left the area. Iris normally departs on the 8th of September. Will she stay longer? or will we see her one last time on Sunday?

Antali certainly went to sleep with an enormous crop.

Beaumont and Hope were on the nest bringing fish to the two juveniles on Sunday so everyone is home at Snow Lane in Newfoundland.

Fish deliveries continue to happen at Sandpoint.

Charlie is still delivering fish to the Charlo Montana nest for C16.

Big Bear and the diamonds. No Jackie or Shadow.

‘J’ writes that Bowen’s body has been removed from the Boundary Bay Nest by the Hancock Wildlife Foundation in the hopes that they might be able to determine what caused the eaglet to die.

There are ospreys know not to return to their natal nest area. Researchers are curious about why this is the case. Gregorius Joris Tooen (he worked with the translocation project of ospreys to Ireland) posted some information and thoughts on this phenomena that I believe will interest you.

In Wales, LJ2, the male at Llyn Brenig, partner of Blue 372, is believed to have left the nest and begun his migration after the last of the chicks departed.

Geemeff’s daily summary for Loch Arkaig and The Wooden Trust.

Daily summary Sunday 8th September 2024

No activity today, other than magnificent scenery on the nests this morning when the promised fog materialised. The weather did brighten up but heavy rain is forecast, and tomorrow will be a good day to end these summaries and close the season by posting my unofficial season highlights video. Woodland Trust will be posting the official highlights and closing this comments page soon, but the livestreams will be available on YouTube, links below, plus previous seasons and plenty of interesting content on Woodland Trust’s channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@woodlandtrust/videos

Nest One livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/–l_qKzu2kE

Nest Two livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/cThAEtbegKk

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 20.46.35 (05.39.02); Nest Two 20.49.31 (05.47.00)

Today’s videos: none

Bonus feel-good moments:

https://youtu.be/GxOwVJ8LeEY  Together again: the reunion of Aila & Louis (2018)

https://youtu.be/zFWxru4yOOY  Together again: the reunion of Aila & Louis (2019)

https://youtu.be/j_2zRRZeJQY  Together again: the reunion of Aila & Louis (2020)

https://youtu.be/9p84l65VnYo  Together again: the reunion of Louis & Dorcha (2022)

https://youtu.be/2I51i5kIVa0  Together again: the reunion of Louis & Dorcha (2023)

https://youtu.be/_5ll1MON-d0  Together again: the reunion of Louis & Dorcha (2024)
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/0vx1Z3vHCao Hello Sarafina! Still here! (2022)
https://youtu.be/vmErkxkRRf4 Hoodie darts in and steals a scrap (2022 slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/-YWJzjJRAJM Confirmed – last sighting of Louis (2022)
https://youtu.be/VltxbEF37Ow Exit Sarafina, pursued by a Chaffinch (2022)

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

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

M22 and F23 are talking (or is it singing) to their eggs. Incredibly sweet. https://youtu.be/_k5CMRjQhtE?

The only surviving osprey chick at the Osprey Environment Centre in Queensland is growing and thriving. The other chick, the smallest one, died on the 12th of August after severe weather, poor fish deliveries, and according to the centre, some bullying from the oldest sibling.

The end of season summary from Dyfi Osprey Project in Wales. They are truly proud of Idris and Telyn pulling off ‘another hat trick’. Thanks, Dyfi. I wish that every streaming cam in the world would produce an end of year detailed summary such as this!

2024 DOP Summary – Another Hat-trick Year | Dyfi Osprey ProjectDownload

This applies to both hemispheres.

At the Olympic Park Eagle nest, Judy Harrington gives us a good summary of the events of the 8th.

In Melbourne, our lovely CBD falcon couple discuss issues related to incubation! https://youtu.be/NyNmGPncatg?

Frankie is still at Fenwick Island still bringing fish to his juvenile, Fen.

The Royal Cam chick (hardly a chick anymore!) has gorgeous wings and has been hoping around and hovering. Soon, very soon, this beauty will take to the skies.

In Bulgaria, the Greater Flamingo has been residing there, but they have never nested and bred. Now they have.

Greater Flamingo breeds in Bulgaria for first time – BirdGuidesDownload

Friends of Sth Australia Ospreys (our Port Lincoln friends) need a treasurer. Do you know someone qualified to help? (This is the biggest I can cut and paste, apologies).

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care all. 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: ‘Geemeff, J, PB’, NEFL-AEF, Montana Osprey Project, Newfoundland Power, Charlo Montana, Sandpoint Ospreys, FOBBV, Gregorious Joris Toonen, Llyn Brenig Osprey Project, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Osprey House Environmental Centre, Dyfi Osprey Project, Birds of South Jersey, Judy Harrington and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, Heidi McGrue, NZ DOC, BirdGuides, and Fran Solly and Friends of Osprey.

Sad news from Niagara Bee…Saturday in Bird World

7 September 2024

Hello Everyone!

I have put a warning in one group of images and the report from Niagara Bee. I did not believe we could lose another osprey this late in the season and, yet, it has happened. So be mindful when you get to that spot if you are sensitive and move down to the next news item.

I can confirm that Cobey, the Colonial Beach osplet on the streaming cam, was not one of the three ospreys from the area that had a necroscopy. I can, however, confirm that Cobey was noticeably ‘malnourished’ when his body was examined. That will not be a surprise to anyone. Individuals from the area are speaking up to stop the commercial fishing for Menhaden that has impacted hundreds of osprey nests in the area.

It really does feel as if fall has come to Manitoba. The leaves are changing before my eyes, the squirrels and Blue Jays are busy storing peanuts for the winter, and the Crows are getting fat. How many will remain here during the winter? Junior finally has his crest, and he is back to his handsome self. He wouldn’t smile at me but there he is on the left, crest flattened, but there! It took more than two weeks to grow in.

This is one of the little Red Squirrels born in our wood shed in the summer. It has a lot of white and is simply tiny and adorable.

Hugo Yugo has a fascination with dry flowers! These came from our local market, but I am drying herbs in the utility room, and she would love to be taller!

Last evening, Hugo Yugo must have felt the chill of the changing seasons, and I found her cuddled under two duvets. She loves her creature comforts and still sleeps with her head draped over my left arm on my pillow. She prefers the satin pillowcase. What a girl.

We are all having withdrawals or are starting to fret and worry about our dear Ospreys – particularly Iris and her entire family, as they prepare for migration. My inbox contains letters from you sitting and wringing your hands and toes. We know that Iris has survived for nearly 30 years in the wild. She is eating well. Finnegan is helping with Antali, and it appears that Sum-eh might have departed. Of course, she could be somewhere along the Clarke-Fork River eating some enormous fish and not revealing her quite perky and independent self. These two fledglings have good DNA. Tiger Mozone told me once they need two things: good DNA and good luck. So, we know that they have great genes. Just look at Iris and how long she has lived. She has also had the best of luck (OK, maybe not with Louis) during her migration. Let us hope that she has given clear and concise instructions to her two juveniles, Antali and Sum-eh, so they have long and productive lives carrying on her gene pool when they are ready to start their own families.

Antali is undoubtedly handsome. He would like Dad to get a big fishie on that nest. Iris is still home and delivered a whopper this morning. Thanks, ‘PB”.

When I speak about luck, I mean staying away from the harm that much of modern human life causes. The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds by Scott Weidensaul describes many of those. One of the most formidable is ‘light’. “Ornithologists have known for generations that artificial light disorients birds; as far back as the 1800s, lighthouse keepers described huge bird kills on foggy nights, when migrating songbirds battered themselves against the glass” (144). Weidensaul continues, “Lighted skyscrapers remain a major cause of mortality during migration so much so that campaigns have been launched in many cities to convince building managers to turn off lights during the peak of migration…some 90,000 birds a year die from building collisions in New York City alone.” Weidensaul notes that the lights that are set up for the memorial to the 9/11 victims is in peak migration period. “Some years the heaviest flights have occurred on the same night as the tribute…Radar studies have shown that the twin beams concentrate migrants at 150 times the normal rate”. (144). Since 2005, if the migration detectors notice 1000 songbirds whirling in dismay in the lights, they are now automatically turned off to save the birds and allow them to get on their way without harm” (144).

The route that Iris and her family, along with other Montana birds, take when they migrate might not take them through large cities with tall skyscrapers. It depends on where they go and below is the map constructed by the Montana Osprey Project with the birds that have been tracked.

The odd bird seems to have had trouble and went north and then to Florida, but you will notice that the concentrated stream takes them over Colorado into Texas, Mexico, and Central America. Many believe that Iris winters in south Texas but with no tracker or distinctive Darvic Ring we will never know for certain.

I am reposting an article from one of the Hellgate Osprey groups on FB by ‘CW’ that you might find of interest. ‘Osprey Migration Explained’.

Osprey Migration Explained – Avian ReportDownload

Autumn migration news from Knepp Farm in Sussex, UK.

The Great Autumn Migration – KneppDownload

At Llyn Brenig, Bethan 8B9 was last seen Friday morning and is believed to have departed for her migration. LJ2 was at the nest in the evening.

News from Tweed Valley.

I caught ‘someone’ at the NE Florida nest on the branch but cannot confirm if it is Gabby or Beau. They were photographed in the LY tree together around 10:00 am. Thanks, ‘J’.

It is difficult to see eagles with injured talons. This particular one with its necrotic talons came and went and spent some time on the NE Florida nest. It has been identified as the same eagle that intruded on the nest last year. Oh, please leave Gabby and Beau alone! https://youtu.be/Pg8g_M3wrWc?

WingsofWhimspy notations sent by ‘J’ as the eagles return:

We know that Jackie and Shadow, Beau and Gabby, and M15 and F23 are here! (listed above, too)

Well, this is where we will be on the 22nd and then rushing back for the Goose Flights at the nature centre.

How clean energy can help save our birds. Audubon has some ideas.

How Clean Energy Can Benefit Climate, Communities, And Conservation _ AudubonDownload

It is hard to imagine how quickly our little ones grow and they are on their way to independence and trying to survive on their own. Dyfi reminds us!

Just look at those little faces wanting fish. That is why I love this species so much.

WARNING. DISTURBING NEWS AND IMAGE IN THIS REPORT FROM NIAGRA BEE. Before I check the nests, news has come in late Friday from ‘PB’ that something there is a dead osplet on the Niagara Bee nest. It’s body was there in the early morning. Was it killed? and if so, why was the prey that was hunted left? or did it die of a disease? In either case, the remaining two fledglings are in danger. (If it was a predator during the night I could not rewind enough to confirm it was an owl. Eagles hunt during the day.)

At 0802 one of the fledglings looks down to see its dead sibling.

Nestled by its sibling.

The body of the osplet was eaten by a raccoon that came to the nest after dusk.

At the Snow Lane nest in Newfoundland, Beaumont is still delivering amazing fish to the two fledgings. He arrived Friday afternoon with a nice crop after finishing the head. Both juveniles are still home. I cannot confirm if Hope is still in the area.

Look at the size of the wings on that fledgling. I ‘think’ it is the second hatch. The other has a really lovely crop so both are getting fed well. Yeah to Beaumont and Hope for a great year. Hope delivered a big fish to the nest on Friday and was hungry herself but the kiddos got it. Beaumont was delivering on Thursday. He could have been on Friday, too – it is hard to catch them they are trying to get off the nest without having their talons torn off. Who would have thought we would be witnessing this?! It is special. A miracle nest.

River at the Sandpoint osprey platform wanting fish. No deliveries by mid-Friday afternoon that I could see.

Juvenile on the nest at Cowlitz PUD wanting fish.

At Fortis-Exshaw, Harvie delivered a fish Friday morning and both juveniles were at the nest wanting it.

I did not see anyone for ever so long, but Heidi caught Soo delivering a fish on Friday. There were some leftovers and a juvenile, cannot tell which one, came in later and ate it.

There is at least one juvenile at home at Collins Marsh Osprey Platform receiving fish from Dad.

‘PB’ reports that the OPPD ospreys have left the Fort Calhoun nest near Omaha, Nebraska, USA.

‘PB’ also sent me the latest notice. I am thrilled that people are speaking up against the Canadian company, Omega, for wiping out the Menhaden fish stocks that the ospreys (and others) depend on for their survival. Please, regardless, of where you live, write your Senator if you feel strongly about this issue. Other States who have bordering the Chesapeake Bay have restrictions against this industrial fishing — all but Virginia. Do it for Cobey!!!!!!

Geemeff’s daily summary for Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust:

Daily summary Friday 6th September 2024

The promised sunshine materialised and tempted a Coal Tit out onto Nest One for a few moments. Another sunny day is forecast for tomorrow but then it’s back to cool and damp for the rest of the week.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.00.28 (05.32.42); Nest Two 21.07.49 (05.44.10)
Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/n85DjMBiPQY The unusual sunshine tempts a Coal Tit out onto the nest 17.12.42

Bonus read – are migration patterns for UK Ospreys changing?
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2023/09/osprey-shortened-migration/

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/Xl_8AxlIfkc  N1 Cheeky Hoodie invades the nest despite Rannoch nearby 2019
https://youtu.be/poMrwR2FX_w  N1 Confirmed: Final sighting of Rannoch on the nest 2019
https://youtu.be/hL6JazzmUEg  N1 Confirmed: Vera’s final visit to the nest 2020
https://youtu.be/Y3XChI4pFV4 N1 Small raptor (Sparrowhawk?) visits the empty nest 2020https://youtu.be/rkJolVwk_Y8 N2 Business as usual for Louis and Sarafina 2022
https://youtu.be/HHXIj2ufC50  N2 Hoodie alert! Sarafina exits hastily with her fish 2022
https://youtu.be/o5NcT2J4KTc  N2 Is Sarafina feeding fish to the crows? 2022

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

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

Our cute pie Cal Falcons Annie and Archie are pair bonding! https://youtu.be/mv2yafsUozM?

Morning changeover at 367 Collins Street. ‘A’ comments: “I understand that Victor has identified the male as the same male we had here last year (M22) and the female as a new bird (neither F22, who was probably killed by an intruder last season, nor the intruder). So she is being called F23 (though surely it should be F24 – the whole thing is confusing me greatly). At both scrapes, hard incubation is well underway, with Xavier doing his usual adorable chatting to his eggs (though I have not yet seen him attempt to feed them so far this season – there’s plenty of time of course for him to do something typical of this cutest of falcons).”

I note that someone whom I trust explicitly and has detailed images of head patterns, etc. does not believe that this is M22, but a new male despite Victor Hurley’s statement that it is. Without Darvic rings, it is incredibly difficult to identify birds unless there is a peculiar identifying mark.

At the Sea Eagles cam, SE34 is still shy of 33. There is a quiet jerk, and the stance of his body indicates that the youngest hatchling always keeps a keen eye on him in case 33 is going to reach over and beak him. SE33 ate first, and even when 34 moved up to the beak, Lady kept feeding 33 for a bit.

This feeding was caught by Nesting Bird Life and More: https://youtu.be/1cB4L9Xz1Nw?

‘A’ comments: “The more I watch WBSE, the more I wonder whether the temperaments of these two, combined with the lack of an obvious size difference, suggest that we may indeed have two boys on this nest. SE33, though the first hatch and therefore top of the ‘pecking order’, is certainly not a vicious chick in the manner of a killer like Zoe. 

But SE34 definitely remains very intimidated at feedings, despite the excellent fraternal relationship the two nestlings seem to have the rest of the time. Usually, SE33 doesn’t even need to beak SE34, who cowers away at the slightest hint that SE33 is even considering moving in his direction. About ten minutes into the breakfast feeding, SE34 shuffled forward to get closer to the food, and for the next ten minutes or so, Lady seemed to concentrate on feeding him, so that he got the vast majority of the bites, just as SE33 had done early in the feeding. 

After flying off this morning, Dad returned very quickly with breakfast, and Lady quickly took control of what looked like something furred, though it could have just as easily been slightly feathered (it was definitely red meat and looked very nutritious – probably someone else’s half-grown chick. As the feeding progressed, and each chick had been fed for about 10 minutes, Lady fed them both alternately for a while. SE34 appeared slightly wary but was relatively confident, even competing with SE33 for bites (and winning). At all times, though, SE34 was aware of SE33 and was monitoring its movements carefully, while still participating in the feeding. 

It was a very lengthy feeding, and by its end (around 07:17), both eaglets had very healthy crops. Their exquisite white fluff is now decorated with rows of shiny blue-black feathers growing through, making the chicks look spectacularly beautiful (as opposed to the cutest little fluff balls). These sea eaglets really are exquisite as their juvenile plumage develops – and the camouflage it provides is extremely impressive (like red-tailed hawklets, these sea eaglets grow the most wonderfully effective camouflage). “

At the Charles Sturt Falcon Cam in Orange, Xavier is getting a lot of eggie time Saturday morning.

Xavier on the eggs.

Mum and Dad at the nest on the Port Lincoln barge.

Remember Ervie and then Bradley with their Puffer Fish? ‘L’ sent us a posting of another osprey enjoying that particular delicacy. It feels like that old saying ‘Shooting Fish in a Barrel’. These Puffers must be easy to catch!

Mark it on your calender. Cornell’s Big Bird Day (counting birds) is 12 October. Please register to participate. I will send reminders and links closer to the date!

Conservation without Borders with Sacha Dench is Crowdfunding for The Flight of the Vulture. Here is some information and below it is the e-mail about contributing to the Crowdfunder.

Flight of The VultureDownload
Exciting News Flight of the Vultures is Live Heres How to Double Your ImpactDownload

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

Thank you so much to the following for their notes, comments, posts, tweets, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘Geemeff, H, J, L, PB’, Niagara Bee, Cornell Bird Lab, Thinura Nisal Bandara, Port Lincoln Osprey, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, 367 Collis Street by Mirvac, Olympic Park Eagle Cam, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Virginia Osprey Foundation, Collins Marsh Ospreys, Fortis Exshaw Osoyoos, Fortis Exshaw Canmore, Cowlitz PUD, Newfoundland Power Snow Lane Osprey Cam, Sandpoint Osprey Cam, Dyfi Osprey Project, Audubon, MB IBA, Wings of Whimsy, NEFL-AEF, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Knepp Farm, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Avian Report, Montana Osprey Project, The Global Odyssey of Migrating Birds, and Conservation without Borders.

Some ospreys are still home…Friday in Bird World

6 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope the week has been good for you and that you have some plans to be outside this weekend. We will be off searching for cranes and watching for geese landing at night.

Do you put off things? I have and it was time that I did something about a few extraordinary things waiting for attention. Sitting safely in a fireproof box were several beautiful letters by ‘KM’. They include stories of birding decades ago when she was a child. Eagleman Charles Broley would visit their house.

Broley was a bank manager for RBC in Winnipeg, where I live. The branch was on Corydon Avenue. Broley is also more well-known for being a bander of eagles and more. The Lower Beverley Lake website, where Broley also lived, states:

Eagle Platform, Location: Blue Heron Point

Many prominent people have resided on Lower Beverley Lake, and Charles Broley was one of them. It can actually be said that he “soared with the eagles”! The Broley family lived at one end of Whiskey Island where we can still see the white cottage Charles Broley acquired in 1913 when he was a banker in Delta. Following his retirement in 1939, Charles Broley became widely known in Canada and the United States as the “Eagle Man” when he began to band and study bald eagles: by the age of 80 he had banded over 1000 of these birds, climbing by rope ladder up lofty trees to reach their nests, It was he who first sounded the alarm about DDT, realizing that this widely used pesticide was responsible for the increasing sterility of the mature birds. Most of his work was done in Florida, but he also dealt with several eyries in the Lower Beverley Lake area. Life Magazine ran a full photo feature on Charles Broley and the National Geographic produced a documentary on his impressive work with eagles. His wife, Myrtle, was a well-known author and his daughter, Jeanne Broley Patric, still summers on the lake and publishes stories and poems.

Why am I mentioning Broley today (I have previously posted about him)? Several reasons. The first is that we are now in the ‘between’ season. Most ospreys have begun their migration. Most, not all. A few dads or wanna-be mates in the UK are still providing fish; it appears that the entire family of Iris are still in Missoula. Dr Green saw four ospreys soaring together – Iris, Finnegan, Antalia, and Sum-eh. So, the oldest had not begun her flight south; she was getting fish elsewhere or fishing for herself. What a joy to see them all. The eagles return to check on their nests and make some restorations, clearly marking their nest in their territory for any would-be takers. The only active nest with chicks right now is the Olympic Park Eagles. Diamond and Xavier are incubating eggs with Mum and Dad at Port Lincoln and M22 and F23 at 367 Collins Street. The long and short of it is that this is a good season for reading!

I highly recommend Eagle Man. It gives such good insights into the life of eagles. You can only purchase it used. This is the cover for one advertised on ABE books.

Amazon does not have any copies, but this is a reasonable synopsis of the book’s contents.

Check your library and all the used book sellers if you want a copy.

I was honoured to receive a photograph of Charles Broley in the garden of the head of Michigan’s Audubon Society in the 1950s and an eagle feather. The framer did a wonderful job. I asked for a thick envelope attached at the back to include letters and articles about Broley.

The frame is a beautiful walnut – the image wasn’t straight, so it appears cropped. Our Eagleman Broley has his hat of the day and overcoat. My husband looked down and thought it was my Dad. Yes, they sure do look alike! My Dad loved birds and was the first to introduce them to me, but his life was with other things with wings (planes), and he was not a birder. Oh, how I wish he had been.

Could you look closely at the colours in the feather? I apologise for the strange green reflection from the ceiling! There is a beautiful shimmer of a pinky apricot in that feather that is hard to see. Perhaps it is better in the image above. The apricot kisses the white and charcoal feathering on both edges. So kind of ‘KM’ to think of me.

The eagle feather will hang next to a very special Osprey feather, from a juvenile that got to fly, but sadly not for long. She was electrocuted. Thank you, ‘CD’.

Again, I want you to notice the colours. The walnut frame was picked specifically because of the tip of Heidi’s feather. The deepest black espresso bleeds into a marvellous orange, then ochre and cream at the tip.

The two birds were very special, and I hope that by framing them and including all of the documents associated with them, someone will appreciate them after I have spread my wings and flown.

‘SP’ sent us a link to an article on the research on wind turbines by Audubon. They categorically note that painting one blade black, something that has been known for some time, will save the lives of our feathered friends. It is simple. The real question is why don’t these companies do the right thing and fix the issue? We have, for example, wind turbines in Manitoba right in one of the major migration routes for raptors. You would be sick if you visited that place because of all the beheaded eagles. No one has done anything and I suspect the company doesn’t care!!!!!!!! It is a huge issue because these enormous turbines – and they are enormous – are getting installed everywhere. I have yet to see a black blade on one of them.

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/surprisingly-simple-solution-protect-birds-wind-turbines-gets-its-biggest-test-yet

At the Hellgate Canyon nest, Antali was persistent in coming to the nest in hope of fish. It paid off. Poor Finnegan could lose his talons.

Johnny is still at the Fenwick Island nest feeding his juvenile!

There is at least one fledgling getting fish at the Newfoundland Power nest of Beaumont and Hope. I cannot confirm the presence of the other fledgling or adult. Some of you might know.

C16 is still getting fish deliveries at Charlo Montana. Yum, yum.

The fledgling at Cowlitz is 100 days old on 5 September (or as I write this). We know from the Dyfi Osprey Project that the longest a fledgling has stayed at the nest was 109 days. That was Padarn in 2022. Hopefully, this miracle youngster, who the Bald Eagle did not take as itsre, two siblings we will flourish – and it looks like it could be well prepared for migration just like Beaumont and Hope’s two kiddos.

I did not see any activity at the Fortis Exshaw’s Osoyoos nest on Thursday.

Harvie is busy delivering fish at Fortis Exshaw’s osprey platform near Canmore Alberta. It appears that both fledglings are still in town.

At the Sandpoint nest, River is still home. River flies off with fish from perch. Cannot confirm if Keke is still present. Keo is delivering.

It looks like CJ7 and Blue 022’s family might have finally departed for migration. What a wonderful year it has been with that little 4th – 5H6 – turning out to be such a formidable sibling on that nest. That tiny, tiny little thing not only survived amongst much bigger siblings, but thrived. I really look forward to seeing him return in 2026!

There are still two juveniles from the Kurzeme nest in Lativia at home! Both are wearing Red Darvic rings – difficult to read the numbers. They have survived any other larger raptors living in the forest.

We are all fascinated when Bald Eagles raise Red-tail Hawklets as their own. This is the story of a 14 year old California youth that photographed a family of eagles raising a hawklet. A lovely read! And, yes, you ,ight have guessed – this is the story of Tuffy2 (not Tuffy from 2019).

This Teen Photographer Captured a Raptor Rarity: Bald Eagles Raising a Red-tailed Hawk Chick | AudubDownload

If every monument, every building in every city would turn off their lights during migration, the lives of billions of birds would be saved. Imagine. Thanks, ‘PB’ for spotting this. Gosh…imagine. Contact your City Hall and make them aware of this important undertaking, your Councillor or anyone who will listen. You CAN make a difference!

Geemeff’s Daily Summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:

Daily summary Thursday 5th September 2024

No avian activity as is the norm now, but the weather has perked up and blazing sunshine with positively tropical highs of 25°C is forecast for the next two days. A pity our family didn’t get to enjoy similar weather before the chicks had to be removed in order to save them via a translocation programme – Louis was able to bring a final fish for breakfast which Dorcha served up on that last morning together before the chicks left the nest on 1st July, link to that video: https://youtu.be/Q_HakxODigs

Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 20.53.24 (05.35.20); Nest Two 20.50.26 (05.44.14)

Today’s videos: none

Bonus recipe from our very own Woodland Trust Scotland George – make some bramble whisky!

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/08/bramble-whisky

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/LEMJm8XBfas  N1 Lachlan eats one fish, departs with another 2017 (thanks Scylla)

https://youtu.be/o-WY7x6x5Xc  N1 Whose nest is it anyway? Rannoch and a Hoodie 2019

https://youtu.be/VOXzZ-0vTSo  N1 Confirmed: final sighting of Louis 2019

https://youtu.be/1310c1jFxaU  N1 Who’s on the nest before Vera gets breakfast from Louis? 2020

https://youtu.be/7pj8uTDrCKc  N1 Confirmed: final sighting of Louis 2020

https://youtu.be/j4z65mVcjkI  N2 Sarafina departs and the Hoodies move in 2022

https://youtu.be/BV2mAedbJ9o  N2 Hoodies on the nest force Louis to abort landing with his fish 2022

https://youtu.be/vPO_llkryLo N2 Mobbed by Hoodies, Sarafina loses her fish! 2022

https://youtu.be/4ekm0Uf7r7c  N1 Misty morning sunrise 2023 (timelapse)

https://youtu.be/C5w-9s869M4  N2 Juvenile Sparrowhawk visits 2023 (zoom)

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

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

And some other interesting stories that caught Geemeff’s eye to share with us. Was it humans that took that nest??????? My money is on the power company coming to change the light bulbs. We have seen this before. Remember when the men put the two chicks in the woodchopper? It was sickening. They could have waited a month. This is very disturbing.

Partnership working for the benefit of Ospreys:
https://m.fairfaxconnection.com/news/2024/sep/04/dominion-energy-park-authority-connect-to-help-ospreys/

And a mystery – where’s the nest gone? If weather, there should be evidence of the nest remains at the base of the pole. The two fledglings sitting on top of the pole are probably fish-calling rather than distress calls, I would imagine:

https://eastgreenwichnews.com/mystery-of-missing-osprey-nest

After this female was shot (!) the chicks were taken into care. One didn’t make it, but the other was returned to his natal area:

https://wchstv.com/community/wild-appalachia/wild-appalachia-young-osprey-release

Waba, the Black Stork, son of Karl II, is feeding in a beautiful area as he makes his way to Africa for migration.

When I travel to visit my son in Grenada, the mangroves are places of peace and tranquilty. They are home to many species of birds including our beloved ospreys. Like wetlands, they are important habitat. El Salvador could be losing some of theirs.

The vanishing mangroves of El Salvador: ‘All our efforts may only slow the destruction’ https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/sep/05/mangroves-el-salvador-forests?CMP=share_btn_url

Gorgeous Gabby. Will she finally have chicks again with Beau after her beloved Samson disappeared?

Those cute little falcons in Orange. Diamond wants food, Xavier wants to cuddle with his ‘eggies’. Adorable. https://youtu.be/Kvf6sYH-qnM?

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

Thank you so much to the following whose notes, posts, images, articles, videos, and streaming cams helped me to write my post this morning: ‘CD, Geemeff, KM, PB, SP’, NEFL-AEF, The Guardian, Montana Osprey Project, @Hellgate Osprey, Heidi McGrue, Looduskalender, fairfaxconnection.com, eastgreenwichnews.com, wchstv.com, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Audubon, Gateway Arch FB, LDF, BoPH, Sandpoint Osprey Cam, Fortis Exshaw Canmore, Alberta, Fortis Exshaw Osoyoos, Cowlitz PUD, Newfoundland Power, Charlo Montana, Audubon.org, Lower Beverley Lake News, Amazon, ABE Books, SK Hideaways, Save our Menhaden.

Gabby is home…Thursday in Bird World

5 September 2024

Hello Everyone,

It was a gorgeous day spent partly in the English Gardens at our Assiniboine Park. Three – yes, 3 – hummingbirds were seen. We felt like we had won gold medals at the Olympics! They were feeding in the white trumpet looking flowers (I have forgotten their name – sorry). I only had my iPhone and seriously they are in there, but you can’t see them.

The Black-eyed Susans were tremendous.

But the winner for the day was the Peacock Flower whose scent was simply stunning. It stopped me in my tracks!

I was sitting in the gardens when ‘J’s note came through that Gabby had arrived back safely at NE Florida. It simply brought tears to my eyes! Gosh she is beautiful! Eagle Goddess caught the arrival on video: https://youtu.be/snsaRCeKZAE?si=5_ti-SJw72R6XW4a

The tears poured more when I realised that Beau and Gabby were together on ‘their’ tree. Let us hope that this is their year to have a family.

When we got home the Bird Feeder with the camera had arrived. Do not let anyone tell you these are easy to install. This one is completely together now and sitting on the large table feeder. No one will go near it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Darn thing. The other issue is scanning the QR code for the app so that you can actually see these birds with the camera. Yes, I made sure the light was bright and that the camera was clean. Nothing. Nothing. Very annoying. I will try again in the morning!

Starting off with a note about the male at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. There was some confusion on my part about the band. Thank you ‘MP’ for reminding me of the information we received last year: “Vanessa Green told me the band was green over black with MS lettering and was banded in 2018 at the nest off of Grimm Road in Carver Park Reserve off of HWY 11 between Hwy 5 and Hwy 7. That makes the male on the Minnesota nest 6 years old not 22 years old. I thought I would correct it so you could retract your statement on 9/3/24 blog. 

Although, there is a bird that was banded in 2002 with black over green and white lettering MS like I said this one was, it was banded at the nest off of Kings Point Road just north of HWY 7 and Carver Park Reserve in Hennepin County. How she knows this one is the green band vs the black I don’t know, unless she saw it with binoculars. She told me she was there when the bird was banded in 2018, and besides she said, she is the one to change the coloring in 2009 from black to green.”

Last year, in 2023, the male and female had already migrated by the time they were last seen at the nest. I have included them and the juvenile in the Memorial Wall listing because of the horrific storm and the juvenile seen with the Bald Eagle and not seen again. Should the male show up next year, I will remove him. Female is not banded and will have to rely on head and underwing marks to confirm in 2025.

Geemeff and the Daily Summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:

Daily summary Wednesday 4th September 2024
While the Ospreys have gone and the local wildlife isn’t very visible either, the view from the nest cams is stunning and it’s worth popping in from time to time to have a look as the seasons change. The nests looked beautiful bathed in sporadic sunshine today, and more of the same is forecast for tomorrow. Drop in also to Woodland Trust’s campaigns page to see what they’re currently working on, and how you can help: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/protecting-trees-and-woods/campaign-with-us Costs nothing but a few seconds and a couple of mouse clicks, and makes a huge difference. 
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.12.13 (05.30.11); Nest Two 21.06.15 (05.38.41)

Today’s videos: none
Bonus action – join thousands of other people and let Woodland Trust know what’s happening to wildlife near you:https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk/add-a-record/

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

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/f9xGkReEs2o  N1 Three fish one after another for Lachlan 2017 (thanks Scylla)
https://youtu.be/TjCNVR0D0dA N1 Rannoch gets a fresh flapping flounder 2019 (thanks Scylla)https://youtu.be/ghdrU4ka5_U N1 Good grief – more fish! Number five arrives 2020
https://youtu.be/K03sHXEtezg N2 Ouch! Louis gets his leg pulled 2022
https://youtu.be/XusFfpEKwHA  N2 Sarafina leaves as the Hoodies move in 2022
https://youtu.be/3sGLsMZX-Yk  N2 Fish number four causes a bit of a fankle 2022

https://youtu.be/tQhK-KB1690 N2 Little bird looks tiny on Dorcha’s perch 2023

Geemeff also sent us a good news story!

A good news story!

Local hero scales tree to rescue bird trapped in fishing line: ‘If it wasn’t for him, the bird would have had to sit there all night before rescuing’

The Royal Cam chick is readying to take off from the headland at Taiaroa. They will be out on the water feeding for 5-6 years before they step on land again at which time they will be very wobbly. Wish this little one all the luck in the world! It will need it.

https://youtu.be/I4Y3nEDU370?

At Hellgate Canyon, Antali spent the night on the perch. Iris and Finnegan fed him nicely during the day. Sum-eh was last seen on the 30th. She has probably migrated or fishing for herself and not in view of the camera.

Antali has had several fish deliveries at the nest. Iris is still home and she arrived with a huge crop and a nice piece of fish for her second hatchling at 1214 on Wednesday.

‘PB” got this great screen capture of Iris’s crop and sent it in! So glad Iris and Finnegan are both eating well and fattening up after a busy year with Sum-eh and Antali.

More fish from Dad – a nice bedtime snack!

At Charlo, C16 is still getting fish deliveries from Charlie!

It looks like fish deliveries are being given off nest at Dunrovin. Junebug waited patiently and took off several times after mantling.

The juvenile was on the Cowlitz nest and was getting fish from dad! As ‘PB’ says, this little osplet fledgling is a miracle – it survived the eagle that took its two siblings.

Sadly, there are no surprises on these necroscopies. I wish more people had taken the time this year because there would have been a flood of osprey chicks that starved to death. Besides the heat, the reason is staring us in the face – the industrial fishing for Menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay and at its mouth (within 3 miles of the mouth) has to be stopped. This is outright decimation of a species just like DDT nearly wiped out all the ospreys. Please write your Senators and anyone else that will listen. Omega has to be stopped.

More sad news. Big Red and Arthur’s N1 died of West Nile Virus.

For everyone cheering that the male at 367 Collins Street was M22, the chap who saved the day that year, Victor Hurley has confirmed that it is, indeed, him! He survived. He has a new mate. Let’s hope they have great success. Here is some additional information from Hurley:

FFS 04-24 PF Turn over of adult urban Peregrine FalconsDownload

Dotty and Blue FKO are no longer at Tweed Valley. Daughter and Dad have started their migration.

All family members were reported seen at Llyn Brenig on Wednesday in Wales.

BirdGuides review of the week:

Review of the Week: 27 August-1 September – BirdGuidesDownload

Hawk Mountain’s Migration News ending 4 September:

The Olympic Park Sea Eaglets are growing. They are standing and moving around. SE34 is still skiddish and is submissive during feedings. Thankfully, there is often enough for both!

Migration is ongoing where I live. Goose flight evenings have begun at the nature centres. People arrive before dusk and watch hundreds, if not thousands, land on the ponds. I will be heading up to Oak Hammock for their migration evening. The hummingbirds are passing through, and in Saskatchewan, the Sandhill Cranes are being seen moving south. Several flocks have been seen just north of where I live. I am hoping I will have some luck and catch these beautiful birds feeding on the newly combined fields, too. Will keep you posted.

Hummers are on the move as I noted earlier and you can track them if you like as they move through the US.

The first successful nesting of the Great Egret takes place in Scotland.

First nesting of Great Egret in Scotland – BirdGuidesDownload

Why are people throwing baby Puffins off cliffs?

https://www.iflscience.com/why-are-people-in-iceland-throwing-baby-puffins-off-of-cliffs-75820

‘J’ sends us news from the Marathon FB of Ron’s Rita in permanent care at Marathon:

Thanks for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, charts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘EJ, Geemeff, J, MP, PB’, Eagle Goddess, NEFL-AEF, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, The Cool Down, Cornell Bird Lab, Montana Osprey Project, Charlo Montana, Dunrovin Ranch, Pam Breci and Cowlitz PUD, Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, Virginia Osprey Project, Suzanne Arnold Horning, Victor Hurley, Tweed Valley Osprey Project, Llyn Brenig, BirdGuides, Hawk Mountain, Olympic Park Eagles, iflscience.com, Marathon Wild Bird Centre, and Hummingbird-News.

Tuesday in Bird World

3 September 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then Hugo Yugo wanted the scratch post!

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

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

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

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

It worked so well. 10 Paw Prints!

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

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

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

Moving over to Montana –

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

https://youtu.be/lFQUgAXcF88?

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

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

Daily summary Monday 2nd September 2024

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

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

Louis arrived at 15.18.38 on Thursday 28 March 

Dorcha arrived at 14.21.27 on Saturday 30 March 

First Egg laid 11.13.47 Sunday 14 April 

Second egg laid 05.55.52 Wednesday 17 April

Dorcha is injured in an Eagle attack 11.08 Friday 19 April

Third egg laid 02.26.08 Saturday 20 April

First chick hatched 06.16.48 Wednesday 22 May

Second chick hatched 22.26.15 Wednesday 22 May

Third chick hatched 16.36.10 Friday 24 May

Sad death of little Chick3 approx 19.02 Sunday 16 June

Louis last seen Wednesday 26 June 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And the regular visitors:

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

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

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

Today’s videos: none

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Osprey Flyer, Volume XXVI, September EditionDownload

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pam Breci caught up with Niagara Bee ospreys:

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

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

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