Category Archives: River Gwash Ospreys

Sadness at the KNF-E3 nest…Friday in Bird World

21 March 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

I always start my blog early in the day and add to it. As I ready for bed Thursday night it is with a very heavy heart that I tell you that KNF E3-04 passed Thursday evening after having only a few bites of food and the tiniest – one gulp – of fish on Wednesday – since Sunday. The eaglet was, as you know, battered by its older sibling. This nest began very hopeful with two beautiful eaglets, and ‘something’ changed that. Was it the adult’s inexperience, as the Rangers believe? Is there such a shortage of food? Why did things begin to go ‘sideways’ for this family last weekend? These eaglets were fully feathered? If the parents were inexperiened might not this have shown up much earlier with the eaglets dying before getting their juvenile feathers? It just feels odd. Kincaid Lake should be full of fish as it is stocked (or was) annually for the people who come for recreational fishing, so why isn’t this nest full? Ale II hasn’t been seen for a day and a half because there is no reason for him to come to the nest if he has no food to bring. We will never know the circumstance or the combination of circumstances that caused such a dramatic change on this nest, but let us now hope that the older sibling will have food and survive to fledge. It would be a tragedy to lose both and it could easily happen. (More later in the blog).

Just a note. I will be sending this out very late or early on Friday morning and I could miss news of hatches or osprey arrivals. If so, I will include them for Saturday.

Happier Times for the eaglets:

Yesterday was the spring equinox and our feathered friends are on the move. But how is a changing climate impacting some of them?

Weatherwatch: climate shifts threaten birds’ return as spring arriveshttps://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/mar/20/weatherwatch-climate-shifts-threaten-birds-return-as-spring-arrives?CMP=share_btn_url

There is more sadness with the return of migrating birds in North America. ‘PB’ reports that numerous Canada Geese are dying of HPAI in Nebraska on their way to Canada. This horrible disease is spreading and spreading and no doubt we will lose many in various species as it continues to wreck havoc.

Heidi’s Osprey Report:

3/20 – Carthage osprey nest (Tennessee):  Mom and Dad are back together!  Dad arrived about 11 days ago and another female has had her sights set on him.  Finally Mom arrived a couple days ago and had a serious talk with the ‘other woman’, lol.

3/20 – Lake Murray osprey nest (South Carolina):  Congrats to Kenny and Lucy… Lucy laid their third egg early this morning.

Thanks, Heidi!

There are ospreys flying over every area of the UK, it seems.

Argathy Red Kites found themselves in need of a quick fix to their osprey nest that was destroyed in a recent storm.

“Crisis averted! Yesterday we headed to our osprey nest tree planning to quickly install a new camera before the birds return… unfortunately we swiftly discovered that recent storms had destroyed our old nest platform. Our legendary tree climber Keith had a mammoth job but built a beautiful new platform and got the camera installed. Now the long wait for the birds begins!”

River Gwash – Rutland female reaches age of 20 and is still returning to breed:

Dyfi: The camera will be live by the time you read this!

Balgavies Loch: Three ospreys, yet to be identified, have been seen flying over the loch.

Thanks Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Information or posting these news items.

Loch of the Lowes: Blue NC0 is bringing in moss in anticipation of eggs and having a marvellously soft nest for them and the osplets.

Bald Eagle Nests:

Pips at Decorah North! Yes, both eggs have pips.

NCTC Nest: Scout and Bella have their first hatch of the 2025 season at NCTC. The egg shell is the proof!!!!!!!

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING ENTRY ON KISTACHIE E3 IS DISTURBING AND HAS DISTURBING IMAGES.

Kistachie E3: The younger eaglet, 04 has been beaten and was down in the centre of the nest bowl most of the day. It had one small fish. I was hoping for a miracle, but it appears the wee one is near death or has died as of 1828 there was no more movement Thursday evening. I am grateful if its suffering is ended quickly. This has been quite the nest to watch. At one point in time if you had asked me, I would have said it was like a Black or Golden Eagle’s nest where the death of the second hatch is enshrined in the DNA of the species. But this was a Bald Eagle’s nest. The real question is what went wrong to cause such a blatant siblicide?

To those on the chat who wanted an intervention, the Migratory Bird Act does not allow it unless there is a clear human-caused issue. Even then with another fully feathered eaglet on the nest, permissions would not be given (if there is staff to provide them with) because it could cause a premature fledge of 03 and its possible death.

Soar high and free little one.

Food must be very scarce as Andria II plucked 04 preparing it for dinner for 03 and then flew off. Why are they not bringing fish from Kincaid Lake?

I was asked if I am working on a Memorial Wall for 2025. Yes, I am. I had to stop with Akecheta and Thunder and just take a break. It was getting to be too much. And the deaths have continued. I hope to have the wall up honouring those souls by the end of March. If you know of a feathered friend to include, please remind me so I do not fail to include them. Thank you.

I do not want to end on a sad note. There is so much to be thankful for and so I am including our miracles!

At the Big Bear nest, a video of sibling love: https://youtu.be/tGb47Md2h0s?

A deep egg cup to keep a wee much loved and longed for eaglet safe and contained at Sauces.

The love and struggles of a mother desperately trying to keep her three eaglets dry during a bad storm in New Jersey at Duke Farms.

What might have been a problem is proving that eagles, too, can adopt! Check out Bodie with VJ.

Thank you for being with me. We have had a lovely time on Hecla Island, but are looking forward to being home with ‘The Girls’ tomorrow and will set up early. Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to Heidi for the images of the E3 eaglets in a better time and to ‘PB’ for the news from Nebraska, The Guardian, Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Info FB, Argathy Red Kites, River Gwash Ospreys, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, NCTC Nest, Kistachie National Forest E3 Bald Eagle Nest, FOBBV, IWS/Explore, Duke Farms, NEFL-AEF,

Tragedy at Big Bear…Friday in Bird World

14 March 2025

Oh, my goodness. Is it possible that something has happened to one of the chicks at Big Bear? This video shows one caught on Shadow’s talon. There appear to be only two chicks in the nest eating later. The little one was last seen in the snow. I presumed it has passed. What a tragedy.

UPDATE: Peeps can be hear on the Sauces cam if you turn up the volume loud enough.

I had not expected to publish anything today, but, of course there are exciting things happening. As I write this Jak and Audacity’s baby is trying to get out of that membrane. Dr Sharpe says that a large part of the shell had pulled away from the egg on Thursday. The membrane will get brittle and easier for the wee one to break it with its egg tooth. I am so hoping. As I told one reader this will require a large magnum of champagne. We have so long wished for this couple to have an eaglet to raise. I hope it comes to pass.

Shadow wants brooding time. Some worry chick 3 isn’t getting enough food and is also cold and wet. We have to wait and see. https://youtu.be/Jiowi5MwKDU?

The first Osprey star has landed at Manton Bay and the first fish of the year was delivered to his nest by Blue 33 (10). Here is some more information about the Rutland Ospreys:

The first of our annual reports from ‘H’ is full of nest news from the US:

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, 2024 Osprey Report from Ben Wurst: “Plentiful Fish and Calm Weather Give Ospreys a Boost in 2024”
https://conservewildlifenj.org/2025/03/12/plentiful-fish-and-calm-weather-give-ospreys-a-boost-in-2024/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI_jkBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSGmHTB4RViiVDKCLLku5MwoVadkOxbQD8OsX3KTWwcqR5eaZxEZGiD20Q_aem_mfMa2GGBFnrvmtKh_bN9-w

There is an osprey nest cam in Havre de Grace, Maryland, that I have been watching for a couple of days.  It seems to have a bonded pair.  We have already seen fish gifts and mating.  It is located at the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum:  (photo of the male with a fish)

There is an osprey nest cam that went online two days ago in Dewey Beach, Delaware.  So far in two days, I have only seen a gorgeous female, and she has begun to refurbish the nest while she waits for her mate to return: (photo of the female)

Opal returned to her nest at Forsythe NJ on 3/12.  She awaits the return of her mate, Oscar.  Opal is a 4-egg-layer.  Oh, I dread that.  Last season, all four eggs hatched, and only the eldest fledged.  There never seems to be enough fish at that nest.  I am hoping that only two chicks will hatch this season.” Thanks, H!

I just caught sight of two ospreys on Maryland’s Western Shore for Old Town Home osprey nest!

Peregrine Falcon numbers are dropping. We understand that dear Annie and Alden might have succumb to HPAI. Is that the cause of this other sudden decline?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/13/decades-after-peregrines-came-back-from-the-brink-a-new-threat-emerges-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

“In North America, Skip Ambrose, a peregrine expert formerly with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, has been monitoring the falcons along Alaska’s Yukon River since 1973. He, too, has seen a sharp decline in numbers.

In the summer of 2023, Ambrose reported that 20 of 60 peregrine nesting sites were empty, with nearly a dozen more missing a parent. That is particularly notable because peregrines are generally loyal to both their nesting site and their partner….Curiously, the peregrine’s plight in North America seems most pronounced along the coasts. In New Jersey, for example, 22 of the 44 known nesting peregrines went missing during the last breeding season. In Virginia, local scientists recently noted that a dozen out of roughly 70 birds had vanished.

Peregrine nests in inland Washington state, near the Cascade mountains, seem stable, Anderson says, while those on the nearby San Juan Islands are struggling.

“It is interesting that coastal populations are showing impact while those in the middle of the continent, so far, do not,” says Patrick Redig, a veterinarian and president of the Midwest Peregrine Society, who helps track 200 nesting pairs across seven states.

Though scientists lack an official answer as to what is driving such sudden and far-reaching disappearances, many – including David Bird, who formerly led the Avian Science and Conservation Centre at Canada’s Montreal’s McGill University in Quebec – think highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) may be largely to blame.”

More tragedy. Seabirds are getting brain disorders like Alzheimer’s. What to blame? Microplastics?

Plastic pollution leaves seabirds with brain damage similar to Alzheimer’s, study showshttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/12/plastic-pollution-leaves-seabirds-chicks-with-brain-damage-similar-to-alzheimers-study-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

Cholyn has laid her second egg!

Ospreys are starting to arrive in the UK as well as in the NE of the US.

Thank you for being with us today. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J’, FOBBV, Channel Islands Eagle Lovers FB, SK Hideaways, Rutland Manton Bay, River Gwash Ospreys, Maryland Western Shore for Old Town Home, The Guardian

Late Thursday in Bird World

13 March 2025

Hello Everyone,

I had to leave for appointments this morning and I just want to catch you up on a lot of happenings.

First, there is a pip at the nest of Jak and Audacity at Sauces Canyon. Their only surviving egg appears to be viable!

They are thinking this could take longer as it appears to be a crushed hatch.

I am just speechless. Is it possible that this is another miracle unfolding under a lot of feathers? Oh, send them good wishes. That egg is tough. We want this baby out safely.

The Ospreys are arriving at the nests in the UK. This morning we had Blue 35, Blue 25, and Maya’s mate, Blue 33 all at Rutland.

River Gwash Ospreys announced:

 “The first Osprey has arrived back to Rutland. Blue 25 has recently been spotted on the nearby Manton Bay nest at Rutland Water. We’ll keep you posted as to when one arrives here, hopefully next week!🤞“

Most of you know that Blue 33 is my favourite male of all the UK ospreys – and he is in amazing company!

1612 was the arrival time. Within two hours Blue 33 has a big fish on the nest waiting for his Maya.

Screenshot 2025-03-13 at 4.31.53 pmDownload

Jackie and the triplets survived the snow storm! https://youtu.be/4uLYptc_QFE?

At NEFlorida Bodie is self feeding.

In other news, Milda laid her second WTE egg in Latvia while the second egg at Port Tobacco has pipped. Many think Cholyn might lay a second egg at Two Harbours. Be on the lookout.

I am going to take a break tomorrow and I will be back with you on Saturday. I hope to welcome a baby eaglet at Sauces! If this happens, that feels like a magnum of the best champagne!!!!!!!!!

Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to Barbara Wolfsong, IWS/Explore, SK Hideaways, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, Rutland Water, River Gwash Ospreys