Category Archives: Scottish Ospreys

Guess who’s still home…Thursday in Bird World

14 September 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

The happenings in Bird World – in terms of our beloved Ospreys – are getting thin. Most have left their nests and are returning to their winter destinations. It has been a privilege to watch these amazing families struggle in some very challenging conditions to survive. The joy that even a single survivor on a nest brought to us – seeing Dorsett catch a fish and hang out by the beach after fears that the entire clutch would be lost. Witnessing the loss of the Lake Murray osplets to a GHO or others die for mysterious reasons like those at Marder’s. And then seeing a survivor like Mini – . It was like being on a roller coaster – the 2023 Osprey breeding season.

Thank you for your really good wishes for Calico. She is healing nicely. We have not resorted to the Victorian Collar – well, I tried it when I saw her licking but she was not having that and in the end the stress and her trying to tear it off might have caused more damage. I learned from Geemeff that Olive Oil will keep skin around the incision from drying out which is the root cause of the licking -when that skin dries it pulls. I also picked up some antibiotic cream. Calico is such a lovely girl – she rolled on her back and let me apply those as if she completely understood that I was trying to help her. I cannot tell you how much I adore this cat.

Hope is a live wire and wants only to play. Missey wants to play with her but Calico is not so happy to share so we are going to wait. Hope is also beginning to lose that ‘fat’ little face of a kitten. She is 74 days old – nearly 11 weeks. She has such big legs! She is cute, quick, and fun and is less and less afraid of people every day.

Hope loves this feathery teaser that her Auntie in Scotland got for her. It brings her out of her hiding spots in an instant!

Hope is a whirlwind. She must just make Calico tired. You might be able to tell that the conservatory has been turned into a cat play room complete with the table being turned into a hiding spot with thick comforters on the floor and heavy quilts and Rajasthani block prints as cover. It is hopefully a happy safe plade for these two as they acquaint themselves to life indoors. I got a giggle this morning. Geemeff sent me a saying, “Dogs have owners, cats have staff.” Isn’t that the truth? I am getting ready to go and do ‘maid duty’ after having already done ‘room service’. I would not change anything.

Calico has discovered that from the little house on the cat tree she can control Hope having access to that tummy tum.

This old cattier has been fun for more than a dozen cats since a couple of local men – a carpenter and an upholsterer – made a few of these around 2006. They are heavy duty – 3/4″ plywood construction and the carpeting can easily be replaced in the bits that get the. most use.

Missey and Lewis grew too big to run and play in the lime green tunnel. Hope loves it and the crinkle sound the fabric makes.

‘H’ has a surprise in her three reports this morning…a wonderful surprise.

Osoyoos – What a surprise … After the livestream was down for 14 days, it went live on 9/13 … for 4.5 hours, then the feed went down again. So, what did we learn?  The fledgling is still there.  She was on and off the nest several times.  And, she looks fabulous!  She is quite plump and healthy looking.  That is just wonderful.  We did not see either of her parents. 

Kent Island – Audrey made an appearance early in the morning when she landed on a pole at a nearby dock.  She stayed perched there for some time, but we are not sure how long, as the camera panned back to the nest.  We did not see her the rest of the day, which was somewhat unusual of late.  The past several days, Audrey had been seen a few times in Joe’s tree or on the dock.  We will monitor, but it is possible that we may have seen Audrey for the last time this season.  

Barnegat Light – Duke was seen in a couple of different trees throughout the day.  Dorsett was not seen or heard.  There were no significant live streaming issues on 9/13, so technical difficulties cannot be blamed for the lack of Dorsett sightings.  The last time we saw Dorsett was the morning of 9/11.  There was a beautiful sunset over Barnegat Bay … a poignant moment in time … missing Dorsett.  “You be safe out there, girl.”

Visitor at Loch Arkaig! Not an Osprey. Beautiful.

More visitors to Louis and Dorcha’s nest at the midnight hour.

A fledgling having a wonderful fish meal on the Kallavesi Osprey nest in Finland! These sightings are getting rare as the urge to leave the natal nest and breeding grounds grows stronger.

Keo brought Coco three fish today at Sandpoint. T here was no sign of Keke and she might have begun her migration.

Mum was eating a nice fish on the perch at Boulder County Fair Grands Osprey nest. No sign of the fledglings while I was checking.

The Patchogue Nest is empty. Locals have seen ospreys but they have not come to the nest and there is no confirmation that they are Mini or members of her family as there are other nests in the area. I did find this short video clip showing Mini having dinner with her siblings. A nice memory.

The Osprey platform at Seaside is quiet.

Caught Swoop on the nest at Dunrovin.

Now that Pat has been released from being in rehab, is it possible that all three fledglings from the Dulles-Greenway Nest were home?

Is there anyone that isn’t excited about what is going to happen on the Sw Florida or the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest this year?

M15 has his new beautiful lady.

Gabby and V3 are going to try and raise a family together this season. It is exciting – new beginnings for two of our favourite eaglets who lost their mates last year.

The most beautiful sunsets come from the Superbeaks Bald Eagle nest in Central Florida.

Checking in NZ and Australia:

Royal Albatross Colony, Taiaroa Head, NZ: ‘A’ notes: “In New Zealand, there are strong onshore winds currently and the chicks are taking this perfect opportunity to practise their flying. UQ is doing wonderfully well but Manaaki really does have some way to go when it comes to technique. He is currently down the hill, out of sight, having hovered out over the edge and down a bit. He really has little control over his skills yet, unlike UQ who looks very close to departure. And as I said, Quarry has not been seen on the hilltop for several days. We will get another report tomorrow on who has left the colony. There are currently two fledged chicks who have landed on the water in the bay. The rangers are keeping a close eye on these two, as if they become waterlogged they will be unable to take off again and will eventually drown. The rangers will rescue them for a second take-off attempt if this becomes necessary.” She continues, “Manaaki is still there, as is UQ, though it appears Quarry has left. We are not sure whether she was at the chick count yesterday so she may be elsewhere on the headland but we suspect she has fledged. Heart in my mouth every time I turn that tab on. It won’t be long now for Manaaki. He is 236 days old today (average age at fledge 240 days). I presume you are aware that this is the only mainland northern royal albatross breeding colony in the world, so it is a very special privilege to be able to watch them and to know the rangers are doing everything possible to protect this magnificent species. I will be interested to see the contents of the boluses this season, especially Manaaki’s of course. I suspect they will be largely the same, though it could vary based on where the parents have been foraging.” 

‘A’ brings another update: “They have rescued the two fledged chicks who landed in the bay. They picked them up from a boat and took them back to their nest areas, from which they can make another attempt at fledging.’ 

Alison

367 Collins Street: ‘A’ knows someone who works near the Falcon’s scrape and she writes: “They can hear the Collins Street falcons all day at work, and the screeching noise is becoming very familiar. Any city dwellers would have been woken early this morning, as F22 was up and calling loudly for food before 05:55, leaving the ledge and presumably heading for the food stash. She has a large feather stuck to her face, on the right side of her beak, which looks so funny. The falcon version of bed head I think. The eggs were left unattended for just over 62 minutes before M22 arrives to incubate. He hardly has time to settle before mum is back, still with the facial feather and still shrieking. Dad does a classic GCW dive off the ledge and mum settles down. It’s 08:40 and M22 is back on the eggs at the moment. He has been for nearly an hour now, and he is breathing through his mouth already in the morning sun. Remember that in a couple of weeks’ time, it will be only 07:40, with daylight saving starting on 1 October (clocks will go forward one hour at 2am on the Sunday morning). It is currently 17 degrees and I can hear F22 arriving back on the ledge. She is noisy. Dad dives off the ledge, probably to get away from the ear-splitting screeching.” 

“After leaving M22 to look after the eggs from around 10:30, F22 did not return until nearly 12.20. During that nearly two-hour period, little dad took a very short break of perhaps two or three minutes but that was well after the shade had completely covered the scrape. There were times when he was panting so fast, his little body looked like it was vibrating. If the parents are suffering like this at this time, what will it be like in six weeks, when the temperatures will be up to 8C higher and the shade won’t cover that scrape until well after midday. (Remember daylight savings puts the clocks forward an hour, so what is now 11am will become 12 noon, which is the last thing that scrape needs.) And of course the sun is moving further south, meaning the shade will take longer and longer each day to reach that scrape. It is worrying me a month before the eggs hatch….”

Like ‘A’, so many wish that a sun shade was placed over the end of the ledge where the eggs are like the other side because of the escalating heat in Melbourne at this time of year.

Orange Peregrine Falcons: Cilla Kinross has published the prey deliveries and a comparison to earlier times so that we can see that the drop off in deliveries this time of year is natural.

In New Zealand, the mainland colony of Kakapo is growing. These are historic moments -. Let us hope that the Kakapo will once again thrive – as in both numbers and quality of life – on the main island of New Zealand where they once lived. For those who do not know the history of the Kakapo and their extinction, here is a brief article to acquaint you with that sadness.

History-Kakapo-RecoveryDownload

I have included this before but, let’s all remember! Don’t let those pumpkins go to waste. Tell your family and friends. All those pumpkins turned into Jack-O-Lanterns are great food sources for wildlife. It can make a difference in their lives – food. Life saving food.

You can do something to help lots of wildlife with your pumpkins, old apples, etc -.

I checked on Karl II’s family – all are still travelling, but there is no transmission yet from Karl II, and there is also no transmission from Tweed Valley’s Poul. Keep them in your most positive thoughts.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care!

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, postings, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, Geemeff, H’, Osoyoos, Kent Island, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Sandpoint Ospreys, Boulder County Fair Grounds, D Lambertson and PSEG, Seaside Ospreys, Dunrovin Ranch, Sassa Bird and Bald Eagles I the USA, Ana Boone and SWFL Eagle Ca, NEFL-AEF, Superbeaks, NZ DOC, Holly Parsons and Albatross Lovers, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Cilla Kinross and Orange Peregrine Falcons, and Kakapo Recovery.

Mini is home…Tuesday in Bird World

12 September 2023

Good Morning,

First up. My e-mail and FB Messenger ‘lit up’. The messages were mostly ‘Mini is Alive’…’We knew Mini was a survivor’..’Mini wanted to show us that she is alive and doing well’. Gosh, she is a survivor and it is fitting that our dear fourth hatch came to the nest to show everyone who loves her that she is well and living her life and eating fish!

After being MIA for two days, Mini flew to the nest in Patchogue and spent a couple of hours showing us how good she had done since we last saw her. She stood well on her left leg, she played with her cardboard, and before she flew off, she did what all raptors do – a ‘ps’. This was a grand one – at 1929. She has been eating well. Mini is living the life of an osprey off the nest. Is this our last sighting? or will she come again? Whichever it is, treasure those images. She is well! She is beautiful! And she is eating.

Saying goodbye to ‘cardboard’?

That is a great ‘ps’ – one of the best I have seen. This girl has eaten fish!

Mini went from perch to perch but, at the time I am writing, has not settled on the nest to rest her leg.

Thank you for all your good wishes for Calico. We so appreciate them! She is, indeed, a very special presence and I am so happy she is part of my life.

Calico has her surgery today. She will be home around 1830 or 1900. Everyone is hoping that the lump that appeared on her side, which turned out to be mastitis, is gone (seems like it) and if that is the case, the surgery will be simpler with a much smaller incision. Tattooed, microchipped – hopefully never to be lost outside again – ever. While Calico is away having her luxury spa day (the vet gives them heated blankets), Hope will go through an intensive get-to-know-me routine that will ‘hopefully’ include more petting. She is soooooo fast and alert. The slightest movement in the wrong direction, and she bolts. A good nickname might be ‘Usain’ after Usain Bolt, the Jamaican 8-time Olympic Gold Medalist! She might challenge him for some of those 100 m times!!!!!!!!!! Hope has no idea how determined I am that she will not be ‘wild’. In fact, ‘wild’ is not an option. Do you hear that Hope?

Hope and Calico are so much alike. The tiny little black tears on their left eye, the liners of dark fur on their left sides, kohl-like eyeliner around their eyes. Hope does have a couple of differences. She is white in the front, her legs, chest, and throat. She has a tiny, white, almost graph-like line right between her eyes. She has a single white dot of fur on her back, and her head is a slightly different shape. Calico is ‘fine boned’ as my grandmother would say. Hope isn’t.

Hope often waits for Mamma to finish eating before she begins even though there are always two dishes.

The laundry has been going over time and the conservatory is going to have to be ‘aired’. It smells like sardines. Did I ever tell you that I dislike fish so much? Hope loves sardines. T hey got her into the little kitten trap and they are good for her. (There is little chance that she is a he – from all appearances – but when I get close enough to fully confirm will let you know).

Lewis continues to be slightly insecure and in his own Lewis way gets himself in trouble. Calico protects the space that Hope is in and she is not going to let anyone harm her kitten. While Calico is away, Lewis and Missey will get time in Hope’s company to ease the transition. They are all lovely kittens and each has their own story of being found under a deck with 5 siblings and a feral mother (Lewis) or Missey being found alone under a truck. They have much in common!

But look at Missey. Missey decided that she was going to try and open the door to the Conservatory! She seriously almost made it. I am going to have to lock that door. Cats are super intelligent.

Hope and Calico will be glad when the integration process is complete. Calico looks sad to me – wanting out but not wanting anyone to harm her baby she chooses to stay in the conservatory with Hope – their ‘safe’ place together.

Two days ago Hope was afraid to look through the glass of the Conservatory into the kitchen. Now she copies her Mamma only she gets closer! Soon, little sweetie. Not sure what it is about her but Hope just melts my heart like the first time I got to stroke her Mamma.

Photographs of our favourite Port Lincoln fledgling, Ervie, fishing. Remember when he lost a talon? When we thought he would have to survive on Puffers? Just look – great technique. Ervie, we adore you! This is why I support banding and satellite trackers. It is the joy when they survive. Like Mini, Ervie was a survivor.

It is bachelor days for Richmond – of Richmond and Rosie – at the Richmond Shipping Yards in California. Rosie appears to have departed for warmer climates on the 4th of September. Richmond prefers to spend the winters in the Bay Area.

‘H’ brings us up to date on Kent Island and Barnegat Light:


Kent Island – “Audrey had spent the night at the nest on 9/11 and she flew off the nest at 0625.  It was thought to be Audrey preening on a pole at a nearby dock at 0905.  There were no more sightings of ospreys until 1820, when an osprey landed in a tree. Some thought it was an adult osprey, but others thought they saw juvenile plumage.  It was difficult to say.  Unlike the previous four nights, Audrey did not spend the night at the nest on 9/12.  Molly was last seen on 9/5, and Tom last seen on 9/9.”

Barnegat Light – “As with the previous couple of days, the camera feed omitted several hours of time throughout the day due to buffering issues.  The technical issues are making it very difficult to chronicle Dorsett’s last few days before she leaves her natal area to begin her first long journey.  Dorsett was seen on the 24th Street pole with a fish tail at 0614.  At 0750 it was thought to be Dorsett on a boat mast.  That was the last time we were able to observe her on 9/11.  Dorsett is 104 days old, and she fledged six weeks ago.”

Pa Berry is home and starting to work on that nest at Berry College in Georgia.

KNF-E3: Alex and Andria working away.

Superbeaks: Pepe and Muhlady remind me so much of Jackie and Shadow. Big sticks come to the nest and the two have a lovely disagreement over placement!

Someone is supposed to be on holidays! It is incredible how these peregrine falcon families can draw you in…and don’t you love those Dads that try to feed their eggies?!

It looks like there are three eggs at Port Lincoln. Hiding in the midst of some moss, Mum laid another egg. The last. Hard incubation will begin now in earnest. Oh, please pinch me and tell me that this really is Dad2. No offence Dad1 but we worried about your health and we only want the chicks to thrive!

The Sea Eaglets are particularly beautiful…notice the ‘in style’ brick brown-rust colour and peach that is beginning to colour their plumage. Lady slept on the nest and at 0524 she found a piece of leftover fish (?). After the two got up for their morning stretch – hopefully more prey will arrive shortly.

‘A’ brings us up to date: “The day began at WBSE with an early (pre-6am) breakfast from the leftovers of the eel brought in late yesterday afternoon. SE32 had the better of the first breakfast, so when the next food was brought in around lunchtime, SE31 claimed the small-medium headless fish and ate most of it by herself. SE32 watched those last few mouthfuls carefully, and made a grab for the last bit of flesh and the tail. He had to grab four times to pull it out from under SE31 and the eaglets then had a tug-of-fish. SE32 eventually won the battle and horked down that tail piece in short order, flesh attached. Brave and determined. 

The next food item was another fish, and this one was fed to the eaglets and shared out fairly evenly between the two. It wasn’t long before another food item came in, this one feathered. SE32 got the majority of this rather large prey item and by the time he was finished, his crop was enormous. So when another chunk of prey (it looked like a part of the previous piece) arrived shortly afterwards, SE32 could not even be bothered getting out of the nest and allowed SE31 to sit and be fed 

Both eaglets went to bed with full crops, and the parents both ate well too. It was a good day at WBSE. “

At the Royal Albatross colony, Manaaki gives us a beautiful skycall while a beautiful Albie comes to visit.

‘A’ adds: “In New Zealand, nine of the 33 chicks are confirmed to have fledged. More may have left this afternoon and are yet to be confirmed. Manaaki is still on his nest. He was weighed around 11:30 this morning and weighed 9.2 kgs. He is readying for departure and has probably cast his pre-fledge bolus. UQ is still there, as we think is Quarry.”

At the WRDC nest in Miami, recent fledgling R5 returned for a quick visit around 0659 Monday. Wonder what he thought of the reinforced nest and its paint?

Quess what? There are eagles back on Farmer Derek’s land in Kansas!!!!!!!! You might recall that there was a young Bald Eagle pair on Farmer Derek’s property. Their nest got taken over by a pair of GHOs who raised a couple of clothes of cute little owls. This might be interesting.

Migration makes me nervous especially when it involves crossing through countries or resting. We anxiously await news of Karl II, the Super Dad from the Karula National Forest Black Stork Nest in Estonia.

I feel sick. At the same time I am hoping that this is only the same issue with cell coverage in some areas of Ukraine where Karl II likes to rest. Last year we held our breath also. I forget how many days it was.

Kaia:

Kalvi:

Bonus:

Waba:

Another reason to get rid of leaf blowers (besides the noise and the pollution) and allow the leaves to stay overwinter (until after May):

I am so happy to receive my Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys 2024 calendar! Thank you to Mary Cheadle for all the fundraising she does for the Woodland Trust so the streaming cam continues to operate at Loch Arkaig!

If you live in Winnipeg or Southern Manitoba, why not take in Wildlife Haven’s Annual Open House? Tickets are $10 for adults. You get to tour the facilities and meet the ambassadors and learn why they would love to have you grow some vegetables in your garden for their patients or what else is needed in terms of care such as clean old towels, sheets, hand tools, bleach, pet food. — So many of you live elsewhere – we are an international family – but, please check out your local wildlife rehabilitation centre and find out when they have their open house. It is always a day for learning and admiring the work these dedicated individuals undertake.

I will being you highlights of the tour on Sunday!

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

Thank you to everyone who sent good wishes to Calico and to all who wrote to tell me Mini was on the nest! Thanks also to the following for their comments, notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today” ‘A, H’, PSEG, Julie Lovegrove and Friends of Osprey Sth Aus, Bay Ospreys by Golden Gate Audubon, Wildlife Conservation F of NJ, Kent Island, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Superbeaks, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, PLO, Sea Eagles, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, WRDC, Trudi Kron and KNF-E3, Trudi Kron and Farmer Derek, Looduskalender, and Wildlife Haven.

It’s Melbourne 4 – Port Lincoln 2…Monday in Bird World

11 September 2023

Good Morning to all of you,

Sunday started off cool, and it warmed up but the day was mostly cloudy. So, to me, it felt cooler looking out than it actually was. Small raindrops have just started falling late in the evening. The Blue Jays are still coming to the garden for water and seeds as are the Sparrows. Migration is in full swing, and only time will tell if the Blue Jay family is staying for the winter or will leave for part or all of it. The six Crows in the Crow family are still here- they will probably remain all winter just like the Chickadees. Canada Geese continue to fly overhead as are the Pelicans – all of them leaving for parts warmer and in the South.

Audubon has a wonderful tool to learn about migration. Migration is remarkable and now that the birds are leaving I am already longing for their return next spring. Nature continues on despite all that is thrown at it.

Today was the day Hope came out of her shell. Geemeff suggested a feather teaser toy. Little Hope loves to play and right away she was in the middle of everything. I got a small stroke on her head! This kitten has the sweetest face. One miracle for the day. Next play time I will try to grab her with Geemeff’s instructions firmly in mind to let her loose so she isn’t frightened – and knows she can get away. Fingers crossed. Calico goes in for her surgery on Tuesday and I hope to have this little one all friendly by then.

Calico is very protective of Hope. While she weants to return to the main part of the house I have left the door open and Calico will not leave without the baby who remains, at this time, hesitant.

Little Mini-me. I continue to marvel at the miracle – the moment is so clear – when I looked out and saw this wee kitten eating at the feeding station. It was beyond my hope that these two would be reunited. No wonder Calico doesn’t want her out of her sight.

Lewis and Missey are much more used to the ‘smell of Calico and the presence of Hope – through glass. They are all fed at the same time and there has been lots of tasty meals to cement the idea that Calico and Hope bring ‘good things’ not bad ones! Constant companions. Constant washing and playing. Lewis and Missey are both now a year old.

Let’s start off with something fun – the season highlights from Loch Arkaig! Louis, Dorcha, Ludo and various visitors delighted us day in and day out throughout the 2023 breeding season in Scotland.

News has just come in from ‘H’ that there are now four eggs at Melbourne! Oh, little M22 has going to have his work cut out getting those big eggs under for incubation! Egg #4 laid at 07:48:52.

‘A’ gives us a prey update: “At about 09:09:48 M22 lands on the ledge with a small bird, calling F22 as he arrives. For a couple of minutes prior to this, we have watched small feathers floating up, from where M22 is obviously preparing the prey at a lower level. He chups and waits. When F22 does not appear, he plucks the bird a little more, then heads with it, still chupping, up to the scrape. He seems to want to feed his eggs! He plucks the bird a little more, and at 09:11:30 flies off with the prey, presumably to leave it in one of their stash spots for mum to retrieve. Dad returns to incubate at 09:13:39. He has a little difficulty settling down on four eggs but he manages. This pair is adorable.”

I went to check and Mum is home. No fear! After last year I worry all the time about this nest.

Liznm caught that fourth egg being laid at Melbourne for us.

Mini has not been seen at the nest since the morning of Saturday 9 September. Mum has appeared a few times (or it is believed to be Mum). I have an inbox full of concerned letters wanting help for Mini but, in truth, we do not know if Mini needs help. Wildlife rehab clinics do not have the resources to search Patchogue for Mini. Indeed, every clinic that I know relies heavily on volunteers. If someone were to find Mini and get her to a clinic – if that clinic knows her story and any in the area should – they would recognise her. But, for now, we only know that Mini is not coming to the nest. Dad has been seen on the antennae by the lake where he fishes and Mum might or might not have come to the nest once or twice. That would be typical osprey behaviour before departing for migration. The fact that Mini has not come to the nest does not mean she is grounded, nor is she dying and starving. The absence of evidence is not evidence.

The only thing that could be done at this point is for a local search party to comb the area for Mini. That is a huge task but it would be worth it just to check and for everyone to know that she is not grounded.

Five fish were delivered to the Sandpoint Osprey Platform today. Coco was deliriously full of fish dinners!

‘H’ sends her report on Kent Island and Barnegat Light:

Kent Island – The fledgling, Molly, has not been seen for almost six days.  Audrey spent the night of 9/10 on the nest, and she flew off at 0630.  She was not seen on camera for the rest of the day, until she landed on the nest just before 10 pm.  Audrey spent the night of 9/11 at the nest.  Tom was not seen on camera on 9/10.

Barnegat Light – There was frequent and prolonged buffering of the live stream on 9/10.  But, we were able to observe a fish delivery from Duke to Dorsett at 0725, and we saw Dorsett on the nest with a partial fish at 1828.

Thanks, H’!

‘A’ sends her down under report from down under – thanks A:

Sydney Sea Eagles: “It is now nearly 12:30 and Lady and Dad have spent this morning bringing in more and more nesting material .Check out how much fresh greenery there is on that nest. And that’s not counting the two gigantic branches (one at the front, one at the back) that have been brought in and carefully arranged so far this morning. It is phenomenal. They are doing a total spruce-up and a little renovating – it is a DIY fest up there this morning. The eaglets, of course, would prefer some breakfast, but I think the parents are bringing in the extra cot rails for the reason discussed yesterday (two much more mobile chicks now up off their tarsi and motoring around that nest) and all the fresh greenery and talonfuls of dry leaf material are being brought in because of the day of rain they had there over the weekend (or was it Friday). Anyway, they’re freshening up and drying out the nest. They have both been aerating today and yesterday. So I’m pretty sure that’s the reason for this sudden obsession with bringing in nest materials. 

Hopefully, there will be some food soon, though I have reached a level of confidence about this nest that leaves me unconcerned about major problems even if food is late and/or short today. Obviously, we would prefer them to get two good meals a day but they do need to learn that life in the wild is not all home-delivered meals at the drop of a twig. So either way, I am sure all will work out fine and lunch will come soon.”

Xavier and Diamond: The intruder is still causing issues for the couple. Diamond had to leave the scrape to defend the territory. This is not a good thing.

Port Lincoln: Dad was on the nest with Mum. Oh, I hope these two only have two eggs!!!!!!!

Dad2 doing incubation duties. The chat group notes that the eggs were not incubated for 41 minutes which should not be an issue.

But ‘H’ has just sent me a giggle: Is this Dad 1 or is it Dad2? Fran Solly and Bazza are starting to think it is Dad1?!

‘A’ is missing our little prince and he isn’t gone yet! She writes, “

Omigod, talk about heart in my mouth. I checked the albatross cam and not only was Manaaki’s nest empty but the camera was giving us the view of the bay from his nest. For a moment there, I thought he had fledged. Then, I saw a little flash of white far down on the hillside and sure enough, up he came. He had had a practice flight down the hill and had to walk a lolng way back up. The wind has really picked up this afternoon (it is now nearly 4pm) and it is hovering and flapping time. Scary. Every time I watch this, I wonder if it is going to be the last time, as it was that day I watched QT in the storm. Sudden. And possibly permanent. Stay with us just a little longer sweet boy. Another week to get rid of that remaining fluff. Just one more week. 

Manaaki was fed about three hours ago (13:23). We think the parent had come in earlier and that this was the second feeding today. The weather really changed three or four hours ago. The rain started teeming down and the wind really picked up. It sounds like a gale on the tab now. We believe that in all the excitement this has caused, it is possible that Quarry has fledged. UQ has been hovering a lot this afternoon, and although he is still obviously carrying too much down and has not yet perfected his flying technique (paddles are still hanging down and he hasn’t worked out how to hold them up yet), there is a fear among chatters that he will leave today. If he does, there is the danger he will ditch in the bay and become waterlogged. I’m sure they keep a close eye out for chicks that do that – I have heard talk of them being rescued for a second fledge attempt. So we watch, we wait. The wind is encouraging all the chicks, but hopefully, Manaaki’s feedings today will keep him at home a little longer. As I type, both Manaaki and UQ are still at home, Manaaki on his nest and UQ a little downhill from Manaaki (where he has been for most of the day, rather than on his nest higher up the hill – he likes Manaaki).”

At SWFlorida, home to M15 and his new mate, bonding is happening! We have a fish offering.

In the letterbox: A few letters have arrived since the posting of the death of two of the fledglings – Stormy and Simba – from Big Bear Valley in previous years. It is hoped that FOBBV might be able to find out what happened to the two siblings. Readers have expressed concern over the deaths of the eaglets and the many non viable years for our beloved Jackie and Shadow. Every year we struggle with them and, of course, it was such a delight when Spirit fledged. The difficulties that Jackie and Shadow face in terms of eggshell hardness and viability of offspring in the nest might be directly related to the historical DDT that was intensely sprayed on Big Bear Lake. Of course we are aware of the issues in the Channel Islands.

The heartache that we feel for these two Bald Eagles and they are much loved by thousands and thousands, is directly due to human causes.

From a previous blog ‘Why Do Some Eagles Have Wing Bands’: “

It all goes back to DDT and the near extinction of the Ospreys, Bald Eagles, and other birds from the United States. Sea life has been impacted and so have humans. After World War II DDT was used to eradicate for mosquitoes in the US. Various areas received high amounts of this toxin. It wasn’t just the spraying but also the illegal dumping of hundreds of thousands of tonnes that has caused harm. Indeed, the waters off Catalina Island, for one, became a dumping ground for DDT. 

In 2020, an article appeared in the Los Angeles Times about the finding of the rusting barrels of toxins leaking near Catalina Island. (The scientists were looking for methane). The author says, “As many as half a million of these barrels could still be underwater right now, according to interviews and a Times review of historical records, manifests and undigitized research. From 1947 to 1982, the nation’s largest manufacturer of DDT — a pesticide so powerful that it poisoned birds and fish — was based in Los Angeles.”

“DDT is so stable it can take generations to break down. It doesn’t really dissolve in water but stores easily in fat. Compounding these problems is what scientists today call “biomagnification”: the toxin accumulating in the tissues of animals in greater and greater concentrations as it moves up the food chain.” The birds at the top of the food chain, often referred to as the canaries in the coal mine are the Ospreys who eat the fish and the Bald Eagles.

This is a fantastic read. I urge you to take the time so that when you hear about the impacts of DDT you will understand the history and the harm.

https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-coast-ddt-dumping-ground/

In 1980, there was a reintroduction programme of Bald Eagles into the Santa Catalina and San Clemente Islands. Even until 2001, the eggs were removed and fostered and the chicks banded. Between 1980-86, 33 Bald Eagles were released on Santa Catalina. These birds grew to adulthood even breeding but due to the DDE levels, the eggshell thickness was still compromised. You might recall that Jackie and Shadow at Big Bear have problems with thin eggshells today. Big Bear Lake was heavily sprayed with DDT and it is residual in the soil. The tagging program can be seen with the tags on Thunder and Akacheta. Their chicks, should they hatch and survive, will be banded as part of the continuing study. 

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/chil_eaglecam/wing-bling-reference-chart-santa-catalina-and-san–t11469.html

From the findings of scientists now, the number of barrels of DDT in the waters of this area rusting and leaking are growing. In April of 2021, more were found.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/29/californias-legacy-of-ddt-waste-underwater-dump-site-uncovers-a-toxic-history

For those who would like to go back to the 1970s when the alarms were being sounded by various individuals including Rachel Carson, a good read is The Silent Spring. I would hope that most local libraries would have copies. As you can see, the storage and long life of DDT and the fact that it does not break down in water, is a continuing concern for all the wildlife and humans around the Santa Catalina Island which is now controlled by the US Navy.

There continue to be warnings about humans eating the fish from Big Bear Lake:

bigbearlakeadvisoryreport013018Download

A long report by the US Department of the Interior on DDT and its impact on fish and wildlife.

Effects-of-DDT-on-Fish-and-WildlifeDownload

A group of concerned individuals is working towards a united presentation to see what can be done about the proposed battery storage facility at SSEN Alyth where Ospreys Harry and Flora have their nest. This is one of the revised plans for the site that shows the battery storage right up to the nest.

This is very discouraging. Flora has left the nest on previous occasions when there were disturbances.

Sue Wallbanks posted this article. It is a good read for anyone who wants to understand how disturbances can cause issues at raptor nests.

Disturbance-Distances-in-selected-Scottish-Bird-Species-–-NatureScot-Guidance-NatureScotDownload

The beautiful Black Eaglet had breakfast compliments of Dad. Lady Hawk comments: “The Selati eaglet has another good day of eating compliments of Dad bring in a Rock Hyrax! The eaglet is enjoying the morning sunlight and spreads out its wings as it lies on the nest sunning itself (and keeping cool) 🙂 Mom flies in right after Dad but the eaglet claims the prey and mantles it and will self feed on it for quite some time. Finally Mom takes over and finishes up the feeding and the eaglet gets to swallow the pelt down. i did edit out a lot of the feeding since it went on for so long. Great job! Mom will then fly off leaving a very contented chick.”

These Black Eagles live in the Slate Game Reserve which is part of the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa. Their proper name is the Verreaux Eagle. Only one of two eggs hatched at this nest in 2023. This is the time line, and we expect this eaglet to hatch in less than 3 weeks.

  • First egg laid on 15 May 2023 🥚
  • Second egg laid on 19 May 2023 🥚🥚
  • Egg cracked by parent on 6 June 2023 ✖️
  • Chick hatched 29/30 June 2023 🐣
  • Fledgling flight expected from around end September 2023

Verreaux’s eagle is one of the larger eagles of Africa. It measures 75 to 96 cm (30 to 38 in) long with an average weight of 4.19 kg or 9.2 lb. Its wingspan is 1.81 to 2.3 m (5 ft 11 in to 7 ft 7 in). The Verreaux Eagles like others has reverse bisexual morphism – the female is larger than the male. The adults are the most gorgeous slate grey but some are the deepest ebony. Their cere is a remarkable yellow when they are healthy. There is also white plumage which is a great contrast and causes the birds in flight to stand out. That white is on their back, their rump and the upper-tail coverts as well as part of the scapular. The white can only be seen looking up when the birds are flying, not when they are perched. The legs are covered with deep black feathers. The juveniles appear as in the image above.

“Verreaux’s Eagle female” by Rainbirder is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

In the Kistachie National Forest near Alexandria, Louisiana, Louis and Anna from the E-1 nest are busy making nestorations!

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Take care everyone. See you soon!

I am very grateful to the following for their notes, comments, questions, letters, videos, posts, and streaming cams that help me to write my blog today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, L’, Audubon, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Liznm and 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, PSEG, Sandpoint Ospreys, Kent Island, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, Sydney Sea Eagles, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, PLO, NZ DOC, Real Saunders Photo, LA Times, Tapa Talk, The Guardian, Office of the EHHA, US Dept of the Interior, SSEN Alyth, Livia Armstrong and BESS Battery Storage, NatureScot, Lady Hawk and Selati Eagles, Open Verse, and the KNF Eagle Cam E-1.

PLO has their first egg…Wednesday in Bird World

6 September 2023

Good Morning and what a grand morning it is!

I finished reading to the kittens – yes, did you know that reading aloud to your pets is also soothing for them? Calico’s kitten is now learning about ways to save our vanishing birds by listening to A Wing and a Prayer. The Race to Save our Vanishing Birds by Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal. You can find time to squeeze in a good book by sharing with your pets!

The book is well written and insightful. I am learning so much. Did you know that more than 8,000 species of plants and flowers in the Americas depend on hummingbirds for pollination? Or that productivity in apple orchards goes up 66% if there are insects? The book is about finding ways to keep the birds alive because human life depends on that. In Kauai, there are only a few hundred Puaiohi Thrushes. These birds spread seeds around the island, creating the rainforest. “Without forests, we have no flood control. We have no drinking water.” (219) Baby Cal is learning what we all need to – first, how important our wildlife area to our existence, what problems we have created for them, what a lack of balance means to our existence and theirs, and how some talented individuals are figuring out ways to save some of these fragile creatures. So how will they save the Puaiohi Thrush? By releasing lab-bred mosquitoes. AI is being used in the Sierra Nevada to track and protect the Spotted Owl.

I had just finished a chapter when I noticed a note from ‘H’. Was I surprised? Then another note about Collins Street. Thanks so much, ‘H’

Port Lincoln has their first egg!!!!!!!! I am overjoyed and I am hopeful that we might see a big change in the behaviour of this nest unless, of course, the fish supply is limited. From Ernie’s recent catches that does not appear to be the case.

I am so happy for Mum. Nesting material had been brought in so this new couple had some idea that yesterday was the big day.

Dad was there by her side. I am going to like this guy if he is a good provider and there is no siblicide.

We are expecting an egg at 367 Collins Street and guess what? It arrives. We have lift-off in Australia!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spotting Ospreys: Blue 550 hatched at Llyn Clywedog in 2020 was seen and is believed to have a nest in mid-Wales. Fantastic.

Migration continues in the US. These are the latest numbers from Hawk Mountain.

Checking on some of the Osprey nests – who is home and who is not.

Patchogue: Mini is home and Dad has been seen down by the lake. Someone mentioned that Mom might still be around as several Ospreys were seen flying. Mini continues to adapt as she struggles with that left leg – often late in the day. She certainly does better after having a long rest on the nest! She is flying, she is eating – whether or not it is dad feeding her, Mini catching fish or both – she is eating. She is not lethargic. Mini is doing what this spunky independent determined fourth hatch always does – she gets on with it. She is living her life as a fledgling osprey the best she can with the issues that she has.

Mini landing at 1909.

Beautiful Iris is still home at her nest in Missoula Montana. Iris maintains one of the most splendid Osprey nests I have ever seen. Just like some of the others she is adding a few sticks to continue to lay claim to the nest. Soon, she will fly south – thought to be the oldest osprey in the world – we live in the hope that she will return in late March or early April and maybe, just maybe, have one of those young men waiting for her that she met this summer.

Iris demonstrated her great fishing skills even when there were flood waters. What marvellous fish she brought to the owl pole. The result, if you look carefully, is a fat little bottom. Eat up, Iris! We want you to make it to your winter home in southern Texas (??) safely and in good shape.

Of course, Iris is not ringed and no one knows for sure where she over winters but it is believed it could be the southern part of Texas and not further afield in Central America or Mexico.

Glaslyn: Aran is still home and so is 0H1 as of the time of this writing. OH1 is 98 days old. OH2 has not been seen since 4 September when he was 95 days old. That nest looks rather empty! Waiting to see if OH1 is still home on the 6th of September.

Harry is still delivering to Chirpy as of Tuesday. Chirpy was 103 days old. Both siblings and Mum have left on migration from Alyth.

Here comes Harry!

That amazing Dad is bringing fish to Mum on the nest at Boulder County Fairgrounds. What a loving couple and what better way to help your mate with a safe migration than to help her eat well after raising three strong osplets this season to fledge.

Snap and Crackle are both eating fish at the Dunrovin Osprey nest. T hanks, Swoop!

Fledgling fish calling at Collins Marsh – and still being fed! It was a really windy day in Wisconsin. You can’t tell the trees are blowing but look at the feathers of the juvenile. Fantastic.

‘H’ brings us up to date on Molly and Dorsett:

Kent Island 9/5 – Molly flew to the nest at 0625, fish-called a bit, then she flew away 20 minutes later.  That was the last time she was seen at the nest.  She was soon spotted on a nearby boat lift.  In the evening, the cam focused for a long time on an osprey in the distance on a pole, but it was unclear if it was Molly.

Barnegat Light 9/5 – At 0735 Duke delivered a fish to Dorsett at the nest, and she flew to Duke’s perch to eat her breakfast.  Dorsett did return to the nest a couple of times, but sightings of her were scant throughout the day.  Dorsett arrived back at the nest early to wait for her much anticipated 7 p.m. dinner fish, but her dinner never arrived.  As the sun was setting over the bay, Dorsett resigned herself to going to sleep hungry, and she spent the night perched on one of the camera braces.

Do you live near Cornell University at Ithaca NY? Have children aged 8-18? Check this out! What an amazing opportunity for young people. In the book, Lead! Finding your Voice a Chaotic World by Barry Dore, Tim Mackrill, talks about the opportunities he had as a young person to volunteer and learn about raptors. It changed his life and led him to create opportunities for young people through his charity Osprey Leadership Foundation.

This event at Cornell is another super opportunity to get young people involved who might become our future conservationists.

The seat eaglets were up for an early morning walk about and then back to the duckling resting position waiting for breakfast.

‘A’ comments on part of the day including the self-feeding of 31: “

At 15:38, as Lady is looking around in a very agitated manner at something near the nest tree, at about the same height as the nest, SE32 starts eating the food she has in her talons. He is giving this self-feeding thing a try, having closely watched his sister eating prey that looked the same as this (he was just TOO TOO funny – ducking down with his head under her tail to peer between her legs and watch her doing very well indeed at her first self-feeding). 

SE32 pecks at the food a few times but all he can reach is a leg, and no matter how many times he picks it up, he cannot work out how to eat it. So he moves closer. SE31 is paying close attention to this – she has reached out for the food once or twice herself but is not in as good a position now as SE32 is. Lady is very upset by something and paying no attention to the food or the chicks. SE32 has moved further forward. He is up on his feet now, self-feeding on the meaty bit. Lady resuming feeding him, even though she continues to be distracted by something. SE32 remains right up on his feet while he takes the bites. 

Shortly before 15:40 Lady resumes feeding SE31. SE32 turns and moves away from SE31 a little but then turns back to face the table and Lady. He just wanted space between himself and his sister. But he gets offered no bites. At 15:41:24 he tries unsuccessfully to steal a big bite, but overbalances and falls forward, correcting himself with his outstretched wings. Lady still feeds SE31. At 15:41:30, he tries to steal another bite. Again, he fails. The next bite, he grabs incredibly fast. No-one else had a chance. He got given the one after that, then his sister gets a bite. The one after that is a big piece and destined for SE32. He grabs it and works hard to swallow it. 

Lady is still very distracted. Periodically, she gives SE32 a bite. Both eaglets have good crops now. At 15:42:34, SE32 grabs a really big piece. He swallows it with relative ease, as Lady doesn’t even bother trying to retrieve it from him. There is still an amazing amount of meat on this carcass. The two have eaten well. Both have good crops but both are still keen to keep eating. SE32 is very brave, diving for every bite and winning most of them, especially all of the really big pieces. Lady occasionally gives a bite to SE31, but she is not competing with SE32 and is largely just watching him grab and swallow. 

At 15:44, SE32 grabs a large piece of meaty flesh with a longish leg and a foot attached!! He horked the lot with no trouble at all. By 15:44:30 he is back competing for and winning bites. Lady is feeding both eaglets plenty of food but overall, SE32 is getting the better of the feeding at this point. He is winning most of the bites that are competed for and Lady is offering him way more bites than she is SE31, who is sitting back a bit by now. 

At 15:46, SE32 swallows the second leg and foot, also with flesh attached, though not as much as was attached to the first leg. Still, he swallows it without difficulty. Within 10 seconds, he is taking the last few bites from Lady and cleaning the table of leftovers. The feeding is over by 15:48. Both chicks have very large crops, and SE32 has already done a couple of small crop drops during the feeding to fit in extra food. That second piece of prey had a really large amount of flesh on it. The head was gone, but the body provided a great deal of food. Both eaglets have had plenty to eat today. 

There may be more food – I will check. But they did well for the day – eventually – and both will go to bed with full crops. “

‘A’ reports on the Royal Albatross Chick, Manaaki: “GLY may have been in today to feed Manaaki off camera but we’re not sure. We know GLY has fed Manaaki behind the camera at least once recently. The chicks are a lot more mobile now and are doing a lot of exploring as they prepare to fledge. It is starting to get scary when Manaaki is off camera for six hours or more on occasion – we think he might have fledged and we missed it! He still has about a fortnight to go until he reaches 240 days, but of course at least four chicks have already fledged from the 33 at the colony and Manaaki is one of the oldest (and though he does have a lot of fluff remaining, QT did too). He has not done enough wingercising, in my opinion, and still needs to be doing a lot more practising. We need to see much better hovering, and face-planting is an undignified landing for an albatross. I think he has quite a lot of work to do before he is ready to fledge. Let’s hope he doesn’t leave before he is good and ready, but often, it is the winds that determine the timing. As with Lilibet (QT). “

Beautiful Gabby. What a lovely couple – I miss Samson. But life moves on and we have the most amazing memories of him. Gabby mourned last year and took her time selecting a new mate out of the many contenders. Let us hope that V3 is up to the task. He has big talons to fill.

Lady Hawk caught Gabby bringing in her breakfast.

No one is home. Louis, Dorcha, and Ludo are on their way with only Sparrowhawks visiting the nest. Look at this beautiful capture over the nest as the sun rises. Stunning.

Visiting Sparrowhawk.

We always need to be reminded, especially with there still being hot days in many parts of the world, of how we can help wildlife. Please read and keep them in mind. Water is essential. Water and some shade.

Let’s see how much you know about Condor numbers! (Answers below)

  1. How many California Condors were alive on 6 September 2023? a) 208; b) 91; c) 214; d) 345; or e) 559?
  2. How many California Condors live in the wild? a) 76; b) 345; c) 214; d) 93; or e) 54?
  3. How many California Condors live wild in Central California? a) 93; b) 65; c) 214; d) 23; or e) 75.

Do you want to know more about the efforts to protect and grow the California Condor community? In 2022, the Ventana Wildlife Society commissioned a documentary to be made to introduce people to the Condors of the Big Sur. They are working on another film in 2023 called Condor Canyon. It isn’t finished but, for now, why not check, out Part 1 of the 2022 film. You can find the other segments on YT by doing a search or checking on the side panel.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: “A, Geemeff, H’, PLO, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, John Williams and Clywedog Osprey Group, Hawk Mountain, PSEG, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Alyth, Boulder County Fair Grounds, Dunrovin Ranch, Collins Marsh, Kent Island, Conserve Wildlife F of NJ, Cornell University Bird Lab Raptor Program, Sydney Sea Eagles, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk and NEFL-AEF, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Ventana Wildlife Society, and Durham Wildlife Trust.

Answers to the three question Condor number quiz: 1. The answer is e. 559 total number of Condors. 2. The answer is b. 345 live in the wild. 3. The answer is a. 93 live in the wild in central California.

Fish deliveries…Tuesday in Bird World

5 September 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Well, I could not possibly have anticipated what was going to happen but look who showed up at the feeding station today? Just like her Mama Calico.

Yes, the kitten that we could not find. Someone is going to help me trap her! I am not sure that Calico will be pleased. LOL. The kitten is about 62 days old.

This lovely young woman came over with the trap, smelling Sardines, everything to try and get this young lady into the kitten cage and feel safe. Wish us luck!

Calico watching out the garden doors as the trap is being set for her baby. Ironically, Calico’s baby is almost the same size as she is!

Today, Missey and Calico spent the entire day together in the main part of the house with Lewis in the conservatory. They all had poached chicken. We live in hope that soon all three will be integrated along with the kitten, perhaps.

It is 2130. The woman who loaned me the trap is on her way to help me transition the kitten to a kennel. Yes! We have the kitten. It took about three and a half hours. Overjoyed. Overwhelmed.

Osprey World just gets more quiet as the remainder begin their journeys with the last few Dads on the nest feeding chicks.

Harry has been feeding Chirpie again at Alyth today.

Aran was still at Glaslyn.

Blue 022 was seen around Poole Harbour. He left for migration last year on 10 September. No sign of CJ7 or the trio.

Dad brought at least three fish before 1400 to the Minneapolis Landscape Arboretum fledgling on Monday.

Swoop is still at Dunrovin!

Dad is still delivering to Coco at Sandpoint. At least two fish arrived on Monday early in the day.

Bruce is still delivering at Seaside. Oh, they get so excited. I am not sure the kittens are more afraid of the falcons than the ospreys when the latter are screaming for fish arrivals!

One adult on the perch at Boulder. I have not see the juveniles getting fish for several days at the nest.

Fish is still being delivered to an Oyster Bay fledgling.

Fish is being delivered to the Collins Marsh nest in Wisconsin. The juveniles are flying off with their meal!

Di Bennett and Tweed Valley report on the locations of both Poul and Glen. Will Poul stay in Morocco or continue heading south?

Want to know more about migration and how climate and changes in land use in West Africa are impacting UK birds? Have a read.

Osprey-Shortened-Migration-Scottish-Wildlife-TrustDownload

Mini was at the Osprey platform in Patchogue this morning. She is still favouring that left leg. This time she looked hungry and flew off early to try and get some fish from Dad.

At 1900 Mini flew to the perch. She was coming from the left side of the brewery. She has both feet extended and appears to be drying off her feathers.

The left leg appears to be giving Mini some issues as she holds it up. Hopefully our gal will slow down and rest that leg on the nest.

Good night, Mini.

‘H’ brings us up to date on Molly and Dorsett:


Kent Island – Molly flew to the nest early in the morning, but she didn’t stay long.  She was then not seen on cam for almost twelve hours.  At 1830 Molly flew to the nest, and it was nice to see that she had a huge crop. She seemed to have a lot to say, but she didn’t stay long at that visit either.  SOD’s, Molly.

Barnegat Light – Duke brought four fish to the nest for Dorsett.  What a good Dad!  Around 1830 Dorsett landed on the nest, and she was holding her right foot up a bit.  When she placed the right foot on the nest we could see a small bloody wound on one of her toes.  It seemed to be a minor injury though, as it did not affect her ability to handle the fish Duke delivered at 1901.  She held the fish with her right foot and eventually flew across the cove with the fish.

Gabby and V3 were at the nest in The Hamlet near Jacksonville working for the new season. Gosh, it is so nice to see them! Some worry that V3 might not be up to the job this year but, let’s wait and see. He is a year older and these two look to be bonded. We have no idea what they have been up to off camera.

Thunder and Akecheta were at their old West End nest in the Channel Islands on Monday.

On the Cornell Campus, Big Red and Arthur are up on the ledges of Bradley. So good to see them!

The Sea Eaglets had an early fish breakfast Tuesday morning! Yippeee. ‘A’ reports: “

At WBSE breakfast was early for a change, with Dad bringing in a medium-sized whole fresh fish shortly before 06:39. Lady was straight in. SE32 was slow to get up. Lady started eating herself while SE31 dealt with a PS (medium sized, a little thin but way healthier than yesterday’s) and then headed for the table, where she got the first bites just before 06:41. By 06:42, SE32 is on his feet. He too deals with a (healthy) PS before heading closer to the table. Lady is still feeding SE31. Through most of the feeding, Lady fed first one, then the other. SE31 ate more than SE32 but that was largely because SE32 could not be bothered making a huge effort. When he decided he did want to eat, he quickly shuffled further forward to get himself into prime position and then proceeded to eat a dozen or two bites consecutively. He had another similar bout of eating at the end of the feeding, eating most of the last dozen bites or so. Both eaglets had smallish crops after breakfast, though SE31 had a larger one than SE32. 

Dad brings in another fish soon afterwards, at around 10:52. It looks like a big one. Lady takes a moment or two to arrive at the table, as does SE31. And although SE32 has been sleeping on the table, he is not eager to jump up and rush to start eating. He takes his time. The fish is on the large side of medium and Dad has already eaten the head (and a little more). :Lady takes a couple of minutes to start feeding the eaglets, and by the time she does, at 10:55:20, both are ready and waiting, up at the table, and 0SE32 gets the first bites. This pair are very civilised at meal times over the past week. I have not seen any intimidation of any kind, let alone beaking. They have been absolute angels at the dinner table. SE31 waits patiently until it is her turn for a bite or two, at 10:57. Lady then feeds SE32 almost exclusively. He eats fast and with confidence. He is getting a lot of food in a short period of time. It is after 11:00 when SE31 gets her next proper bite. Lady then feeds the two alternately for a few bites, then returns to feeding SE32. 

Throughout this, SE31 is extremely patient. At no point does she try to steal a bite, push in front of SE32 or in any way intimidate or bonk him. She just waits beside him while he eats. When she is offered a bite, she takes it, but that is all. SE32 has had by far the best of the first half of the feeding, but as the feeding wears on and his crop enlarges yet further, he is less enthusiastic about taking every bite and leaves many of those he is offered for his sister. Over the second half of the feeding, SE31 gets more of the food. By the time the feeding is over, both eaglets have very healthy crops indeed. Both have eaten well, Lady has had a good share of that fish herself, and there was no dispute at all between the eaglets. This nest is just lovely to watch. Even on the days when a single large meal is brought in, no-one really seems to go hungry and there is never any type of unpleasantness between the eaglets. They just play and sleep and snuggle. And wait patiently. SE31 is getting really good up on her feet now and is really enjoying practising her walking and wingercising. SE32 is quite a few days behind, as he spent a while cowering while SE31 was growing into her changing body, as it were. He will catch up soon, but for now, he is still very ungainly and often needs his wings for balance.”

Mum and Dad incubate their egg at 367 Collins Street for a few minutes. Looking for egg 2!

Xavier and Diamond are incubating their three eggs at Orange.

At Port Lincoln, mating continues – not always successful.

‘A’ reports that there is action in NZ. Four of the Royal Albatross chicks have now fledged. She also adds, “Poor UQ chick has come down from his hilltop nest to sleep next to Manaaki (who was asleep when he arrived, so may be surprised to see him there when he wakes up). I am pretty sure UQ is seeking either safety in numbers or simply a safer distance between himself and Miss NTF higher up the hill. She is a very pushy and precocious female and has made UQ’s life more than a little difficult, given he is a somewhat shy and reticent albie. He gets on well with Manaaki, though, so obviously feels better down there than up on his hill. So cute, the two of them. As I said, there are two male and two female chicks whose nests we can see (or almost see) around Manaaki. Miss NTF has taken a fancy to the camera, which Manaaki regards as his, so there have been several altercations over the camera, with much clacking of beaks. She thinks she rules the hilltop but Manaaki has other ideas. These four have been an absolute joy to watch these past seven months, each with a very distinctive personality (and, as I mentioned the other day, each currently has a very different ‘hairstyle’ in regard to where each chick wears their remaining fluff – one of the chatters did a cartoon of all the chicks with all their hairstyles about a week ago – very accurate and just TOO funny).”

The third osplet at Osprey House in Australia has died of siblicide.

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, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H’, Alyth, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Jeff Kear, Mary Kerr and Glaslyn Osprey Group, Poole Harbour Ospreys, MN Landscape Arboretum, Dunrovin Ranch, Sandpoint, Seaside, Boulder County, PSEG, Collins Marsh, Tweed Valley, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Kent Island, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, NEFL-AEF, IWS/Explore, Suzanne Arnold Horning and Cornell Hawk Chatters Club, Sydney Sea Eagles, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, and PLO.

1 Egg at Collins Street…Monday in Bird World

4 September 2023

Hello Everyone,

I hope that you have had a lovely weekend and for those living in places where this is a long weekend, savour all the moments left before returning to the norm.

It was the second day of integration with Missey, Lewis, and Calico. Missey and Calico are fine. Lewis still has an attitude about the new family member and was not happy today. He must have let it fester all night. So Missey and Calico spent the most time together while Lewis was in and out of various rooms depending on who was where. We continue to work with treats, nice food, and spreading the scent of Calico being mindful of the safety of all three. Tomorrow is a new day!

I wish Lewis was as relaxed in his behaviour as he appears.

Missey has been simply phenomenally well behaved and accepting.

Calico and Missey are in their favourite spots and so is Lewis. It is only a mater of time.

The entire time with Calico has been a huge learning experience for me. I rarely give my City a ‘high five,’ but I will now. There are so many programmes for feral cats and dogs – to spay and neuter them and return them to their community OR for people who want to adopt them and take them home. One agency was offering $20 spay and neuter. Others are heavily discounted, and the Humane Society will spay and neuter for people to own the animal for $50. This is an incredible discount from taking them to the vet! It also helps keep the animals off the street, gives them a home, and gives people companions who need the social interaction (in many instances). They do not help with rescuing cats and kittens under decks and this would be very helpful especially those that require trapping.

‘H’ just sent me a note that there is one egg at 367 Collins Street in Melbourne and that both cameras are operational! Yes! I had been so involved with the drama between Lewis and Calico that I missed this. This is fantastic news for all falcon lovers. Thanks so much ‘H’.

Here is the link to the cam with the egg in the scrape.

Bazz Hockaday has some more images of Ervie from the past couple of days. What a fine fisher Ervie became!

For those of you who do not know, Ervie is the third hatch of Mum and Dad at Port Lincoln in 2021. His two big siblings were also male, Bazza and Falkey. Despite his size, Ervie wanted to live, and he took no gruff off Bazza after a few days getting himself right up to Mum’s beak for the fish. It is the only year that I can recall no siblicide at the PLO nest, and I attribute that to the fact that the three fledglings were all male. During feedings, they got along in the nest, lined up like sweet choir boys. It was only after fledgling that they went at one another, becoming independent in their own right and striving to succeed. Falkey flew off the dock, flew about 350 miles away and was never heard from after the first sighting. Bazza has not been seen since leaving the area. Ervie stayed close to home. He lived on puffers for the first half a year or so it seems. He lost a talon and then to the delight of all was seen fishing with Dad. He is the love of so many people’s hearts from that year and we are overjoyed that he is thriving.

I am so glad that there is some action in Australia. There is very little happening at the Osprey nests. Most have departed for their various migration sites. The Bald Eagles are flying in to their nests and working on them.

At Turnby Island in South Australia, our couple – Marrum and Partner – now have two eggs while we wait for the first at Port Lincoln.

Dad Harry was still delivery fishing at Alyth to the third hatch, Chirpy, who is 99 days old today. My goodness he is so good to his last chick at home. Look at that super nice fish!

Idris is still delivering fish to Senior at the Dyfi Osprey platform.

Maya was still at Rutland.

White YW and one of the fledglings are still at Foulshaw Moss in Cumbria.

Aran is still busy feeding 0H1 and 0H2 at Glaslyn as of Saturday!

This morning they all seem to be in the Valley.

At Dunrovin, Swoop is still providing fish dinners for Snap and Crackle.

Iris is still home, and she is making it known that this is her nest as she does some restorations before migration. Gosh, she looks good!

Mini flew over and in front of the brewery to land on both of her legs on the perch at 1726. She looks much better than she did yesterday. She is fish crying and wouldn’t it be superb if Dad would bring her a fish – for our sakes – on the nest? Gosh, that would be grand. One last time seeing her eat a nice big fish meal.

Oh, what a lovely sight you are our dear girl! Thank you for coming to see us.

Good Night, Mini.

Thanks Rosie Shields for the End of Season report on Borders Osprey. Congratulations on a great year with Samson and Juno!

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The report for the end of season fish count at Llyn Clywedog. Dylan sure does love those Brown Trout and so does Seren and the kiddos.

‘H’ sends us her two morning reports – Fortis Exshaw is not empty of Banff and Louise and we have only Barnegat Light and Kent Island.


Kent Island – Tom brought at least three fish to the nest for his fledgling.  For the most part, Molly has been taking her fish off the nest to eat.  Molly is 84 days old, and she fledged on 8/11.

Barnegat Light – Thanks to the efforts of Daddy Duke, Dorsett is looking a little bit chubby.  All that extra fat will serve her well though, as she will soon get the urge to start her long journey south.  Dorsett is 96 days old, and she fledged on 7/30.

Karl II comes to say goodbye to his nest just like. Kaia did. The kids are on their way, there is no more mouths to feed, and Karl can make his own way to the centre of Africa for the winter. W hat an amazing dad he was and what a difficult year. I t was the first time, that I am aware, that he did a brood reduction. There was simply a drought and not enough food- thanks to Urmas and his team, the family survived and the three out of four storklets went on to fledge.

Well, Karl II did not waste any time. His tracker shows him to be in Belarus.

Kalvi is in the north of Poland.

The last transmission for Bonus was August 28 and showed him in Belarus before the battery of the tracker quit sending.

Waba and Kaia are still in Ukraine according to the last reports posted that I saw.

In Australia, ‘A’ writes: “It’s just after 9am and the eaglets are waiting patiently for breakfast. They are playing with a leaf on a stalk, grabbing it from one another. So sweet. They are the cutest little eaglets. I just adore them. I check them first thing every morning to see if they have eaten. Usually, they are in the middle of their second breakfast by now but not for the past two days. I can only assume this is a parental decision and is deliberate. When they need to, they have been quite prepared to raid a nearby nest for a meal, and when Dad decided it was time to feed them the other day, he had a fish on the nest in under ten minutes. So I can’t help but think this is not a food shortage but a life lesson. There is a lot of preening going on as those feathers grow. I can’t believe how SE31’s shoulder feathers have grown in the last two or three days. She really is more feathers than down now. They’ll have juvenile plumage before we know it. Our little fluff balls are nearly gone already. I do love their little pale grey heads though, especially SE32’s. He is a darling. And all the bald patches on his little head and neck have grown back now, so he looks a little less like a raggamuffin.”

“Lady has spent a bit of time on the nest with the kids this morning, but has disappeared again now. I’m not sure, but they bring it very quickly when they decide it’s time for food. I just get the impression they’re not in a rush to go and get anything… The eaglets have been getting at least one really good feeding per day over the past two or three days. They seem to be doing well, though obviously, we would like them to eat at least two good meals a day. From what I remember, food has not been a problem at this nest before, but we will wait and see. Still, for the third day in a row, it is late (after 2pm) and no food has arrived yet.” 

SK Hideaways show us that good fish lunch the eaglets were devouring.

The adults are coming and going at 367 Collins Street!

No eggs at Port Lincoln.

Thank you so much for being with me. Please take care! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for your notes, posts, streaming cams, and articles that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H’, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Bazz Hockaday and Friends of Osprey Sth Aus, Alyth, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Jane Dell and UKOsprey Info, Foulshaw Ospreys, Dunrovin Ranch, Pam Breci and The Joy of Ospreys, PLO, Montana Osprey Research Project, PSEG, Rosie Shields and Border Ospreys, Alastair Cameron, Peggy Beatrice and the Eagle Club of Estonia, Looduskalender Forum, SK Hideaways and Sydney Sea Eagles, Sydney Sea Eagles, and 367 Collins Street by Mirvac.

SE30 and Poul…Great News…Sunday in Bird World

3 September 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

There is so much good news and, of course, some worrisome – worrisome that appears to be unsolvable at the moment.

First, the kittens are fully integrated into the house. It was initially believed that Missey would be the dominant and could cause issues but, it turned out that Lewis was insecure. After spending time on the streets and being so little, Calico has some ‘smarts’, which include always being up higher and never responding to Lewis. It was brilliant! One more night separated and then we will see how they do together unsupervised during the ‘wild time’. I am just dizzily gleeful.

Calico has spent her day looking out the windows to the world where she used to live. Everyone has eaten together, separated by about 1.75 metres. Hopefully, like osplets and eaglets, there is enough space, love, attention, and food that they will each feel secure and thrive.

The stand off.

Calico’s fur is getting much better.

Watching.

Of course, it was too good to be true. Lewis decided to attack Calico at the end of the day. One hiccup – it was stopped before it started. Hoping Lewis has this anxiousness out of his system by Monday. Wish us luck~!

I had not seen it yet and ‘H’ sent me the good news first thing this morning from the Australian Raptor Care and Conservation!

It is gorgeous. These are a couple of images from VisitNSW.

Our hearts all sank. Mini arrived at the nest to everyone’s great delight at 17:44. But immediately thoughts went to her leg which she is really having trouble with – again, at the end of the day. It made us ache for her. At 18:42 she was seen to be hobbling. At the same time, she was actively fish calling. We have observed a good PS every day and her crop is still not appearing concave so we can deduce that she is either being fed or she is fishing and being lucky.

There appeared to be some green algae/plant material ?under her right wing and on her leg when she landed.

The bottom line is you are loved and everyone is worried about your quality of life, Mini.

I wish we could see who she is calling…hopefully, Mini will rest her leg at the nest tonight. She has more difficulty at the end of the day than at the beginning. She also has a somewhat rounded crop – it is not concave – she is being fed (said twice, but we need to remember that just because we do not see fish delivered to the nest does not mean any of the ospreys are not getting food).

Everyone wants Mini to be whole and perfect and live an extraordinary life. If we could have had that leg mended when the injury first occurred it would have been grand. We wish her the very best…she is showered with positive hope and love. Now we need some luck and ingenuity.

Let’s skip to ‘H’s reports for this morning:

Kent Island –  There was only one fish delivered to the nest.  Tom brought a whole menhaden to Molly for her supper.  And, while we haven’t seen Audrey at the nest since 8/29, it was reported that Audrey was seen on a neighbor’s dock on 9/2. 

Barnegat Light – Duke brought at least three fish to the nest for Dorsett.  Whether she is perched on her favorite utility pole, on top of a flag pole, or on her dad’s perch, Dorsett doesn’t miss a thing.  In the afternoon, Dorsett had been standing on Duke’s perch for a while, when she suddenly took off, flew in a big circle, and landed on the nest one second before Duke landed with a fish.  Nice timing!

Osoyoos – The Osoyoos osprey cam has been offline for four days.  The fledgling is 69 days old, and fledged on 8/21.

Thanks so much ‘H’.

The big news in migration comes from the sat-packed Tweed Valley youngster Poul who is now in Morocco! Congratulations Di Bennet and gang. It looks like he was fitted with a jet pack at the same time. What a good time to get to Africa.

Seiont hit the century and is still home-fed by Dad, Idris, or Daddy Longlegs. What a handsome osplet Seiont is. Will we see him in 2 years coming by the Dyfi nest to say hello? I sure hope so.

Meanwhile, Aran was finally getting to enjoy one of those lovely trout that he has been bringing in to the nest – alone, in quiet, on a branch. Elen is gone…both juveniles were still around – OH1 and OH2. One got to enjoy a Garfish on Saturday.

Maya was still at Rutland. I have not seen Blue 33 for a couple of days. it would be highly unusual for him to depart before Maya. I wonder if he is feeding kids off the nest and allowing Maya to have time to eat her big catches in peace?

Fledgling still at Alyth with Dad.

CJ7 and Blue 022 have both been seen at Poole on Saturday.

Sharon Leigh posted some super information on the migration patterns and the timing of migration for the US Ospreys from Montana.

At the Richmond Ship Yards, Rosie is still home. Richmond will remain for the winter near the nest while Rosie will go and have some fun in the sun.

Iris is still with us in Missoula!

The Bald Eagle couples are returning and working on their nests. Gosh, that just makes me get so excited. It is the worry of who will return and who won’t but right now we have —

M15 and his new lady holding the fort at Southwest Florida.

Louis and Anna at Kistachie Nest 1:

V3 and Gabby at NEFlorida. The AEF stated on FB “We believe that Gabby is about 9 years old based on her feather coloration and behavior when she first arrived at the nest in 2018/2019. V3 we believe is a mature eagle but probably young – maybe between 5 – 7 years old.”

Pepe and Muhlady are on and off the nest at Superbeaks. Look at that beautiful majestic eagle:

Shadow and Jackie are at Big Bear. Will be checking on the others as the end of osprey season progresses.

‘A’s reports from ‘down under’ – where spring is arriving!

“In Orange, both Xavier and Diamond appear to have eaten, and the two are spending a lot of time together. Xavier is once again sitting on the ledge, keeping her company, which he has been doing sometimes for hours at a time. It is so sweet. Sometimes, they chat quietly but usually they just sit together in silence.”

 At Sydney, “Still no breakfast at WBSE. It is after midday and the eaglets are waiting patiently and behaving nicely. SE32 has done a very healthy PS (haven’t seen SE31 do so yet but I’ve been busy this morning. Cats. The kitchen. You know the sort of thing. Lady has been on the nest a bit with the eaglets. She has been aerating the nest and generally spending time with her babies. Keeping them reassured. Both eaglets are now sleeping up at the table, ready for food to arrive.” 

It was nice to be watching and catch the arrival of a nice fish!

September 1.

A remarkable bird surviving on the Isle of Man away from the persecution of the driven grouse estates.

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Thank you so much for being with me today. Please send positive energy to dear Mini. See you soon – and stay safe out there.

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, G, H’, Australian Raptor Care and Conservation, VisitNWS.com,PSEG, Kent Island, Osoyoos, Wildlife Conserve of NJ, Tweed Valley, Dyfi, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, LRWT, Alyth, Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Info, Sharon Leigh and Montana Osprey Cams, Pam Krute and SF Osprey Cam with Rosie and Richmond, Montana Osprey Project, Sydney Sea Eagles, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Linda Russo and NEFL and SWFL Eagle Watchers Club, Tonya Irwin and KNF Eagle Cam Fans, the AEF, Superbeaks, J & R Aquatic Animal Rescue.

CK7 dies in Wales…Wednesday in Bird World

30 August 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Thank you so much for being with us today. Summer is winding down. People are taking the last of the holidays and our Osprey nests (among others) are almost going quiet. The hummingbirds and Blue Jays continue to come to the garden so neither has started their southern journey and soon, many more species will join them. The house is quiet as the kittens continue to learn the smell and sound of one another. Despite fall nipping at our heels, it is expected to be 34 degrees in southern Manitoba on Saturday.

Calico has settled into a routine and is playing more and more. Tonight, for the first time, she went onto the Ladybird blanket and fell asleep before I finished reading. She goes to the vet on Friday, and I hope for an all-clear to allow her into the rest of the house. Lewis is curious but a wee bit jealous, and Missey is pretending she doesn’t notice anything. We will see. Missey is the Alpha cat.

Calico’s book of the month recommendation. [I took the rug out because of putting cat food down, and neither Calico nor I like this bloody old floor – a remnant of long ago.]

Anyone want to play?

Nite, nite.

There is good news coming out of the meteorologists regarding Idalia. She is now degraded to the strength of a category 2 hurricane. But the new track has changed and the eye is headed decidedly northwest and will not hit Fort Myers or St Petersburg as a category 3 or 4 hurricane. There will still be lots of water but the sustained winds are no where what was earlier predicted. This does not mean that Idlia is not dangerous – every storm is dangerous!

Notice how far that white cone area extends northward. We want all our migrating birds to sit quiet. And to all my friends in the path of this storm, please stay safe. You are on our minds and we are sending out positive wishes.

Hurricane Franklin’s cone will veer east and should be no threat.

The winds of Idalia can clearly be seen impacting the Bald Eagle nest of Connie and Clive at Captiva on the Barrier Islands.

Let’s check on Fortis Exshaw since it has been one of the problem nests. Thanks ‘H’ for your report! “Fortis Exshaw – The intruders were on the nest or perch a few times throughout the day, but most of the time, the nest was empty.  We did not see Banff.  She did not come to the nest, and we did not see her being chased around.  We may have seen less of the intruders today due to the fact that they had not been concerned with Banff.  There were a couple of brief osprey chases seen in the distance, but they could have involved the intruders and another osprey.  Some thought that they heard Banff’s voice in the distance a couple of times, just briefly, but it was difficult to say.  It seems that Banff may have finally learned to stay away from the nest, and the entire area that had become hostile and dangerous for her.  This is a good thing, and a necessary lesson for her to learn.  It seems as though Banff has received a year’s worth of education since she fledged on 8/13.  The last time we saw Banff on 8/28, she was well.  We will be watching and listening for Banff today. “

Today I wanted to see who was home in the UK, but first, let us deal with a tragic death. CK7 was an eleven-year-old osprey from Tweed Valley who died in Wales. His tracker indicated that he had stopped. The search in difficult terrain has not revealed the corpse, but people will continue to search. Our hearts go out to Di Bennett and the team at Tweed Valley. CK7 had been in the wildlife hospital after being trapped in netting. He was released on the 10th of August at St Mary’s Loch. Everything looked perfect, and it appeared that he had set off on his migration. Then something strange happened, and he reverted course and headed to Wales. His tracker indicated a stationary position on the 18th of August.

Here is the latest news from Di from Tweed Valley.

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Tweed Valley: Poul is making excellent progress!

Rutland Manton Bay: Both Maya and Blue 33 were on the nest and it looked like they still had some intruders.

Dyfi: Cannon is 98 days old and Seiont is 96. Everyone is wondering if both of them will be home to mark a century. It would be the first time for this nest that both fledglings stayed 100 days before making their departure.

Glaslyn: Aran and the two fledglings, OH1 and OH2 were home.

Poole Harbour: I observed both Blue 22 on the nest and Mum, CJ7, who had delivered a fish. 5H3 was also there. There could be other fledglings about and I just did not see them – indeed, I imagine all three are home. CJ7 may leave first.

Llyn Brenig: I caught a glimpse of one fledgling -7B5-and another on the perch but I cannot confirm if they are one and the same.

At Patchogue Mini flew in at 0619 screaming for a fish and promptly flew off towards the lake.

Here she comes!

Gorgeous. One of the reasons that I advocate for Darvic rings and trackers on special birds like Mini is to find out how their lives unfold – good or bad. This young lady is simply beautiful. She is being fed off nest by Dad. The latest news from Hawk Mountain does not indicate a big swing in Osprey migration yet. Thank goodness due to the weather south of Mini!

A few raindrops falling as Mini was perched for a bit.

Hawk Mountains migration count to 29 August 2023.

Boulder County: All fledglings home. Eating well. Two with a fish at one time and the one without has a nice crop already.