As is typical, I am writing my post on Saturday. I had hoped for some sun and wind to dry up all the rain, but, the rain is now coming down harder and harder. Three Crows were frantically pecking at the nut cylinder. I noticed that they gave each other space so that they could eat. All was going well until Dyson arrived! The Crows flew off. They returned later for a big bowl of cheesy dogs. I can see Junior at the feeder sorting through the peanuts. Where is Mrs Junior? It is always worrisome when one or the other does not show up at the morning feeder.
Dyson is moulting. She isn’t sick! She is so strong and healthy. It makes us happy to be a part of her life. I wish we could get the trees to grow faster or convince her to please just stay in our garden. No roads!
It has really started pouring. And yeah, Mrs Junior just flew in to get some peanuts!!!!!! Relief.
In Canada, Beaumont continues to deliver large fish to the nest where his two fledglings might like to scrap for the dinner! Both are eating well and Beaumont is making sure each is fed.
Dad and at least one chick are still at the LDF nest in Kuzeme Latvia.
Right now there is harmony and peace at the NE Florida nest of Gabby. She doesn’t seem to care if the male has necrotic feet in places. They are on the branches together, side by side at times, and in the nest making nestorations. If Gabby gets to raise little eaglets in peace this year, we should all jump up and down with joyful tears.
They have been on and off the nest on Saturday. The AEF has ‘temporarily’ designated the male as 24E1 (year, eagle, first visitor).
The eyes of the male visitor remind me so much of those of Samson. I know it isn’t, but for a split second.
The SW Florida streaming cams are up and ready for action starting today or tomorrow.
It was a beautiful day at the nest of Bella at the NCTC. Didn’t see any eagles.
You can help support conservation by buying stamps! Aren’t these beautiful?
These will be available in the new year. There are currently others for sale – some designed by adults and other junior winners. They are lovely.
The little eaglet in Australia is doing so well and this little fluffy bundle of joy has a name – Lukin.
Bradley and Shultzie. Yes! Good thing there are two perches. It’s always good, just like the Blue Jays, to get a total head count before sunset.
Judy Harrington brings us up to date with the Olympic Park Eagles.
The new pair in the USK Valley in Wales left late. They didn’t breed but hopes are high for 2025.
Bird Flu is possibly the reason for the decline in Peregrine Falcon populations in the US. Like everything else, it is still with us – it just isn’t making the news like it did. That is a shame.
Xavier flew out for the morning breakfast hunt. Diamond waits patiently to see what he will return with for her meal.
We blinked and the Olympic Park Eaglets grew and grew. When did this happen? They are more steady on their feet. Their wing feathers are growing in. They look like eagles, not nestlings. SE 34 is learning to self-feed.
Will we see the Royal Cam chick back on cam before fledge? Possibly not.
Pippa’s Mum is the first to return: Royal Cam chick Atawhai (Miss Pippa) and Lillibet’s Mum YRK is the first to return to Taiaroa this year. You will remember her amazing mate, OGK – some of us still tear up at the thought of him. OGK has not been seen since he went missing in 2022.
The Only Bob at Growing Home is so fortunate. It will never ever have to share a fish with a ravenous sibling. Look carefully. Tiny white bobblehead.
The fight for the survival of the osprey (and other wildlife) in the Chesapeake Bay is on and hinges on the curtailing of the industrial fishing of Menhaden.
There is always something to learn about migration: “For migrating birds, fall brings difficulty and danger. To reach warm winter climes, many birds must fly hundreds or thousands of miles, expend immense amounts of energy and successfully dodge storms, skyscrapers and other potential threats.
Still, scientists have long assumed that a basic trade-off made migration worth the gamble: Once birds arrived at their wintering grounds, they wouldn’t need to work so hard to stay warm, saving substantial amounts of energy. “But nobody ever tested this,” said Nils Linek, a behavioral ecologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany.
Now, Dr. Linek and his colleagues have done so. Their findings, based on a partially migratory population of German blackbirds, challenge the conventional wisdom. Even in the depths of winter, blackbirds basking in balmy southern Europe or northern Africa did not spend any less energy than those riding out the cold in Germany, the scientists found.”
Calico’s Tip for the Day. You have heard us mention numerous times the need to halt bird collisions. Residences indeed account for more deaths than skyscrapers. Hard to believe? I know, but it is true if you take all the deaths due to our windows collectively. So what is the problem? People do not know how to stop the birds from hitting their windows. Calico says that you must space the decals on the OUTSIDE of the window at least 5 cm or two inches apart. That’s right. You cannot just put one decal on the outside of your window and hope it will work; you never put it on the inside. The most economical method is window paint. Again, on the outside of the windows. I liked using the white or the yellow. Squiggle everywhere. Let your children or grandchildren help. The window paints come off easily.
Nova Scotia’s official bird (I know that everyone knew that, right?) on an iconic boat, the Bluenose II.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for the notes, posts, videos, articles, images, tweets, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘PB for today and for Saturday’s Tweet from Dr Greene’, Newfoundland Power, LDF, NEFL-AEF, NCTC, USFWS, Port Lincoln Osprey, Judy Harrington and Olympic Park Eagles, Jeff Kear and USK Valley Ospreys, Audubon, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Olympic Park Eagles, The Royal Albatross Centre, Growing Home, Bryan Watts and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Sharon Dunne, Bluenose II, USFWS, Birdlife International, and The New York Times.
The rain has continued but without the forecast storms. It just feels cold to the bone and yet the temperature doesn’t indicate that. Strange. A deep damp. All of the girls are curled up sleeping. The only one that is missing is Baby Hope. She is in hiding.
We have had rain and more rain and after it was time for a nice walk. As a consequence, I have been listening to birds outside (highly recommended) instead of watching them on a screen. I do urge you strongly to listen to the presentation by Rob Domenech. Take an hour to learn much about migration and migration patterns and challenges. Executive director of Raptor View Research Institute. This man is passionate, and he knows about his Ospreys. If your time is short, skip over to about 30 minutes. Then go back when you have a chance. It is that good. Did I say that more than once? https://youtu.be/lFQUgAXcF88?
It is a fantastic presentation and if you are at all wondering about the mortality rates, the migration patterns of the young fledglings towards the older more experienced ospreys, then you must take the time and watch this! I promise you will be sorry – he even gives some of the best reasoning behind banding!
The latest from Dr Greene via ‘PB” – thanks!:
Iris and her family made the telly, ‘The remarkable summer of Iris the osprey comes to a close’. I don’t know about you, but the departure of our beloved miracle family has left me feeling bittersweet. https://youtu.be/iKSGv30eaDc?
Reminds me of the American painter, Edward Hopper’s 1920-40s paintings.
Just look at EquiNOX. What a handsome falcon and he has done so well – getting leaned up for flight. NOX sure looks all grown up in his helmet. My goodness, Annie and Archie will be proud of him as he trains for the skies.
The two juveniles and Beaumont were at the Snow Lane nest in Newfoundland on Thursday. Beaumont delivered a fish to both of them.
In the top image, it is raining. There is an osplet on the perch on the far right bottom eating a fish.
News of the Wells-Fargo Osprey is contained in the post below from SOAR:
Some Bald Eagles are working on nests such as M15 and F23 SW Florida! What a team they are. https://youtu.be/lyX6U4F3pAc?
Others, like NE Florida, are giving people indigestion that had grown fond of Beau. Just because ‘the visitor’ is sitting next to Gabby does not mean that Gabby will pick this male at the end of the day. We simply will have to wait and trust her judgment.
This is Gabby and the Visitor. This male was at the nest for part of last year, confirmed by the AEF. They certainly look intent on cleaning this space up!
Thunder and Akecheta have been trying to make nestorations at their West End Bald Eagle nest in the Channel Islands. https://youtu.be/q3RKk3eEb2I?
I heard lots of waterfowl, but did not see Jackie or Shadow at the Big Bear nest on Thursday.
Calico’s Tip for the Day is a tip and an article. When it is really damp outside, you might want something warm and spicy to take that chill off. Calico suggests getting a large saucepan and fill it with cold water. Place 3-4 Orange Pekoe tea bags or 3-4 T of tea leaves in a tea ball into the pan. Bring to a simmer. Add cloves, a cinnamon stick, and some slices of orange, and sugar to taste. Let it simmer. Your house will have the aroma of fall and you will have a nice spiced tea. Sip the tea while reading the following article. The very first Wandering Albatross has been seen in Ireland. There was also a Black-browed. She thought it was interesting. How do these birds get off course? or does she think they are searching for new breeding and foraging grounds. Have a read and see what you think.
Thank you for being with us today. Take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘PB’, HMANA, KPAX-TV, California Raptor Center, Newfoundland Power Snow Lane Ospreys, SOAR, Sharon Dunne, SK Hideaways, NEFL-AEF, Netflix Memories, FOBBV, PIX Cams, Marika Solo, BirdGuides, Nesting Bird Life & More, Olympic Sea Eagles, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Androcat, and The Guardian.
Ah, the ads continue to appear for some – my sincerest apologies. What a headache. I have done all I can, and WordPress is trying to block the third party. Today, I wanted to forget about them!
The garden has been a flurry of activity today after the heavy rains yesterday and overnight. Six Crows have been at the nut cylinder along with the squirrels, including Dyson shown below, and a pair of Blue Jays (Mr and Mrs Junior). Numerous species of Sparrows and Wrens are filling up with seed as the days get shorter.
Junior watches Mr Crow cautiously.
Another Crow decides fighting for the nut cylinder is too much bother and goes for the Cheesy Dogs.
Most of the birds in the garden will not migrate. As their habitat in our area of the City dwindles, more and more come to the feeders. I wonder what it will be like in the winter? I am contemplating building a very large covered feeding area so their seed does not get wet from the snow.
I normally call the Fifteenth of September the end of Osprey season. In the US and Canada, there are, however, still a few Dads hard at work feeding their hungry Juveniles! One of those is not Finnegan. Dr Greene has seen two ospreys in the area that he believes are Iris and Finnegan while he believes that Sum-eh and Antali have departed.
One Dad still feeding osplets is the one at Niagara Bee. There are two survivors. And goodness, gosh, there was some ‘confusion of a sorts’ over the death of the one on the nest. If an eagle had been the predator, it would have swooped down and taken the osplet off the nest and away. Think Cowlitz PUD for a good example. If it had been a GHO, well, they might have flown down and did a grab and go which is what they did at Lake Murray, but then that owl turned around and sat on the nest eating the poor chicks leaving one. So? One keen viewer caught the raccoon attaching the fledgling on the Niagara Bee nest so, it wasn’t an eagle as Niagara Bee had pronounced earlier.
Beaumont is still at Snow Lane with the fledgling? It looks like just one to me. There is no fight over the fish so I am making a presumption that Hope and one juvenile have left the area. Please correct me if I am in error!
Sandpoint is quiet.
Charlo is quiet. Junebug has not been seen since the 15 September.
Hawk Mountains migration count to date:
Of course, there are some lovely chicks and some eggs to hatch ‘down under’. Just look at how much that little White-tail Eaglet has grown in 30 days! It has such a nice crop.
Marrum and Partney at Tumby Island now have two more eggs. The first was predated by a Raven. Let us hope that they can change shifts quickly and never leave the nest alone or those Ravens, who are watching, will be quick to come to the nest. Thanks, PLO, for the image!
In Australia, surprise. Diamond welcomes Xavier’s prey gift! Look carefully. It is not a Starling! https://youtu.be/MbWuvrz2iOo?
Changeover at Melbourne, too. Don’t you love how these urban falcons have a stash of prey. Mum flies off, Dad comes to the eggs after she has accepted breakie off camera!
Every time you see a raptor. Be kind. As ‘H’ notes, we are losing them at an astonishing rate. This is truly sad.
Looks like it is eel for breakfast for the White-Bellied Sea Eagles at the Olympic Park in Sydney. Thanks cam operator for those great close ups. How many of us would love to have that plumage?!
Fat little bottom on SE34.
It is time to name the chick at Taiaroa Head.
So a question in the mailbox from ‘BHA’ and I just bet that some of you are asking the same question. How do Ospreys Navigate? This is a great question and the Scottish Wildlife Trust supplies us with a great answer that is not lost in scientific jargon.
Numerous theories have been suggested, including the presence of a protein within osprey’s eyes which enables them to visualise the Earth’s magnetic field. This would be followed to warmer climates in the south, whilst hugging the coastline to stay within reach of feeding areas.
A process of ‘vector summation’ is also suggested, as a means of segmenting the journey into achievable distances. These segments are genetically inherent, meaning the knowledge of which direction to travel in during each flight step (and the number of steps) will be present since infanthood. This process is much more greatly relied on by juveniles taking their first migration, as they will not yet have the topographical memory needed to readjust their trajectory towards recognisable landmarks.
External factors such as wind drift can impact the orientation of ospreys, which can be detrimental to their success. Once off course it is not so simple to re-calibrate an internal GPS. Often osprey do not recover well from being blown off course. Depending on the direction of the wind they could end up over deserts – with no opportunities to find food and exposed to unexpected predators – or in vast expanses of ocean where the next land is nearer to South America than the fish abundant deltas of Senegal or The Gambia.
Even staying on course has its perils. For example crossing the Bay of Biscay, the massive gulf between France and Spain represents a great challenge. With favourable winds, this path can be taken in one long stint with the aim to continue down the Spanish coastline. But continuous flight across the Bay also runs the risk of draining energy levels, and being mobbed by seagulls along the way. This increases the risk of drowning before reaching the next resting place, and is an option better left to experienced birds.
We know that youngsters taking their first flight do not have the benefit of an experienced osprey like Iris who is now using landmarks to help her get to her winter home. I like to think that they have 62 million years of DNA and a built in GPS system. We have to use computer systems to help us navigate.
It is Eagle Time (except for the Southern Hemisphere), and I will bring you news on books to give you some insight into these magnificent birds.
Beau is resting in the NE Florida nest. I had not seen Gabby by 1700. Does Beau have an issue with his left foot? and is he resting on the nest because of it? I wonder.
As the eagles begin returning to their nests, I will post information on some books you might like. There are many books that describe the birds as well as websites, but I am looking for something more for you. The books I mention will be substantially different from those. Jack F Davis’ The Bald Eagle. The Improbably Journey of America’s Bird is full of information about the cultural history of this majestic bird. What strikes me is how many prejudices that have existed for centuries continue. For example, eagles steal children! At the time of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, “Raptors were excluded…Furthermore, a few out-of-touch ornithologists insisted that H. leucocephalus, the new scientific name given to the Bald Eagle, was a nonmigratory species. This erroneous claim influenced the thinking in government agencies and Congress.” Davis continues, “It was not a marketable good traded across the Canadian border, although it was killed on both sides of it. And it was not a game bird to be protected for the sporting crowd. It was a predator, an animalis non grata, an enemy of civilisation (226).” Davis documents how the eagle became a particularly precarious bird once the US purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 and commercial fishing industries arrived there. Alaska set up a bounty on the birds! It had been 20 cents in 1806 and was increased to $1 for every pair of talons. People delivered them by the bucket load. It was not until Rosalie Edge bought up the area around Hawk Mountain and began to lobby for changes to the Migratory Bird Act that the eagles received protection. Her task was not easy. Appearing before a meeting with Audubon, Edge was told that the public loathed the bald eagle and that the Alaska bounty should remain (237)! Edge argued that the symbol that had helped ‘win World War II’ would go extinct if something was not done (238). The argument to protect the Bald Eagle would continue well into the 1940s. Davis continues his book with the restoration of the Bald Eagle into the various states, beginning with an experimental plan at Patuxent. The book was published in 2022 and includes the challenges DDT raised about Bald Eagles, the cultural symbolism with Indigenous people, and the controversies surrounding the eagle. It is a good read, particularly if you love Bald Eagles. Indeed, it would be best if you educated yourself on their history so that you appreciate them even more today.
Want a feel good moment? What about a 52 year old parrot? It has been taken into care – palliative care. The caregiver spends their time on the floor with this lovely one! Thanks, ‘J’. Senior animals, whatever their species, need our devotion and love. They have certainly given it to us over the years.
There is a lesson in here. Don’t buy a parrot unless you have excellent DNA and intend to be around for about 80 years to care for them.
Calico’s Tip for the Day: Protect Yourself. Do you have a smoke alarm? a carbon monoxide detector? Then you should be going out and getting yourself one! She wants you to be safe. There are many different kinds from the standard one that uses batteries to ones connected to wifi that can alert you to hazards when you are away from home. In the end, you need one and Calico says you might get a discount on your home owner’s insurance. Best of all, they could save your life!
Calico found some information on hos those carbon monoxide detectors can be useful. Have a read. Calico suggests you read to your kitty!
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 this morning: ‘BHA, Geemeff, H, J, Jeff Kear, PB’, Montana Osprey Project, Newfoundland Power, Sandpoint, Charlo Montana Ospreys, Hawk Mountain, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Nesting Bird Life & More, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, ‘H’ and Audubon, Olympic Park Eagles, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Sharon Dunne and the Royal Cam Albatross Group New Zealand, NEFL-AEF, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, Jack F Davis’ The Bald Eagle. The Improbably Journey of America’s Bird, The Guardian, Follow the Feathers, CPSC Documents,
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
“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:
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.
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).
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
What a day it was in the garden. A former student -now great friend- is moving and came to spend the afternoon with us. The Crows certainly put on a show, but, at first, we didn’t know what was happening! Then we saw him swoop through and land on the large bird feeder after having spent time on the fence – a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk. He had everyone being cautious including ‘The Boyfriend’. Crows and Jays were alerting loudly. Dyson was flat as a pancake!
According to my neighbour, this hawk comes every day around 1800. Isn’t it lovely?
I hope you enjoyed Geemeff’s story of their adventures at Poole Harbour and the Birds of Poole Harbour tour. How exciting! It is on my bucket list for next year.
On Thursday, the New York Times published an article on changes at the Grand Teton National Park (and other parts of the US). All of this will impact our raptors from dying forests to no water, meaning no fish and fewer and fewer small mammals for the birds to eat. I am becoming more and more concerned as weather-related events are driving the starvation of our ospreys and eaglets.
At Hellgate Canyon, Finnegan feeds his second chick, Antali, at the nest. What a whopper it was, even with the amount that Finnegan took for himself on the owl pole. What a glorious year this has been. Finnegan really gave us a different outcome than we had come to expect when Iris returned from migration. I bet she was blown off her talons, too!!!!!!!
Antali knew Dad had a whopper and really wanted him to hurry up!
Late evening fish delivery to Antali who flies off the perch to get his meal.
Two fish at the Charlo nest at the same time -. Nice.
Will Gwenlais break the record for a fledgling staying on the nest before migration?
Some news about Giliath (Bradley’s brother from the 2023 Port Lincoln nest)!
There is also good news about the sea eaglet! It is still with us and appears healthy. Fantastic news.
And there are the markings for the second egg at the Port Lincoln osprey barge. Lovely.
Congratulations to those who work so hard and care so deeply for the ospreys in South Australia!
Last year, donations helped with platforms and the purchase of fish for the fish fairies—just look at Bradley and Giliath and smile. Those fairies saved their lives. Membership is only $20, which has big dividends for the ospreys. It doesn’t go to administration fees!!!!!!
The new couple at 367 Collins Street are adorable.
Some videos of the birding tour at Poole Harbour from Geemeff:
Peregrine chases Black-Tailed Godwits seen from Birds of Poole Harbour Osprey cruise 28 Aug 2024: https://youtu.be/fa-q7SiBiys
Osprey in 40x super slo-mo seen from Birds of Poole Harbour Osprey cruise 28 Aug 2024:
Geemeff’s daily summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:
Daily summary Thursday 29th August 2024
Tonight’s summary is fast becoming the norm – nothing to report except rain, wind, and no avian activity. Forum friends are drifting off and promising to return in spring, and season highlights videos are nearing completion. It’s been a rollercoaster of a season, but one chick did fledge successfully in Spain, and we hope for another update on his progress soon.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.21.06 (05.34.42); Nest Two 21.10.24 (05.35.23)
Today’s videos: none!
Bonus update on the Irish Osprey translocation programme:
Fledglings fighting for fish in Omaha. Still at home.
Both juveniles at the Osoyoos Osprey platform. Nice crop on one. It looked like a couple of small fish delivered on Thursday.
At Minnesota Landscape, an adult visitor has been coming on and off to the nest on Thursday and was also seen there on Wednesday. No sign of the juvenile or Dad. The visitor has no federal band (Dad does).
Ospreys coming and going at Field Farm. Decidedly hard to identify.
It is almost time to say goodbye to the Royal Cam chick who will spend from 5-6 years on the water looking for food before ever setting their webbed feet on land again! Hard to imagine, isn’t it?
Beautiful sea eaglets. Both had a crop after the morning breakfast.
‘A’ remarks: “Little SE34 had to wait until nearly 01:28 for breakfast, although SE33 ate a little a lot earlier. At the second feeding, SE33 ate first, then turned away, full. SE34 got fed from about 13:28 until SE33 rejoined the feeding about 13:38. There was am incident of bonking before SE33 turned away but SE34 didn’t stay down for long. He was shuffling closer and closer to mum during her feeding of SE33 and for the first time, he was brave and determined about getting himself fed. I was overjoyed to see this, because it has, as you know, been seriously worrying me that his drive to live does not seem strong enough. But today, it was. He was hungry and he was brave. When his sister rejoined the feeding and Lady turned back to feed SE33, SE34 leaned in and stole the bite from in front of his sister’s nose. It was very reassuring to watch.
I am hoping that this will represent something of a turning point for this nest. Once the attitude changes, the behaviour normally follows. So perhaps SE34 is going to be a bit more proactive about his own existence, which would be a huge relief.
The two are looking adorable. Their head shape and faces are so different from one another. Little SE34 is the prettier of the two, with more delicate features and cranial bone structure. “
This week’s migration statistics from Hawk Mountain, PA, USA:
Handsome Beau waits for Gabby to return. Her return dates have been 1 September, 8 September, and several times on the 12th. I am hoping for the 1st!
One of our Big Bear eagles with a large crop!
‘J’ notes the following eagles present in the last few days at their nest: At Duke Farms both of the adults were seen on the nest. Boone and Jolene were at Johnson City while Scott and Bella were at the NCTC nest. Beau returned to NEFL and we await the arrival of Gabby. Both adults at Trempealeau with two adults at Kistachie nest E-1.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, summaries, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, J’, The New York Times, Montana Osprey Project, Charlo Montana, Jeff Kear and the Dyfi Osprey Project, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Fran Solly and Friends of Ospreys Sth Aus, 367 Collins Street Falcons, The Guardian, Geemeff, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, SK Hideaways, Pam Breci, Field Farm, Androcat, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, NZ DOC, Olympic Park Eagles, Hawk Mountain, NEFL-AEF, FOBBV,
We hope that you are well. The end of summer (or winter, depending on where you live) is soon coming to an end! Already some children are heading back to school. Here it is the day after Labour Day. That really does mark the end of the summer for many.
It continues to be hot, and the garden birds are spending more and more time in the baths. It looks like another host of House Sparrows has appeared in the garden. I even ‘thought’ I saw a couple of new baby red squirrels the other day, but I am not sure. I feel very sorry for them and all of the eagles and ospreys we have been monitoring who are caught in this extended heat wave. Please put out water for all the animals and change it regularly, and if you can afford it, feed them. If billions of people joined together, the lives of our feathered friends would be much improved.
Wednesday is our local Farmer’s Market. It has grown over the years to have some exceptional vendors as our neighbourhood community grows and grows in population, attracting many young professionals who like the vibe. From the original stalls selling produce, organic meats, and local honey, we now have artisan ice creams, flowers, organic breads, the most amazing dumplings, empanadas, and Japanese baking. The temperature was not so hot making it that much more congenial to mingle with friends and neighbours this afternoon.
Oh, I hope they continue to come to the market. Their handmade dumplings are delicious. And look at the price!
A mother and daughter grow fields of flowers right outside the City for the bouquets. They are lovely. Just the right size.
I wanted to show you all of the goodies, but Hugo Yugo got on top of the table before I could blink. She is always the first to be curious, quickly followed by Missey! For some reason, Hugo Yugo was not interested in dumplings. Could it have been that they were tofu and cabbage? I could easily be completely Vegan if it were not for dairy. I am trying, but ice cream and cream for my coffee get me every time.
Yes, there she is! Missey first tried the tofu cabbage dumpling and loved it. Then she moved on to the Ube Melon roll! Both got her thumbs up!
Calico and Hope are curious and sweet, but they prefer watching the animals in the garden instead of human-related ‘things’.
Before we went to the market, we stopped in at the duck pond. What a surprise. The Canada Geese were feeding on the Cricket grounds and, for the most part, the ducks had the pond all to themselves. OK. There were about twenty geese at the pond compared to hundreds feeding on the pitch. Most ducks were the sweetest little Wood Ducks – tiny compared to the Mallards. Some of the images are pretty dark despite lightening them…apologies.
I am ready for some rain. For an afternoon, curling up in a chair and reading a book, the stack on the bedside table grows, and by the time I get myself tucked in, I am too exhausted to read. I am not complaining! How many of us wish there were at least 36 hours in a day?
And to my great joy, ‘The Boyfriend’ showed up during the daylight hours. I catch him on the video cameras coming in the middle of the night, but had not seen him during the day. He looks to be in good form.
You might have noticed that we are not hearing from Heidi regularly. She is having a much-deserved break after a season of great sadness. The osplets on all the nests she has been monitoring have fledged (or died). Please give her a big round of applause so she can hear it! Thanks, Heidi, for your outstanding contributions and for taking care of all that data for me on those nests. You will never know how much I appreciate it. Thank you is hardly adequate.
I received a letter today from a family on the Potomac River that put up an osprey platform. They attracted a family that fledged two chicks. They wrote to me to enquire about siblicide occurring after fledge. What happened was that the older sibling prevented the younger one from getting any fish, and the younger one died on their lawn. Years ago, when we thought of siblicide and indeed, until a couple of years ago, the older sibling (usually) killed the younger one on the nest before the age of 21 days. With the heat domes and the lack of fish during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, we are seeing more and more competition between the fledglings of a nest and various intruders for local resources such as food.
Siblicide happened at Port Lincoln several years ago, pre-fledged at 65 days. The chick was pushed off the nest into the water and died. So there is a range. As the planet heats up and more fish dive deep or are lost to commercial fishing trawlers (unless that dire practice can be stopped), we will likely see many more deaths on the nests than we have seen this year. I regret painting a gloomy picture, but I would rather be entirely wrong than write as if we live in Disneyland where everything ends beautifully. Oh, how I wish it were so.
The Ospreys are leaving. The Storks are migrating. Shorebirds are flying south from the Arctic to their homes in South America. The move is on. Bald eagles return to check out their nests’ condition and lay claim to them again. The Eastern Ospreys are preparing to lay eggs like the falcons in Australia. We already have baby sea eaglets. For the next few months, the action will be coming to us from Australia, and then the eagles in the US will begin to lay their eggs.
We will start with a good news story about wind turbines sent to us from Geemeff. I was starting to think there was nothing good about the darn things. One of the things I hate about wind turbines is the refusal of so many factories to paint one blade black. What a simple solution someone found Let’s see what is happening here to protect the sea eagles in The Netherlands.
It is fantastic to see the fledglings return to the nest months after their first flight. Today, Alma visited the San Jose City Hall scrape to the delight of all. SK Hideaways caught it.
This is nothing short of animal cruelty. Do people think birds have no feelings? Help spread the word about the use of birds and include balloons when you ask friends to protect wildlife. Thank you.
The dark eye lines on Hope and Beaumont’s osplets are wide and magnificent. Dark beauties they are! There is a rumour that the second chick fledged on Wednesday the 21st. I did not see it and there is nothing on the FB group. Will confirm later.
Dad arrives to much enthusiasm at the Royal Albatross colony to feed the Royal Cam chick.https://youtu.be/3as5kXIFb18?
Geemeff’s daily summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:
Daily summary Wednesday 21st August 2024
Nest One had a few little songbird visitors today despite the wet and windy weather, but otherwise no activity. Garry LV0 was last seen briefly on Sunday 18th and seems to have left the area, so with increasing reports of final sightings from UK Osprey projects, tonight’s bonus is the excellent webinar on Osprey migration by Dr Tim Mackrill.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.35.33 (05.14.32); Nest Two 21.27.36 (05.19.35)
Iris brings fish to the nest. Sometimes there is a fledgling there to nab it! The chicks are looking good and no doubt being fed at the nest and elsewhere as Iris, we hope, is packing in the calories, too, for her long flight.
Beautiful fish arriving on the nest for C16 at the Charlo Montana nest.
Junebug on the perch at Dunrovin waiting for fish.
River has been on and off the nest all day at Sandpoint getting fish! She had a big morning brekkie to help start the day.
One lucky chick at Blackbush has a fish dinner.
I did not see anyone at home at Cowlitz. Maybe I missed our fledgling.
At Saaksilvie #1, ringed and unringed are getting some fish dinners.
Clean up crew at the Seilli nest in Finland.
I saw no activity at nest #4 on Wednesday in Finland.
Both fledglings on the nest in Latvia having some nice fish with Mum.
‘A’ reminds us: “We are on egg watch at Orange. As I mentioned, Diamond laid her first egg on 26 August last season, so we are nearing that time. There is lots of bonding and mating taking place.
22 Aug BONDING 05:50:59, 10.30.59, 14:47:34, 17:30:42 PREY 07.02.32 X takes; 07.04.12 X stashes; 09:15:07 D takes; 13.23.42 D takes
TOWER MATING 07.05.16 LR 17s, 07.06.27 LR 18s, 07.10.49 LR 15s, 07.56.23 LHC 15s, 09:46:48 MW 12s, 13.53.31 MW 10s, 13.54.48 MW 6s
Diamond and Xavier are both looking healthy, unlike the starling Xavier stashed in the front corner of the scrape this morning – Diamond has treated it with the disdain it deserves but it will be recycled in the morning. Nothing is wasted here. There is discussion on the site about the worth of maggots in starlings. Of course we know from bald eagle nests that there’s good protein in maggots. Perfectly edible. “
A big shout out to Mary Cheadle who organises all of the fundraisers for the Lock Arkaig FB group. Thousands of pounds go to The Woodland Trust each year from viewers and fans. Thanks, Mary, for all you do!
There is one more fundraiser. For a donation of 3 GBP or more, you have a chance to win some expensive books on Ospreys, totes, etc. Check out the Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys FB if interested. The deadline is 30 August. It is the last fundraiser of the year.
Blue 1RO was 100 days old on Wednesday. Does anyone else think s/he looks exactly like their daddy Blue 33?
It was rainy and looked like a gale was blowing at the Glaslyn nest. The fledglings still think that Aran can pull off a miracle fishing for them! Two came in early in the day but no late fish to keep those crops full during the night.
It was windy with some rain at Dyfi but the wind did not appear to be blowing as strong as it was at Glaslyn. (Maybe just me…)
It was blowing hard at Llyn Brenig – the two fledglings were holding on tight to their nest!
Juveniles at Poole Harbour screaming their heads off for fish at Poole Harbour.
Fledgling still at Mlade Buky. Nice.
New Zealand is rushing to vaccinate its native birds ahead of what they believe will be a huge outbreak of H5N1.
Thank you so much for being with us today. It is always a pleasure!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, letters, videos, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff’, dutchnews.nl, SK Hideaways, Birds in Helping Hands, Newfoundland Power, Cowlitz PUD, Cornell Bird Lab, Montana Osprey Project, Charlo Montana, Dunrovin Ranch, Sandpoint Ospreys, Blackbush at Old Tracerie, Saaksilvie, LDF, Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys, LRWT, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey Project, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, BoPH, Mlade Buky Stork Cam, The Guardian, and Friends of Midway Atoll.
It is actually Tuesday afternoon, late afternoon, that I am beginning to write the post for tomorrow. The sounds of the Blue Jays squawking at something are overlaid with the sound of a jet aeroplane flying overhead. It was a hot day today. 29 C. Sweltering at the nature centre. A few songbirds were out getting seed at the feeders, and some ducks were sitting under one eating dropped seed, but not much more. Only a few humans were venturing out at 1400 these days! We are all idiots likely to get heat stroke! Thank goodness for the small shade gardens scattered about with benches. These have been growing to accommodate the increasing summer heat and the need for people to stop and take a breath.
The ducks are having a wonderful time searching for seed under one of the feeders near the hide. They knew I was there and cared little. Humans are no threat to the wildlife in the centre. Thank goodness there is a safe place for them.
There is a group of volunteers that care for the garden areas. They have recently finished a couple of small ponds with koi and turtles. The sound of the water is so relaxing.
A second pond.
Looks like a grebe to me!
An American Goldfinch and a Black-capped Chickadee.
There is very little news in Bird World. The revelation that Laddie died a natural death while very sad, is a tremendous relief to everyone. The thought of an individual or individuals purposefully killing this beloved osprey at Loch of the Lowes was simply unthinkable.
A few sites continue to post some of the highlights from the season. Just look at the snow at Clywedog!
There are rumours that F23, the mate of M15 at Southwest Florida, has been seen at the nest on Tuesday.
He is one of my favourite dads in the UK, and his mate Blue 35 ranks right up there, too. She is the one who creatively fed Tiny Little several years ago – the tiniest third hatch I had seen in years compared to the big siblings already in reptile plumage. Tiny Little became the dominant bird in the nest and was called Blue 464. White YW stayed late and fed her. I have seen no sightings, but I hope she has survived.
Our friend Geemeff that supplies the summaries for Loch Arkaig loves polar bears. I hope to travel up to the Arctic with them to see these beautiful creatures but, in Manitoba, you are having to travel greater distances. The bears that come into the town because they are starving to death get little respect. It is the three strikes law. After three visits, they are shot. Of course, the ice and the seals they rely on are few these days. It isn’t about birds but I am including this article because Geemeff loves those beautiful bears so much.
“The fatal encounter and sightings in unusual locations foreshadow what experts say is a looming clash between polar bears and northern communities as climate change upends the habitat and food sources of the apex predator.” “Across the region, sea ice will play a critical role in polar bears’ future prospects, including where they are spotted and how well-fed they are. Some populations faced near-record-low ice cover this summer, while other bears like the western Hudson Bay population had “excellent” ice coverage. But even extensive ice cover isn’t enough: across swaths of the bay, the ice was thick but lacked ridges and snow cover, meaning it was a poor breeding site for ringed seals, a top polar bear prey. Shifts in seal populations will put immense pressure on bears to find enough food.”
They are starving. I wonder what humans do when they are starving and their children are starving?
Royal Albatross Chick is spreading those big wings and it is only the 20th of August!
‘A’ remarks: “The Cornell footage of our TF testing his wings is impressive. What a wingspan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqzeozQW_SM&list=TLPQMjEwODIwMjQgpA2JbubKqA&index=5 Isn’t that magnificent? I am unsure whether that is TF or TFT. If it is TF, he has far more fluff left on him than I thought from last week’s shots, when there appeared to be very little left on his wings and back. And he should have lost more since those pictures, so this chick appears to have quite a lot to still get rid of. “
‘MB” sent us a great article about the growing White Stork colony at Knepp Farm. It is on my bucket list!
There is still activity at the Hellgate Canyon nest of Iris and Finnegan.
Geemeff sends her daily report for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:
Daily summary Tuesday 20th August 2024
Nothing to say, not one visitor big or small on the nests today. Affric and Prince are perhaps still around looking after their fledgling on the Bunarkaig nest as the male and chick were seen there as recently as Sunday 18th, but Bird Guides reports more and more sightings of Ospreys on the move and we wish all of them a safe migration journey and hope to see the adults back next year. The wet and windy weather certainly makes migrating now the best option, for Scottish Ospreys anyway.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 21.41.41 (05.08.00); Nest Two 21.36.44 (05.13.09)
Today’s videos: None!!
Bonus Highlands walk report including Loch Arkaig:
The latest from Richmond and Rosie’s nest on top of the light stand in San Francisco:
‘H’ caught up with Fenwick Island:
Remember. Those Omega ships in the Bay are causing the ospreys to starve especially in the extreme heat periods. If you live in the US and feel strongly about this issue, please write your Senator!
There is growing concern that the area that Omega has been fishing has caused this – impacting jobs and tourism.
One of the things that keen observers of Canadian geese know is how loyal the mates are to one another. In one of the books at the farm animal sanctuary, there was a story of a couple. The female had a broken wing and could not fly. The male would walk, fly a short distance, and wait for his mate to catch up. The story of the swans in the post below reminded me of this kindness. How many of you remember the story of Arnold and Amelia? Two Canada Geese living at a pond on the grounds of a wildlife rehab centre in the NE US? Arnold had his foot attacked by a snapping turtle and required care. Amelia waited on the porch of the clinic, looking in. Eventually, they were allowed to eat together and then be together as Arnold improved. It was beautiful – sheer devotion.
Beaumont and Hope’s second hatch has been doing a lot of hovering. It will be flying with the rest of the family soon.
Four at home at Dyfi – still not seeing Senni.
Remembering SW Florida’s beautiful season.
Nine fish were delivered to the Muonion nest in Finland on the 20th of August! NINE. Everyone was seen.
Altyn and Nova’s fledglings at the Imperial Eagle nest in RU.
For those of you that remember the agonising death of Golden Eagle Spilve’s chick, Klints, I am happy to say that Spilvie and her new mate are at the nest in Latvia doing some restorations.
Thunder and Akecheta at the West End nest in the Channel Islands on Tuesday. Cholyn, Thunder’s Mum and mate to Chase, was seen at the Two Harbours nest a few days ago.
The USK Valley in Wales has a new streaming cam for ospreys! Congratulations.
We have something a wee different from a reader. I want to add that every living creature is impacted when humans use poisons.
‘MP’ writes: “I thought I’d send a little something different. Like the rodenticide to Raptors, insecticides have done the same to the hog-nosed skunk. Skunks don’t ask for anything other than to just be left alone. Insecticides have done in many insects which is what the hog-nosed skunk feeds on and the insecticide that killed the insects too kills the skunk who eats the insect. This species of skunk is hard to find now in Texas where it was plentiful once.
Hog-nosed skunks (Conepatus mesoleucus) are about the same size as striped skunks but have some differences in appearance. They have a long, hairless nose pad and come equipped with long claws and powerful front legs that are good for digging. They typically have a single broad, white stripe that starts at the head and extends down the back to the end of the tail. Their diet consists mostly of insects. Hog-nosed skunks are found in the western parts of the state. A subspecies from the Big Thicket of East Texas is thought to be extinct. Alternate name: rooter skunk. Texas Parks and Wildlife.”
‘A’ writes about the little sea eaglets: “Early breakfast at WBSE was lovely. Both chicks ate side by side, with mum offering them both bites and no bonking was observed. SE34 is noticeably smaller than SE33 but not fearful to eat today at all. He leaned forwards and even shuffled forwards a couple of steps at one stage to get closer to mum’s beak. SE33 did do better from the feeding but this was due to Lady favouring the older eaglet.
Certainly, both had enough food at that meal, which ended when Dad turned up and shortly before 06:32 began that godawful cackling that the ranger’s report calls ‘duets’. There is nothing musical about them – they are a dreadful din, slightly reminiscent of a gaggle of backyard geese greeting a rain shower. Duet? I don’t think so. Anyway, participation in said duet distracted Lady from the job of feeding the eaglets. By 06:33 when it ended, the chicks had both dozed back off.
Around 06:35 the littles again wake up and the feeding resumes. But Lady now has to stretch too far to reach SE34 so she feeds SE33. SE34 is looking interested, head up, and even tries to get a little closer to mum, who ignores him. Finally, at 06:37:41 Lady reaches the extra distance to SE34 and gives him a bite. And a second. She then resumes the easier option of feeding SE33. When SE33 refuses a bite at )6:38:10, Lady offers it to SE34, who takes it gratefully. Lady is now down to leftover scraps and is working hard to get edible pieces for the littles.
She feeds the second half of a bite to SE34, but otherwise feeds SE33. SE34 gets a bite at 06:38:40. Again, Lady resumes feeding SE33. By 06:39:30, SE33 has decided it is still hungry and stands up to better reach the food. SE34 shuffles forward as well, but SE33 is now even closer to Lady and is now eagerly eating, so SE34 is not offered any food until 06:40:24, when Lady makes a real effort to reach SE34 with a bite. SE33 again shuffles forward. SE34 does the same but SE33 is much closer to mum, who resumes feeding SE33.
By 06:41:20, SE34 is obviously trying to eat and each time SE33 gets a bite, SE34 watches and tries to get closer to mum. Lady eventually stretches to give him a bite just before 06:42. She then gives him a second bite, before cleaning his face and feeding what she removed to SE33. SE33 again sits up eagerly, moving forward, so gets offered the food. At 06:42:46, SE34 sits up tall, hoping mum will notice him, and she does. He gets a bite. SE33 considers, then rejects the idea of turning away from the table.
Around 06:43 Lady is patiently feeding a bite to SE34 when SE33 leans in and steals the last piece from literally in front of SE34’s beak. Lady is only feeding SE33. The two are sitting up side by side looking cute as fluffy little buttons. At 06:45:28 Lady reaches to give SE34 a bite but then resumes feeding SE33. At 06:46 Lady makes a real effort to feed a bite to SE34. There has been no intimidation or bonking and no sign that SE34 is nervous or reluctant to eat. Both eaglets behave perfectly throughout the meal.
Lady then takes the remaining carcass (bones mainly) off the nest, and the littles were then left alone for a long time. SE34 is determined to use SE33 as a pillow, then they switch positions, and eventually the two settle down into a cuddle puddle. There is obviously still some close parental supervision, as evidenced by a periodic cackle. The littles are sleeping.
At 08:42 a parent visits the nest and checks the babies, scattering some dry leaves over them like a blanket. SE33 wakes up and what I believe to be Lady does some allopreening of her older hatch. SE33 sits up and turns around, revealing its large crop. Around 08:46 Lady heads up the perch branch. She flies off just before 09:23. The little pile of white fluff is already asleep again.
These two seem to be doing okay, but SE33 is certainly dominating most of the feedings, largely because of Lady. I am not sure whether this is happening at all the feedings, and certainly SE34 did not appear intimidated when offered food at this feeding. Whenever Lady bothered to reach far enough, SE34 readily accepted the mouthful. There was no hesitation. He did look at his sibling a few times, but never in the eye. Nest etiquette was observed and as a result, there was no aggression and both were very civilised. This is what we want to see. “
‘H’ posts about the Fortis Exshaw nest – doing good!
Please lobby to get the lights turned out in your town or City. It is migration season. Billions die from collisions each year because the lights in our city’s tallest buildings are full on.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Hugo Yugo wants you to have the most marvellous day ever!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, MB, MP, PB’, George Green and The Clywedog Osprey Group, @Foulshaw Ospreys, The Guardian, Knepp Farm, Montana Osprey Project, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, SF Bay Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, Heidi McGrue, Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary, Newfoundland Power, The Real Saunders Photography, Saaksilvie, Liznm, IWS/Explore, USK Valley Ospreys, Wesley A. Brasheat, Global Bird Rescue, and Olympic Park Eagles.
