Category Archives: Uncategorized

2 osplets at Moorings Park…A snowy Thursday in Canada

5 Marh 2026

Good Morning Everyone,

It’s March 5 and it is Toby’s birthday! Here he is when he was first able to climb the cat tree after arriving when he was a very young 8 week old.

As I tell many people, I would not have survived the past year without Toby and The Girls. We plan to have his party when his goodies arrive, which I hope is today. Deliveries in Canada have been problematic due to severe storms in each area.

The snow is gently falling this morning, and the thirty-three European Starlings – yes, counted – have arrived for breakfast. They will return around 1430 this afternoon for their late meal. What are they eating? Cat and dog kibble!

Sally and Harry now have two of the sweetest little osplets. These two do not know how lucky they are to have such amazing parents.

Good news coming out of the UK. Lead ammunition to be banned from 2029. Of course I ask myself, why not 2027? Surely they can get it off the shelves by then.

UK Government confirms ban on sale & use of toxic lead ammunition for ‘live quarry shooting’ from 1sDownload

There is so much confusion going on at the Dade County nest. These are the facts. I want you to read this carefully. Banding and the correct documentation are crucial. It cannot be haphazard.

R9 hatched on 12/20/25, and R10 hatched on 12/22/25.  They were banded on 1/31/26 at 42 and 40 days of age.  During banding, samples were taken to determine their genders, and it was revealed that they are both male.  The intention was to band R9 with the #6/9 band, and band R10 with the #7/0 band.  However, on banding day the eaglets were mixed up, and R9 was given the 7/0 band, R10 was given the 6/9 band.   There are several expert viewers who have watched this nest most of the day every day, and they were always able to identify which eaglet was which, including on banding day, and since banding day.  When the cams resumed after banding, every one of these viewer-experts knew right away that the bands had been reversed.  On banding day, we had hoped that the banders would have been able to tell the eaglets apart by the distinct differences in their tails, and by the few fluffy white feathers that R10 still had on his neck on that day.  The eaglets’ personalities regarding the dominant and submissive sibling were the same as they had always been… R9 dominant, R10 submissive, (although R10 has recently become more aggressive since R9 branched).  The authorities refused to acknowledge the opinions of these expert viewers, who individually have probably watched these eagles more than the admin/mods combined.    

No one ever said that the eaglets’ band numbers needed to be sequential.  But, the admin apparently wanted their names to match his banding documentation.  The admin mandated that chatters call the eaglets by the wrong names.  Chatters are not permitted to call the eaglets by their real names, we are supposed to pretend that each eaglet is the other one now, lol.  One of the long-time primary chatters, ‘mary_mcg’, quit the chat a few weeks ago because she refused to call the eaglets by the wrong names.  Experienced chatters have resorted to simply calling the eaglets by their band numbers, rather than calling them the wrong names.  More recently, even the admin and the mods have been calling the eaglets by their band numbers rather than a name!  The result has been total confusion on the chat as newer chatters and those that haven’t been on the chat for a while drop by.  The band numbers are confusing to them, and they ask which eaglet is which… but experienced chatters are not permitted to respond truthfully.  

HERE ARE THE FACTS:  R9 (band 70) branched on 2/27 at 69 days of age.  R9 unintentionally fledged on 3/4 at 74 days of age.  Ground observers stated that R9 is doing fine, was seen flying well, and then he perched in a tree.  A little later on 3/4, R10 (band 69) branched for the first time, at 72 days of age.  You can trust me on this.  I put together a video showing R9 branching, R9’s fludge/fledge, and R10 branching. Video: https://youtu.be/BotBY9tD4U0?

I am working on a post that focuses solely on the Kakapo. Like the California Condors, they are so endangered and they breed only every four years so there is great excitement in New Zealand as this year’s eggs hatch into fluffy little flightless parrots.

Geemeff sends us another warning about using balloons – sorry, Toby. There will never be balloons used in any party at our house!

The dangers of releasing balloons:

https://www.sungazette.com/news/outdoors/2026/03/releases-of-mylar-balloons-can-endanger-wildlife

Shadow worked hard to keep the ravens away from the eggs! They are going to have to be diligent.

News from the nests in the Channel Islands from SK Hideaways: https://youtu.be/LoHana6raBc?

Ospreys have started arriving in the UK.

Big Red and Arthur continue to work on their nest.

Arrivals in parts of the US of ospreys are three weeks ahead of schedule. Keep your eyes to the sky.

My inbox has been full of readers upset by the seemingly contradictory information coming out of Fort Myers, Florida, regarding the death of F23. She was much loved. It took a while, but after Harriet by F23 won our hearts for being such a wonderful Mum. Now there is a petition for transparency in F23’s death. It is sponsored by Barb Henry. No money required. https://c.org/NvjPRCRWkb

At the NE Florida nest of Beau and Gabby, first hatch Kai has branched and guess what, so did Eve. Today is the first day that they have perched on the branches outside the nest, however.

Just a taste of some of the news coming out of our nests.

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

Thank you to the individuals who created videos and posted information on FB, to Raptor Persecution UK for staying on top of the persecution of our feathered friends in that country, and to the owners of the streaming cams where I took my screen captures.

F23 presumed deceased

3 Marh 2026

It is with great sadness that I include the following message from SW Florida.

F23 is home

28 February 2026

Just a quick note to let you know that on a FB post with the All Eagles group, Barb Henry went to the SW Florida nest and spotted and photographed F23 high up on a cell tower.

Our beautiful Mum of E26 and mate of M15 appears to be fine.

Thank you Barb Henry for your diligence, your image on FB, and keeping us all in the loop. We can all relax now.

Jackie lays egg 2, clutch 2!

27 February 2026

Hello Everyone,

I didn’t expect to be back so soon – well, there is great news. Jackie and Shadow have egg 2 of clutch 2.

Thanks SK Hideaways for the video capturing the moment! https://youtu.be/FKRbz02gZG0?

Featured image from SK Hideaways video capture.

Mr North is MIA…Friday in Bird World

27 February 2026

Greetings Everyone,

Gosh, golly. We have a countdown clock to the arrival of the ospreys in the UK now. Big Red and Arthur are busy at the nest, and there could be eggs in two to three weeks. There are second eggs being laid at the Bald Eagle nests, and it just seems that everything is happening at once. Older eaglets are branching and will be fledging soon.

We are having a ‘yellow alert’ today, which means that winds are blowing up to 100 kph, with the main highway around Winnipeg closed. The ‘red’ lines indicate closed roads.

Ann and Don have gone to The Leaf to be inside with the koi and butterflies. It allowed me and Toby time to remove an old rug, lay down a new one and put the old one in the library area near the woodstove. These rugs cause a negative and a positive. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels love to run and play – the zoomies are incredible. But they tend to ‘slide’ on hardwood and dislocate bones. So carpets are a must – wall-to-wall carpet would be best. I cannot even imagine the amount of cat and dog hair that would attract. Don, on the other hand, cannot afford to get caught and trip and fall. This means they have to be taped down securely. Gosh, golly.

Meanwhile, the animals in the garden are thinking it is spring. We predict that the number of red squirrels might grow this spring!!!!!!!!

Let’s check on some of our Bird World news.

The eaglets at the Sutton Centre have beautiful names!

At Decorah North, Mr North has not been seen for three days at the time of writing this post. It appears that the UM has won the battle for the territory. Mr North was last seen favouring a foot and wing. Many of us adore him, and I hope that he is alright and will find another home. I am going to assume he is ‘missing’, and I am not putting him on the Memorial Wall as yet. He could be resting up to return for another day and another battle.

The owners of the Winter Park nest have selected names. Windows to Wildlife writes:’ “Thank you to everyone for submitting names for the eaglets. We had over 1,200 submissions. The landowners have chosen the following names! WPE1- Brutus, WPE2 – Peanut.”

I missed it. We have two eggs at the ND-LEEF nest!

Donations. I have been talking about donations recently because everyone is finding life challenging. There is, however, a campaign to raise millions – 10 million to be exact – to save the land around the nest of Jackie and Shadow. Here is the information. Please note that this post addresses fraudulent individuals soliciting funds and provides the only donation link. So if you do have a fiver – maybe this is the place to send it!

Note this is on the donation page if you are wondering: “Donate today. The donations made on this site will go directly to the purchase of the property and not to Friends of Big Bear Valley. FOBBV is managing the fundraiser only. All donations are tax deductible. Tax ID # 33-0700417“

Due to the limitations set out under the streaming cam, I cannot include images of Jackie and Shadow at their nest.

Jolene and Boone at Johnson City ETSU have a pip in their egg! Baiba has it on video: https://youtu.be/F8Mn8Zyr1Bo?

At Two Harbours, Chase and Cholyn now have two eggs. Isn’t this fantastic?!

Stella and Irvin have three eggs at the US Steel nest in PA.

Rutland is thinking Ospreys.

Scout and Bella have another egg! WingsofWhimsy has it on video: https://youtu.be/e0BRKC5Y3NA?

That is one lucky eaglet at Duke Farms. Dad Eagle continues to bring in the most amazing prey for Mum and Baby.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We will be back with you again on Monday.

Thank you to the individuals who created videos, posted notices on FB, created websites for donations for Jackie and Shadow’s region, and the owners of the video cams that allow us to see the lives of these amazing birds. I am grateful to each of you.

Branching…Lots going on in Bird World

26 February 2026

Hello Everyone,

I am taking a moment while Miyoung cuts Don’s hair to try to post some of the latest bird news. Missey is watching from the table, and Toby is on the sofa in the conservatory, wishing for an extra walk, not Dad getting a haircut!

The weather is warming up before it gets a bit nippy again. Tomorrow is going to be plus 2 C. Ann and Don are going to go out for a walk – we are going to do as much walking outside with him as we can as his condition is changing and we are starting to see a few Parkinson’s tremors. That is signalling the potential need for a walker sooner than expected. But, we will see!

So many of you have asked about the little squirrel with the mange. He has overcome his exposure to rodenticide, and his fur is about half grown back in. We are astonished and so happy. I want to attribute this to his being in good condition. It is a bit like Brock. Jane and I, along with some others, keep him well fed, and he stays on Jane’s porch much of the time. His fur is glossy – he does not look like a feral cat living outside, but he is.

The whiter fur is the new.

Branching. When an eaglet officially flies to a branch from the nest bowl. We have two today!

Quinn at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive has branched.

70 day old E26 at the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23 has branched at 0913 local time. S/he flew to the veranda. Here is the video: https://youtu.be/hG3QdbKOQL4?

Well done. I am expecting Eve and Kai at the NE Florida nest along with Dade County eaglets to be on that list any time!

More eggs are being laid!

Ma Vrain and her mate number 3??? Identified as Pa3 has laid her first egg at the Ft St Vrain Bald Eagle nest in Colorado.

Cruz and Andor have their third eagle egg at Fraser’s Point.

At Decorah North, the drama is seemingly coming to a close. Mr North, the long-time male resident of the nest, has been injured and has been MIA.

On the 17th: “The Decorah North eagle nest turned into the scene of a fast and fierce showdown on the morning of February 17, 2026. After being gone for almost a week, Mr. North had just recently returned to the area. During his absence, an unidentified male eagle had been hanging around DNF and testing the boundaries of the territory. Viewers watching the Decorah North live cam could feel the tension building. Then it happened. The intruder didn’t just perch nearby. He actually landed right inside the nest.” Mr North engaged with the intruder. “As soon as the intruder landed, Mr. North took off, circled back, and attempted to strike from behind before the intruder turned to face him.”

Mr North had been missing for a week. He has now been seen around the nest with what some are calling a wing injury. I will not give up on him just yet. The intruder is being called UM (unidentified male).

Mrs DNF has not accepted the UM as I understand it. There have been boots on the ground looking for Mr North.

I would like to introduce you to Condor 470 Fuego – please read more in the file below. To get you started: “His plucky spirit and spectacular flying skills make him a wonderful addition to the Big Sur flock. Fuego (470) has also been a member of not one, but two different trios! Along with his foster father, Amigo (204), he first paired with Condor (534). The trio was successfully able to raise their chick, Laura’s Bird (842). Unfortunately shortly after Laura’s Bird (842) fledged, Condor (534) went missing. The following breeding season Fuego (470) and his foster father added another female to their group, Kodama (646). They successfully raised their chick, Katie’s Bird (1003)​, but Fuego (470) has since left the trio and paired with Sottow (962). During the 2024 nesting season, they hatched Condor (1318) who fledged in late November of 2024. We are thrilled that Fuego (470) and this first-time-condor-mom have been successful so far!”

Fuego (470) – VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETYDownload

Audubon Florida sends out its first statewide newsletter on wildlife for the year.

(FL) Statewide eNews 1282026Download

I could not close without checking on our only eaglet at Duke Farms. It is doing very well with an enthusiastic dad who has a buffet on that nest for his mate and baby.

I am really getting itchy feet for those ospreys to start arriving in the UK!

In the meantime, I want to mention something to all of you. There is no person who reads my blog who is unaware of the challenges everyone is facing amid escalating inflation, the high cost of healthcare premiums, medicines, and food for us and our beloved pets. Many who used to donate cash to their favourite wildlife rehabilitation centre, or even to a streaming cam, are unable to do so. I do not want you to feel bad about yourself. There are other ways to help – I will continue to remind you that the vet clinics, the wildlife rehabilitation centres all need clean used towels, rags, gently used pet crates and carriers. You can help and not have to spend a cent, and it will really help them. So look at those piles in the attic, the garage, the basement and see if there is anything that might be needed – and that even includes tools!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for being with us today. Please take care of yourself. We will be with you again soon – probably at the weekend unless we have a fledge.

Thank you to Ventana Wildlife, SPO, Audubon Florida, and the owners of the streaming cams that let us into the lives of our feathered families.

Name the Sutton Centre eaglets…

25 February 2026

Hello Everyone,

It isn’t quite over. They want $1000 and they have $981 in the name the eaglet contest to raise money at the Sutton Centre in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Here is some information that ‘L’ sent to me.

I could not find the link to vote in the comments but if you search for Sutton Centre Name the Eaglet you will find many sites to help.

Thank you ‘L’. Let’s hope they make their goal. They are almost there!

Loss of fish will impact our sea birds and ospreys…

25 February 2026

Good Morning,

There has been a lot of discussion about the industrial fishing of the Chesapeake Bay and the lack of Menhaden for the Ospreys.

The Bay is one of the main areas for ospreys in the United States. There were hundreds of thousands of them. That is a lot of fish required for adults and chicks and the fish are just not there. Can the osprey adapt to eating a different kind of fish? They have certainly adapted over 61 million years, but the problem is – what other fish? Talk to Brian Collins or some of the other fishers from the region and we immediately understand that Striped Bass numbers are down as well along with all other species. Has the industrial overfishing impacted the other regions? Some debate that.

Ben Wurst’s recent newsletter from Conserve Wildlife of NJ indicates the lack of prey is the root cause of nest failure in the area of the Bay. Thanks, Heidi, for this great article.

A Tale of Two Seasons: Ospreys and Menhaden on the Mullica River

Heidi, Viki, and I monitored the changing behaviour of osprey in the area. We noted that Duke and Daisy chose not to breed. Viki noted that in 2024, all chicks starved in the fifteen nests they had monitored for twenty years in Maryland. Last year, those same adult osprey laid their eggs and abandoned them before hatching due – I strongly believe – to a lack of food. No sense hatching them if they are going to starve to death. Please don’t tell me our raptors are not intelligent. They are. I continue and will always add what Laura Culley taught me – they are smarter than humans!

The problem is we are killing them and their habitat.

One thing that we cannot ignore is the rising temperature of the oceans, lakes, and streams. This is killing off fish and that will have an immediate impact on seabirds and other raptors that rely on fish as their sole source of food.

Here is an article today in The Guardian:

hronic ocean heating fuels ‘staggering’ loss of marine life, study findshttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/25/chronic-ocean-heating-fuels-staggering-loss-marine-life-study?CMP=share_btn_url

So as we move into osprey season, I want us to educate ourselves on some of the major challenges the populations face in different regions of the world.

Thank you for being with me this morning. Take care. Regular blog back the end of the week!

Thank you to Heidi for sending me the article by Ben Wurst. Thank you Ben for writing it and to The Guardian, we are always grateful for your coverage of the environment.

Eggs and more eggs…

24 February 2026

Hello Again,

SK Hideaways has Jackie and Shadow and Chase and Cholyn’s eggs on video!

28-Year-Old Cholyn and Chase Welcome 1st Egg of the Season🎉
In their 23rd season together, 28-year-old Cholyn and Chase welcomed their first egg. Cholyn fooled fans for a few nights before laying this first egg, but, of course, she had her own schedule. Congratulations! (2026 Feb 24)
Video: https://youtu.be/q3g9NCeN04E

Jackie Lays Egg #1 of Second Clutch ~ Shadow Checks on Jackie, Meets Egg 🥰
Jackie and Shadow welcomed the first egg of their second clutch. Wishing them a successful outcome. (2026 Feb 24)

Video: https://youtu.be/2xmOylatUyg

I am just overjoyed.

We have another egg – and there could be more that I have missed.

The female at the Glen Hazel (new name for Pittsburg-Hays nest) has laid her first egg on the 24th, too. There are going to be a lot of hatches on the same day or near to one another!

SPO wrote: “The Camera Came Back — And Minutes Later, the Season Began

For a brief stretch on February 24, the Glen Hazel (Hays) bald eagle nest cam was offline.

Then it returned.

GHF, known to many as Mom, was already on the nest when the live stream came back online. She wasn’t resting quietly. She was moving with intention, slowly circling the nest bowl, tugging at grasses, digging gently into the cup she had carefully shaped. Every few steps she paused, scanning her surroundings as wind lifted the feathers along her head and back.

The sun was shining over Pittsburgh. The tree swayed slightly. It looked like a typical late winter afternoon.

But within minutes, it became something much more.

After about twenty minutes of steady nest preparation, GHF lowered herself into the bowl. Her back feathers lifted subtly. Her posture changed.

At approximately 3:00 PM EST, she laid the first egg of the 2026 season.

And viewers watched it happen live.

Almost immediately after laying, she rose carefully and stepped back.

She looked at the egg.

For the first time this year, viewers saw it clearly in the nest bowl, resting against the grasses she had just arranged. It was a quiet but powerful moment, the official start of another nesting season at the Hays site.

When she settled back down, something caught viewers’ attention. At first, she did not fully tuck the egg beneath her. It remained slightly visible in front of her body as the breeze continued to ripple through her feathers.

Within a few minutes, she adjusted. She shifted her footing, lowered herself more securely, and gently pulled the egg fully underneath her.

Incubation had begun.”

Thank you so much to SK Hideaways for their videos so generously share with us, to SPO for their reporting of the Glen Hazel news and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us into the lives of our favourite eagles.

Thank you also to you, my dear readers, who love these birds so much. I know that you are so excited. Perhaps Jackie and Shadow will be lucky with their second clutch – gosh, please send them good energy – and let’s wish Chase and Cholyn an eaglet to care for this year. Best wishes to Pix Cams and the Glen Hazel couple. Take care everyone.

Hugo Yugo wishes you the best night’s sleep!

Wow…Eggs! Big Bear and Two Harbours

24 February 2026

There is some news that can’t wait –

Jackie and Shadow have their first egg of their second clutch. I am just in tears.

Chase and Cholyn have their first egg of the season.

Seriously over the moon for these two couples. Send them the most positive energy you have!

Before I close, let’s check on that little one at Duke Farms. Baby is fine; Nice piece of fish on that nest for later.

Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us into the lives of these incredible birds.

See you on Friday!