Category Archives: Uncategorized

24 August 2023

Good Morning!

There are several books on my night table that I am reading. Sometimes, I pick up one and read it all the way through, but then another arrives in the post, and I might take a peek and begin reading it, too. The most recent arrival is I Can Hear the Cuckoo. Life in the wilds of Wales by Kiran Sidhu. It is not about birds but a young East Indian woman who takes refuge away from her busy life in London in the countryside of Wales. What I have enjoyed most is her discovery of self and place, the author’s discovery of the seasons, nature, and the earth. There are some thoughtful life lessons woven into each chapter that brings the countryside of Wales alive but could, be applied to many rural areas.

One of those lessons is so applicable to the birds that I felt compelled to quote Sidhu. We are now getting ready to have a significant change – from the spring and summer breeding to the fall, and the bittersweet moment of our osprey’s departures is upon us.

Life made me cry in both its beauty and its sadness. I was beginning to think that beauty was often laced with sadness, that it couldn’t exist in the vacuum of its own glory. It was what the Japanese called mono no aware, the bittersweet realisation of the ephemeral nature of all things, the awareness that everything in existence is temporary. The fleetingness of the seasons is not to be mourned but cherished, their impermanence appreciated, for that is where their beauty comes from.

‘A Walk on a Summer’s Day’ in I Can hear the Cuckoo, pg. 107-08.

One of the individuals who inspired Sidhu’s reflection was a local farmer, Wilf. His firmness of place – and the fact that he was happy where he was and had no desire to travel anywhere – was inspirational to the author, who wrote an article and a documentary on Wilf. Everything about Wilf made the author question what she had believed before arriving in the rolling hills of Wales. Wilf’s thoughts help us to appreciate what is right before us! In my case, this morning, it is the Black-capped Chickadees flitting about amidst the Sparrows. Little Red is gathering nuts as if the snow will fall tomorrow. Dyson is scurrying about…the weather is changing, and they know it. I wish to be so acutely attuned to the seasons and to appreciate more.

Lewis did not appreciate me today—poor thing. I put the pet carriers out and opened them early so he and Missey could jump in and out. It is nail trimming day, you see. And then, when it was time to go, Lewis was asleep in his carrier. I quickly zipped up the top, and he started jumping around like he was going to rip the sides out of that bag. He didn’t. Missey is just so laid back. Nails done. Back home and some lovely treats to remind them that I am a nice person. LOL.

Calico. Geemeff has made a suggestion, and round 1 has happened. This time, I am taking the food to Calico with the anticipation that the kitten might smell the food or wonder what Mummy is eating and come romping over. Calico was very reluctant to come out when I went over the dish of smelly sardines and salmon (yes, she eats well – I am determined to get her healthy, and she will no longer have to rely on her hunting skills to survive). She came close enough to see me – she knows my voice. She stayed behind a piece of lattice. I put the food down, watched, and talked to her, but no kitten came over. When I returned to fetch the dish, it had been licked clean – no speck was left. Was it Calico? Her kitten? Both? An intruder? I am concerned about drawing attention to where she is with the food because of the other ferals and the fox that is in the lilies at night across the street. I will not leave food under the deck at night, but I am considering setting up the trail camera with its IR. That might confirm how many kittens there are and if they come to the food once I leave. Then, it is how to get to them. Calico is one smart cookie when she picked this hiding spot – it is tough for me to get my arm (which is tiny) under the wood to put down the dishes. Calico 12- Mary Ann 2.

Geemeff and Tweed Valley provide us with the most interesting image and story of the day:

Local wildlife photographer John Montgomery shared some very interesting photos with us too from birds at a relatively new nest site in the Tweed Valley Osprey project Area. The female, ring number 110, from the Black Isle originally in 2016 and her unringed partner raised two chicks this year and were photographed flying beside the river. Astonishingly, the juvenile appears to have an otter cub in its talons.

Tweed Valley

Migration is on all our minds when we look at the nests and wonder who is home and who has left. This is the latest report from Hawk Mountain in PA in the US. You will note that the Ospreys appear to not be on the move but remember that we lost huge numbers due to the storms, drought, and overfishing this year.

Migration and wildfires bring intruders as do youngsters flitting about their natal nests looking for a mate and a nest. There are many nests dealing with intruders right now. Indeed, it might be easier to name the ones that don’t have intruders there are so many causing mischief.

Blue 33 and Maya have been on alert at Rutland’s Manton Bay. Check out the look in Blue 33’s eye. No way is he giving up his nest and Maya – he scooped it out when Maya was with his brother!!!!!!!! Blue 33 wanted the nest and Maya and he won and he won’t give it up easy.

Aran is having to deal with intruders at Glaslyn when he is bringing in fish for the kiddos.

Fortis Exshaw is still dealing with intruders, and a couple are likely taking over the nest. There needed to be more clarity about who is who – ‘H’ will give us the full rundown about that, but suffice it to say that intruders do not provide fish for the fledglings of the previous owners. We have seen fledglings go to another nest with chicks and get fed; sometimes, the chicks will exchange nests. That happened at Golden Gate Audubon last year.

In reading some comments, chatters wondered why the birds don’t find their own nest. First, this is an ideal location by the Bow River. It is a human-made platform, and there are only so many available. Ospreys prefer to build their nest high on ‘something’ with a 360-degree view. The number of available trees is minimal. Ospreys prefer a dead tree using the top of it. Dead trees are in very short supply. Humans tend to get rid of them, so the ospreys then use poles, hydro poles, and all manner of human-made objects, unlike eagles who want to hunker down inside the pine tree for their nests. It is easy to forget that thousands of raptors have been displaced (if not tens of thousands). This is only a taste of what might happen in all the wildfire areas next year in Canada.

‘H’ reports on the happenings at Fortis: “Banff took her usual short pre-breakfast flights from the nest.  At 0747 Louise brought Banff a small whole fish.  After eating, Banff flew to  the T-perch, and then flew away.  At 0901 a female adult landed on the nest.  Was it Louise?  No, not quite the right markings.  Then another, smaller adult flew to the nest.  Was it O’Hara?  No, the markings were not correct.  They were an intruder pair!  In fact, comparing markings, they were the same two intruders we had seen at the nest yesterday, attacking Banff and stealing her fish, and brazenly standing on the nest with Louise.  We knew that there had been two separate intruders yesterday, but they were never seen at the same time, so we did not assume that they were a bonded pair.  The intruders began some minor nestorating, and the female laid down in the bowl a few times.  Over the next hour or so they took turns leaving and returning to the nest.  At 1032 we could see Banff flying toward the nest, and as she got closer, the female intruder jumped up and attempted to intercept Banff in the air, but Banff landed on the nest and she was then forced off.  Once again, as Banff flew toward the nest at 1206, the female flew toward her, and an aerial chase ensued.  Over the next four hours, the intruders each casually left and returned to the nest several times.  We occasionally heard Banff’s calls, and we could see ospreys involved in chases.  Thoughts and emotions ran the spectrum amongst the chatters.  Some thought that Louise and Banff should put up a strong fight to maintain control of their nest.  Others thought that Louise should hang out in the trees near the river or lake, and take care of Banff away from the nest.  It seems that Louise is completely on her own now.  Banff just fledged ten days ago, and Louise’s helper, the stepdad O’Hara, has not been seen for several days.  At 1613, with the intruder pair both on the nest, Louise landed with a large fish.  We could not understand her motivation for doing that.  The female grabbed the fish from Louise.  Then as Banff approached, the nest cleared out.  All three adults flew from the nest, and Banff claimed the fish.  But, within seconds the female intruder flew back to the nest and attempted to take the fish from Banff.  A horrible battle ensued that lasted four minutes!  At one point the intruder literally held Banff’s head in her talons, and she maintained her grip on Banff’s head for a full minute!  They both ended up going overboard, and we could see that Banff was able to fly away.  The fish remained on the nest.  Ugh, we were feeling sick.  This dangerous situation could have been avoided if Louise would have lured Banff to another location to eat the fish.  The female intruder flew back to the nest and was joined by the male.  The female took the fish to the T-perch to eat.  The male soon departed to chase Banff, and the female eventually flew off the T-perch carrying the remains of the fish.  Aww, but young, inexperienced and determined Banff would not give up her home.  Banff flew to the nest at 1714 and she was immediately dive bombed three times, taking a pretty good hit on her back the third time.  Banff flew off.  Banff returned to the nest again at 1920.   At 1924 an intruder buzzed and dive bombed her a few times, but some activity below the nest and the sound of a nearby car horn spooked the intruder and it left the area.  Banff was left alone to ‘relax’ on her nest for the next hour.  We were pleased to see that Banff had a very good PS, and the quantity indicated that she had most likely eaten more than just the small fish at 0747.  Great!   At 2045 Banff took off toward the south, hopefully to roost near Mom.  Good night, Louise.  Good night, Banff.”

At Patchogue, Mini is sure spunky. She is not having Three in the nest. He or she can perch but don’t think about the nest. Mini ran them off at 0542! In my humble opinion, this behaviour signals that Mini is really doing much better than she was a week ago.

It appeared to be alright to Mini that Three was on the other perch when dawn broke.

She flew over to the opposite perch to have a chat with Three who flew to the nest. You can see Mini’s left leg and talons clearly in the image below.

Three landing on the nest was simply too much for our gal, and she decided to take swift action – Three is, after all, an intruder on her nest!

Brave Mini!

Three left! And again, it appears that the swelling in Mini’s left leg is not o acute Wednesday morning. It sometimes get worse during the day when she has been busy using her legs.

At 1014, Dad brought Mini a very nice headless fish.

Mini is waiting for more fish and she sure has the old ‘snake eye’! Don’t mess with Mini!!!!!!!

All three fledglings were on the nest at Boulder County Fair Grounds on Wednesday. Relief. I had only been able to see two at a time and without any identification, it was hard to tell if there were still three at home.

Fledglings returning to Clark PUD for fish.

The sole survivor of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest this year is also returning for fish and everyone is jubilant. So many osplets were lost this year in the Minnesota area.

The fortunes at the Sandpoint nest seem to have turned and Coco had five fish deliveries today. The young lady is starting to hover and fledge is just around the corner!

‘H’s ‘ other reports:

Kent Island – Audrey and Tom are supplying plenty of fish for their fledgling, Molly.

Barnegat Light – Young Dorsett shared some bath time with the gulls, and she collected some nice materials to refresh her nest.

Osoyoos –  Since fledging two days ago, ‘Junior’ has been going out for short flights and exploring her neighborhood (in between fish-calling and eating, of course).

Forsythe – Oscar is still bringing fish to the nest for Ollie, although Ollie is now spending more time away from the nest.

Thanks so much ‘H’. Great sleuthing on Fortis Exshaw!!!!!!

Ludo would have liked some of those fish. it looks like Louis has been focusing on intruders in his territory and it had been 18 hours since Ludo had a fish. You can imagine how excited our lad was when Dad flew in with a nice one but then, Geemeff reports “Fabulous fisherbird Louis brought three fish in 21 minutes 30 seconds this morning! Ludo didn’t know where to start!” Wow. Louis. You are amazing.

All is well at Llyn Brenig. Fish still being delivered to the two fledglings. Fantastic.

In Florida, it appears that M15 just might have himself a mate for the season. Tears. Just tears. What a great Dad he was – no one will ever forget the dedication given to raising the last two eaglets shared with Harriet.

Nothing is happening at Port Lincoln – well, that is not completely true. These two are mating and mating. The consensus is that this is an inexperienced male, not our old Dad.

You might recall that old Dad had what appeared to be some seizures last year on the nest during the incubation period. Perhaps the erratic fish deliveries, etc were due to his poor health. I hope for everyone at Port Lincoln that we have some eggs this year and that this young guy is one super fisher and we have a nest full of healthy vibrant osplets.

Because the Eastern Osprey do not migrate, it is not as critical that the eggs be laid in a specific time although there is a breeding season.

At the Sydney Sea Eagle cam, both eaglets were flapping their wings while SE31 stood – it was the first time I noticed this milestone but it could have happened earlier. SE32 still goes into submission quickly and ‘A’ will have a full round up for us but, it was delightful to watch 32 being fed a really nice meal with some big bites of fish – and, at the end, having a nice crop!

‘A’ reports: “

Dad now starts feeding SE32 and the little one takes every bite. SE31 is not bothered, as she has already eaten a lot, so she just watches her little brother gratefully eating lots of nice fresh fish. Dad is both feeding quickly and at the same time being patient with his son, waiting for him to swallow before offering him anything remaining in his beak. He is offering food to SE32 more than once or from different angles where necessary, but he is ensuring that the little one gets every morsel. It is now after 12:47 and SE32 eats on. Throughout this, SE31 has been amusing herself, wingercising, playing with sticks, and just standing gazing at the view, but now decides she could perhaps eat a little more. She moves towards the table but Dad keeps feeding SE32, who confidently continues to grab every bite he is offered. At 12:47:29 he gives a bite to SE31. He gives the next couple of bites to SE32, then one to SE31.
Dad then resumes giving large pieces to SE32. He is now feeding the little one very fast. It is just after 12:49 when SE31, who has been leaning in a few times for bites that Dad has been giving SE32, finally gets another bite. Then one bite to SE32 and one to SE31. Dad then resumes feeding SE32.SE31 gets another two bites around 12:50:30 and steals the next bite, which Dad had offered to SE32. But the little one gets the next bite, and the three after that. SE31 gets one. Dad is working hard now to get the remaining flesh off this fish. The tail remains, however. Dad resumes feeding all the bites to SE32, who finishes off the rest of the fish, including horking down the tail at around 12:51:24. Dad then picks up any dropped pieces around the table and feeds these to SE32 as well. The little man has a huge crop by now, SE31 is also well fed, and there has not been a single beaking or even intimidatory behaviour at any stage. This is a happy little SE32.” 

At the Royal Albatross Colony, Prince Manaaki had a visitor. ‘A’ reports: Mum L came in again this morning to feed Manaaki. Here is the footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it3JvajEtJk&list=TLPQMjQwODIwMjN0nh9RJG90rw&index=5, with UQ chick (also a male) watching in the background. What a very happy wheeing albie chick Manaaki is. He does love to see his mum after missing her for those 32 days. I am still overjoyed each time I see her beautiful gentle face. I had not quite given up, if you remember – I reread an email I had written 10 days before her return saying that I was definitely giving her another week before I panicked and decided she wasn’t coming home. I just didn’t get that bad feeling you get when you know they’ll never be back.”

At Orange, Diamond is looking a wee bit ‘eggy’. She has been in the scrape and must have been hungry, deciding to take the Starling that Xavier had stashed in the corner for her.

This is a conversation about Hen Harriers and brood management in the UK. Hen Harriers, as you might recall from earlier blogs, are magnificent raptors that are persecuted on the Grouse Moor Hunting Estates.

You might recall that there is an Osprey reintroduction project moving osplets from Norway to Ireland that took place this summer. They had their own private jet. Well, it turns out that at least one pair of Ospreys bred successfully in Ireland this summer as well.

Thank you so much for being with me today. We are going to be transitioning to Bald Eagle season soon – along with the Australian nests. Looking forward to some really boring incubation periods at all the nests – including PLO! Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘ A, Geemeff, H, the Guardian, Geemeff and Tweed Valley, Hawk Mountain, LRWT, Mary Kerr and the Glaslyn Osprey Group, Fortis Exshaw, PSEG, Boulder County Fair Grounds, Clark PUD, MN Landscape Arboretum, Sandpoint Ospreys, Forsythe, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, Osoyoos Ospreys, Kent Island, Greemeff and The Woodland Trust, Anne Windebank and Friends of Llyn Brening Ospreys, Katie Jane and SW Florida Eagle Cam, PLO, Sydney Sea Eagles, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Geemeff and BBC Radio 4, and Raptor Persecution UK.

19 August 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

Thank you for all your good wishes for Calico. A GPS satellite tracker collar will arrive sometime on Sunday, and I hope to have it on her by Monday afternoon at the latest. She is eating fine, and there is still an indication of one kitten. Once we have that kitten in hand and, life will become hectic but less anxious. Of course, we could always wind up with a kitten inside and an adult cat that simply cannot come to grips with having readily available food, a warm house in the winter, and some companions. We wait.

Mini continues to be in everyone’s thoughts. As of Thursday, these are the visible facts about Mini with Friday updates below:

• Mini is eating and fish calling.
• Mini has difficulty eating when the fish is small or she gets to the end of a larger fish. This is because she cannot properly hold it down with her foot. As a result, she is attempting to hork the last bits. Thursday night she successfully horked the tail for the first time without losing it over the rim of the nest.
• Dad is still delivering fish.
• Mini is flying on and off the nest.
• Mini is not lethargic.
• Mini uses her wings for balance and is not flapping all over the place. She is adapting to her situation but she can also be unbalanced at times.
• There is concern over Mini’s knee.
• Mini’s will rest on the nest duckling style. This takes the pressure off her leg.
• The type of injury she has sustained cannot be confirmed with 100% accuracy. ‘R’ notes that there is swelling on the whole leg not just at the knee as previously thought. The injury could be anything from an infection to a fracture. Or both. (see bottom image above). She needs medical attention.
• Injuries heal – rightly or wrongly. Wildlife have been observed to have adapted to very challenging situations. For example, a deer with three legs. Ma Berry with her wonky foot. At the moment, Mini could not fish and could not sustain her life with this injury. Will it heal enough before Dad leaves on migration is unknown – the unknown is due to the fact that Dad could leave tomorrow or he could leave the middle of October.
• Trying to catch a flying bird such as Mini can be dangerous to the bird.
• Mini would greatly benefit from being taken into care to have her injury assessed and treated. The earlier, the better the outcome. Because of the timing, she would have to stay in care until spring when she would be released if she was healed and flight worthy. Her treatment and care will be costly. To encourage her care, I have suggested a GoFundMe — or donations to the facility through their website or FB – if she were to go into rehab. It would encourage them to consider long-term options.
• Mini could be taken into care and the clinic staff could determine that it is not viable to treat her. She would be euthanised.
• Mini may leave the area independently. Without a Darvic ring and a tracker, we will never know what happens to our feisty fourth hatch. Fledglings have been observed eating dead fish that wash up on the beach and surviving. We don’t know. With an injury, her chances of survival are much lower but, it is a ‘crap shoot’ as one of my UK friends continually reminds me – who survives and who doesn’t.

Mini’s personality is strong-willed. She has survived when others have not this season. This is in part due to her individual spirit and the other part to the amazing parents who, once they determined she was going to survive, took great care of her.

On Friday, one of the siblings (Three who is sometimes called Sneezy) took a fish at the nest. This is not good for Mini – she has been able to take her sweet time trying to get the fish down.

At 12:52 Mini got a nice piece of fish. Thanks, ‘L’ for the tip-off. She ate it well and then fought with the tail, which she attempted, many times, to hold down with her left foot. It was simply too small. She flew off the nest with it. Perhaps she has a flat place where she has figured out how to eat these small pieces. There was no sibling on the nest to try and take the fish.

Mini flew off with the fishtail at 1311. She returns to the nest at 1439.

Mini had fish 3 around 1822. She worked on it for a long time before part of the fish went over the edge.

Oh, if Mini could just put some weight on that fish with her right foot. She did manage to eat the head and some of the body and all the innards. Not bad.

For part of the evening, Mini slept in the nest with Three on the perch watching over her. There is news that a newspaper article about Mini will appear locally on Wednesday. To those responsible, thank you! The more people who know her story, the more people who care and who will watch out and will also press for help.

Dad delivered a nice fish to Mini early Saturday, 0658. She ate well but once I thought she might lose the tail over the edge. That awful piece of plastic that is the shape of a fish in the nest along the rim causes her trouble. Mini got the head off and, at times, held it down with her right foot while trying to get ahold later with her left.

More wildfires are burning in Canada today. The people in the Okanagan Valley are being evacuated and the latest was the fire is moving fast and Kelowna is on alert. We continue to have smoke warnings in our city and those with breathing problems are being asked to stay inside often.

This is one of the posts that is making the rounds, reminding people to help them if they can. This applies to the Apex raptors and other feathered friends that are losing mates, their homes, chicks and/or fledglings.

‘RP’ sent me an article on the fires in the NW Territories…there are now so many it is difficult to keep track. The impact on our wildlife and their homes is going to last for a number of years – even decades and decades for those tall pine trees to grow for the Eagles and their nests.

An Austrian biologist is working hard with his glider to try and help the Ibis from becoming extinct. The New York Times carries the story:

Milda brought Kate a fish to the nest in Durbe County. How grand! Oh, she is loud!

Heather at Glaslyn confirms that the fledglings are often in the trees out of sight of the camera. On Friday, Aran was feeding Elen. How sweet. I hope that they both return to provide us with season 2 from the new Glaslyn family. All is good in the Glaslyn Valley but the weather. Everyone is still home in the UK.

Aran is hauling in the big fish for Elen and the lads so everyone is healthy and strong and fit for migration.

Some huge fish (Mullets?) coming on to the nest of Idris and Telyn, too, on Friday at Dyfi.

Geemeff reports that it is blowing a ‘hoolie’ in Scotland at the Loch Arkaig nest. Those high winds are making fishing almost impossible for Louis. Geemeff says that Dorcha was last seen “looking thin and departing the nest, after waiting in vain for fish, at 06.30.34” on Thursday. In case she has departed to fatten up on her way to Africa after this crazy year with the single chick Ludo, fly safe. Return safe, Dorcha. Here is a video of that last sighting Geemeff made:

The good news from Geemeff this morning is that Louis is home! “Happy to see Louis – probably not as happy as Ludo was! Absent for over two days, but safe and well – brought Ludo’s first fish at 11.48 this morning, and a second at 13.37.”

Boulder County: The three fledglings are sure gorgeous. They are all on the nest in Colorado, waiting for a fish! Seems to be a typical scenario late in the afternoon. That one on the far right has a nice crop!

Cowlitz PUD: Adult on and off the nest during the day. I did not see the fledgling at the nest.

Oyster Bay: The fledglings continue to come to the nest wishing for fish. Many adults are now feeding their fledglings off the nest and out of our sight.

Seaside: The same as the other nests. Fledglings in and out hoping to get the fish delivery. One of these was lucky but I am not sure which one. Again, lots of meals are being taken off nest. That 1508 fish was super. Thanks, Bruce!

Finland #1: All chicks present and accounted for during the day – alone or together – and they are getting some nice fish.

Finland #4. I could hear the fledglings fish calling but I did not see them come to the nest.

Quiet at Finland #2.

At the LS or #5 nest, a beautiful fledgling waiting for fish. This nest had 2 fledglings this year – one egg did not hatch and the other died of a nest accident.

Always happy to have ‘H’s’ reports!

Fortis Exshaw – “After taking the previous day to simply eat and rest, Banff was feeling lively on the morning of the 18th.  She took a couple of short flights, landed on the T-perch and the tall pole, back to the nest.  At 0753 Banff took off for a longer excursion, and she was still absent when Louise arrived with a fish at 0815.  Louise ended up eating the small fish herself.  Banff did not return to the nest until 1106.  Ever since Banff fledged on 8/13, that was the first long casual fly-about for Banff, not being pursued by intruders (that we know of).  It was a good opportunity for her to explore her local area.  After she returned, Banff did plenty of fish-calling, for Mom to bring her a fish, but Louise didn’t show.  At 1540 an intruder started to dive bomb Banff, and she took a couple of hard hits.  At a point when the coast was clear, Banff decided to get off the nest, and she flew off at 1542.  Over the next 3 1/2 hours, Banff could be heard calling occasionally.  We don’t know if Louise brought a fish to Banff where she was perched.  At 1917 Banff flew back to the nest.  Her crop looked a little puffy, and not completely hollow.  It was entirely possible that she may have eaten a few hours ago.  Banff called for Louise to bring her a fish at the nest, but Louise did not return to the nest.  Banff had a pretty good ps at 2011.  Tomorrow is another day, and hopefully Banff will not be off on an adventure when Louise delivers a fish to the nest.  Oh, a fledgling’s dilemma . . should I go on a morning fly-about, or wait for Mommy to bring me my breakfish?”

Osoyoos – These ospreys are finally enjoying a break from the extreme heat. Dad delivered two nice-sized fish for his family, and Mom brought the last fish of the day at 1959.  Their 53-day-old youngster was doing a lot of wingersizing and achieving some lift.

Kent Island – Both Tom and Audrey delivered fish to the nest for Molly.  And, Molly achieved another milestone: she carried a fish off the nest for the first time!

Forsythe – Oscar delivered fish to the nest for Ollie thee times, but there were four fish.  Oscar had a fish in each talon at 1340!

Barnegat Light – The lovely fledgling, Dorsett, continues to grace us with her presence.  I may be mistaken, but I believe that Daisy has not been seen for two days. 

Thanks so much, ‘H’. We always enjoy hearing that Banff is safe! And my goodness, how big these special chicks are that survived those horrible storms in June. Just look at Dorsett. What a strong fledgling she is!

At Port Lincoln, still waiting for that first egg.

‘A’ reports on Orange: “In Orange, lovely Xavier just brought some well-prepared prey for a hungry Diamond (11:08), who quickly arrived to claim it. She flew off with what looked like a very nice brunch. Xavier remained on the ledge, looking all fluffed up and even cuter than usual. No eggs here but heaps of bonding and mating. Xavier has once again learned the annual lesson that he has to bring prepared prey and leave it. Well done, Xavier. Egg-ready now.”

LizM caught the delivery of the dove:

At Sydney, ‘A’ has two reports for us. The second one – self-feeding – is exciting! “Dad brought in a very small morsel of fish around 10.53 this morning. Lady was quickly there to take charge of the food. SE32 was in front position (by chance) and Lady offers him the first bite, which he takes, and the next two, which he also takes. He is very cautious, though, and mum is having to deliberately make an effort to coax him to take the food. SE31 does not punish him for eating those first few small bites, but still he is submissive in his posture, so Lady has no option but to lean over him and feed SE31. It’s not long before SE32’s head is up again (and he is in front of SE31) but this is a tiny fish and Dad has eaten at least half of it before delivering it to the nest. So this looks like a small breakfast for both eaglets. SE32 is given the last piece (the pieces SE31 has eaten and this last piece were large and not easy to swallow) but doesn’t control it fast enough Lady takes it back again and offers it to SE31, who drops is and gets reoffered it five times before Lady gives SE32 another try at it. He grabs it and is rewarded with a beak to the head. SE31 won’t let go, and hopefully, SE32 is taking the same attitude towards his mouthful of fish skin and bone. He usually hangs onto it until he can sit up again, at which point he swallows it. Before he can do this, though, SE31 steals the piece from SE32’s beak but again cannot swallow it and drops it. Lady continues to offer it to SE31. It’s one fairly unappetising piece, causing quite a kerfuffle. Eventually, after being offered the piece at least ten times, SE31 swallows it. The fish piece is gone. SE32 is still very hungry. and SE31 has had only a small snack. Hopefully, the day will improve.”

“At WBSE this afternoon (Friday 18 August), Dad brought in two-thirds of a nice fish around 13:45 and SE32 got a mouthful, but Dad was not comfortable feeding the chicks, and instead just stood there for several minutes, looking around for Lady to come and do the job. SE32 crept closer to the table, and finally, just before 13:55, he reached the fish, stretched out his little beak and grabbed his first self-fed flake off the open end of the fish! He repeats it. The open end is perfect for his first effort. At 13:55:20, SE32 stands up, and three seconds later, he grabs the entire fish with his beak and pulls it towards himself! He is holding it down with at least the talons on his right foot, pulling at the open end of the fish with his beak. He is making a serious effort to self-feed. SO proud of my little man. I told you it wouldn’t be long with this one, and this has made me so happy. What a massive step forward for him. He stands there, very pleased with himself, and stretches his little wings out. SE31 is fascinated, and follows SE32, heading towards the fish. SE32 takes another couple of pecks at the fish. SE31 watches him, then attempts to copy her little brother. She too takes a peck at the fish. SE32 takes another flake. Dad is still standing there, watching his eaglets with …  Curiosity? Pride? Relief? The eaglets are taking it in turns to eat from the open end of the fish, with SE32 doing much better than SE31. He is really going for this fish, and getting some decent bits off it. Just after 13:57 he makes a really good effort and gets several bites off the fish. He stands up and turns away from the table, spreading his wings and really feeling his oats. It is so obvious that he is proud of his achievement. He returns to the fish. Eventually, both eaglets turn away from the fish (getting food from it is a bit too much of an effort, and both already have full crops), but they have learned a very valuable lesson.”

Oh, Monty and Hartley sure can put a smile on your face. What a joy it is to see them hanging around the scrape box and entertaining us with their bonding.

At the old West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta, a juvenile looks off into the sunset. Gorgeous.

Thank you for being with us today. Please take care everyone. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, L, N, R, R’ PSEG and SL Security Pros, The New York Times, LDF, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Carol White and the Glaslyn Osprey Group, Dyfi Osprey Project, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Boulder County, Cowlitz PUD, Seaside Osprey Cam, Fortis Exshaw, Osoyoos, Wildlife Conserve of NJ, Kent Island, Severna Park, Finnish Osprey Foundation, PLO, LizM and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways and the San Jose City Hall Falcon Cam, and the IWS.

2 August 2023

Just a quick addendum to the earlier news this morning.

Do you remember the Osprey chick tangled in fishing line in Northern California? It had a sibling on the nest and the nest was said to be inaccessible and difficult with live wires?

Turns out the wires weren’t live. Once the other chick fledged, great people got up and untangled the other one! There were no wounds or scratches.

Jann Nichols will have more on the Nor-Cal FB page later but isn’t this fantastic news…no images but imagine the relief and now this little one can fly free.

Thanks Everyone!

19 July 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

The news today is bittersweet. While we hail reintroductions they often come with such great heartache when there are colliding species – goshawk versus osprey. We all know how this usually ends and if you love ospreys, like I do, you sit and weep. I am so very tired of adding names to the Memorial Wall and more than furious if the deaths have been caused by goshawks or starvation!

News:

One of the things that I believe in strongly is our power to motivate change. We cannot just sit on our hands and twiddle our thumbs. We have to do something and sometimes it is what seems to be the smallest of efforts that come up with even a greater impact.

Do you remember when I posted the information for the GoFundMe to help gather up funds – about 1500 GBP – needed to help The Gambia clean up the birds dead and dying from HPAI? Thanks to everyone who donated or shared the fundraiser on social media, Sasha Dench was able to secure another 125,000 GBP from DEFRA.

This is immensely important. This is the flyway that connects the ospreys in the UK to West Africa. All our loving fledglings and their parents tend to go to The Gambia or Senegal. But others from various other European countries fly there, too.

So whether or not you donated or you spread the CrowdFunder on social media, I want to thank you – today you made a difference.

https://www.conservation-without-borders.org/conservations-without-borders-call-for-action-against-bird-flu-in-the-gambia-results-in-125-000-defra-contribution

Good news (before the sadness). The very first White-tailed eaglet has fledged in the UK in 240 years…congratulations Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation for all the hard work that went into this very moment.

Proud Mama Thunder watches her boys soar above the old nest in the Channel Islands. Turn the volume up!

This is heart breaking.

There is another heart break from Tweed Valley. My guess is goshawk not turkey vulture.

Fabulous news. Kakapo on the New Zealand mainland in ……how long?

I am a huge supporter of Conservation without Borders. There are other great charities, too. Please take the time to vote. They also accept international nominations for the prize – so do it. Don’t know Conservation without Borders? Do you know Flight of the Osprey and Sasha Dench? That’s them chasing osprey, educating people in Africa to the osprey, its challenges and getting them to help protect the species. They were there to help find the funds to help fight HPAI in The Gambia! Consider voting. These big donations mean all the world to some charities.

There is good news in my province!

I am going to give a real shout out to Latvia! Thank you for your judicial system that stepped up, followed the laws, and actually might deter individuals from cutting down raptor or stork nests. I wish this would spread to places where it is illegal to shoot or poison and knuckles are just tapped!

Sadly, the male has been missing since the 15th of July at the Grib Skov Danish Osprey nest. There are three chicks ready to fly. After two days without fish, the female went out and now provides for the family.

Annie and Lou continue to pair bond during the off-season. Missing the ee-chupping…have a listen.

Whirl through the Nests:

Cowlitz PUD. Looking great. Those barriers are holding the eagles off so far and a number of fish deliveries.

Patchogue: Dear Little Mini would like to fly. Stay home Mini when it is raining! Oh, just stay home. We need an Osprey to watch for a bit…you could just hop and hover and let Dad bring fish, right?

‘L’ was delighted when she switched on the Patchogue cam and saw Mini eating a nice fish!

Little Mini ate that entire fish! Good Nite Mini.

MN Landscape Arboretum: Looking’ good.

Just look at that nice crop on the chick at one of the late feedings in Minnesota.

Golden Gate Audubon: Rosie and Richmond have been chasing off intruders. Still, Rosie managed to get herself a fantastic fish. She will leave for migration while Richmond will stay over for the winter in the Bay Area.

Fortis Exshaw: ‘H’ watches this nest for me but I keep an eye because I am so excited for Louise. Mr O has really stepped up to the plate and is not only bringing fish and sticks but today really helped Louise defend the nest against intruders. It is a keeper — just like Alden was for Annie.

‘H’ reports: “What a day: Mr. O vs. the intruders!  The major intruder event started at 1141 and continued on and off for nearly an hour.  Mr. O flew to the nest immediately, and provided protection for the nest and kids.  Louise was in on the action as well.  An intruder even landed on the nest twice.  The intruder finally left the area.  There was another intruder issue at 1558 which Mr. O quickly handled.  With the support of Mr. O providing security, Louise was able to deliver eight fish to the nest. In addition to being their protector, Mr. O added some sticks and performed some minor nestorations.  Meanwhile, the 31 day old osplets are growing like weeds.  Since losing Jasper, Louise would certainly be having a very difficult time raising those kids without Mr. O.”

Boulder County: A scorcher. Mum is doing what she can to keep those three osplets cool.

‘PB’ gives Dad at Boulder a real thumb’s up as “the most attentive Dad out there” for helping Mum to feed the three chicks. I totally agree. He is awesome. This nest just spells ‘love’ to me. Mum is always feeding Dad and these three osplets did fantastic this year. So wonderful in the midst of such heart break.

I just wonder if the nests that are inland are doing much much better % wise than those on the coast?

Look closely. The third chick is underneath Mum’s left wing. If you didn’t know, you might have thought with all the flapping, there had been a fledge. Not at the time of my writing but…soon.

Oyster Bay: All is well. Everyone is home!

The Bridge Golf: A fish came in around 1740. The chicks were so full that there was fish left for Mum. Now doesn’t that just put a smile on your face?

Crooked Lake: Life is just perfect!

‘H’s report on the other nests she is monitoring:

Barnegat Light:  Meet “Dorsett”.  Ben Wurst of Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey has named the 49 day old osplet, Dorsett.  Dorsett is a small island near Sedge Island in Barnegat Bay, which pays homage to Duke and his natal area.

Osoyoos:  Despite the heat, Dad was able to provide at least 8 fish for his family.  The 22 and 23 day old youngsters are doing great.

Forsythe: Good news:  The fledgling, Owen, finally returned to the nest at 1433, nearly 49 hours after fledging on 7/16.  She looked good, so she had most likely been fed somewhere.  However, the younger sibling, Ollie, did not give Owen a warm welcome home.  A major battle took place that lasted about 9 minutes, with Ollie nearly going overboard.  They also engaged in a few brief kerfuffles later on.  At 57 days of age, Ollie’s recent activity has demonstrated a physical readiness to fly, and s/he may fledge today.

Cape Henlopen:  The new Cape Henlopen osprey platform has been a terrific hit this season . . with the black vultures that is.  An osprey or two has been seen from time to time.  The platform was erected near the state park office building at a campground.  There are many bicyclists, pedestrians, and dog walkers about.  JM, a Delaware Naturalist, has suggested placing some barriers to keep humans and pets at a distance, and she also suggested providing some materials on the platform for a starter nest.  Hopefully, an osprey pair will make the new platform their home next year.

Thanks, ‘H’….now let us skip across the pond for a minute.

Loch of the Lowes: Those two fledglings love their fish and they are letting Laddie and Blue NC0 know they are hungry!

Alyth: I could not write anything better than Sue Wallbank’s post!

Kielder 7:

Loch Arkaig: Will Dorcha and Louis’s chick get its name before it fledges? Whole lot of hovering and getting much height! Oh, gosh, golly. As I was writing Geemeff sent the news…LJ7 flew! It was the “shortest flight ever – 15.05.11 to 15.06.05 54 seconds!” Congratulations.

Do you think this person likes birds? I hope they pull them off for their nests!

Tomorrow I am going to tell you why – if you love the Royal Albatross Chick – you will spread the word and never eat tuna again!

Thank you so much for being with me today! Take care and always remember – stand up for our raptors because they cannot do it themselves. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my blog this morning: ‘Geemeff, H, L, PB’, Conservation without Borders, Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, IWS, John Williams and The Clywedog Osprey Group, Anne Rye and The Clywedog Osprey Group, Tweed Valley Ospreys, Sirocco Kakapo, Ospreys FB, Cory Laughlin and MB Birding and Wildlife Photography FB Group, Marijana Miscevic SOS Tesla, Luise Stender Ekberg and Ospreys FB, SK Hideaway and Cal Falcons, Cowlitz PUD, PSEG, MN Landscape Arboretum, Timothy Dygert Live Stream, Lucille Powell and SF Osprey Cam with Rosie and Richmond, Fortis Exshaw, Boulder County Fair Grounds, The Bridge Golf Club, Forsythe Ospreys, Wildlife Conserve Foundation of NJ, Cape Helopen State Park, Friends of Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust, and Alyth.

18 July 2022

Hello Everyone!

Today feels a little bit different. This blog comes out of a long season of frustrations -needing help at some of the nests and being unable to get it. It is frustrating. The information the streaming cams provides if there is an emergency is dismal, and many chats need to have informed moderators.

But first, good news. An intervention took place at the Pitkin County Emma Lake Open Space Osprey nest on Monday. A fish hook with a long line was attached to one of the osplets nearing fledge!

Geemeff reminds us it is time to ‘Name the Loch Arkaig chick’ of Louis and Dorcha. Here is the information:

Name that chick! Voting now open to name Loch Arkaig Osprey chick LY7. Open until tomorrow, Wednesday 19th. Details in the pinned comment on the video, or use this link:https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=11126397
https://youtu.be/XJXVHw8d6mI

Darach which is Gaelic for oak.
Hector was put forward by patients at the local hospital in Fort William who watch the livestream during kidney dialysis.
Ludo combines the names of our chick’s parents – Louis and Dorcha.
Murray is in honour of Scotland’s famous tennis dynasty – mother and sons!
Shooglenifty is in honour of the music group of that name, whose late leader was fiddler Angus R Grant who grew up at Caol near Loch Arkaig.

Thanks to ‘H’, the Cape May Rescue – the closest to the Ocean City Osprey platform that lost its adults and two nearly ready-to-fledge chicks – has been texting me. Trying to find the precise location of the platform took some doing – digging through old YouTube videos, etc. We finally found the area of Ocean City and the marsh and the nearby creek. But this all takes precious time. Sadly, we have time. The chicks are dead. It just brought up the need to have information to make quick and informed calls to the agencies that can help – if permission is given. So…

‘H’ reminded me of a link I posted a while ago. Please write this down somewhere important and look at ‘H’s easy instructions for finding the nearest wildlife rehab clinic to the nest with the emergency below. In fact, ‘H’ located the Cape May Rescue which is the closest to the Oceanside Osprey nest. No, Bobby Horvath on Long Island is not close! Cape May Rescue wrote to me Monday morning. They were willing to go and help, but it was too late. Now if they can locate the nest, they will retrieve the body of the osplet to try and determine the COD. We must act fast when there is an emergency but, at the same time, make sure it is an emergency.

Animal Help Now

It is very useful.  Enter the city and state, or zip code, and select “Wildlife Emergency”.  Then over on the left-hand column, select ‘animal type’: Bird.  

Wildlife. (If you are politically allergic, skip this section!) What we want to do is to watch happy families thriving in the wild. What we often see is precisely the opposite – human debris littering the nests, fishing line and baling twine entangling their babies, and weather patterns caused by climate change…’caused by humans’ that cause mayhem often killing many such as what has been happening in the NE USA. Those weather patterns are drying up wetlands, causing massive storms and floods, upending the fishing, and sending salt water into freshwater areas. This all impacts our feathered friends. To say that Wildlife is political is an understatement. Political leaders need to show more understanding of the crisis that our planet is undergoing. They have their heads buried in the sand or sewage, literally.

We long to do our part to help but often, we do not know who to contact or feel helpless and do nothing. What was proven by Dale Hollow and the rescue – even though it took too long and DH18 died a tragic death – is that our voices do matter. Want to change the migratory bird act so that interventions for human debris on nests or emergencies can go forward without all the red tape hindering them now? Then this is the person to write: Jerome Fort, Assistant Director for Migrator Birds, Fish and Wildlife Services in Washington, DC. His e-mail is: Jerome_ford@fws.gov

No one will know that we care unless we tell them! And you have to be loud and sometimes a little pushy. Career politicians care about the next election – they lack a long term view for our planet and they don’t have the back bone to make the tough and right decisions. It is deplorable. So write the civil servants that care. Thank you.

Those in charge of the streaming cams have a responsibility as well. They must provide emergency contact numbers so that help can be arranged. They do not have to provide the specific location of the nest, but someone needs to know this so that rescuers can find the nest and/or platform. Every chat should have an informed moderator! And they should take responsibility and care for the birds they are streaming. Some (not all) make much money off the streaming cams in ad revenue and/or donations. Many are wonderful educational sites with good chat moderators, websites, and FB pages.

I will not be checking on lots of the nests today but a day cannot go by without checking on Little Mini numerous times. Is she eating? has she flown?

Mini had a nice fish early on Monday and when I next checked in, there was Mum feeding Mini around 1130. How wonderful!

Mini has been enjoying more fish! Gosh she has grown into such a beautiful osplet. Simply gorgeous.

Three is often on the nest and Mini now appears to be larger than its older sibling…so is three a male? and Mini a female even with those skinny legs?

Poor Little Mini had to fight off wasps to eat its fish!

Thanks to ‘PB’ who has been watching The Bridge Golf Club Ospreys and she is delighted to report that Mum brought in a huge fish at 1845. Was it a baby shark? This nest is hungry like the others in the area that have been battered storm after storm, heat wave, and then low fish numbers on top of that.

Everything is good at Minnesota National Arboretum.

Dad delivers and the not so little osplet at Cowlitz is happy to eat that fish all by itself.

Life is sweet at Boulder County Fairgrounds.

Beautiful Iris showed up at her nest and did some renovations today. Gosh, it was nice to see her.

At nest #4 in Finland all is well.

The sun sets on Finnish nest #1. All looks good.

It appears that everything is alright on Finnish nest #5 also.

‘H’s report on the osprey nests she is monitoring:

Audubon Boathouse: Oh my goodness, young Skipper is growing up too fast!.  Skipper is 38 days old, and is simply luvin’ life!

Forsythe:  There were only two fish delivered to the nest, one each from Oscar and Opal.  But, that monster fish brought by Opal lasted for several meals.  There was plenty to eat for Ollie, the lone remaining nestling.  The fledgling, Owen, has not returned to the nest since fledging at 1351 on 7/16.

Barnegat Light:  ’09/N’ is 48 days old, and is the only one of its siblings to have survived the storm at the end of June that caused fishing to be impossible for days.  S/he is doing very well, and will be on fledge watch soon.  Gosh, it would be so nice if 09/N would be given a name before s/he fledges!

Kent Island:  Tom and Audrey’s little 36 day old youngster is doing very well, and s/he really wants a name.  After all, the stuffed pink octopus that Audrey brought to the nest was given an official name.  Sorry to say the stuffed octopus, Molly, ended up in the drink . . oh, but not to worry, after all she is an octopus.”

Fortis Exshaw: There was so much activity at the nest, and Louise’s new mate, ‘Mr. O’, had an increased presence.  It was fun to watch the interactions between Louise and Mr. O.  There were a total of eight fish delivered to the nest, including two from Mr. O.  At 1212 Louse brought a fish and began to feed her offspring.  Five minutes later, Mr. O landed with a fish, and the kids turned toward him to be fed.  Louise abandoned her fish, accepted Mr. O’s fish and fed the kids from that one.  Mr. O proceeded to pick up the remainder of Louise’s fish and eat.  When Louise finished feeding from the fish Mr. O brought, she took her fish from Mr. O and fed the siblings some more.  Mr. O also brought sticks to the nest four times, and rearranged some sticks around the nest.  He even engaged in a brief event of mutual nestorating with Louise that was cute.  Mr. O is very comfortable around Louise and the kids, kind of like a comfy old pair of slippers.  In the eyes of  some viewers, Mr. O seems like an experienced family man, and not a young male that is unfamiliar with the ways of taking care of a family.  Perhaps Mr. O lost his mate, just as Louise has lost hers.  Mr. O is the real deal . . heaven sent. 

Karl II is in early to feed the beautiful storklets at his and Kaia’s nest in Estonia.

In Latvia, the little eaglet is so cute. You can hear the rain falling in the background and this baby is waiting and wanting food.

The sound of an eaglet squeeing on the nest of Milda in Durbe County, Latvia just makes my heart beat a little softer and warmer. After two unsuccessful very sad years, Milda and her new mate, Voldis, had two White-tail Eaglets fledge in 2023.

The list of rehabbers who have successfully treated ospreys is growing. Here is another one but it is the mention of previous success that intrigues me. If you know of any osplets that have been in care and released, please let me know.

Isn’t this baby cute?

And guess what? A Place Called Hope has two osplets/ospreys in care, too.

The developers could not wait! Geemeff sent me the following article. As we watched what climate crises do to the NE nests and the death of the two osplets at Ocean City, another group of osplets fledged just a week ago on 10 July. Two days later, the developers cut down the pole that held their nest. Now the chicks have no place to return to for the next month to be fed. How do you spell despicable?

The second chick in the Booted Eagle nest in Spain has starved to death. It is customary for only one eaglet to fledge, and there has been concern, expressed by my friend ‘T’, over the plumage development of the second chick. While the oldest had developed the beautiful rust plumage, the youngest still had its white head. The older eaglet ate well. You can see how strong it is and its big crop in the image below.

We must always look for the good and the hope. I know if the Hilton Head nest had been in Nova Scotia they would have erected the new nest before tearing down the old! Where in the world is the compassion? Yes, legally the developers could take down the pole since there was no chicks ‘in’ the nest but we all know they do return for 4-6 weeks (or longer like Victor) to be fed by their parents. So why didn’t the wildlife specialist tell them this and make arrangements?

There is good news that Geemeff points out about the 13 osplets being translocated to Spain. And soon there will be osplets heading to Ireland.

Twelve Scottish Osprey chicks have arrived at Marjal de Oliva-Pego in Spain, part of a translocation project run by Roy Dennis. The lady quoted in the news item, Itziar Colodro, a member of the Migres Foundation, is the same person who tried to get the Spanish utility companies to properly maintain their power lines after Lachlan’s ‘cousin’ Pean JH3 was electrocuted by one in 2019.

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Take Part. Not everyone is sitting back and doing nothing. Wild Justice is working to make certain that wildlife does not suffer!

Good morning!Today sees the launch of a major campaign by over 70 wildlife and countryside organisations aimed at the political parties ahead of the next UK general election. Politicians need to know that wildlife matters to you. Please add your voice to #Nature2030 today – click here. In England, there is a legally binding commitment on this and future governments to stop wildlife declines by 2030. You helped secure that commitment back in spring 2021 – you really did. Despite the tiny size of Wild Justice, our supporters contributed tens of thousands of signatures to the e-action that led to change. It’s time to follow through on that to influence politicians ahead of the next general election. Although the legally binding commitment applies to England we ask all of our supporters, wherever they live, to sign the petition – you’ll be doing English wildlife a favour and the strength of response will be noticed by decision makers across the UK. The five priority areas are:

1. A pay rise for nature and farmers: double the nature-friendly farming budget
2. Make polluters pay: require polluting big businesses to deliver environmental improvements
3. More space for nature by 2030: restore wildlife-rich sites and create a Public Nature Estate
4. Deliver green jobs: create a National Nature Service for habitat restoration 
5. A right to a healthy environment: establish a human right to clean air and water and access to nature

Please add your voice on Day 1 of this campaign – sign here.Thank you! Wild Justice (Directors: Mark Avery, Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay).

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Moorings Park will never look the same without Victor waiting on the nest for Harry to deliver a fish. Victor was last seen at the nest at 0935 on the 16th of July. Like his sister, Abby, he has left to find his place in the world. W hat joy he brought to all of us!

‘A’ reports that the camera is back on at Port Lincoln for the 2023 breeding season. “The live stream was turned on at the Port Lincoln barge about 12 hours ago. Mum and dad were both on the nest around 11.30 this morning, with mum continually (but relatively quietly) demanding fish and dad ignoring her. As we speak, it is 10.40pm and one of the pair is tucked and sleeping on the perch at the far end of the barge, away from the nest.” Here is the link for this season: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZylkLZNaT5w

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, PB’, Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, PSEG, Bridge Golf Club, MN Landscape Arboretum, Cowlitz PUD, Boulder County Fair Grounds, Montana Osprey Project, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Fortis Exshaw, Audubon Boathouse, Kent Island, Forsythe, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, Wild Justice, Eagle Club of Estonia, LDF, media Raptor Center, A Place Called Hope, The Island Packet, Euro Weekly, Moorings Park, and the Booted Eagle Cam Spain.

This is a big oops…..There were three chicks in 2022 at the Loch of the Lowes. The third one did not make it. In 2023 there were three eggs…one of them did not hatch. The death due to lack of fish was last year not in 2023!!!!

Both of the chicks that hatched fledged and are now squabbling for fish!

Thanks ‘D’

1 June 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that the middle of the week has been good to you. It has been a quiet time in the garden. There are no more migrants visiting just the usual crew. With the lilacs in full bloom and the vines beginning to take over and make a sanctuary at the back of the garden, it is difficult to see who is here and who isn’t in terms of birds except for Mr Crow and family, Junior and the other Blue Jays and Dyson and family. Somehow they manage to share all of the peanuts and take turns at the bird baths. Dyson has taken to hiding peanuts in the garden containers and today I am trying an experiment. A neighbour thinks that coffee grounds might cause her to stop planting those peanuts in my herbs. So far, so good. If it continues to work, I will let you know.

First up. Middle has fallen out of the Achieva Osprey nest. The time was 01:31 1 June. Tampa Bay Raptor Rescue reports the following: “I have two people ground monitoring.” #2 has flown up to a wire and Mom is trying to encourage him to fly to the nest.” Send your best wishes. Middle is 74 days old today.

Second, you will see reports of the Middle chick at Carthage below. it was finally relieved of its suffering during the night. This is the worst nest for parental neglect I have ever seen. Thank you to Kathryn and ‘H’ who helped observe this nest in very distressing times. #41 Memorial Page.

Third. We have Dale Hollow DH17 caught on camera flying. Warms the heart.

There are lots of good things going on at the nests especially the osprey nests in the UK. The problem nest in the US is Carthage TN. This nest is genuinely an issue, but, thankfully, there are others doing so well to make up for it!

‘H’ reports Wednesday’s first hatch at Barnet Light in New Jersey! The egg was 39 days and the hatch was officially declared to be 15:34. Congratulations to Duke and Daisy!

Thanks to ‘H’, she has also reported on the Dahlgren Osprey nest where the feedings appear to be peaceful and equitable with both chicks getting nice crops.

The feedings and behaviour of Big on the Severna Osprey platform continue to be like riding a roller coaster. On Wednesday morning Middle had a nice crop and both were up at the beak at one time. Later, Big roared its head and did not allow Middle one bite. Fingers crossed. Middle is getting older…keep the fish coming, Dad!

Big is full and walks away…Middle continues to get fed. Way to go Mum!

And then later…

And at 2000 Dad flies in with another fish and Big took exception to Middle eating then, too. How many times does this first hatch have to remind me of Zoe! We are nearing the time when Middle will not have to worry – unless Big decides to toss it overboard. Goodness.

But Middle is getting very clever. The other day we saw him go between Mum’s legs and be away from Big. Today, he plays ‘possum’, listening..and then he moves around the rim of the nest to get to Mum’s beak and gets fed. A survivor.

‘H’ also reports that Mini had a good feed at the Forsythe Nest. “What a nice surprise. 1412, huge fish, Mini is in the back of the pack.  Mom feeds the bigger ones up front, and I thought she would omit Mini.  After several minutes Mom started reaching out to Mini.  Mini got a ton of bites, and as the others were falling over after eating, Mini walked up close to Mom and got several more bites.  I counted 34 total legitimate bites for Mini.  That Mom (named Opal) was fantastic!”

DG4 fell out of his nest as many of us watched. It was a worrisome sight to see a young eaglet fall to the ground due to a partial nest collapse. Well DG4 has made USA Today!

I thought the remaining chick on the Carthage TN nest would die on Wednesday. In the morning at 0638 Mum removed the body of the other dead chick and began to eat it. Despite the surviving chick being obviously ‘starving’, she did not appear to feed it. Around 11:27:48, the surviving chick appears to have a seizure. It did not die. A fish came to the nest sometime after 1300. It is really not clear how good the feeding was for the chick. Mum is obviously starving too and she continues to incubate a remaining egg other than freeing herself. Then Dad brings a fish and Mum and Dad have a tug-o-war for that fish. It was 15:18. Mum ate but did not feed the little chick. At 16:14, the chick might have had a few bites. Then at 17:24 the chick moves up to the fish – it is starving. Just bones. Mum goes up, moves the fish. Did she feed it at all? If so it was not much. The behaviour appeared to be Mum eating. This is an extremely difficult nest to watch. Neither adult appears bonded with the chick that died, this living chick, but there is fretting over the egg. I do not expect this baby to be alive when I wake up in the morning.

0708

0917.

Seizure.

After this, I went to check on Mini at Patchogue, and tears came to my eyes when I found it, and that wee baby had an excellent fish feed. It was up front and centre at 0935. No aggression from the other siblings, and again for another feeding – I did not check them all. That time was 16:15. So my question is this: where are the fish and why aren’t they landing on the Osprey nest at Carthage, TN? Anyone know about a drought? intruders? Any information would be most welcome. That nest is a tragedy in the making.

0935 feeding.

Mini isn’t always up front but he was there later in the day and got some nice fish, too. This Mum is excellent. Time 18:14. Just look at that little one…right up there. Brave! Surviving. Does Mini know how little it is compared to the big siblings? Just look at the size difference in those wings! Oh, you clever little one.

Outerbanks 24/7 is doing great!

The only osplet at Cowlitz PUD is doing fantastic.

Oyster Bay looks good so far.

Doesn’t get much cuter than Angel’s little RTH5.

The Ms are doing fantastic as well.

E22 is breaking records for a fledgling staying at the SW Florida Eagle nest. I think everyone would love for this sweetheart to remain. 144 days was E12’s stay, so today is 145 days, and if E22 is there…this is the record to break. My goodness, what a gorgeous fledgling.

Moving across the Pond to the UK Osprey nests…

Blue 022 is right there stocking the nest for CJ7 and their new chicks. Just look at those adorable Poole Harbour osplets.

Blue 022 loves feeding the kids.

Aran’s new mate, Elen, at Glaslyn is a cracker jack of a Mum!

Aran sees his baby for the first time.

And just quick as a wink, there is number 2 at Glaslyn. Well done Aran and Elen!

Loch Arkaig’s Louis is one of the most beloved Opsrey males in the UK. Here he is with Dorcha, his mate of two years, and their first hatch of the 2023 season. So happy that owl spared one of those eggs – some even think the second egg might have a chance to hatch. I just say one healthy osplet untouched by intruders to fledge!

Fish, fish, and more fish at Manton Bay! The trio are growing like a patch of healthy weeds.

Maya took good care of them when the rains began.

Everything is fine for the two Bobs at the Loch of the Lowes.

All good at the nest of Idris and Telyn at Dyfi. Is that a pip in the third egg? or is it my imagination?

Waiting for a hatch at RSPB Loch Garten.

All looks well at Llyn Brenig. Two little osplets.

Dylan and Blue 5F Seren have two babes at Llyn Clywedog and they are doing super. Dylan was up early getting the breakfast order from Seren this morning.

A timely and necessary intervention where the whole community came together quickly to save an eaglet! Yes, that is a fishing lure stuck in the eaglet’s neck along with fishing line.

Another story to put a smile on your face today…the Cal Falcons kids makes the Berkeley News with some great photos of their aerial acrobatics.

An update on Connick from the Captiva Bald Eagle nest of Connie and Clive!

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please send your best wishes to all those struggling chicks and all the nests in general. Keep them close. Take care. S ee you soon!

Before I thank everyone else, I want to thank ‘H’ and Kathryn again who have observed some very traumatising nests for me this season. Even in the darkest hours they do not give up. I am so grateful. Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, articles, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: Geemeff, Barnegat Light, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Dahlgren Osprey Cam, Severna Ospreys, Forsythe ospreys, Dulles Greenway, USA Today, Carthage TN Ospreys, PSEG, Cowlitz PUD, Window to Wildlife, Cornell RTH, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, LRWT, LOTL, RSPB Loch Garten, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, CarnyXWild, Winged Freedom Raptor Hospital, Berkeley News, and the Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey.

31 May 2023

Good Morning,

Just take a deep breath before reading the blog today…it is a mix of good and bad. We lost a lot of osprey chicks yesterday in the US. It continues to be hot on the Canadian Prairies. Tuesday afternoon the skies darkened and we had a thunderstorm and rain. Everything is perky and green this morning but we are due for more heat today. 29 C not the original 36 predicted, thankfully. The kittens are fine but Lewis must be teething as he has decided to chew up those lovely little connectors one gets with their computers! Is he a puppy and not a kitten? Meanwhile Missey continues to just be ‘sweet’. All of the garden friends are around. The Crows reminded me very loudly that the peanuts had been eaten by Dyson & Co and they wanted more late last night! I hope to get some pictures of all of them today.

Two hatches in the UK that we have been waiting for!

There is that precious little one for Louis and Dorcha. Congratulations. (Hatch at Glaslyn, too – see below)

Geemeff just sent me another image of what could be the Only Bob this year at Loch Arkaig. What a sweetie.

Congratulations to Swoop and Harriet at Dunrovin Ranch on their first hatch. Thanks ‘L’ for sending that news to me! 14:10 on Tuesday the 30th.

I want to be optimistic. The Patchogue nest is so civil compared to some others…the other thing it has going are two parents concentrated on the four nestlings, a big wide nest so that all of the chicks can move around (unlike Patuxent II). A nice fish came in early on Tuesday and Mini got itself turned around and got in line. While it was impossible to see how much fish it ate, there was no aggression and there was fish left over for Mum. Let us hope this continues and Mini will survive in a nest of much larger siblings…it happens!

A nice early fish to start the day off right.

Turn around Mini!

47 degrees F. Mini is cuddling with the older sibs after breakfast.

I continued to check on Mini throughout the day. It is darn difficult to see if this little one gets food but he is still with us and that is a good thing – and he is moving about the nest and appears to have been up at the beak at a late feed.

R5 is back in the WRDC nest of Ron and Rose! And if you are wondering about R4, he was on the camera stand until the truck arrived to return R5. So all is well.

‘H’ reports an equitable and ‘good’ feeding at Patuxent River Park I nest with three osplets. That is fantastic. She has been observing the Patuxent II nest and it would now appear that Mini has been trampled and is probably dead at the bottom of the deep egg cup.

The feeding might be equitable at Patuxent I but it is decidedly not at Severna where, despite Middle getting up under and away from Big early Tuesday, the female opts to feed Big instead of offering bites to both, one to you, and then one to the other. Very frustrating. The adults have yet to move the body of Little Bob – or bury it. Big still attacks Little. Normally the chick would be buried in the nest or removed. In Wales, it has been observed that the adults take the babies at least 300 feet from the nest to dispose of their bodies.

Big was fed the entire fish. Middle had none and has had little food in comparison for a couple of days. Things are not stable. This nest needs more fish and a female willing to feed both chicks. It is not like Middle is not asking! (Mum did not have much either – did I say that Big reminds me of Zoe from PLO?)

At a later feeding, ‘H’ observed the feeding at 1445, “Middle was allowed to eat, then not, then was, then not, etc.  No severe bonking (only one bonk) because Middle submits just by Big giving him a certain look. Long story short, Middle had a pretty nice meal, nice crop.” Great news. Observations of a later feed show that Middle wound up with a crop also. In the image of the feeding, notice that Big has Little under it…still obsessed with that dead sibling. Big is 22 days old. Observations from 2022 indicated that most aggression by the first hatch will stop around 18 days on average, if it is going to. By the time the youngest is 28-30 days, generally, they are safe from siblicide but there are exceptions. Port Lincoln in 2022 was one of those.

At the Dyfi Nest of Telyn and Idris, Telyn speed feeds the chicks. There will not be a problem on this nest like we are seeing at those in the US. The big question is: why?

Idris has joined great company – DaiDot and Monty – in bringing in two fish to the nest at the same time.

Elen is a first time Mum and Aran is so well trained by Mrs G. This is going to be a fantastic nest to watch. Their first hatch came in the wee hours of May 31. Congratulations Glaslyn!

As anticipated, the youngest osplet at the Western Maryland Shores Old Town Osprey nest died either late on the 29th or early on the 30th. Parental neglect/siblicide.

The youngest at Carthage TN died as well. The wee one had seizures before it passed which is very typical of osplets. The cause of death is not clear. The chick was six days old. Kathryn gave me the bad news and ‘H’ followed up with a review of fish deliveries. Here they are “After the 1008 fish, Dad arrived to nest 1137, 1156, 1257 without fish.  Fish arrived 1444, Mom was starving.  Baby was fed, but view was blocked.   5 1/2 hours between fish.” Oldest chick is being monitored.

Three days ago when things were good.

Two fish came on the Achieva nest rather quickly after 0916:35. Middle was the only one at home…Mum got fish, too.

The two osplets at Oyster Bay look good.

Nice big fish come on the Forsythe Nest with its four osplets. The feedings appear to be civil. ‘H’ reports on two for Tuesday morning: “0856  Mini was stuck in the back of the pack, never got a single bite.  No aggression whatsoever. 1005   Luck of the draw, Mini was front and centre, received many bites, nice little crop, food coma.  No aggression whatsoever.” ‘H’ reported that Mini also ate well being up front at 1644. It is the same with Patchogue. If Mini can get up front, it gets fed, and there are no problems. It is hard to be tiny! Send positive wishes.

Fish left for parents to eat but Big is going after Mini.

Outerbanks 24/7 is doing well. There are three chicks. They just finished lunch and Dad flew in with another little fish. All calm, lined up so civil. Fingers crossed it stays this way.

Do the male Ospreys in the UK take more turns dual feeding with their partners? Blue 022 is feeding one of the chicks while CJ7 feeds the other at Poole Harbour. This is a behaviour observed on many, if not all, of the nests in the UK. How much does this and the size of the fish add to the prevention of siblicide?

Both chicks at the Llyn Clywedog nest of Dylan and Seren are doing well. The oldest on the right is just going into the Reptile phase. Dylan is another male that loves to feed his babies alone or dual with Seren.

Dylan is right in there!

There has been some concern about the Middle chick at Loch of the Lowes. It waited patiently and got fed…like all nests with a Big sibling that wants to push its dominance, Middle is learning that it is best to step back, wait and then get fed. There appears to be intruders…with both Laddie LM12 and Blue NC0 on the nest vocalising.

There are three osplets at Foulshaw Moss in Cumbria. Fingers crossed for Little Bob. It is difficult to tell who gets bites and who doesn’t or if all eat…You can see how small Little Bob is to Big but the feeding looked good for all three. There is five days difference between Big and Little’s hatch dates. May 22 and May 27.

The three osplets at Wolf Bay on the coast of Alabama are three weeks old (two oldest). The nest is doing really well – three healthy osplets! So nice to see.

We are on hatch watch for Richmond and Rosie!

Just look at Angel’s RTH5 today!!!!!!!!

More cuteness overload from the San Jose City Hall falcons…just look at that crop!

But guess what? Monty feeds his chick! These parents are finally getting their act together. Thanks, SK Hideaways.

I don’t always report on them but today there was a posting about Kakapo, the endangered flightless beautiful green parrots from the small NZ islands. The 55 hatches from last season have all lived giving a total population of 248. This is amazing.

A great article on the need for humans to help the Opsreys with their nests!

Please help keep our planet clear of plastic rubbish. It gets on the nest and it gets on the birds and wildlife. This is a very disturbing image….did the photographer try to get help?x

‘R’ sent me an article from The Washington Post. It is a report on research about why Orcas are sinking boats around Gibraltar. This is nothing short of a super interesting read. Both ‘R’ and I wish that other species could communicate with humans so that they could tell us how much we are destroying their environment and lives. The Manatees in Florida are such a good example.

I noticed an article in The Guardian about coffee and it caught my eye. I only buy Birds and Beans and that is because the coffee farmers protect the forest canopy so that the birds can thrive – most companies do not and only coffee certified by the Smithsonian can say they protect the environment in this way. It wasn’t the coffee though but a discussion of climate change and birds. Yellow-throated Toucans are moving further north due to climate change and, in doing so, are endangering the lives of the Quetzals, the most gorgeous indigenous bird. In 1545, according to the article, the first Mayans gifted Philip of Span 2000 Quetzal feathers…the best gift in the world they could imagine. Many families that are not part of big agro are trying to manage the changes – less predictable rain but heavier when it falls, erosion…etc.

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/may/30/how-coffee-farms-in-costa-rica-are-mixing-wildlife-agriculture-and-tourism?CMP=share_btn_link

And last, please remember to put out a bowl of water for wildlife and birds…this one is a little deep for birds but great for hedgehogs…if you have them in your garden!

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

Thank you to the following for their observation notes, the links they have sent me, their Tweets and posts, and the streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: Geemeff, ‘H’, Kathryn, ‘L’, ‘R’, ‘SP’, Geemeff and Loch Arkaig, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery and the Woodland Trust, Dunrovin Ranch, PSEG, WRDC, Patuxent River Park, Severna Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bwywd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Western Maryland Shores Old Town Osprey, Achieva Credit Union, Oyster Bay Ospreys, Forsyth Ospreys, Outerbanks 24/7, Poole Harbour Ospreys, CarnyXWild, Friends of LOTL and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Wolf Bay Ospreys, SF Ospreys, Window to Wildlife, SK Hideaways and SJCH Falcons, Sirocco Kakapo, Sunshine Coast News, The Washington Post and The Guardian.

30 May 2023

Good Morning Everyone!

Oh, goodness. Hot. That is all I can say. This week will be a ‘cooker’ on the Canadian Prairies with temperatures going to 36 degrees – similar to my son visiting SE Asia for the next month! The garden birds are not eating that much but they sure are enjoying the bird baths and the dishes of water. Be sure to do your part – even if it is a single tiny bowl of water. Everything helps.

We are going to start with a question that comes up quite often: Do Ospreys inbreed? Before you make a face, the term is not a negative one in the raptor world. Indeed, the answer to the question is ‘yes’ and this article by Emry Evans in 2015 tells us why there are advantages and why this is not a bad thing in raptor populations.

In terms of Bird World, there is sheer joy and anxiety. It is a real mix this year. New parents are not as attentive, nests of four cause endless issues for the smallest to get to the front of the line, and the success of some predators means that we are losing healthy nestlings to other species for their dinner. It can be difficult to watch or to even think about. Let us, however, mourn the loss but focus on the living and hope that they survive. The world away from the nest is much more challenging.

Mini-Bob at the Patchogue was getting a really nice private feeding on Monday. The other three were full and on the rim of the nest and Mini had time with Mum. How happy does that make us? Mini is on the other side of Mum, and her behaviour indicates feeding. The other three are looking out to the street.

Mini under Mum’s tail later.

So tiny. It takes a miracle for these little ones to survive. As the older siblings get bigger, they require more food. It is easier to shut out the tiny one. Few parents are able to cope with four in the nest but, so far, this nest is moving forward. The chicks have not yet entered the Reptilian Phase fully but you can see the back of the necks and the plumage beginning to change on the eldest.

At Patchogue, Mini Bob had problems getting up to the line to get fed late Monday. As the other three get bigger and require more food this will be a real issue for this osplet unless he can get some of those private feedings from Mum.

Rose and Ron’s R5 at the WRDC in Miami is back in the nest after falling off the rim on Monday. R4 has fledged and no doubt R5 will fly shortly….and then, once everyone leaves it looks like some repairs will need to be done on Ron Magill’s nest. It has worked…stronger metal for the frame, perhaps?

I am not sure you could get a more gorgeous Osprey couple than Aran and his new mate Elen at Glaslyn with their matching spiked crests. We are on pip watch for this new couple.

Bless his heart. Blue 022 at Poole Harbour, the mate of CJ7 for the second year, is so excited hearing the chick peep that he is trying to feed it!

The first chick of the season for Blue 022 and CJ7 at Poole Harbour has arrived! The pair made history last year by hatching and fledging the first ospreys in Poole Harbour for over 250 years. Poole Harbour is part of the translocation project begun by Roy Dennis and The Birds of Poole Harbour group.

CJ7 is the star of a BBC Springtime! Great history of the nest..Please watch. This is an energetic, joyful presentation!

https://youtu.be/Tl-vxvBWI_8

Geemeff caught the first hatch on video and guess what? The second chick has now arrived! There is only 12 hours difference. Thank you CJ7 for that amazing delayed incubation!

And the second one!

‘H’ gives an update on the WRDC nest. After 2 hrs 45 minutes R4 flew in and landed on the selfie branch like a pro! ‘H”s update this morning is that they are putting R5 back in the nest. Like all of you, she hopes R5 will fledge instead of keeping falling out of the nest! And I have said Rita a couple of times instead of Rose…apologies. I do know the difference! Mind on Ospreys.

Heidi McGrue catches R4 returning after fledging. Mamma Rose is glad. Lots of squeezing!

https://youtu.be/_nMVwaB89u8

The Dulles-Greenway Trio. The oldest, DG4, was not ready to fledge and has been retrieved. She was not injured and has been taken into care for monitoring. From the size, she has been declared to be a female. It is doubtful that DG4 would be placed back in the nest. DG5 has branched!

San Jose City Hall – the little one was bed by Hartley for what appeared to be about 38 minutes beginning at 0920 – the feeding ended with a huge crop. Looks alright today. Feather development also looks to be alright.

Another feeding for the San Jose City Hall chick came at 15:44.

In fact, there were 8 meals on Monday for this wee little one.

There are several osprey nests that are having problems (I worry about Patchogue but let’s wait and see). One of those is Patuxent II reported by ‘H’. Four osplets. Mini is too short and the bowl is deep, the three eldest get up front and eat and eat and despite fish, the female does not reach out to feed Mini. If four dies, it would be listed as ‘parental neglect’ as there is no aggression currently by the older siblings.

Maryland Western Shore for Old Town Home has three osplets but the age difference and the aggression by Big Bob to Little Bob means that Little is not getting any food. This is a hard nest to watch. Thanks ‘M’ for bringing this nest to my attention. There was six days difference between when the eggs were laid and four days difference from when Big and Little hatched making Little effectively ten days younger in development.

Not a problem nest right now! Thankfully. Sunnie Day just posted a video of the first hatch at Crooked Lake. This is Noble and Whitley’s sixth season with a three egg clutch. Good luck to all!

https://youtu.be/Kr1YJ-xYRQ4

At Loch Arkaig, Louis has stepped up the fish deliveries as hatch approaches.

https://youtu.be/IBAhxtUaNqg

If I want to feel ‘good’, I head to the nest of Big Red and Arthur, the resident Red-tail Hawks at Cornell University. They raised four hawklets last year and since Big Red would have begun breeding (around 2005), there are no known nest deaths and only one of his chicks did not fledge, K2, who had a problem with her jaw/beak area two years ago. Well fed. Big Red makes sure that even the tiniest baby is full to the brim.

Then there are Annie and Lou’s kids…What were they up to? SK Hideaways caught it on video for us. These three just keep giving us smiles…what joy!

https://youtu.be/ruTOEhGKqTk

One great Osprey nest that gives me comfort is Rutland’s Manton Bay home to Blue 33 and Maya. No shortage of fish or parental care but, there is something else going on here. Little Bob is not shy – not one single bit – of getting itself right up there to Maya’s beak. Reminds me of Big Red’s L4 from 2022 who climbed over the big siblings to get to be the first in line. Fantastic. Survivor instinct.

Mary Cheadle posted a great little video capture of Little Bob moving up to get that fish. Thanks, Mary. I missed this. It is brilliant. (This is a still capture of a frame of her video showing Little right up at that beak…he did not hesitate to get up out of that egg cup and to Mum’s beak).

Big and Middle both ate well at the Achieva Osprey nest on Monday.

The first hatch at Cowlitz PUD has had some good fish meals all day long Monday.

There are currently two little osplets on PSEG’s nest at Oyster Bay, Long Island. There is lots of fish!

The last eaglet to be banded by Dr Sharpe is named Anthony after the donor’s grandfather.

Speaking of naming, Window to Wildlife would like help in naming Angel and Tom’s little one RTH5. Here is the information:

Other brief news. Middle at Severna has been kept from eating by Big but managed to get some food on Monday because Big was still bashing Little’s corpose. This is one strange osplet. There appears to be some aggression at the Forstyhe nest in the evening after a peaceful feed earlier. Dahlgren looks like a little bit of beaking going on. Fingers crossed. Thanks ‘H’ for those observations.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care everyone. See you soon1

Thank you to all those who sent notes, posted videos, articles, announcements or host streaming cams that helped make up my blog today. They are: ‘A’, ‘G’, Geemeff, ‘H’, ‘M’, ‘SP’, Dyfi Osprey Project, PSEG, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Anny Ryc and Love for Poole Harbour Ospreys, BBC spring watch, Heidi McGru and the WRDC, Dulles-Greenway Eagles, San Jose City Hall Eagles, Patuxent River Park, Maryland Western Short for Old Town Home, sunny Day and Crooked Lake, Geemeff and Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery, and the Woodland Trust, Cornell RTH, Cal Falcons, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, LRWT, Achieva Credit Union, IWS, and Window to Wildlife.