As most of you know, I write my blog the afternoon and evening prior to the morning I publish it. I have had countless letters and notes today and a couple of comments wondering why isn’t anyone searching for Harriet. I do not know who began spreading the idea that there was no one looking for Harriet. Harriet is one of the most famous Bald Eagles in the world. She is beloved by the Pritchett family and thousands and thousands of watchers. She is known throughout Fort Myers. All of the news media – papers, radio, and TV news have covered the story of Harriet missing. People have been out searching. Here is one story that is carried about those searches.
Saturday was one of the most heart-wrenching days I have spent monitoring a single nest while trying to keep up with some of the others. We are all sad. You are, I am, the Pritchett’s are. My thoughts have gone to M15 who is actively grieving for his mate and yet, has the responsibility for their last two eaglets. He brought in a fish big enough for all three to eat well this morning but, as we all know, 22 ate it all. 21 got little as I document below. It pulls at our heart. M15 will look after these children as best he can. He has other responsibilities too – while not knowing what has happened to Harriet. It is a very different situation to Gabby who had no eaglets on the nest. We do not know what will happen if 21 continues to keep 22 from eating. There are many scenarios at play with lots of people behind the scenes trying to figure out what is the best thing to do. All I know is that the Pritchett family cares deeply for its eagles. They have a stocked pond for them. They got help for 17 and 18’s eyes immediately. Those eagles are part of their extended family. If anyone can pull a Rabbit out of a Hat, the Pritchett’s can working together with CROW and the USFWS. The best place for the eaglets is on the nest with their dad, M15. I hope that there is a sudden change in 21 because 22 needs food and it is scared of its stronger and larger sibling. At the same time, M15 will, as eagles do, feed the beak that is at the table. I live in the hope that something good will happen.
I spent my Saturday on and off the SWFlorida Eagle Cam. All of the other nests appear to be fine. It is agonising to watch 22 being so hungry, digging through the nest for scraps when 21 has been fed well and has kept its little sibling from being fed by M15. 22 was able to get enough off the bones and fish by itself to get a small crop. I want 22 is a survivor like Tiny Tot Tumbles and Blue 464. Certainly 22 is as afraid of eating as TTT was…we just have to hope. The good news and celebration is down in Miami with Rose and Ron. And well, the fact that everyone else is doing well including Zoe who has a perch above a creek makes everyone happy. The first part of my blog is a long overview of SWFlorida today. Then I move into the other nests and all the great news happening elsewhere.
The temperatures are climbing on the Canadian Prairies with the Polar Vortex moving away. There is little wind. The squirrels were out in the garden enjoying a good feed.
You can see some of the snow falling. Dyson is on top heading for a solid seed cylinder while one of her babies is enjoying Black Oil Seed and some Butter Bark Bites.
M15 flew in with a large fish with its head on at 12:15:04 on Saturday. E21 was first up and did not hold back keeping its younger sibling in submission. As it ate and ate, E22 sort of shifted, keeping its head down, hoping there might be some fish left. E21 as I write has been feeding for a long time. M15 constantly looking around, keeping what is going on in the surrounding environment in his head. 21 is getting some huge bites. If you were watching – and thousands are – you will see that 22 finally moved up and got a bite – before 21 reached out to peck it. M15 left the nest and the rest of the fish.
E21 has been eating for at least 30 minutes and has a huge crop. M15 does a good job feeding his eaglet amidst all the other worries he has.
M15 waited for 22 to come over. 21 is stuffed and appears to be ready to go into food coma. 22 is looking.
The famous two bites of fish for 22.
At 13:03, just as 22 was set to eat, 21 goes on the attack.
M15 flies off. He is very preoccupied with the intruders into his territory. Don’t blame him! It is difficult to care for the eaglets, secure food, and secure the air space around the nest.
n the midst of his own personal grieving, M15 is taking care of his eaglets and his territory. He is an extraordinary dad and he will do the best he can BUT he cannot pull 22 up to the table to eat. There might be some tactics he could use but he has a lot on his plate and has no mate to help him.
The story continues with E22 finding fur and an old fish tail in the nest and self-feeding. Now get over to the new fish, 22. You got this!
E21 is aroused and is practically sleeping on the fresh fish..
22 creeps over with the fish tail towards the fresh fish and 21 strikes. This reminds me of Tiny Tot Tumbles. TTT ate the old food on the nest and survived until a time when the parent fed her secretly after dark when the other two slept. Fingers crossed that 22 can get a piece of that fish…there are two sections, the body and tail and the head. Plenty for both eaglets. A22 is desperately trying to self-feed. He just doesn’t have the technique down…hold it down with your talons and pull hard, 22!
E21 went back and 22 continued to work on the fish tail. He has gotten some fish off it – even a few bites helps. Every bite helps.
Then 21 took the fish tail. That was a moment when I felt someone had just hit me in the gut. How could he deny 22 that small morsel of fish? He took it and then just left it.
22 finally got over to the fresh fish and began picking at the head – not the open part – without success.
Then M15 flew to the nest at 14:18:39. I wonder if he saw 22 at the fish wanting food? But leave it to 21 – who is still bursting – to go up and begin pecking 22. Sad. Will 22 get some food?
It is possible we need another fish on this nest…22 is still not getting any and 21 is bursting at the crop. Sometimes if another fish comes on in rapid succession and if the parent won’t give up, the second submissive eaglet gets to eat. You have seen this at other nests. M15 doesn’t have the time to get out and get another fish. We are fortunate he was able to catch that big one this morning.
M15 flew off the nest at 14:49. 21 is in food coma (thank goodness). 22 moves over to self-feed. He found some scraps and is working on a piece. This is good. If M15 flew down now would 21 wake up? or would 22 get fed? We don’t know the answer to that but 22 is getting some flakes of fish. As I said earlier, even small amounts of fish help and we know that 22 ate some of the old fur and dried up rabbit. Bald Eagles eat anything and everything. As an adult, they will eat fur and bones and hard pieces of food to survive if they need to. IF 22 survives, he has been learning some good lessons on this nest for his future. I do hope he does but, it is not a given based on what is happening.
22 pecks and finds some bites until 21 wakes up and comes to investigate at 14:57 when it beaks little sib. 21’s crop is huge.
At 15:39 E22 broke into an area of the fish with flakes…can he get enough to fill up?
At 15:46, E22 could be heard singing, “I Did It My Way” as the little sibling had found enough scraps on the nest and the fish – he is really not that good at self-feeding but 22 worked at it – and he had a small crop. A round of applause. This is the face of a survivor.
It is 18:08, M15 is guarding the territory. He has brought in one large fish and did 3 feedings. Or was it 4? 21 got all of the them but a couple of bites while 22 ate scraps on the nest.
We must prepare ourselves. It is possible that only one eaglet will survive with Harriet’s absence. It is difficult raising eaglets – this size – alone – and I also believe we must accept that Harriet is not returning. If 21 were willing to let 22 get a good feed, I might feel different. But 21 is not willing to share. We wait. We Hope. There is absolutely nothing else we can do as we have no idea what discussions are taking place in the quiet corners of the Pritchett Farm, CROW offices, and USFWS. We know the situation is being monitored and we know that there is a search for Harriet.
Making News:
PG&E backs down from cutting down old pine with a nest to a pair of Bald Eagles. Thank goodness the eagles returned to the nest when they did or the outcome would have been different!
Oh, I wish I lived in Iowa! Do you know anyone who might be interested?
If this doesn’t turn someone’s stomach. What was practised in the UK’s historical past has met up with a society that no longer finds this acceptable. When will the enforcers step up and do what is right? Raptor Persecution UK reports on this tragedy:
The rotting carcasses of shot pheasants, ducks and geese have been found today, dumped on the Otley Wetlands Nature Reserve in West Yorkshire.
Morgan Caygill (@atypicalbirder) posted the following on Twitter this afternoon:
From the grisly photograph it’s clear that at least some of these birds have been ‘breasted’ (i.e. the breast meat has been removed, presumably for consumption).
It’s not clear whether the birds were all shot on the nature reserve or whether they had been shot elsewhere and just dumped on the reserve. It seems unlikely that bird shooting would be permitted on this award-winning reserve as it’s previously been celebrated as a ‘safe haven for wildlife’ (here).
Even if shooting is permitted here, however, the dumping of shot bird corpses would not be permitted. It’s an especially stupid and reckless thing to do given the ongoing concerns about the spread of avian flu.
Regular blog readers will know that the dumping of shot gamebirds is not a new phenomenon, it’s been happening up and down the country for years, prior to this latest outbreak of avian flu: e.g. in Cheshire, Scottish borders (here), Norfolk (here), Perthshire (here), Berkshire (here), North York Moors National Park (here) and some more in North York Moors National Park (here) and even more in North Yorkshire (here), Co. Derry (here), West Yorkshire (here), and again in West Yorkshire (here), N Wales (here), mid-Wales (here), Leicestershire (here), Lincolnshire (here), Somerset (here), Derbyshire’s Peak District National Park (here), Suffolk (here), Leicestershire again (here), Somerset again (here), Liverpool (here), even more in North Wales (here) even more in Wales, again (here), in Wiltshire (here) in Angus (here), in Somerset again (here) and once again in North Yorkshire (here).
‘Shoot managers must ensure they have appropriate arrangements in place for the sale or consumption of the anticipated bag in advance of all shoot days‘.
The Code of Good Shooting Practice is, however, in effect, just advice. It has no legal standing and is unenforceable. It’s handy for the shooting industry to point to it as ‘evidence’ that the industry is capable of self-regulation but it’s not really worth the paper it’s written on if shoot managers can breach it without consequence, as they so often do.
Last year, almost a year to the day, after yet another episode of dumped shot game birds, there was an exchange in the House of Lords where game bird shooter and DEFRA Minister Lord Benyon denied that there was evidence of shot gamebirds being dumped (I know!) and Lord Newby, having seen the evidence provided by this blog, stated he would pursue Benyon to find out what plans the Government had for dealing with it (see here). Unfortunately nothing ever came of that but in December 2022 Green Peer Natalie Bennett said she’d chase it up with Benyon.
Raptor Persecution UK Blog, 4 February 2023
At our nests:
Well, everyone was waiting and most people thought it wouldn’t happen but Rose laid her first egg at the WRDC nest with her new mate, Ron. Congratulations to everyone at WRDC and thanks to ‘H’ who warned me that Rose might be in labour. While I will question the wisdom of raising eaglets so late in the season with the heat, the saying ‘Eagles know best’ is appropriate here. Time: 18:22:10.
Ron has not seen his egg as I finish writing this (2300 Saturday evening). He will, no doubt, be elated in the morning!
HeidiM caught the action on video for us. Thanks ‘H’. Does anyone think Rose looks like she is in shock? Remember this will be the first egg she has ever laid…and her very first chick. Ron is experienced…so happy for him. The pair were so cute working on the nest – all that effort is now paying off.
Pardon me for being me…but I hope that they have one healthy little eaglet to care for this first year – not two or three, just one super healthy chick.
Baiba caught Ron’s reaction! Thanks, ‘H’ for telling me about this video.
Little B16 celebrates its two week old hatch! What a little sweet butterball of a baby.
Pa Berry feeds his baby some squirrel. Two weeks. Notice those black spots…thermal down is coming and our soft little butterball of a baby is going to change.
Connick had a good day. That eaglet is a little butterball like B16. Some people would say he looks like a Buddha sitting there. Notice that gorgeous wooly charcoal thermal down and the way the dandelions form almost a hooded cape over the little fellow. I keep saying….there is something nice about one eaglet on a nest!
Rhona A did an amazing little video clip of Alex bringing in the 15 fish yesterday – I missed the last one. 15. No worries about anyone going hungry on this nest. Lots of fish for self-feeding. Would love to send one or two of these over to SWFlorida or to Zoe.
Valentine and Nugget (yes, that is the official name for 02) are great. There is so much fish on that nest no one knows where to start eating and feeding. Did I saw I wish we could dump about 5 of them on the nest at SWFlorida? That would stop all the food insecurity for 21!
Next Friday, voting will begin for Anna and Louis’s third hatch in their three years together. Be sure to stop in and vote! Give this little one a super name.
Oh, if you are wondering what 03 is doing – well, it is incubating Dudley. 03 often sits on Dudley and we might need a backpack for 03 to fledge with Dudley if the affection continues. If you watch this nest, keep an even on 03’s behaviour. Sometimes Dudley is between his legs when he is being fed. So cute.
And there are no worries about Indigo. Indigo is still in Diamond and Xavier’s territory and was in the scrape screaming in Elain’s highlights for 4 February.
For all you Redding Eagle fans, there is some action at the nest caught by SK Hideaways.
Zoe is apparently fine. She is alive and this is the latest announcement by Fran Solly of Friends of Osprey. Thanks, ‘H’ for the tip that the tracking had come in!
Fran Solly says that Zoe has a perch over the water. Smart girl our Zoe.
The latest news shows images of where Zoe has been fishing. You know, she is a smart girl! Here is the announcement and one of the images. Sure makes you feel better. I wonder if these creeks aren’t full due to the flooding???? Anyone know?
What I would really like right now is an update on Ervie. Let me go and check to see if there is one and, yes, one from a couple of days ago. Ervie is still hanging around Port Lincoln!
Everything is fine at Superbeaks. The eaglets are self-feeding and being fed by Mum and Dad.
Jackie and Shadow are good except for the Ravens/Crows that you can hear at various times when you are watching the streaming cam. We are now 10 days away from pip watch for Jackie and Shadow. I am so glad these eagles have spaced out their eggs and hatch days a bit! Then we can enjoy the little ones at each nest a little longer. What a switch from the heat in Miami to the cool mountains of California with snow.
Do you watch the Bluff City, Tennessee Bald Eagle Nest? Frances laid her first egg of the season with her new mate on the 2nd of February. If there is a second egg, it should arrive today. Her new mate brings her a huge fish to celebrate —– gosh, Ron, did you hear that? Will you bring Rose a big fish, too?
Here is the link to this Eastern Tennessee University eagle cam:
It has been a long and tiring day for everyone. Last year was an exceptionally difficult one and this year has started off no different with the loss of Samson and Alden right at the end of 2022. I cannot imagine Harriet returning to the nest. ‘Something’ has happened to her and we might never know what that was. She was a devoted mother. She was much loved and no doubt we will mourn her later but, for now, it is that helpless feeling. Send positive wishes to the SWFlorida Eagle nest – M15 and 21 and 22 and the Pritchett Family. It is a difficult time for all of them.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, their announcements, tweets, posts, videos, and streaming cams: ‘H’, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Terry Carman and Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, Raptor Persecution UK, WRDC, Heidi Mc and the WRDC, Baiba and the WRDC, Berry College Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, SK Hideaways and the Redding Eagles, Fran Solly and Friends of Osprey, Port Lincoln Osprey, Superbeaks, FOBBV, and ETSM and BTES.
Remember to head over to the streaming cam of Kistachie National Forest Bald Eagle Nest E3 to vote on 02’s name! Here are the choices…let’s make sure little one gets a great name!
I saw this and simply had to share it with everyone. Or maybe it isn’t that funny. I do love Condor humour!
Making News:
Little Boots is 20 days old today. He looks so young. With good care and good food, he will catch up we hope.
Just look at that sweet face. Little Boots is in care. As everyone noticed, he was extremely weak in the nest. Let us hope that he can be stabilised and that apparent feet and leg deformities can be repaired by the loving folks down in Houston at the Wildlife Center of Texas.
Here is the posting. I would like to draw your attention to “nest cam footage showed him to be struggling to sit up and move around in the nest, impairing his chances for survival.” There is the perfect wording to get help for an eagle on a nest that is not thriving. I am impressed. Nothing caused by a human just good old compassion and perhaps some monofilament line in that egg cup.
If you are interesting in donating for little Boots care, please do so. Here is the information. I went on line and went to their website: Wildlife Centre of Texas. It was quick and easy. Go Boots!
A British Columbia juvenile Bald Eagle got itself into some mischief and is being flown to OWL.
Continuing with the issues raised in the movie The Albatross, young people are doing amazing drawings. Will this make them better environmental citizens? How many of us can take a pledge to stop using plastic? Let’s try it. Maybe it will catch on like a bad cold.
‘A’ wondered what it would take to get rid of those plastic gyros in the oceans. Certainly people have tried various methods. And we know from The Flight of the Osprey that countries are having a hard time dealing with plastic…so, let’s just not buy anything with plastic. Do it a day at a time. It is frightening what we have done with our oceans. I remember when I first moved to Southern Manitoba eons ago and I wanted to purchase a cream separator. People laughed. They were hard to clean and they just shoved them down the river bank. I kid you not. Out of sight, out of mind — like the oceans.
In my province, groups are joining forces around Brandon to build nesting boxes for Bluebirds! Wow. What a great idea.
Some of you will remember that the adult Ospreys were chased off their platform at the Cape Henlopen State Park last year. The male was killed. The female appears, from the announcement, to be alive. The three osplets starved to death on the nest in front of viewers and were carried off by the intruders. It was a tragedy that tore our hearts out. Well, there is a new platform going up!
And yet another story about lead poisoning. Seriously lead is something that could happen rather quickly if there was a will. Continue to lobby everyone you can. Take 15 minutes or 30 minutes one day and send an e-mail to your elected officials. Get others to join in. Tell them no more lead. And how about adding plastic to that, too?
Now something to give us hope. A good news story about a Bald Eagle in rehab for 6 months being released. YES!
Zoe continues to explore the area around Mt Hope. She has also started heading south…will she return to the barge? That would be a bit crazy. Let us all hope she is finding her wings and some fish!
Checking on the nests:
I do not see any Osprey eggs at either Achieva or Captiva on Thursday.
At the Captiva Eagle nest, little Connick is such a darling.
Oh, just look at these later images. Connick really likes to spread out and sleep….and two proud parents!
What a great image of the three – Clive, Connie, and Connick.
At 16:55 Connick had a huge crop!
It looks like the parents are smiling at Connick with his almost ready to pop crop. Their baby has grown and thrived.
There must be a fishing contest at the lake near Superbeaks. It is only mid-afternoon and PePe has brought in 8 fish! Yes, you read that correctly. 8 fish to the nest for Pearl and Tico (and of course, the rest of the family, Mum Muhlady). PePe you better eat some of these fish if you aren’t eating the heads!
It’s a gorgeous day out in California at Jackie and Shadow’s nest. The question of the day was: What was the name of Jackie’s former mate? Do you know? It was Mr B. Shadow landed on the nest and wanted the nest and Jackie and wouldn’t leave — Shadow got them both! That was 2018 after Jackie and Mr B’s fledgling, Stormy, had flown. The three of them could not persuade Shadow to leave…oh, you gotta love this guy.
Do you realise that pip watch will begin on 15 February? That is only 12 days away!!!!!!!!!!!
Are Harriet and M15 moving E21 and 22 into another phase of training to be an independent eagle? No good food left on the nest just what looks to be pieces of a dried up catfish. 22 was pecking on that. Then sadly, 22 got up to the table first with 21 moving up and 22 went into submission. Things seem terribly wrong on this nest but, it is Harriet and M15. They are pros and they want their eaglets to thrive. So are we to think of this lack of food and little pieces as a teaching moment? Not every day will see a full crop. But, let’s do keep an eye. It is worrying a lot of people.
You can see the primary feathers coming in on that outstretched wing. Note the milky transparent tube – the quill – that holds the blood feather. One of the reasons that eaglets preen so much is to release the feather from that transparent quill.
Now we all know that 22 is a bit of a stinker…let’s watch and see what Harriet and M15 do tomorrow. Certainly no peace today and 22 was crying for food and hoping to get some that M15 brought in. In fact, every time that 22 even tried to eat that old dried fish, 21 started beaking its younger sibling. 22 is quick to go into submission. So what has set 21 off? Is it the lack of food on the nest? Again, let us see what tomorrow brings. Harriet has never lost an eaglet. Never. In fact, there could be a windfall of food on the nest tomorrow – just like there is in the wild – some days there is too much food and for many others, nothing.
Ah, there is food this morning, Friday. Both Es have a crop. 21 ate first with 22 in submission and then 22 was fed and had a nice crop. Let us all take a big sigh of relief.
Lady Hawk caught 22 walking Thursday – hey, a giant step!
Gabby and V3 are a gorgeous couple. 18:24 Thursday evening on the nest together.
And last another Canadian story but not about Bluebirds this time…it is from David Hancock and the Surrey Bald Eagle Nest. Two new bonded eagles working with a meal and a stick. Have another laugh as we wait to hear how Boots is doing.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, tweets, announcements, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: ‘A’ Sherri van Syckel and California Condor Recovery Group, KNF, Wildlife Centre of Texas, Heather Simms and the Webster Texas Eagle Watchers, Terry Carman and the Bald Eagle Live Nest Cams and News, Joyce Hartmann and the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels, Brandon Sun, Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park, MLive.com, JET/FOX/YourErie, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Achieva Credit Union, Window to Wildlife, Superbeaks, FOBBV, SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, NEFL Bald Eagles and the AEF, and the Dave Hancock Wildlife Foundation.
Since the posting of my blog earlier this morning, good news has come in for Zoe. She is in phone range and her transmitter is working. She is on Flinder’s Island off the west coast of South Australia.
Flinder’s Island is Connect with nature in the wildlife haven that is Flinders Island. The Woolford family has owned the island for generations where they operate a Merino sheep farm and they also harvest abalone. There is apparently an Osprey nest there with chicks so we will see how welcome Zoe is. She might be on the move again!
Thanks to Friends of Osprey and Port Lincoln Osprey for the posting and the tracking map.
Here it is, Friday the 13th. I wonder how many people reading this are superstitious?
On Thursday afternoon, I put on the heavy coat and took out the camera and battery, warmest boots, scarf, toque and headed out to the nature centre. It was -12 degrees C with only a 4 kph wind and 84% humidity. Damp. It was a lovely day in the forest and a few friends were around the feeders.
Several Red Squirrels were running about enjoying the peanuts knocked down from the feeders by the birds or another squirrel ‘friend’.
‘Squirrel Friend’ in action!
A sweet little female Downy Woodpecker enjoying the suet. I love feeding suet in the winter because, unlike peanuts and Black Oil seed, have to be cleared up regularly.
The Black-capped Chickadees are simply precious. They flit about taking one seed, fly to a branch, open and eat it and fly back to get another – all day long.
What a treat it was to see a White-breasted Nuthatch.
Merlin Sound ID alerted me to a Yellow Flicker in the area but I did not see it. The deer were not around today near the hide.
Making News:
It is easy to worry about our favourite feathered families with the heavy rains and floods that have been happening in California (and at other places in the US and around the world). That makes it so much of a relief to see that Annie and her new male friend are at The Campanile and are safe.
They are putting sat pads on Ospreys in Senegal! It seems that the people in Africa are as curious about where their ospreys go to breed as we are to find out where they winter. This is just grand.
Creating new wetlands is a good thing.
If you missed The Flight of the Osprey presentations/shows/talks, Geemeff has reposted the links so that you can watch/hear:
The expectations are that Avian Flu will continue to kill domestic and wild birds. Are you noticing any shortage of eggs? Tests are going on now as duck hunting season is in full swing in places like California. The researcher in this article ” will deliver her samples to UC Davis, where lab personnel will test them first for avian flu in general and ultimately for the specific strain known as Goose/Guangdong (Gs/GD) lineage highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Gs/GD HPAI is the deadliest and most infectious bird flu ever to strike Europe or North America, according to wildlife epidemiologists. The strain ravages domestic poultry flocks and can sicken and kill more species of wild birds across a greater geographic area than any previous outbreak, leaving an unprecedented trail of death. So far, the virus has affected more than 52 million domestic poultry birds in the U.S. and has been tested for and confirmed in 4,362 wild birds across the country.”
The first eagle in SW Virgina confirmed to have bird flu. This year there could be some very serious hardships.
I was interviewed last week about the impact of war on wildlife. Today there is an article appearing in The Guardian about Hooded Crows around Babyn Yar near Kyiv. Keeping in mind that there has been so much destruction in Ukraine, it is a very interesting article to read.
‘L’ send me the latest Audubon news that shows their lobbying of the federal government has included many of their concerns about the environment and wildlife. Thanks, ‘L’. Have a read:
‘A’ has noticed that Clive is bringing a lot of trout to Connie and CJ7. Where is the trout coming from? That is such an interesting question. Thank you for asking it, ‘A’. I am reminded of when Dylan has brought Brown Trout into the nest at Llyn Clywedog that he shares with Serena Blue 5F. Dylan could get them from the local Reservoir but often humans are there fishing. I was so impressed with John Williams who tracked Dylan in a round about way and discovered that Dylan will escort intruders up to 25 miles away from the nest and it seems he stops along the way back home to fish! So now, where does Clive get those trout? Believe it or not, Captiva is well known for its winter fishing which includes Trout. Fresh Water Fishing Advice said this, “Spotted seatrout fishing is good in Captiva year-round. The season to fish for spotted seatrout in the region is high between January and October. The best time of the year to catch spotted seatrout in the area is between April and June.”
Checking the Nests:
The two eaglets at Superbeaks are growing and growing and then growing some more. It is difficult to get a screen capture of both of them together so I was pleased about the first image. It is early morning and Pearl and Tico are waiting for a fish delivery and breakfast. Their crops are empty!
Tico is 34 days old and Pearl is 35 days old today.
It is not long until fish arrive on the nest and these two get fed til they are full to the brim.
It is a wonder they can bend over. I am very impressed with these parents, PePe and Muhlady.
The two eaglets at the Kistachie National Forest E-2 nest of Alex and Andria are nothing short of precious. So civil to one another.
It is possible that KNF-E1-03 will be an only eaglet this year. In fact, this chick could be from the second egg. No matter. It will thrive under the watchful eye of Louis and Anna.
17:42. Probably the last meal of the day for the wee eaglet. Some people love the little pink feet but I love those little wings and the peek at the tail appearing.
Tonya Irwin gives us a short video of Louis taking care of E1-03 Thursday morning. Louis is such a proud daddy.
Shadow saw the precious egg that Jackie laid at 1600 on Wednesday early Thursday morning. Tine 07:06:22. After this, he flew out and returned with a nice fish for Jackie.
Jackie does not want to begin hard incubation until she is sure the second egg is in the nest. Otherwise the eaglets would be too different in birth times and this could cause severe rivalry. But, Jackie also knows that she cannot leave the egg alone or the Crows will get it. Little Fiona came to the nest but Fiona will not bother the egg.
One good way is for Jackie to perch near the egg – or Shadow – protecting the nest should a predator arrive.
What a sweet look – a marvel. Jackie looking at that egg she has laid. Oh, let us all hope that this is a good year for our Big Bear Valley couple. They deserve it. What fantastic parents they were to Spirit.
Notice how Jackie is sleeping over the egg to protect it from any predators but it is not yet hard incubating so if there is a second egg, the eaglets will hatch closer together. What a brilliant idea to keep the Crows at bay.
The California news is already celebrating Jackie and Shadow’s first egg! Oh, how wonderful.
Connie and Clive’s little one had a nice big crop today. There are lots of fish on that nest! Some of them are hidden. The little one looks fine despite some concerns over Connie eating more than she is feeding the chick. It does not look like the second egg will hatch. Like the KNF-E1 nest, it is possible that this chick was actually from the second egg.
Gabby and V3 were working on the nest this morning. He is rather handsome. I know he is not Samson but there are things about him that remind me of Samson – like his tight ‘jeans’.
HeidiMc caught Ron and Rose bonding in the WRDC nest in Miami yesterday. They are such a funny eagle couple! I love how Rose nibbles on Ron’s feathers. Oh, so sweet.
The beaking at the Southwest Florida nest of E21 and E22, kidlets of Harriet and M15, is not that bad. The problem is E22 who does seem to stare E21 right in the eye and then aim at him/her with its beak and then E21 shows 22 who is boss.
Look carefully. You are going to see black dots. Those are not bugs. The plumage is beginning to change. Yes, already. You will see the thermal down but you will also begin to see tiny black dots where the shafts of the feathers are emerging. You will also notice that the egg tooth is disappearing.
E22 you should never look 21 in the eye. Never!
For now, 21 is the oldest and is the boss. Just leave things alone.
A short clip from SK Hideaways showing E21 and 22 eating a meal and rather behaving. They do not always. E22 can still get rough.
It is raining in Fort Myers and Harriet is keeping the two wiggle worms underneath her!!!!!! M15 has a big rabbit on deck for dinner when it stops.
Indigo the beetle-slayer! and Diamond chaser. Indigo is so proud of his beetles. Just imagine what it will be like when he gets his first ‘real’ prey!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is lots of news and things happening in the world. It is hard to keep track of everything and report on all the birds. All of the hatched eagles at every nest appear to be doing just fine. That is wonderful news. Diane at the Achieva Osprey nest appears to be so much better on her her injured leg. She even flew off with a fish in that leg’s talon today. I do not think we will see any more chicks at Captiva or KNF-01. Keep watching as we have Berry College Eagles coming up and for all of the Royal Albatross fans, the pip on the Royal cam chick is about a fortnight away?
Thank you so very much for being with me. Please take care of yourselves. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their questions, their tweets, their posts, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: ‘A’, ‘L’, Cal Falcons, SKHideaways and Cal Falcons, Project Tougoupeu FB, BBC Dorset, Geemeff, Bay Nature, L Doyle and Bald Eagles Live Nests and Cams, Audubon News, Superbeaks, KNF E3, KNF E1, Tonya Irwin and KNF-E1, FOBBV, NEFL-AEF, HeidiMc and SWFlorida Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, SWFlorida Bald Eagles and D Pritchett, SK Hideaway and SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, and Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross.
