The kittens hope that you will have a wonderful weekend.
All Hope thinks about are bird videos! She now cuddles up to my ankles when I fill the food dishes in the morning. She doesn’t always let Mamma take over. Hope also loves dental treats just like Mamma. What a glorious gift this bushy tail gal is!
Cuddled up with Mamma.
Sweet Calico. I so fear she has arthritis in her back legs. Sometimes Calico looks so old and frail. I continue to say that life outside in Winnipeg for the stray cats is very hard with our winters no matter how kind people are with shelters and food.
Missey has pretty much given Hope her basket and blankets. They each have their favourite perch and several places to sleep. Life is pretty much one of general civility and contentment with the odd ‘hiss’.
Missey says she adores Hope…not so keen on Calico when Calico is hissey.
Hope also says not to believe that nonsense about the new name for the Cooper’s Hawk. She does wonder if it will be that complicated, the new names. How do you change a name?
‘L’ asked if I had heard anything further about Valor 2. No, sadly, I haven’t. Because he was flying strongly no one could safely catch him to take him in to the wildlife centre to help with the eye and anything else that ails this wonderful eagle. He was the ‘root’ that kept the Trio Lovers together.
At Orange, Marri (the oldest) and Barru are getting ready to fledge. I just wonder if Barru won’t fly first. They are spending so much time looking out and extending their necks…Xavier and Diamond continue to provide prey items but it is pretty dangerous inside that scrape with these two ready to fledge eyases.
I missed this…Xavier feeding his nearly fledgling chicks. How special is that!
While the two at Orange are more interested in the outside world and already have full crops – ignoring the prey item, that Starling on the scrape floor – Mum and Giliath and #2 are waiting for fish at Port Lincoln. Dad came in with a small fish and then a huge Trevally came in before noon.
Mum and the chicks were delighted with the delivery from Dad. Is this really a small fish??
Then the fish fairy arrived. Everyone was full!
The water was really choppy. I wonder if Dad will go out fishing again…meanwhile he had a meal from the Trivially and brought the tail back to Mum for her and Giliath and #2.
These really are the sweetest not so little anymore osplets. Do we have two little boys this year?
Food comas.
The complete report from Port Lincoln:
I have no new news from Sydney. The last was 8 November when Cathy Cook posted the footage of one of the juvies in the mangroves with the Currawongs.
Missey and Pa Berry working hard on that nest. Will they be our next Bald Eagle couple to have an egg in their nest?
Both Ma and Pa were at the Webster, Texas Bald Eagle nest on Friday.
The AEF reminds us that Gabby will not normally lay her eggs until December. So lot of time for these two.
V3.
Gorgeous Gabby and V3.
Visit at Big Bear. That pinecone is sure getting moved about. Hope it stays in the nest. Love seeing the eaglets practice holding ‘prey’ with these cones.
Playing whose nest is this. The Hooties exchange prey gifts in the night while M15 and F23 do during the day.
Meanwhile, M15 and F23 continue to work on this nest. I really hope that there is not a confrontation between the eagles and the GHOs.
Annie would like a food gift from Lou!
SK Hideaways has it in video!
There are some lovely Pelicans flying around Mobil Bay. Thanks ‘L’ for letting us share. The Brown Pelicans is the smallest of the eight different pelican species. Still, it has a wing span of 2 metres or over 6.5 feet. It will only be found near salt water.
The Brown Pelican was almost made extinct. “Unregulated shooting and pesticides were once the bane of many North American birds, including Brown Pelicans, Bald Eagles, and Peregrine Falcons. Declared Endangered in the 1970s, all three of these charismatic birds are now off the list of imperiled species, thanks to conservation legislation, public education, and decades of cooperation by a wide range of partners.” The pesticide that was most responsible for the decline in pelican populations was DDT.
The Moli (Laysan Albatross) have landed in Kauai’.
People do care. They want an end to the use of snares, and they wanting the hunting culture of the rich and sometimes famous to stop. It is reassuring – no, it is darn comforting – to read that more people want an end to these traditional practices that kill off so many of the raptors that just want a lunch. I hope that they end all of the hunting, including the poor ‘sitting ducks’ that get slaughtered every year, bred and fed to sit by a pond and be shot. How sick is that? At least go out in the wild and try your luck as they fly by…but standing in the mud like people lined up for a firing squad. Doesn’t sound so sporty to me.
Hamza Yassin is an excellent presenter and inspirational writer. Please enjoy this article by him…seeing any bird puts a smile on our face, listening to them sing is better, and to see a raptor is elating.
Karl II’s 2023 fledgling Kalvi (the only one with a tracker) is in Israel. Send positive wishes for his safety!
Thank you so much for being with me. We wait while rubbing those worry beads for the fledges at Orange, for fish arrivals at PLO, and to have some word about SE 31 and 32. Meanwhile, we have Pepe and Muhlady incubating two eggs and we wait to see who will have the next batch of eggs. There is not a lot of news but what there is 97% good. A nice change. Take care. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Thank you to the following for their questions, pictures, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘L, L’, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Cilla Kinross, SK Hideaway, PLO, Marlene Louise Ripley, Paul White, NEFl-AEF, FOBBV, Gracie Shepherd, Lady Hawk, Sassa Bird, Pacific Rim Conservation, Raptor Persecution UK, PNAS, The Guardian, and Maria Marika.
To those in Canada celebrating Thanksgiving, Happy Thanksgiving to you! And to everyone else reading this, I am thankful to all of you – what a beautiful community of empathetic, intelligent, bird-loving people you are! I feel truly blessed to be in your company. Thank you for all your good wishes for today.
Sunday was coolish – an incredibly gorgeous fall day full of yellows, reds, and oranges. The nature centre was full of people enjoying the fall foliage and the Canada Geese that were landing on the lakes and fields. There were a few Mallards about and some House Sparrows and a feisty squirrel at one of the feeders.
All of the garden animals were out. A few Dark-eyed Juncos visit the deck. I did remember, after a comment from ‘J’ to get out there and carve that pumpkin up a bit to see if the squirrels would get interested. Will keep you posted. Mr Crow was on the hydro line and I wonder if he saw the pumpkin and thought it might be tasty.
Little Red has been digging around in the old planting boxes. I haven’t seen him going in and out of the wood box and this worried me a bit so it was great to see him today.
Remember the chubby little baby Blue Jay, just fledged, that slept with the two clay bird ornaments? Well, look now! Beautiful.
The ‘girls’ are doing well. I am sad to report that Lewis took a turn for the worse. He has been unable to keep any food down – and believe me, I have tried everything. Broth, Baby food, tinned food with broth, pulverised chicken. We wait and hope that this situation will change. It is hard to deal with any suffering.
Hope is growing fast and continues to want to play more than she wants to eat.
Calico and I have almost finished our WWII spy novel by Cara Black. Wonder what she will want to read next? I am imagining putting my comfy chair by the wood stove in the dead of winter with Calico on my lap reading away.
These cats have taught me so much about the need for a safe space that is ‘their own’ and how stabilising a routine is – even for cats!
Lewis always feels better after he throws up. Sleeping on one of his favourite chairs. Poor little guy. The Gaviscon bottle is being emptied as my stomach churns repeatedly for him.
Missey was caught in Lewis’s carrier. Oh, if something happens to dear Lewis, Missey will be lost. They have been glued at the hip since they were both adopted as rescues on 2 November 2022. This evening she has been very motherly – washing and washing Lewis – over and over – and comforting him.
It is all about Peregrine Falcons – we have had falcons on our minds since the news at Melbourne. The clutch at Melbourne is believed lost for this year. We hope the female will recover from any injuries she has sustained. Our new dad, M22 – remember he was not the father of the chicks last year but came in and helped like Xavier did with Diamond years ago, is refusing to give up on those eggs. He flew in and incubated them on Monday.
There was a video posted by the Bondi Vet, Chris, in Sydney, Australia. Do you know this character? A Peregrine Falcon couple at the Westfield Mall came into his care. Oh, this is good – ten minutes long. Enjoy.
Meanwhile, Diamond and Xavier and the two little ones – who will have names on the 15th of October – are doing fantastic. Gosh, golly, they are so cute. I fear those pink beaks and toes and that fluffy white are giving way, and little feathers are popping in underneath. The first hatch is visibly larger than the second now…a female? Probably.
So cute!
In this video by Elain, Xavier feeds the babies and Diamond, too! Very special moments of our incredible family.
‘A’ writes, “Dear little Xavier had a brief period brooding the chicks late this afternoon (about 15 or 20 minutes), during which he made valiant but futile efforts to cover the chicks by sitting up and leaning over them. He was obviously concerned about being unable to fit the egg underneath him too, and tried several times (eventually successfully) to cover it. So sweet but not a chance of brooding the two chicks. He really is tiny. Check him out when he delivers prey to Diamond. She is gigantic, especially with all her broody underfluffies, whereas Xavier is very sleek, which accentuates how much smaller he is.”
At The Campanile, Lou is sunbathing. Nice to see these two are safe and sound. I worry about them because of the poisoning of pigeons, too. Stay safe you two!
‘N’ sent me a note asking what books I recommend on Peregrine Falcons. Here is my list – not in order of preference.
Richard Sals and Steve Watson. Everything you ever wanted to know about falcons and more. A monumental book – great reference.
J. A. Baker. The Peregrine.
Christie Gove-Berg. (especially for children)
Madeline Dunphy. The Peregrine’s Journey. Similar to Belle’s Journey that documents the migration of an Osprey.
Alan Tennant. On the Wing.
There are, of course, many, many books that mention falcons.
On Sunday, Thunder and Akecheta sunned themselves at the West End Bald Eagle nest. What a gorgeous couple. Wonder if they might reconsider their nest location this year. Nudge, nudge.
Gracie Shepherd caught more of Thunder and Akecheta.
Everyone is hopeful that there will be a clutch of eggs in that nice soft nest Gabby and V3 are working on.
The adults are on the nest in Webster, Texas on Sunday.
Connie and Clive have been working on their nest at Captiva on Monday.
Gosh, 1800. Start checking on Jackie and Shadow. These two love to come to the nest in the early evening. They are certainly doing a close inspection!
In Central Park, Bruce Yolton gives us the latest on Flaco and his adventures living in the ‘wild’ of the Big Apple. (Lots of videos in the blog below)
Monday was the first time I heard Pied Currawongs in the forest while watching the Sea Eaglets SE31 and 32. Someone will tell me that I am a bit daffy, but there doesn’t seem to be an over abundance of prey being delivered to the nest.
At Port Lincoln, Dad brought three fish to the nest on Sunday. Both are doing incubation duty. Egg 1 was laid on the 6th of September. Depending on how you count, that would be 24 days in September plus 10 in October, making that egg 34 days old. Hang on, we will be on pip watch shortly!
Checking on the progress of Karl II and his family from both BirdMap and Looduskalendar Forum. The Birdmap check on all of the storks – not just Karl II’s family – is from the 6th. Please note the concern for Karl II who has not sent data from the 30th of September.
Kaia is making good progress towards her winter home in Chad.
Kaia continues and she I snow in the Eastern Desert.
Kalvi is still in Bulgaria.
Turkey is where Waba is currently foraging.
The second Condor chick in 2023 has fledged! Fantastic.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care – and please continue to send your best warm wishes to all the nests and to our dear Lewis.
Thank you to the following for their notes, questions, articles, posts, videos, photos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, J, N’, Bondi Vet, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Holly Parsons, Elain, SK Hideaways, IWS/Explore, Gracie Shepherd, Carol Shores Rifkin, Webster TX Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, FOBBV, Bruce Yolton, Sydney Sea Eagles, PLO, Looduskalendar Forum, and Ventana Wildlife Society.
Hope, Calico, Missey and Lewis – along with all the garden animals hope that you are well, that the weather is grand, and that you will get outside and enjoy the sound of birds and the smell of autumn which is upon us.
Calico’s incision looks really good. What a sweet cat she is. She sees the antibiotic cream tube and will go and lay down on the striped quilt and let me apply it. She is simply a marvel.
I have had animals all my life. When I was born my father had a three-legged dog that stood guard by my basket. She lived quite a long life – and it is because of her that I recognise that animals can adapt to many situations and live a full life. Trixie certainly did. In all those decades, I have marvelled at how smart these animals are, but I have never had a companion like Calico. She is quiet, affectionate, and sweet, and seems to simply understand that the cream is to help her. She has never – and this is apparently rare for a community cat – ever scratched or fought me. It has been the opposite. What a blessing she and that little bundle of energy, Hope, are.
Tonight, on my walk, I came across a woman who helped look for the kitten. She teared up at the sight of Calico and Hope together in the photos. We all need happy endings. At the same time, I was a wee bit saddened to see that the deck where Calico had her kittens had been enclosed with wire mesh. It was a good place for the community cats to be warm and dry in the winter. No one knew they were there – and while it is none of my business, it is an example of how quickly animals can lose a ‘home’. These cats have served an important role in our little neighbourhood. There are no mice that I am aware of. Numerous people feed birds, including myself. I attribute the lack of mice directly to these cats.
Calico and I have been reading an edited volume Not Too Late. Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility. One of the most moving and inspiring chapters is by Jacquelyn Gill, a Palaeontologist. The chapter is called “The Asteroid and the Fern”. Gill writes about her visit to a cave in Siberia and the Great Dying that took place 251.9 million years ago when “roughly 90 per cent of life on Earth was lost” (126). Gill adds that the “heat wave that triggered the Great Dying took around seven hundred thousand years to unfold”. She compares this to now where in a lifetime we have created disaster which “barely spanned the breadth of a human life” (127). Gill looks at what happens after adding that the stories of extinction in the past are as inspiring as they are sobering (126).
I look at the four animals in my direct care and those that live in the garden and realise that we must live in the present and not fall into depressing despair. We must work cooperatively to find solutions while living ‘in the moment’. If not, we will miss those beautiful lives standing right in front of us. Isn’t that what this is all about? The wonder of the seasons, the animals, the people we love. To ponder in despair what might come and to miss the now would be a heavy loss.
The beauty of the world does not have to be in an exotic location halfway around the world. Most often it is right before our eyes.
Bird World is going to take a wee vacation starting on 17. September. ‘A’ and ‘H’ and I will return on Monday the 25th. We urge you to keep your eye on Manaaki if he has not fledged by Sunday and to also watch for the start of the cams at Sw Florida.
First up – do you live in Maine? If so, please read the following notice carefully.
Geemeff gives us a year of highlights from nest 1 at Loch Arkaig – Louis and Vila’s old nest. Now it is ‘as the osprey soap opera turns’ – we wait to see who pairs up next year. Thanks, Geemeff. It is a beautiful nest that needs to be occupied with fish screaming osplets!
M15 and F1 at the SWFlorida Eagle Nest.
Thunder, the daughter of Chase & Cholyn from Two Harbours, visits the old nesting area she shares with her mate, Akecheta on Thursday.
Oh, we would give anything to see Mini on the Patchogue nest – have her just fly in like Thunder and recognise her. Mini was last on the nest on September 11. Locals noted that Dad was also seen that day but Mum has not been to the nest since Sunday the 10th. No one has seen them in the area since then and it is possible that they are elsewhere on the water or after left the area.
One of the Webster Texas eagles is back working on the nest!
Pepe was working on the Superbeaks Nest – gosh, Osprey season ended and the eagles are now starting work! How exciting is this?
The posting of the loss of Stormy and Simba touched so many. I have received numerous letters. Please don’t stop watching Jackie and Shadow – we won’t probably ever know what happened to those two gorgeous fledglings but, we can, each day, in our way, do something to hopefully make the lives of our wildlife better.
Sadly, a large number – the precise % each year is unknown – do not survive their first year. We must also celebrate those who do and cheer on those who live into their 20s. It has not been easy for them.
‘Down Under’-
Sharon Dunne updates us on the status of fledging at the Royal Albatross colony.
‘A’ was able to confirm: “Quarry is confirmed to have fledged so it is just UQ and Manaaki now. Both the girls have left. UQ is far better at hovering than Manaaki is, so I do hope our boy does not try to leave before he is ready (which he really isn’t yet).” ‘A’ also adds: “At 18:35 at Taiaroa Head, the last of the light is fading and we can just make out Manaaki on his nest and UQ on his new ‘ nest’. (We can’t see whether he has actually constructed a new nest or whether he has simply relocated to the grass area next to Manaaki and a long downhill from him.) He seemed to move there permanently after Quarry left the area several days ago but has always been friendly with Manaaki. The girls (Quarry and Miss NTF) were constantly visiting UQ, displaying to him and generally being precocious and a little aggressive, which disconcerted UQ, who in turn sought refuge around Manaaki. The girls also tried similar approaches with Manaaki, but being not nearly as shy as UQ, he was always prepared to stand up to the girls and clack his bill at them, driving them away from his nest. He took no nonsense from either! Although UQ is the fluffiest and least adventurous of the four, his flying skills (well, at least his hovering) are way ahead of Manaaki’s, and over the past two days, UQ has been hovering so high he has been out of sight of the camera. He has also flown a long way across the downhill grassy area, towards the water, and has sometimes had to walk back up, although on other occasions, he has been able to glide backwards (I finally understand what the chatters meant about backward flying, which these albie chicks do all the time). The chicks try to ride the wind currents by simply stretching out their winds and allowing the wind to lift and carry them. If they get high enough, and are sufficiently balanced, they can tuck up their trailing legs and feet and actually glide quite a distance. It looked on more than one occasion as though UQ was off and gone this afternoon. Manaaki, on the other hand, is still not getting the same lift as UQ yet and is not yet balanced enough to control his movements in the air or to tuck up his legs and feet. Both of the boys still have too much fluff to fledge, in my opinion, and I am hoping UQ will wait another few days to lose his fluff and that Manaaki will wait at least another five days to a week to perfect his skills in the air. But as I said the other day, the wind will usually decide for them. And hopefully, the ones who are not strong or skilled enough will ditch in the bay, allowing their rescue, as we saw today. So it is only after they leave the waters near Taiaroa Head that they begin the exhilarating beauty and deadly risk that is their life as wild birds.”
At Collins Street, ‘A’ writes: “Little dad at Collins Street is a trooper. He did several lengthy incubation spells today, and not just the nearly two hours in the centre of the day but another couple of hours in the middle of the afternoon. He is a very dedicated dad, and as I mentioned, I’m sure he is providing food for F22, though she may be hunting for herself as well. Certainly, she has left the nest several times and then, very shortly afterwards, we have seen feathers floating down from a higher level while M22 looks upwards with that sweet sidelong glance he has, so I’m sure she has had no time to catch her own food in that time. Who knows what she does in that late morning/lunchtime period (90 minutes to two hours), which she used to take as down time last season as well, until that day when the chicks nearly baked (honey, I fried the kids). From memory, I seem to recall her being more diligent following that incident, although of course it was only a week or two after the baking incident that last year’s eyases started to make their own decisions on which end they wanted to inhabit, heading along the gutter at will. She takes her final break of the day at 18:07, with M22 taking over at 18:10 and remaining until F22 returns to the ledge at 18:16. As always, she is screeching (is that her normal mode of communication?) on arrival and dad leaves the nest and dives off the ledge. Fast. Mum settles down for the night shift.”
The Sydney sea Eagles have eaten well. There is some concern about Lady’s foot. ‘A’ observed this closely and adds, “At 10:11:06, and again from 10:11:22 to 10:11:24, have a look at the surface of Lady’s left foot. It appears to be a very raw wound or nasty scrape, not blood from a piece of prey. See what you think. At 10:13:02, as she walks to the back of the nest, it looks as though there may be some inflammation or mark on the back of the left ‘ankle’ area. Lady also has some blood on her head, at the top/back on the left side of the crown. I thought little of it earlier in the morning, but now, noticing the apparent wound on her left foot, I am wondering about the blood on her head. It is possible she scratched her head with the foot when it was bleeding and I suppose it is also possible it is from a prey item, as she has a piece of fluff or a feather stuck to her forehead at the top of her beak, between her eyes. She does not appear hindered by any injury nor does she exhibit any signs of discomfort. So perhaps I am worrying about nothing. There’s another close up at 11:14:18. It doesn’t look quite as bad as in the earlier shots but perhaps that is the light.”
On Thursday, Lady was bringing in new twigs for the railings to try and keep the sea eagles in. One of the cutest things is when these adorable eaglets start pitching in and helping being little Mini Mums.
At Orange, Diamond is impressed when Xavier arrives with a Rosella at 0908!
Eastern Rosellas are brightly coloured birds – blue and yellow along with some green, with a bright red head and white cheeks – that live in New South Wales and Queensland Australia. They live in flocks – usually of about 20 birds – and eat seeds, berries, fruits, nuts, and even leaves.
I saw no fish deliveries while watching or rewinding the Port Lincoln Osprey cam. Hopefully, since it appears to be a calm day, Dad2 will get on and haul in a big fish for Mum.
It is that time of year and the Osprey nests that ‘H’ has been observing are getting really quiet. She notes that the Osoyoos camera is once again down but she will continue to check for us to see if anything is happening. Audrey was not seen at Kent Island on Thursday and is believed to have migrated. “Duke at BL was seen a couple of times yesterday, and he has been documented to stay around as long as eight days after the last juvie left the area.” ‘H’ is also checking to see if the IR light will be turned on at Collins Street. Thank you ‘H’.
Birdlife International brings us a short but gripping story about birdwatching, yacht racing, the Southern Ocean and the decline in wildlife.
Before we go, another great image of Ervie finishing up the innards of his fish dinner. Always lovely to see you Ervie!
And more Ervie!
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, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, H’, Kshanti Green and Maine Birds, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, SW Florida Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore, SL Security Pros, Paul Williams and Webster Texas Eagles, Superbeaks, Terri Ashmore and FOBBV, Sharon Dunne and Royal Cam Albatross Group of NZ, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Julie Lovegrove and Friends of Sth Aus, Bazz Hockaday and Friends of Sth Aus, and BirdLife International.
Oh, good morning to everyone! Have you been checking Twitter or FB for a recent update on DH18? So have I! I want to imagine the little fellow recovering from surgery in a lovely soft nest where he is warm with a vast crop, having filled up on a gourmet quail dinner. You deserve it, 18!
News has come that DH18 is in ‘guarded’ condition. Please send all your positive wishes to this little warrior. I am not a violent person, but this whole situation has me imagining a human with a fishing line wrapped so tight around their ankles that it cuts the skin to the bones for a week. How would they feel if people said they couldn’t be helped?
While you look at the image of DH17 standing on the rails today, please smile. Look at that sweet face and those legs now free of monofilament line and looking forward to a beautiful future in the wild. I keep saying thank you to each of you because that rescue yesterday was only possible because you cared because you believed that intervention was necessary and were willing to work to make that happen. So look in those beautiful eyes and remember never to give up, to keep trying.
There is some great news coming out of Achieva. ‘R’ writes, “At Achieva, Mum brought in a fish and 2 positioned himself at the rail so 1 could not get to him. I thought she was going to knock Mum and 2 off the nest, but her attempts were futile! Mum fed the whole fish to 2! After awhile, 1 just backed off and watched. I couldn’t believe 2 actually had a crop. Then…..just before your email, Dad brought in a fish which Mum fed to 1. After most of it was finished 1 tried to self feed and 2 walked over, grabbed the fish from 1 and finished it whole. Looks like his survival skills are improving. There is hope!”
If you are interested, the t-shirt fundraiser for this year at Cal Falcons is open for four more days.
As we all know, the falcons grow up so fast and are gone so quickly into the wild. Here is a condensed day in the life of these lovely eyases of Lou and Annie captured by SK Hideaways.
Oh, this one is cute…close ups of these darling chicks.
Have you been wondering how the PA County Farm Eagles are doing? Have a look! All three are really growing their juvenile feathers. Bravo!
‘H’ reports that banding took place at the WRDC today. They did measurements and weighed the eaglets R4 and R5 including taking DNA samples. Here those babies are with their new bling.
R5 is working away at its self-feeding skills as R4 looks on.
It is very true. M15 is going to need a holiday after this breeding season. He is continually trying to feed his babies while fending off intruders that literally come to the nest to grab the food! Today he was plucking a bird for them when he had to turn into security guard and territorial protector.
Earlier M15 had brought in a squirrel, a small one. E22 got it – and worked the entire thing to his complete delight while 21 watched. Gracie Shepherd caught it on video!
Kathryn reports on the Lake Murray Osprey nest. She says, “Every time I check on these osplets that are so stuffed they can’t even move! I love how the mom, Lucy, goes out of her way to make sure C3 eats well. Such a nice nest so far. There has been minimal bonking and the mom just puts food in her beak between them when they did bonk each other but I only saw that in the beginning.” This is wonderful news!
We are so lucky that there are BOGS that keep up with some of the fledglings. Just look at Ringo from the Webster Texas Bald Eagle nest. Perfecting that flying like the Es and B16 and the kidlets down in the Kisatchie National Forest.
Loretta is keeping eyes on the First Utility District Osprey platform for me. The first of the three hatched yesterday. The adults are Ricky and Lucy. Nice fish coming in to feed the little one. It started raining later in the day and Lucy could not risk feeding the baby so, Ricky fed Lucy her dinner. I thought maybe he would incubate/brood but, Lucy didn’t want to give up the responsibility. They are a cute pair and I hope that you will put this nest on your list to watch. It is in a really beautiful setting and it looks like the lake has some good fish. (This will be my first time keeping tabs on this nest).
The Decorah Goose nest had some visitors today but it is empty as I begin writing for tomorrow’s blog. News has come in that the sixth gosling that had trouble swimming and was believed to have temporary paralysis in its leg did not make it. That is very sad. The other five are doing splendidly and have taken to the water like ‘ducks’. LOL.
We are all concerned with the impact that the current strains of HPAI will have on our raptor populations. I know that many of you, like myself, scream when one of the adults brings a shorebird or a duck into the nest to feed to the chicks. Cal Falcons held one of their fantastic Q & A sessions with Dr Victoria Hall of The Raptor Centre in Minnesota. This is an hour’s presentation, and it is excellent. I urge you to listen even if you do it in hits and spurts. You will learn a lot – and that is what we are all doing – learning.
Lots of great questions. Is there a vaccination? How complicated would that be? Where is the highest outbreak now? How does HPAI impact trade? When might this outbreak stop soon? How might this impact zoos? Is this a risk to humans? Are Bald Eagles more susceptible than Peregrine Falcons?
HPAI has having a global impact. ‘R’ sent me this very informative article. Have you seen it?
The UK appears to be particularly hard hit with birds at the wetlands and ponds and along the coast dying in ever increasing numbers.
One of the biggest concerns in the US right now are the Condors, carrion eaters who are particularly susceptible to HPAI.
I will continue to post some of the latest stories on this influenza that is tragically impacting our wildlife. In doing so, I want to remind you to do something you might think is silly. If you go for a walk like I did today, you need to bag your footwear and disinfect it. I do not know if that is even enough. There are geese all around the parking lots of our parks and nature centres. Do they have HPAI? We don’t know. They could be carriers. If so, it is possible that their ‘ps’ could get on my tires, and I could spread the disease. In the Q & A session with Cal Falcons, the measures taken to ensure that HPAI doesn’t spread have been thoroughly considered. Let’s listen again so we know what we could do to help stop the spread.
Two well-fed little eaglets. The Decorah Hatchery eaglet and Two Harbours eaglet.
Decorah Hatchery chick. Losing its baby down. Getting that mohawk and that lovely dark charcoal thermal down growing in so that it can regulate its own temperature.
As the eaglet ages, the pink ‘mouth’ turns yellow.
Chase and Cholyn’s only eaglet gets special attention, too. Just look at that crop. Both the Hatchery eaglet and Two Harbours can now eat all the parts of the prey and their crop will process this material. Anything that cannot be fully digested will form into a hard pellet or a ‘cast’ and they will ‘cast it off’.
The three eaglets on the Denton Homes Bald Eagle nest in Decorah, Iowa are slightly older than the ones at the Hatchery. Look at the two images and see the difference a week can make.
The three eaglets at Bald Canyon are fantastic. What a great rescue that was by the IWS on Tuesday. So grateful to Dr Sharpe and his team who take such good care of these Channel Islands Bald Eagle families.
Thank you so very much for being with me this morning. Please continue to send your best wishes to DH18 this morning, who is in guarded condition after the surgery to remove the dead tissue from his legs yesterday. DH18 has the best care. We wait. Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, observations, videos, tweets, posts, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog this morning: ‘R’, ‘S’, ‘J’, ‘H’, ‘A’, ‘L’, Kathryn, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Achieva Credit Union, Cal Falcon Cam, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, PA Game Commission, WRDC, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Gracie Shepherd and SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lake Murray Ospreys, Jon Truman and Webster TX Eagle Watchers, First Utility District, Decorah Goose Cam, The New York Times, @Mark Avery, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, IWS and Explore.org, and Denton Homes.
It is a gorgeous sunny day in the garden on Monday, but there was a problem. It was quiet. the garden is never quiet; it is always humming with at least the sound of several dozen House Sparrows that can be heard from a distance. Something was ‘off’. I did not see a hawk, but I do wonder if one was about or an owl. Now the little birds are returning as the day begins to end. Mr Crow has come to check on the cheesy dogs. Mr Blue Jay has been for peanuts along with Dyson and her gang. The Dark-eyed Juncos are searching for Black oil seed, and the sparrows and Starlings are eating the solid suet. There are now two Common Grackles visiting and from the look of Mr Crow, it could have been the Grackles that were the disturbance. Regardless, they bring so much joy. I cannot imagine my garden without them.
What a joy and right now we need joy.
On Monday, it came in the form of Nicole and her teammate, Ben, from the IWS rescuing the oldest eaglet from Bald Canyon, BC1.
There would be many videos online if you missed the live rescue. But what you would have seen was the arrival of the rescue team. Dad was on the nest, and he began alarming when they were under the nest with the eaglet. Then he flew off the nest, circling the area while Nicole worked with the eaglet. We did not see it, but we should assume that she hydrated the baby and gave it food. Then the ladder was placed, and she climbed and put BC1 back up on the nest with its two siblings. Afterwards, she placed some more twigs for rails. There are not a lot of twigs for the eagles to use for railings. The adults returned, and the eaglets were all later fed. It was beautiful. There was not a single hiccup. This is what a rescue looks like. Flawless professionals doing their job caring for wildlife.
I am encouraging everyone to send Dr Sharpe a note of gratitude. His e-mail is: psharpe@iws.org
Not far away, Chase and Cholyn’s little one is also growing by leaps and bounds. Just look at the love in that parent’s eye.
‘H’ reports that the big news at the WRDC on Monday was that R5 was self-feeding! For real.
We continue to hope for that miracle at Dale Hollow. I cannot personally verify but a posting was made on Bald Eagles 101 that a permit has been issued for a rescue at Dale Hollow and if that it is true you must give yourself a pat on the back. It was through the huge effort in lobbying for these eaglets that this will happen.
The fact that DH Eagle Cam folks was not going to the podcast to discuss the issue is good news. There is no reason for her to join in. The appropriate authorities – state and federal – should be there and this should be a decision for the health of the eaglets. USFWS regulations state – as we all know – that human-caused issues can be mitigated.
I want to be hopeful and I don’t want to spread false hope or rumours. I would love to see something official about that permit.
The two eaglets are tethered together, right leg to the left. Everyone who is anyone knows what is going on, but the issue is doing something. Instead of just saying it can’t be done, why not be like the little train that could: “I think I can, I think I can!” Do not give up hope, and do not give up signing petitions or sending letters. I hope they get 10,000!
River fed the eaglets and DH18 ate. She is sleeping with her babies tonight. We have witnessed what M15 did for the Es. River and Obey had been mates for a long time. We saw her cry out for him after he went missing, grieving. She has gotten the two eaglets this far. Just look at them. Now to have them tangled together with line and she cannot do anything to help them. She has tried. Someone might wonder why we are so upset…”They are just birds.” Personally I believe it is a sign of our humanity that we care for them and want to get them help.
As of Monday evening, the streaming cam is still working. According to the sites, the FB page of Dale Hollow and the chat are closed for a week. There has been a lot of criticism, and there should be. Other nests state that there are non-intervention policies, and, of course, there are unless an eaglet falls out of a nest OR is endangered by something human-caused. There are other reasons a nest can be approached and an intervention undertaken. Not trying is cowardly. Where are all those people that want to put rockets into space and make more money than all of us in a few minutes? Doesn’t one have a bright idea of how to get to this nest?
The saying below needs another line: That help wildlife!
This tethered eaglet was rescued by the AEF, the same people who have offered to go to Dale Hollow.
‘H’ has been keeping her eagle eye on the Fortis Exshaw Osprey Platform in Canmore, Alberta and one of the adults has arrived today. There is a new box and the couple will need to find nesting materials.
Elen is the name of the new Queen of Glaslyn. No sooner did she receive her name and she gave Aran his first egg of the 2023 season. It is difficult to move on from Mrs G. She was such a formidable character but this gal seems to have it all. Well done, Aran!
Many are keeping a close eye on Mother Goose in Decorah. The first eaglet has hatched and there were several ready to follow. I understand the leap will be either tomorrow or Wednesday depending on the last egg to hatch. There are six eggs in total.
Mother Goose is really hissing and is a highly protective mode as the eggs hatch! Father Goose has been around to check on the progress.
Father Goose down by the water ready to help when the leap is made. He has been up on the branch of the nest tree a couple of times also.
Mother Goose is going to have fun keeping them under her while they pop out from under her tail!
Oh, there is more. Mother Goose will not be able to go and forage until they take the leap. Dad is waiting down by the creek wondering what is happening. When she does not show up for her evening meal, he will know that hatch is underway. Looks like several more goslings.
As night falls, one little head is peaking out. Other shells seem to be cracking. Looks like all six little goslings could be with us by morning. It is 22:47 and ‘A’ sent me a note saying that 3 of the 6 have not hatched.
There are five hatched at 1000 Tuesday morning and Mr Gander is pacing and honking anxious for the Mrs and the kids to get down to the stream!
Good Night, Mother Goose!
Sharon Pollock gives us the hatching in a video.
In Webster, Texas, Ringo is still being fed on the nest. Dad flies in with a small fish for Ringo. Ringo flies around the nest and then lands for its meal.
I am very grateful to ‘A’ who sent me a note about the Achieva Osprey nest. Jack went missing and was away from the nest for a similar period that Flo was at Captiva. He had to have been dealing with intruders and this then would have caused prey delivery issues. In the image below the eldest is being fed and the middle is eating nestovers or trying to. We still have prey delivery issues and the aggression from the eldest. Send this nest your positive wishes, please.
The eldest ate two fish on Monday while the Middle Bob got nothing…so far. We need a big fish on the nest now so Middle can get fed. Sad, but hopeful.
We have the second egg for Poole Harbour. In celebration Blue 022 brings in more colourful plastic! Geez.
Moorings Park Ospreys are doing well. No problems here!
I still want to cuddle DH2 and even bring it home. What a little sweetheart.
Remember. Banding Day for the eyases at Cal Falcons is 5 May! At that time their legs will have stopped growing and they can be ringed safely. The gender reveal will be interesting and hey, what about the names?!
Their pin feathers are coming and Lou and Annie helped to shade but not brood all the time now.
Incubation continues at San Jose City Hall scrape.
Dulles-Greenway seems to be doing fine. A Turkey Vulture came to visit the nest tree late on Monday and the adults kept a close eye on it.
We are approximately one week away from hatch at the Cornell Red tail Hawk nest of Big Red and Arthur.
It is pip watch at Angel, the leucistic Red Tail Hawk’s nest! Tom is as anxious as we are!
Geemeff is hopeful that the dissolution of the initiative might actually lead to meaningful change in the area of raptor persecution in the Peak District. Gosh, I hope so! The criminal charges and fines have done nothing to stop the wanton killing of the Hen Harriers, for one.
The blog states: “Incidents of shooting, poisoning, trapping, nest destruction or the disappearance of satellite-tracked birds active within the Peak District have featured in every year of the initiative’s monitoring.
The National Park Authority believes that until these illegal activities are tackled, meaningful progress towards population increases in key species will not be possible.
Phil Mulligan, chief executive of the Peak District National Park Authority said: “It is with regret that we are closing the initiative after more than a decade of endeavours to safeguard our charismatic birds of prey that have a rightful place here in the National Park.”
Karl II and Kaia sleeping on the Black Stork nest in Estonia Monday night.
Good night, Telyn!
I am going to sign off and have a quiet dinner. The Dale Hollow situation is quite stressful especially with regard to DH18’s leg. I want so desperately to be hopeful and that someone will step forward and come up with a helicopter plan or a rehabber with experience that is also a good rock climber to get up the hill to the nest. We just can’t give up until we have tried everything. And I do mean actually tried to help the eaglets not sat in a room talking about it theoretically. We need action like we saw at Bald Canyon. Thank you for your continuing support for these efforts.
Take care everyone. I have not posted lots of incubating birds – it is like watching paint dry. There should be more eggs tomorrow and all of the goslings will have hatched. The moderator at the Goose cam, Buddy’s Mum, thinks the leap will be Wednesday. But might it be Tuesday afternoon? It depends on the timing of that last hatch. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, their tweets, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: Geemeff, ‘H’, ‘A’, ‘A from Tokyo’, ‘SP’, IWS and Explore.org, Jackie Brown and Bald Eagles Live Nest and Cams, DHEC, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest and Cams, Fortis Exshaw, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Decorah Goose Cam, Sharon Pollock and Decorah Goose Cam, Paul White and Webster, Texas Bald Eagles, Achieva Credit Union, Poole Harbour ospreys, Moorings Park Ospreys, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Cal Falcons, San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcons, Dulles-Greenway, Cornell RTH, Cornell Leucistic Hawk, Raptor Persecution UK, Eagle Club of Estonia, and Dyfi Osprey Project.
Good Morning to Everyone (or evening depending on where you live!),
It is Tuesday evening, as I write this, and the temperature is dropping on the Canadian Prairies. There was to be a drizzle, and the forecast is for three-day snow. I hope they are wrong! As a result, I did not stay inside. My motto is: do not put things off! If you feel good today, get up and go out if it works! There were two surprises at the nature centre. One was a fast-running Muskrat, and the other was a Wild Turkey. I do not have pictures of either. There were geese, ducks, and the usual feathered friends – the Goldfinches, the charming Chickadees, the Dark-eyed Juncos, and myriads of squirrels running everywhere. Even the frogs and garter snakes are waking up. It is, after all, supposed to be spring.
Jack and Harriet have their third egg at Dahlgren. ‘H’ clocked it at 02:00:43. Does it look like some of the garbage is off the nest? Oh, let’s hope! Thanks, ‘H’.
Just look at those beautiful eyes, wide open and round, of Annie and Lou’s little eyases. Precious. Everyone is eating!
Lou finally gets a chance to feed the chicks. ‘A’ notes, “By the time Annie comes in and takes over, the youngest (as usual, front and centre) has a crop! I just knew Lou would find the baby. What a sweetie. Annie, you can relax – he knows what he is doing and even removes the feathers properly instead of stuffing them into the chicks’ beaks. Good on you, dad. And he is certainly keeping the prey deliveries coming. Things will obviously get harder for him as these three grow but so far, he is keeping the pantry well stocked with fresh and well-prepared prey. Annie may have stumbled on a real keeper here.
Sweet little Eaglet at Decorah survived that snowstorm. It was a gorgeous Tuesday morning in Iowa for the hatchery family to awaken to.
Laundry baskets are becoming a must want item for many wildlife rehabbers. Have any good extra ones? Call and see if your local clinic could use them!
World Bird Sanctuary just posted a time line for Murphy, the Rock Baby, and the Eaglet.
Gabby and V3 were at The Hamlet working on the nest and just hanging out together today. They are a gorgeous couple. I sure hope M15 gets himself a ‘Gabby’!
Confirmation of the second egg at Foulshaw Moss comes on Tuesday from Polly Turner for White YW and Blue 35.
About once a year I remind all my readers about a conversation that I had with Tiger Mozone a number of years ago. I wanted to know what made a ‘good’ Osprey. I kid you not that was my question. How do you determine if the Osprey parents are what it takes to raise really good, healthy chicks. Our conversation ended with Tiger telling me to think about race horses, their breeding, and the winners they sired. It is the genetics not ‘the physical’ look of the bird. One of those incredible male birds was Monty at the Dyfi Nest in Wales. His return rate for children and grandchildren is huge…he is a winning breeder. Monty bred with Glesni from 2013-2017. In the chart below, you can see that of the 12 chicks Monty and Gleans had that fledged, five of them have been positively sighted and have returned. Of those, all but one are male (according to Emyr Evans’ records). Monty bred with Telyn (she is currently the mate of Idris and one of my favourite couples) from 2018-2019. Of their six chicks, three have returned. Sadly Hesgyn was found dead last year but he did return! That is a 50% return rate. Fantastic. Of all those returnees, all are males but 2 – hence the reason that you will often see the term, ‘Monty’s Boys’.
I am particularly fond of 2016 hatch Tegid Z1 that was the chick of Monty and Gleans. One of Z1’s chicks, Z5 is back. She is Monty’s granddaughter. She needs a great mate and a nest. Tegid’s brother, Z2 Aeron, has just had his first egg laid with mate Blue 014 at Port Cresor.
You might recall that it was Z1 Tegid on Aran’s nest at Glaslyn the other day telling his mate to get home! LOL.
Karl II continues to wait for Kaia. Oh, this makes me so sad. She was so close behind when she entered Ukraine. Has something happened?
In Webster, Texas, Ringo is still returning to the nest for food and rest.
Sure do miss Thunder and Akecheta! Glad they had two eaglets hatch this year. So wish we could watch them!
Both on the West End cam on Tuesday.
Gorgeous Thunder.
15 and the Es are still going strong in Fort Myers. The female intruder has visited the nest to steal prey from the babies and the Es continue to enjoy one another’s company and to make milestones. Thanks EJ for this link.
Beautiful Bety incubating the four eggs at Mlade Buky nest of Bukacek. You might recall that two years ago Bukachek’s mate was electrocuted on a hydro pole and he took care of the nestling storks with the help of the community. They fledged! Great Dad.
Gosh, Harry continues to deliver a lot of fish. It seems like every time I check Abby and Victor are being fed. That is, of course, fantastic. These two are busy flapping their wings and getting those legs strong.
Iris had another one of her whopper trout on the owl pole but it was really windy and then the raining snow came. Iris stayed for a few minutes and off she went to find a better place to enjoy her lunch. Oh, if you are wondering…Louis and Iris have connected, literally, several times. There will be eggs, no one to look after them, the Crows will get them, and then Iris will spend her summers being a lady of leisure eating lovely Montana trout and getting healthy. Love you, Iris.
Only on really slow speed could I begin to capture the pounding rain-snow pelting our Iris.
Mother Goose was eating snow. It has all melted and hopefully she got time to go and find some food for herself. The male geese will guard the area but do not bring food. She needs to go and forage in and around the water.
Both chicks ate well at the Achieva Osprey nest on Tuesday. They are flapping their wings and attempting to walk on those sticks.
River brought in three fish for DH17 and 18 on Tuesday. They are 47 and 48 days old today. It is looking good.
River looking out over the Obey River – hence the names of her and her mate, Obey, who has now been missing for far too long to be classified as missing.
This memory came up on FB. This year we watched M15 raise E21 and 22 while grieving for his mate Harriet, contending with intruders – both human and raptor. Several years ago, Decorah Mum cried for her mate until she could not vocalise anymore she was so hoarse. She raised her three eaglets in Iowa by herself. She was amazing. Three of them!
Charlie arrived at Charlo Montana Osprey Platform Tuesday at 1825. Both are home!
‘H’ reports that both Rs have been eating at the WRDC nest. “At the Dade county nest – R4 ate well for a total of about 35 minutes in two feedings yesterday. Prey was reduced at the nest, not as many feedings. R4 was not interested in eating when offered fish at 1855, but wouldn’t let R5 eat either, so Rose ate.”
Two great big eaglets at Duke Farms hopping and flapping those huge wings.
Those little bobbleheads melt your heart. The single eaglet at US Steel, USS6 is no exception!
‘A’ has reminded me to tell everyone that pip watch for Angel and Tom at the Leucistic Red-tail Hawk nest begins on Thursday!
Good Night, Big Red. It won’t be long til we are announcing your pip watch!
Another article on the importance of wetlands in the east of England but…it is not just there. The world needs a wetland system for our wildlife and our feathered friends. Wetlands need official protection. It ensures that they will survive despite changes in the mood of local politicians.
You might recall that Missy was reviewing a book, Water Babies. She loved the pictures but suggested that I would get upset by some of the text, including the part about Canada Geese. She asked me to pass on it! Too funny.
I have on the desk a couple of books – one that is a study of the use of birds during World War I and the other is about geese, The Meaning of Geese. Since spring has arrived, it might take me longer but I will get a good review out for you of the two.
Thank you so very much for being with me today. There are lots and lots of stories happening around the world. We are waiting for Ella to lay her second falcon egg in Winnipeg—poor thing. Hopefully, the winter weather will be gone when those babies hatch! Take care. We hope to have you with us soon!
Thank you so much to the following for their notes, observations, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped make up my blog today: ‘A’, ‘H’, ‘EJ’, Cal Falcons, Berkeley News, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, The Raptor Rescue Society, World Bird Sanctuary, NEFL-AEF, Polly Turner and Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, Welsh osprey and Loch Garden and Other Ospreys, Eagle Club of Estonia, Paul White and Webster TX Eagle Cam, IWS and Explore.org, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Mlade Buky, Moorings Park Ospreys, Decorah Goose Cam, Achieva Credit Union, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Sydney Wells and Bald Eagle Live Nest and Cams, Owl Research Institute, WRDC, Duke Farms, Cornell RTH, and The Guardian.
It was overcast and coolish, 1 C, in the early morning of Thursday. It felt like rain; we could use it, but the drops never came. The Dark-eyed Juncos are eating the Millet spread over the deck, the little woodpecker has been at the feeder, and 18 European Starlings showed up at about 1000. It is now noon. They should be happy. There is Bark Butter with Mealworms along with their favourite suet. Hoping they come back. Last year’s numbers were high for Starlings. Hoping it is the same this migration. People take them for granted, like Sparrows, but what happens when they are gone? They are under threat. So, this garden embraces them and the Sparrows; believe it or not, they all co-exist nicely for the most part. Right now, they all need food. Those long journeys and habitat loss in my area over the winter due to the ever-expanding need for humans to have more extensive houses means that we should all pitch in and feed them – if we can.
Snail mail. We don’t get so much of it anymore; it is always a welcome treat. Today the publications from Birdlife International and Living Bird were in the post. I realise that having them sent costs the environment. I hope they will be helpful in the future to others as they are going in dedicated binders.
Lots to learn. The National Whitebark Pine Restoration Plan members have worked for 14 years to get a plan to restore this tree species. They hope to have a tree with genetic resistance to white pine blister rust and they are really expecting the Clark’s Nutcracker to spread those seeds. It could help to restore many lost forests for the future. The Smithsonian now has a bird friendly chocolate certification programme to go along with their Birds and Beans coffee and Caffe Ibis Coffee. You can normally order from the Smithsonian. In Canada, coffee can be ordered directly from the roaster in Toronto. Some specialty bird feed providers also have one lb bags of coffee beans such as Preferred Perch in Winnipeg. What else did. learn? That both the Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks that visit my garden like Dark-eyed Juncos as prey items along with lots of House Sparrows, Mourning Doves, and Starlings. Cornell did a great study on what birds should actually be the State birds and only two states kept the ones that they celebrate: Louisiana with the Brown Pelican and Oklahoma with the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. In Manitoba, where I live our provincial bird would be the Connecticut Warbler. 33% of the entire population breeds here. Our provincial animal is currently the Great Grey Owl.
Heather Corfield at Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn has written a lovely blog dedicated to the memory of Mrs G, the formidable female Osprey that has populated the area. She laid 60 eggs and fledged 52 chicks. She has at least 130 grand-chicks along with countless great-grand chicks. She had only two mates, Ochre 11 (98) to 2015 and then our dear Aran since then. She bred at Glaslyn for 19 years and was the oldest UK Osprey. It is a good read about a very remarkable bird. As Heather says, we knew the day would come. She was at least 23-24 years old – but it doesn’t make it any easier. Mrs G did not return from migration and it is unknown when and where she died.
Does get much cuter than fluffy little Peregrine Falcon eyases! OK. Big Red, yes, I do love Red-tail Hawk eyases the most!!!!!! Annie giving the two nestlings at Cal Falcons their first feeding at 0720 on Thursday morning.
There were two adorable little white white fluff balls with no egg shell present.
No shell but a visible crack in the one shell to the left.
Now Annie looking rather mischievous…and there is a half shell on the scrape. Looks like we have hatch 3.
Annie turned around at 11:53 and moved the shell and you can see a tiny wet pink eyas.
The reveal and Lou gets to see that his family has just grown some more. Best be out there hunting, Lou!
Later…the new hatch will be ready for some prey tomorrow! It is less than five hours old in the following images.
These eyases will grow dramatically from their hatch to fledging. Think 40 days. At first, their eyes are closed except when food begging; the eyes open like slits. By the fifth day, their eyes will be fully open all the time except when they are sleeping and they can focus and see clearly.
At that time their weight will have doubled from when they hatched! I am such a fan of falcons and hawks…you will be overwhelmed with ‘baby pictures’.
‘A’ says, “Little Lou is enjoying being a dad. As soon as Annie decides to take a prey gift for herself, he’s onto those chicks and the remaining egg. I wonder if he is counting. Does he notice that these well-behaved eggs are progressively being swapped out for these small fluffy wriggling things. He’s doing such a good job of covering everything and everyone he needs to, at least so far… That won’t last long, especially if that last egg hatches.”
Do you know how Peregrine Falcons get such amazing colours to their eggs? Here is the answer from the Chicago Peregrine Program:
“As an egg moves down the female’s oviduct it presses against glands that produce colored pigments. Peregrine egg colors range from pale creamy to a dark rusty brown. Marking patterns develop by if the eggs are in motion or not when they reach the glands with pigment. If the Peregrine egg is stationary at the time when it comes in contact with the glands, it’ll become spotted. If the egg was in motion, it would have streaks. Because the egg can continue to gain color down the oviduct, and as the egg can rotate slightly while it moves, you can have color laid over where color was already added.The pigments in the glands become depleted with each successive egg laid. Looking at this egg set from The Field Museum, we would estimate the egg on the far right was laid first, while the one on the far left came last.”
Falcons are either laying eggs or have hatches…it is so much fun. Seriously if you have never watched a falcon scrape you need to start! Everyone eats! The incidence of sibling rivalry/siblicide is so diminished compared to ospreys and eagles. You will be astonished.
The Michigan Spartan scrape box has four eggs!
Oh, and then there are the most gorgeous osplets with their juvenile feathers at Moorings Park eating breakfast. Gosh, they are all beautiful.
Oh, and Idris preparing a fish for Telyn Blue 3J at the Dyfi Osprey platform in Wales. The anticipation of the first egg is growing.
And….
we have two first eggs – at Dyfi and at Llyn Clywedog! Telyn laid her egg at 17:40 with Seren coming in twelve minutes later at 17:53. Congratulations!
Telyn – congratulations to one of my most favourite couples, Idris and Telyn!
Idris sees their egg!
Beautiful Seren Blue 5F. 17:53:20.
Dylan had been up on the perch since 0615 expecting an egg today so he was there when the big event happened.
Just look at that beautiful pristine landscape. What wonderful places these Welsh ospreys have for their platforms!
Several have wondered why there are not more osprey platforms in the Glaslyn Valley. Well, there was Aran and Mrs G’s platform. Then another platform was placed just at the boundary of Port Cresor which is now occupied by Aeron Z2 (2017 Monty and Gleans) and Blue 014. At the time, some believed the placement was to ‘steal’ Mrs G from Glaslyn. There has certainly been a lot of interest in the Glaslyn nest from Monty and Glesni’s boys that hatched at Dyfi including Z1, Aeron’s full brother, Tegid (2016, Monty and Gleans). He briefly appeared on the nest. Did he steal the female’s fish? His nest is ON4 on private property. Is there a move to consolidate Monty’s family holdings in Glaslyn now that Aran is trying to establish himself with a new mate? Aran got Tegid moving!
Tegid is the 2016 hatch of Monty and Gleans and was known as ‘The White Egg’. He was harassed by Blue 24 (female) if I recall. Good to see you Tegid. Now go home to Snowdonia!!!!!
Aran flapping after sending off Tegid. Sadly, the whole event sent the nice female off and she hasn’t been seen on the nest on Friday. Aran was sky dancing to another female, a more aggressive one to him.
Ringo fledged at the Webter, Texas Bald Eagle nest near Houston but, s/he has continued to return to the nest for food lured by parents. Thursday was no exception. This is fantastic. These parents are teaching Ringo exactly the sane way that M15 is teaching the Es to survive independently. Great mantle, Ringo! Looks like a big girl to me.
There are two eggs at the Golden Eagle nest in Romania. Siblicide is common in Golden Eagle nests so watch this nest with that warning.
The cam operator at Cornell Bird Lab gave us some incredible close up images of Big Red today. It will not be long until hatch watch for her and Arthur.
She is incredibly beautiful, our 20 year old Red-tail Hawk ‘Queen’.
Achieva and Dale Hollow: River brought in a nice fish at 10:22 Thursday morning. Despite the intruder close by, River fed both eaglets well. Yes!
DH18 decided to do some self-feeding on the last of the fish bone. Way to go little one.
DH17’s wing span!
A view of the Obey River.
Both osplets at Achieva had crops during the 0800 fish feed! Good news.
The three eaglets at PA Farm Country are growing and doing very well, indeed. No issues at this nest to report.
Gabby and V3 might not have had a nest of eaglets this year but they are positively delighted being with one another and I am looking forward to November next year when, hopefully, they will lay a clutch of eggs for the first time together.
I have been watching the Dulles-Greenway nest reasonably close. On Thursday by late afternoon, all I could see were two short feedings with the third hatch not getting anything at the second. Are there intruders about? or am I missing feedings?
All looks well at the Pittsburgh-Hayes Bald Eagle nest.
The eaglet at US Steel is 8 days old.
Cholyn and Chase’s single hatch this season is not going to go hungry. The nest is loaded with a variety of prey items for this chubby little fluff ball.
In Estonia, Karl II waits for the arrival of his mate, Kaia, at their Black Stork nest in the Karula National Forest. Karl II arrived yesterday from migration. Kaia is close behind.
There are some dates that you should mark on your calendar. The first one is a day that many of you will not recognise – National Curlew Day which is the 21st of April on the feast day of St Brueno, the patron saint of Curlews. The species is critically-endangered in many places around the world because of modern agricultural politics, climate change, habitat encroachment. Instead of me telling you about Curlews, read about them. Find ou what their status is where you live. These lovely shore birds migrate and they need wetlands, they need not to be shot! See what you can do to help in your area.
The other two days are about bird counts. 13 May. Mark it on your calendar. It is Global Big Day that helps us celebrate the birds that are in our environment. The second event is World Migratory Bird Day which is held twice a year to celebrate the marvellous journeys our birds make in the spring and fall. Please sign up to eBird to help track the birds and to see where help is needed. Last year 51,455 birds worldwide entered their statistics from 201 countries for 7,673 bird species.
Many of you have pets or have had in the past. Did you take them to the crematorium? Did you leave them with the Vet if they had to be euthanised? Last year we saw dumped pets euthanised in several landfills around the Minneapolis area.
This could not have been an isolated incident, but it came to light only because of the Bald Eagles eating the carrion found at the dump and having to go into rehab. Reports have come that a similar incident happened in the Pacific-Northwest in the Cowlitz district in Washington from one of our readers. Why are we hearing about this? Has there been a change in human behaviour during and after the pandemic? Did pet crematoriums close so that vets are left dealing with animals left in their charge? What can be done? If your pet is sick, you should learn how your vet clinic disposes of the body. That should be a priority. Are they assigning these animals to another business that should be disposing of them correctly but is dumping them? It is entirely possible that these contractors are not following laws or protocols. Ask. The vets’ drugs can cause our carrion eaters – Crows, Vultures, Bald Eagles, etc. – to get ill and die. This is not a good situation. Talk to your local wildlife rehab clinic and veterinary surgeon if you want to help and do not have pets. They might not be aware!
A sad story coming from Arkansas in the US. What’s with the need to kill other living beings? I do not get it.
Thank you so much for being with me. Take care all. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, news, and streaming cams that helped inform my blog today: ‘A’, ‘B’, Heather Corfield and Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Chicago Peregrine Program, Olga Kysil and Orange, Australia Peregrine Falcons, Moorings Osprey, Dyfi Osprey, CarnyXWild, Paul White and the Webster TX Eagles, Associate Wild Bucovina, Cornell RTH Cam, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Achieva Credit Union, PA Game Commission, NEFL-AEF, Dulles-Greenway, PIX Cam, IWS and Explore.org, Eagle Club of Estonia, and CBS News.
Oh, Monday was a gorgeous day on the Canadian Prairies. The boots went on and off I went in search of American White Pelicans with a stop at Oak Hammock Marsh to check on the geese and swans and then on to the Red River to see where the pelicans were. I did not get a picture because I was driving but about 200 American White Pelicans flew over as I drove through an area of our city called Elmwood. They were heading to the open waters of the Red River that I had passed about ten minutes prior. What a sight. There were about 12 Canada Geese at the wetlands, along with 2 Tundra Swans and a Bald Eagle, and a host of Dark-eyed Juncos. Oh, yes, and always the Ring-billed Gulls. It was a lovely day to be outside!
It was also a delight to check on the birds. Except for the two concerning nests, all others appear to be doing well. That is a nice change from the reports last week during the storms.
Our first giggle of the day. Ervie. Our dear darling Ervie has been eating well. Look at his ps! Oh, isn’t it nice to see him.
Ospreys are hilarious. Having decided that it is good for us to start out with a positive event or a giggle, this one is sheer laughable and it is from Kielder. Please read the entire short report. you will not regret it. Click on the link below.
More great news. B16 has returned to his nest at Berry College after fledging. Yes! She is a magnificent eaglet. Pa Berry and Missy did a great job with this little one!
Bel-A-Donna caught that return flight on video for us.
The other good news is that Ringo has also returned to the Webster, TX Bald Eagle nest and is hanging around with the parents. Wow. This is great news along with B16 and the Es.
Update on Murphy and the eaglet from World Bird Sanctuary. Fingers crossed! It looks like things are going very well, indeed. How glad are we that they gave Murphy a chance to prove he can be a parent! Lucky little eaglet. Now that it is nearing ‘baby season’ in the northern areas, let us hope that other wildlife rehab centres might have good ambassadors to foster orphans.
Oh, there is more good news coming from World Bird Sanctuary. Murphy is no longer protecting his ‘rock baby’ but has changed his behaviour and is protecting the baby eaglet! Looking good.
The eaglet is doing well with it feedings! Hoping for a win-win everyone. Just look at his strong this eaglet is getting and note the eagle toy. I mentioned ‘baby season’ above. Many wildlife rehab centres are asking for donations for all the baby wildlife they will be getting in the coming months. We are having a fundraiser and an open day at our centre. Check our your local wildlife agency and see if you have anything they might need. You might be surprised at the range of items required including shallow wading pools! And soft plushies.
Rose is also doing a fantastic job with the eaglets. They had huge crops Monday morning to go along with their clown feet and those hilarious white Mohawk hair styles.
There is no shortage of fish or water at the Moorings Park Osprey nest. Abby and Victor are really getting their tail feathers. Gorgeous osplets. Put this nest on your list to watch for next year, too.
The iconic image of the season. E22 on the branch with M15.
Later 22 with M15 at the pond.
I think it is E22 swimming in the water. Remember he thinks he is a duck! But he also might think he can land on water like he can on the perch. Don’t think so, little one. Can’t wait to see either E try and pull a fish out of the pond for the first time.
Blue NC0 is not going to let Maya lay more eggs than her. On Monday 10 April both of our gals laid their third egg. Maya is the only one of the pair to ever lay four – she did that twice – and fledged four. We wait.
How many remember Lancer at Two Harbours last year? Look at its cute little sibling. So loved. I have a soft spot for these little eaglets that look like teddy bears with wings.
Annie and Lou had their first hatch in the late afternoon on Monday, 10 April. Wonder how quickly the other three eggs will hatch?
Annie is eating some of the eggshell. It will help her replenish the calcium her body lost in producing those four eggs.
Before hatch, Annie was talking to the chicks chirping inside the eggs!
Annie is not giving away much of that chick for viewing!
And then, Lou comes in with breakfast!
Jack and Harriet have their first egg at the Dahlgren Osprey platform in Virginia.
At Achieva, jack brought in a flounder and both of the osplets ate til they were full. Barbara Snyder notes that he was chased to the nest by an intruder wanting that fish. It is difficult with the fishing areas drying up and mouths to feed.
Despite intruders trying to steal her food and bad weather, River was able to bring three fish to the nest on Monday for DH17 and DH18. They were fed nicely. River has a huge job to do – there are lots of eagles around that will take the food she gets and she also has to guard the nest. Send positive wishes. A day at a time. She is trying her best!
And now for a bit of a change. One of our readers, ‘MB’ travelled to Rutland today and has graciously shared her photographs with all of us along with some very interesting news. Thank you so much, MB.
This is the view of the perch and the nest of Rutland’s Blue 33 and Maya who now have three eggs in their nest.
Maya and Blue 33 are both on the nest.
Just look at that amazing perch next to the nest provided for the ospreys.
There is also a perch directly above the nest. My goodness. There are so many osprey nests without one perch. This is wonderful.
This is Mum Maya taking a break in the water below her nest.
Blue 33 returns to the nest after chasing off an intruder. Even here, where there is much water, the ospreys can get harassed.
MB’ reports: “There are two hides offering views of the Osprey (plus loads of other hides). There’s video of the Osprey nest in the main visitor centre, and in the first of the Osprey view hides. There’s also a dedicated “Osprey warden”, working in shifts between sun up and sundown, monitoring the behaviour you can’t see on the cams, and supporting visitors. The wider nature reserve has some stunning hides.” If you live in the UK or are travelling there, put Rutland Water on your list of things to do. You will not regret it!
Megan also mentioned a local fish hatchery. She said, “The Osprey warden also mentioned this place – unaffiliated with the project. It’s a local trout fishery that was losing significant stock to the osprey. They covered most of their ponds, but have left one open for the osprey and installed a photographic hide – so they are making income from photographers to make up for income lost to the osprey’s fishing. Good example of working in combination with nature.” It is the River Gwash Trout Farm. Isn’t this wonderful. More places around the world including the fish farms in South American, during the winter migration, might benefit from such a cooperative stance.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, photographs, tweets, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘MB’ for so generously sharing her trip to Rutland, Christine Georgillu and Friends of Osprey Sth Australian, Kielder Forest, Bel-A-Donna and Berry College, Paul White and Webster TX Eagles, World Bird Sanctuary, WRDC, Moorings Park Ospreys, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida and D Pritchett, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, IWS and Explore.org, Cal Falcons, Barbara Snyder and Achieva Osprey, and Dale Hollow Eagle Cam.
Thank you for all your letters and holiday wishes. Each was very much appreciated. It is so kind of you to think of me!
It is 1800 Sunday evening, and my garden is teeming with Dark-eyed Juncos and House Sparrows. Mr Blue Jay has been for a visit, as has Little Red and Dyson & Gang. I can hear the Crows in the distance as gulls fly overhead. It is remarkable how spending time in the light or stepping away from a nest for 24 hours can refresh your mind and body. Missy and Lewis have voted that I write the blog in the conservatory where there is light! It was not that long ago that 1800 would have meant darkness. Twenty-six Ring Billed Gulls flew over like they do every dusk from spring through to fall when they depart. On the Red River Flyway, more than 400 American White Pelicans flew north. Spring is wonderful!
Both Mr and Mrs Downy came to the garden several times today. They always come right before dusk, no matter how many visits they have made earlier. I am a wee bit sloppy about getting the suet into the holes, but, hey, they seem not to be annoyed.
e-Bird reports from Saturday said that the Dark-eyed Juncos were arriving in our province. On Sunday, more than two dozen were in the garden flitting about. Oh, how grand. Just love these little ones.
The first Hibiscus blossom of the year arrived yesterday! So far, Lewis and Missy have left it alone. They often like to sleep in this pot after I water them. I never knew cats loved the water so much!
Correction: The GHO strike on the Es took place NOT during the day. Lady Hawk’s time fooled me and ‘A’. Thanks, ‘H’ for the head’s up! It seemed so unlikely but, there have been battles with eagles and owls during the day time. The first that comes to mind is Bonnie and Clyde taking the nest from the young eagle couple at Farmer Derek’s three years ago.
We are one day away from hatch watch at Cal Falcons and only Annie and Lou know if they can hear those little eyases chirping away getting ready to burst out of those shells. Mark your calendar! While we have been told that the 11th is probably hatch day here are some figures from Cal Falcons based on past hatch times.
Annie and Lou have made the LA Times! Well done.
Remember! There will be the annual Q & A session and celebration on YouTube with Cal Falcons on the 11th. Here is the information.
Wonder what it feels like to lay that first egg? A very young male still has his juvenile plumage and probably a first-time young female falcon at San Jose City Hall. SK Hideaways caught their reaction to their first egg! Please watch this super-edited video. It gives us some insight!
The female appears to later ‘shade’ the egg.
The young couple bond in their scrape. We wait to see how all this plays out.
Our young dad is ready to feed his baby – even in the shell! This is going to be very interesting!
There were two fledges on Sunday. B16 from Berry College and Ringo from the Webster Texas nest. Congratulations!
There are five eggs at the Manchester, New Hampshire, scrape! The couple has been together for 9 years, and last year they hatched and fledged five. ‘SP’ says the chicks are banded but the male and female are simply known as Mum and Dad. Here is the link to their camera and there are the five from last season. Adorable.
There is nothing more adorable than little pink beaks reaching up from white fluffy bodies to be fed.
